Hi all, this is not a hunt report, but a plea for more hunt reports from others, and this is why I have posted this in the Africa Hunt Report forum. I am a new member, but have been a long time lurker of the site. I really enjoy reading of others adventures, and do dream of my own African safari.
After years of prodding, 2 years ago my wife finally agreed to my lifelong dream and the scrimping and saving started. I began researching and this is when I found the Accurate Reloading site with all the great info and stories of others hunts. Thank you Saeed!
About the same time we got ourselves a new puppy and she is a real sweetheart. She is like a child to us. Low and behold the first major setback to my African adventure. When she was just about a year old my pup ate a nice shinny rock, this ended up requiring surgery to remove it and about 12 inches of her intestines, cost of about 1 trophy kudu and my warthog! No problem I thought just another year or so delay and more saving and on life went.
Fast forward a year..... for the last 3 months we have been having a lot of issues with my pup’s health. More medications and x-rays later, (my impala and blesbok), and it looks like she will require another surgery, there goes my gemsbok and possibly zebra!
The other day a good buddy of mine was over and jokingly says “You should change that dog’s name to Africa, as she is burning up your African hunting money real fast” he he he... So that is why I have titled this thread a dog named Africa.
So, please keep posting up the wonderful stories of your adventures to the far off land. It will be at least a few now years until I can get on with my dream, but reading of others adventures will make the long wait bearable...

Thanks all...

Cheers
Chris

Chris, welcome aboard! I'm sure you'll find enough reports of African hunts posted here to allow you to live your dream vicariously until you've saved up enough to do it yourself.

You know, you have GOT to post a picture (or many) of this dog! I love mine dearly, like children, and even have the same love for my cats (the little bastards - they are the reason I can't ever bring myself to hunt any of the cat species in Africa!) - but you know what? GO TO AFRICA! Borrow the money, put it on a credit card, work some overtime - whatever it takes. Each year inflation is making it harder and harder to do it - I am so glad I went when I did before my various medical problems hit me. And now with the economy in the shitter, as much as I want to go again I have too many things vying for my money. Just do it!

A dog named Africa? Now that is pure poetry. One of mine has a wing at the vet clinic named after her, and the vet has 3 kids in college. I should call her Zimbabwe!

I will try and get a pic of my "Africa" she is really an awesome dog, she is a yellow lab...

John, thanks for the advice, but it took me about 15 years of begging to get the wife to agree as it is, I am not sure I can get her to agree to "Finance" this trip on credit.... If I had someone to borrow the money from I would have gone already, and as a gov't habitat biologist, I have never seen 1 hour of overtime in over 17 years!!!

Thanks for the advice and support all, one day I will be doing my report for you to read....

Cheers
Chris

good luck with your pup. Them little rascals dig their way into your heart.

Best of luck on the trip as well.

I've got a couple of black Labradors, but mostly Goldens. One of the Labradors shattered a foot bone, and that wasn't cheap, but he's back running field trials again so all the pins and surgery worked. .

Where in Africa are you looking at? Namibia? Zimbabwe? Blesbok sounds like South Africa?

good luck with that mutt - they get under your skin alright , real fast

We have a chocolate lab bitch called " India " so there is obviously a continent theme going here ...

Ovis, I am with you! I love reading the hunt reports, even the simple plains game hunts in addition to the more exotic DG stuff. I hope that the recent brouhaha regarding hunt reports dies down and hunters continue posting their stories. Most importantly, keep working and planning for your first African trip...it'll be a life changer! I don't think I'd go so far as to put it on credit, but don't give up. No overtime? That's unfortunate...as a government worker, is there no way for you to begin collecting graft and bribes? Just kidding!

John Crighton, sorry to hear about your medical ills. When I was planning my hunt I followed your ongoing plans here with great interest. I hope that things improve for you.

John

Chuck, I am thinking of either Namibia or South Africa. The blesbok is just one of the critters I would like to hunt, but I will take what I can get wherever I go There is an outfit in South Africa, Eastern Cape that is partially owned and run by a guy with the same name as me, and we may be distant relatives, so I think it would be very neat to go hunt with him. His concession is also free range so that is nice too. Bottom line for me will be the best bang I can get for my buck, I won't necessarily go for the cheapest hunt, but I can't just go anywhere as budget is limited. I would love to do Buff, Lion and all the more exotic hunts, but I have champain dreams on a beer budget!!!!

The main reason I posted is because I see some folks shying away from posting because of some negativity, so I wanted to show folks that some of us really appreciate the reports and they are important to us, hell it is an addiction so it is more than important to us

I am still trying to figure out the pic thing so I can show my girl off.... he he he...

And as for overtime, I get to work all the overtime I want, just do not get paid for it!!!!

Cheers
Chris

Never give up that dream... I have made mine come true. Take care of that dog.

Mike AKA Retreever

Chris, you'll love Africa, either South Africa or Namibia. I'd suggest Namibia, but if you have a long lost relative in South Africa with a hunting outfit, what can you do?

I understood your purpose in starting the post, which is part of the reason I jumped in to talk to you. Plus, dogs are one of my favorite topics. Obviously, Mike (Mr. Retreever) feels the same - nice looking Labradors, Mike. Boys?

Chris, I was hunting in Namibia with Johann Veldsmann. He has a couple of places, one lowland, one mountainous, and the hunting was marvelous. Part of the fun in camp was his little hound Hunter, who was just a wonderful boy with a ton of heart. At night up in the mountains I woke up a couple of times hearing him barking up a storm - I'm pretty sure he was warning off the leopard that had been hanging around. Unfortunately Hunter met a puff adder sevearal months after i'd left. He was a wonderful boy.

Hunting that mountain zebra with Johann was as good as any elk hunt I've done here in NM - challenging and exciting. The oryx were great, and I have a kudu jinx.

Where are you chasing sheep?

Hi Chuck.
I am fortuante to be a British Columbia resident so can purchase sheep tags over the counter for the stone sheep I love to hunt. I do a 2 week trip every year, it is about 5 hours from my home and a day or so hike with 75 pound packs... I have a buddy that is as nuts as I am about chasing these critters so we go every year. I have only pulled the trigger on 1, that was back in 1995. Last year we turned down a broomed 10 yr old ram because we found 2 others that were real whoppers. But allas, a big storm came in and we were tent bound for almost 2 days, and after that we spent 7 days looking high and low but could not relocate the big boys... This year maybe

We are blessed as I could never afford one if I have to pay what the guides outfitters here charge!!!!

It is very tough some nights when I get both sheep and Africa into my head .... te he he... It is like having a split personality I guess The wife thinks I am a little off my rocker over the amount of time I spend obsessing about hunting...

I am having problems posting a picture of my baby, but have run out of time right now as I am off to take her for her surgery...

Cheers
Chris

Chris, good luck with the surgery! I just took Pepper in for some bloodwork prior to her tumor removal and spay next week myself.

It is a tough life you live - forced to buy over the counter sheep tags.....

One of my friends has collected all the North American sheep, and then gone to Asia for two other species. I though Africa hunters were obsessed till I met sheep hunters!

The cost of outfitters? True - for what it would cost me for a trip to Alaska for moose or bear, I can go to Africa. Twice. I'd love to go for a brown bear, but that desire has taken second place to a buffalo and leopard coming up in 2012.

Tell your wife it could be gambling and other women

Chuck

Mike: Great picture! You know how much I love labs, especially chocolates! By the way, who is the woman looking out of the window in the pic?! Does Cherie know about her? LOL!

Well guys, been quite a year... My girl made it through her surgeries (2 of them) and yes, it did burn up almost all of my Africa savings... Oh well I thought, still have my hunts here to keep my desires in check. WRONG!!! On June 3rd I was doing some stream survey works and fell and broke my fibula in my left leg. 4 casts and 10 weeks later I am still crippled up. Tomorrow I go for more x-rays and if all goes good I get a walking cast... Still have hope that I can pull off a sheep hunt in Oct., but good possability I am just dreaming.... No guiding for me either this year so it is gonna be tough to start to rebuild that Africa fund..... The dream lives on though...


Cheers
Ovis Chaser...


Man, what next!!!

The dog is worth the trouble - believe me!

Dogs have a way of grounding us like nothing else can! That little critter will pay you back in more ways than you can count!

My Wife, kids and me could write a novel about our 2 Labs (both 5), but this thread aint about us...

You have made the right move - Africa (the continent) will be there and you will end-up there hunting - just not right now - you have more impoortant things to deal with!

Good luck!

Jeff