First off, this is my first post. I think this is a great website with an incredible amount of knowledge on hunting.

I am currently planning a 14 day plainsgame hunt in Namibia for 2010 for me, my father and my two boys. This will be our first trip to Africa. It has been pretty difficult deciding on an outfitter. After meeting many with many outfits at the shows, I have it narrowed down to,
Reveille Hunting Ranch
Getaway Kalahari Safaris
African Twilight Safaris

Has anyone hunted with these hunting operations?
I'd really like a place that is kid friendly. I want to book enough time, so we don't feel rushed on the hunt. We would like to collect the normal stuff like... Kudu, Oryx, warthog. We don't need to shoot everything. I plan to go back.

Would hunting with two different operator on the same trip be more trouble that its worth??

I would appreciate any input that you can give.
Thanks!!

Without checking all their sites, I believe that all of those operators are on the upper end of cost structure in Namibia. If you can afford it, that's fine and you will almost certainly have an excellent hunt and experience. Most of the more expensive operators are used to client's children and can handle their needs, that's part of what you're paying for.

Personally, and without going into whether I would pay the upper end costs or not, I'd really think you'd have a better time for you and your family if you hunt at least two places in that time frame. If you can add a couple of days for switching locations you could even hunt 3 operations. You'll have more fun and see more if you try different operators and ranches IMO. Regardless of how good they are after 5 days or so, you're almost certainly going to be re-visiting the same places. I would definitely consider hunting with 2 operators and try to find two somewhat different areas in Namibia.

There are also many kid friendly and fun for all ages activities in and around Swakopmund, such as 4 wheeling in the dunes.

TBD, welcome to the Forums and AR... Two operators maybe problems... You will find that logistics and transportation will take an extra day...
I do not know whom you are asking about but a very good friend hunted with Karl Stumpfle and had a great time
http://forums.accuratereloadin.../6321043/m/283106627

Peter had a great time and took some super trophies...

Mike

We hunt with as many as 5 or 6 different outfitters each year, and find it no problem at all, just watch the logistics of it and how far apart they are.

TBD,

you may have already done so, but check with each outfit you are looking at. Most do have the ability to move you to another location during your hunt. The beauty of that is you are under their care the entire trip and you get to see and hunt different parts of the country. One I am very familar with has three different concessions in three vastly different habitats.

On a first trip to Africa, anywhere in Africa, I would recommend highly you do not change outfitters mid-stream. You don't want to worry about logistics, you want to hunt.

This is your first trip, enjoy it all, and welcome to this den of fools we call AR.

If you aske me there is only one place i vill returen to in Namibia and it is.
Steinhausen jagd/PH Gundolf Schlosser
http://www.steinhausen-jagd.de
and
http://www.orusovo.com/stnhsn/default.htm
High services and super hunts.
Hunt Safe
wisent

TBD:

Welcome to AR.

I agree with giving consideration to two outfitters, or at least two different camps/locations. Fourteen days for PG in Namibia is a long time. You'll quickly begin to see the same species over and over and will undoubtedly hunt the same ground over and over. A change in camp and terrain will go a long way to enhance your experience.

Changing outfitters mid-stream is no big deal. It just takes some planning. Yet it's not necessary as there are several who offer more than one camp.

In any event, you'll have a great time. Namibia is one of my favorite southern African countries. Easy and painless to get into and out of, good hunting, good infrastructure, American friendly. Enjoy!!!!

Texas Blue Devil,

To answer your question directly, I have not hunted with any of the outfitters on your list. I have met and talked extensively with Reveille Hunting Ranch and Getaway Kalahari Safaris. I do not know African Twilight Safaris.

I would happily hunt with the both the operators I have met. I came very close to booking with Reveille last year, but my schedule just wouldn't work. I do not feel they are in the upper end of cost in Namibia, and may even be one of the less expensive operations. I also felt from my discussions they were especially suitable for a family trip. Getaway Kalahari was a bit pricier, and I leaned towards them for a trip with just my wife (leaving the kids at home). Sometimes the kids just don't appreciate the fancier (more expensive) touches that a high end operator provides.

I would second the idea of booking with two outfits for a 14 day trip. You will see more of the country, and get different perspectives, as well as almost certainly different hunting opportunities. I did something similar several years ago in RSA, taking my family first to one outfit for 5 days, then flying to the other area for 7 days with another operator. In particular with my young boys, it kept everything fresh. We left each place while they were still wanting more, rather than waiting until they got bored or used to the camp routine. We had a great trip.

Enjoy,

Bill

You can certainly spend 14 days productively in Namibia, but not all in one place. If the hunting farm is good, you'll have had a chance to shoot all it has to offer within five days. There are certainly outfitters which can take you to two or more places, and in different parts of the country. Outfitters network with one another and trade hunting privileges. My suggestion would be to shop around with various outfitters to find what they offer and their suggestions. I'll PM you with the name of the folks we used in 2007. We really liked them and will use them again for a longer stay like the one you are planning.

I went with ATS in 2007 and have nothing but positive things to say. Would be a great place for the whole family, and great quality of animals.

I wrote up a very large journal of the trip that details all that happened on our trip with African Twilight and would be happy to send you a CD if you would like one. (its just under 300 pages, with LOTS of photos.)

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
You can certainly spend 14 days productively in Namibia, but not all in one place. If the hunting farm is good, you'll have had a chance to shoot all it has to offer within five days. There are certainly outfitters which can take you to two or more places, and in different parts of the country. Outfitters network with one another and trade hunting privileges. My suggestion would be to shop around with various outfitters to find what they offer and their suggestions. I'll PM you with the name of the folks we used in 2007. We really liked them and will use them again for a longer stay like the one you are planning.

By the way, we went to 4 different sites scattered all across central Namibia. Sites are picked based on animals you are targeting.

I will second RobH on African Twilight Safaris. Rob and I hunted together with them. They are very family oriented folks with their own kids helping around camp.

ATS has rights to several properties with varied terrain and vegetation. Their main ranch is 109,000 free range acres with plenty of trophies.

Feel free to PM me.

TBD,

I have hunted at Revielle and I use them for some of my clients. I had one client hunt with them last year and he had an excellent hunt with them. I recommend them without hesitation. I know the folks at African Twilight from exhibiting next to them at the past two Dallas shows. They seem very professional and if my instincts are correct they are likely justas good as the other outfitters I reperesent in Namibia.

I do not know the third outfitter but I do book for an outfitter in the Kalahari here is an article about them from Safari magazine: http://www.tjsafari.com/01-Kal...i_Roller_Coaster.pdf

Feel free to email me for more information any time. todd@tjsafari.com

Todd

My wife and I hunted with Getaway Kalahari Safaris last May for 14 days and now I can't get my wife to consider any other outfit. You will not be disappointed with Janneman and Aldalene, their place is as good as it gets. We hunted on their place and four others, including one in the mountains for mountain zebra and klipspringer. We are going back for another two weeks in August 2010. Every other person that I have met (and I've met a bunch) that has hunted with them had the same experience and is either going back or planning to. You can read my trip report here: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=527102178#527102178.

You can pm me for my contact info and I will be happy to answer any questions you have.

PM sent
Roert

14 days of just hunting in Namibia is too long, unless you are after DG.

Like someone else said you will be seeing the same animals over and over again. Hunt for eight to ten days and then go off on your own adventure.
Reseach namibia using some of the travlel guides, rent your own truck and drive yourself.
Take a plane ride over the north of the country, drive south and see Swakopmund then on to Soussesvlie(a must). Maybe get to the Fish River Canyon.

Use the Bradt travel guide to Namibia.
Use this link,
http://www.namibian.org/ to research.

Go on your own and have a blast doing it in a country that is friendly and beautiful to boot!

If you get the feeling I am biased you are right. Wife, daughter, and I hunted ten days and traveled on our own for six. Had just as good a time on the six as the ten.

If you do go south stay at the Zebra River Lodge, 15 k's back the two track from the gravel road.

Keith

I personally know both Janneman of Getaway Kalahari Safaris, and Botha of Reveille Hunting Ranch, and can highly reccomend both. I unfortuantely do not know the third outfit, so cannot comment on them. Hope this helps.

quote:

Originally posted by Dulcinea:

14 days of just hunting in Namibia is too long, unless you are after DG.

Like someone else said you will be seeing the same animals over and over again. Hunt for eight to ten days and then go off on your own adventure.
Reseach namibia using some of the travlel guides, rent your own truck and drive yourself.
Take a plane ride over the north of the country, drive south and see Swakopmund then on to Soussesvlie(a must). Maybe get to the Fish River Canyon.

Use the Bradt travel guide to Namibia.
Use this link,
http://www.namibian.org/ to research.

Go on your own and have a blast doing it in a country that is friendly and beautiful to boot!

If you get the feeling I am biased you are right. Wife, daughter, and I hunted ten days and traveled on our own for six. Had just as good a time on the six as the ten.

If you do go south stay at the Zebra River Lodge, 15 k's back the two track from the gravel road.

Keith

i agree- a 14 day plains game hunt just about anywhere( even 2 different ranches) is an awfully long time.. be realistic- after a while, the kudu, gemsbok, eland, hartebeast, etc. will all look the same. i would hunt 9-10 days on 2 different ranches if feasible, then take off on my own in a rental car or camper rig for 4-5 days. see Skeleton Coast, Etosha Park,etc. My wife and I did this in RSA about 10 years ago and the sightseeing at Kruger, Blyde River, etc. was as much fun as the hunt. when it is just you, it is a whole different ballgame than when the family or wife is involved.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by Dulcinea:

14 days of just hunting in Namibia is too long, unless you are after DG.

Like someone else said you will be seeing the same animals over and over again. Hunt for eight to ten days and then go off on your own adventure.
Reseach namibia using some of the travlel guides, rent your own truck and drive yourself.
Take a plane ride over the north of the country, drive south and see Swakopmund then on to Soussesvlie(a must). Maybe get to the Fish River Canyon.

Use the Bradt travel guide to Namibia.
Use this link,
http://www.namibian.org/ to research.

Go on your own and have a blast doing it in a country that is friendly and beautiful to boot!

If you get the feeling I am biased you are right. Wife, daughter, and I hunted ten days and traveled on our own for six. Had just as good a time on the six as the ten.

If you do go south stay at the Zebra River Lodge, 15 k's back the two track from the gravel road.

Keith

i agree- a 14 day plains game hunt just about anywhere( even 2 different ranches) is an awfully long time.. be realistic- after a while, the kudu, gemsbok, eland, hartebeast, etc. will all look the same. i would hunt 9-10 days on 2 different ranches if feasible, then take off on my own in a rental car or camper rig for 4-5 days. see Skeleton Coast, Etosha Park,etc. My wife and I did this in RSA about 10 years ago and the sightseeing at Kruger, Blyde River, etc. was as much fun as the hunt. when it is just you, it is a whole different ballgame than when the family or wife is involved.

I would have loved to had 4 more days to hunt in addition to my 10 on my last trip to Namibia. However, I did spend the first 7 tracking only eland. However, on my first trip, an extra 4 to 7 days to see other parts of the country would have been wonderful. Especially since I was hunting right next to Etosha but only saw the border fence. It seemed that on both trips I was rushing to get in and rushing to get out.

I disagree... 14 days is not too long.

I do it for 30+ days every year and love every minute of it. We go to differnt farms and areas each week quite often too.

+1 to what Terry said.

It's not like you are going to come to the last day of the safari and say to yourself, "I wish I had gone home last week." That's just rediculous.

He's got four people hunting 2x1, they will surely not shoot everything that they want in that amount of time unless their lists are very short and if they are hunting an area that's large enough they won't see the same game everyday.

quote:

Originally posted by Dulcinea:

14 days of just hunting in Namibia is too long, unless you are after DG.

Like someone else said you will be seeing the same animals over and over again. Hunt for eight to ten days and then go off on your own adventure.
Reseach namibia using some of the travlel guides, rent your own truck and drive yourself.
Take a plane ride over the north of the country, drive south and see Swakopmund then on to Soussesvlie(a must). Maybe get to the Fish River Canyon.

Use the Bradt travel guide to Namibia.
Use this link,
http://www.namibian.org/ to research.

Go on your own and have a blast doing it in a country that is friendly and beautiful to boot!

If you get the feeling I am biased you are right. Wife, daughter, and I hunted ten days and traveled on our own for six. Had just as good a time on the six as the ten.

If you do go south stay at the Zebra River Lodge, 15 k's back the two track from the gravel road.

Keith

PM sent.

I hunted with African Twilight Safaris and was pleased with everything. They book a small number of hunters and only 1 party at a time.
Read my posting on my hunt, they hunt several areas depending on your wish list.
I would recomend them for any first timers because of their patience and help.
If you have questions call me 931-864-4644

You might want to contact Corey Knowlton at Global Hunting Resources. I plan to book a hunt in Namibia with him in the near future.

www.globalhuntingresources.com

I'll second talking to Karl Stumpfe. I know that he has concessions in the northern, central and southern parts of Namibia and he can provide all the variety by himself.

Our oufitter in Namibia is really good. He has rights on properties all over Namibia, depending on what trophies you are wanting to take. Let me know if you need any help. Corey is also very helpful. Jeff

I hunted with African Twilight Safaris last Oct and have nothing but praise to say about them. Their home ranch is about 2 hours SE of Windhok and is 109K acres. They also have other properties they hunt throughout Namibia depending on what critters you're after. I actually hunted 2 ranches, Omitara and their home ranch. Here's a writeup I did https://sites.google.com/site/ahansennamibia2008/Home.

Good hunting!

we have hunted twice with Getaway Kahalari and will
return. we think that tey have a first class operation

I booked 2 trips.

I will be taking my Father and Son to Reveille this summer. We leave June 20th.

In June 2010, we are going to Getaway Kalahari Safaris.

Everyone is very excited about the trips. The planning has been a lot fun.

I'd like to thank everyone that sent emails, PM's and replied to my post.

Take a bunch of pics

TBD
I also have the same filling as i will be going to South Africa in August for 13 days, but, to avoid routne, will hunt in four diferent concessions, all about 2 hour drive between them.
Roberto