My first safari was like the first real date with the girl of my dreams. I had dated before, as I had gone on hunts before, but this was different. I was excited, but nervous. The stakes seemed higher than ever before, and the anticipation was wonderful, but nearly unbearable. I eventual married that girl, and we shared our first trip to Africa together.
The first thing to know about an African plains game safari is that they are more affordable then commonly thought. The cost of my 10 day, 7 species hunt was less than many elk hunts in the states. Coupled with airfare and taxidermy the price certainly increases, however the bang-for-the buck of hunting in Africa, and in particular South Africa is unbeatable. Do not let the assumption of cost scare you away from what might be one of the best experiences of your life.
I spent countless hours reading outfitter websites, reviews, and stories about hunts from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana (when hunting was still open there), Zimbabwe, and even Tanzania. It soon became evident that South Africa provided the easiest travel and most affordable hunt for plains game available. There were locations throughout the country to consider with concentrations near Cape Town and Johannesburg. With more research I went on to narrow my search to the Limpopo province north of Johannesburg.
South Africa is very accustom to hosting hunters. Their laws, citizens, and airport are hunter friendly, and make the transport of rifles and other equipment easy, safe, and unintimidating compared to many other countries. Similarly, the exportation of trophies is a simple and smooth process. Trophy fees in South Africa do tend to be a little higher than some other countries, however this is offset by lower daily rates for guides and accommodations. I found this to provide for an unrushed experience, and an overall value that is unparalleled.
With a country and region decided upon I began the selection process for a guide & outfitter. There are many variables in the selection process. Most outfitters offer package deals with a variety of common game available. My first task was to determine deal-maker & deal-breaker conditions. I knew I wanted to hunt kudu, the Grey Ghost of Africa. Every package I considered had to have a kudu included. Impala was also high on my list, as was gemsbok. Narrowing my search to packages that included all three species removed a lot of the outfitters I was finding on-line, and a few ‘build-your-own’ packages became costly when including these and any other larger species.
I ultimately choose five outfitters to research more closely. On-line reviews and independent descriptions of the operations quickly narrowed the choice to three. After calling a few references for each, I was leaning toward one in particular. References were good for all three, but everyone described my top pick as fun, challenging, and an enduring memory. I wanted to be sure that I was hunting under true fair-chase conditions, and that we would have fun during the hunt and after. I also felt the value to be outstanding and decided to book a hunt.
Once booked, I was in semi-regular communication with the outfitter’s stateside representative. I received a packet of information and began reading about rifle importation and airline rules, equipment to bring, and other expectations for the hunt. It was intimidating at first, however everything was very straight forward and easy to follow.
Medical concerns were minimal as South Africa is malaria free, and emergency insurance is reasonable as Johannesburg has outstanding healthcare available. With the exception of carrying topical antibiotics for minor injuries or scratches in the field, very little concern was necessary. Other than basic toiletries we brought bug spray and sunscreen, but didn’t utilize either. The August trip was in late winter in the southern hemisphere, and any concern I had of tsetse flies was unfounded (not because of the time of year, but because South Africa doesn’t really have them). The cool nights and mornings kept snakes coiled in their layers. We didn’t see a single snake on the trip. Among the species that inhabit South Africa are the Black Mamba, Puff Adder, Boomslang, and several species of Cobra. I was more than pleased to not encounter any of them!
Once I had looked at the area’s environment, available game and laws, the hunt, the outfitter and the packages, I also looked into activities for non-hunting members of my expedition. My wife did hunt during the safari, and observed the hunt on other days. A friend of ours who accompanied us on this adventure also came as an observer several times. There were days however when the two ladies would head off on other adventures getting to know local customs and rituals, and photographing wildlife. I joined them one Sunday giving my PH the opportunity to attend church with his family. We rode elephants through a ranch and photographed the big five in the process! These side trips were very reasonably priced, and provide a great value added for families or others who may not be hunting every day.
The timeframe for planning this first safari was a little less than a year. I certainly spent ample time looking at outfitter websites before that, but I got serious in October of the year before we went. By December I had narrowed my search and contacted references, and I booked the hunt in late January for that year’s August. It is certainly possible to compress that timeframe, and many will spend more time than I did researching. I would recommend that a plains game safari be planned and booked a year in advance if possible. The planning and anticipation is half the fun! (That’s not really true… The hunting is way more than half the fun, but planning can be an obsessive and enjoyable too.)
Look for more postings about this safari coming up. It was a lot of fun and I filled multiple journals with stories about our time in the Limpopo province of South Africa.
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