Predator hunt in Africa?
- Thread starter OKRattler
- Start date
6mm06
Well-known member
OKRattler, I am just now getting around to responding to your post.
204AR, such a trip can probably never be justified. You just have to do it. LOL. I don’t have deep pockets, so this meager income guy went to a local credit union and borrowed money for the trip, and paid it off monthly. That made the trip affordable.
When anyone thinks of hunting Africa, they immediately think of big and dangerous game. Well, those critters are there for sure, but there's a lot of other interesting ones to hunt as well. If you can think out of the box, so to speak, then Africa is a great place for small predators, as well as the bigger ones that can put claw marks on your back. I went to Africa (South Africa and Namibia) in 2007 specifically for a predator hunt, but also took the opportunity to do some warthog and springbuck hunting while there. Those animals are plentiful and more easily obtained, and trophy fees are reasonable, so combining the hunts rounds out a good trip. Even went on a crow shoot. It was a great trip. I got with a friend in Cape Town who helped arrange a hunt for me in Namibia. The guide's charge in Namibia at the time (2007) was $2750 for a 3-day / night hunt all inclusive which included airport pickup at Windhoek,, transportation, room and board and all expenses in the field while there. Trophy fees for the warthog and springbuck were extra, but the price included all the jackal you could shoot, plus Dassies which are similar to rock chucks. The guide and his brother are excellent predator callers. He is or at least was at the time, a PH and took many hunters on dangerous game hunts. During my 3-day hunt there, we took over 20 jackal. Airfare at the time was around $1,900 from my home to Cape Town, and another $400 round trip on to Namibia. The price of the predator hunt, in my opinion, was very reasonable at the time.
There is nothing like Africa. It's a wild place as you would imagine. We hunted one ranch where a large male leopard had been spotted twice during our time there. The place has the world's largest Cheetah population as well. There are black mambas around, and a female lion with cubs had been spotted at the place where we shot Dassies one evening. Walking about in the fields / bush was sobering. I had to keep reminding myself that I was not back home on the family farm.
If you have an adventurous spirit and can save up a little dough, or make a trip to your local credit union, then you owe it to yourself to hunt Africa at least once in your lifetime. If predator hunting is a passion, then go, and round out a trip with jackal, warthog and springbuck at a minimum. There's lot of other game to hunt too, depending on your desire and wallet.
We also called in an African Wildcat. It looks like a large house cat, but it is wild, never been tamed and not a ferral cat.
These are Dassies. They are similar to rock chucks and are found in rocky places.
Area where we shot the Dassies. Similar to rock chuck country.
I sat overlooking a water hole for about three hours to get this fine warthog. The wait was worth it.
Springbuck with .308
Taking a break under the best shade we could find.
For all shooting, we used the truck bed rack for a rifle rest.
Here is a couple of short trailer clips of some of my hunt.
While in Cape Town, my friend and I also did some crow shooting. Or rather he did the shooting and I did the video work. He is a great wing shot.
204AR, such a trip can probably never be justified. You just have to do it. LOL. I don’t have deep pockets, so this meager income guy went to a local credit union and borrowed money for the trip, and paid it off monthly. That made the trip affordable.
When anyone thinks of hunting Africa, they immediately think of big and dangerous game. Well, those critters are there for sure, but there's a lot of other interesting ones to hunt as well. If you can think out of the box, so to speak, then Africa is a great place for small predators, as well as the bigger ones that can put claw marks on your back. I went to Africa (South Africa and Namibia) in 2007 specifically for a predator hunt, but also took the opportunity to do some warthog and springbuck hunting while there. Those animals are plentiful and more easily obtained, and trophy fees are reasonable, so combining the hunts rounds out a good trip. Even went on a crow shoot. It was a great trip. I got with a friend in Cape Town who helped arrange a hunt for me in Namibia. The guide's charge in Namibia at the time (2007) was $2750 for a 3-day / night hunt all inclusive which included airport pickup at Windhoek,, transportation, room and board and all expenses in the field while there. Trophy fees for the warthog and springbuck were extra, but the price included all the jackal you could shoot, plus Dassies which are similar to rock chucks. The guide and his brother are excellent predator callers. He is or at least was at the time, a PH and took many hunters on dangerous game hunts. During my 3-day hunt there, we took over 20 jackal. Airfare at the time was around $1,900 from my home to Cape Town, and another $400 round trip on to Namibia. The price of the predator hunt, in my opinion, was very reasonable at the time.
There is nothing like Africa. It's a wild place as you would imagine. We hunted one ranch where a large male leopard had been spotted twice during our time there. The place has the world's largest Cheetah population as well. There are black mambas around, and a female lion with cubs had been spotted at the place where we shot Dassies one evening. Walking about in the fields / bush was sobering. I had to keep reminding myself that I was not back home on the family farm.
If you have an adventurous spirit and can save up a little dough, or make a trip to your local credit union, then you owe it to yourself to hunt Africa at least once in your lifetime. If predator hunting is a passion, then go, and round out a trip with jackal, warthog and springbuck at a minimum. There's lot of other game to hunt too, depending on your desire and wallet.
We also called in an African Wildcat. It looks like a large house cat, but it is wild, never been tamed and not a ferral cat.
These are Dassies. They are similar to rock chucks and are found in rocky places.
Area where we shot the Dassies. Similar to rock chuck country.
I sat overlooking a water hole for about three hours to get this fine warthog. The wait was worth it.
Springbuck with .308
Taking a break under the best shade we could find.
For all shooting, we used the truck bed rack for a rifle rest.
Here is a couple of short trailer clips of some of my hunt.
While in Cape Town, my friend and I also did some crow shooting. Or rather he did the shooting and I did the video work. He is a great wing shot.
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That's too dang cool. To me it's something I can justify doing. In my life I've seen guys that had interest in different things and they died without ever having experienced some things they'd have loved to experience. Even if it was just once. In the end that money they might have saved by not going to a NASCAR race or that plane ticket to go somewhere they'd always wanted to go didn't mean a thing. I've sat there and listened to men I admired and cared about talk about things they wish they'd have done. But at that point in time there wasn't time to go do it.
I don't want to be that old man someday. As great as they were, I'd rather be at the end of my life talking about things I have done. Not things I should have done. And because of that, I can justify making that trip. The difference with me is I'd rather get someone on board to go with me that would enjoy it just as much. Telling the story is one thing. Sharing that experience with another person is another. So that would be my ideal trip to Africa. My brother has a sense of adventure similar to myself. I'm going to talk with him about going. I've found that we're both the same in the sense that once an idea is presented to us, it just keeps growing. Two dudes like that could make for an epic trip.
I don't want to be that old man someday. As great as they were, I'd rather be at the end of my life talking about things I have done. Not things I should have done. And because of that, I can justify making that trip. The difference with me is I'd rather get someone on board to go with me that would enjoy it just as much. Telling the story is one thing. Sharing that experience with another person is another. So that would be my ideal trip to Africa. My brother has a sense of adventure similar to myself. I'm going to talk with him about going. I've found that we're both the same in the sense that once an idea is presented to us, it just keeps growing. Two dudes like that could make for an epic trip.
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6mm06
Well-known member
Rattler, I couldn’t agree more. Very well said.
From the time I was a young elementary school boy I have yearned for hunting trips to various exotic places, reading about such adventures of various kinds, and dreaming of doing that myself. I grew up rather poor in an old farmhouse with no running water or indoor bathroom, drawing water from the well. Didn’t know I had it so bad until I later went off to college and got educated. LOL. Rarely did I ever have any money to speak of. If I was fortunate enough to get .20 cents or maybe a quarter, I couldn’t wait to get to town and my hands on some type of hunting magazine, and would read it until the pages were literally worn out.
My now-deceased hunting buddy, Bart was of similar mindset as you and me. He was one who didn’t just talk about it, he put things into motion and made it happen. One time Bart had an opportunity to go on a black bear hunt to Alaska and asked me to go. I was pretty much dirt poor at the time but told him I would go with him. I started mowing yards in the summer, saved the money and by September we were in the air headed to Alaska. I made enough money mowing yards to finance the trip and actually had a little left over. Another time I phoned Bart and said lets go on a hog hunt. He said “when are we going”, not “if we go…”
I have made a meager salary in my life, just a basic living and at times just getting by. Some people might think after seeing all the places I have had the good fortune to hunt, that I have my own personal money tree growing out back. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yet it seems that opportunities have presented themselves to me, practically falling into my lap over the years that have allowed me to fulfill life-long dreams of hunting various places. I could have sat around and wished and talked about it, or I could make it happen. More times than not I chose the latter.
A few years ago a Predator Masters forum member, Vicfox from Australia and I struck up a friendship over a period of time via the forums here, talking and sharing hunting stories, photos etc. He wanted to come to the US and hunt coyotes and asked if I could help him with that. I did. I had just retired from my job, so I took a part-time job transporting train crews to various locations, worked hard for several months and saved money. In October I picked him up at the local airport and took him to my house to stay for a day or two before our flight out. First hunt was in Wyoming for six days of antelope and mule deer. Then we traveled to New Mexico for a 3-day coyote hunt with Tony Tebbe. We rounded the trip up by traveling to Arizona where we hunted coyotes another three days with a P.M. member, Brian. It was a fantastic trip, and all my expenses were paid for by that part-time job.
The old saying “where there’s a will, there’s a way” is generally true. However, age can creep up on a guy as you mentioned, and opportunities become limited. It’s best to act while you can.
Sorry for being so long winded, but just wanted to emphasize with some of my own experiences, that these things (hunts or whatever) are achievable if you have the right mindset (and health) to make it happen.
I wish you well and sincerely hope that you are able to fulfill that desire.
From the time I was a young elementary school boy I have yearned for hunting trips to various exotic places, reading about such adventures of various kinds, and dreaming of doing that myself. I grew up rather poor in an old farmhouse with no running water or indoor bathroom, drawing water from the well. Didn’t know I had it so bad until I later went off to college and got educated. LOL. Rarely did I ever have any money to speak of. If I was fortunate enough to get .20 cents or maybe a quarter, I couldn’t wait to get to town and my hands on some type of hunting magazine, and would read it until the pages were literally worn out.
My now-deceased hunting buddy, Bart was of similar mindset as you and me. He was one who didn’t just talk about it, he put things into motion and made it happen. One time Bart had an opportunity to go on a black bear hunt to Alaska and asked me to go. I was pretty much dirt poor at the time but told him I would go with him. I started mowing yards in the summer, saved the money and by September we were in the air headed to Alaska. I made enough money mowing yards to finance the trip and actually had a little left over. Another time I phoned Bart and said lets go on a hog hunt. He said “when are we going”, not “if we go…”
I have made a meager salary in my life, just a basic living and at times just getting by. Some people might think after seeing all the places I have had the good fortune to hunt, that I have my own personal money tree growing out back. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yet it seems that opportunities have presented themselves to me, practically falling into my lap over the years that have allowed me to fulfill life-long dreams of hunting various places. I could have sat around and wished and talked about it, or I could make it happen. More times than not I chose the latter.
A few years ago a Predator Masters forum member, Vicfox from Australia and I struck up a friendship over a period of time via the forums here, talking and sharing hunting stories, photos etc. He wanted to come to the US and hunt coyotes and asked if I could help him with that. I did. I had just retired from my job, so I took a part-time job transporting train crews to various locations, worked hard for several months and saved money. In October I picked him up at the local airport and took him to my house to stay for a day or two before our flight out. First hunt was in Wyoming for six days of antelope and mule deer. Then we traveled to New Mexico for a 3-day coyote hunt with Tony Tebbe. We rounded the trip up by traveling to Arizona where we hunted coyotes another three days with a P.M. member, Brian. It was a fantastic trip, and all my expenses were paid for by that part-time job.
The old saying “where there’s a will, there’s a way” is generally true. However, age can creep up on a guy as you mentioned, and opportunities become limited. It’s best to act while you can.
Sorry for being so long winded, but just wanted to emphasize with some of my own experiences, that these things (hunts or whatever) are achievable if you have the right mindset (and health) to make it happen.
I wish you well and sincerely hope that you are able to fulfill that desire.
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