African outfitters?
 

Can anyone refer me to the best outfitter in S. africa or Namibia for kudu buffalo and plainsgame? Anybody been with a good outfitter?

RE: African outfitters?
 

j3k2c1

This site is a bit too tame for African stuff.

You need to go to AccurateReloading.com to the African Hunting Section and pose your question to "Atkinson".

EKM

RE: African outfitters?
 

Good Question---I went to South Africa in May of 2002 on a plains game hunt with Johan Kruger at Lumbata Safaris-----I had a great time, did a 7 day--5 animal hunt & then spent 3 days at Kruger National Park & saw the Big 5. Hunting was great & so was Kruger. Actually saw 2 male lions that had mauled a gariffee. They had it cornered & were laying next to it in the shade. According to Johan, the lions would probably kill it after sundown.

I would also recommend Koos Van Niekerk at Timela. His website is www.timela.co.za He was my PH (guide) at Lumbata. He was doing Johan a favor by guiding me while Johan was guiding another hunter. Instead of a 2X1 hunt---I got a 1X1 for no more money. Koos has a great stories about wildlife & was a professor of zoology at the university.

I'm currently thinking of going back & looking at Criuser Safaris. Their web site is www.cruisersafaris.com. Or back either with Koos or Johan.

These are plains game hunts for 6 animals @ $4000. Mine was 5 animals 7 days for $3000-----I spent the other $1000 for 3 days at Kruger for me & my wife. She loved Africa as much as I did

In all honesty a website that has a great African forum is www.accuratereloading.com Check it out & you'll get a wealth of information & ideas.

RE: African outfitters?
 

Colorado Bob,

If you don't mind me asking, what was the true total price for your hunt? You mentioned 5 animals for $3,000 and $1000 more for you and your wife on a photo safari, but what other costs were incurred? Flights, lodging, fee's, shipping, tips, food, taxidermy, other(?) ... I've been on a few hunts in the US and know the cost can add up, but I'd love to hear from someone who has shelled it out what the total really is.

It also would be nice to know what I have to sock away to make it happen some day!

RE: African outfitters?
 

MA Jay-----This is just from memory, I'll look them up tomorrow. If I off, I will repost.

Cost of my hunt------$2995 Five animals--I shot kudu,zebra,impala,steenboc & warthog. On the large animals I could choice between- Kudu,zebra,blue wildebeest, red hartebeest or Gemsbuck.

Flight from Alb, NM to Johannesburg----$1400. Made arrangements thru Gracey Travel in Dallas.

Taxidermy was done in SA----cost was right at $1000. I had a shoulder mount on the kudu, impala & steenboc. Zebra---- I made into a rug.

Ship to USA---was right at $1000.

3 days at Kruger National Park was $750.

Tips----$320 I gave $200 cash to my PH & the camo shirts, caps , leatherman, etc to the trackers. $20 to the maids. $100 to the cook, who was the wife of my PH.

Curious----$100.

So total cost was right at $9000.

I was thinking of going over again. I had a 10 day hunt at $4200 for 6 animals. South African Airline had a special airfare of $850 from Atantla. So, I would have about another $250 getting from Alb NM to Atantla. I was going to do European mounts on the wildebeest & probably another zebra skin rug. So I had budgeted about $300 & then another $300 to get them back. On this hunt I could have done day trips to some parks that would have been included in the base safari cost. Then add another $500 to cover tips & curious.

My wife would go again so add $1100 airfare & then $1000 cost of the safari. So that trip would have been again rite at $8500.

I think I will skip most of the taxidermy work-----get it all on a cam corder & still shots. But I would do the zebra skin rug again---to me it says Africa and my sister wants one. The wldebeest is the poor man's "Cape Buffalo" so I thought the european mount would look good.

This last trip I was talking about was to happen in March, that's when SAA was having the special rates. And if you can leave the Mrs at home that would take the cost down to $6500.

I pasted on this March trip. I was thinking I might get drawn for a WY moose tag, so I'm in the waiting game.

These are plains game animals----no Cape buffalo, lion etc.

My wife's expenses were $1100 airfare & $850 for the safari.

I've only done DIY hunts here in Colorado. I've heard bad things about Alaska--weather, bad guides, no game etc. Then add the airfare in getting a moose back---it adds up. IMO---South Africa is the best deal out there. We were treated like royalty when we were there. Getting to be a long post----If you want more info---ask----I've be happy to help.

RE: African outfitters?
 

Shoot me an e-mail. [email protected] :) I have an Outfitter in mind.

RE: African outfitters?
 

Thank you very much Colorado Bob for the detailed description. I have always been curious what the true cost of an African hunt would be. I travelled from Mass to hunt in Iowa during the rut this year and by doing my homework I kept my total cost at about $2200. It is scary how fast all the additional things to the "hunt" can add up, but if you know about them before hand and they aren't surprises they can be handled fine.

Some day I will go to Africa and experience it. I am sure like many people on this board we grew up watching Mutual of Omaho's Wild Kingdom and remember clearly thinking how cool the animals were.

My next planned trip though is to experience an elk hunt out west, and I am hoping to keep my total cost below $3,500 a person. This will be my brothers first "big trip", I'm currently in the research phase. It's pretty awesome how many great guys there are on sites like this who will help you out once they believe you are serious about making a trip happen.

RE: African outfitters?
 

Thank you much! I have been researching a hunt for 5.5 years and can't find one that really fits me. I would love to do a cape buffalo hunt with some plains game on the side but that puts me up over 18k which I don't have right now!

RE: African outfitters?
 

I think that if you are going to hunt plains game, South Africa is the place. I will give you two websites below. Both are great hunts.
The first is Intrepid Safaris. Phillip Du Plessis is one fine gentleman and he is all hunter. He has a picture of me and my Cape buffalo on his website.
http://www.intrepidsafaris.co.za/

The second is perhaps a bit on the expensive side, but you get what you pay for, don't you? The name of the outfit is Faunafrika.
http://users.lantic.net/ken/

If you want more information, email me at
[email protected]

If you email me, I will send pictures of my kudu and other animals.

I think if I was going to hunt only buffalo, it would not be in South Africa, though. Several outfitters in Zimbabwe and Botswana are very good. The holy grail in buffalo hunting is the Okavango Delta. I have a friend that hunted buffalo with Russ Groom safairs in Zimbabwe. He is going back. He booked the trip through Jim McCarthy Adventures.