Africa

[Dickie]

Hi all
I've got some time off in the new year and was thinking of trying a trip to Africa for a go at plains game only a cull package, I've never been before so any help tips or recomendations gratfully received dont mind horror stories either so I can work out how best to spend my money
cheers

Dickie

 

[smithp18]

Hi Dickie,
Have you booked or you still looking for an outfitter!
Made my first trip last year to the midlands region, flights to Joburg and on to Durban. Ensure that the carrier can take hunting rifles not all do. I went with swiss air and I know air france and south African airways carry firearms.
You will need and export license from UK customs on departing the uk and I recommend you use the meet and greet service offered by PHASA £70 ish. It saved me loads of time especially if a flight from the US as just arrived.
It all seems a bit of a chore but its well worth it in the end.
If you need more detail give me your contact details via PM and I will take you through what I did.

Smithy

 

[Dickie]

Thanks Smithy
I haven't booked anything yet. I got some details at the Midland and I'm still waying things up.
I dont have a big enough rifle to take my own so I am going down the estate rifle route people I've been in touch with it's free rifle too use and £1 a round.
I'm looking at a cull type of hunt not trophy hunt as it's outside my budget.
so any help would be welcome.
cheers

Dickie.

 

[smithp18]

Hi Dickie,
You need to be careful with packages, when planning my trip I looked a number of options and like you I had a tight budget.
I did have a great trip and the hunting was what I had hoped for and more

I did the usual searches on the web, you get loads of sights coming back and all are good to deal with.

The first sight I recommend you should use for reference is

www.phasa.co.za.

Whoever you decide go with then I strongly recommend that they are a member or affiliated to PHASA or if you are looking at another African country the relevant organisation.

You will pick web sites off the members list on these site which is always good for a starting point.

I then sent a standard letter saying what I was looking for, one of the stipulations for me was good fair chase ethical hunting which I am lead to believe is not always the case with management hunts.

I am now saving for another trip which I did want to be next year but it’s likely to be the year after. The site below was recommended to me and they have excellent references and seem genuine and the pricing is competitive.


www.nkonkabushlodge.co.za


Hope you find what your looking for

smithy

 

[MarkH]

Hi Dickie

THe words 'tight budget' and 'African Hunting' usually dont go well together so be careful with booking your hunt. Go on a personal recommendation rather than advert and be absolutly clear on how much you want to spend and the level of accommodation etc you want to stay in. I prefer the real deal in tents/oil lamps some others like swimming pools and CNN.
Cull hunting and fair-chase ethics can also get a bit blurry. Make sure you have all your vaccinations and test the living daylights out of your hire rifle before shooting at game.
PHASA or not there are a lot of crap safari operators out there in SA.

 

[Dickie]

Hi
Thanks all for your time,
next thing then any recommends or places to put a cross through before I start.
cheers

Dickie.

 

[sikamalc]

Hi Dickie. I have hunted Africa a number of times, and I would agree with the advice given by MarkH and Smithy.

I will only echo what MarkH has already said. There are a number of cull hunts available, mostly very cheap compared to trophy safaris. But do make sure that you have plenty of references from the company or individual you are hunting with. Do make sure that you understand fully what the daily rate is, and what it includes. Also ask how big the area is, there are many places advertising in all manner of hunting magazines, but some of them are so small, you will have seen all four fences N,S,E,W within an hour and it is basically killing in a farm yard.

PHASA (Professional hunters association South Africa) is a good place to start, but dont be fooled, belonging to this does not mean everyone is selling a reasonable fair chase cull hunt.

Good luck.