AFRICA THE FIRST TIME
Africa The First Time
Having hunted in Southern Africa many times and now working on arranging hunts for others in Africa I have learned many of the things that first time hunters to Africa may be interested in knowing to make the trip easier. Lets start right from the beginning and discuss South Africa first. If you're just looking into booking a hunt, some considerations should be references and time in business for your safari company.
So many safari companies are in this for the short term that you want to have your deposit go to a secure and worthy long-term business. You would be wise to have references and some explanation on the refund of your deposit should either party cancel the hunt. You should probably not expect a return on your deposit if you cancel 90 days or less before your scheduled hunt. Some outfitters will let you apply it towards the following season or 12 months from the time of cancellation. They will all have a policy that you should be aware of before you get too involved with them.
Many will have a long list of trophies available but may only have a limited availability of certain species on the list. Be sure the game you want is available in hunt-able numbers on their properties. Speaking of properties this is a very sore subject with many returning African hunters. There will be lots of talk on the amount of ranches and size of properties they have to hunt on. I have seen this "bait and switch" so many times. The ranch may be 25,000 acres but 75% could be an orchard you will not hunt on. Or it could be 50,000 acres but with internal fences sectioning off 1000-acre areas for each species you will hunt. This is a real misrepresentation by the Safari Company. Again be sure you have talked with somebody else who has been there before you plunk down your deposit. Ask if the game on the property is born and raised there in the wild or is it periodically released on the property from another ranch or "game farm" operation for stocking?
|