Paying The Ransom
“There was a part of me out there that would stay out there until I came back to ransom that part of me. It would never live in a city again, that part of me, nor be content, the other part, to be in a city. There are no tiny-gleaming campfires in a city.”
- Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter
Truer words about the spell of Africa have never been written. Four years ago today, my feet left African soil…but African soil did not leave me. As I have since been fond of saying, “African dirt never really washes off.” I can honestly say that in the days since I left Africa, not a single one has passed that I have not thought of Africa and safari…and of returning. Many hunters of Africa would tell you the same.
“Everything in Africa bites, but the safari bug is worst of all.” - Brian Jackman
The good news is that I have recently taken my first steps towards that return, and as I begin the process of planning another African safari, I thought I might share some insights gained from the last trip, and how this next adventure is taking shape.
“The eye never forgets what the heart has seen.” - African proverb
My first African hunt took place in the late summer of 2017, after four years of planning. It began as a fairly casual phone conversation between my hunting buddy and I, but we were soon making serious decisions that would lead us to Africa. To make our hunt happen, the first concern…and the first concern of most hunters considering Africa…was money. Our research revealed that a respectable plains game hunt in South Africa could actually be quite affordable. What we learned was that most South African safaris work like this: you will pay a base “daily rate" for the overall hunt, and then tag/license fees for the species you hunt. The daily rate typically will cover all of the basics of your stay at your hunting outfitter in Africa, and it's usually pretty inclusive. Most will cover your lodging, meals (which will feature game meat and local cuisine), alcoholic beverages in moderation, transportation to and from your arrival airport, the services of your professional hunter (PH), tracker/skinner, and laundry service. The fees you pay for specific animals will vary depending on how abundant a species is in your area, how difficult they are to hunt, and whether or not they are considered to be dangerous game. You will only pay for animals you actually harvest, with one notable exception: if you wound an animal, you will pay the fee whether the animal is recovered or not…so shoot well. I can tell you that my hunt…daily rate for seven days’ hunting, and the fees for the four animals I took…totaled out at $3750. While there are other expenses to be sure (travel, taxidermy, etc.), that is not an expensive hunt considering what you get. For comparison, here is a screen shot of rates for guided trophy elk and deer hunts in New Mexico (Googled at random)…those don’t include travel or taxidermy, either…and you’re hunting only one animal.
My friend and I initiated our savings plans to gather the funds for the hunt, and then began what was a considerable amount of online research before settling on KMG Hunting Safaris as our hunt company. Most reputable safari companies have websites these days, and it is pretty easy to gather information. If a website doesn’t list prices, then don’t be afraid to drop an email and ask. They should be up front about all expenses involved in hunting with them. An invaluable research tool for us was the website Africahunting.com. A forum-style website, it is great place to read reviews and ask questions. Many of the better-known outfitters have a presence there, as well as a lot of experienced African hunters. Odds are that if you have a question about hunting Africa, someone has already asked it and had it answered there. And if not, ask away…someone will have an answer for you.
One of the primary things you will need to discuss with your safari company is your “wish list” of game that you would like to hunt. On one hand, there is the adage that you should “take what Africa gives.” That said, you also do not want to approach Africa thinking that you’re just going to walk around and hunt with no plan whatsoever. While plains game safaris have a high rate of success, it is hunting and nothing is guaranteed. Within your personal budget you will want to remain flexible enough to accept that you may not get that record book kudu, and at the same time be open to other opportunities that may appear. My approach has been to have an “A” list, a “B” list, and a “flex” list. My “A” list is my top priority…the animals that are the reason I am there. The “B” list includes animals that I definitely would like to hunt, but also definitely take a back seat to the “A” list. After that comes the flex list, which consists of animals that I will absolutely take if the opportunity presents, the animal is worthy, and the budget permits…but that I won’t lose any sleep over if I don’t take. Be completely up front with your PH about your desired animals. Make sure he understands what you are looking for, but at the same time listen and keep an open mind when discussing the realities of your hunt.
My first African animal…a common springbok, taken at about 120 yards.
Once we had chosen our hunt company, figured out what we wanted to hunt, and saved enough money, the next step was to pick some dates, put down a deposit, and sign our hunt contracts. As I have only hunted Africa once, I can only tell you how things went for us, but in our case, KMG Hunting Safaris bent over backwards to help us though the process of contracting and paying deposits. Although I have heard horror stories about hunt companies screwing over clients with shady contracts and other practices, I never once felt uncomfortable dealing with KMG. The best advice I can offer here is that you should feel the same about your hunt company. If they are not 100% up front with you at all times or if you feel uncomfortable or hesitant about signing on with them, either insist on clarification or back out and find somebody else. African hunts are affordable, but it is still a lot of money and you shouldn’t contract with anyone with whom you are not comfortable.
The hunt we booked was a basic 2x1 plains game hunt, with the two of us hunting together for seven days with a single professional hunter (PH), and a combined “wish list” of nine animals. As are most South African hunts, ours was done on a series of “concessions,” or properties where our hunt company had hunting privileges. Most of these were actual ranches or farms, which also permitted hunting on the property…not all that different from hunting on your family farm or a buddy’s property here in the US. Before you ask…yes, these properties were fenced. That said, the smallest property we hunted was about 7000 acres, and most were around 50,000 acres…the largest was 100,000 acres. You could drive a long time and never see a fence, and believe me…the animals were quite capable of evading us in those areas. The fences are more to contain livestock (sheep, goats, cows) being farmed, to keep predators out, and to allow for proper game management. “Fair chase” was never a concern. The meat we harvested was donated to the landowner, once our skinner had collected our trophy capes. Dressed out carcasses were promptly stored in large coolers on the rancher’s property for use later…nothing went to waste.
There is an awful lot of Africa in between the fences out here.
Once we had ironed out these particulars with our hunt company, the next thing to consider was logistics. Though we no longer have to take steamships to the Dark Continent and endure weeks of travel, it is still a bit of an undertaking. Travel arrangements will be both your next big expense, and your next big potential headache. That said, our experience in 2017 was relatively simple. Although there are travel agencies which specialize in arranging trips to Africa (check Africahunting.com), we chose to do it ourselves. We went directly though the Delta Air Lines website to book flights from Cincinnati to Atlanta, where we connected with the famous DL200 flight direct from Atlanta to Johannesburg. That had us leaving Cincinnati in the early afternoon and arriving in Atlanta with a good four hours or so layover…for plenty of padding in case of delays, etc. Then comes Delta flight #200, which tends to depart at about 5:00-6:00 PM, and with the time change arrives in Johannesburg (Jo’burg to safari veterans) around 5:00 PM or so the next evening. Rather than catch a domestic flight and arrive late at our destination in South Africa (Port Elizabeth), we opted to book a room at the Afton Safari Lodge in Jo’burg and fly the next morning.
The comfortable Afton Safari Lodge in Jo’burg.
With travel arranged, there were still some other preparations to be made. There are the normal considerations for international travel such as passports, travel insurance, etc, but there are some other things to think about when going on safari. One such decision is whether or not to take your own rifle(s). Most safari companies will rent you one of their rifles and sell you the necessary ammo, and that is definitely the easiest option if you want to avoid the hassles of bringing your own. That said, I like the idea of hunting with my own rifles, both for the sake of familiarity and for the memories and stories that attach to a favorite rifle which has served me well. And taking your own rifle isn’t really that hard, as long as you do your homework and prepare properly. Again, Africahunting.com is an invaluable resource for the details, but here are a few main points. Spend the money for a quality hard case. I bought a Pelican 1750 2-rifle case and was not disappointed. I did the SAPS permit paperwork myself, and had no issues, but you can pay a permit service (example) to prepare and prefile them for you if you want to make it as worry-free as possible. You will also need to complete a US Customs Form 4457 before your departure. You will need this form to bring your guns back into the US from overseas; it essentially certifies that you are not importing items which you didn’t take with you originally. Allow time to travel to a US Customs office where an agent will verify the serial numbers on your rifles compared to what is recorded on the form…but do not do it more than one year in advance and make sure that the form date is the same as the year you are traveling. Of course, leave plenty of lead time to obtain passports and the like before traveling as well.
You’ll get a chance to check the zero on your rifles when you get to your hunting lodge.
Once those decisions are made and processes in motion, it’s time to go to the range. The last thing you want to do is spend all this time and money on the African hunt of a lifetime only to have your equipment fail, or to miss a shot, or worse…make a bad shot and wound an animal. Most likely every shot you take while hunting in Africa will be from the standing position, rested on shooting sticks…learn to shoot off of sticks! Get your rifle zeroed with the ammo you will hunt with, and then get off of the bench and onto sticks…and don’t wait until the last minute to do it. Practice, and then practice some more. Work your gear well before you get to Africa. I had a scope mount which was loose, causing me to struggle with several shots that I would normally have made easily, and I didn’t figure it out until literally the night before we left to come home. Check your gear thoroughly, train hard, and then check your gear again.
What’s it like? Most of the hunting you will do on a South African plains game hunt will be spot and stalk (or maybe tracking), so unless you have a long drive to your hunting area, you normally will not have to get up too early in the morning (you can’t spot and stalk in the dark). A typical day will start with some breakfast at the lodge before heading out to your hunting area for the morning. If you are somewhat close to your lodge, you might head back in for lunch, or the cook may pack up a box for lunch in the field if you’re too far out. After a lunch break, you’ll hunt the afternoon into the evening before returning to the lodge…hopefully with some capes to drop off at skinning shed first. Then you can enjoy a sundowner by the fire while the cook prepares dinner. We were sharing the lodge with three other hunting parties, and dinnertime was an occasion not just to eat, but to gather together and ask our fellow hunters, “How’d your day go?”…and then take turns telling each other our stories.. The socializing often went on for hours, until it was time to wash up and rest for tomorrow’s hunt.
A fire and hunting stories at day’s end. There may even be a beer just out of frame…
There is plenty more to tell you about getting ready to hunt Africa, and I certainly could go on. But I don’t want to leave out the most important tip of all: DO IT. Make the decision, make a plan, and GO. The land, the people, and the hunting are all without parallel, and it it is neither as difficult nor as expensive as you think. Your only regret will likely be the same as mine and Robert Ruark’s…that when you depart Africa you do indeed leave a part of yourself behind, and you can never get it back. You just keep paying the ransom.
But I promise you this: It is worth it. I’ve already made a deposit on my next payment…and I can’t wait.
“All I wanted to do was get back to Africa. We had not left it, yet, but when I would wake in the night I would lie, listening, homesick for it already.” - Ernest Hemingway
A cozy lodge with an African sunset behind it…what are you waiting for?
