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[Andrew McLaren]

Hi everyone interested in hunting in Africa,

The subject for this thread was copied from the page that came up on selecting the "Africa" forum. The message is shocking! Maybe I should ask some silly question about the effectiveness of a .xyz caliber versus an .xzy on some hypothetical animal to start a conversation.

However, I can think of a better way to get some conversation going!

I'll ask: How lucky or how good are you?

There are a number of "Free Hunts" in South Africa to be won in 2011 as posted on a number of different forums. In some of these the winner is selected by a panel of judges selecting on the merits of an "competition entry". In others the winner is decided by a random draw from a hat. In many cases, these hunts are actually won and the winners do really get a hunt for free! Now, my question is: How likely is it that you win one of these Free Hunts?

Do you feel it is worth a try, or would you rather just shop around to book a good value for money spent hunt? Who has entered and won? Who has entered and not won?

Let's hear your views?

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

I personnaly do not enter "random" drawings for a hunt with an unknown outfitter/PH in Africa ...or anywhere else for that matter.
I do my research, check references.
I also have a good friend in RSA who does my taxidermy and arranges any hunts I have there with him along.
If I wished to hunt a country I have not yet been to, e.g. MOZ or NAM, I would contact my good friend and booking agent Wes Hixon to arrange it.
But that is just me!

 

[Calif. Hunter]

A lot of these 'free" hunts get you on the trophy fees. There is a hunt donated to the Friends of the NRA dinners that does that. They inflate the "value" of the free hunt and then jack up the trophy fees so that you are paying almost double for a kudu, for example, as you would on a "regular" hunt most anywhere else.

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Yep! While some of the "cheap" hunts for five animals in NAM or RSA are totally legitimate, you are going to be encouraged to take more animals and it is hard to turn them down especially with the PH screaming thats the biggest "whatever" I have ever seen---"SHOOT!!! SHOOT!!!"

 

[Bambistew]

I had that issue both times I went to RSA, the 'biggest I've ever seen' thing. Turns out the animals I was 'forced' to shoot were all really big animals.

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

My first trip to SA turned out to be great fun. I booked with a fellow I computer researched with primary being Gemsbok (Oryx) and Nyala on same hunt and "typical SA species" such as Springbok and Black Wildebeest if encountered. We , the PH and I, were so compatible, that we called SAA and rescheduled my flight home for 7 days later---turned a five day into a 12 day hunt. I was probably lucky to find my now long time friend, Kruger Human, on my first SA adventure. We ended up with 12 species/sub species and all but one well exceeded SCI min---Gemsbok. So the next time I hunted with him he gave me an outstanding Gemsbok because he felt guilty about misjudging the first one (we have since killed five more together in the Eastern Kalahari where God meant for Gemsbok to be) He is also my taxidermist and does outstanding work. His wife and sons call me Uncle Tom. We jointly make decisions on whether or not to take a shot. I got extremely lucky in my choice of a PH/Outfitter in RSA!

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

OKAY would be African hunters, Andrew who started this topic is for real and from what I can determine, a straight hard working PH whom you would be happy to hunt with.

 

[shortside]

Tom, Kruger Human was my father-in-laws PH as well! He got a HUGE Gemsbok with his bow, and they had a grand time!

My FIL really likde his little dog and that Kruger culled with a 22 hornet.

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Kruger really likes bow hunting and bow hunting clients. I personally am a rifle person.

I have hunted from N of Durbin, to Port E to the Kalahari with him. Some hunts have been fun hunts including his family. Great people!

Got into some culling with him on Springbok but we were using .22-250's with head shots and ranging to make sure all shots were over 300meters...great fun!