African Safari

[dreamhunter]

This is something that has been swirling in my mind.A buddy of mine invited me to go on his annual African Safari next summer.He said with all the help ( free even I might add ) that he will pay may airfare.That's about a 2500.00 round trip to S Africa. As much as I want to go and said I would,I am now weighing it against my annual elk hunting trip.I won't be able to do both.I am self employed and just can't take off that much time unpaid to afford both. I have developed a passion for elk hunting so much so that I haven't even bought a hunting license this year here in Kansas. That's just not like me. I am already planning next falls elk hunt.I went to the wall tent company that advertises here and purchased a nice tent that I think will do me good for years to come. I am planning on some new vortex HDs this year so I think with all the planning for my next elk hunt I just don't have time for an African Safari this time. My buddy Marc has went six out of the last seven years. We are also talking about a Tahr hunt in New Zealand. He did that 4 yrs ago and said that was a good time and that I would like it.I feel like you all are family on here and if I took off and did something else it just wouldn't be right. Well guys/gals if you want to chime in with some thoughts about this post or even about your own passion for elk elk hunting I would be interested in reading your thoughts. If can ever figure how To put a pic on here I would post a pic of my first encounter and shot opportunity at a nice bull. I missed but it was an awesome hour and fifteen minutes from the time he bugled until I hit his back with my fletching.

[ST52V]

That's one hell of an offer from a friend. If the trip to Africa would never be possible with out him I would go. It seems to me he wants you to share the experience with him. Friendships and memories are what it's all about!! If you feel you only have a few years of elk hunting left then make plans to do the trip with him later or find a way to do both. It will be interesting to read what others think. Good luck with your choice.

[JGH]

I agree with ST52V.

I'm like you ... self-employed ... and the one time of year that I would take a whole week off has been elk season. I don't think it would be right for the business to take another long trip (hopefully, that changes for me and you, too!) ... but that's one hell of an offer, and it sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Tough call. If I had my choice of when these opportunities came along, I'd prefer to do Africa later in life. But ... opportunity knocks when it knocks. I'd base my decision on who I'd rather be hunting with, rather than what I'd rather be hunting.

[ctdad]

I've been to Africa hunting while in college (grandma sponsored!). Africa is a great trip but very different than DIY elk hunting. You are fully guided, meals prepared for you, very laid back style of hunting. Mostly hunt out of tree stands and pit blinds over water and when it gets warm mid day, everything must drink. You will see multiple species each day within bow range most likely. The animals there jump the string like you are throwing arrows by hand so the killing part is still tricky. I'll go back some day, but not until I'm older. I'm currently more passionate about the type of hunting I'm doing in the mountains for elk and mule deer. However, Africa is an experience that most bowhunters would love to experience.

[elkmtngear]

Sounds like a wonderful opportunity.

I've never heard anyone say "I went to Africa...and it sucked" !

[dreamhunter]

Thanks guys,I am only 54 yrs old so I feel there is plenty of time to go at another time. Like I said he wants me to go with him to New Zealand,and Scotland for a Red Stag hunt in both places . He usually goes to Africa every year and says that I am welcome to go whenever it suits me.

[FemoralArchery]

I'm only 27, so I may have a different point of view than you but thisis what I think.

I would go. What garuantees that you are going to be able to go the following year? Or the year after? Has anyone ever laid on the proverbial death bed saying, "I wish I had gone on another elk hunt instead of going to Africa?"

Going to Africa is something that only a small percentage of us regular guys will ever get a chance to do, even once in our lifetime. If you have time to go to Africa again, you have time to go elk hunting again.

I often talk about scenarios like this with my uncle. A good friend of his was very smart during the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He rented every rental vehicle and boat he could get his hands on and then spent all of his time chauffeuring very important people around. He called my uncle who was young and single at the time and gave him this offer: You find a way to get here (to Alaska from Idaho) and you can stay with me on my boat for 6 months, the boat is fully stocked with food and fuel, and we can fish and do whatever we'd like (while not working) during that time.

He told me that he would have needed to sell his pickup at the time to make it happen. He figured he would go another time, being young and having a full life ahead of him. This was nearly 25 years ago and he never went to Alaska. Life and kids and more life got in the way. And his friend passed on some years back. He says looking back he should have taken the chance.

I don't think I could pass on an offer like that, but that's just me. How do any of us, no matter how young or old, know how many hunting seasons we have left?

[Indian Summer]

Femoral... pretty wise words for 27 years old! You just scored 10 bonus points with me man.

I agree. No question you'll be able to hunt elk again. But if this offer slips through your hands there are no guarantees it will ever come again. Going to Africa is way more than just a hunt too. It's obvious your friend isn't simply interested in giving you an opportunity to shoot some animals.

It's always good to reverse the question "why should I?" & instead ask yourself "why not?' You will have no regrets. If you don't go surely you will.

Go see Africa!!!

[dreamhunter]

Well now I am going to have to set some serious goals and see if I can make both happen. What a treat that would be. I will keep you updated

[Indian Summer]

Now that's the way to think! Does it have to be one or the other? Where there's a will there's a way. Good luck and let us know what you come up with.

[Glacier Country]

I would go to Africa! No question about it. What a deal. You can't pass on that trip. I surely can understand having a real passion for elk hunting, trust me, but I would trade an elk season for a trip to Africa.

[ishy]

+1 femoral artery.

[Wapiti]

I think we are all different in many ways. So for me I have zero interest in going to Africa to hunt. I more enjoy the hunt rather than the kill. I just can't see myself sitting in a hot ground blind for a week. That to me seems very boring ! I don't want to shoot an animal just for fun. I need to feel the rush and excitement of the chase. Now this is just my opinion so take it for just that.

Some day I will go hunt a stage in New Zealand but it will be in the rut with a recurve. But for now I am truly happy hunting for elk any time I want during hunting season and it doesn't cost me anything other than a tag and some gas.

We are all at a different spot in our lives and we all have different goals so I think only you know if you want to go or not !! I wish you the best of luck if you do go !!

In reading my response it seems the I have elk fever and that is all I can think about !! I can't help it i'm an elk addict ! Elk just have a way of getting into your soul and from then on you are spoiled and no other animals can cure the fever !!

Trav

[>>>---WW---->]

I agree with Wapiti! Why spend thousands of $ to travel to Africa and sit in some hot ground blind when I can do the same thing hunting antelope right here in my own back yard. Guess I just look at the world through a different set of glasses!

[dreamhunter]

Elk fever, I must have that because I haven't even purchased a hunting license at all for Kansas this year.This is only the second time in the last 33 years of living here that I haven't. Maybe next year I will get a little more excited about hunting the whitetail again.I hope so.I am already looking at my maps,new areas marked on my gps that I found this year and gearing up for next fall.I mentioned earlier on the forum about wanting to learn how to effectively use a compass and map and today I found such a person to teach me. He is in the Army and has had lots of experience here and abroad, so I feel like I should be in good hands.

[Stateline]

This is an awesome problem you have I don't know that I could afford to bring anything back from Africa if I did go there and shoot something. I do know this though......when I was a junior in high school, a good friend of mine (15 years older than me) invited me to go on an Alaskan Dahl sheep hunt with him. I was young and nieve. He said it would cost him $4000 to go solo, or $6000 for two of us. He was going to pay the $4000 either way if I wanted to come along for the other $2000. At the time that seemed like a lot of money (a drop in the bucket compared to the cost these days). He went and had a ball, shot a beautiful ram, got a second beauty on film for me, while I stayed home thinking I would make it there some other day.
Along those same lines.....I had a great friend (hunting nut) that I used to ride to work with. We would travel an hour to Jackson Hole every morning. Multiple times we would get to work only to receive a call from his buddy telling us that he had just crossed a fresh lion track in the snow. He would beg me to leave work right then to go get a cat. My boss was okay with it, but I thought it didn't make sense to turn around and drive back home. We'd do it another time. After all, we were young. All we had was time. Well.........an avalanche took him before we made it lion hunting together, and Alaska seems like a dream from the past at this point in life. I guess I would have to side with Africa a little bit. I for one would love to see it. I imagine it being like something I've never known. Whether I had success or not, at least I got to see it. I love elk, but I get to see them almost daily (yes, I'm fortunate). Africa is most likely something I'll never see. Life is short........don't let good things pass you by!!! Pray for help to see the good things as they come. I can't fault you either way!!! Like I said before, this is a awesome problem you have!!

[Indian Summer]

Great post Stateline.

That beginning is something to consider. Make sure you can afford to bring things back even if it's just skulls/horns.

But if it were me I'd find a way since the trip is otherwise free. Regrets are for life!

[dreamhunter]

Stateliness,Indian Summer. Thanks to both of you. I have been looking at what I call a menu from Marc's guide in Africa. It has several different hunting packages or you can piece together whatever you think you want to hunt.the package I am looking at is around the 4500.00 range.This includes getting the hides back to the USA? Marc has an excellent taxidermist and the mounting fees would be extra. The way it works out is pretty good. You won't actually see the hides,skulls,etc for almost a full year. This allows for additional time to save for it,plus the time it takes to do it. He just received his Lions 2 months ago from his 2012 hunt. Yes Lions,male and female. This year he was fortunate enough to get a leopard and he won't see that hide until late next summer. The more I get to chat with all of you the more excited I get.Im gonna have to start another business or something. Maybe I could sell signed pics of me online somewhere,maybe not.bad idea. I just need an extra 50K and that would make things so much easier. Well before I start to ramble,I better finish my oatmeal and get ready for church.

[>>>---WW---->]

http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/lesson2.html

Here ya go Dreamhunter. Follow the link above and you'll become a map and compass expert in no time.

[Stateline]

Sign me up for two of those signed pictures Dreamhunter!! One for the house, the other for the garage!! I'd prefer the G-rated pics if that's okay.......no offense!!!! Good luck in your decision!! Win, Win it seems to me!!

[WapitiTalk1]

I'll say it. There's no elk in Africa.