A hunting safari is among the available options when seeking a safari adventure.
No matter if you are a novice or an experienced trophy hunter, you need to plan ahead for the best African hunting safari experience.
Plan meticulously and follow the rules. By all means, avoid resorting to poaching to get your hunting trophies!
Trophy hunting involves the selective hunting of wild game animals. As a result, this is the most challenging endeavor for a hunter.
The hunting trophies come from the body of the animal killed and are in fact souvenirs from the hunt. Often time it will be the head, tusks, or skin of the animal.
Several wildlife conservationists argue that trophy hunting jeopardizes African wildlife. However, a growing number of biologists are for trophy hunting! Why? Because it plays a crucial role in the conservation of African wildlife from extinction.
Trophy hunting is highly regulated. Furthermore, the revenues generated by hunting are used toward wildlife conservation efforts.
The top destinations for a memorable hunting safari are South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Types of Hunting Safaris
You have four types of hunting safaris:
- Plains game.
- The Big Five.
- The dangerous game – Big 7.
- Other species.
Hunting safari packages are available for each type of hunting safari. The predetermined packages offer the possibility of hunting 5-8 trophy animals. However, if you prefer, you can customize your hunting safari. So, you can choose the animals you want to hunt and design your trip accordingly.
Plains Game Hunting
Plains game hunting is by far the most popular type of hunting safari. The best destination is by far, South Africa. To a lesser extent, plains game hunting is also available in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Plains game refers to hunting animals that live on the open plains or Savannahs.
There is a large array of wildlife residing in the plains and Savannahs. There are many species of Antelopes (kudu, impala, cape eland, etc.) that you can hunt as well as the wildebeests (black and blue).
Depending on the geographical locations, the animal species or subspecies that you will encounter will differ.
The Big Five
One of the reasons for many trophy hunters to come to Africa is for the Big Five game. The Big Five hunting safaris mainly occurred in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Africa’s Big Five are the lion, the rhinoceros, the leopard, the Cape buffalo, and the elephant.
Among the Big Five, the buffalos are the most hunted in Africa. The buffalos live in the wooded savannah. The best time to hunt the buffalo is during the months of June to September (winter season). They are easier to spot throughout the sparse vegetation.
As for elephant hunting, you need to be physically fit. There is a lot of walking involved.
The lions are the most hunted after the buffalos. The habitat of the lion provides the perfect camouflage and consists of savannahs with tall grasses, shrubs, and bushes. Thus, lion hunting is a challenging undertaking for hunters.
The leopards are the most elusive of the Big Five. Patience is the key to killing this feline. You have to dedicate enough time to the hunt to increase your chances of success. It is highly recommended to book a hunting trip of at least ten days for leopard hunting.
Rhinoceros hunting occurs mainly in South Africa. Only a few permits are issued. They are very expensive since the rhinoceros is an endangered species. All the revenues generated are reinvested in the conservation efforts of the rhinoceros. Only old male rhinoceros can be hunted.
Dangerous Game – Big 7
Experience the thrill of a lifetime by going on a dangerous game hunting adventure. The Dangerous Game or the Big 7 game includes the Big Five animals with the addition of the hippopotamus and the Nile crocodile.
South Africa and Zimbabwe are the main destinations for dangerous game hunting.
The hippopotamus by its aggressive nature is quite dangerous to hunt. However, hippopotamus tusks are priceless hunting trophies.
The Nile crocodile is the least popular among the Big 7 to hunt. However, to possess a full-length crocodile as a hunting trophy is quite impressive, to say the least!
Others Species
Besides the Big 7 game animals that I just mentioned, there are other species of animals that can be included in a hunting safari.
A tailored-made hunting safari gives you the opportunity to build your hunting safari package.
Here is a snippet of the animals you can hunt on the African Continent:
- Cheetahs.
- Giraffes.
- Jackals.
- Ostriches.
- Warthogs.
- Zebras, etc.
Hunting Safari Planning Tips
It is paramount that you carefully plan your hunting safari excursion to ensure a successful outcome.
I have listed below a few tips to help you plan your adventure:
- Make a list of all the animals you want to hunt.
- Select the geographical area for your hunting safari based on your wishlist of animals.
- Find an outfitter. Don’t be shy to ask questions. Look for experienced hunters with excellent credentials. Ask about their success rate related to the animals you wish to hunt. Remember that choosing the right outfitter is the key to ensuring a successful hunt.
- Get all the required permits for the hunt. To make sure that you don’t get overwhelmed, ask your booking agent for help!
- Don’t forget to register all your firearms with customs.
- Bring your binoculars and camera to capture your hunting prowess!
- Get in touch with a taxidermist to mount your hunting trophies. Then make all the arrangements to have your trophies shipped to your home.
If you follow all these tips, you won’t be cut off guard!
Conclusion
Now hunting safaris are not for everyone! First off, they are quite expensive! Secondly, a hunting safari in Africa requires plenty of planning before, during, and after the hunt, to ensure that your hunting trophies get home.
There are many species of wild animals you can hunt. You should customize your hunting safari package to fit your personal preferences!
Most importantly, stay clear of endangered species! Even though the sale of permits helps to fund the conservation efforts of endangered species, why add to the controversy?
If you have any questions or thoughts about hunting safaris, please leave a comment below. I would be delighted to hear from you.
This is some really good information about African hunting trips. I had no idea that African animals that you can hunt fall into four different categories. I also like that you pointed out that leopards are the most elusive of the Big Five animals.
Hello
Although I can appreciate your post, as a vegetarian, it troubles me. I have problems killing animals to expose a “trophy” of them. The pictures of people posing with their prey are difficult to see. I understand that it is regulated and at times helps regulate the population. But they are such beautiful animals who deserve respect. So I would say that I have mixed feelings about this.
I understand what you are saying. There are beautiful animals. Many people are going on safaris to admire those beautiful animals, not hunt them.
But unfortunately, for many African countries, hunting safaris are a source of revenue used for wildlife conservation!
And the biggest threat to wildlife isn’t safari hunting but poaching, which is driven by the greed of some individuals! Unfortunately, poaching has reached an all-time high in Africa because of the lack of public awareness, and many species are now endangered.
I do admit hunting doesn’t sit well with me. However, when it is legal then it is something others would like to pursue. I think if this were the kind of holiday I wanted, and many do, then this would be the place to come. You give a great deal of useful information and I will come back and look for holidays more my style!
Hunting safaris are not suited for everyone. People going on this type of safari are avid sports hunters.
Also, hunting safaris are a source of revenue for many African countries, which is used to finance wildlife conservation of endangered species. For instance, the Namibian government uses the money generated by the sales of hunting permits to fund the conservation effort to save the black rhinoceros, an endangered species.
So, you might disagree with hunting safaris, but some good can come out of it, as the revenues are invested in wildlife conservation!