A safari is much more than just the number of animals in the salt at the end of the safari.
The anticipation and the planning are such an important part of the overall experience.
The Safari essentials, the detailed information is what is really going to make that experience for you. That is todays focus of this writing, it’s to give you the safari hunting essentials on what I believe help make up a successful safari.
I think planning the safari is probably the most important step as this is where you will find the outfitter you wish to hunt with in the country you wish to hunt and for the game you wish to hunt. The planning stage can make or break your experience and I’ve seen many folks seriously drop the ball on this part, but I’ve also seen some people notice it last minute and make an effort to fix it. I had a friend of a friend call me in July of 2019 and said he was in a bit of a predicament. Him and his four buddies had bought a safari to south Africa at the local hunting organizations banquet, but he was having second thoughts about the outfitter as things had change last minute that were alarming red flags, so he was wondering if I had anyone I would recommend as the trip was already planned and the flights book. I said sure with high confidence, and asked him when do you guys leave? (I wanted to know how much time I had to work with) his response was the flight leaves Atlanta in 8 hours. I though ok let’s get to work, and after some what’s app phone calls I had an outfitter scheduled to meet them in Johannesburg upon arrival and take care of them. They took 40+ animals on that safari and loved every minute of it. Now from what I was told about the change up with the other outfitter I had a gut feeling that it would have led them down a road of regret if they had said OK, took the changes that the outfitter had come up with that were going to cost them a good amount of extra money and a delay in being picked up cutting down on hunting days.
I have also had friends go to Africa on trade deals with their own outfitting business and come back swearing they would never go back to Africa and highly influencing other on not going to Africa. In the end it was just from a lack of planning.
Those are some case studies to why I believe planning is number 1 priority to make your safari a success.
The other details of like what I should wear, and what new rifle should I buy for the hunt come after finding the right outfitter. Almost any gear really works, and you can always just rent a rifle, if need be, in camp it’s tough to make an ugly situation with a bad outfitter any better while in country on day 4 of a 10 day safari when you’re ready to pack it up and pay the change fee’s to head home early.
When planning Safari, there's lots of things to look at. Where do you want to go? How many days you can be gone? What species do you want to hunt? The list goes on and on. You can get deep into it. But there are a few simple starter points that I want to cover.
Most people don't just out of the blue say they want to go to Africa. They will either follow someone on social media that's been there, have a friend that's been there, or have watched a YouTube video of someone hunting in Africa, so you have a starting point or an idea of what you’re wanting.
Take my website for example. You can also use these same tools when researching or talking to other outfitters you’ve found through social or word of mouth elsewhere. I’m just using my knowledge for example.
I give you guys a list of Outfitters across Africa that I've hunted with pre vetted and proofed. So, these people have some validation. The first thing you want to do is reach out to them. Now the best thing to do is find them at one of the hunting trade show that happen around January and February each year in the United States.
This is the best time for you to get to meet them in person. Sit down, interact with them one-on-one and build a relationship. You can ask them questions. Like, who's going to be my PH? Well, hopefully it's the person you're talking to. Or they're in the booth with them. Because a lot of the times the Outfitters that come over here are personally PH’s and they bring their top quality PH’s with them. Finding out if you mesh with them is going to save you a lot of money and a lot of heartache going on a hunt. Because if you don't mesh with your PH, no matter how successful the hunt is, you're always going to have that bitter taste in the back of your mind. Like that wasn't fun, because I was always arguing with the PH, or the PH was always doing this or that. You want to have a connection with them before going on the hunt, so I recommend going to a trade show to hopefully get to meet who you will be hunting with. But if it's after the trade show season, there's a couple other different options. Obviously, e-mail is one, DMS on Instagram is another, but trying to schedule a Zoom or WhatsApp FaceTime call with them would be even better. That way you can see their face, see their demeanor. They can see you, see how you act, and you guys can get a pretty good feel for each other without misinterpret anything because with texting and emails you can always misinterpret what someone saying. Now obviously after you built the connection, e-mail is perfect because then you have some backup, you have some archive in a conversations to fall back on in case questions arise or anything happens.
Some good questions to ask them besides whom the PH is going to be, is what time of the year is best for the species I’m wanting to hunt. Now before you go to the Outfitters booth or before you e-mail them, I suggest you have a good list of the species you want to go after on the safari. Now remember. Sometimes you won't be able to hunt all the species you want, even if it's only four or five animals on your list, because they're not located in the same areas. So do a little bit of research if you can before to see whether they're in the same areas. I get asked sometimes about doing a Dik Dik and a blue Duiker hunt. While the closest Dik Dik to the Blue Duiker is over 1000 miles away. It's not possible. But people don't So, once you have your species list, talk to the outfitter. Say I want to do Kudu, Impala, Warthog, and a zebra. Ask them when's the best time to come. They might tell you if you want to catch the Kudu rut you’re going to want to come earlier, or maybe if a warthog is your primary species, you might want to come a little later when the brush isn't so thick. Because warthogs aren't very big animal, and they seem to be harder to see when the bush they live in is teeming with freshly gown vegetation after the rainy season. Now, this species list isn't the best example. Let's say you want to go do a bunch of small game species or night critters. This one really depends on the brush, because these are small animals and they're hard to find even when the elements are in your favor. If you go when it’s thicker its going to be tougher, so going later in the season such as July and August might be best, or even into September. Now when I say this, I'm primarily talking about South Africa and Namibia, because across Africa, different countries have different rules and regulations, but also different countries have better hunting at different times. Such as Mozambique, some of the best hunting is in October and November, that can be late in other countries or whereas in Cameroon, Bongo hunting is done April through June and Lord Derby, hunting is done December through March. I'm not one to confuse you, so I want to get back on the topic of planning your first safari, which will more than likely be happening in South Africa and Namibia.
Travel Preperation.
After finding the right outfitter and getting your hunt dialed in to me the next most important part is travel. I believe travel experiences can make or break your safari and just like poorly planning on who to hunt with poor travel planning can cause you a nightmare and also cost you hunting days and a lot of extra money if issues come up.
When it comes to travel, airlines constantly change rules it seems like. Whether you're flying direct or have different layovers, it's good to use a travel agent when you travel with a firearm. I use PWP travel, owned and operated by Patrick Wright. Patrick Wright has been taking care of me for the past eight years and has helped me along with everybody I send over to Africa out. He's top class at what he does, you won't find anyone better. Trust me, I've used a lot of travel companies and when I found Patrick, I never left. Now, if you're not going to take a firearm, you can book your flights yourself. I've never been that route, so I'm not going to give you any tips on that. All I can say is if you're going to fly with the rifle. I suggest taking the time to checkout Patrick and spend a few extra dollars on his fees. Because it's cheaper than spending hours at the airport, arguing with someone over not having the correct import permits for your rifle. Or finding out later that the airline that you booked on does not allow you to take the rifles just days before your hunt or just as you show up at the ticket counter. Trust me I have had buddies book flights and come to find out the airline they booked with didn’t allow firearms. Peace of Mind is well worth the money. PWP Travel
Practice Practice Practice
Now when it comes time to shooting your rifle and putting time in at the range, this is crucial. Two simple, easy key things to practice on is working the bolt and shooting off shooting sticks. We here in America seem to admire our shots, shoot, and look up from the scope to see if we hit and if the animal is down or if he’s heading for the next county. That is a bad habit to learn. Even here in the United States, you should learn to work your bolt. Shoot worked the bolt; shoot work the bolt. By doing this and practicing you will impress your PH when you first show up at the range, and you will impress them even more when you're in the heat of the moment with your dream Kudu downrange. Learning to work the bolt can also save you a lot of money in lost animal, lost days due to tracking and during the dangerous situation with dangerous game or even the small Bushbuck, you could save someone's life. The next thing is shooting off shooting sticks in Africa is most common to be shooting off 3-legged shooting sticks. Most places the brush is too high to lay prone or sit, and a lots of times you don't want to be sitting down or laying because there's a lot of things that stab you in Africa, thorns are everywhere. Invest in a set of shooting sticks, learn how to set up on them properly, get the position right, learn how to set the height the right way for you. Learn how to work them. They're a tool, a tool that can come in very handy for you while on your Safari.
What Rifle to Take?
Talk about rifle choice with your outfitter they will know What caliber works best for the species of the game you're after. Typically, your good old fashioned North America deer and elk hunting rifle do just fine no matter what it is minus on Dangerous game. Speaking of firearms, I know for the first-time hunter it's very confusing to travel with one. If you don't want to travel with one most outfitting operations offer rental fees where you can just rent one and not have to worry about flying with your own. Nowadays most camps are equipped with top quality firearms such as Blazers, Gunwerks, so on and so forth. You don’t need a NEW rifle for your safari if you have a trusty 308 or 30-06 that you have put multiple white tail or muley bucks on the wall and in the freezer with, you will do just fine. Take old reliable instead of spending the money on a new Fancey rifle use that money to hunt a few extra species.
Gear
As I mentioned almost any hunting gear will work on Safari. Today we have so much hunting gear on the market, and it’s all gotten to be much better than the typical Walmart camo we had when I was a kid, and some stuff handles Africa better than others but don’t get to overwhelmed on what gear works best I still see lots of great African PH’s hunting in denim jeans or $18 shorts from cabalas. If you are serious about hunting and I’m sure you are if you’re getting my emails, I would bet you already have enough good gear in your closet to tackle any hunt you go on minus let’s say for Polar Bear or maybe Marco polo sheep in the fridged cold, so again don’t over think the gear take what you have. I have several packing for Africa videos on my YouTube to where you could get an idea of what I take when I go on safari.
Fitness
I want to touché on fitness and overall health as I believe being in the best physical shape you can be in for your age, or your limitations will drastically improve the overall success and enjoyment of your safari. Even the little things like climbing in and out of the hunting truck can be much harder when your packing a few extra pounds and in Africa hunting especially when hunting buffalo there can be lots of walking involved sure you’re not running a marathon but you need to be in good walking condition and the best way to do that is just simply getting your steps in each day that be from a treadmill or elliptical or taking the dog for a walk. The best way to prepare for a walking style hunt is simply just walking. Oh and don’t think going on safari is going to help you start that diet you’ve been wanting to start for the past 4 months, I’ve never been on a safari where you didn’t get fed well and didn’t get over served with great foods, so think about that before putting that intermittent fasting on the back burner or getting that box of donuts before work each day.
Planning ahead
The final element to what I believe makes up a successful safari is what takes place when you are already back home from that safari looking up at the fine kudu bull you tookm and are dreaming of your next safari.
I might seem like I'm getting ahead of myself, but you need to plan out with your taxidermist prior to leaving. You might not have a taxidermist in mind and might be looking for one. I have several trusted ones on The Sims Safari website that you can look at that I trust will bring you top-quality work. Come back after your done and visit this link trusted Taxidermist
The reason you want to talk to them prior is because you want to get shipping tags. What I mean by shipping tags, is you want to get a tag created by your Taxidermist with their information of contact where they are located along with your information, plus a broker's information, we'll talk about a broker in a second. But keep that in mind.
These tags are going to be something you put on all your animals at the end of Safari. Now I recommend you take at least two tags per animal you wish to harvest. Now there's obviously some opportunity for some addons and extra stuff to get shot while on Safari, so I should suggest taking at least a minimum of 15 -20 tags if you plan on hunting 5 animals. These tags are small can fit in anywhere in expensive to have done and most taxidermist will be more than happy to make these for you, this is like business insurance for them. What these tags do is. Obviously, one marks and labels your animals for your ownership. But it helps everyone in the process of dipping and pack, tanning and shipping of your safari know who's animals are who's, they will know who to contact and know where it is going. The reason I say 2 for every animal is because typically you'll skin it, you'll have a cape and the horns. Now sometimes you'll have back skins on animals that you wish to keep the backs of, so that's going to require 3 tags just for that animal. Remember, these tags are small and take up no room, have them laminated, and take plenty of them, along with zip ties. You want to be able to put a tag on each of your possessions. Again. It's just a reassurance way that everyone knows where it's going, who to contact if any questions arise.
I mentioned you a brokeer above and what I'm talking about is a customs broker, that is, someone that deals with bringing them in and importing them into United States with USFW ( Us Fish And Wildlife) and all other parties involved . Some species need CITES permits; other species need different permits to leave Africa and be imported into the states and sometimes this can leave a lot of confusion and a lot of work for you. I've had people try to do it themselves after I had recommended my broker to them, only for them to come back to me five or six months after the animals have been sitting in quarantine here in United States, them paying the quarantine bills, asking for the information of my broker. Using a good broker is much cheaper from the get-go. These people specialize in imports and exports into the United States. They know the legality; they know the fine print. It's just like a travel agent. It gives you a Peace of Mind. Sure, it's a couple extra $100. But if your animals get stuck in quarantine at US Fish and Wildlife facility. It's not free. You pay for storage fee or if the paperwork is not done correctly, they will confiscate your trophy, and you will never get your animals. So, what's cheaper? A few $100 off the get go. Or a lost trophy and a few $100 bucks of storage fees if not more. Plus, the headache of you dealing with it.?
I use D&L brokers. Their link is below I highly recommend you, reach out to them prior to your Safari to get them in the know of what's going on It's a team of great ladies. They work hard, don't take any BS and get the job done. I have been using them for the past 10 years. You will not find me going anywhere else. Reach out to them and tell McKenzie Sims sent you they will take care of you.
To finish off the taxidermist part, I do recommend several Taxidermist here in the United States, but I also have a Taxidermist that I recommend using that's located in South Africa. The reason for this is to give you options. It can get very confusing when finishing your first Safari. Having never done this before It can all come at you and make you seem very lost. There are different ways to do it. There's the dip and pack method This is where your animals are dipped. Salted and shipped to you. Dipping is when an animal leaves a country and comes to the United States, the skull must be cleaned there cannot be any blood, meat, and flesh on the skulls or the skins they will be dipped in an insecticide that will kill any and all bugs whie the skulls are boiled and cleaned. The skins are not tanned, but they are salted and packed away ready to be tanned once arriving at your taxidermist in the United States. Splitting Image also offers a tanning process to where you can also have your skins tanned prior to being shipped. It would be tan and pack instead of dip and pack.
The next option is getting your animals done in Africa. Now when I went on my first safari in 2007, we had animals done in South Africa the quality of work was below par, but now in 2024, the work has improved exponentially in Africa. Now, there are still some species that I do not recommend getting done in Africa, such as cats, although the taxidermist do some good work, I do believe there are some incredible cat taxidermist here in United States. This option allows you to have your taxidermy work done in Africa, have it packed up, shipped directly to you, done, and dusted, ready to be put on the wall or in the trophy room. Again, this is all preference. I will state this however, far too many people try to cut corners on taxidermy and spend less money. Remember, these are your memories the taxidermy piece is what you're going to see for the rest of your life. Do not cut corners on this I know it all adds up but in the process of the dipping pack or the tanning and having work done in Africa It's not like it's an overnight deal. This does take time, and you won't be seeing your first bills from this until six months to a year after your Safari, so It does give you time to save up. Another good way of doing it is having skins tanned and saved and worked done as you get funds to do so.
To me these are the key essentials to helping make sure your first or even your next safari are sucessful. You should enjoy the African experience, and it should leave you wanting more in.
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