Should You Go On A Hunting Safari In Africa?

Some people go on safaris in order to enjoy the sights of nature, others to enjoy the outdoors in exotic locations. Still, others like to combine the two with their love of hunting. Traditionally, hunting safaris in Africa was the main draw and the source for the traditional look you'd expect from these, with khaki clothes, pith helmets, and all. For those who are looking for a new experience while hunting, a safari in Africa may be just what you need, though there are many things to consider.

The Animals

Years ago, you might go on a hunting safari in Africa expecting to bag a lion, or perhaps an elephant with some huge tusks. But due to the endangered status of many African animals, those sorts of safaris are merely a thing of the past. Still, you can expect to hunt exotic creatures like the kudu and the impala while on a hunting safari in Africa. And while you won't be allowed to shoot at any lions, for those looking to hunt tougher game, you can shoot a cheetah or leopard for your trophy.

The Guides

Most packages for hunting safaris in Africa include a personal guide, which can be a valuable asset for hunters. African game animals have plenty of natural predators to watch out for, so an experienced hunter can make the difference between a trophy and a miss when you're going after one of these highly-aware animals. Many companies that offer hunting safaris in Africa also give a guarantee that you'll get a trophy, since they're so confident in their guides. And best of all, even if you don't bag any game while out hunting, you'll still basically have your own personal guide; most hunting safaris in Africa consist of one or two guides and one or two customers.

The Cost

One thing that you do need to keep in mind while planning a hunting safari in Africa is that they do cost a lot of money. In order to prepare for such a trip, you would need to get a passport, immunize yourself against local diseases in some cases, and ship appropriate clothing and equipment to your destination country. And then, once you've bagged an animal, you often have to pay trophy fees; most hunting packages include a few in the cost, but only for specific animals. If you bag a leopard, for instance, you'll have to pay a hefty fee on top of what you've already spent. This can rapidly add to the cost of your trip. However, if you're willing to pay the cost, then a hunting safari in Africa might provide the unique hunting experience that you've been looking for.

Source: Article Base
Accommodation in Namibia

Should You Go On A Hunting Safari In Africa?

Some people go on safaris in order to enjoy the sights of nature, others to enjoy the outdoors in exotic locations. Still, others like to combine the two with their love of hunting. Traditionally, hunting safaris in Africa was the main draw and the source for the traditional look you'd expect from these, with khaki clothes, pith helmets, and all. For those who are looking for a new experience while hunting, a safari in Africa may be just what you need, though there are many things to consider.

The Animals

Years ago, you might go on a hunting safari in Africa expecting to bag a lion, or perhaps an elephant with some huge tusks. But due to the endangered status of many African animals, those sorts of safaris are merely a thing of the past. Still, you can expect to hunt exotic creatures like the kudu and the impala while on a hunting safari in Africa. And while you won't be allowed to shoot at any lions, for those looking to hunt tougher game, you can shoot a cheetah or leopard for your trophy.

The Guides

Most packages for hunting safaris in Africa include a personal guide, which can be a valuable asset for hunters. African game animals have plenty of natural predators to watch out for, so an experienced hunter can make the difference between a trophy and a miss when you're going after one of these highly-aware animals. Many companies that offer hunting safaris in Africa also give a guarantee that you'll get a trophy, since they're so confident in their guides. And best of all, even if you don't bag any game while out hunting, you'll still basically have your own personal guide; most hunting safaris in Africa consist of one or two guides and one or two customers.

The Cost

One thing that you do need to keep in mind while planning a hunting safari in Africa is that they do cost a lot of money. In order to prepare for such a trip, you would need to get a passport, immunize yourself against local diseases in some cases, and ship appropriate clothing and equipment to your destination country. And then, once you've bagged an animal, you often have to pay trophy fees; most hunting packages include a few in the cost, but only for specific animals. If you bag a leopard, for instance, you'll have to pay a hefty fee on top of what you've already spent. This can rapidly add to the cost of your trip. However, if you're willing to pay the cost, then a hunting safari in Africa might provide the unique hunting experience that you've been looking for.

Source: Ezine Articles
Africa Hunting Safaris

Recovering Wounded Deer

Africa Hunting Safaris in Namibia through Kowas Adventure Safaris

By Mike Guerin

The ethical hunter will always pass on questionable shots at deer. Most hunters have a deep admiration for North Americas #1 big game animal. This respect for the animal demands that you only take shots that your skill level allows. This will vary from hunter to hunter. I am admittedly at the bottom of the scale when it comes to shooting. I just don't do it enough during the offseason to improve my skill level or to actually determine what I am truly capable of. Despite my admitted lack of Danial Boone like shooting skills, I still make the vast majority of my shots at deer. I pride my self on not wounding deer. I do this by limiting myself almost exclusively to shots at standing deer that are unaware of my presents. Even still, as every hunter will experience if he hunts long enough, there will come a time when you will be required to track down a deer that didn't go down quite like you planned. This is where most hunters are lacking and fall down on the job. 

The number one reason that most hunter fail to recover recoverable deer is not because of lack of knowledge. It is most often a case of lack of willingness to try. Tracking can be fun at first but when the trail quickly goes cold the willingness to keep looking usually goes quickly as well. It has amazed me what some hunters won'tdo to recover their deer. 

Think about it. You have put in many many hours sitting in a deer stand waiting and hoping for that buck to walk by. You have endured cold, mosquitos, hours of complete bordom just for that hope, that possibility that a buck might walk by. Well when it finally does and something goes wrong (or sometimes not) shouldn't you at least put in one tenth of that effort to find that deer??? Here are a couple of examples of what some hunters, and I use that terminalogy loosely, have done.

My brother years ago went on a deer hunt with a friend of his from school. At this point neither he nor I had ever been deer hunting. Well it turns out that the friend who will remain nameless shot at and hit a very small buck. The deer ran off and the friend and my brother later tried to track down the deer. My brother Stephen asked his friend where he had been aiming when he shot. The friend gave him a funny look and said matter of factly, "At the deer!" Stephen left it go at that. 

Well the deer was moveing quite well but was also leaving a good blood trail. They followed the trail for a few hundred yards until they came to a small creek. The blood trail stopped at the waters edge. It was obvious that the deer had crossed the creek. Well not only did the trail stop at the creek but so did the tracking. Stephen being a guest on his first deer hunt even thought it strange that such a small obsticle would bring the search to such an abrupt halt. Especially considering the deer was leaving such a good blood trail. This deer was obviously what I would put in the catagory of collectable. 

Another example of what happens, probably more frequently, on hunts is something like this. This hunt was described to me by a hunter on an adjoining piece of land. We were talking about what we had seen and other such things when the subject turned to a particular crossing on a power line that was about 150 yards away from where we stood. We we talking about how that was a good crossing for bucks. He went on to relay a story that went something like this. 

He was sitting on the power line when a nice buck stepped out on the power line at the crossing. He took his rifle and settled the crosshairs on the buck and shot. The buck immediately took off running and was totally out of site after it had traveled only about 7 yards. To him the deer didn't look like it was hit. And since he was taking a free hand shot at such a long distance he really didn't expect to hit the buck. Well he said "I don't know why but for some reason I went over and looked. The 7 point buck was dead only a couple of feet from the power line." This man recovered his deer but he came very close to not even looking. 

Incidents like this are far to common. Often out of ignorance, when someone thinks they can tell that they missed clean just by the deer immediate reaction after the shot. Now I can preach till I am blue in the face and not convince you to put forth the effort that you should to recover your deer, that I can't change unless you want too. That part boils down to your character. The other part of recovering your deer is what we will now cover. The actual tracking and reading sign left by wounded deer, what that sign means, and what to do with that information. 

Where a deer has been hit will determine how the deer is likely to react and therefore will also greatly impact what the hunter should do to recover the deer. Deer shot with a bow will sometimes jump or react to the hit but then immediately look around not knowing what happened and then go back to feeding or whatever activity they where doing. This happens because the broadhead can sometimes cut cleanly enough that no pain is felt. I was once cut by a barded wire fence but didn't know until my cousin told me I had blood running down my leg all over my socks. With deer as with people however this is not the norm but it does happen. I doubt that a gun hunter will ever see a gun shot deer react this way. 

Gut shot deer will often jump with an arched body into the air when hit. And will sometimes run hunched up as they make their escape. Lung shot deer sometimes do this also so its not written in stone. You can recognize a gut shot deer sometimes by findind blood with greenish, brown particles mixed in or sometimes larger bits of partially digested food. As often however you will find nothing. Not only do gut shot deer run farther then other wounded deer they also unfortunately have a tendency to not bleed much. The deers intestines often block up the entrance and exit holes, thereby minimizing bleeding. Gut shot deer will often run long distances before dying or laying up and they usually don't die quickly either. If you suspect you have gut shot a deer and you are hunting in the evening the best thing you can do is to backoff and try trailing the next morning. If you shot it in the morning then bring all of your equipment back to camp and have something to eat before going back, hopefully with a couple of buddies to find your deer. 

Lets assume you have gut shot a deer and it is leaving no blood trail. After the designated waiting period has ended where should you look? First you should take off down the path that the deer took and try to guess the path that the deer continued to take. Check a few of the most likely routes and if no deer is found then return to the starting point and regroup. You should now check the deers back trail. Deer do not like running head long into an area before checking it out. So often deer will circle back to the area that they had just left before being shot. 

I almost lost a deer to just such a senario. I was hunting over a thick cutover. I shot a buck from almost above and the downward angle of the bullet didn't allow for both lungs to be hit. The buck was headed due East when I shot. He turned and started running straight South at the shot. Since it was so thick I quickly lost sight of the deer but he was easy to follow by ear because he was crashing through so much brush. After he had run South about 35 or 40 yards I could easily hear that he had now turned back to the East and then I heard a big crash and then nothing. At this point it seemed as though everything had gone according to plan. 

I went to where the deer had been shot and I found hair. I then tried to find a blood trail. This was done for the fun of it since I thought I new exactly where the deer had fallen. As I travelled down the bucks path I could find no blood. Apon reaching the spot where I had heard the crash I laid my gun against a tree. This area was so thick visibility was only 5 to 20 yards max. I started making ever widening circles around the tree, but could find no sign and worse no deer. I was then presented with a sickening scenario. No blood trail and woods as thick as they come. I put in hours searching the area that the deer had gone with nothing to show. Finally I had had enough. Hours of searching wasted. A buck, WASTED. I was sick to my stomach knowing the deer would die and not knowing what I could have done differently. As I started to leave I set my gun against a tree and decided to search the area to the West of where I had last heard the deer. Remember he had been running East. Also remember the deer was headed East when I shot. I started to circle my gun in ever widening circles. After a short while I gave up. But where was my gun. I had a hell of a time finding my gun even though I never got more than 50 yards from it. It was just so thick. Well as luck would have it while searching for the gun I came across a large pool of blood where the deer had laid up. I quickly found my gun and returned. I found the buck only 7 yard from that pool of blood. 

This example points out that deer will often circle back after being hit. The deer startled at the shot and being hit, immediately ran away from the sound and the direction that the hit had come from. As he approached a three wheeler trail he turned East. All the while making noise. At this point he regained his composure stopped and decided his present course was not where he wanted to go. No telling what lies ahead of him to the East, better to stop and head back West where I know it was safe. This was now done in typical whitetail fashion, silently!

So now that you have checked the back trail to no avial now what? That depends on the lay of the land. If the land is fairly open then use a technique I have used successfully. I call it the grid system. Walk in a straight line searching the ground as you go. After you have traveled as far as you are willing to go then make another search back but slightly to the side. Toilet paper can be used to help guide you and it is biodegradable so no littering worries. Continue doing this until you have found your deer. 

If you still have failed to find your deer all hope is not lost. Gut shot deer will undoubtably head towards water. So if there is a pond or small stream nearby you should then search up and down its banks. After this has been done you only have one more option. Wait for the birds to show you the deer. Return the next day and look for any unusual bird activity. Crows, buzzards, even smaller birds can tip you off to the deer location. If you see nothing the next day then return everyday for awhile. Hopefully this will at least let you recover the antlers. 

This is a senario that you hopefully won't encounter, and good shot selection can all but eliminate this from happening. The above technique will work on any deer regardless of where it was hit. Remember the gut shot is the worst case senario. Let me list some other facts that you can use to help recover your deer.

    *Frothy blood indicates a lung hit.

    *This blood is often pink in appearance. Dark blood might indicate a liver shot.

    *Wounded deer have a tendency to want to run down hill as apposed to uphill.

    *Anytime you jump a deer that has been hit back off and give it time to die.

    *Deer hit in the chest that don't die immediately ususlly feel weak and will bed up extremely close to where they were hit. Sometimes not much more than 50 yards away.

    *Before you get down sit and analyze the last area the deer was seen. Make a mental note of specific trees. Once you get down it is amazing how different the woods look.

    *Mark your trail as you follow a blood trail. This will give you a visual indication of the path the deer was taking. And you will not have to worry about messing up a sparse blood trail and then loosing track of where the deer was headed and where the last sign was found.

    *When you find your deer, it's eyes will be open if it is dead. If the eye is closed then shoot it again, don't wait or you will be sorry.

Namibia Travel Tips & Information

Africa Hunting Safaris | Kowas Adventure

In Namibia, upon the parched palate of a vast and contradictory land, the realities of thirst have created a plethora of idiosyncratic societies. The shifting dunes of the Namib Desert are honeycombed with the greatest variety of living creatures of any dunelands around the world.

Namibia - big sky country. A place where undulating deserts fold down to meet a tempestuous coastline, Namibia offers a diverse range of highlights: Scenic beauty including the Skeleton Coast - untouched and untamed, this desolate and uninhabited landscape is home to the rare Brown Hyena and Desert Elephants, seal colonies and is the burial ground of many ships; the Kunene River - the source of one of Africa's greatest waterfalls, the Ruacana; the splendour of abundant bird and wildlife; unusual geological formations including Fish River Canyon, Brandberg, Spitzkoppe and the unique star-shaped dune mountains at Sossusvlei; pristine wilderness including Etosha Pan - an oasis in the centre of a vast semi-desert region, the Namib Desert - the only desert that harbours elephant, rhino, lion and giraffe; the diverse and friendly nation - vibrant African cultures blended with the architecture and traditions of the Germans, British and South Africans; Adventure opportunities - from sand boarding, canoeing, white water rafting to hot air ballooning and The Desert Express Train.

Windhoek, Namibia's capital city, is set in the Central Region. With its international airport, Windhoek is a convenient point to begin or end your tour and provides a good base for local excursions. The northern part of the Central Region has an astonishing diversity of bird, animal life and mineral wealth while to the west is the Namib Desert and the Kalahari to the east.

The majestic Auas mountains, the Eros mountains and the rolling Khomas Hochland surround Windhoek. Mineral springs offer an oasis in this very dry region and holiday resorts are located close to Windhoek. The national parks, fascinating little towns, out of the way mission stations and cattle ranches all have their own unique attractions.

The desolate Skeleton Coast, monument to by-gone maritime disasters, contrasts with the vibey holiday atmosphere of the quaint German settlement of Swakopmund. Within the precincts of Etosha Pan, the lake of a mother's tears, where perimeter waterholes enclose the salt expanse, great herds of game are on a perpetual pub-crawl. This provides some of the most magnificent gameviewing opportunities anywhere.

Inland, in surrealist Damaraland, you'll encounter various social curiosities, including the Petrified Forest; Welwitschia Mirabilis, the thousand year old underground tree; the statuesque Kokerboom; and the diminutive Damara Dik Dik, with its twitching nose.

The Namib Region stretches from Oranjemund in the south up through the Skeleton Coast to the Angolan border in the north, mostly consisting of national parks. The Namib-Naukluft Park is considered the fourth largest in the world, covering 49 768 km sq. Hardy desert plants and the variety of landscapes make this a magical place for scenic photographers.

The ancient Namib Desert features many of Namibia's tourist destinations and is home to one of the world's oldest plants - the prehistoric Welwitschia Mirabilis and a large number of endemic dunedwelling creatures.

The Skeleton Coast National Park reaches from the Ugab to the Kunene River. Hardy desert animals congregate around the intermittent watering places, while in the distance craggy mountains and vistas of sand dunes enhance its beauty. The popular coastal resort of Swakopmund has many buildings dating back to the turn of the century, these national monuments represent the town's German colonial past. With its numerous excursion possibilities, Swakopmund is rapidly becoming Namibia's groups and conventions destination. Walvis Bay is 31 km south of Swakopmund, another principal port of entry and has a flourishing fishing industry.

The Walvis Bay lagoon is one of Africa's most important wetlands and hosts large flocks of flamingoes, pelicans and other water birds. West of the Naukluft mountains is the Sesriem Canyon gorged out over centuries by the Tsauchaub River. 63 km away is Sossusvlei, a dry clay basin surrounded by some of the highest sand dunes in the world. Lüderitz, between the desert and the coast, was the first German settlement in Namibia and the base of the South African diamond industry in 1908. This sea-side resort is the centre of Namibia's crayfish industry, renowned for its oysters and the ghost town of Kolmanskop is not far away.

The fertile Northern Region is the largest region in Namibia, with vast areas under cultivation, sustained by underground lakes. The highlight of this region is the Etosha National Park, one of the major wildlife sanctuaries in Africa and an official game reserve since 1907. This 22 270 km sq park ranges from dense bush to open plains and houses prolific bird and wildlife.

Two attractive towns in the centre of a rich mining area are Otavi, sheltered by the Otavi Mountains and Tsumeb further north. Damaraland offers contrasting desert, rolling grasslands and high mountain ranges with unusual geological features, rock paintings and rare animals. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Skeleton Coast National Park.

The volcanic landscapes around Khorixas bear footprints of dinosaurs and the Petrified Forest (massive tree trunks up to 30 m in length) lies scattered across the plains with Welwitschias and other hardy desert plants growing among them. Twyfelfontein (Fountain of Doubt) is south-west of the Petrified Forest offering spectacular rock paintings and engravings dating back thousands of years. South of Twyfelfontein is a desolate landscape of volcanic rock called Burnt Mountain. Nearby are the Organ Pipes, a formation of perpendicular basalt. The Brandberg Range contains the highest mountain peak in the country (the Kunigstein 2 573 m) and many rock paintings including the famous White Lady of Brandberg.

The Caprivi Strip is an exciting destination for the adventurous traveller with rivers, forests, swamps and waterways - it is a total contrast to the arid grandeur of the rest of Namibia. Activities in this area include hiking, fishing, gameviewing, birdwatching and mokoro trails. The beautiful landscape of the Southern Region is stark, desolate, hot and dry. Earthquakes and storms have carved the land into wonderful sculptures. Brukkaros, an extinct volcano, looms over the plains north of Keetmanshoop.

The Fish River Canyon - a ravine 161 m long, up to 27 km wide and almost 550 m deep and the hot spring resort of Ai-Ais are popular attractions.

The Kokerboom, an aloe capable of surviving years of drought, and the Quiver Tree Forest, a protected area 23 km north-east of Keetmanshoop, are found here. Although agriculture (dominated by livestock production) provides a livelihood for an estimated 70% of Namibia's population, mining provides the backbone to the economy.

Diamonds, gold, silver, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, magnesium, cadmium and other base metals are all produced. Having developed rapidly since independence, tourism is currently the country's third most important foreign exchange earner.

Article Source: http://www.traveldir.org/articles/

Soure

Africa Bow Hunting Safaris

Africa Hunting Safaris | Kowas Adventure

Bow hunters consider the overall conditions in Namibia particularly suited to their sport. Possessing some of the highest game populations and variety of species still seen in Africa, makes it a paradise for any bow hunter.

If you are interested in bow hunting for the magnificent Gemsbok (Oryx) and gracious springbuck, Kowas Hunting Safaris is the place to be...

HUNTING SUCCESS:

An average of four trophies are usually taken during a 7-day bow hunting safari. A total of 14 plains game species can be hunted at Kowas Adventure Safaris. Best months for bow hunting, are July to November.

BLINDS:

The majority of successful bags are made from permanently constructed blinds. These are situated approximately 20 yards from waterholes and saltlicks. Some are elevated and some are ground blinds, depending on the terrain, sun and wind direction. Blinds are spacious, with overhead roofs, and ports are adjustable to suit both sitting and standing archers. Animals are bagged regularly by using this method.
Six permanently constructed blinds can be chosen from by the bow hunter.

Facilities in the blind:

• hook to hang the bow;
• coolbox with soft drinks/fruit juices;
• mobile toilet;
• range finder;
• books;

SPOTTING AND STALKING:

Spotting and stalking is a real challenge due to the terrain and the awareness of our wildlife due to the abundance of predators like the leopard, cheetah, caracal and black backed jackal in our territory. You are therefore competing against these natural predators when stalking. An area is selected for stalking, where game is in abundance. You can see up to one hundred and more animals during one day's stalking. Ambushing is normally the best hunting-method while stalking.

HUNTING LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO BOW HUNTING IN NAMIBIA

SMALL GAME: 25 ft/lbs
African wildcat Blesbuck Bontebok Bosbok Caracal
Dassie (Rock rabbit) Damara dik-dik Duiker Jackal Klipspringer Letchwe Porcupine Springbuck Steenbuck Rabbit

MEDIUM GAME: 40 ft/lbs
Baboon Cheetah Nyala Spotted hyena Warthog

BIG GAME: 65 ft/lbs
Eland Gemsbok (Oryx) Giraffe Hartebeest Kudu Roan Sable Tsetsebe Waterbuck Blue wildebeest Black wilebeest Burchell Zebra Hartmann Zebra

RECOMMENDATION:

Best bow hunting times are during the drier months of the year, namely July, August, September, October and November.