Hunting dangerous game on a first safari?

[BobT]

I am actively planning my first safari and will book dates and pay deposit at the DSC convention next year. This started out to be a plains game hunt in South Africa with a follow on hunt the following year for Leopard / Cape Buff but after having a couple of meetings with my prospective PH is rapidly turning into a Leopard / Cape Buffalo hunt in Tanzania. Since I started leaning this way I have been seeing some negative comments about first safari DG hunting on a couple of other forums. My only worry is that if I get trigger happy in Tanzania then it could be a long time before I can save enough for another trip.

What would you do or did you do and why?

 

[spike.t]

go for it if you want to , no reason not to hunt DG on your first african hunt. tanzania is expensive even if you dont get trigger happy, so be sure its what you want to do. it will spoil you though as going hunting in sa at a later date after tanzania wont be anywhere near the same experience.....

 

[wipartimer]

Would I recommend hunting DG for a first hunt?- No. But for a first safari, as long as the hunter was experienced, could handle his or her rifle well and could afford it- why not? Whether I'm hunting a deer, a bear, a hog, a squirrel, a gemsbok, or if and when I get the opportunity, an elephant, that animal's life is just as important to it as mine is to me. I try very hard to keep that in mind as I squeeze the trigger or release my arrow. All hunting is thoroughly enjoyable, but also must be taken seriously. Follow your heart and have a great time.

 

[Royal27]

So I hunted buffalo on my first trip. The next two safaris have been PG. There is nothing wrong wit doing it that way, but you do lose some of the build up. Kind of light getting a Ferrari for your first car. What is there after that?

If it is what you want to do and can afford Tanzania go for it! I promise you'll never regret a buffalo or leopard hunt in a truly wild area.

 

[cpr0312]

Go for it! Most people do a PG safari first, but hey if you can and it works our for DG...why not? Best of luck

 

[Big5]

At some point there will always be a 'first time'. I see no reason why any seasoned hunter confident with his field experience should hesitate to hunt dangerous game on his first trip to Africa.

Just my 2 cents and good hunting to you whatever you decide.

 

[G Skinner]

I hunted PG my first time out with a bow ....trying to keep the expense down . Boy was I wrong ! Good luck and play safe !
Glen

 

[Mark19707]

No reason not to! Every trip is memorable, so if you have the opportunity to make the first the best go for it!! Nothing is worse than a case of the "should haves". Trust me. I had the opportunity in 2015 for a leopard and passed.... It was a great trip but I passed since I just took a buffalo a few days earlier. What a mistake

 

[BRICKBURN]

Apparently people do it and enjoy it quite a bit.

 

[LivingTheDream]

First African animal was a lioness for me. Darted a Rhino as well on that trip. My second trip was just a tuskless. If you are an experienced hunter and can practice by all means do it. My theory is the big 5 is always under attack by the anti's. Do it while you can, especially if you want to import your Leopard. Going to Tanzania on your first trip is pretty big time any way, might as well get a leopard and a buff while you are at!!!!

 

[mrpoindexter]

Not only did I do DG on my first safari, it was my first time hunting and I went on my safari less than five months after taking up archery. That said, I busted my butt getting my draw weight up enough, went to the range often and got some excellent help to improve my form. I shot in 2 world archery Star FITA events, 5 outdoor 3-D tournaments, countless animal paper target league nights, etc. I went from 56 lbs to 81 lbs in the six weeks between when the opportunity to go on a safari presented itself and wheels were up.

After 5 days of stalking and hunting buffalo, I got one. Some people can measure their trophies in inches. I can measure mine in time from picking up a bow to dangerous game down. I don't regret it at all - just wish I could have gotten a leopard or hippo while I was there.

 

[JimP]

Kind of light getting a Ferrari for your first car. What is there after that?

If it is what you want to do and can afford Tanzania go for it! I promise you'll never regret a buffalo or leopard hunt in a truly wild area.

A Lamborghini

If you can afford it then I say go for it. I don't see any reason that you should have to go after PG as a prerequirement to DG. The thrill for some might be less but for me I would get just as excited shooting a buff as I would shooting a springbuck again.

 

[Ridge Top Ranch]

Hunted buffalo and plains game on first safari in Zim. Got hooked on dangerous game. Did lioness and plains game on second safari. Hope to do Elephant and Leopard on next safari. Then Brown Bear.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Apparently people do it and enjoy it quite a bit.
.......

Low and behold, three of the next four posts bore that statement out.

 

[thi9elsp]

Yes, the buff in my avatar was my first African animal on day 3. One shot, 75 yards with my CZ 550 375 H&H (which of course I had to purchase for the hunt). I ended up with a nice bushbuck, impala and kudu in 10 days of hunting the Zambezi Valley.

If you can afford Tanzania - do it. It will never get any less costly. And, adding on animals once you've committed to the buff/leopard, is a small price to pay. The gazelles would be top of my list to add.

 

[Hank2211]

I hunted dangerous game on my first safari - a buffalo. In fact, that was what propelled me to take the plunge and go to Africa.

I note, though, that you're saying you might hunt leopard as well as buffalo on your first safari. That is something I wouldn't recommend, and I've hunted leopard twice (once successfully!).

Leopard hunting is very specialized. You can spend a lot of time shooting bait, and then even more time driving around placing, and then checking, baits, each and every day. You can also spend a lot of time sitting in blinds during prime afternoon shooting time. You might get lucky, and get a leopard early on, but if not, and if it takes the "normal" amount of time, you will, in my opinion, miss out of what a first hunt to Africa should be about: seeing the country, getting a feel for the animals, and taking those plains game trophies that should be the goal.

If you will be hunting in a place where they can pre-bait, and are virtually certain to have leopards on bait when you arrive, then fine, ignore this. But that's not usual or common.

Keep the buffalo, and have a good time. Don't spend most of your days in a vehicle unable to stop for a good trophy because you have a bait to check.

Just my opinion.

 

[bassasdaindia]

Apparently people do it and enjoy it quite a bit.

View attachment 159682

@BRICKBURN , is that your Buff ?

great Boss and width !

 

[BRICKBURN]

@BRICKBURN , is that your Buff ?

great Boss and width !

That is my Buffalo. Same one as in my Avatar. Exactly what I was hoping for.

 

[vinnymbogo]

Unless you're a brand new hunter that hasn't made a kill, I can't see any rationale behind "not" hunting DG on a first safari. There has to be a "first time" for everything! Absolutely go for it.

 

[ActionBob]

My only worry is that if I get trigger happy in Tanzania then it could be a long time before I can save enough for another trip.

Personally I would go and get trigger happy if going to Tanzania. That is the best overall deal for the money. So much of the cost hunting Tanzania is in every thing else other than the trophy fees, which are normally very reasonable in Tanzania... In fact you may never be able to shoot animals of the quality, and especially the quality of the experience, in another local for less. So by all means, best plan to take the trophies offered up during the opportunity.

I actually voted no, but only because even though I was a somewhat experienced hunter when I went on my first trip to Africa, I had never hunted with a larger gun than a 30-06 and had not hunted much in many years prior, having dedicated too much time to building my business. So I wanted to get more experience before hunting DG... But I did take an elephant and buffalo on my second trip 7 months later.

However if you are competent and confident, do it! But I would defer to the advice @Hank2211 gave on leopard. Why not just take 2 buffalo or add a croc or hippo for the second DG animal?