In a civilized and cultivated country wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen.  The excellent people who protest against all hunting, and consider sportsmen as enemies of wild life, are ignorant of the fact that in reality the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.

Theodore Roosevelt

Elephant Conservation

Elephants are a keystone species as they have a HUGE impact on their environment, which includes savannas, forests, deserts, and marshes. Their only predators are lions, hyenas, and wild dogs, which usually only hunt the calves. Cows live in small family groups, led by a “matriarch,” her calves and possibly several related females with offspring. Sometimes, multiple family groups will come together to socialize. Bulls leave their family groups when they reach puberty and either live alone or with other males. Adult bulls mostly interact with family groups when looking for a mate and enter a state of increased testosterone and aggression known as musth.

Elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild. They communicate by touch, sight, smell, and infra-sound, and seismic communication over long distances. Elephants are very intelligent, and appear to have self-awareness and show empathy for dying or dead individuals of their kind.

African elephants are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade, as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks. Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflicts with local people.

Elephant hunting is one of the most misunderstood activities in the world. The anti-hunting community would like you to believe the elephant is endangered and on the verge of extinction. Facts however paint a very different picture. There are in excess of 70,000 elephants in ONLY Zimbabwe today – nearly double the amount of elephants that the environment has the capacity to support, so elephant hunting safaris are an important conservation tool. Unfortunately, we are losing this battle in the courts. Anti-hunting organizations are slowly but surely shutting down elephant hunting opportunities.

Africa is a huge place. Most of the places in Africa are never visited by photo tourists. It is leased or owned by safari operators and conservancies for hunting safaris. Typically an outfitter will purchase hunting rights from the government for a concession. Government game managers then assign him a “quota” of animals he is allowed to take yearly. The quota is based on population field surveys and is determined to be a sustainable off take that will not compromise the overall population. It is then up to the outfitter to market his concession and attract clients willing to pay for the right to hunt there. This system gives resident animals a distinct value and hunting them will result in substantial economic benefits to support continued game management, national park operating costs, conservation programs and support of local communities. The safari operator also now has a vested interest in his resident animals and will support regular anti-poaching patrols to ensure healthy populations continue to exist.

What happens when there is no elephant hunting?

In this case, resident wildlife has no value to the local communities and there is no incentive to conserve them. The test case examining the results of hunting closures has been run time and again with consistent results. Tanzania banned hunting from 1973 to 1978 and wildlife populations suffered.  Zambia halted hunting from 2000 -2003 and poaching went rampant. Similarly, Kenya has banned hunting since 1977 with the result that wildlife populations outside of the park system have collapsed. Lion numbers have fallen from over 20,000 to now just 2,000 during this no-hunting period. Botswana has banned hunting and current field reports confirm significant increases in poaching. Both the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have long recognized that trophy hunting represents the wise and sustainable use of wildlife and can be consistent with and contribute to conservation, because the social and economic benefits derived from use of species can provide incentives for people to conserve them and their habitats.

Africa Safari Gear List

Preparing for your first African Safari can be intimidating, but there’s no need to worry. The truth of the matter is that packing for a hunt in Africa isn’t all that difficult. We have worked together with our P.H.’s on a safari gear list for your upcoming hunt.

Pre-Hunt Checklist

• Valid Passport (South Africa requires your passport to be valid for an additional 30 days after your return date to the USA. No exceptions.)
• Airline ticket.
• Proper weapon documentation.
• Email the date and time of arrival to your P.H. for pickup at the airport.
• Inoculation (if needed in the area you are hunting).
• Deposit paid and confirmed.
• Traveler’s checks and enough cash for gifts, tip, etc.
• Travel Insurance.

Safari Clothing

Keep it simple. Bring a few changes of light hunting clothing (most places will have a daily laundry service). Odds are you will be riding in the back of a truck on a high rack to and from hunting areas, and that can get chilly. So bring a good jacket along. During the day, temperatures should be pleasant.

*When hunting in Mozambique it is important to note that you are allowed to bring realtree type camo but it is against Mozambican law for an ordinary citizen to wear military style camouflage.

• 2 pairs of light hunting pants
• 2-3 hunting shirts
• 2-3 pairs of socks and underwear
• 1 pair of insulated underwear (tops and bottoms) *we recommend Merino wool
• Light jacket for stopping wind
• Wide brim hat or cap
• Good ankle boots/shoes that are very comfortable (you don’t need heavy mountain boots)
• Comfortable shoes for lounging at the lodge
• Light stocking hat and gloves
• Light rain gear

If you are hunting from May to August, be sure to bring some heavier clothing as well as temperatures can occasionally drop below freezing. If you are hunting during this time add the following items:

• 1 pair of insulated hunting pants
• 2 pairs mid-weight socks
• Insulated coat

Optics

Get the best optics you can afford. Don’t skimp here.

• Binoculars (Quality 8’s or 10’s)
• Spotting Scope
  
• Tripod
  
• Rangefinder
• Bino Harness
  
• Phone Skope – Mount your phone to your optics
• Lens Cloth and Cleaning Equipment
• De-fogger

Firearms and Ammunition

Clients always ask us what type of rifle and caliber they should bring to Africa. Our advice is always, bring the rifle that you are most comfortable shooting with, shot placement and premium quality bullets are more important than caliber choice. For plains game, we recommend any caliber between 270 and 375. However calibers for dangerous game, the minimum requirement by law is no caliber smaller than 375H&H. We recommend using premium quality soft point ammunition like Swift A-frame, Woodleigh, Norma or Barnes. For elephant and hippo it is advisable to use heavy caliber solid ammunition.

When hunting dangerous game, use a good quality low powered variable scope of 1.5 – 6 x 25 power. We recommend a higher powered scope of between 3 – 9 x 40  magnification for plains game. When transporting your rifle it should be transported on the airline and on any major road in a solid, lockable, hard case. Whilst travelling between hunting areas or on the back of the hunting vehicle we recommend that you bring a soft padded rifle bag.

• Rifle
• Ammo (40-60 shells should be adequate for a typical hunt)
• Gun case with locks
• Soft gun case

Archery

• Bow (talk to your Agent or PH about poundage requirements)
• Arrows and good broadheads (2-3 dozen arrows should be adequate for a typical hunt)
• Bow case with locks
• Soft bow case

Post-Hunt Checklist

• Valid Passport
• Airline ticket
• Proper weapon documentation
• Certified copy of your Passport for the taxidermist.
• Tip your P.H.
• Pay trophy fees and final payments for the animals you take on your Safari.
• Make arrangements for your trophies.

The standard tip for a guide is 10% to 20% of the cost of your trip. Remember to tip the cooks and other help in the camp as well. The amount you give reflects your appreciation for your guide’s hard work and effort.