Family Trip to SA, can I sneak in a hunt?

[ProAlpine]

Greetings TG'ers! We're planning a family trip to South Africa in late May and June. We will be visiting friends in Cape Town, sight seeing and going on a Safari. I'm having a hard time imagining going to Africa and not bringing my bow! My wife and 8 year old daughter are not hunters, but I'm wondering if it might be possible to slip away for 3 days, 2 nights to hunt? I know most outfitters run week long trips. Has anyone had any success combining a hunt with a family trip? Any recommendations would be appreciated. Cheers

[Jorge]

Hi from Spain,

I have been in SA with my family, wife and two boys, 10 and 12, and some years before in our honeymoon. Mix a hunting trip with family is totally possible and easy to organize as outfitters have side activities for non hunters. Main problem is that main hunting operations are not near Cape Town so you would need to take a flight probably.

Not sure if they could organize a hunt for two or three days but you only need to ask, many good operations in South Africa. If you can add some days you will enjoy a lot.

[ProAlpine]

Thank you Jorge! Yes, I contacted an outfitter and he was very amenable to providing activities for my family while I hunted. We plan on catching a few domestic flights once there, so that's not a problem. Now I just have to convince my wife that it's worth it! 

[yeager]

Marc,

I have been to South Africa three times. The first was a seven day bowhunt with a friend, but asked my wife if she wanted to go along. To keep her company I asked our grownup daughter if she would like to go if I paid for it. Of course she said yes. While my buddy and I hunted, they went to Kruger National Park with tour guide Ronnie Haywood of African Adventures and had a great time. When they got back, my PH talked my wife into coming back to hunt.

So, my wife and I went back again the next year, 2018. This time we we did a 10 day Victoria Falls trip with the same tour guide and had a fantastic time. He then dropped us off with the same outfitter I used the year before. Now, my wife had been shooting archery for almost 20 years, but never wanted to hunt. Well, she ended up shooting more animals than me.

Our third trip was last July 2021 ( were supposed to go in 2020, but COVID messed that up). On that trip we did a seven day Kruger National Park Safaris with the same tour guide, and then finished up with a ten day hunt, again with the same outfitter. On that hunt we ended up shooting ten animals, five each.

So yes, I would sneak in a hunt. I would even have your family sit with you in the blind, if they use waterholes. There is so much activity to keep them entertained.