We have hunted everywhere over decades. Much of it was at an earlier time when you went out on the farm or ranch, in the Eastern US to Texas/New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho or California. Species over those years included every type of duck, goose, pheasant, quail, partridge, and dove. Of the many mammals, there have been whitetails, mule deer, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, prairie dogs, antelopes, coyotes, feral pigs, elk, and more. No bears or moose of any kind yet.
If you extend out to Africa, the list of plains game is all-inclusive and there are, among our partners, those who have done all the Big 5 dangerous game—leopard, lion, hippo, elephant, and cape buffalo. Some of us are scheduled for a Safari in East Cape, South Africa in 2027 and it will undoubtedly be a bucket list once-in-a-lifetime thing for at least one of us. Our younger partners simply have more runway left, others not so much.
So, while there are tons of reviews of Guides and Outfitters online to check out, and you should do a lot of research before committing to an outfitted hunt, we are sharing our recommendations for really good people who have done incredible jobs for us in our hunting careers—much of what we'll recommend is based on experience in the last 5-10 years (max) as many a guide and outfitter from before that timeframe are now in the happy hunting grounds and no longer available to us today. Here you go:
Saskatchewan Duck, Geese, and Sandhill Cranes
Prairies Edge Outfitters, North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. The quality of the guides is second to none. Hunting is typically two cycles per day, very early morning and early afternoon. September is prime time. You'll fully participate in setting up layout and A-frame blinds, and 200-300 decoys. Every hunt is a different venue. Every venue is scouted the night before and these people know their business. Limits are frequent and the action is unparalleled.
prairiesedgeoutfitting.com →Related read: Duck and Goose Hunting in Saskatchewan →
Nebraska Ducks and Geese
Cheyenne Ridge Outfitters, North Platte, Nebraska. Winter hunting of ducks and geese out of fantastic riverside blinds, with heaters! This is as close to a blind in the water as you can get in wintertime. The action is fast and furious as both ducks and geese come in waves. Shot over water, our guide's lab retriever was among the best dogs ever to hunt with humans. Just an awesome experience. And the lodge accommodations, including food, drink, and overall fun were superb. There is also opportunity to hunt pheasants on the lodge property if desired.
Argentina Ducks, Perdiz, and Doves
Hunting in Argentina is the stuff of legends. Los Ombues Lodge, in Entre Rios, Argentina is first class hunting, dining, and relaxing. The property is an Orvis Best rated facility. In fact, the last time we were there, Orvis representatives were conducting a comprehensive assessment to update their 5-star rating. Words cannot express the quality of experience as regards duck hunting in river blinds, perdiz hunting in huge grassland fields, nor the millions of doves swirling and darting overhead each afternoon. It simply has to be experienced to be believed. The food is incredible, and the accommodations are wonderful.
losombues.com →Related read: The Bucket List: Argentina Doves, Ducks, and Perdiz →
Helicopter Pig Hunting
Often described as the most fun you can have with your clothes on. We are in total agreement about that! You can schedule as many people as you like for as long as you like. Gabe Fraire is a great hunter himself and runs the outfit, arranging venues, helicopters, and everything you'd need. Typically, he supplies all of the rifles and ammo (in abundance!) for everyone who's a shooter. These are specially configured rifles such that you are not spewing the hundreds of expended cartridges into the pilot and the helicopter's controls! And, believe me, there's a lot of shooting! It is an experience not to be missed if you're in the Dallas/Fort Worth/Waco area. Best in the business.
dallashelicopterhunts.com →Related read: The Second Most Fun Thing You Can Do With Your Clothes On →
African Safari
This is where you can get in trouble with recommendations. African hunting is highly differentiated by country/region and there is no doubt great confusion among those who are first-time Africa Safari dreamers as to what's best.
If you're a first timer without some deep resources of how to pick an outfitter, what and where to hunt, and what guns are appropriate to your plans, and how to get guns and ammo as well as yourself to your destination, we'll offer some suggestions and resources for you.
If you've done one or more safaris in Africa before, you should have the basics down but still may find some of our suggestions helpful.
Where You Hunt Matters!
There are many considerations involved in selecting a hunting venue in Africa. For the most part, people think about Southern Africa, although there are all kinds of hunting venues available throughout the continent. For purposes of this discussion, we will limit our commentary to the Southern portion of the Dark Continent. Foremost among the considerations for your safari, whether first time or repeated, is total cost. So, let's review:
- Airfare and shipping your guns and ammo are predictable and known costs. Airfare, travel class, and itinerary are up to you. Whatever you select, if you're traveling from the USA, the trip will be long and likely involve several stops. The trip to whatever destination you choose is a beating even in first or business class. You work with the outfitter you choose to help arrange getting your guns and ammo through the importation process and, of course, there are fees involved. Use an expediter and follow the rules explained to you to the letter. While every outfitter will have rifles available for you to rent and ammo for you to buy, why on earth would anyone go to the lengths required to hunt in Africa and not take their own firearms?
- The country you select is very important, both in terms of game species available, and the cost associated with harvesting animals. For example, the cost associated with a trophy bull elephant in Botswana is from $20-25,000, and that doesn't include license fees, permits, guides and trackers, gratuities, taxidermy, export fees, and transoceanic shipping. There are good reasons that few people hunt elephants. A Cape Buffalo in South Africa requires between $12-15,000 along with the many additional fees to preserve and ship your trophy home.
- Plains game, on the other hand, are far less expensive if hunted in South Africa instead of neighboring countries like Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia for example. The reason for this is quite simple. In South Africa, you hunt on private game preserves—some of which are in the tens of thousands of acres. The owners/concessionaires of these preserves manage game herds, including culling, breeding, and overseeing the herds and their well-being and sustainability.
In most other South African countries, the governments control the hunting and, hopefully, the management of wildlife within its borders. There, the animals are truly wild, free-ranging, and not subject to the kind of herd management practiced in South Africa. And, unsurprisingly, governments add as many fees and costs as possible to maximize revenue to themselves. Accordingly, it is more expensive by multiples to hunt in venues other than South Africa. The benefit is that the hunting is truly in the wild, and closer to what hunting was like at the turn of the twentieth century.
It should be noted that cull hunting is available in South Africa, where game animals taken for culling do not incur fees beyond the agreed upon price to participate in the culling. There are no limits to the animals being harvested and they are not subject to being exported. Cull hunting is a great way to begin an African safari as it permits acclimatization to the hunting venue following the lengthy and tiring trip from the USA.
- It is essential to have either a consultant or outfitter with whom you can work effectively before loading up your guns and gear and heading to Africa. Any competent outfitter will provide you with a checklist of mandatory and suggested optional items that you should ensure are shipped with you. Many will provide this information on their websites but nothing works better than phone calls and detailed discussions and sharing of information. Leave no question unanswered and never, never assume that you can show up and everything will go smoothly. Smooth experiences are the result of very focused and detailed planning and you must be at the center of every aspect of your plan. We will not give the list of questions to ask as there are several resources online (links given below) that are available for that purpose. Additionally, AI services like Grok, ChatGPT, and Claude can give extensive advice to get you going.
Helpful Links
The websites below can get you oriented but after that, speak to your outfitter in detail.
African Safari Magazine: Plan an African Safari
africansafarimag.com
Reverie Safaris: How to Plan an African Safari
reveriesafaris.com
Outfitters
This set of links can get you started if you're a first timer or looking for options.
South Africa
Hunt Review: South African Hunting Outfitters
huntreview.co.za
PHASA: Hunting Outfitters in South Africa
phasa.co.za
huntersafrica.co.za
Other African Countries
AfricaHunting.com: Hunting Outfitters
africahunting.com
craigboddington.com
backcountryafrica.com