African Days Group of Companies :: African Bow and Rifle Wildlife Hunting :: African Hunting

Studies, recently undertaken, have shown that the biggest stumbling block to international travel, especially in the USA, is the "fear of the unknown" that prospective travelers experience. This is also the reason why "word of mouth" reference plays such a big role in getting people to decide to visit foreign shores.

Namibia offers hunters and fishermen a destination where they need have no worries. The country has an excellent infrastructure and offers all the modern conveniences that any traveler might want. The following highlight a few of the questions prospective visitors often ask.

"How safe is the country?"
Namibia has one of Africa's most stable, and democratically minded, governments. The people are friendly and, everywhere you go, you will be met with a smile. Of course, we have our problems with crime, just like anywhere you go on this planet, but it is "normal" crime and not the politically inspired incidences that are so frequent elsewhere in Africa. The very fact that so few people even know where Namibia is situated, should tell the prospective traveler something. So much of the publicity Africa gets is negative, dealing with political upheaval, crime, etc. that Namibia actually shines by comparison. We do not get publicity, simply because we do not experience that kind of problem!

"What is a typical hunting day like?"
The time we rise each morning will be discussed the evening before and will greatly depend on what we will be after that day. Whatever the time decided on, we will wake you with a cup of steaming hot coffee! Breakfast is per your preference: Breakfast cereals and/or bacon, sausage and eggs. Fruit juice, coffee or tea, just as you prefer. Depending on how the morning hunt progresses, we will either lunch out in the bush (from prepared lunch boxes) or we will be back in camp. Mostly, we prefer staying out there until we are successful. The evening meal is our main meal for the day. We will sit around the bar and fire (engaging in the day's bragging session) until Makkie calls us. Evening meals are accompanied by a range of great South African wines. Pieter Stofberg grew up in the wine producing Western Cape in South Africa and still has many friends down there.

Access our wine supplier's websites at:

Opstal Estate - www.opstal.co.za
Goudini Wines - www.goudiniwines.co.za
Badsberg Cellars - www.badsberg.co.za

After dinner, a few cocktails around the fire tends to end the day on a high note.

"What happens to my trophies after the hunt?"
It is our responsibility to field prepare your trophies and to deliver them to the shippers. Once we have done that, our legal responsibility toward your trophies end and it becomes a deal between you and the shippers. The organization we use for this is Reiser Taxidermy. The contact person there is Wilco Pascheka and he can be contacted at reiser@iway.na To date we have not had any problems with our arrangement with Reiser Taxidermy and we recommend them highly. Once the trophies is delivered to the shipper, the whole process becomes almost automatic. Access the Shipping and the Taxidermy pages for a more detailed explanation of how we handle things.

"What about arrival and departure procedures and general travel in the country?"
Namibia has an excellent infrastructure. The airport is modern and efficiently run, and the staff there are all very "visitor friendly". You will be met at the airport by your outfitter and will be delivered back there, safe and sound. Most visitors will require no other travel document than their passport. There are no visa requirements for visitors from the USA. The documentation that is required, both to enter the country and to bring your rifles in, is handled in more detail under our General Information page. The roads are in excellent repair and travel around the country is no problem. Most travel is by road. Just keep in mind that Namibia is a vast country (the country will cover the entire Eastern Seaboard of the USA) so travel takes up a lot of time. The countryside is spectacular, though, so you are not likely to get bored.

"What inoculations are required?"
None. If you are visiting the North of the country, say anywhere above Etosha Game Reserve, it is advisable to see your doctor about malaria prophylactics and to start a course about two weeks before your arrival date.

"What happens to me if I get hurt in an accident?"
We have excellent private hospitals in the country. We carry emergency insurance, which will ensure that you can be airlifted to hospital, should it become necessary. What you could do is to take out some insurance yourself, should it happen that you need a medical flight back home.

"What about snakes, etc?"
Yes, paradise has its serpents! The incidence of snakebite is so low, though, that to worry about it is to worry too much. Always remember, snakes are more scared of humans than humans are scared of snakes. In any unforced encounter, the snake will get out of your way so fast, you will probably never even know it was there! Insects also don't present much of a problem. We have some trophy sized scorpions, but a general awareness will be enough to ensure you have no nasty surprizes.

"How do I get my rifles in and out of the country?"
Absolutely no problem! When you arrive at the airport, you will be handed a rifle import/export permit application. ( You can download this document right from our Rifle Import section under the General Information page.) The customs official will inspect your rifles, to ensure that the serial numbers correspond, and then issue you with a permit for the time period you will be in the country. When you leave, the same process will take place and they will take back the permit. As I said, absolutely no problem! In general, keep in mind that you will be allowed only eighty rounds of ammunition per rifle. No handguns will be allowed and semi-automatic rifles are taboo.

"What animals can I hunt there?"
Namibia offers everything Africa does (with the exception of region bound species, of course) and probably has the most affordable plains game hunting available. We have two species that are exclusive to Namibia, being the Hartmann's (or Mountain) Zebra and the Damara Dik-Dik. Our hunt product is one of the best to be found in Africa and you can rest assured that you will have a good time.

"Are the animals free roaming or are they fenced?"
This is a rather sensitive issue with hunters, especially after the whole "canned lion" saga. What you should understand is that ownership of game, in Namibia, rests with the landowner, as opposed with the State, as is the case in most of Africa. Our landowners stock their land with game, which has resulted in the numbers of species, as well as the number of animals per specie, increasing dramatically. This is a very, very expensive exercise and it stands to reason that the landowner has to take steps to protect his investment. The result is that most of our hunting, other than on traditional land concessions, takes place on land that has been fenced. Here you must keep the size of our country in mind. Most of our ranches are so big (on average around 20 000 acres) that the fact that the land is fenced does not affect the question of fair chase. Believe me, the animals has a much bigger chance of eluding you than you have of finding them. You will have to hunt hard! Also keep in mind that hunting is the sole reason why our landowners are stocking their land with game. These animals eat the same vegetation that livestock does and, if they had no value, you can rest assured that our ranchers would have gotten rid of them long ago. The fact that you are willing to pay to hunt these animals is the only reason they are surviving and increasing.

"How do I ensure that I book with a reputable outfitter?"
Two ways. One is obviously word of mouth. Talk to people who have toured or hunted with us and get their feel on the quality of the trip on offer.

Second - Meet with us and decide for yourself. There is no substitute for your own judgment.

"Do you charge for arrival and departure days?"
No, we don't. We dedicated a whole page on this site that will help you cost out the hunt you are planning. Basically, your arrival/departure days will cost you USD $350 per hunter (no charge for observers), which is what we charge for fetching you at the airport and delivering you back there again.

"Which method of payment do you prefer?"
When we finalize your booking and have set final dates for your trip, we will require payment as follows:

1. A deposit equal to 40% of the day rates to be paid immediately to confirm the booking.
2. The balance of the day rates to be paid not later than 30 days prior to your arrival in Africa.

These payments are best made by electronic transfer of funds. Monies can be transferred to our deposit account at the following electronic address:

Bank name: Nedbank of Namibia
Branch name: Hidas Branch
Branch code: 461696
Branch address: Nedbank, Hidas Branch, Nelson Mandela Ave., Windhoek, Namibia.
SWIFT code: NEDS NA NX
Account name: African Days Deposit Account
Account number: 461696 - 1100034 - 5980
Account holder: African Days, 8 Spitskop Street, Windhoek, Namibia.

Please inform our office at africandays@mweb.com.na as soon as you transfer any money to our account. This will allow us to check on whether your deposit has arrived and we will let you have a receipt via return e-mail. Include the name of the bank from which you are making the transfer as well as details on amount, who the deposit is for, etc.

We can unfortunately no longer accept personal checks or credit cards for payment of the balance of your account after your trip is completed. We will only accept travelers checks, cashiers checks (made out to cash only), and/or cash.

If you choose to pay by travelers checks, it is a good idea to contact your bank well in advance and to ask them to order some larger checks ($500 denomination, $1,000 denomination), else you will spend an hour signing all those smaller $20 checks.

"What about travel arrangements?"
Most of our clients use Elaine Porteous at African Odyssey. Elaine operates from Florida and, being a former South African, knows what is needed to make the trip as easy as possible. We recommend African Odyssey and Elaine to all our clients. Contact her at aodyssey@gate.net or use her toll free number at (1)-866-486 9351.

GENERAL INFORMATION to Help You Prepare for Your Hunt.

For more information on Namibia access www.namibiatourism.com.na

1. Visa requirements/inoculations

No visa is required by USA citizens for entry into Namibia. You will need only your passport.
No inoculations are required.
We advise clients to see to it that their tetanus shots are up to date.
Our concessions fall outside high risk malaria areas, but the decision is yours.
We carry first aid equipment, so you do not need to bring any. Obviously, should you require special medication, bring that with you.
Make sure you have ample sun lotion with you.

2. Clearing Immigration in Namibia
At the Immigration desk in Namibia you will be required to hand in a completed Arrival form. Most of the questions are straight forward, but they will want to know where you will be staying while in the country. Use the following address:

African Days
8 Spitskop Street
Windhoek
Namibia

3. Rifle imports

Namibia is one of the most hunter friendly countries in Africa.
You are allowed to bring as many rifles as you wish, with an allowance of a maximum of 80 rounds of ammo per rifle.
If you do bring a shotgun, don't hassle with ammo. We will supply plenty.
A rifle in the 300 Magnum range (300WinMag, 338, etc) will be plenty for everything up to Eland.
You will be required to fill out a Rifle Import/Export Application, which must be handed to the police at the airport.
Download and print your Rifle Import Application. Have it filled out and ready when you arrive in Namibia.
At the bottom of this form there is a table to be filled out. Some of the questions are a little confusing, so here is an example of what they require:

Firearm Particulars

Type	Caliber	Serial no
Rifle	300 WinMag	B 142675
Shotgun	12 Gauge	338975

Ammunition Particulars

Type	Caliber	Quantity
Rifle	300WinMag	80
Shotgun	12 Gauge	0

Before leaving the USA, you must visit your nearest Customs office and complete a form CBP 4457 - Declaration of Personal Effects and list your firearm(s) on it. Not important when you are leaving the country, but very important when you return. Bows currently do not require any form of documentation and is regarded as luggage.

Please note the South African Airways new regulations for the transportation of firearms and ammunition.

With immediate effect all firearms must be packed and transported in an approved lockable firearm case.
All firearms must be declared at time of check in and must be handled via the designated firearm handling process.

No more than two rifles per case or per passenger. The rifles must be of a different caliber.
(There are still people arriving and trying to depart with firearms in their checked luggage)

Ammunition must be packed in a lockable box with key and placed in the checked luggage. A maximum of 5kg (11 pounds) per passenger.
Ammunition can no longer be in the manufacture's box or only 'securely packed' in the checked luggage. Any ammo found packed in this manner will be removed by the airline during the screening process and placed in a plastic bag and checked only as far as the next airport.

Please adhere to these regulations.

4. Clothing requirements

Most important is a pair of well broken in, ankle length boots.
Bring a broad rimmed hat to protect neck and ears against the sun.
Bring something warm for the evenings and early mornings, especially during our winter (June, July, August). It gets cold at night!
We prefer our clients to hunt in long pants and long sleeved shirts. Both as sun protection and general protection.
Most of our bushes have thorns!
Make sure you pack no bright colors - khaki and/or faded blue, green, etc will be best.
Although we can use camo in the bush, public use is reserved for police and military. My advice would be to forget about camo - blue jeans and neutrally colored shirts will do fine.
Above all, travel light! We have daily laundry service in all our camps, which means yesterday's clothes will be available tomorrow.
Three changes of clothes will do it.

5. Cameras, etc.

Our power supply is 220volt. If you will require recharging, make sure you bring an inverter.
The same is true for any electrical device (hair dryers, etc.).
Make sure your camera bag is dust proof.

6. Camps

Most of our camps are set up to handle groups of up to 4 hunters, with 4 observers, or 8 hunters.
Groups larger than this will, of necessity, be split between camps. Discuss this with us if your group is larger - our main lodge can handle up to 12 people, so it is a question of whether the lodge is available on your prefered dates.
All of the camps have hot and cold running water. Bathrooms are all equipped with flush toilets, so you won't have to rough it too much.

7. Specie Availability
Not all species are available in all camps. Best is to let us have your wishlist and leave the camp decision to us.

8. Costs
When you calculate costs according to our pricelist, you can rest assured that there will be NO hidden costs. This is an African Days guarantee. What you see is what you will pay.

9. Where to Hunt

African Days has several concessions spread throughout the country. We can offer hunts in the South (Kalahari), Central and North of Namibia.
Where ever you end up hunting, your guide will be from the area (most often he will actually own the land you will be hunting). Local knowledge ensures a maximum experience for you.
Because not all the concessions have all our species available, your specie wish list will determine on where we are going to take you.
Best would be to tell us what it is you want to shoot and then to leave the camp decision up to us. If your wish list makes it necessary to change camps somewhere during your hunt, we will give you the option of chartering a plane to cover the vast distances.
Between our Kalahari camp and our Northern camp would take seventeen hours by road!
To find the general areas in which we hunt, access the Namibia page and find the map of Namibia.
Our Kalahari concession is near a town called Aranos.
The Central concession is near Okahandja.
Our Northern concessions is near the Etosha National Park, both to the north and east.