Growing up, Africa was never on my radar.
Like most hunters, I dreamed about Alaska. In my mind, the ultimate adventure was a giant Alaskan brown bear. Africa seemed like another world—one I admired from afar but never seriously considered. It was a place I read about in magazines and watched on television, not somewhere I expected to hunt.
Funny how one unexpected conversation can change the course of your life.
How a Stranger’s Trophy Room Sparked an African Hunting Dream
In the summer of 2009, I was spending my days knocking on doors in the suburbs of Chicago selling pest control. One afternoon, a homeowner answered his door, and before I could begin my sales pitch, I noticed something that completely stole my attention.
The walls behind him were covered with African mounts.
As a lifelong hunter—and someone who had opened a taxidermy studio three years earlier—I was fascinated. Every shoulder mount seemed to tell a story. Before I knew it, I interrupted my own sales pitch and asked the homeowner if I could come inside to look around.
Thankfully, he laughed and invited me in.
For nearly an hour we walked through his trophy room as he shared stories from his safaris. When he finally asked what my dream hunt was, I answered without hesitation.
“An Alaskan brown bear.”
He smiled.
“You’ll hunt Alaska someday,” he said. “But if you’re looking for the greatest hunting experience you’ll ever have, you need to go to Africa.”
Until that afternoon, I had never seriously considered it.
He described mornings filled with wildlife, professional hunters who treated their clients like family, incredible food around the campfire, and more hunting opportunities than anywhere else in the world. Then he mentioned something I had never expected.
“It costs a lot less than most people think.”
That single conversation planted a seed that would continue growing for years.
How a Classroom Project Helped Me Plan My First African Safari
Two years later, I accepted a teaching position at a local middle school where I taught Eastern Hemisphere Geography. One of the best parts of the job was the freedom to build my own curriculum, and it didn’t take long before I found a way to combine my love of teaching with my growing fascination with Africa.
My Africa unit ended with a unique final project.
Instead of taking a traditional exam, students had to plan an authentic African safari. They researched airfare, hunting packages, lodging, travel logistics, and budgets. They could either design the safari of their dreams with unlimited money or create a realistic trip they could actually convince their parents to finance.
The students loved the assignment.
Even today, former students still tell me it was one of the most memorable projects they completed in school.
Truthfully, though, I may have benefited from the assignment as much as they did.
Every semester I watched dozens of students compare outfitters, hunting areas, travel routes, and costs. It became an unexpected research project for my own dream safari.
There was just one problem.
Why Choosing the Right African Safari Outfitter Took Over a Decade
The more I learned about Africa, the harder it became to choose an outfitter.
Anyone who has attended the Western Hunting Expo in Salt Lake City knows exactly what I mean. The convention floor is filled with African safari operators, each promising the experience of a lifetime. Every booth claims to offer the best hunting, the biggest trophies, and the finest accommodations.
For someone planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip, it can be overwhelming.
How do you separate the truly exceptional outfitters from the great salesmen?
That uncertainty became the obstacle I could never quite overcome.
Instead of booking Africa, I continued chasing other adventures.
I hunted caribou in Alaska.
I hunted bison on Montana’s Crow Reservation.
The dream of Africa remained just that—a dream.
Everything changed in 2022.
A close friend invited me to join him on safari with an outfitter he already knew and trusted. Suddenly, all the uncertainty disappeared. Someone I trusted had already answered the questions that had held me back for over a decade.
My wife and I booked the trip for 2024.
It exceeded every expectation.
Together we hunted some of Africa’s most iconic plains game before spending several unforgettable days exploring Kruger National Park. During the safari I was fortunate enough to take a sable, kudu, eland, warthog, and impala, while my wife harvested a beautiful impala of her own.
But the trophies weren’t what changed me.
For more than twelve years I had taught students about Africa from maps, textbooks, documentaries, and photographs. Standing on African soil, hearing lions roar in the distance, watching elephants move across the bush, and experiencing the people and culture firsthand gave me an entirely new perspective.
Everything I had spent years teaching suddenly became real.
On the flight home, I couldn’t stop thinking about one thing.
I had to come back.
Not just for another hunt—but to share Africa with my family.
I wanted my son to experience what I had experienced. I wanted him to see a part of the world that would challenge his perspective, deepen his appreciation for what he had at home, and create memories that no amount of money could buy.
There was one more dream I still carried with me.
Cape buffalo.
Long before we landed back in the United States, I had already made up my mind.
I called the owner of Motshwere Hunting Safaris and told him we were coming back.
This time, my son, my dad, and several close friends would be coming too.
The countdown to Africa had begun.
Preparing for an African Safari: Rifles and Optics
Two years is a long time to wait for a hunt you’ve dreamed about your entire life.
Once we booked the safari for the summer of 2026, the anticipation became part of the adventure. Every conversation seemed to come back to Africa. We studied maps, watched videos, practiced shooting, and counted down the months until departure. The extra time also allowed us to prepare our rifles with the same attention we gave every other part of the trip.
Choosing our optics was the easiest decision we made.
A .375 H&H Safari Rifle With the Arken LH-6 1-6x24
Several years earlier, all of us had switched to Arken Optics, and they had proven themselves on hunts across North America. For dangerous game, my dad and I each carried a Christensen Arms .375 H&H topped with Arken’s LH-6 1-6x24 SFP —a setup built for quick target acquisition and close-range encounters.
A 7 PRC Plains Game Rifle With the Arken EPL-4 6-24x50
For Hank, I picked up a Bergara 7 PRC and paired it with an Arken EPL-4 6-24X50. It was a rifle he had spent countless hours behind, had killed a 6-point bull and a 4-point buck, and by the time we boarded the plane, I had complete confidence in both his equipment and his ability.
As the departure date drew closer, I made one last addition to my own hunting list.
A hippo.
Anyone who has hunted one knows shot placement is everything. I spent the weeks leading up to the trip studying anatomy, practicing from awkward positions, and preparing for shots both on land and over water. If the opportunity came, I wanted to be ready.
When we finally landed in South Africa, the excitement was impossible to hide. After clearing customs, collecting our rifles, and confirming they had survived the trip intact, we settled into camp.
There was no rush.
I had intentionally planned our arrival for Saturday evening because Sundays at Motshwere Hunting Safaris are reserved as a day of rest. The staff takes care of personal needs, the lodge slows down, and no hunting takes place. It gave us time to unpack, shake off the jet lag, and soak in the realization that after years of planning, we were finally back in Africa.
That evening we met our professional hunters.
My dad, Hank, and I were paired with Juan.
I had hunted with Juan briefly on my first safari, but this would be the first time we’d spend an entire week together. It didn’t take long to realize we were a perfect fit. His calm demeanor, sense of humor, and confidence in the field made every day enjoyable, whether we were glassing a hillside or sharing stories around the dinner table.
Before turning in for the night, Juan laid out the plan.
We would leave at 4:30 the next morning and drive several hours to a remote concession where we’d spend the first few days of the hunt. He mentioned that the property held exceptional nyala, and somewhere during that drive he looked back at Hank with a grin.
“If you’re willing to make a trade,” he said, “I think we can get him a really special bull.”
The trade meant replacing a blesbok and a red hartebeest on Hank’s package with a nyala.
It didn’t take us long to agree.
Looking back, it may have been the best decision we made all week.
Hank’s First African Trophies
The African bush has a way of waking your senses long before the sun clears the horizon.
As the first light spilled across the landscape, animals seemed to appear from every direction. Within hours of arriving at the concession, Juan spotted a mature nyala bull feeding through the brush.
Even at twelve years old, Hank never looked rattled.
He settled behind his Bergara 7 PRC while Juan ranged the bull at seventy-five yards.
“Take your time.”
The rifle barked.
The bull disappeared into the brush, but only briefly. It traveled less than fifty yards before collapsing.
Watching my son walk up to his first African trophy is a moment I’ll never forget. His smile said everything words couldn’t.
The hunt couldn’t have started any better.
After dropping the nyala at the skinning shed, we headed back into the field. The concession seemed alive with game, and before long we located a mature impala ram.
Once again, Hank made it look easy.
One shot.
Another clean kill.
Months of practice back home had paid off. We had spent countless afternoons on the range building confidence, refining fundamentals, and making sure his rifle fit him perfectly. Standing beside him in Africa, I realized those hours were just as important as anything we’d packed in our duffel bags.
By lunchtime on the first hunting day, Hank had already taken two outstanding animals.
Then came an unexpected surprise.
The owner of the concession joined us for lunch and welcomed us to the property. Normally, they didn’t allow clients to hunt warthogs there, but after hearing about Hank and watching how he handled himself in the field, they made an exception.
That evening, we set out in search of one more animal.
Before sunset, Hank added a massive old warthog to his safari.
Back at camp, the staff prepared fresh nyala tenderloins over the fire.
I’d eaten wild game my entire life, but that meal remains one of the finest I’ve ever had.
The Bushbuck I Never Saw Coming
The next morning we hunted a neighboring concession in search of kudu.
We found plenty of young bulls but nothing mature enough to pursue. As we drove back toward our original concession, Juan casually reminded me to keep an eye on the brush along the road.
A small group of nyala cows crossed ahead of us.
Trailing behind them was what I assumed was a young nyala bull.
Juan slammed on the brakes.
“That’s not a nyala.”
He threw the truck into reverse.
“It’s a bushbuck.”
The stalk was on.
Using the terrain for cover, we eased to within seventy yards.
When the bushbuck stepped into a narrow opening, I settled the crosshairs and squeezed the trigger.
The ram collapsed where he stood.
Only when we walked up did I realize just how special he was.
Juan couldn’t stop smiling.
In all his years guiding, he had never taken a larger bushbuck. The ram measured just over sixteen inches and immediately became one of my favorite trophies—not because of the score, but because of how unexpected the opportunity had been.
Sometimes Africa gives you exactly what you weren’t looking for.
The bushbuck had done just that.
With one incredible surprise behind us, it was time to find the nyala we’d originally come for.
After passing several younger bulls, we arrived at a waterhole where a heavy-horned mature bull stepped into view.
One well-placed shot ended the hunt.
Before lunch on only our second hunting day, the three of us had already accounted for five exceptional animals.
As we loaded the truck and began the drive back toward Motshwere, I couldn’t help but look over at Hank.
He wasn’t just collecting trophies.
He was collecting experiences that would stay with him for the rest of his life.
And somehow, I had a feeling the best parts of our safari were still ahead.
Note: Continue the story in Part 2: [Three Generations in Africa: From Plains Game to Cape Buffalo].
FAQs
How do you choose a trustworthy African safari outfitter?
A personal referral from a hunter who has actually hunted with the outfitter can remove much of the uncertainty. In this story, the decision to book the safari came after a close friend recommended an outfitter he already knew and trusted.
How should you prepare for a first African safari?
Preparation in this safari included studying maps and videos, practicing shooting, and preparing the rifles and optics well before departure. The story also shows that planning can take years, especially when the trip is something you hope to share with family.
What should you look for in a safari rifle scope?
Look for a scope with a wide field of view, low magnification, and fast target acquisition for dangerous game, while higher magnification and precise aiming are valuable for longer-range plains game. The author and his father chose the Arken LH-6 1-6x24 for their .375 H&H rifles because of its versatility at closer ranges, while Hank used the Arken EPL-4 6-24x50 on his 7 PRC for plains game at greater distances.
Can a 12-year-old go on an African safari?
This safari shows that a young hunter can participate in a family hunting safari with preparation, a properly fitted rifle, extensive practice, and experienced professional hunters. Age requirements and policies vary by outfitter and destination.
What is plains game hunting in South Africa?
Plains game hunting refers to pursuing non-dangerous African game species. In this story, that included animals such as nyala, impala, warthog, bushbuck, kudu, sable, and eland.
Is an African hunting safari more affordable than many hunters expect?
That idea appears early in the story, when the hunter who first inspired the trip says Africa costs a lot less than most people think. The article does not provide prices, but it does show why many hunters spend years researching outfitters, travel logistics, and package options before booking.
Congratulations! 