This is a very important aspect of our safari service and After the hunt, your trophies will be delivered to the Trophy Pro facility for either dipping, crating and shipping to your US taxidermy of choice, or we can handle the taxidermy of your trophies for you. Upon delivering your trophies to the Trophy Pro facility you will receive and email notification as well as a formal quote on your request of trophy handling. Our goal is to assist you with all aspects of this service and make it as smooth as possible for you.

We have complimentary Wifi and we encourage you to bring your wifi enabled devices to share photos and notes with friends and family back home.*

*Please note: internet should be used in moderation as it is limited. Internet speeds are slow and we encourage you not to plan on downloading or sending large files.

You can rent a cell phone at Johannesburg Intl Airport that will work well in the safari area. Also, if you have a GMS enabled US cell phone, you may make international calls ONLY if you have the international calls feature turned on. In most cases, this requires a visit to your carrier’s store or a phone call to their customer service department. Once you have enabled international calling, you will be able to make calls in most areas of the country, depending on your carrier and the agreements they have in place with local carriers to provide service to their clients. (Cingular works well in camp. ) Another option would be a satellite phone. If you desire one of these services, please let us know. We can connect you with a company who can serve your needs in this area.

You will need both a converter to plug your items into and an adapter to plug into the outlet. The converter will change the voltage from 230-240 Volts, 50 HZ to 120Volts. You can find converters and adapters at any electronics store like Radio Shack or department stores like Wal-Mart or Target.

We accept US$ cash. Please bring cash for tips to your guide and staff.

Tipping is never required but is greatly appreciated. Please use your own discretion according to the level of service that you were provided throughout your safari. Feel free to ask your outfitter if you have questions on tipping. They can give you great guidance in that area. We prefer that you bring US$ cash for tips.

The South African Rand is the used in South Africa for all purchases. You can see how your currency converts by linking to the following website: www.xe.com

You may exchange your currency for Rand at the airport when you arrive or at a bank on the way to the hunting area. Travellers checks and all major currencies can be exchanged at banks and various exchange companies. Banks are open Monday – Friday 9am-3:30pm and Saturday 8:30am-11am. Most ATM machines support the Cirrus network cards. You can check with your bank before you leave and find out if your ATM card will be accepted in South Africa.

Most shops, hotels and restaurants accept Visa, Master Card and American Express. Keep your passport available as you may need picture id when you use a credit card.

You may purchase several types of insurance for your safari. Baggage insurance, firearm insurance, trip cancellation insurance, travel insurance and medical evacuation insurance are all areas to consider to make yourself more financially secure before you leave on your trip. Your travel agent can help you with trip cancellation, travel and medical evacuation.

You have multiple choices for medical evacuation companies. You can buy a year policy or a policy that covers just your individual trip. Here are a few companies you can check with.

Wilderness Medical Systems – www.wildernessmedical.com
Med Jet – www.medjetassistance.com
Medex – www.medexassist.com

Your prescription can be refilled here in South Africa. It would be best if you bring enough of your medication to last for the entire trip so we don’t take away from important hunting time. If you’re concerned about running out, have your doctor write a prescription for you and bring it with you. South Africa has excellent medical facilities and medical care.

Our water supply is completely safe to drink from the tap. We also keep an abundant supply of bottled water on hand for our guests if they prefer.

It is almost always sunny and dry from May through September. Temperatures range from low 30s F (O C) and can warm up to the 70s F (20 C) during the day. Some days will be cooler than that. It can rain occasionally so make sure your jacket is water resistant.

You will pay the shipping company in South Africa and the receiving company/broker here in the US. It will be two different payments as they are not the same company. You will usually receive a fax, email or phone call from the shipping company in South Africa telling you your order is ready to be shipped. Once you pay them, either by credit card or bank transfer, your trophies will be shipped. The receiving company in the US will contact you when your trophies have arrived. They will hold your trophies until you pay for them. You can either pick them up personally, have your taxidermist pick them up or ship them to your taxidermist for mounting.

You and your family members will need a passport that is valid 6 months beyond your departure date. Make sure you have at least 2 blank pages in each passport for visa stamps, more if you are adding stops to other countries in your itinerary. In 2004, the South African Passport control required you to have a front and back page blank that is titled Visa. Don’t check that when you are on the airplane filling out your immigration form. Citizens from the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany and Spain do not require a Visa.

Click here to find a US Passport Office near you.

Make a copy of your passport and put it in a bag that is separate from where you keep your passport. It is much easier to obtain a new passport if you have a copy of your passport. If you lose your passport, contact the US Embassy.

You don’t need to run out and buy a new rifle unless you really want one. Plan on bringing a maximum of 2 sporting rifles into South Africa. The rifle that you use for hunting any deer species and other large game will work very well here. We recommend any of the following: 270, 308, 30-06, 300 Magnum, 7MM Magnum. These calibers are used with success frequently.

It depends on whether you request dipping, crating and shipping back to the US, or whether you will have taxidermy done. Turnaround time for dipping and shipping is 4 – 6 months, depending on how fast the South African Nature Conservation officials will issue an export permit after it is requested. Turnaround time for taxidermy will be around 12 months.

Good timeframe for rifle hunting is March 1 – October 31.

Most of your shots will be 150 yards or less. It doesn’t always work that way, and longer shots are taken, but typically, 150 yards or less is the normal shot. It’s best if you know where your bullet will strike at 50, 100, 150 and 200 yards. We work very hard to keep all shots to 100 yards or less as we don’t want to spend your valuable hunting time chasing a wounded animal through the bush. The most important part of shooting here is many of the shots come quickly so it’s important to be able to put your face on your rifle, look down the scope and acquire the target and shoot accurately within 2 to 3 seconds. The trophy animals here haven’t survived by standing around watching intruders in their world. They survive by fleeing and will not stand and look at you all day.

Upon arrival, after passing through passport control, you will pick up your checked baggage. You then pass through customs and proceed to the meeting area. You will be met there by a Riflepermits.com representative who will provide you with your paperwork and escort you to the South African Police Service (SAPS) firearm control office. When your firearm arrives, you will then complete your import of your rifle into South Africa with the help of the Riflepermits.com representative. Make sure you don’t lose your rifle permit. Remember, if you bring a firearm in, you must take it back out with you. It is illegal to leave your firearm in South Africa.

If you book your hunt with us, we will provide you with more details on what is required. Once again for instructions and forms go to: www.riflepermits.com

We highly recommend that you use a rifle permit import service called Riflepermits.com. This service is very inexpensive compared to the time and hassle that this service saves you. They will save you anywhere from 1-4 hours of waiting for your gun in the police office. You usually obtain your rifle within 5-10 minutes when using their service.

To use their service please visit their website at: www.riflepermits.com

You are NOT ALLOWED to import ammunition that does not match the caliber of the rifle you are importing.

Make sure your rifle is shooting consistently and accurately with the ammunition you choose. If it’s not, get different ammunition. The number one rule for practicing after that is: GET OFF THE BENCH! Go to your deer lease or find a rifle range that will allow you to practice OFF THE BENCH. Shoot from the sitting and kneeling positions. Shoot off a tree limb or a tree trunk. Get a good pair of shooting sticks and shoot from those. The biggest challenge is getting your scope on the target and getting the shot off quickly. Many trophies have gotten away because a hunter waits more than 2 to 3 seconds getting everything perfect before they shoot. These trophies don’t get big and old by standing around looking at you aim at them. The best way to help yourself is make sure your rifle fits well, your rifle is shooting accurately and learn to shoot very quickly after the crosshairs are in place.

The airlines restrict how much ammunition you can carry by weight. You are allowed by South African law to bring in 100 rounds. We don’t plan on you shooting that much. Most hunters bring 40 to 60 rounds of ammunition. The best bullets we have seen are Premium type ammunition loaded with Barnes X, Swift A Frame or Nosler Partition bullets. We recommend you shot a 150-180 grain bullet, whichever your rifle shoots most accurately.