Best time of year?

Have to decide on dates for a safari I bought at RMEF banquet.
It is in northern South Africa.
Is there a "best" time to go?
Was thinking late march, april 2014 but I would consider other times if that would be better hunting.

Thanks,
Ed


If you ain't the lead dog,
the view never changes

Late march???? that's the best time for elephant as its the beginning of the season and the tame ones are still standing around. However its still their rainy season and is the early part of fall over there. It may still be a bit on the hot side in case your wondering. April is best if your hunting leopard and want to use hounds as theirs still lots of moisture in the grass and the temperatures aren't as hot as in march. early to mid may is the middle of the rut for animals you will be hunting. You mentioned you will be hunting northern south africa. Is that the Limpopo or the Kalahari around Kimberly? Either way both areas will have kudu and they will be in the rut in mid may. They gemsbok seem to breed whenever they want from my experience but outfitters like to tell me they breed in mid may. winter starts setting in around june and is in full swing by july. The mornings in the winter are a bit nippy and by mid day your in a t-shirt.

Now if were talking about the Kalahari then mid winter is a bit miserable as a constant stiff cold wind is always blowing. If your in the Limpopo then mid winter is the most comfortable time to hunt. anything earlier than march will be way to hot and miserable. I hope this helps you make a decision.

Tony

Sounds like you are probably hunting Plains Game. I have only been once, but am returning next year. However, I have heard my Outfitter discuss the best dates- a lot.

I would say the first part of June. That is when I am returning. If its a good concession, the animals will be there. I would go at a time you will enjoy the weather. We went in July and it was the middle of their winter. Temps in the morning were around 30-40 and the afternoon was 60-70. I am hoping June will be about 10 degrees warmer.

If June does not work, I would look at August.

If plains game, I love the end of June, first of July. June, July and August are good. I like July becuase it is colder and cooler and I like the cold weather and it does not effect the plains game movement in my opinion.

It is quite cold that time if you are taking your wife.

You really need to be more specific on area to get good advice. Different parts of southern Africa have really different weather. The general consensus of outfitters usually suggests June- Sept., but my personal preference is May, again much depending on the area.
There really isn't a "bad" time, and most game can be hunted year round. It really is a matter of your preferred hunting weather, and vegetation. Thick bush can make the hunt more difficult, but also more rewarding and often times the best trophies. It really depends on what you want and where you are headed.
Bill

LAST EDITED ON Apr-25-13 AT 08:58AM (MST)[p]March-April is a little early, but definitely do-able. The bush will be thick, the weather warm and you'll have a chance of some rain in March. If Kudu are a primary quarry, mid-May is an excellent time to go as they are in rut and the bulls are just as dumb as deer or elk that are rutting.

Of the four safaris I've taken, The first one, in Zimbabwe, went the last 3 1/2 weeks of May in Deka and was the best hunt I've ever been on, period. I did my next in late July to early August up in Charara and it was good but much more challenging. After that, hunted most of the month of June in Botswana, both the Kalahari and Linyanti Swamps and it was very good but high water made hunting the swamps more challenging than normal. My last trip was in 2009 and we went the last week of May and first week of June in Limpopo. During the first week, Kudu were rutting but during the second they were done and back to normal behavior.

Northern South Africa is a wonderful place in mid to late May. Where you'll be hunting, and the primary species are important in determining a 'best' time to hunt. Your safari operator will love it if you come in March or April as that is a tough time to sell hunts. Primary safari season in that region of Africa, if there is such a thing, runs from May to November.

Thank you all for your input.
As Kudu are a consideration we have booked 3rd week of may 2014
Will let you know how it turns out.

Ed

If you ain't the lead dog,
the view never changes

My wife and I just returned from our hunt mid-September. We hunted 4.5 hrs northeast of Jburg in the Limpopo Just below Botwana border, and the weather was identical to what we left here in Utah the last week of August.. We wore a light jacket until about 8am then t-shirt temps until bedtime. I wore shorts for 18 days. No leaves on the trees, no bugs or mosquitoes, only a few biting flies mid-day. Lots of animals. Hope to go back in 2015 and will go the same time period and the same PH. I hate being bi-polar.....Its awesome"