Customer Reviews

Solo Safari: Hunting Africa on Your Own Without a Professional Hunter

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Excellent job by Mr. Cacek. The stories are interesting and informative. The section about poaching and the International ban on Ivory and it's negative effect on Elephant populations was especially enlightening.

This gives some info. not in the 4 other reviews, so here it is.

Its 27 chapters and 4 appendices of great reading on Africa hunting in 6 different countries. Part I is all Cacek stories about his self outfitted hunts, i.e. no prof.hunter backup, I think in the 80s. Cool stuff for sure. Shoot an elephant, start a stampede, run for your life. Then, go back and find 3 more elephants waiting by the dead one. How do you pack out an elephant?

That's the easy part, the hard part is the lions and leopards that like elephant meat too.

I always thought the prof. hunter safari's were kind of fancy when they ironed the cleaned clothes for hunters and put them out each day. Well, there's flys, to small to see, that get on clothes drying outside in some countries of Africa that put big old welps on your body if not killed. Ironing heat kills them. tsetse flys will kill the animals that carry the gear, if you run into a swarm of them more than a few days from getting meat back to camp, then what?

Ok, part I is 19 chapters of Cacek's stories. He has a sense of humor, ch.4, Harvest of Tranquility is the one where they run for their lives after shooting one elephant and starting a stampede. He always took trackers and skinners, they are the ones that knew how to live there and get around and pack an elephant out of there.

Part II has stories by 5 other authors who have outfitted their own safaris. One guy has some top animals too. They contributed 8 chapters and they are very good also.

Part III is the 4 appendices, A)planning, B)cartridges and bullets, C)big rifles, and D)cameras and binoculars. Cacek thought a 338 and 458 was a near perfect combination, but in jungles, even a shotgun is a very desireable gun.

What's the most dangerous game? He said, lion, there's a dead guy in 65% of the trajic encounters and a mauled guy in 35%, ref. Killers in Africa by Alexander Lake. Cape buffalo injure more, but so many of those are shot compared to lions, the percentage of hunters hurt is way lower than a lion. Leopards maul a lot, about 1 in 25 hunted. Buffalo, 1 in 1000 hunted. It all depends on the conditions at the moment too.

Like a lion out in an open field is not as dangerous as a moma elephant on your left when baby elephant is on your right going down a jungle trail.

Many of these people were able to accomplish the self outfitting because they had lived there or were living there. Its a great book on African hunting.

Having hunted in South Africa one time myself, I found this book to be interesting and informative. I do not necessarily agree with "all" of his opinions but I do with most. Author is clearly a high-energy clear thinking sort of chap.

I don't have quite the African experience that Casek has, but I have hunted there and will do so again, with a Professional Hunter. A solo safari is a tremendously appealing idea, however, given the logistic difficulties involved in trying to set up a solo safari today, (some countries listed by him no longer permit foreigners to try it) I would seriously consider his recommendation that anyone who wishes to go this admirable route should do so from an African base. Get the job on the continent, THEN give setting up your own safari a try. I've considered doing so myself, once I retire here. Until then, I'll go with a reliable professional.

In any event, a sterling read, (except for his American patronizing of white Africans) and his recommendations regarding equipment, weaponry, etc. are good sense for any hunter, solo or no. A solid four stars.

Purchased on-line from Amazon.Com, Solo Safari arrived quickly.

Terrance Cacek, takes you to the wonderful world of African hunting, without the benefit of a guide. The dangers, the pitfalls, the adrenalin rushes, and much more are all yours. Friendships are formed with the staff he hires for his trips, and the humor, excitement, joy and pain, can be felt as you read the chapters.

Although I'll probably never be able to go on an African Safari, Solo Safari has brought me one step closer, and enjoyably so.

Solo Safari is a great book with great stories by several different writers. The information is a bit dated and much of it would be of little use in trying to outfit your own hunt in Africa today. That said, of the nearly 70 books I have read on hunting in Africa this book is one of the four or five most enjoyable. Unlike many modern African hunting books which deal only with the "hunt" these writers' stories are also about their "adventures" in the wilds of Africa.