It’s April and by golly that’s a good thing. Around here in Southeast New Mexico maybe not so much as it means choking dust storms and climbing temperatures, but in Africa it means the 2026 hunting season is kicking off and that’s just grand!

Many of you will, hopefully, be heading across the “pond” to that sultry minx we call Africa very soon and as you go, keep a couple things in mind.

First and foremost, take the right ammunition, particularly if you’re going after the big boys that bite back – elephant, lion, leopard, hippo, rhino, lion and to a lesser degree crocodile.

The right ammunition is the difference between success and failure, and for your dangerous game hunters that could be the difference between becoming toe-jam for an unhappy pachyderm or ground hamburger thanks to a less-than-happy lion and taking home the trophy of a lifetime.

Sonja Harmse, in her ASM Dispatch article this month, discusses precisely that—the right ammo in the right spot.

So, practice with those rifles and bows ladies and gents. A couple hundred bucks in ammo sure beats losing a $15,000 buff thanks to bad shooting.

And third, as you prepare for those long flights and say temporary goodbyes to friends and neighbors, don’t let the naysayers get you down.

Hunting in Africa is not only sporting, but essential to the continued survival of many of the species we hunt but also many, many people.