nakneker
Gold $$ Contributor
I just came home this past Monday from a hunting trip in South Africa. It was my first trip to the place after reading an article a couple years ago about what an outstanding dollar value the hunting is over there. Currently the dollar is valued heavily in our favor against their Rand. After doing some talking with other guys I know who had been there I planned my own trip.
I went over there with a open mind and low expectations. I didn't want to get my hopes up and just wanted things to play out and take it as it came. The months passed quickly and the next thing I knew I was crossing the Atlantic headed for Johannesburg, from there we flew into King Shaka Airport in Durbin. Our outfitter picked us up and we traveled for 2.5 hours to the First Camp. That Camp was located in Umkomaas River valley and was first rate. We ate a good dinner, checked the rifles and slept good after a very long travel time. There was my wife and one of our seven kids, Kelli our daughter who flew in from Australia to join in. All three of us love hunting and fishing.
The next morning we were hunting Southern Greater Kudu and Nyala. I didn't want to hunt any properties that were high fence. The outfitter has the hunting rights to a little over 300,000 acres there and we would be the only ones on it for the next four days. The country was rugged canyons, thick brush with very few open areas. We would glass for about an hour and move. I left my 15x swaros at home thinking they wouldn't be needed and that was a mistake, the country was made for them, BIG. However the 10x did the trick and me and the PH (guide) were spotting lots of game. We ended up seeing about 10 Nyala bulls for every Kudu Bull. Most of the game was spotted at a 1,000 yards or move. Kudu hunting is like Elk hunting in many ways, The bulls were rutted up and the cows were the enemy, 15 sets of eyes and noses constantly scanning for danger reminded me of Elk. Long story short I missed my first Kudu, it would be the only miss of the trip, and I sent one sailing two inches over the back of a very big bull. When we got back in the truck I was checking my rifle for anything loose, Going over the shot in my head over and over and basically pouting. Paul, the PH, was playing psychologist now and was saying the typical stuff - it was a long shot, I miss called the yardage (which was 609) and so forth. In the middle of the missed shot saga and right at dark another bull was spotted following three cows skylined on the horizon. Yardage was 421, The bull dropped when the trigger broke and the doubt that came with the first miss dissipated into thin air. High fives and smiles followed. We would come back the next morning after gutting the bull and retrieve it.
The next three days were fun. My wife and I took old Nyala bulls and our daughter got an outstanding Bushbuck. Kudu, Nyala and Bushbuck represent most of the spiral horned antelope. There is also Eland and Bongo, for all I know there is more than that but thats all I'm aware of.
On day four we moved camps and traveled 8 hours to Camp two. Along the way we got a glimpse of everyday life in South Africa. We passed through a half dozen smaller towns, stopped and ate some lunch along the way and enjoyed the scenery. This part of Africa looks like much of Arizona, the vegetation was much drier and the bush wasn't nearly as thick. We turned off the pavement and traveled for another hour to Camp. Camp two was nice but not as nice as the first camp and it was cold. The wind was cranking and the next morning it was hard to get out of the heated truck and glass for even 10 minutes, by then you had a headache from the cold, numb fingers and the four layers I had on were not doing a very good job. The PH, Shaun at Camp two, was freezing and said this was not the norm for the area. We still had a good day though and ended the day with a good meal and lots of laughs.
Day two at Camp two was amazing. The wind died, the air was still. We gained 13 degrees and without the wind chill it made for perfect hunting weather. We harvested three animals that day. My wife got her Cape Kudu, My daughter got a mountain reed buck and I took a Red Heartabeast. Day three was the same, more good weather and more animals. I should explain just a bit about Camp Two. It was huge cattle and sheep ranch that was founded in 1818 by an english poet by the name of Thomas Pringle, My outfitter was eighth generation on that land and the homestead was beautiful. The property had its own Church, built in the early 1900s out of stone with hand made windows and doors. I wish I would have taken the time to take some photos because it really was something to see what they had made out of that place. I grew up on a ranch in Arizona and was fascinated by this property and the history that came with. Down the road when the English and Scotish were battleing there is a monument were the English hung 5 Scottish rebels. When I got home I ordered the only two books I could find on the subject.
Day Four at Camp Two was a good one. I got my Eland, the toughest of all my hunts by far. I glassed him sunning himself a long ways away. We were on the neighboring ranch, called the Cowie and the Place was huge. We were hunting high elevation and brushy canyons. He was a little over 2,000 yards away and to get to him was not going to be easy. We spotted him at a little past 8am and then fought brush and thorns for the next two hours. When we got into a position to glass for the bull he was gone. That could have been because a damn baboon went nuts and was barking and shouting Baboon smack all over the area. We just found some shade and watched. Then we watched some more. After about an hour and half Shaun the PH made an incredible spot and saw an ear twitch. We still had to make sure it was the bull, the bull knew we were there. It became a stand off but he ended up shifting his hips for weight and when he did his head slipped far enough back we could confirm it was the bull. His right horn was broken and IDing him was easy. I slipped a bullet through a slot at a little over 400 and it was a solid hit. We fought and hacked our way over to where he was and we could hear the gurgling of a lung shot. Two more shots in the heart at close range and it was done. It took 11 guys to get that bull out and it lasted until midnight.
The last day was spent shooting some warthogs which were rutting too. In total we had 9 full days of hunting. What I was told by others who I had talked to that have made this trip is that it would get in my blood and I would return. That was true, I booked another trip before I left for 2020. I have two sons who couldn't make this trip because they just started jobs and were not happy campers.
South Africa, or atleast the part I saw and hunted on is not what I think most of us who have not been there have in mind. The majority of the hunting takes place on private land, often times huge tracks of land that are as big as a hunting unit here in Arizona. Much of the properties are free range but I would guess that half of it is High Fence. It reminds me of Arizona with its canyons, mesas and high tops. You can go to South Africa cheaper than you can hunt Texas. For me it was weird to able to hunt 30 plus species at the same time. Here in Arizona we hunt Deer or Elk and maybe we will see a bear or lion but thats rare. So being able to shoot anything you see is different and I liked it. We literally saw thousands of animals. I learned about animals I never knew existed. There is a slam called the tiny ten, thats ten of the smallest antelope in Africa and its held in high regard by local hunters as being one of the tougher endeavors. South Africa is much safer than farther north, much tamer. We saw Giraffes, Zebras and the such but those don't interest me. I never thought I would want to shoot a baboon but after your around those smart asses and realize how much damage they do to the land owners land that attitude changed. I took a lot of pics but will just post a few of the animals and a couple of camp.
I know other members have been there and know much more than I do. Hogpatrol has 4-5 trips under his belt. I hope they chime in with their comments in case someone out there is thinking about making the trip. It really was a blast. It surpassed my expectations in every way. It pays to do your homework though, find the right outfitter and make sure your PH/Guides are top shelf hard working guys. Both the PHs we hunted with became our friends and I imagine we will see them stateside in the next year or two. I guess that is what I love about hunting, memories, meeting people who think like I do, the laughs and good times, some of those hunts were tough and therefore very rewarding. It was a 10 out of 10 kind of thing.
I hunted with a 280AI, Berger 180s. I was gonna take it, then wasnt but ended up taking it. My wife and Daughter used a camp rifle, A Sako 7mag, surpressed with 140 corelokts, it was deadly.
Do you know what they call an outhouse in South Africa? Answer; A long drop
I went over there with a open mind and low expectations. I didn't want to get my hopes up and just wanted things to play out and take it as it came. The months passed quickly and the next thing I knew I was crossing the Atlantic headed for Johannesburg, from there we flew into King Shaka Airport in Durbin. Our outfitter picked us up and we traveled for 2.5 hours to the First Camp. That Camp was located in Umkomaas River valley and was first rate. We ate a good dinner, checked the rifles and slept good after a very long travel time. There was my wife and one of our seven kids, Kelli our daughter who flew in from Australia to join in. All three of us love hunting and fishing.
The next morning we were hunting Southern Greater Kudu and Nyala. I didn't want to hunt any properties that were high fence. The outfitter has the hunting rights to a little over 300,000 acres there and we would be the only ones on it for the next four days. The country was rugged canyons, thick brush with very few open areas. We would glass for about an hour and move. I left my 15x swaros at home thinking they wouldn't be needed and that was a mistake, the country was made for them, BIG. However the 10x did the trick and me and the PH (guide) were spotting lots of game. We ended up seeing about 10 Nyala bulls for every Kudu Bull. Most of the game was spotted at a 1,000 yards or move. Kudu hunting is like Elk hunting in many ways, The bulls were rutted up and the cows were the enemy, 15 sets of eyes and noses constantly scanning for danger reminded me of Elk. Long story short I missed my first Kudu, it would be the only miss of the trip, and I sent one sailing two inches over the back of a very big bull. When we got back in the truck I was checking my rifle for anything loose, Going over the shot in my head over and over and basically pouting. Paul, the PH, was playing psychologist now and was saying the typical stuff - it was a long shot, I miss called the yardage (which was 609) and so forth. In the middle of the missed shot saga and right at dark another bull was spotted following three cows skylined on the horizon. Yardage was 421, The bull dropped when the trigger broke and the doubt that came with the first miss dissipated into thin air. High fives and smiles followed. We would come back the next morning after gutting the bull and retrieve it.
The next three days were fun. My wife and I took old Nyala bulls and our daughter got an outstanding Bushbuck. Kudu, Nyala and Bushbuck represent most of the spiral horned antelope. There is also Eland and Bongo, for all I know there is more than that but thats all I'm aware of.
On day four we moved camps and traveled 8 hours to Camp two. Along the way we got a glimpse of everyday life in South Africa. We passed through a half dozen smaller towns, stopped and ate some lunch along the way and enjoyed the scenery. This part of Africa looks like much of Arizona, the vegetation was much drier and the bush wasn't nearly as thick. We turned off the pavement and traveled for another hour to Camp. Camp two was nice but not as nice as the first camp and it was cold. The wind was cranking and the next morning it was hard to get out of the heated truck and glass for even 10 minutes, by then you had a headache from the cold, numb fingers and the four layers I had on were not doing a very good job. The PH, Shaun at Camp two, was freezing and said this was not the norm for the area. We still had a good day though and ended the day with a good meal and lots of laughs.
Day two at Camp two was amazing. The wind died, the air was still. We gained 13 degrees and without the wind chill it made for perfect hunting weather. We harvested three animals that day. My wife got her Cape Kudu, My daughter got a mountain reed buck and I took a Red Heartabeast. Day three was the same, more good weather and more animals. I should explain just a bit about Camp Two. It was huge cattle and sheep ranch that was founded in 1818 by an english poet by the name of Thomas Pringle, My outfitter was eighth generation on that land and the homestead was beautiful. The property had its own Church, built in the early 1900s out of stone with hand made windows and doors. I wish I would have taken the time to take some photos because it really was something to see what they had made out of that place. I grew up on a ranch in Arizona and was fascinated by this property and the history that came with. Down the road when the English and Scotish were battleing there is a monument were the English hung 5 Scottish rebels. When I got home I ordered the only two books I could find on the subject.
Day Four at Camp Two was a good one. I got my Eland, the toughest of all my hunts by far. I glassed him sunning himself a long ways away. We were on the neighboring ranch, called the Cowie and the Place was huge. We were hunting high elevation and brushy canyons. He was a little over 2,000 yards away and to get to him was not going to be easy. We spotted him at a little past 8am and then fought brush and thorns for the next two hours. When we got into a position to glass for the bull he was gone. That could have been because a damn baboon went nuts and was barking and shouting Baboon smack all over the area. We just found some shade and watched. Then we watched some more. After about an hour and half Shaun the PH made an incredible spot and saw an ear twitch. We still had to make sure it was the bull, the bull knew we were there. It became a stand off but he ended up shifting his hips for weight and when he did his head slipped far enough back we could confirm it was the bull. His right horn was broken and IDing him was easy. I slipped a bullet through a slot at a little over 400 and it was a solid hit. We fought and hacked our way over to where he was and we could hear the gurgling of a lung shot. Two more shots in the heart at close range and it was done. It took 11 guys to get that bull out and it lasted until midnight.
The last day was spent shooting some warthogs which were rutting too. In total we had 9 full days of hunting. What I was told by others who I had talked to that have made this trip is that it would get in my blood and I would return. That was true, I booked another trip before I left for 2020. I have two sons who couldn't make this trip because they just started jobs and were not happy campers.
South Africa, or atleast the part I saw and hunted on is not what I think most of us who have not been there have in mind. The majority of the hunting takes place on private land, often times huge tracks of land that are as big as a hunting unit here in Arizona. Much of the properties are free range but I would guess that half of it is High Fence. It reminds me of Arizona with its canyons, mesas and high tops. You can go to South Africa cheaper than you can hunt Texas. For me it was weird to able to hunt 30 plus species at the same time. Here in Arizona we hunt Deer or Elk and maybe we will see a bear or lion but thats rare. So being able to shoot anything you see is different and I liked it. We literally saw thousands of animals. I learned about animals I never knew existed. There is a slam called the tiny ten, thats ten of the smallest antelope in Africa and its held in high regard by local hunters as being one of the tougher endeavors. South Africa is much safer than farther north, much tamer. We saw Giraffes, Zebras and the such but those don't interest me. I never thought I would want to shoot a baboon but after your around those smart asses and realize how much damage they do to the land owners land that attitude changed. I took a lot of pics but will just post a few of the animals and a couple of camp.
I know other members have been there and know much more than I do. Hogpatrol has 4-5 trips under his belt. I hope they chime in with their comments in case someone out there is thinking about making the trip. It really was a blast. It surpassed my expectations in every way. It pays to do your homework though, find the right outfitter and make sure your PH/Guides are top shelf hard working guys. Both the PHs we hunted with became our friends and I imagine we will see them stateside in the next year or two. I guess that is what I love about hunting, memories, meeting people who think like I do, the laughs and good times, some of those hunts were tough and therefore very rewarding. It was a 10 out of 10 kind of thing.
I hunted with a 280AI, Berger 180s. I was gonna take it, then wasnt but ended up taking it. My wife and Daughter used a camp rifle, A Sako 7mag, surpressed with 140 corelokts, it was deadly.
Do you know what they call an outhouse in South Africa? Answer; A long drop
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and a slow ticking clock until the next time.
