pimes
AH senior member
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2020
- Messages
- 74
- Reaction score
- 259
- Location
- Austria/Tyrol
- Media
- 12
- Hunted
- Namibia x2, Zimbabwe, Botswana
This is a report about my hunt with @NKWE SAFARIS in Botswana. I have won this hunt in a random drawing contest at this forum = donated through NKWE SAFARIS - in memory of Cal Pappas (a long time client and friend of them)
Link to contest:
WIN a FREE Hunt from NKWE SAFARIS in Botswana Valued at US$5,500 for 1 Hunter/1 Observer for 2022/2023 in a Random Drawing Giveaway
WIN a FREE Hunt from NKWE SAFARIS in Botswana Valued at US$5,500 for 1 Hunter/1 Observer for 2022/2023 in a Random Drawing Giveaway @cal pappas on his hunt with NKWE SAFARIS NKWE SAFARIS is donating this hunt in memory of @cal pappas (In memoriam - RIP cal pappas). Cal took a chance on us...
www.africahunting.com
For everyone to remember:
A member of AfricaHunting.com will WIN a free 1x1 hunt for one hunter and one observer valued at US$5,500 with NKWE SAFARIS including 6 hunting days/7 nights and one trophy Eland or one trophy Kudu, one trophy Blue Wildebeest or one trophy Zebra, one trophy Impala or one trophy Warthog. The hunt is to take place in 2022 or 2023 only and the booking dates are subject to availability. Extra hunters and observers can be added, according to our 2022/2023 price list…
So that a hunt in 2022 was not possible for me, I agreed with Jaco Visser, the owner of NKWE-Safaris, to take over the hunt in 2023.
It is a long way from Europe to Botswana, so I decided to take my family with and combine the hunt with a round trip through Namibia and Botswana. We take Quatar Airways (top Service) for the flight to Windhoek. There we took over a rental car (Hilux with camping equipment) and we was on the way in our "adventure". We went from Windhoek over the Caprivi to Botswana - there through the Chobe NP via Savuti to Moremi gamereserve and the Khwai river area, finally arriving after 14 days in Ghanzi. There Quentin (one of Jaco's assistant PH’s) awaited us. He escorted us to NKWE-Safaris hunting camp. At the camp we met Jaco, the owner of NKWE-Safaris - The mood was great because he and a client got another 60+ inch Kudu bull in the morning...
After a few beers and a long evening around the campfire, the plan for the next few days was fixed = priority was to hunt for a good Elend bull, a Wildebeest and a Warthog and if time, we wanted to try for an old Kudu bull. Quentin was supposed to guide me, because Jaco had to drive to his new hunting property (located directly at the Kalahari NP) to coordinate the work at the new camp there.
a particular note:
Jaco's new hunting area directly adjacent to the Kalahari National Park = 2024 will be hunted there for the first time = very interesting for someone who is looking for something special!!!
... campfire
Equipped with Jaco’s SteyrMannlicher in Cal. 30.06, we started the search for an Eland bull on the next morning. It didn't take long time and we came across with a group of Eland cows - but only 2 young bulls was in the group. We spotted numerous other PG from the car but we was looking for a mature Eland bull. Suddenly we found relatively fresh tracks and Quentin means, it is a group of bulls - we should try to follow their tracks... After 3 1/2 hours on the tracks, we came within sight of the group of Bulls. We could not see all the bulls in the dense thorn bush. However, one of the bulls was halfway clear in a gap in the bush and Quentin told me to shoot - he estimated the bull being 10-12 years old... Since the wind was not 100% on our side, I took this opportunity …
A real exciting hunt was finished and I was/be still impressed how our trackers and my PH were able to keep the track of the bulls for several kilometers in the thick thorn bush of the Kalahari, because many other fresh tracks crossed the path of the group of bulls = simply unbelievable!!!
In the evening, we saw a good Wildebeest bull. We tried him to track, but he was smarter. In the last light, I was able to bring down a jackal = lured (call) by Quentin. Was super happy about the shot = not easy a bit more than 100 meters over the stick on the constantly moving jackal.
Morning of the 2nd day - again looking for "poor men’s buffalo" - we found a herd of cows with a good bull in and decided to follow the herd. After 2 hours we came closer to the herd, as the trackers accidentally found a lone going bull - Quentin’s: shoot, shoot made me react quickly and my shot threw the bull into the Kalahari sand ... At the bull, we saw, that we was able to harvest one really, really old warrior - long passed his breeding age ...
I was impressed about the trophy quality of the Kudus - which are living in the area arround Ghanzi (real good genetic). Up to now Jaco was able to harvest this season a few bulls over 60 inches ...
... pick up trophy at camp
... bulls of this season
= so I wanted to take the chance to hunt there also for a mature Kudu bull. For the kudu hunt, we went to the adjacent farmland (cattle) to search at different water points for a mature bull. On the first evening we saw numerous cows, calves and young bulls, also a very interesting (both sides broken off) old, old bull - we tried to track him, but he did not give us a chance in the thorn bush. On the way home in the last light we spotted an ancient Warthog - it needed two shoots to bring him down (= first, a frontal shot was a bit deep - I underestimated the distance) but luckily, we got him = so my package was "full" = that on the evening of the 2nd day...
On the next morning - again we saw a large number of Kudu cows and calves as well as young bulls, some of which had an impressiv good trophyquality (all together much more than 50 Kudus) - but none, that were really mature, we could found. Later in the morning, we drove out from the bush again for checking a waterhole, than there some kudu cows jumped off and we also saw a bull between the trees. A look through my binoculars made me quick to grab the gun and at the last moment, I could place a shoot at the drawing bull. Despite a good shot, the bull jumped over three cattle fences and ran for more than 200 meters. When we found him a few minutes later in the bush he was still alive and trying to attake us - a quick shot and the old bull was down ...
After only 2 1/2 days the hunt was over and we had 4 realy good trophies in the salt = This success is only possible with a very good and super passionate PH + trackerteam in an excellently managed hunting area!!!
Much has already been written about the abilities of the San trackers. Now I can only confirm that. Unbelievable how they are able to read the tracks and above all to keep them. The way Jaco and Quentin deal with their people is also worth mentioning - since both are one of the few "whites" who speak the local San dialect fluently, the work in the team is very harmonious and is characterized by mutual respect. Last but not least: Godfrey the cook, the good soul of the camp, always in a good mood and trying to bring perfect meals on the table = nothing to complain about - we lacked nothing!!!
For more pictueres and information look at NKWE's website = www.nkwesafarisbotswana.com
and/or read the reports of RichD and Aaron.F at this forum ...
Resume: I can only highly recommend NKWE-Safaris!
PH's and team highly motivated and passionate.
Organization and conversation top and immediate.
Gamepopulation, trophy quality and camp excellent.
Thank's for this experience and 3 wonderfull hunting days to Jaco and his team!!!
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