To commemorate a milestone I pushed to finish a promised hunt report.
Some of you have likely given up on ever seeing this hunt report. It has taken some time and there have been some logistical issues in getting it done.
Here it is, my 7000th post
Summary:
When I arranged this hunt I had seen the new post about a new property opening up to hunting that had not been hunted recently. It is always an incredible opportunity to hunt a property that may have some opportunity for a larger trophy.
The reality was that some people had jumped on the opportunity to head to Kanana the first season it was open. By the time we are to arrive it was already hunted for part of a season and part of a second. That was a realization about being able to jump on hunting opportunities as soon as they arise. However, the benefit of having some hunters’ head in before you is that you get some hunting reports and you have some idea what you are truly in for. All the reports thus far were glowing.
This is my first encounter with Botswana and encompassed a 15 day (June 30 to July 15, 2013) hunt with a group reaching the size of 12 people, all but one of whom would be hunting. Fifteen days were booked for the die hard hunters to be able to have a lower pressure trophy hunt and also create an opportunity for the rookies to soak it all in.
There is a lot of space and plenty of game. (Some species in higher abundance than others. Springbok, Blesbok took a beating from the Cheetah’s attention.) There are Leopards as I discovered, the occasional transient Elephant and more birds than you can imagine.
Kanana is a tented camp located along side a Kalahari Pan where there is a limestone outcropping in the bush. A new wing of three tents was just being completed as we arrived. (I dubbed it the Brickburn Wing.) The final touches were still being completed for the first days of our arrival.
The food was basic and certainly well prepared and presented. We ate a buffet breakfast of both hot and cold options and in the evening a three course meal was served with a selection of wines beside the fire in the Boma. There was always an inviting fire started to help get you warm in the morning and evening. Lunches were sandwiches in the cooler to be eaten where we found ourselves when the need arose. My friends and I are not too demanding when it comes to food. The worst part was the meat in some of the sandwiches was tough to chew. (i.e. a chunk of steak in a bun. Nothing a knife slicing it thinner would not cure.) Can you suffer through that? I could.
Cocktails before dinner were available for anyone to serve themselves. There were a few days when that rum was certainly required!!
Jason was adaptable and made changes for the group in some trophies in the package. He accommodated picking us all up in Windhoek, Namibia. It is simply much easier and cheaper to travel to Windhoek than JNB/Maun/drive. It was appreciated. Jason is layed back, adaptable and excellent at his job. Given his wife was expecting his new family member in a few days he stayed focused and did what was needed to adapt and do his job. He handled all the Botswana import permits and transfers without a hitch. I never worried.
This small outfit was stretched to it’s maximum by such a large group coming to hunt. If you have a small group you will experience a well oiled machine with a couple of excellent PH’s. The staff were still learning and with more experience will do nothing but improve and become quite proficient. Skinning, cooking, etc.
To sum up, Kanana was a small new outfit that was facilitating a huge hunting group and pulled it off with some glitches that have since been worked out. Everyone acquired some high quality trophies while having a good hunting experience and they enjoyed their visit.
Introduction:
When this hunt was arranged Jason specifically requested that I write a report that shared “the good and the bad”. I assured him that I would write a hunting report that shared the good, the bad and the ugly. So, here is the detailed product.
Before I would ever book a hunt I research, as hard as I can. I started researching the property, the Outfit, the owners, hunting associations, PH organizations in Botswana, taxidermists, the Botswana’s laws and Jason himself. I learned about the history as a photo Safari destination, Rhinos and the history of cattle ranching in the area.
Several reviews on Trip Advisor had me asking some direct and pointed questions. The reviews were about the previous iteration of the Motswiri Lodge and my concerns were assuaged.
I received the GPS coordinates for the entire property and set them all out on Google Earth and had a pretty good idea of what was being offered.
At the time Jason commented that if every hunter were as thorough as me there would be no “fly by night” operators in the industry. I took that as a compliment and I agree.
With the amount of interaction that my research creates I come to know, as well as you can “remotely”, the individuals I am about to go hunting with. Jason was always straight forward, layed back and honest. His goal of developing Kanana into a good operation is realistic and well planned. At no point was anything on offer exaggerated, over blown or over sold. Which to me is the hallmark of a good outfitter. This is what we have, I hope you buy it and come and hunt with us.
After I concluded that this offer was legitimate, not “too good to be true”. I shared “the offer” with some friends and the group started to grow. I decided to invite a brand new hunter and use the “developing young hunters” side of the offer and the group grew further.
With it being a “package” there were some trophies, that true to human nature, some people did not want to hunt again. “Can I change this for that?” Jason, being very flexible, said some reasonable exchanges would be accommodated.
With the size of the group now at an even dozen they were going to have to build new tents to accommodate the group. Thus, the Brickburn wing was created.
After seeing the pictures of the tented camp during my research I made a special request for my personal comfort. Being of diminutive stature I don’t seem to fit so well on those single beds, so I asked that they bring in a queen sized bed for me. Jason was again amenable.
As I started to write this report it is almost a year to the day that I was in Windhoek Namibia heading toward the next phase of my 2013 African adventure.
I journaled daily and kept notes and of course all the pictures that were taken to follow my progress and provide an excellent stimulus for my memory as I write this report. I hope you enjoy it.
Some of you have likely given up on ever seeing this hunt report. It has taken some time and there have been some logistical issues in getting it done.
Here it is, my 7000th post
Summary:
When I arranged this hunt I had seen the new post about a new property opening up to hunting that had not been hunted recently. It is always an incredible opportunity to hunt a property that may have some opportunity for a larger trophy.
The reality was that some people had jumped on the opportunity to head to Kanana the first season it was open. By the time we are to arrive it was already hunted for part of a season and part of a second. That was a realization about being able to jump on hunting opportunities as soon as they arise. However, the benefit of having some hunters’ head in before you is that you get some hunting reports and you have some idea what you are truly in for. All the reports thus far were glowing.
This is my first encounter with Botswana and encompassed a 15 day (June 30 to July 15, 2013) hunt with a group reaching the size of 12 people, all but one of whom would be hunting. Fifteen days were booked for the die hard hunters to be able to have a lower pressure trophy hunt and also create an opportunity for the rookies to soak it all in.
There is a lot of space and plenty of game. (Some species in higher abundance than others. Springbok, Blesbok took a beating from the Cheetah’s attention.) There are Leopards as I discovered, the occasional transient Elephant and more birds than you can imagine.
Kanana is a tented camp located along side a Kalahari Pan where there is a limestone outcropping in the bush. A new wing of three tents was just being completed as we arrived. (I dubbed it the Brickburn Wing.) The final touches were still being completed for the first days of our arrival.
The food was basic and certainly well prepared and presented. We ate a buffet breakfast of both hot and cold options and in the evening a three course meal was served with a selection of wines beside the fire in the Boma. There was always an inviting fire started to help get you warm in the morning and evening. Lunches were sandwiches in the cooler to be eaten where we found ourselves when the need arose. My friends and I are not too demanding when it comes to food. The worst part was the meat in some of the sandwiches was tough to chew. (i.e. a chunk of steak in a bun. Nothing a knife slicing it thinner would not cure.) Can you suffer through that? I could.
Cocktails before dinner were available for anyone to serve themselves. There were a few days when that rum was certainly required!!
Jason was adaptable and made changes for the group in some trophies in the package. He accommodated picking us all up in Windhoek, Namibia. It is simply much easier and cheaper to travel to Windhoek than JNB/Maun/drive. It was appreciated. Jason is layed back, adaptable and excellent at his job. Given his wife was expecting his new family member in a few days he stayed focused and did what was needed to adapt and do his job. He handled all the Botswana import permits and transfers without a hitch. I never worried.
This small outfit was stretched to it’s maximum by such a large group coming to hunt. If you have a small group you will experience a well oiled machine with a couple of excellent PH’s. The staff were still learning and with more experience will do nothing but improve and become quite proficient. Skinning, cooking, etc.
To sum up, Kanana was a small new outfit that was facilitating a huge hunting group and pulled it off with some glitches that have since been worked out. Everyone acquired some high quality trophies while having a good hunting experience and they enjoyed their visit.
Introduction:
When this hunt was arranged Jason specifically requested that I write a report that shared “the good and the bad”. I assured him that I would write a hunting report that shared the good, the bad and the ugly. So, here is the detailed product.
Before I would ever book a hunt I research, as hard as I can. I started researching the property, the Outfit, the owners, hunting associations, PH organizations in Botswana, taxidermists, the Botswana’s laws and Jason himself. I learned about the history as a photo Safari destination, Rhinos and the history of cattle ranching in the area.
Several reviews on Trip Advisor had me asking some direct and pointed questions. The reviews were about the previous iteration of the Motswiri Lodge and my concerns were assuaged.
I received the GPS coordinates for the entire property and set them all out on Google Earth and had a pretty good idea of what was being offered.
At the time Jason commented that if every hunter were as thorough as me there would be no “fly by night” operators in the industry. I took that as a compliment and I agree.
With the amount of interaction that my research creates I come to know, as well as you can “remotely”, the individuals I am about to go hunting with. Jason was always straight forward, layed back and honest. His goal of developing Kanana into a good operation is realistic and well planned. At no point was anything on offer exaggerated, over blown or over sold. Which to me is the hallmark of a good outfitter. This is what we have, I hope you buy it and come and hunt with us.
After I concluded that this offer was legitimate, not “too good to be true”. I shared “the offer” with some friends and the group started to grow. I decided to invite a brand new hunter and use the “developing young hunters” side of the offer and the group grew further.
With it being a “package” there were some trophies, that true to human nature, some people did not want to hunt again. “Can I change this for that?” Jason, being very flexible, said some reasonable exchanges would be accommodated.
With the size of the group now at an even dozen they were going to have to build new tents to accommodate the group. Thus, the Brickburn wing was created.
After seeing the pictures of the tented camp during my research I made a special request for my personal comfort. Being of diminutive stature I don’t seem to fit so well on those single beds, so I asked that they bring in a queen sized bed for me. Jason was again amenable.
As I started to write this report it is almost a year to the day that I was in Windhoek Namibia heading toward the next phase of my 2013 African adventure.
I journaled daily and kept notes and of course all the pictures that were taken to follow my progress and provide an excellent stimulus for my memory as I write this report. I hope you enjoy it.
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