NAMIBIA: My Hunt With Frontier Safaris (Barry Burchell Property)

[brandondd24]

Hello, I'm am just getting around to write this report. This was my first trip to Africa, my hunt was both good and bad, more on that later.
This started out at our Wisconsin deer camp, my dads and my friend, Jim, said to my dad let's go back to Africa.(they hunted Africa together before). My dad said he couldn't but I said I could. Then at thanksgiving dinner my sister wanted to come along as an observer, so dad came along too, as another hunter. Jim and his wife, us three, jims brother in law, and jims high school freind. 5 hunters, 2 observers.
We booked the hunt through Gary Strasser, a Rep for frontier. Custom travel was our travel agent (excellent service). Long flight over the pond, stayed at Alton guest house (again excellent service) then flight to Namibia.
We were to hunt both his properties in Namibia, one in the north one in the south. 5 days at each location.
We were to start at the north camp. It was a long ride to north camp, they picked us up at the airport with 2 vehicles, a hunting truck and small rental car, very uncomfortable as I sat in the middle of the back seat of the little car. I think it was 4 or 5 hour ride. But I was in Africa and loving it!
I'll keep working on this post, I'm in a motel for work, when I get home I have a scrap book, so I'll have more details.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Look forward to this report.

 

[brandondd24]

4 of 5 us hunters were rifle hunting, 1, Jim's brother in law was bow hunting. They were notified many times and well in advance that he would be bowhunting. More on that later.

 

[brandondd24]

One of the hunters, the high school friend, is also a member here. He might add as the report goes on.

 

[BRICKBURN]

One of the hunters, the high school friend, is also a member here. He might add as the report goes on.

The more the merrier.

 

[cpr0312]

Look forward to the full report!

 

[brandondd24]

When we arrived at the north camp, it was a nice place, tented camp but comfortable. Dad and myself shared a tent, my sister had her own, Jim and his wife in another, the other 2 hunters had there own tents. There was one spare tent left.
After we all got settled in to our tents, we met at the boma to assign phs and get acquainted.
There was actually only 2 phs, the camp manager and my ph we called corporal. The others were guides that phd. Now the bowhunter had no ph. No one available for him.
Very odd knowing he was bowhunting. When we got to the boma, the phs/guides were drinking heavily, the camp manager chewed them out and sent them back to there huts. I wasn't concerned but Jim was very concerned, as he's been to Africa many times. He said he's never seen that.

 

[brandondd24]

Bare with me please as I'm trying to get every detail right.

 

[brandondd24]

The next morning during breakfast, we got our ph/guides set. Jim with teo the camp manager, myself with corporal, the two rifle hunters each had a guide, and the bowhunter was told where to sit at a waterhole. No guide or ph. And no radio or communication device whatsoever.
Another note the guides were from the south camp, having never hunted this property.

 

[brandondd24]

I'm going off memory now, but I won't post anything that I'm not sure about

This hunt took place in 2013, was a 10 day hunt for 12 animals at 2 different properties

 

[brandondd24]

My ph wife was the camp cook, excellent food! We ate very well! I don't know about all of us but my dad sister and myself actually gained weight! Even with the miles hiked hunting walk and stalk! Now the beer in moderation, was another thing, us all from Wisconsin, can tip a few back, in moderation meant 2 beers a night from what they had on hand for us. So we bought a lot of beer. My dad drinks whiskey so he bought his own anyways, but the camp manager was drinking dads whiskey, a bottle a night.

 

[brandondd24]

He'd spin the top off the bottle, would fly on the floor, and say now we have to drink it

 

[brandondd24]

My first day hunting africa, have to say I'm super excited! Just being there, seeing how it's so different from whitetail hunting. We drive in the truck, looking for spoor, the tracker spots zebra spoor, we get out and start stalking, I never seen the zebra but when they felt our presence they bolted, sounded like a stampede! My ph said, well that's done!
Later in the day, we heard two kudu fighting. I was super excited! Thinking I'm gonna get my choice of these two boys! When we finally got into position for a shot, ph says there both too small. Disappointed yes, but it was exciting to hear the see two bulls fighting!

 

[brandondd24]

Later in the day, the tracker/driver spots a gemsbok, we get out and ph sets the sticks, it's a 350yard shot. I couldn't tell which way the animal was facing. Ph says shoot, I don't like taking shots I'm not completely comfortable with, I ask him which way is it facing? He says it's broadside shoot it. I reluctantly pulled the trigger, I hit it and when it moved I seen it perfectly then, put another one in it and it dropped. We went up the mountain to get it, first shot hit it in the guts, I felt bad but my second shot was perfect. Then the ph says I'm sorry, it's a female. One horn was broken. I really didn't mind cuz it was my first African animal. She will hang on my wall, broken hone and all.

 

[brandondd24]

I know my next animal was a blue wildebeest. I need to look at my scrapbook. To be continued!

 

[rinehart0050]

Sounds like things did stack up as you rightfully expected them to. Looking forward to hearing more about this.

 

[brandondd24]

Well I actually did have a great hunt, didn't get all the animals on our list, but I enjoyed my hunting. Others in my group, didn't fare so well. I'll touch on that later in this post

Hopefully my friend chimes in and puts his two cents in!

 

[brandondd24]

I have to say, my father shot a monster of a blue wildebeest, best trophy of everyone there

 

[CAustin]

Brandon this is not sounding like these folks knew what the heck they were doing! Urging you to shoot when you aren't comfortable with the shot. Sorry it's a female! Bow hunter just left at a water hole. Other folks in the party didn't do as well as you sounds bad! Two beers a night is not moderation it is rationing!
I hear you even messed up hunting in Africa is great hunting.

Keep the story coming!

 

[brandondd24]

If I can figure out how to post pictures, I will