NAMIBIA: SOUTH AFRICA: Fantastic Safari With Warthog Safaris

[slam8031]

We recently returned from a 10 day safari in South Africa with a short trip into Namibia. We hunted with Tienie and Ananja Bamberger with Warthog Safaris.

The hunting party also consisted of my 20 year old son (his third safari), a couple who would both be hunting, a veterinarian and a friend that took his first safari with my family in 2017 and was making this his return trip as well!

First things first! The travel...on our previous three safaris, as well as most of my other travels, I had arranged all the necessary things--flights, agendas, etc. With COVID front and center, I decided to enlist the help of Lori at Travel Express. She was fantastic for arranging all of the issues with our travel. We had previously flown with Delta, but I elected to go the United route because of Lori's recommendation. We traveled from Charleston, SC, to Newark to Joberg. We learned of Lori's passing the weekend before we left, but Jennifer reached out to us before we departed to let us know she was available for any issues.

We took quick COVID tests that gave PCR results in 30 min (we all passed!) the day before departure, and we were all set to fly! United was an easy check in process in Charleston, and after a quick rifle check and confirmation of online completion of RSA requirements for COVID, we made the gate for departure. I acquired Global Entry several years ago prior to my previous safari. Almost immediately on this trip i was thankful I had it...

My son and I had everything but ammo and rifle as carry-on--we have learned to travel light! He had grabbed a fleece jacket at the last minute to throw in his carry on that I ended up with going through security. My brother had worn the jacket and left a bullet in the pocket--because I was in the global entry line--it was a non-issue--they removed the bullet and I went on my way--crisis averted!

The only major pain of the trip was in the Newark airport--going and coming back--we arrived Thursday afternoon 4 hours prior to take off--had a good meal and got ready for boarding at 645--they took more than 90 mins to check everyone on board and we did not depart until 1030--nearly two hours behind schedule. The 787 was a great ride and we only arrived one hour late to Joburg. There were about 10 empty seats on the flight over. There were 45 plus seats open on the flight back!

We utilized PHASA and Rifle Permits to get us through SAPS quickly and efficiently--this was well worth the money!

After quickly getting the rest of the group loaded for the Limpopo, Tienie and I headed for a quick nap at the PHASA house before an early arrival at the airport to fly to Namibia...

 

[VertigoBE]

Great start! Looking forward to the rest of your trip!

 

[slam8031]

With all the COVID concerns, we were really concerned about even making this trip happen! So with three weeks to go Tienie called and offered a great deal on Mr Spots in Namibia. Knowing my son was going and the group trip planned, we decided we would take a heroic swing a give four days to chasing Mr Spots. Yes I KNOW THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TIME...but that is all I had, so we made a heroic go of it. We had trail cam photos of 6 different toms on bait prior to my arrival, but an unusual cool spell shut them down on the day I arrived. We hunted hard and long hours with no cat in the salt, but it was not without adventure! I am trying to work out a return trip for MR Spots--this is a strange new addiction...
However, our trip to Namibia was not without a shot. On the farm where we stayed (only source of power was solar, and the family cooked on a stove that was wood powered!) the five plus years of drought came to a complete end and the grass was unbelievably tall and still green! We saw at least 25 different Damara Dik Dik and i was able to put a quick stalk and shot on one!!

 

[slam8031]

Due to the length of our stay in Namibia, we had to have COVID tests to return to RSA--so on the way to the airport, we took tests and grabbed breakfast and received our results literally in the line at the counter to check in at Windhoek for the return on Airlink to RSA. As an aside, the paperwork was completed for our rifle import export and re-entry was handled well by PHASA and Rifle Permits and that part of the trip went without much fanfare! There was conversation in Namibia of the country shutting down due to COVID concerns so we left a day earlier than previously planned...
more hunting to come...

 

[BnC 04]

Congrats on the trip and look forward to further updates.

 

[slam8031]

While we were off on wild chases, my son was able to put a stalk on a really nice black wildebeest in the Limpopo with the nearest town being Elisras. His wish list was small but difficult--he wanted to chase after a bushpig and a larger warthog than he previously hunted and then there was going to be a surprise that he didn't know about!
The week prior to our flights, the ejector spring failed in his 300win mag and we elected to use a camp rifle in 30.06 with hornady factory ammo.

 

[slam8031]

His excitement for this hunt was that he felt as though he had a great shot on the animal late in the afternoon but they found no blood--after a sleepless night and a few texts to me, they found the animal within 100 yds of the shot, with no blood until he fell over. He was elated!

 

[slam8031]

While the rest of the group was hunting, DirtDiver here on africa hunting.com ran across the pangolin pictured above and several on our safari were able to witness a really rare animal! Cool find (this is a screen shot of a video that I haven't figured out how to upload...)

 

[slam8031]

As a quick aside, three of the six hunters on our group had never been to Africa. They were overwhelmed by the volume of animals and the way they were treated by their PH's and the staff of Warthog Safaris--they all were able to harvest their desired animals and were able to experience may cool things--from the pangolin to vet surgery on a spotted hyena to simply enjoying being in South Africa, they had a fantastic safari and are already planning return trips...
Our other hunter on his second safari was able to take quite a few plains game animals that he didn't get a chance at his first trip over and got a fantastic cape buffalo near Kruger that measured nearly 44 inches--he was fantastic and our friend was more than pleased with his buff of a lifetime!

My primary animal in South Africa was to be a cape buffalo. The surprise for my son was that he was going to be able to hunt one as well! We made an ambition plan to try to hunt two cape buffalo in one day, so the plan was set in motion. My son was going to be shooting a 416 Rem Mag with 400 grain soft followed by 400 grain Woodleigh solids. He was up first and to say he was nervous would be the understatement of the year...
On the first stalk, they were able to close the distance to 50 yards, but the three cows that were with the bull spooked and we worked to get back in front of them. On the next attempt, they were able to close to within 45 yards, and the bull faced them. After a bit of maneuvering, he was able to take a frontal shot with the 416 that anchored the bull. As he struggled to regain his feet, my son was able to put another finishing shot that resulted in a death bellow. There are few words to describe the elation of a father watching his son realize such a fantastic outcome at such a young age. I am incredibly proud of my young man and thankful to my friends at Warthog Safaris for making our dreams come true!
He was hard bossed and rubbed on the bosses but different tip position and they were mostly clean and perfect!

Once the adrenaline subsided, and the photos taken, we loaded the bull and took off for part two of the plan...

 

[slam8031]

One of the lessons that I have learned from going to Africa...if my PH says I need to shoot, then there is a really good reason to shoot. Another lesson I have learned is some hunts are going to be more pressing, more exciting, and with better stories and memories than others. This still doesn't take away from the whole hunt experience! While we were on the property where my son shot the buffalo, the farmer said that he had an eland that if we saw it we would surely want to get it. He was right! the hunting story is not nearly as exciting and the stalk not filled with adrenaline like the buff hunt of my son...but he is fantastic! we approached two males and three females--both males were nice but one was indeed fantastic--waiting for the cow to clear in front of the shoulder of the bull took a few seconds, a deep breath exhaled, and a 300 grain swift a frame from the browning A bolt stalker found its mark 150 meters away. The big bull took thirty steps, and stood in defiance to what had just happened. What seemed like 10 minutes but was closer to 45 seconds, the big bull toppled over and was done. What a fantastic, majestic creature!

 

[slam8031]

The final stalk of the day would bring the most excitement. We departed from the bakki in pursuit of a group of about 30 buffalo. The sickle bush and small brush were all about 6-8 feet tall. The grass still tall from the great rains of 2021. With a sly "today is a good day to die..." Tielmore the tracker, Tienie and I followed the buffalo into the brush. The dust cloud indicated the direction they were traveling. Tielmore masterfully climbed a tree to see where the bull might be as we had attempted to cut them off from their intended destination. The warning given was that if they came extremely close we may want to wait for a shot for good reason, they may all want to come at us!!!

This cat and mouse game went on for more than three hours. I am not sure how many thorns scraped my legs, or miles we walked, but I hope to always remember the sheer rush of adrenaline as we closed in and they evaded throughout the rest of the day. As light was fading, we got caught in a swirling wind and thirty buffalo came screaming by at 60 meters. But the big bull was not there! So we back tracked out of the wind direction and decided to make one more push for him. We were in super stealth mode knowing this would be the last shot at him for the fading light. As we made a slight turn into the wind, Tienie and I both saw the hulking bull under a tree less than 40 meters away. There was no chance for sticks and I squatted down into a catcher's position and took aim for the front right shoulder as he stared at me with Ruark's "I owe him money..." The 300 grain swift A frame found its mark! He bucked as though I had hit him in the heart and he lurched forward out of sight. I cycled a round of Woodleigh hydros into the action and we sprinted about 50 yards to where we had last seen him. We could see him standing and swaying. As a settled on the sticks to fire another round, he dropped in his tracks and let out two death bellows and was done. If you would have told me one swift A frame in 375 H and H would have stopped this beast, I would not have believed it!

 

[slam8031]

I love playing with filters on pictures so it looks more light than it actually was, but he is everything I could ever ask for in a bull in a hunt that I hope to remember for a long time. Others including Royal27 told me that there is something about buffalo that make you want to hunt them again and again. They are correct! I constantly am thinking about how to get there and hunt another!

 

[TennJay]

Great report!!

 

[Rare Breed]

Congratulations!!!!!

 

[cls]

Congratulations all around. Great cape Buffalo. Thanks for the report. Hunting Buffalo is truely addictive.

 

[slam8031]

Not often you get two buff in one day and with your son!

 

[dirtdiver]

Congratulations definitely a proud father and a exceptional young man to be proud off.

 

[machinistbutler]

Congratulations to you and your son on your Buffalo! Memories that will last forever for both of you!

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats on the day to remeber with your son! Look forward to more!

 

[slam8031]

thank you Christo!!

Congratulations definitely a proud father and a exceptional young man to be proud off.[emoji2