Headed back to Africa! Always a tremendous feeling to get back to something you love. I was last there in November of last year (and last June also) but I’m always itchy to get back to it. Last year I tried some travel alternatives and didn’t like them in the end. I flew Turkish Air through Istanbul and Air France through Paris on 2 trips. Those were two 12 hour legs and a layover coming and going. It adds a full day of travel on both ends of the hunt with NO benefit unless you stay even longer and sight see. For better or worse, I tend to travel to a hunt as fast as I can get there and spend as much time as possible there instead of in transit. Of course, you see less on the way but for me the whole point is the hunt and the time on the ground. When time off is limited, you have to make some kind of decision on that and I choose not to compromise. If I was retired, it would be different.
I got some questions from forum members about the newer Airbus A330-300 being used by Delta. It’s a wide body design and it seems to have good space upfront but I fly coach and as they say…coach is coach! It’s a 15-16 hour flight as many of you know. I just book a window seat and try to stay seated as long as possible. I can do 10-11 hours and then get up once during the flight. I don’t know about the rest of you but I just don’t eat much on airplanes. For some reason, the food smells different to me so I have a little system where I take dried fruit and peanut butter crackers. So I don’t eat much for a day but I find my stomach is much more settled when I get there. Your mileage will vary on that of course but know yourself and act accordingly.
Once in Jo’burg, I found my friends from RiflePermits.com and it’s always good to see their smiling faces. I’ve worked with Anna and Marius multiple times and they always make me laugh…great people! As usual, no trouble with their assistance and I was on the way to Afton Safari Lodge. I’ve tried several different approaches to that first night in Africa but it sure is nice to get to a place and be asked how you want your steak done! The great customer service and a comfortable bed and hot shower go a long ways to getting your body setup for a good start to the hunt. By the way, Afton House recently remodeled and it looks great! Elize is a great host and I had an excellent visit with Richard Lendrum, the owner. As a side note, if you aren’t familiar with Richard’s shipping and taxidermy options, it can save you quite a bit of money. Be sure to ask him about it.
This was going to be a different hunt in that Craig Boddington had set it up for several hunters to spend 1 week each with him for buffalo. It was hosted and run by Chico & Sons of Tsessebe Safaris. They are based out of the Waterberg Biosphere in Limpopo. Over 20 years ago, Chico moved his family from Spain to Africa and has been guiding in RSA, Zim, Botswana, Moz and other areas since then. I didn’t know Chico and his family before this trip but before the end, we would become good friends.
Chico sent a driver to pick me up the first morning at Afton and the 3 hour drive through the beautiful Waterberg mountains to the property was smooth and easy, especially by African standards. I got settled into the nice lodge and waited while the guys came back with a buff taken that morning by a handgun hunter who was finishing their hunt. After they got in, we had a nice lunch and checked my rifles. On this trip, I brought a Dakota .416 Rigby (same as the ele hunt last fall) and a Blaser R8 in 300 win mag. It was my first hunt with the Blaser.
After a nice dinner that evening, we took a relaxing drive through the area just to see what was moving. I saw tsessebe, blesbok and bontebok, zebra, duiker, ostrich, hartebeest, monkeys and baboons and some warthogs. I could feel myself relaxing already as the hunt began. Stick with me as we are going to find some interesting animals along the way from start to finish!
I got some questions from forum members about the newer Airbus A330-300 being used by Delta. It’s a wide body design and it seems to have good space upfront but I fly coach and as they say…coach is coach! It’s a 15-16 hour flight as many of you know. I just book a window seat and try to stay seated as long as possible. I can do 10-11 hours and then get up once during the flight. I don’t know about the rest of you but I just don’t eat much on airplanes. For some reason, the food smells different to me so I have a little system where I take dried fruit and peanut butter crackers. So I don’t eat much for a day but I find my stomach is much more settled when I get there. Your mileage will vary on that of course but know yourself and act accordingly.
Once in Jo’burg, I found my friends from RiflePermits.com and it’s always good to see their smiling faces. I’ve worked with Anna and Marius multiple times and they always make me laugh…great people! As usual, no trouble with their assistance and I was on the way to Afton Safari Lodge. I’ve tried several different approaches to that first night in Africa but it sure is nice to get to a place and be asked how you want your steak done! The great customer service and a comfortable bed and hot shower go a long ways to getting your body setup for a good start to the hunt. By the way, Afton House recently remodeled and it looks great! Elize is a great host and I had an excellent visit with Richard Lendrum, the owner. As a side note, if you aren’t familiar with Richard’s shipping and taxidermy options, it can save you quite a bit of money. Be sure to ask him about it.
This was going to be a different hunt in that Craig Boddington had set it up for several hunters to spend 1 week each with him for buffalo. It was hosted and run by Chico & Sons of Tsessebe Safaris. They are based out of the Waterberg Biosphere in Limpopo. Over 20 years ago, Chico moved his family from Spain to Africa and has been guiding in RSA, Zim, Botswana, Moz and other areas since then. I didn’t know Chico and his family before this trip but before the end, we would become good friends.
Chico sent a driver to pick me up the first morning at Afton and the 3 hour drive through the beautiful Waterberg mountains to the property was smooth and easy, especially by African standards. I got settled into the nice lodge and waited while the guys came back with a buff taken that morning by a handgun hunter who was finishing their hunt. After they got in, we had a nice lunch and checked my rifles. On this trip, I brought a Dakota .416 Rigby (same as the ele hunt last fall) and a Blaser R8 in 300 win mag. It was my first hunt with the Blaser.
After a nice dinner that evening, we took a relaxing drive through the area just to see what was moving. I saw tsessebe, blesbok and bontebok, zebra, duiker, ostrich, hartebeest, monkeys and baboons and some warthogs. I could feel myself relaxing already as the hunt began. Stick with me as we are going to find some interesting animals along the way from start to finish!
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