HuntingGold
AH elite
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2012
- Messages
- 1,484
- Reaction score
- 3,364
- Location
- South-Central Oregon
- Media
- 148
- Hunted
- South Africa, Argentina, Romania, United States (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California and Wyoming)
I've been home for a few days now and finally seem to be over the jet-lag.
After our first trip to South Africa in 2013, I was determined to get back. The first trip was with my two daughters and thought the second trip would be without them. However, the youngest was determined to go back with me. One post in particular got our attention and that was a post by Loodt with Tootabi regarding a package that included a shark dive. My youngest loves the beach and the ocean and when I asked her about doing a shark dive, she smiled and said, "oh yeah." It took some time, but we saved enough and began making plans with Loodt. After adjusting the package multiple times to accommodate our latest desire (they changed back and forth) we set on a small hunting package, one that included another member of the tiny ten.
Of particular note is that I asked my daughter to save for the trip. I asked her to save up for her airfare and she agreed. She is 15 and active in sports so there was really no expectation she could fully make it. She did save her babysitting money for almost a full year and contributed $800 (US) to the trip. After that, I pulled her off the hook and let the remainder go to shopping money on the trip.
Spring Break is a little over a week long for the students in Oregon. I pulled her out of school a day and a half early for our trip and started the journey.
5 hour drive to Portland International, about a 6 hour flight to JFK (New York), after a layover, the 14 1/2 hour flight to JoBerg, another layover and then 1 1/2 hour flight to Port Elizabeth.
Coming out of the Airport I immediately recognized Lammie. I think he recognized us at about the same time. A short amount of time with introductions and we loaded our gear in the bakkie and headed out for Tootabi's main location just outside of Paterson. We unloaded our gear and, though sleepy, had a short natural high going. We used that little "high" to run out and shoot Lammies rifle. I was pleased to see him pull out an older Remington Model 700 in .30-06 as I have several at home, one of which is my favorite rifle (though in .270). I shot first and made a good hit. I shot two or three more times and had difficulty. Now it was the daughters turn, she shot and did well but had some misses. Huh... Lammie took a shot or two and also had some issues. Oh, no! After some thought, Lammie recalled the bullets now being used were not the same as what he had sighted the rifle in with. The next morning he obtained the original loads and verified the gun was on.
After the sight in, we went back to the Oliphantskop Lodge (main lodge for Tootabi Safaris). Elia and I settled in for some much needed rest. Lammie agreed to wake us later for an evening drive. The knock on the door came much too early as I was out out out. We pulled ourselves together and went outside where we finally met Loodt. Good to put a handshake with the person you have been dealing with over the phone and email for the last year or so. We didnt spend much time chatting as we were running a touch late for the drive. We loaded into the bakkie and took a drive about the ranch and adjoining properties. We were joined in our drive by a young lady named Taylor. Initially I thought she was part of the staff then heard her speak, clearly American English with a decent touch of the south. What brings you here? "To hunt," she replies. Right on.
Our drive takes us about and we see some nyala, impala, warthogs, and I think a kudu cow. We pass a small pond then begin to climb a hill only to stop the vehicle. There we jumped out to look around. Loodt and Lammie begin preparing a little table with snacks and drinks... sun-downers! I drank a single beer and snacked on billtong while Elia and I talked with Taylor. She told us about some of her hunts including a caracal she had taken earlier. She was quite excited about that. We then loaded back into the bakkie and continued the drive. More critters were seen including an eland.
We then lumbered down a small ranch road where I could see a campfire and some people gathered around. We pulled up and then the singing started! Oh what a welcome. Members of the local Xhosa community were there to sing and dance. How ten people can sound like a hundred I will never know, but it was absolutely amazing. Immediately afterwards we took a few steps back to our dinner table that was beautifully set. If memory serves me correctly we ate some of the bush buck that Taylor had taken earlier in her trip along with lamb chops. We ended the meal with a treat called koeksisters.
Afterwards a ride back to the lodge where we said good-bye to Taylor (she was leaving in the morning) and settled in for some much needed rest.
After our first trip to South Africa in 2013, I was determined to get back. The first trip was with my two daughters and thought the second trip would be without them. However, the youngest was determined to go back with me. One post in particular got our attention and that was a post by Loodt with Tootabi regarding a package that included a shark dive. My youngest loves the beach and the ocean and when I asked her about doing a shark dive, she smiled and said, "oh yeah." It took some time, but we saved enough and began making plans with Loodt. After adjusting the package multiple times to accommodate our latest desire (they changed back and forth) we set on a small hunting package, one that included another member of the tiny ten.
Of particular note is that I asked my daughter to save for the trip. I asked her to save up for her airfare and she agreed. She is 15 and active in sports so there was really no expectation she could fully make it. She did save her babysitting money for almost a full year and contributed $800 (US) to the trip. After that, I pulled her off the hook and let the remainder go to shopping money on the trip.
Spring Break is a little over a week long for the students in Oregon. I pulled her out of school a day and a half early for our trip and started the journey.
5 hour drive to Portland International, about a 6 hour flight to JFK (New York), after a layover, the 14 1/2 hour flight to JoBerg, another layover and then 1 1/2 hour flight to Port Elizabeth.
Coming out of the Airport I immediately recognized Lammie. I think he recognized us at about the same time. A short amount of time with introductions and we loaded our gear in the bakkie and headed out for Tootabi's main location just outside of Paterson. We unloaded our gear and, though sleepy, had a short natural high going. We used that little "high" to run out and shoot Lammies rifle. I was pleased to see him pull out an older Remington Model 700 in .30-06 as I have several at home, one of which is my favorite rifle (though in .270). I shot first and made a good hit. I shot two or three more times and had difficulty. Now it was the daughters turn, she shot and did well but had some misses. Huh... Lammie took a shot or two and also had some issues. Oh, no! After some thought, Lammie recalled the bullets now being used were not the same as what he had sighted the rifle in with. The next morning he obtained the original loads and verified the gun was on.
After the sight in, we went back to the Oliphantskop Lodge (main lodge for Tootabi Safaris). Elia and I settled in for some much needed rest. Lammie agreed to wake us later for an evening drive. The knock on the door came much too early as I was out out out. We pulled ourselves together and went outside where we finally met Loodt. Good to put a handshake with the person you have been dealing with over the phone and email for the last year or so. We didnt spend much time chatting as we were running a touch late for the drive. We loaded into the bakkie and took a drive about the ranch and adjoining properties. We were joined in our drive by a young lady named Taylor. Initially I thought she was part of the staff then heard her speak, clearly American English with a decent touch of the south. What brings you here? "To hunt," she replies. Right on.
Our drive takes us about and we see some nyala, impala, warthogs, and I think a kudu cow. We pass a small pond then begin to climb a hill only to stop the vehicle. There we jumped out to look around. Loodt and Lammie begin preparing a little table with snacks and drinks... sun-downers! I drank a single beer and snacked on billtong while Elia and I talked with Taylor. She told us about some of her hunts including a caracal she had taken earlier. She was quite excited about that. We then loaded back into the bakkie and continued the drive. More critters were seen including an eland.
We then lumbered down a small ranch road where I could see a campfire and some people gathered around. We pulled up and then the singing started! Oh what a welcome. Members of the local Xhosa community were there to sing and dance. How ten people can sound like a hundred I will never know, but it was absolutely amazing. Immediately afterwards we took a few steps back to our dinner table that was beautifully set. If memory serves me correctly we ate some of the bush buck that Taylor had taken earlier in her trip along with lamb chops. We ended the meal with a treat called koeksisters.
Afterwards a ride back to the lodge where we said good-bye to Taylor (she was leaving in the morning) and settled in for some much needed rest.
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