SOUTH AFRICA: Heading Off On My First Safari!

[enysse]

I hope you have a great hunt, you will never forget it for sure.

 

[huntermn15]

Sorry it has taken so long for me to get back to the report! While still in SA. internet was practically non existent and certainly not fast enough to load photos. Once home, I have been trying to dig my way out of a months worth of backlogged work, so i hope you all understand. I have continued on below and hope to have it completed in the next few days. The lioness hunt was a great success, but that will come in a separate report.

September 4, 2015

I was up at 0304 and was unable to get back to sleep. So a shower and a great breakfast started the day. Went and picked up a SIM card for my phone, which was the big to do for the day. Repacking for my trip to Madikwe Game Reserve tomorrow.

September 5, 2015

Was picked up buy my transfer service at 0900, by my driver Martie. Martie was fantastic and we talked and laughed during the 4.5 hour drive. The weather was horrendous most of the way, with heavy soaking rains and terrible visibility. The rain was very much needed, but it made for difficult travel.

We arrived at The Bush House, my home for the next 3 days. It was great to meet Sue and Audrey after corresponding with them for such a long time. Arriving just in time for tea, I was able to get a bite to eat before my first game drive. After eating I was able to check out my room, it was nicely decorated and huge. It was approximately 28’ x 21’, with the bathroom at about 8’ x 10’ and very comfortable indeed.

My guide during the 4 days would be Stefan, on this first drive I would have a couple along John and his wife (can’t remember name). They were very nice and shared their experiences and knowledge with me. During the drive, we encountered Elephant, Zebra, Impala, Blue Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Warthog, Giraffe, Black Backed Jackal, and many birds. We stopped on the way back to the lodge for a sundowner and snacks, as we chatted about the next day’s possibilities.

The day ended with a great meal and drinks with new friends. I look forward to what the morning brings.

 

[huntermn15]

September 6, 2015

Still unable to sleep well, I was up at 0300 and chomping at the bit. I made coffee in the room and had a few of these great cookies provided in the room. Muffins, fruit, coffee, etc… would be served in the main area at approximately 0545 with a 0615 scheduled departure for the game drive. Brunch would be served upon our return. John and his wife would again be joining me on the drive. The vehicles used are fitted to carry nine passengers, so having only three left us plenty of room.

The morning brought a rare opportunity to view a group of four cheetahs. We also saw more Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Elephants, and Impala. The cheetahs were brothers and are being studied by the Reserve. One of the brothers wears a collar but the tracking information is not shared with the lodge staff. Also, one of the cheetahs was nursing an injury to the inside of its rear left leg. When we first found them, there was only three of them and they we’re calling to try and locate the forth. Once they heard a reply, the chase was on as they took off running to their brother. It was amazing to see the reunion take place.

This was the last game drive that John and his wife would join me on, as they were to depart after brunch.

After brunch, the waterhole was alive with activity. The lodge has a water hole just meters from the sitting areas. Plus they have an underground hide which allows to view the waterhole from water level. This is an amazing opportunity to photograph the animals that come to drink from a position that you would never have the opportunity to anywhere else. During the afternoon before my evening game drive, I was able to photograph Zebra and Elephant at the waterhole!

The highlights of this evenings game drive was the Brown Hyena and Lions we saw and photographed.

Dinner was fantastic and since I was the only one in camp and the chill was still in the air, the staff placed a table for me right by the fire. The staff at The Bush House, truly were great. Stefan, Audrey, and Lawra were great to spend time with.

 

[G Skinner]

Amazing pictures ....never tire of looking at pictures of Africa .
Thanks Glen

 

[BRICKBURN]

Cool perspective to get some pictures from.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[CAustin]

Great photos sir. Keep them coming!

 

[dory]

very impressive photos , well done .
Dont be shy to load plenty more photos .
I love looking at good African photos and yours are top class !
Cheers Dory .

 

[huntermn15]

Thank you Glen, more to follow.

 

[huntermn15]

Thanks Brickburn!

Cool perspective to get some pictures from.
Thanks for sharing.[/QU

 

[huntermn15]

Great photos sir. Keep them coming!

Charlie,
I'll be getting to the hunting shortly. You have a fantastic Avatar! More photos to follow.
Mike

 

[huntermn15]

very impressive photos , well done .
Dont be shy to load plenty more photos .
I love looking at good African photos and yours are top class !
Cheers Dory .

Thanks dory, more of the report and photos to follow.

 

[huntermn15]

September 7. 2015

The day started out very cold and extremely foggy. The fog was more of a heavy mist then typical fog and wreaked havoc on my camera throughout the morning. The morning was very slow for animal sightings. We did see some Kudu, Elephant, and a fantastic Steenbok. The photos of the Steenbok, might be some of the best from the trip. Just before heading back for lunch, I was able to photograph a very young Elephant.

After lunch, I took a short walk around the property and photographed some Birds, Terrapins, Dragonflies, and Ground Squirrels. The game drive commenced on scheduled and it turned out to be a fantastic afternoon, weather and sighting wise. The typical cast of characters were out and about. Elephant, Kudu, Impala, Blue Wildebeest, and zebra were seen. But we had two great sightings, the first being four Lions on a Wildebeest kill. While watching the Lions, a Blacked Back Jackal came in wanting to get in on the action, but it only took a glance from one of the Lioness and the Jackal was on his way. After spending some time with the Lions, we headed off to explore. We headed into part of the park that we had yet to visit. The last sighting of the day in this section of the park was a huge White Rhino and her calf.

 

[dory]

Out of curiosity what camera gear are you using .??

 

[huntermn15]

Out of curiosity what camera gear are you using .??

dory,
I'm not a photographer, but I was using a Nikon D5100 with a 55 - 300 Nikkor lens most of the time. The camera was set on auto with auto and manual focus used depending on the situation.

 

[huntermn15]

September 8, 2015

The morning started out with my final game drive. We started out by seeing the Cape Buffalo and a Kudu bull that had been so elusive and then we were alerted to the fact that the wild dogs were found on a kill. We made a mad dash across the park, hoping to get there before they were off the kill. When we arrived in the area, we were third in line to move to the kill site. After about a half an hour the word came out the Wild Dogs were on the move and we were off. They were heading along the south fence towards the mountains were they have their den. We caught up with them and were able to get some photos of one of the most elusive creatures in Africa! On the way back, we ran into a Spotted Hyena, so I was able to a see and photograph both species of Hyena during the trip. Shortly after leaving the Hyena, we received a call that the Cheetahs were on the remains of the Wild Dog kill. So we headed in that direction and found them still on the Red Hartebeest kill. Some photos were taken and then it was back to the lodge for a quick lunch and then it’s time to travel back to Johannesburg.

I arrived back at the Afton Guest House at approximately 1530 and had the rest of the afternoon to relax before dinner.

September 9, 2015

A down day before the hunting begins. At 0900 it was off to Bulls Eye Taxidermy with Callie from Zingela. He was a very nice guy and we talked the entire 4 hour ride up. Once there, I had the opportunity to meet Trish and it was great to put a face to the name. I had a nice tour of the facility and had the opportunity to see all stages of the taxidermy process. After about an hour and a half, Callie and I headed to the Zingela warehouse for a quick tour. I arrived back at the Afton at approximately 1700 hours. At dinner I met Steve, he would also be hunting at Cruiser's during my time there.

Tomorrow it begins!

 

[dory]

It better !!!!
It will be Xmas soon!
Cant wait that long for your hunt report ?
HA !
Looking forward to it .
Cheers Dory .

 

[huntermn15]

September 10, 2015

It’s time to head to Cruisers! At breakfast this morning, I met Ralph and Jarred, they too will be hunting at Cruisers. Ralph is from Colorado and Jarred is from Idaho.

We were picked up around 0830 by John, one of the PH’s at Cruiser Safaris. Once everything was loaded, we were off. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Del Marie the chef. She had glasses of juice for us and then showed us to our rooms. My room had two single beds and was a very good size which allowed plenty of room to spread out. The bathroom had a standard shower, sink, toilet, and a bit storage.

Lunch was served a short time later and then it was off to the range to check our rifles. This took some time, since one of the rifles was off quite a bit. I was fortunate that it only took three shots and a slight adjustment to the right to be on target. Once we finished up, we had some time to all get acquainted with our PH’s and the rest of the staff. Dinner came shortly thereafter.

After dinner, we were all tired and turned in early 2100, as for tomorrow would be the first day of hunting.

 

[huntermn15]

September 11, 2015

I woke up 5 times last night in anticipation of this morning, my first day of hunting in Africa! After a quick breakfast, we were off and running. We departed at 0615 and would be out the entire day, a take away lunch was packed and we would be back for dinner. We arrived at the property we would be hunting in short order and proceeded through the gate. I, my PH Sarel, and our tracker Samuel were in the truck heading towards whatever Africa had in store for me.

Sarel and I got into the high seat in the back of the truck and Samuel took the wheel. We were driving for approximately 15 minutes when Sarel spotted a group of Impala in some cover and the stalk was on. We moved in Sarel glassing the entire time. He had spotted a large ram, one he had seen in the past and couldn’t get his client a shot at. As we moved closer, the wind was swirling and we were almost busted. A few ewes had moved in very close to use and spooked just a bit, causing part of the herd to make a short run. Once things calmed back down, we edged forward again, only to realize the true size of the herd, which we found to be around 50 animals. The ram we were after had moved and we had to back track a bit to get the angle necessary to relocate him. After about 20 minutes more, the heard spooked a bit again thanks to the wind and I was presented with a frontal shot at about 160 meters. On the sticks and a gentle squeeze of the trigger and I had my first African animal, a truly fantastic Impala ram!

We saw Gemsbok, Zebra, and Red Hartebeest, the zebra gave us the slip and we decided to look for a suitable Gemsbok. After following tracks for about an hour we saw a single bull along with a bull Eland standing under a tree in the shade. We began to stalk closer and within 5 minutes the Eland began to head away from us taking the Gemsbok with it. We followed and after about an hour we found the Gemsbok bedded. One shot through the shoulder at approximately 100 meters and I had my second African animal before lunch! He was a beautiful old bull with both of his horns broomed and splintered. But he was also very thin and probably would not have survived the next few weeks. So in the end, it turned out to be a perfect animal to take from the land.

Now it was time to call Samuel on the radio and have him pick up the Gemsbok and take both of the animals back to camp to be processed at the skinning shed. Sarel and I would hunt around a bit until Samuel returned and then we would find some shade to have lunch. After about an hour, Samuel met us and we headed for a large tree near a water hole. There we pulled the truck under the tree as far as possible for some shade from the oppressive heat (over 100 degrees).

Thankfully, there was a decent breeze, but it too was very warm.

After lunch, we each took a position on the truck for a much needed midday nap. Sarel was on the high sea t, I had the back seat, and Samuel had the front. After about an hour and seeing two Giraffe at the waterhole, we decided to begin the process of looking for game. Shortly after, we spotted 5 Blue Wildebeest and one was a good bull. The sticks went up and as I was squeezing the trigger, the Wildebeest took a step forward. With a loud thump he was off, hit but unsure of where, we decided to wait 20 minutes before the tracking commenced. Once at the location the bull was standing, it was obvious that the hit was back. There was no blood present at the location, so Samuel got on the track and the three hour hell began. I was disgusted in myself for not seeing that he was about to move at the shot and I was now living my worst nightmare. After about 100 meters on the track a drop of blood smaller than a dime was found in the sand. This in its self was amazing, since the drop was totally covered in sand. This was the first of many amazing acts of bush craft I would witness over the next few hours.

While on the track we encountered many other animal tracks to include other wildebeest which made staying on the right track difficult at times. But for most of the tracking we were traveling at a brisk pace while Samuel appeared to barely look down. Sarel and Samuel were talking continually in Afrikaans about speed, direction, and the spoor encountered. We were still intermittently seeing very small drops of blood, with the largest being the size of a quarter. About an hour and a half in, the heat was taking its toll on me. Sarel sent Samuel ahead to see if he could locate the bull. Darkness was falling and we all wanted to end this tonight. About 10 minutes later, Samuel returned with some good news, the bull had been located and was bedded down close by. We were off and running, upon locating the bull a shot was placed in the bedded bulls shoulder and he jumped up and began to run to the right at approximately 50 meters. I worked the bolt and fired again striking him and this time, it was over. The last thing I ever want to do is wound an animal and have it suffer, but it was finally over. I had my fantastic flat skin, I spent about a half hour with the Wildebeest while Sarel and Samuel went to retrieve the truck. Darkness was falling upon their return, so some photos were taken and the wildebeest was loaded for the trip to camp. Thankfully this would be the only bad shot of the trip!

Today’s Impala will become a skull mount and back skin, the Gemsbok will be a wall pedestal, and the Wildebeest will make a beautiful flat skin and skull mount, a beautiful hide was of the utmost importance when taking the wildebeest.

I was still feeling a bit ill from the heat, so a quick shower made me feel a little bit better, but dinner was skipped and hydration commenced. Hopefully by morning I will be felling better. It was an incredible first day hunting in Africa. Three beautiful animals in the salt and memories, experiences of and in a new land that will last a life time! I once heard someone say, that African trackers could track a mouse across rocks in the rain, I BELIEVE they can!

 

[dory]

Top impala , Im jealous .

 

[huntermn15]

September 12, 2015

Day two started out a bit overcast and a little cooler than the day before. This was a good and bad thing. Good for me, since I felt a lot better in this type of weather, bad since it appeared to keep the animals in thick cover and not moving like they had the day before. We were to look for a nice Zebra today and this was nowhere near as easy as most would think. They are very wary, travel in larger groups (lots of eyes), and run at the first indication of danger and they keep running. After a few failed stalks due to swirling winds we happened upon another snorter of an Impala, it was decided that I would take number two of the trip. So it was on the sticks and at approximately 120 meters the shot was taken and he went right down. This would be the only animal of the morning, so after pictures, we headed back to the skinning shed. It turns out that both of the Impala taken will measure over 24”, fantastic animals in anybody’s book.

The afternoon would bring my longest stalk on Zebra (over 5 hours). After being busted many times by the wind and too many sets of eyes, we finally had the wind in our favor and an opportunity to make good on it. We were in very thick cover, with many animals in front of us, we just needed to be patient. As the Zebra continued to feed and mill around, we adjusted our position many times. Looking for the right animal with clear shooting lane took time, but the wind held for once. Finally at approximately 140 meters, a large mare made her way to an opening. Sarel and I were both sitting, I would be shooting off of Sarel’s shoulder (first time ever shooting in this position). The mare was quartering away and at the shot I lost her in the scope during recoil, but Sarel said she had gone right down. I had placed the shot just behind the near shoulder and it had exited the off shoulder. After handshakes we called Samuel to bring the truck, as she would need to be moved for photos. Once the photos were taken we were on or way to camp.

While driving back, Sarel noticed a nice Steenbok feeding. We passed by trying not to disturb him and once behind cover stepped off the moving vehicle as not to alert him of our dismount. After about a 20 minute stalk, he feed to the right giving me a 100 meter shot and he was mine. It was another fantastic day in Africa. With only two days down, I already had six animals in the salt and still had 10 more days to hunt at this location.

Back at the skinning shed, it’s amazing to see the speed and skill the skinners work with. Samuel and Labou are truly amazing and highly skilled. The Impala from today will be a shoulder mount, the Zebra a rug, and the Steenbok a life size mount. What a fantastic day of hunting!