SOUTH AFRICA: Hunting report for Northern and Eastern Cape with Hunt the Sun Safaris

[Upton O. Good]

I returned from a two week hunt with Mike Birch's Hunt the Sun Safaris based in Kimberley, S. Africa. It was an incredible trip, even exceeding my first South African hunt a year ago.

Outfitter: Mike Birch, Hunt the Sun Safaris

Professional Hunter: Evert Bezuidenhout (an incredible young man)

Animals hunted: bushbuck, blue wildebeest, black wildebeest, impala, duiker, steenbok, springbok, nyala, warthog, geese

Animals taken: bushbuck, blue wildebeest, black wildebeest, impala, duiker, steenbok, springbok, nyala, geese, shelduck, guinea fowl

Animals not taken: warthog (a half of a second more and it would have been taken, I'm gaining respect for these wary animals).

Quality of animals: very good to excellent. The steenbok may make Roland and Ward minimums. My desire was to take trophies that were old and had "character" and Evert delivered. Animals were very wary and challenging, lots of fun.

Firearm used: Mauser 30.06 My black wildebeest needed two shots to bring it down in spite of the first shot being through the shoulder and lungs. This is the first animal I've ever shot that got went down when shot and then got up again. All other animals dropped on the first shot or ran short distances before dying.

Accommodations: excellent, also stayed at Africasky B&B in Jburg for one night, highly recommend their accommodations and services.

Food: excellent All meals were well prepared using either game meats, lamb and or chicken. Several mid-day repasts were done over open fire in the bush, wonderful. (I discovered Africa bread which makes the most wonderful sandwich when joined with a little butter and chipped biltong. I declined the more "fancy" breakfast in favor of this wonderful concoction every morning.)

Complaint: too much to see and do and not enough time. And I'm tired of the United Airlines "cattle car" approach to travel in the U.S. South African Airways did a good job on the international travel.

 

[Nyati]

Nice trophies ! And thanks for your hunting report.

These black wildebeest are tough, I suppose that s why they call them the poor man s buffalo.

 

[35bore]

Sounds like a successful hunt, congrats on the crate full of animals. From the photo's, looks like you got some rain during your hunt.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Thanks for posting your hunt report and great pictures!

 

[James.Grage]

Nice report.

Sound like a great time...i also had talked to them about a safari a few years ago, looked like a good operation...however there are many of them out there and getting better each year.

 

[enysse]

Thanks for the hunt report. Nice animals, I really love the steenbok!

 

[BRICKBURN]

Thanks for the report.
Congratulations.

Slobbering over that Steenbok and very nice Boss on the WT Gnu!

 

[Norwegianwoods]

Congrats with a great hunt!
Thanks for the report.

 

[Upton O. Good]

Sounds like a successful hunt, congrats on the crate full of animals. From the photo's, looks like you got some rain during your hunt.

35bore and all,
Thank you for your compliments and comments, we had one day of rain, and a couple of cloudy, windy days. Early mornings were chilly but we were in shirt shelves by mid-day. The mornings were great for hunting bushbuck and I was able to take my first one. This was my primary animal I was hunting and I really enjoy glassing those sunny hillsides early in the morning with the sun on my back. Great fun.

 

[Bobpuckett]

Upton O. Good thanks for the report and Great Pictures, glad you had a great time the Bushbuck and Vaal Rhebuck are High on my list for next week. Congrats

 

[Diamondhitch]

Good looking critters congrats

 

[Stretch]

Good report. You had some fun.