SOUTH AFRICA: NAMIBIA: Natal To Namibia With KMG Hunting Safaris

[Uintaelkhunter]

How to start? Well I’m have not been one to write much on reports the last several years. Even though I read a lot of them for resources and research for hunts I’m planing in the future.
I think it all started back in 2012 or 13 when I first had heard of KMG and Marius. I had emailed him about a hunt I was looking into. First thing that stood out about him and his outfit he was very prompt in replying and straight forward with details. But with all thing life happens and my contact went cold with him for a few years. I still kept reading reports on him and KMG as they seemed to be growing and becoming more established in the AH realm and hunting community. So once again I contacted them about a hunt and was once again emailed back very quickly with a reply. I was after some more specialized animals that would require permits and some travel to obtain so we made a plan for a few years out and a small deposit was made to secure the hunt. We would start in natal. I was to fly into Durbin where Marius would meet me at the airport and we would hunt our way down to the Easter cape over 13 days I believe. Where once I finished I would start my journey home from PE. So with a plan in place and deposit made I was the start of the normal routine for most of us I’m sure. The what if’s going through our minds. The painful waiting game up to the departure dates. The hope that everything goes smooth. How will you and your PH get along. The list I’m sure we all go thru that just keeps going on and on up to that final first meeting in person.
To be continued...

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

Well the wait was over. Travel day the time of probable the biggest emotions we have or at least I have. Boarding that first flight leaving home and the known for the unknown and the excitement that awaits. Having traveled a lot myself probably more than most. I still have trouble sleeping on flights and this was going to be one of my longest travels to date as it was going to be my first time going to longer route. I prefer straight and direct flights if possible. But this time I was to leave Salt Lake City on the red eye to New York traveling thru Dubai to Durbin. Total travel I believe was a little over 39 hrs. Although Emerates airlines is very nice probably one of the best as fare as food and comfort go. I still prefer the direct route myself. Im sure if Marius can remember I don’t think I was anywhere near by best on our first meeting at the terminal in Dublin. Tired and jet lagged. Or atleast that is what I will blame it on as I was looking around the unfamiliar faces trying to find my soon to be Hunting Buddy and Ph for the next few weeks. As I was looking for the first 6ft4 240 plus lbs guy in camo I was expecting to be ph. lol well good thing Marius could pick me out in the crowd probably because I was the only guy that looked lost.
Well once outside the airport we loaded up in his vehicle and drove a few hours north to our first stop And began our small talk on the way. One thing I first noticed with Marius over all other hunts I have been on is his attention to detail and his personnel will to get to know his clients. This I picked up on in the first few hours of our drive. Even being beat tired.

Well we arrived in camp well after dark in a place we where both unfamiliar with. Both ready for sleep and excited to see what the next morning would bring.
To be continued...

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

First light and good rest. Still jet lagged I’m sure but we got to sleep in a bit as it was the first day and we needed to meetup with the Local PH for the area and check rifles. I’m sure it was more to check my shooting than the rifles as I was borrowing marius 308 and 300 for this trip and I’m sure he keeps them in top working order as I was soon to find out. Even though his bolt handles are on the wrong side. we got a late start after breakfast and headed to the range. Good to see both rifles shooting right spot on. So off we went looking for a natal red duiker. And what I’m sure marius figured or assured me dont get to comfortable he said we would be on our way soon a day or so we’ll have him or so that was the plan and what the locals had said. So a bit of scouting and a plan to sit late afternoon at a spot they where sure to pass by with a bit of calling. so back to camp for lunch and a rest no need to rush the first day right. Out again around 4 pm I believe to site for what was a sure thing or atleast what I figured was a sure thing by the talkS of it. But Africa has other plans. A slow sit it was I don’t think any of us seen a thing that day it was eerily quite . but with hopes still high we would be back there first thing the next morning before light. a little background for those that have hunted the tiny ten it seems when your not looking for them they are everywhere yet once the hunt is on they vanish. As was our case the property owner assured us he had seen 4 red duikers just the day before we arrived yet for the next 4 days it was a grueling ghost chase so much so that by day three we had changed tactics and started walking the thickets all day searching for sigh of them. Not sure if it was due to us not seeing anything or my lack of being able to sit in a blind for very long. Ether way atleast we where moving and covering some ground bound to bump something. As we worked the thicker cover around some of the watering spots we spotted our first red duiker on day three a ok male. One we watched as he worked his way towards us. Looking back he has probably a shooter but it was nice to see him up close and watch how wary they are and maybe give Marius a chance to see how I handles a gun as I thing he whispered a few times . Do you see it? Can you find it in the scope. Are you sure you can see it. The joys of your first hunt and days with a new Ph getting to know each other’s ability’s. But alas we let this one go to bred and grow. Maybe another time. Back on the hunt we went. Both of us I’m sure wondering if we had made the right decision. One we would ponder the rest of that day and the next. As we had been in the same routine now for a few day of up before first light sit and a spot we figured was sure to produce then walk trying to spot and stalk then back to another spot before dark to once again sit and ponder the days events hoping the chief of a duiker would appear. As I’m sure we were both at a low by the time the 5th day had come around. Was this how the whole trip was going to be. Did Marius luck of producing run out was it the drought that had hit the area that year. But lucky mid day on the 5 day during one of our walking expeditions in the thicket brush our tracker spotted some movement and the mood quickly changed. It was game on full alert. The problem marius and I both knew the duiker was going in the wrong direction and could cense something was up. Marius put the sticks up and I found a small hole to shot thru. No shoot or not a proper one. It was a Texas heart shot or nothing. What to do? One more second and he was gone or try to thread it up the exit and out well atleast I was hoping no damage as this was to be a full body mount. Luck was on our side that day or marius was doing a lot of praying because that 308 solid he hand loaded went right up the ass. And exited out the eyeball without even touching a eyelid. One to this day I will still calm as pure skill even though marius has other thoughts.

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

With the first animal down and what seemed like a very slow start we where out of our low I believe

 

[cpr0312]

Enjoying the start! Look forward to more..

 

[gillettehunter]

The harder you work for them the more they mean to you. Congrats! Took a bit of work to get that one. Enjoying your report.
Bruce

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

After a few photos we left the skinners to work while we had some lunch and packed for the long drive ahead. Next stop oribi country we arrived again late in the evening after dark. To what I describe as my favorite kinda place; off the Bergen path not really set up for the international Hunter just a cattle farm with a guest house and some authentic Africa food. Best sleep I had, I may add place was freezing cold. Ice in the morning cold and it probably kept us from venturing out to early as we stayed in with a cup of coffee waiting for the sun to come up. I’m sure Marius was thinking round two as I was, how long will it take to find a good Oribi in this mass of mountains and fields. And as we had burned so many days already I’m sure it was on Marius' mind and it was on mine if we were going to have enough time and if we had been a bit ambitious in our planning. But I believe luck was on our side as with an hour of glassing we spotted a very nice pair sunning themselves waiting for the cool night dew to be warmed by the rising sun. Problem was there was no cover for miles but one small rock outcropping in the middle of a field 200 yards from the Oribi. And we were stuck in the open looking for a way to work down into position. We made a plan and used the rocks to block our movements towards the pair working our way to just alittle over 200 yards away. We waited them out hoping for them to stand as the sun rose. Again marius I believe is extra cautious and being my only second shot with him still alittle wary as I think he does everything he can for a perfect shot. But me being me laying on the cold ground was getting tired of the wait. So somehow I convinced marius I could take the shot or I may have just taken it without asking as we had determined that this was a ram worth taking already. Either way the shot was good and he never got out of his bed. One morning and we had a Oribi and a load off of both of us I believe as we now had some days to work with for our next leg of the trip. Marius home base as you will familiar territory for him. And we still had a Vaal reedbuck, blue duiker, and grysbuck to try and find before this trip was to be finished.

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

 

[BRICKBURN]

Nice Oribi. Congratulations.

 

[johnnyblues]

Great start and two nice trophies. One can expect nothing less when hunting with KMG.

 

[Ridgewalker]

One you struggled so hard to find and the second a struggle just to get in range! A true hunt! I’m really enjoying this!

 

[gillettehunter]

Beautiful Oribi. Congrats
Bruce

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

The final pit stop if you will in the stormberg area for Vaal before hitting base camp. With the oribi down so early in the morning it give us plenty of time for the drive and a evening hunt to start looking for Vaal. Still quite cold but a complete opposite as fare as camp was concerned from a rustic locals style camp to a place with marble and heated towel racks. Built for the international visitors. But none the less we where there to hunt and guys that have hunted Vaal I’m sure will say it is a hard mountain hiking hunt. You will glass and glass and hike for miles. Or so I’ve heard. First small hill we came to we hiked up over the top to glass. But didn’t see anything so we made our way back to the vehicle. Just as we rounded the next bend Vaal no more than a hundred yards looking at us. With a very inquisitive ram that seemed very interested in what we were. We got out and glassed him up. Probably a shooter for someone just looking for a decent Vaal. My thought was is it really this easy I have heard all these horror stories on how the spot you from a mile away. At this point again marius being a good ph figured we need to work a bit and see some more before we decided to have a crack at a easy shot and thankfully we did just that let him pass to grow a bit or let someone in a pinch have a go at him. So back to camp and a plan was made to head out the next morning early. So I could really see how a true Vaal would react and that they did not disappoint. We probably walked and hike 5-7 miles before spotting the next group. Found a nice ram beaded about 700 yards away. This mind you after marius had us crawl from 800 yard out for a 100 yards just to get a peek over the hill to see them. We made a plan to back out and make a big loop around to get in above them so we belly crawled our way back out of sight and work out way around slowly to peak over a cliff they was bedded under. Slowly we inched our way down over the edge. Glassing as we went watching and hoping he would still be there but to no avail they had vanished like ghost sometime in our loop to get around them. All I could think was wow there is not a tree for hundreds of mile and I’m sure we would have seen them. This was to repeat for the rest of that day and the next. Glass spot a few far far off and work our way around to where we thought there were only to find them gone again. Luckily the morning of the third day we spotted a good group with a nice male leading the pack. Bad news is they seen us as well and were busy leaving the area. We made a plan again this time to drive a good 10 miles or so around them and hike in from the back of the mountain they had last been seen on. Once on top of the mountain the wind was blowing terrible that day so much so you had to lean into it to keep upright. All marius could do was laugh at this point and say well this is Vaal Hunting for ya. We reach the top edge looking down over the valley hoping to catch a glimpse of one of them to hone in on the group. As luck would have it they had worked there way up just underneath us with marius crawling and looking over the edge he had spotted them only a few hundred yards down. Game on as he crawled back to give some direction as to where they were at. He said we would have to be quick and once we looked over they would run but the ram may stop to look back for a second or two and give a shot. We popped over the edge and sure enough they took off but just as Marius had said the ram leading the group stopped just before diving out of site at about 340 yards. I didn’t waist any time as the moment he stopped I held for range and what I taught would be a good wind call. Well all I can say is you get lucky sometimes range was good but wind was much worse up where we were than down on the side at the point the Vaal was at. Luckily I took out his ass end and give me enough time to put in a second finishing shot.

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

Vaal are a bit smaller than I had first thought

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats on the Vaal!!

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

Great start and two nice trophies. One can expect nothing less when hunting with KMG.

Thanks Johnny. Surprisingly this hunt was just after your buffalo hunt with marius a few years ago. I figured I would do a all in one kinda report as I have gotten to know Marius and Kim and become friends with them. One Marius may regret lol. As this started with me working on my tiny ten to us fishing together last year when I was hunting the cape with another outfitter. To us planing and traveling to Namibia for a leopard and finishing my tiny ten with him by getting a Dik Dik

thank you all for the reply’s as I’m do this all from my iPhone

 

[MAdcox]

Great views where that Vaal was. Beautiful country and a great animal, congratulations.

 

[gillettehunter]

That is a nice Vaalie. Congrats. They can make you work a bit for them. Very shy critters.
Bruce

 

[johnnyblues]

Great vallie!

 

[Ridgewalker]

WOW what a Vaal!