My two week adventure begins!!! Targeting Rhino, Buff, assorted PG and finally a Trophy Bull Elephant!!! I will be providing parts to this trip in pieces by day hoping that is okay. Have you ever had a travel trip that went perfect? Well this was it. 14.5 hour trip from Atlanta to JNB went perfect…on time flight, TSA very friendly wishing me success. Recently a poster asked the value of using a company to help get through customs to your hotel…I always use henry@rifle permits. Marius is nothing short of incredible!!! As soon as I came out of the gate there was the sign with my name. There were already over 200 people standing in the custom line…I got taken up to the very front of everyone and processed through. They had a cart for me, collected my bag then took me to collect my rifles. They had the police waiting with my rifle checked my numbers then handed me my completed rifle license. They then took me to the City Lodge. In 35 minutes from deplane to hotel…there were people still waiting in the custom line!!!! $200 worth every penny!!!! To be continued
Rifles and Ammo taken: Montana 404 J 400 grain Hornady DGX. 470 NE DR 500 grain CEB solids
First, Windshoek is absolutely incredible!!! The history is amazing dating back to 1892. I will be posting pictures of everything when I get back. The rooms are amazing immaculate!!!! When I arrived they had a wonderful drink for me with a sign that said welcome Craig Hodnett which is me! My room also had my name on the front door bidding me welcome! They have a wonderful wine room, large dining area with beautiful pool in the back. Each room has its own veranda. Completing the atmosphere is a wonderful fire area with surrounding rock walls.
For anyone thinking of bringing a spous or partner this is the place…my wife is a germaphobe and this place would pass her inspection!
The food is simply excellent! Of course SA wines are wonderful!
But it is the people that truly make this place just wonderful. I will be introducing you to them shortly given I want to spell their names correctly. I will tell you this, my PH is nothing short of fantastic! His favorite sport is shooting targets from 300-1000 yards in the prone position with open sights and a sling no bipod!!! His can do attitude his eagle eyes have thus far given us two animals…I just cannot say enough good things about him
Windshoek is 300,000 acres of beautiful country. On this hunt, my Rhino to help me with my big 5 vision is the main animal. I am hunting cull PGs to enjoy the experience for whatever Africa offers.
First Afternoon
We saw a wide variety of game with list too long to name them all! I saw my first Rhino on the 300,000 acres running with its calf…incredible!!! I wanted a Sable so off we went looking. Late in the afternoon we suddenly saw a lone broken horn old bull that had just crossed the road and off we went. We drove about 300 more yards to get the wind right and off we went. While you think the terrain is open the tall grass in April deceives you…it was quite thick in areas. We tracked him a long way only to see a large Sable bull chasing our targeted one the opposite way from where we had just walked!!! Back we went the other way after them! Did I tell you my PH had Eagle eyes? Suddenly he stops, glasses and says your bull is right under those trees hidden about 300 yards out…we stalk to about 110 yards and up go the sticks. My 404J roars and the bull drops right there. Oh what an afternoon! My bull, pictures to follow, was 13 years old with his teeth to his gum line. My PH said he would not have lasted another winter. When we pulled up to the lodge wonderful Marie was there to greet us with warm towels and glasses of sherry…talk about getting spoiled!!!! A wonderful dinner followed with a nice glass of scotch by the fire and off to bed with a smile on my face for day 1!!!
