First ever guided hunt - South Africa

[OntarioHunter]

@npaden ....I recall that you had the lions in their enclosure near the main camp. I'm guessing that some of their diet comes from hunted/harvested game? And then perhaps a lion hunt will occur if the hunter desires such a venture?

Did you see/hear hyenas and vultures? It doesn't seem like there are gut piles being left strewn about the hunting area.

Is the fencing of such a nature that smaller predators such as jackals, serval or caracal are more free range instead of confined?

Depends on the animal and where it's shot, but yes most are gutted at the meat shed. A lot of the innards are considered delicacy by native staff. They really go for lungs and stomach.

 

[npaden]

A few pictures from the lodge. There were 4 rooms available, we stayed in the one on the end. The roof was thatch inside and outside. Not sure how thick it was. We stayed in the room on the end.
The gathering area of the lodge was a big open L shape with a large table, a bar area and a sitting area. It was very odd to me, but there were not any walls on the inside corner of the L shape. You could tell the nicer things were further into the room from the open wall but I’m not sure many places could get away with essentially a room completely open to the elements. The fire pit was in the courtyard and we spent time around it each evening.



The rhino is a replica, but I think it is life sized.
Nothing exciting in the room. Air conditioning, beds and a separate bathroom.

 

[npaden]

We spent an hour or two sitting around the fire each night. I love to sit around a fire, but a lot of times there are open fire bans or I’m just tired from the day and don’t feel like getting one started but with someone else starting and tending it every time I was perfectly willing to sit by it each evening before dinner.

This is a picture of Eli standing next to one of the “small” baobab trees.

He’s right at 6’ tall now but the height isn’t the impressive part about these trees, it is how big around they are. I would say that the big one that I posted a picture of earlier is at least 4 times bigger around than this one. They had quite a few of these on the property, Pieter’s potato farm is named Kremetart which is the Afrikaans word for the baobab tree.

 

[npaden]

A couple of buffalo that we saw during the week. The first by the waterhole is one that Cathy took when she was there waiting by herself. She said that he didn’t seem to be very happy that she was there but she was in the truck and felt safe. Earlier in the week Teferri was with her at the truck and told her that he had seen some buffalo and she started walking in that direction to go see them and he told her that they were dangerous and that she had to stay with the truck.

The second is a picture I took from the truck. There were 3 bulls together but the other 2 were in the brush. We were on the truck and he gave us the stink eye for a bit and then they all ran off.

 

[timberman56]

quite the adventure!! on my bucket list..thanks for sharing

 

[Salmonchaser]

Great stuff, thanks

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

What a wonderful trip for you, your son, and wife. This was the first Live Hunts thread that I’ve followed along with as it was composed, and you did a fantastic job writing it.

Next June will be my first trip to Africa (also South Africa), and it was great to get a taste of what I might expect. Are you having your taxidermy done in Africa, or back here? Were bugs like ticks much of a problem? Did you take anything for malaria prevention? I know in northern South Africa near Kruger the CDC recommends malaria prophylaxis year-round, even though the risk is pretty low during African winter.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I saw one mosquito in my bathroom sink on day one of first of two trips. That's it. Never picked up a tick. I usually hunt South Africa end of August or early September. Yet to see a snake there (oh shucks).

 

[npaden]

What a wonderful trip for you, your son, and wife. This was the first Live Hunts thread that I’ve followed along with as it was composed, and you did a fantastic job writing it.

Next June will be my first trip to Africa (also South Africa), and it was great to get a taste of what I might expect. Are you having your taxidermy done in Africa, or back here? Were bugs like ticks much of a problem? Did you take anything for malaria prevention? I know in northern South Africa near Kruger the CDC recommends malaria prophylaxis year-round, even though the risk is pretty low during African winter.

Thanks. I’m not any kind of an expert but we didn’t do anything for malaria. I did see one tick when I was sitting out in the bush one day but never saw one attached to anyone.

I’m having all the European mounts and tanning done there and am planning to have 2 shoulder mounts done once everything is back in the states. From my research with shipping costs being what they are now it would cost more to have it done in South Africa and then shipped here complete than having it shipped here as the horns and the cape and mounted here.

 

[npaden]

A few more pictures, poky and scratchy things.

This is what our pants looked like most days. These were like small cockle burrs except they were also sticky like they had glue inside them.


This was the worst tree. The big white thorns really weren’t too bad, but if you look really close there are some smaller barbs shaped like a fish hook that would grab you and not let go. They were very sharp and would even grab your skin. They drew blood on me a few times and took my hat off quite a few times as well. One time one grabbed my jacket off the rack in the front of the truck and we had to drive back to pick it up.

No idea what this was, about the size of a egg. Very sharp and hooks. I tried to carry this back to ask Pieter what it was but gave up trying to carry it and just dropped it back on the ground and took a picture.

 

[BAKPAKR]

A couple of buffalo that we saw during the week. The first by the waterhole is one that Cathy took when she was there waiting by herself. She said that he didn’t seem to be very happy that she was there but she was in the truck and felt safe. Earlier in the week Teferri was with her at the truck and told her that he had seen some buffalo and she started walking in that direction to go see them and he told her that they were dangerous and that she had to stay with the truck.
View attachment 234117
The second is a picture I took from the truck. There were 3 bulls together but the other 2 were in the brush. We were on the truck and he gave us the stink eye for a bit and then they all ran off.
View attachment 234118

That looks like a big bull.

I have enjoyed following along on your hunt. Thanks posting the story and photos, and congrats to you and your son.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Watch out for freight scams getting trophies shipped. Make sure the "forwarding" company gives your taxidermist a quote BEFORE the crate leaves the taxidermy shop. Once the freight outfit gets their hooks in it, you have to pay whatever they demand. I got soaked $2K to get one box with eight skulls shipped. The airline billed the freight "fowarder" $800. Forwarder pocketed the rest. Merely drove it to the airport. Also make it absolutely clear that the taxidermist WILL NOT let the stuff leave their shop until you have photos of finished work and agree it is satisfactory. The problem is most of those taxidermists require FULL payment before they will touch the trophies. So they decide what is satisfactory completion and client is helpless. Here we only take a down payment before starting work, usually half the quote which at least covers materials if we get stiffed. If the taxidermist agrees to send photos before shipping, you've at least some hope of getting the lodge to intervene if the work is crap before it's put on a plane. You want to read some African taxidermy horror stories, just check out the North American taxidermist forums.

 

[OntarioHunter]

A few more pictures, poky and scratchy things.
...
This was the worst tree. The big white thorns really weren’t too bad, but if you look really close there are some smaller barbs shaped like a fish hook that would grab you and not let go. They were very sharp and would even grab your skin. They drew blood on me a few times and took my hat off quite a few times as well. One time one grabbed my jacket off the rack in the front of the truck and we had to drive back to pick it up.
View attachment 234158

I believe that is acacia. It's long thorns are particularly dangerous for eyes. Do not hunt that country without eye protection. Period! I think the grabber/slasher bush you're describing is something else - blackthorn. Little hooks that grow close to the stem. Damn those weeds are vicious! Buffalo really like to hang in that crap.

 

[the nikster]

View attachment 232396

More like this but I am nice to look at.

 

[Sawtooth]

Wonderful adventure. Thanks for taking us along. Africa can get in your blood. The people, culture, history, and scenery there is amazing.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Amazing read, really appreciate you talking the time and allowing us to tag along and experience the highs and the lows.

 

[OntarioHunter]

More dangerous hazard than the thorns was South African porcupine. They are not particularly dangerous animals but the holes they dig definitely are. It's the best reason to stay directly behind the PH when stalking in the bush. He will always warn you in time. If he falls in a hole and breaks a leg, the lodge will find another PH. If you break a leg your hunt is over. Those porky excavations are EVERYWHERE. Much more numerous than American badger holes. Also, it's a good idea to let the PH intercept the king cobra first.

The South African porcupine is actually quite pretty. Quills are longer and much thicker than N Am critter. Beautifully striped too. Last time I was at the lodge I noticed they had changed the wall mounted lights in the bar/dining room to ones with porcupine quill shades. Very cool.

Last time my PH told me a story about a recent young punk client from the States who insisted on hunting alone. Client became belligerent when Glen refused. Finally Glen politely told the jerk he could either get in line behind him or a crowd at the airport ticket desk. The rest of the week the twit pouted. He still got some good animals but won't be coming back to that lodge. Watch any of scores of J Alain Smith's "Rugged X" videos. That guy has probably shot more than a hundred Cape buffalo but on the stalks he is ALWAYS behind the PH. Same with his plains game stalks. He may be a tacky showman supreme but Smith is also a helluva shot and conscious about presenting the proper example for viewers re safety and ethics.

 

[npaden]

Since I put so much effort into this thread I'll bump this one more time.

We have already been discussing the possibilities of going back to Africa. We've done some great vacations to Fiji, New Zealand, Caribbean, 49 states including Alaska and Hawaii and typically we don't go back to someplace we've already been. There are way more amazing places to go see than we have time to see them that going back somewhere has generally not been something we've done even if we really enjoyed a place. Also a lot of those are seeing something that is fairly static. The mountains and beaches are generally going to be the same each time you go.

This was a little different. The people were so amazing they make us want to go back and see them even if we weren't going to hunt there. But the hunting there was really amazing and there are so many different animals to hunt that we didn't even scratch the surface. With that said there are some low fence opportunities in Namibia and Botswana that sound amazing as well from a hunting perspective but I'm not sure I would want to go back and not hunt with Pieter.

The guy that referred me to the place seems to have that figured out because although he seems to go back to Africa annually and he hunts with Pieter each time, he does like a 4 or 5 day hunt with Pieter and combines that with something in the Eastern Cape or Namibia or something like that. We also still want to go to Kruger and maybe Victoria Falls and I have a friend that did a riverboat trip in Botswana that sounded amazing.

So all that to say that it does seem to get in your blood and I am fairly sure that we will be back. Probably not next year as we are looking at a European trip but Pieter said a lot of his hunters make it an every other year type of thing and that might be more along the lines we would be looking at.

For anyone that wants to try it out I think you would be surprised at how much fun it is. I would 100% recommend Pieter's place but I'm sure there are a ton of other great places as well.

Back home and no more trips planned for the next couple months. Need to knuckle down and catch up at work so I can afford to go back!

 

[2rocky]

Well done npaden. Glad I kept checking up on this. I think you and I are very similar in our hunt styles (especially the standing in the sun part). Glad you shared it with us. You have me thinking......

 

[BrentD]

@npaden Namibia is awesome for hunting AND fishing the Skeleton coast north from Swakamond (sp ?) Was great too. In SA, take a detour into the Kalahari International Park on the Botwana border. Definitely worthwhile.