Pictures - from my Safari - Finally

[Shaky]

Hello all,

Finally have some pictures transfered into my folder whereby all can see them.

Here I am with my PH inside the lodge.

Here is the living room inside the lodge.

Here is one of the bedrooms

Here is a picture of the outside of the lodge.

The accomodations are 5 Star and the food is great too.

The lodge has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It is super plush.

Don

 

[Shaky]

Here are pictures of the animals I took while on Safari.

This is the 17 3/4" Blesbok I shot on the first day of my Safari.

Below is the 5" Steenbok

Below is my Springbok

Below is my 13" Bushbuck. For those that know bushbuck, check out the unusual dark coat.

Below is my Zebra

Don

 

[Shaky]

Anybody notice how "Blue" the skies are? We were lucky, we didn't have one drop of rain the entire 12 days.

Don

 

[Delw]

Shaky
Awsum animals....
I would really like to have a zebra rug one of thses days

Those are so cool, glad you got to hunt there.

WTG
Delw

 

[MarvB]

Shaky...thanks for posting! Great pics...I can't wait to go there myself someday (once the kidlets get raised

)

 

[Moosie]

Shakey..... Cool Pictures man. Were are the Senioritas

What does a hunt like that cost ? Tell us the Particulars about the Length of stay , Etc....

 

[Nut]

Great pics again. Wished you left the ballcap right. That way the shadow from the bill would have covered your face.

 

[Shaky]

Originally posted by Moosie:
Shakey..... Cool Pictures man. Were are the Senioritas

What does a hunt like that cost ? Tell us the Particulars about the Length of stay , Etc....

Oscar,

No senorita's - sorry to say

As to cost: I had a package of 6 animals. I swapped them around a bit and gave some to my buddy Jim to kill. The cost was $4200.00 and that included everything from the time we were picked up at Port Elizabeth airport until we were driven back to the airport.

Lodging, meals (and you know how I eat ), daily laundry (they even ironed my socks), all ground transportation, fully guided 1 on 1 with a tracker and a PH (professional hunter).

We were at the lodge 12 days and the Safari was 10 days. The extra 2 days are included in the package price. The airport pickup and return are included in the same price. A lot of outfitters charge extra for airport pickup and an extra day on each end of the Safari.

As you can all see the lodge is 5 star. The food was great and it was all one could eat and I "can eat"

The lodge is around 3000 sq ft, all on one floor. If memory serves me correctly there were 5 bedrooms - we only used 3 of them. The picture shown of the living room has a thatched roof overhead. The bedroom picture shown is where Jim slept. My bedroom was about twice that size and had 2 beds in it. Exiting the door (left in picture) from the living room is the fire pit - where the meat was cooked. The fire pit is surrounded by "cane" poles, tied together in a circle. The pit is about 30 feet in diameter. We sat out there most nights, BSing and sipping drinks as the wood burned down to coals - used to cook with.

It was a great time and I can't wait to get back.

Fred,

Remember, I know where you used to live. I say, used to, because when you pull into your driveway you "may" see your house blow up .

Don

 

[Elkhunter]

WTG Shaky. The pictures are great! Thank you for sharing them with us.

 

[Kraven]

Awesome pics Shaky.Glad yo had a great trip and Safari.Congrats on the animals.

 

[Shaky]

Elkhunter and Kev,

Thanks. I had a great time and can't wait to get back. I have already booked another safari in May 2006. I will be after Blue and Black Wildebeest, 2 more Zebra and a 15" plus bushbuck. I am hooked on Bushbuck since they offer such a challenge. I fully realize I need to get in much better shape for bushbuck. There are a lot of mountains to climb to get "in" where they live. I am trying to wear out my daughters bicylce since she now has a car and doesn't use her bike much.

Don

 

[Shaky]

Del,

You ole Geezer, how ya been?

I had a great time and I agree about the Zebra. To "me" the Zebra represents Africa. I hear how the Kudu is "the" animal to go after in South Africa but they do nothing for "me". I can tell you this, Zebra are tough animals. I want 2 more so I can have 2 pedestal mounts made with the heads. Then have the hide "inset" into the sides of end tables, with the head mounted on top. I think one on either side of my recliner would be cool. The one shown above will be made into a "rug" to hang on the wall.

The Wildebeest will be european mounts with the hides tanned. I plan to put the hides on the wall with the mount next to it and an 8 X 10 picture.

I can see me always hunting Bushbuck since they offer such a challenge. If I was 1/2 mountain goat it would make it easier but who wants easy?

Be well and give my girlfriend (your wife) a big hug from me.

Don

 

[Shaky]

Oscar,

Unlike a lot of outfitters there isn't any minimum for the animals you decide to take. You could hunt for 10 days and take 3 or 4 animals or 20, the choice is yours. We were NEVER pressured into taking additional animals even though we actually finished hunting in 7 days. I even asked the PH's (who own the business): What if a person only wanted 2 or 3 animals for the 10 days? They told me: That is fine by them. The daily fee's cover their costs.

On my next Safari I am planning to hunt for 7 days and fish for 5 days. My total time in country will be 14 days. I like fishing as much as hunting and since my PH has his own boat we can go out fishing anytime. I do plan to take a few new reels with me next time and give them to the PH. He has a liking to a certain type and brand.

I would warn anybody that goes to Africa to hunt, do not book with an outfit that uses "Land Rovers" unless you like sore kidneys. Those things ride like "lumber wagons".

Don

 

[DeerKing]

Nice pics Skaky! Did you have Gemsbok in that area? What other plains game were there?

 

[Shaky]

Deerking,

After I took my spingbuck we took a little ride. I saw many different animals. I saw a lot of Gemsbok were I hunted Steenbok and Springbuck. Other animals seen on the various farms were: Blue Duiker, Grey Duiker, Mountain Reedbuck, Lechwe, Red Hartebeest, Impala, Bontebuck, Nyala, Eland, Vaal Rhebuck, Warthog, Jackals, Ostrich and hundreds and I do mean hundreds of monkeys. Although there are leopard in the area there aren't any tags available for them. I never actually saw a leopard but we did see their foot prints. We also saw Cape Buffalo and Giraffe. There were a lot of secretary birds seen as well. I saw a lot of wildlife, to numerous to remember.

Don

 

[Shaky]

Deerking,

I knew I would forget some animals. I saw a lot of Kudu as well.

To All,

The thing with the daily laundry service was sort of funny, to me. Every lodge I was at has a maid. We were told to leave our dirty clothes at the foot of the bed when we left in the morning and the maid would wash them. One nice thing about that is you only need 3 changes of clothes. I took a large suitcase - never again. I only needed about 1/2 the clothes I took. One day we returned to the lodge around noon since we were done early, that day and planned on going fishing that afternoon. As I walked to my chalet I saw this little woman on her knees in the yard, bent over a large plastic drum. I was curious, so I walked over to her and said hello. She didn't have a clue what I was saying since she spoke Afrikans, not English but I am sure she knew I was friendly. She had my clothes in this container, washing my clothes by hand. She had another large container next to it with clean hot water for rinsing. She then hung the clothes over a line stretched between 2 poles. I haven't seen a clothes line in years, back home. Just before the clothes are dry (still a little damp) she gets them off the line and irons them. She used an old cast-iron iron that sat on a steel plate with hot coals under it. I thought, wow, we just regressed 100 years. After ironing my shirts, she buttoned up all the buttons and folded them. My jeans and even my socks were ironed. I NEVER had anybody iron socks before. We then went fishing. When I returned my clean clothes were folded and on top of my bed.

If anybody goes to South Africa to hunt, don't take a lot of clothes. Next time I will take a camo hooded sweatshirt, for cool mornings, 2 camo shirts, 2 pair of camo pants, socks, well broke in boots, a hat, and gloves. Whatever I wear traveling to South Africa will be washed for my return. I would suggest a light, non insulated rain coat and pants in case it rains. We were lucky, we never had one drop of rain the entire trip. I took a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans to wear in the evening after the hunting. Again, they wash your clothes everyday - no need to take a lot of clothing with you.

I was "wrongly" told not to take any camo. As can be seen in the pictures my PH wore camo all the time. I bought tan and OD green clothing to take with me - what a waste. I already have all sorts of camo clothing. I have mostly "Advantage Camo" clothing and that pattern would work just fine.

Be Well,

Don

 

[DeerKing]

Thanks for the good info Shaky. I'm headed to S.A. then Namibia next May for 10 days of hunting. It can't get here soon enough! Gems, Kudu, Zebra, Bushbuck, Springbuck and several other critters you mentioned may meet their fate

.

 

[Shaky]

DeerKing,

Have a "Great" trip and come back safe and tell us all about it. I hear ya on the "not soon enough"

Don

 

[Lochi]

Hey Skaky,
Haven't been to my pc for a while, so missed out when you posted this.
Congrats with that steenbok! ... and the others as well of course.
We are all happy for you, having gone with the right outfitter for a great holiday.
Lochi.

 

[Tom]

Man, I just looked in the Trophy Game Records of the World's 25th anniversary issue from last year. You've got some high scoring animals there. Are you entering them in SCI or TGR?

Pretty awesome weather too, wow. Congratulations on a wonderful trip Shaky!