I did not compete much last year saving money for this trip and it took me a while to write this up: My African Safari Summer 2012
Tuesday July 31, 2012
Arrived at Johannesburg International (TAMBO) Airport 5:30 PM local time; collected our baggage, cleared Customs and the South African Police with approved firearms import license and my rifle and was met by the owners of Warthog Safari. We drove to the lodge approximately four and one half hours, with a short stop for a hamburger, the last hour on a dirt road at about 50 to 60 miles an hour, which was the slowest we traveled. On the ride we saw a Jackal and very large Hare.
My wife and I arrived at the lodge to find a very nice thatched grass roof brick cottage with a ¾ bathroom; Queen sized bed complete with taxidermy mounts where we would spend the week.
Wednesday August 1, 2012
In the morning after a light breakfast and I checked the zero of my rifle, it was right on. I was shooting a 25 year old Remington 700 that had been bedded into a Brown Precision fiberglass stock, 2.5X8 Leupold Scope with a detachable sling. While I have not hunted much with this rifle I have practiced fairly regularly with it and a .270 Winchester I have set up identically to it except for a 3.5X10 Leupold. Fairly regularly means that I have shot 2,300 full charge hunting loads through these rifles (combined) in the past five years. I was shooting hand loaded 180 grain Nosler Partitions.
After breakfast we drove around the property, we saw: Impala, Blue Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Cape buffalo, Kudo, Eland, Sable, Mongoose, Zebra running full tilt through the woods, Warthogs on the drive and again later small ones can into the compound to eat the grass around the pool, and Giraffe. The Giraffe was a group that consisted of a huge male approximated 17 feet high, two smaller females (they hide is a much lighter color than the male) and a small one about 10 feet tall.
We came back to the lodge for brunch and after meeting my Professional Hunter Flippie we went out and hunted in a blind that afternoon, but saw nothing noteworthy to shoot. The blinds we shot from were constructed of either stone or brick with a roof, door, windows, chairs and usually a rubber mat on the cement floor to muffle the sound. They were large enough to move around in without spooking game. They were all situated very near waterholes, either natural or manmade ponds.
Thursday August 2, 2012
Drove around briefly in the morning then stopped by a watering hole. There were 16 Kudos including several young bucks that ran off when we arrived. We set up in a very comfortable brick blind that overlooked the water hole. Warthogs came in there were 4 females and three little ones that came in and milled about. Impala visited the watering hole next including one buck (too small per my PH Flippie) and several does.
We went back to the lodge for brunch and came back to that Blind/Waterhole for the afternoon hunt. We saw more Kudo, a beautiful mature Waterbuck (which I could not afford to shoot); and a doe Waterbuck. Later in the afternoon, a heard of Blue Wildebeest came in to drink. I shot a mature old buck at 35 yard; one shot into the chest with the thing looking straight at me. At the shot the heard trotted off to the right, there was no visible reaction from the bull I shot. I tried to get another shot off, but the bull was in the middle of the heard at that point and I was worried about shooting through him and wounding another animal. My PH ask me in a concerned voice where I shot him? He did not see me zero my rifle and was questioning my shot placement. In talking to him later it appears that some people going to Africa can not shoot or have no experience shooting. An interesting note is that on the first morning, my host lent me a book “The Perfect Shot” by Kevin Robertson on shot placement on African animals. You would be surprised how far forward the heart and lungs are located on these animals compared to a deer or Black Bear. If you shoot behind the shoulder on these animals you may miss the vitals. It is that much different.
Also a mature Duiker came in from the back of the blind. It was literally 3 yard in front of the observation window. My PH wanted me to shoot it, as it was a mature buck. I let it go. I was not willing to spend the $400 trophy fee for it. For those who have never seen one they are about 20 inches tall and look like they weigh about 30 pounds (guess on my part). While I know the Tiny 10 is hunted with great vigor, I have no interest in shooting these small Antelopes. Nothing against those who do, it just not my thing. We hunted till dark in the blind. This was my wife’s very first hunting experience; she did fine except it was hard for her to sit still for hours. She even wore her white hunting shirt.
Friday August 3, 2012
While driving out to the blind we saw a group of four White Rhinoceros there was a large male (estimated to weigh 6,000 pounds) two females and a smaller one (the smaller one was still the size of a Buick). Later we saw the large male in front of a group of Cape Buffalos, he dwarfed them! It was fantastic to see.
We when to the stone blind. After we got situated I snuck out the back to pee. Of course coming back I spooked two antelopes. To be honest I am not ever sure what specie they were, there are so many different variety in South Africa.
Tuesday July 31, 2012
Arrived at Johannesburg International (TAMBO) Airport 5:30 PM local time; collected our baggage, cleared Customs and the South African Police with approved firearms import license and my rifle and was met by the owners of Warthog Safari. We drove to the lodge approximately four and one half hours, with a short stop for a hamburger, the last hour on a dirt road at about 50 to 60 miles an hour, which was the slowest we traveled. On the ride we saw a Jackal and very large Hare.
My wife and I arrived at the lodge to find a very nice thatched grass roof brick cottage with a ¾ bathroom; Queen sized bed complete with taxidermy mounts where we would spend the week.
Wednesday August 1, 2012
In the morning after a light breakfast and I checked the zero of my rifle, it was right on. I was shooting a 25 year old Remington 700 that had been bedded into a Brown Precision fiberglass stock, 2.5X8 Leupold Scope with a detachable sling. While I have not hunted much with this rifle I have practiced fairly regularly with it and a .270 Winchester I have set up identically to it except for a 3.5X10 Leupold. Fairly regularly means that I have shot 2,300 full charge hunting loads through these rifles (combined) in the past five years. I was shooting hand loaded 180 grain Nosler Partitions.
After breakfast we drove around the property, we saw: Impala, Blue Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Cape buffalo, Kudo, Eland, Sable, Mongoose, Zebra running full tilt through the woods, Warthogs on the drive and again later small ones can into the compound to eat the grass around the pool, and Giraffe. The Giraffe was a group that consisted of a huge male approximated 17 feet high, two smaller females (they hide is a much lighter color than the male) and a small one about 10 feet tall.
We came back to the lodge for brunch and after meeting my Professional Hunter Flippie we went out and hunted in a blind that afternoon, but saw nothing noteworthy to shoot. The blinds we shot from were constructed of either stone or brick with a roof, door, windows, chairs and usually a rubber mat on the cement floor to muffle the sound. They were large enough to move around in without spooking game. They were all situated very near waterholes, either natural or manmade ponds.
Thursday August 2, 2012
Drove around briefly in the morning then stopped by a watering hole. There were 16 Kudos including several young bucks that ran off when we arrived. We set up in a very comfortable brick blind that overlooked the water hole. Warthogs came in there were 4 females and three little ones that came in and milled about. Impala visited the watering hole next including one buck (too small per my PH Flippie) and several does.
We went back to the lodge for brunch and came back to that Blind/Waterhole for the afternoon hunt. We saw more Kudo, a beautiful mature Waterbuck (which I could not afford to shoot); and a doe Waterbuck. Later in the afternoon, a heard of Blue Wildebeest came in to drink. I shot a mature old buck at 35 yard; one shot into the chest with the thing looking straight at me. At the shot the heard trotted off to the right, there was no visible reaction from the bull I shot. I tried to get another shot off, but the bull was in the middle of the heard at that point and I was worried about shooting through him and wounding another animal. My PH ask me in a concerned voice where I shot him? He did not see me zero my rifle and was questioning my shot placement. In talking to him later it appears that some people going to Africa can not shoot or have no experience shooting. An interesting note is that on the first morning, my host lent me a book “The Perfect Shot” by Kevin Robertson on shot placement on African animals. You would be surprised how far forward the heart and lungs are located on these animals compared to a deer or Black Bear. If you shoot behind the shoulder on these animals you may miss the vitals. It is that much different.
Also a mature Duiker came in from the back of the blind. It was literally 3 yard in front of the observation window. My PH wanted me to shoot it, as it was a mature buck. I let it go. I was not willing to spend the $400 trophy fee for it. For those who have never seen one they are about 20 inches tall and look like they weigh about 30 pounds (guess on my part). While I know the Tiny 10 is hunted with great vigor, I have no interest in shooting these small Antelopes. Nothing against those who do, it just not my thing. We hunted till dark in the blind. This was my wife’s very first hunting experience; she did fine except it was hard for her to sit still for hours. She even wore her white hunting shirt.
Friday August 3, 2012
While driving out to the blind we saw a group of four White Rhinoceros there was a large male (estimated to weigh 6,000 pounds) two females and a smaller one (the smaller one was still the size of a Buick). Later we saw the large male in front of a group of Cape Buffalos, he dwarfed them! It was fantastic to see.
We when to the stone blind. After we got situated I snuck out the back to pee. Of course coming back I spooked two antelopes. To be honest I am not ever sure what specie they were, there are so many different variety in South Africa.
