SOUTH AFRICA: August 2021 Plains Game Hunt With KMG Hunting Safaris

[Troubleshooter]

Returned recently from a plains game hunt with @KMG Hunting Safaris. Here’s the quick, down & dirty “Just the facts ma’am” review for those of you Sgt Joe Friday types. A more extensive report will follow.

Summary

Country: Republic of South Africa
Region: Eastern Cape
Dates: 9-16 August, 2021 (7 hunting days/8 nights)
Type of Hunt: Plains Game (rifle).
Method of Hunting: Drive/spot/stalk.
Outfitter: KMG Hunting Safaris
PH: Nick Neuper
Agent: Marius Goosen
Locations Hunted: Outspan Farm (approximately 3000 acres); Thompson Farms (similar size to Outspan); Glengarry Game Lodge (approximately 12,300 acres).
Species Hunted: Gemsbok, kudu, warthog, zebra. Added blesbok and impala.
Trophy Quality: There were examples of good trophy animals on each property that we hunted.
Species Seen, Population and Quality of Game Observed: In addition to those species noted above, we observed baboon, bushbok, nyala, and blue wildebeest on the Outspan and Thompson farms. Also observed Cape buffalo and black wildebeest on the Glengarry property. We saw a good mix of younger and more mature animals.
Lodging: Individual suites in the guest housing, with queen-sized bed, two chairs, table, shower, toilet, etc. Very comfortable for our stay. The main lodge building was the focal point for dining and socializing, including a bar and a very welcome fireplace. Water was potable, although we were advised to stick with bottled.
Food: Outstanding, hot, and plentiful. Three meals served daily, with box lunch for our one-day gemsbok excursion.
Activities: Many tourist venues not open due to COVID restrictions. We did take a short sightseeing trip to Morgan Bay following our COVID tests. We also took a ½ day excursion to Mpongo Wildlife Reserve, which I would not recommend.
Travel Methods: United Airlines flight from Newark to Johannesburg. Short hop on South African Airlink to East London, then 45 minute drive to the lodge.
High Points: Quantity and quality of game; superb food. PH and trackers were outstanding in locating suitable game. Camp hosts and lodge staff were friendly and accommodating.
Low Points: Mpongo Wildlife Reserve was a disappointment.
Things to Improve: NSTR.
Overall Rating: Excellent.
Would Recommend to a Friend? Yes.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Full Report:

Prologue: I had been contemplating an African safari for several years, ever since hearing the glowing reports from my former boss. Given the COVID situation and my busy schedule, it looked like 2022-2023 would be the earliest that I could go, if at all. And so it was that in January of this year I was planning for a potential bear hunt in the western US, when Marius of KMG Hunting Safaris posted a deeply discounted cancellation hunt for August. Although Marius was already committed to a safari in another region of the country, he offered up Nick Neuper to be the PH. After some back-and-forth, I jumped on it like the proverbial tick on a hound dog.

I polled several of my hunting buddies to ascertain whether one of them would also like to go, but none could make it. There were the usual excuses -- there was still too much unknown about the COVID situation; it was not in the budget; it wouldn’t fit their work schedule, etc., as well as a couple instances of “Africa – are you nuts?” One friend offered to go as my “native gun bearer” promising to say, “Bwana, here is your boom-stick” as he handed over the rifle – but alas, his wife would not issue him a kitchen-pass. Four of my nephews wanted to go, but again there were conflicts with work schedules or employers who prohibited overseas travel. One of the twins (we’ll call him JV2 for short) was able to make work though, and wanting to test out his new camera he volunteered to act as the “official photographer.” And so the planning began in earnest. Neither of us had been in sub-Saharan Africa before, but he had accompanied me on a previous hunt in Europe, and is an experienced traveler who knows how to handle himself.

Days 1-2: Travel Express had booked us through United Airlines and their recently-established non-stop from Newark NJ (EWR) to Johannesburg (JNB). Apparently United is in the process of determining which routes remain profitable during the Age of COVID, which caused our connecting flight schedules to change several times. Eventually the departure day arrived. In our small, user-friendly airport travelling with a rifle is a very simple process and there was no hassle whatsoever. One interesting note was that the luggage was checked all the way through to East London (ELS), although we would still need to pick them up at Johannesburg for our planned overnight stay.

JV2 and I managed to meet-up during a connecting flight at O’Hare (ORD), and flew the remainder of the route together. The flight from ORD to EWR was full; there was no pretense of “social distancing” here. Similarly, Newark airport was very crowded (and filthy, I might add). About an hour or so prior to boarding at EWR, there was a requirement to show the boarding agent your passport, COVID test results, and boarding pass in order to obtain a sticker which would allow us to board. Just something to be aware of, as it wasn’t well announced but having the sticker kept you from being pulled out of the boarding line. There were very few empty seats on the big Boeing 787, but one was in our row and that allowed for a bit more leg room during the 15-hour flight.

It was past sunset on Day 2 when we landed. I had arranged with Africa Sky Hotel for their VIP meet & greet and firearms expediting services. Accordingly, we were scooped up by Mamdha who collected our baggage and submitted the pre-filled COVID health screening forms. We were then handed off to Gilbert who shepherded us through the SAPS station, where the agent verified the rifle serial number, viewed the ammunition boxes … and that was it – done! Because our baggage had been checked in all the way to ELS, we were advised not to remove the transit stickers from our luggage, as they would be used to check back in for the next day’s flights.

All of this had been accomplished in about 15 minutes and we could have left for the hotel except that Gilbert was supposed to meet another hunter who had not yet emerged from baggage claim. After waiting another 20 minutes or so, arrangements were made for one of the VIP greeters to look for him and alert Gilbert. We were then driven to the hotel. The missing hunter having been located, Gilbert left us in the capable hands of Prudence, who got us checked in and situated. We enjoyed an excellent dinner at the hotel’s nearly empty dining room and then off to get some much-needed sleep.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Day 3: Our flight to ELS was scheduled for the afternoon, so we had time to eat a big breakfast in Africa Sky’s spotless dining room and to stroll the hotel grounds. Travel into downtown Johannesburg was not recommended, and at any rate most attractions and shops were closed due to COVID as well as the effects of the recent rioting and looting spree. Gilbert gathered us back up and got us checked into the airport, where Airlink collected a R575 fee for the rifle case (they only allow one “free” checked bag). We noted that there was no requirement for the COVID test documentation on the internal (domestic) flights, only for entry into RSA. The 90-minute flight was packed to the gills, but uneventful.

We landed just prior to sundown, collected our checked bags, and proceeded to the SAPS office for the rifle case and the ammunition container. The agent was friendly, but seemed to have difficulty understanding “.30-06” when entering the ammunition designation into his logbook (he kept wanting to write “.306 caliber”). This would be the last time we needed to open the ammunition container for accountability inspection. They were literally locking up the airport for the night by the time that we exited, but Nick was waiting for us outside and we quickly loaded baggage onto his Hilux and started the 45-minute drive to Outspan Farm. There we were warmly greeted by our camp hosts, Andrew and Debbie Brill and their assistant Chenene`. We stowed our baggage and sat down for a nice dinner of kudu steaks and lamb. Nick had discussed plans for the next day with us during the drive, and after some additional planning, we retired to our rooms for the night.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Day 4: Breakfast was served at 6:30 this morning, after which we checked the rifle’s zero on their range. It was shooting a bit to the right, but nothing that we couldn’t live with. Time to go hunt! We picked up Nick’s tracker/skinner Themba, along with Outspan’s tracker T-Man. It was cool that morning with very strong winds as a weather front was passing through; but even so it would be 70˚F by 9:30 that morning. Driving to a high-spot where we could glass for game, we passed several small groups of impala and blesbok. Once on our little kopje we spotted several nyala ewes, more impala and a zebra at about 500 yds. After glassing from several locations, we decided to leave Themba and T-Man with the bakkie while Nick, JV2, and I still-hunted along a two-track that descended from the hilltop towards the valley below. We observed several additional animals on the opposite ridge, none of which were shooters. Themba and T-Man brought the vehicle forward, and we mounted-up for a slow drive along the opposite side, looking back towards where we had recently been.

About 10:00 a.m., we were driving towards another vantage point when there was a tap on the roof of the Hilux and Nick brought the vehicle to a halt. Three impala rams were feeding at the edge of a brushy area; Nick thought that two of them looked good. Driving out of sight, we dismounted and commenced a stalk. Our efforts were thwarted by brush and a smaller ram that kept interposing himself between us and the target animals, preventing a clear shot. It did provide Nick an opportunity to better judge the other two animals, and he pronounced one of them to be a good mature ram.

The three rams spooked but ran only a few yards before stopping again. After several more short stalks, we managed to find the better ram feeding on some leaves with only his head and neck exposed. Eventually he moved enough that the upper portion of his shoulder was visible through the brush. The sticks went up for the umpteenth time, and I took the shot at about 40 yds. The ram was down. Nick commented on the thick base, rings, and wide horns; he pronounced it to be a fine mature ram. Themba and T-Man posed the ram and Nick took somewhere around 500 photos. We dropped it off at the skinning shed and returned to the lodge for a lunch of venison lasagna.

That afternoon, we did more driving and glassing. We saw zebra and blue wildebeest (or blue gnu, if you prefer) but at extended ranges of around 900 yds. Nick also spotted some baboons, but they had hidden behind a large rock formation before we could dismount. Apparently the baboons had been known to cause problems by tearing-up the thatch roofs and would be “fair game” had we caught up with them. We also looked for warthog, but with the rut having ended and the continuing drought they just weren’t moving much. The few that we saw were mostly sows with piglets or small boars.

We continued driving and saw a number of vervet monkeys, nyala ewes, and blesbok. About an hour before sunset we noticed several zebras mixed in with some impala and decided to go after them.

They spooked each time that we approached, but always in the same direction of travel. After a short consultation, we decided to backtrack out of sight and “head them off at the pass.” Both we and they converged at about the same time, but eventually we managed to get into a position to shoot. Nick instructed me to take the last one in the line of four zebras. It presented a clear shot at a range of about 90 yds, and it went down as if poleaxed. We approached and sent one more bullet to finish it.

Again, Nick and Themba positioned the animal and took a number of photos, including one really spectacular one with the setting sun reflecting off some clouds in the background.

The zebra was dropped off at the skinning shed and with two good animals “in the salt” at the end of our first hunting day, we retired to the main lodge for snacks around the fire, followed by an excellent dinner of venison stroganoff.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Day 5: Today’s plan was to go find a nice kudu bull. Since Nick hadn’t seen any acceptable ones yesterday, he made arrangements to scout out an adjacent property along with Ali, their tracker. Themba and T-Man accompanied us as well. It was a cool morning, and we spent a substantial portion of it scanning the sunny slopes of the surrounding hillsides for a good bull. After scouting from several different locations, Nick spotted one on the opposite hillside. It was actually an old kudu bull that he had been chasing unsuccessfully for well over a year, it having always managed to slip away. He estimated that it would go about 50” which is considered a very good bull in that area. A short drive, a slow stalk, and we waited for a good view of the bull. I had real difficulty in seeing it where Nick did, but eventually was able to pick it out of the brush. There were a number of cows and younger bulls in the area, as well as the ubiquitous impala. The winds were starting to shift with the rising sun, and eventually they either saw us or caught a whiff of our scent and disappeared into the hillside.

We moved to the crest of a large kop which allowed us a good vantage point of the valley below.

The numerous loose rocks made for poor footing, but we got in place and resumed glassing. By sheer luck, we saw the same bull at a bit over 300 yds. The sticks went up, I scrambled down to the rocks, and then the waiting game began as he was mostly hidden behind some trees. I was standing at a bit of an uncomfortable angle, straining to remain upright and not lose my footing. By the time that the bull revealed enough of himself to allow for a shot, the muscles in my right leg were shaking from the fatigue of having to hold that position. It was a steep angled shot that I probably should not have taken, and I was somewhat relieved when Nick pronounced it to be a clean miss.

Driving down towards the valley floor again, we again encountered the bull moving across the hillside with his entourage. Again it was around myself-imposed limit of 300 yds, this time at a steep uphill angle, and again it was a clean miss. Somewhat frustrated by this turn of events, we returned to the main camp for lunch while Nick and I revisited the range to determine whether there was a problem with the rifle, the scope, or the hunter.

We spent the afternoon driving to different vantage points from which we could glass for suitable game. There were many young kudu bulls and cows, impala, and a few warthog sows. The lone boar that we encountered appeared to have a short broken tusk. The rut had long since ended, and between that and the effects of the continuing drought, the warthog were just not moving much. There was to be no game harvested today; but as I reminded the crew, that is why it is called “hunting” and not “shooting.”

We returned to the lodge at about dusk to a roaring fire and a fine dinner of chicken and gravy.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Day 6: Same plan as yesterday, looking for a good kudu bull on the neighbor’s property. We managed to locate the same old kudu bull, this time lower on the hillside with his coterie of kudu cows. Following a slow stalk and what seemed like a long wait, the old bull finally showed his front half from behind an aloe vera, quartering slightly to the left. At the crack of the rifle he crashed into the brush, where Themba shortly located him.

This was probably one of the few times when I wish the animal had run some more, as it would have made it easier to get him out. But a quick call to the land manager resulted in additional manpower to carry the old bull out to a trail that we could reach with the Hilux.

I was very pleased with the kudu, but Nick was beside himself – as mentioned previously he had been after this specific animal for quite some time and it had always eluded him, but no more. The old bull sported nice long curls ending in ivory-colored tips, and a split left ear that was a reminder of some long-distant fight for dominance. Upon inspection, his molars were badly worn and it was clear that he had been losing body mass. Nick surmised that he was or had been the herd bull, but probably would not have lasted another year in his present condition. Themba and T-Man began the process of positioning the kudu for photography, while Nick smoked a cigarette in a futile attempt to calm his nerves. Did I mention that Nick was excited?

The kudu went to the skinning shed, where the trackers carved out the tongue and the stomach for their own later, personal gourmet feasts. They also retrieved the bullet, which is the only one recovered during this trip. The 180gr. Nosler Partition had entered his left shoulder, clipping his heart and mushrooming perfectly before it came to rest just under the skin on the opposite side.

We went back out to drive and glass for the remainder of the morning. We saw one big boar warthog, but it was missing a tusk. Nick explained that during PH training they had been told that the tusk must be long enough to extend beyond the fist, if one were to grasp the tusks in one’s hands. Nick did not offer to demonstrate on the boar, so we let it wander on his way. Back to the lodge and fish & chips for lunch.

The remainder of the afternoon was more drive & glass from various vantage points. We saw a young bushbok, a few zebras, some smaller warthogs, and impala, but nothing that we wanted to shoot.

We decided to be content with the kudu for today, and retired to the lodge for a dinner of lamb, chicken, and kudu sausage. Tomorrow we would be driving to another property in search of gemsbok.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Day 7: A drive of about 90 minutes brought us to another concession near Queenstown which offered habitat suitable for gemsbok. The journey was mostly uneventful except for one bad wreck along the highway. This new property was located at a considerably higher elevation, and the temperature was down to 34˚F by the time we arrived. Fortunately there was no wind. We picked up the local tracker at the administrative area where the offices, guest quarters, and support buildings were located; and set about the morning’s hunt. As we exited into the “wild side” we noticed an enclosure with a large number of Cape buffalo; perhaps 30 or more. We were glad that they were on the other side of a high fence.

A quick tap on the roof of the bakkie drew our attention to a large warthog that was attempting to break the land speed record; but it was gone before we could exit the vehicle.

Driving towards an elevated lookout point, we encountered numerous game animals including a half-dozen giraffe, several zebra, a group of black wildebeest, kudu, a small herd of springbok, and impala.

One big kudu bull in particular was standing in the middle of an open field, seemingly aware that we had already taken our kudu and so he was not “on the list” that day. Apparently word travels fast via jungle telegraph, even to the animals.

A portion of the Kei River passed through the property, and someone with a sense of humor had erected a sign “Bridge over the River Kei” next to a low-water crossing. I had a good chuckle at that, as did JV2. Nick did not understand, despite our attempts to explain it. Apparently he had never seen nor heard of the movie. Finally, Nick spotted a lone gemsbok bull partway up a hillside and we exited the vehicle to begin a stalk.

The cagey old bull managed to keep some brush between him and us, denying the ability to take a clear shot. Apparently he had played this game before. Eventually, he exposed enough of himself to offer a quartering shot, but as I fired he turned 180˚ and the bullet sailed past him. We continued to follow, catching occasional glimpses before he would again disappear. The sticks went up and came back down several times as we shadowed his movement for perhaps somewhat less than a half-mile. Then he made the mistake of allowing a portion of himself to be visible, and another shot was taken at ~ 220 yds. This one hit a bit far back but was still in the vitals. The old bull was an expert at staying hidden, but left a decent blood trail which allowed Themba to track him through the brush until he offered another shot. He was heading away from us as we caught up, but a shot into his left haunch anchored him. Nick, Themba, and I gave him some time before cautiously approaching to where I could safely administer the coup de grace under the watchful eyes of a group of wildebeest at the top of the hill.

While positioning the bull for photos, we noted that like the previous day’s kudu this old gemsbok’s teeth were very worn down and surmised that he would not have lasted much longer.

Once again, Nick stated that he enjoyed harvesting the ones that were old, gray, and at the end of their useful life. I noted that some people might place me into that same category, and decided to keep an eye on Nick – just in case.

After photos were taken, we loaded the gemsbok and took it back to the skinning shed, so that Themba could see to the preparations.

By this time it was early afternoon and although the temperature had increased into the low 50˚F range, the winds had picked up and were now gusting to the point where it was actually rather chilly. We drove out of the administrative area and glassed several locations that might provide some shelter from animals trying to get out of the wind. We saw several female and immature males of various species, but nothing that was worthwhile. JV2 glassed several warthogs that were over a thousand yards away, but even with the spotting scope Nick couldn’t make them out very well.

After an hour or so, an urgent call from Themba summoned us back – they had spotted a warthog with huge tusks, just outside the fence from the skinning shed. We hoofed it back to where the bakkie was parked and rushed down the hillside to rejoin Themba.

When we arrived, one of the local skinners was pointing roughly towards where they had last seen the warthog; he had lost sight of it due to the screening material which lined the high fence. Fortunately though, Themba had not. With the local tracker in the lead, we dashed single-file between the trees and guest cabins to reach a gate in the fence. The local tracker opened the gate and all of us – Themba, Nick, me and JV2 – emerged into …. a tennis court! Apparently it was the most expedient way to exit the administrative area. I was struck by the absurdity of the situation as we jogged across the tennis court, rifle in hand, to where the local tracker was opening the opposite gate which would take us into what waited beyond.

Remember a few paragraphs back, where I mentioned the “enclosure” with about 30 or so Cape buff lounging around? Well, apparently there was a gate on the opposite side of the enclosure, and it was open. Care to guess what was on the other side of the fence as we exited the tennis court? That’s correct, and they were none too amused with the presence of five humans on their turf. Oh and by the way, guess who had the only rifle? Oh yeah……this was going to be interesting! The question “what else could possibly go wrong?” crossed my mind, but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to know the answer just yet.

One of the bulls approached as if to challenge us, so with discretion being the better part of valor we decided to shuffle to the right and use an angle in the fence to screen us from their view. It worked well enough that the buff halted his forward movement.

Meanwhile the warthog had gone to ground behind some trees. It made several short sprints to the left (and coincidentally towards the buffalo) but never presented a shot. Nick remarked that it had exceptional tusks. I offered to wait while he ran forward to grasp those tusks and verify their size, but he again declined. Eventually the boar stopped in a small opening between two trees just long enough to allow for a quick shot.

That put out his lights. It also further aggravated the buffalo. We located another gate that allowed us to exit the area temporarily. A few minutes later the buffalo lost interest in us, and the whole lot of them wandered off, allowing us to re-enter and recover the warthog. It was, as Nick mentioned, a fine old boar with a great set of tusks. We took numerous photos while keeping one eye skinned for a return of the buffalo.

As it was late in the afternoon by the time that the warthog had been skinned, we started our return journey back to Outspan Farm. Several neatly-dressed young boys waited by the front gate to the property, opening it for us to pass in exchange for some baksheesh. I hoped that they wouldn’t get caught in the rain that was starting to develop. We stopped off in the town of Cathcart for some biltong and then continued back to our lodge. The sun was just starting to emerge from the retreating rain as we arrived at the lodge, offering us the sight of a rainbow over the valley.

We dropped off our gear and joined our camp hosts around the fireplace for hors d’oeuvres followed by a very welcome cottage-pie made with ground kudu. I must admit that we always ate well on this trip.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Day 8: With all of the “must-have” animals checked off our list, we decided to sleep late and eat a good hot breakfast before starting out for the day. Marius phoned-in to check on us, as he was back on daylight hours, having spent the past several nights hunting with his other client. We had a productive discussion and made our plans for the day. Among the things that JV2 wanted to do was visit one of the wildlife reserves, in order to see some of the “Big 5” animals that weren’t typical to the properties that we had hunted. I wholeheartedly agreed. Now that the main focus of our hunting was complete, we were at complete leisure to hunt other animals or play tourist (to the extent allowed by COVID-related closures and restrictions). Accordingly, Nick made a few phone calls and arranged for us to visit Mpongo Park that afternoon. We then set out to search for game; whatever Africa had to offer up that day.

Andrew reported seeing a large warthog, but we were unable to locate it again. I had mentioned to Nick that there had been a group of blesbok watching us leave the lodge each morning, and suggested that perhaps we should harvest one.

A few quick stalks, a single rifle shot, and a nice ram was on his way to the skinning shed.

It was raining off-and-on and was cool (~50˚F) and breezy all morning, but we continued to drive and glass until it was time to return for a lunch of kudu & impala burgers. Mpongo Park called Nick to report that the roads were slick from the rains and that they were cancelling tours for the day. They would call again in a couple of days if the roads dried out. With our afternoon thus freed-up, we continued to drive and glass for other animals. Nick spotted three blue wildebeest resting in the trees. One was a mature bull, so we made a series of short stalks. I had difficulty seeing the target animal as he blended so well into the vegetation. He finally offered a quick shot, but I held too high, resulting in a clean miss over his shoulder.

We were glassing for a nyala that Nick had spotted when one of the trackers observed several poachers and their dogs approaching from a neighboring property. We watched the fence line until the property owner arrived and took charge. Our hunting party then drove to another vantage point where we could glass for both poachers and game.

On our drive back to the lodge we saw another nice zebra, but did not pursue. Instead, we contented ourselves with a roaring fireplace and chicken ala king while the poachers likely got soaked in the rains that resumed that evening.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Day 9: Following a big breakfast, we drove into East London to get the COVID tests that would be required in order to board our return flights. There was quite a line, and although the procedure was simple and quick, it took almost an hour before we were done. Results would be emailed later that day (which turned out to be the next day, but we did get them).

Nick took us to a local curio shop for souvenirs for the folks back home (small selection but relatively inexpensive) and we grabbed lunch and a milk shake before driving up to Morgan Bay. This seaside attraction had been recommended to us as a nice scenic place to visit. Again there were a couple of young boys waiting to open the gate for us in exchange for some small coinage or other donations. Nick wandered around the rocks while JV2 descended to sea level so that he could dip his toes into the Indian Ocean.

As we were leaving, I pointed to one of the several benches which lined the bluffs and asked him the question, “If you could spend one hour on that bench with any person, living or deceased, who would it be?” His answer was enlightening.

When we arrived back at the lodge, we met two new guests who were traveling and had secured overnight accommodations there. They had witnessed the recent rioting and looting spree in Durban and offered very interesting commentary concerning the situation. We had a fine evening, topped off by a dinner of pork chops, warthog & cheese sausage sticks, and kudu sausage on the braai. Mpongo Park also called to confirm our reservations for the following afternoon.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Day 10: We started the day with a big breakfast featuring eggs and ham, then loaded into the bakkie for our final morning of the safari. We saw warthog, impala, and zebra but they were either far too distant or hightailing it in the opposite direction. Nick saw a nyala and we made a short stalk that put us in a good shooting position above it. However, only its rump and one rear leg were visible. After a long wait, Themba went in to see if he could bump it. Eventually it moved, but didn’t present a good shot before vanishing into the bush. No shots fired, but it was an enjoyable morning nonetheless.

After returning to the lodge for tuna casserole, we set out for the Mpongo Wildlife Reserve. Upon arrival we were informed that the property had undergone a change in ownership, and the new owners had removed the lion, rhinos, and hippos – basically the animals that we had hoped to see. The enclosures which had formerly held the lions were now holding impala. Apparently there is a plan to restock the park at some point in the future, and the impala are part of the feeding plan. Since DIY drives in the park were not allowed, we piled into a Land Cruiser tour vehicle and set off with the tour guide. The TLC sported a noisy motor and drivetrain and squealing brakes which made me question its roadworthiness. Nick spotted most of the game before the guide did and was more knowledgeable about the animals. We saw impala, zebra, some kudu cows, and one giraffe. We did manage to get a glimpse of two elephants feeding before they receded back into the forest, but those were the only animals that we had not seen (and seen more of) while out hunting. There was other family aboard the vehicle who appeared to be from the city and enjoyed the tour, but to us it was a big disappointment. That was not KMG’s fault, but nevertheless I cannot recommend Mpongo as a side trip, at least until they restock the missing species.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Epilogue: The next morning we settled our paperwork, obtained printed copies of our COVID tests, tipped the staff, and said our farewells. The return trip was similar to our inbound journey, with the exception of the firearms processing in Newark (I’ve commented on that experience on another thread elsewhere on this site).

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Outspan Farm, and I cannot say enough good things about our time there. Andrew and Debbie run a great lodge and we wanted for nothing to make our stay memorable. Nick performed superbly as our PH; and both he and Themba worked tirelessly to locate mature animals and get us in a position to harvest them. KMG has a superb operation going here, and I heartily recommend it.

That’s it for now. If y’all have any questions I’ll address them the next time I log in.

 

[shootist~]

What a great hunt. Thanks for posting.

 

[Cam Moon]

Thank you for the report. It sounds like you had a great time, and from the pictures you took some REALLY nice animals!

 

[gesch]

Epilogue: The next morning we settled our paperwork, obtained printed copies of our COVID tests, tipped the staff, and said our farewells. The return trip was similar to our inbound journey, with the exception of the firearms processing in Newark (I’ve commented on that experience on another thread elsewhere on this site).

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Outspan Farm, and I cannot say enough good things about our time there. Andrew and Debbie run a great lodge and we wanted for nothing to make our stay memorable. Nick performed superbly as our PH; and both he and Themba worked tirelessly to locate mature animals and get us in a position to harvest them. KMG has a superb operation going here, and I heartily recommend it.

That’s it for now. If y’all have any questions I’ll address them the next time I log in.

Thank you for the detailed well written report.well done. My brother has hunted with Martin Neuper. Sounds like his brother is great as well. Thanks again. Your friend, Brian

 

[cpr0312]

Looks like a great time! Congrats and thanks for sharing!

 

[kdenn]

Very nice report, congratulations on a successful trip.

 

[cls]

Congratulations on a successful safari, thanks for the detailed report.

 

[outwestidaho]

Wow what a great time. That's as beautiful of a Kudu as a man can get !!!!
Congrats !

 

[Nyati]

Congrats for a great hunt and some very good trophies !

 

[buck wild]

Great report- thanks. Another glowing KMG testimonial. Love the Kudu !