How Many times to read an AH ad before you book?

[Mort Hill]

I spend a lot of evenings reading AH post and topics. I love reading over the AH adds and finding the interesting, inspiring, and compelling adds for various hunts.

Some ads I keep going back over time and time again. I read the updates, look at the pictures, and mostly dream.

Well, when I read Dawie Kemp’s about his night critter offer, something just stirred in my soul. I lusted after the trail cam pics. I researched Kemp Safaris. I read past reports including one by @enysse of his own experience with Dawie.

Alas, after reading this deal for over a month, perhaps 20 times over, I could not stand it any longer.

So I contacted Dawie, insured he had permits and dates open, booked my flight on Qatar, and am heading for my own night critter hunt from Aug 22 thru Sept 6, 2019.

I am super stoked for this trip, mainly because I have only seen most these animals either in passing during daylight while hunting other game, or from great pictures of past success on AH.

Shout out to Dennis Harris at Artistry of Wildlife who will do my taxidermy for sending me a detailed procedure to insure these “fatty” night critters are prepared properly. Also many thanks to @enysse who answered my PMs with great information and enthusiasm.

Lastly, I do not know Dawie other than from AH, but he and the folks at Kemp Safaris responded quickly, and even from the field to help pull this thing off.

So a report to follow. And less than a month until I head to Limpopo for this unique hunt.

 

[AZDAVE]

Congratz on booking your hunt. Night kritters get under you skin and are a blast to hunt. Enjoy yourself. Looking forward to you trip report

 

[Mort Hill]

Thanks Dave. I just could not hold off. It is a disease....

 

[enysse]

I know for me, if I see what I like....I’ll read an advertisement 6 times to see if I missed anything and then look into booking the hunt. In the back of mind I was interested before the hunt was advertised so a little pull in one direction and I’m off running. I have also been researching hunts in Africa for 15 plus years.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Good luck.

 

[MarkB]

Good luck, as I said on my other post I want pics and a detailed report please. I will be doing this as a small portion of a large 20 days next July with an AH sponsor.

Really wish I had AH for my earlier safaris, came on here in 2011 in response to an email question about a PH in Zim. THANK YOU WAYNE. Now I am booked again next summer I spend hours on this site, always something to learn, relearn and gather updated info. Click the adds in deals and offers when I receive in separate email even though I read on here reg, re-read and look over as you state. Safari is a life changing adventure, best part its a year long adventure, AH helps fill the voids in between. I am envious I have a year to wait. Can't wait to see your pics and report.

MB

 

[Graham Hunter]

Picked up one of Nick Bowkers cull hunts. Saw on AH so forwarded it to tease a buddy. Leave March 10. WTF LOL.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Good luck and all the best.

 

[Tra3]

Good luck! That hunt is coming up fast.

Which night animals do you hope to get?

And a naive question: are any of the night hunt animals good eating? Ive not read that they are, but I’m curious.

 

[BeeMaa]

Congrats on the booking and can't wait to hear the report.
Wondering what you would like to hunt and what rifle/caliber you will be taking.
Thinking Honey Badger, Bushpig and Spotted Hyena would be at the top of the list for night hunts.

 

[Hank2211]

These are not easy hunts! PH needs to be fast with critter id, and you need to be faster in shooting - they don’t stay put for long!

A great challenge. Good luck - looking forward to the report.

 

[cpr0312]

Best of luck and congrats on the booking!

 

[Mort Hill]

Good luck! That hunt is coming up fast.

Which night animals do you hope to get?

And a naive question: are any of the night hunt animals good eating? Ive not read that they are, but I’m curious.

I am specific animals that are in the “deal” so to speak. I may be somewhat confused because I looked at several options before deciding on Kemp. I believe honeybadger, serval, civet, large and small genet, and white mongoose. Also, opportunity for bush pig, porcupine and hyena. I plan to just put in the time to my limits, and what happens, happens. My one concern was hunting so hard that it was no longer the excitement and joy of the experience, but pure torture. I believe in sweat equity, but not at the expense of the experience. I have sat in leopard blinds for many days. I would lie if I said I never got bored. But the joy of the experience never diminished.

As far as eating any meat of these animals, I am completely clueless. But by golly if they cook it, I will try it. The only carnivore I have ever eaten was bear, and they are really omnivores. It was very greasy, but the roast was actually very tasty. It was cooked right I guess. So true carnivores, never. We did not eat leopard or lion in Zambia and Tanzania. I will have to let you know once there.

As a side note, I have eaten rattlesnake, alligator, turtle and sandhill crane which I would never considered good game to eat, and much to my surprise, they were both excellent.

 

[Mort Hill]

Congrats on the booking and can't wait to hear the report.
Wondering what you would like to hunt and what rifle/caliber you will be taking.
Thinking Honey Badger, Bushpig and Spotted Hyena would be at the top of the list for night hunts.

I am using PH rifles. They use .223 and .243, both with silencers. I have gotten good feedback from those who have hunted with these specific rifles, so any botched shots will be on the shooter, not the gun.

Honey Badger and Bushpig for sure on hit list, as well as genet, serval and civet cat. I have shot a couple of hyena, in fact have a full mount. But never say never. Really, I am thinking we just see what comes in and if good representative of the species, make the shot. I would also like a porcupine. Always fascinated by those guys and would love a full mount.

 

[BeeMaa]

I would also like a porcupine. Always fascinated by those guys and would love a full mount.

Porcupine - always fun to try and dust a porcupine.

 

[MarkB]

I am specific animals that are in the “deal” so to speak. I may be somewhat confused because I looked at several options before deciding on Kemp. I believe honeybadger, serval, civet, large and small genet, and white mongoose. Also, opportunity for bush pig, porcupine and hyena. I plan to just put in the time to my limits, and what happens, happens. My one concern was hunting so hard that it was no longer the excitement and joy of the experience, but pure torture. I believe in sweat equity, but not at the expense of the experience. I have sat in leopard blinds for many days. I would lie if I said I never got bored. But the joy of the experience never diminished.

As far as eating any meat of these animals, I am completely clueless. But by golly if they cook it, I will try it. The only carnivore I have ever eaten was bear, and they are really omnivores. It was very greasy, but the roast was actually very tasty. It was cooked right I guess. So true carnivores, never. We did not eat leopard or lion in Zambia and Tanzania. I will have to let you know once there.

As a side note, I have eaten rattlesnake, alligator, turtle and sandhill crane which I would never considered good game to eat, and much to my surprise, they were both excellent.

We sound a lot alike, cougar is by far the best meat we get semi regularly, wolf not so good. Not sure how your outfitter will plan your hunt but on previous hunts we put bait out and night predators, pigs, came in. In Namibia after leopard (delicious) was in salt we went out with light and slowly drove around, on light and bang, also I took some good old mouth blown rabbit and fawn in distress calls, out in savanna grass calling, light and shoot what PH says, based on eye color and animal ident. Antelope's came in but off limits at night. My interest increased after a hyena hunt in Zim at a bait site, no permits for small predators and guess what was on bait nightly? Dam No hyena that trip but did get one on earlier Zim trip by sitting on a bait at water hole. I asked about my 2020 hunt and a combination of all, I will take the calls again. These type of hunts have been more relaxed than leopard sits, after a good dinner usually took a drive, crept in to bait to sit but back before midnight, good sleep and up for dawn hunt, did this every second day. Not sure about a designated shorter night hunting safari.
I am also not afraid to eat anything and I mean anything, remember a conversation with cook over zebra, very good, another over baboon, PH (I hope he reads this) gave Linda? orders that he does not eat, I did as did the team (not PH), not so good, same for the jackals, not so good. After conversation on hyena its body disappeared from skinning shed mysteriously before I could give any instructions. Learned to be more stealthy like, that is only animal I did not try. If all goes well I will try lion and the night small stuff in 2020.

MB

 

[Mort Hill]

We are kindred spirits indeed. The worst thing I ever put in my mouth was on my first safari 20 years ago. Not even in the bush. We stopped at a corner and there was a vendor with a a sign “fried pies”. Being from the southern USA, all I pictured was some African fruit pie. Nobody said a word until I bit into some kind of horrendous meat pie with organ meat and gristle. I had to stifle the puke LOL. PH promptly devoured the rest.

 

[MarkB]

Ooh the street vender mystery meat. Was in Kuala Rompin Malaysia fishing last year, guide and I had the eat anything attitude, so to test me he got me a big ripe "king fruit" at a street shop. I devoured it, actually enjoyed it, he was amazed. Cant wait to hunt civet, genet and the likes but also to taste. Its every part of safari and travel that excites me. Cant believe I still have 11 months, your lucky with a short wait.

MB

 

[CAustin]

Hope you have a great hunt!

 

[Tra3]

I am fascinated by the Experience of eating different animals. Thank you @MarkB and @Mort Hill for your perspectives. I’m sure the chef has a lot to do with the end flavor. I served MT antelope and Idaho elk to some church friends tonight, multiples of them had never tried either. Only one person didn’t like the antelope. It was a joy to expand some horizons.

Night hunting sounds more and more interesting as I read about it. I’m keen to follow this thread for the hunt results! (And cuisine results too!)