Most impressive trackers?

Phillip, from sitting at a fire with Johnny. He seems like he would be great to hunt with.
 
I have been blessed to have been on 20 safaris.
I have spent 61 days in the forest with at least 25 days just me and the pygmies, they are truly amazing!
I have also spent 10 days at Tholo in Botswana just tracking eland. The San trackers are also amazing but I thought the terrain made easier tracking.
I have 3 safaris in Zim with Nigel Thiessen, 1 in Matesi and 2 in the Bubye. This terrain with very high grass interspersed with trees and brush is the hardest terrain for tracking that I have seen. Nigel's 2 trackers, Smart and Robert are by far the best team I have been with. A team is far superior to 1 tracker!
 
I've seen a lot of talented trackers in Zimbabwe, but the pygmy trackers in the rain forest on my 2 trips were simply amazing!
 
IMG_3313.jpeg


Pygmy trackers in the African rain forest. I couldn’t even see the ground through the vegetation, humidity, and lack of sunlight and here they are tracking bongo, buffalo, forest sitatunga and other game.

The Kalahari trackers were good but my vote is now with the Bantu/Pygmy jungle trackers. Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.
 
Most will laugh at me, but a true tracker has a spiritual connection with the animal he is tracking.

Now and then you will see a great tracker will grab a hand full of buffalo dung in his hand, not to tell the temp, but to control the speed the buff walks. Tighter the squeeze the slower the walk. Eventually he will say he will lay down now.

Laugh at what I say, your privilege.
Many other stories out there.

Lon
 
The tracker that I used with Adansonia Safaris (RSA) back in 2007 demonstrated some amazing skills. I hit a Gemsbok in a herd of about 20 a little too far back. There was no blood, but we all saw dust fly of the hide when the bullet struck. He followed each set of tracks until he was satisfied the animal was unwounded, then came back to the original spot and kept repeating the process.

It took him several hours, but he found it a few hundred yards away.




The tracker that worked for Legadema Safaris in Mozambique was also amazing. For some reason, he tasted everything that he saw the buffalo eating. (I still don't know why)
I too made a poor shot on a Gemsbok, will blame it on jetlag, but the PH and tracker team that assisted me was amazing. Was a solid hit, just a bit high over it's right shoulder. After about an hour, it was found lying in a thicket and I still had a hard time spotting it.

Shaun with Wild Wildebeest Lodge sure did save my butt, just knew that I was going to have to pay for a wounded and non-recovered animal.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
71,039
Messages
1,592,614
Members
174,906
Latest member
LiliaStawe
 

 

 

Latest profile posts

Mattias Stedt wrote on Bushcat Safaris's profile.
A good safari brings a great experience that fulfils your expectations, but a great safari also brings professionalism and friendship. Bushcat Safaris fills all those boxes and we have a lot of great memories from the bush with rifle in hand.
My warmest recommendation for you to plan a safari with these guys and be ready for a great time. As they say, we are not here for a long time, we’re here for a great time!
Looking back at a great year
cb3a8f6b-e471-4478-8e24-fa9422db8d4d.jpeg
IMG_7851.jpeg
20bdfb9b-dfe7-46e1-9d90-981da068d8fc.jpeg
915d3c84-4177-457f-a11d-0771a765f4c3.jpeg
52bf1f94-ccae-4160-bc7a-ae8d7969278b.jpeg
8d4d83fd-64e0-466c-90bc-868a7492cf61.jpeg
a31db0e9-e914-41e0-a1c2-785617ad41ac.jpeg
A small glimpse into a fantastic season
e81d375e-faf8-4cbe-bf9c-afe325b97bbb.jpeg
9a766ff2-0919-4a4a-b09c-ede9ce09b94e.jpeg
22ecca2a-8c07-4eab-becb-2ee49dca9fc3.jpeg
IMG_7820.jpeg
fa806fce-29ef-485b-9544-b103140a7ad1.jpeg
b4e3df48-40f2-4593-95bb-efbe5fdeed09.jpeg
A0A409A3-B41C-41DF-91B3-FEBFC48FF566.jpeg
f53b657c-2414-450f-bf44-292f3bd3e46c.jpeg
Don't forget to Check out our Mountain package. Chase that Vaali find the elusive Grey Ghost and spot a Mountain Reedbuck. in Gods Country. find refuge in the field and freedom under wide open skies.
 
Top