Here we go:
After a long 25-hour day with Delta (DTW-ATL-JNB), we arrived in J/burg at 1915 and were met by a Gracy rep who helped us collect our bags and whisked us through Customs.
He handed us off to Bruce, Gracy's local man on the ground, and it was on to the SAPS office where our guns were cleared in just a few minutes.
From there, Bruce handed us off to Gian, Matwetwe's "all-around man and photographer," who would be our escort to the Camp and become a very good friend during our stay.
Arrived at Camp just before midnight, quick show-around the layout, couple of biers and a long-awaited bourbon and in the rack at 0130.
Day 1:
Gathered in the main lodge at 0600, had a nice continental breakfast and met up with all the staff, made plans for the day, shot our rifles for confirmation and were off into the field by 0800.
Jason is a lefty and was shooting his Ruger American 7mm-08 and I had my Savage 116 338 Win Mag boom-stick. We were sighted-in and ready.
Camp Crew: PH Harm (Hendrik's son), Chef Leon, owner and PH Hendrik, my son, Jason, me, Gian. One Helluva group of guys, and we sure had a lot of fun and laughs, together.
Being first-timers, it didn't take long for us to be totally amazed at the amount of animals we saw in the first few hours. Absolutely incredible! It seemed like they were everywhere we looked, and we probably saw 15 different species of PG before lunch.
We were targeting a gemsbuck for me but saw none. Jason and Harm did get in a couple of stalks on some impala, but the thick acacia brush kept them mostly hidden. Back to camp 1130-ish for a hardy lunch, quick nap and back at it 1400 for round 2.
We moved to a different concession for the afternoon, large open grass plains mixed in with some thick cover areas, good gemsbuck territory. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell that to the gemsbuck!
However, around 1445 we came across a nice group of about 20 blesbuck milling around right on the edge of where the open field turned to cover. They were feeding and not too nervous.
We got to within ~250 yards of them, and that changed. Harm picked out a nice ram and told Jason to get ready to shoot. It took some time for the ram to get clear, and when it did, turning broadside, Harm called the shot and Jason's -08 barked.
Harm confirmed a hit but thought it was a bit far back, and the herd scattered, leaving the ram behind, who was moving slowly away from us, no good follow-up shot. We kept an eye on him as he moved into the thick cover, and then lost sight.
Once we got up to the hit sight, we quickly found the ram piled up not 30 yards into the cover, our first African animal.
We whooped and hollered like a couple of kids, and Jason gleamed on the shot he made, 237 yards! That's a mighty long poke for a couple of Michigan deer hunters, who've never shot anything much over 100 yards.
Upon inspection, the shot was indeed a bit far back, but did manage to get a piece of the lungs. Later, he admitted that his deer hunting mindset automatically kicked in: aim behind the shoulder 1/3 of the way up. And that's exactly where he hit it. But, as we would hear from Harm many times throughout this incredible trip: "we're taking pictures!"
So, with animal #1 down, we went back into the thick stuff looking for a gemsbuck. Again, there were none to be found.
But, on our way back out about 1600, we spotted a group of 5 impala grazing in the open grassland a long way off. Harm glassed them and said the one on the right was a nice ram, we should try to take him.
With not much cover, we closed the distance as best we could, and the group got nervous and started moving around. All except the big ram.
At 170 yards, he was slightly quartering to us and Harm said "shoot him on the shoulder," and the 338 roared.
The others bolted off, but not the ram, and Harm said I hit him too far back, shoot again. And I did, and I shot low, and missed! Quickly reloaded and the third shot hit where the first should have and put him down, for good. More whooping and hollering and I had my first African animal, a beautiful impala, and we were "taking pictures," again.
What an incredible start to this safari, Jason and I were still pinching ourselves when we arrived back at the skinning shed, grinning like a couple possums sucking on grapes!
Celebration drinks and a cigar around the fire pit, talked story, laughed and laid out plans for day 2.
And lastly, a fantastic dinner of kudu tenderloin on a cheese pastry w/sweet and sour sauce, chicken pie, caramelized taters and onions, sweet carrot salad and some nice SA red vino to wash it all down and then a homemade dessert. What a feast.
We slept well that night, tired, stuffed and happy...
