SOUTH AFRICA: Dangerous Plains Game Safari With KMG Hunting Safaris

[Justhunt]

Good luck fellas, have a great hunt. The wife and I will be right after you Sand Rat and before Gemsbok Gangsta, don't worry Gangsta will try to save you a few critters

 

[Dinsdale]

I just hunted with KMG and bushpig baiting efforts were started my first day (April 4) by filling and tuning up the auto feeder, trail cam, and putting out some often very ripe offal from some management hunting I was doing......Trail cam had pigs coming in while there as that was also being checked almost daily when refreshing the bait pile

(a hunter may want to take a extra moment to thank LLoyd (Marius' tracker/skinner) for handling some pretty damn rank barrels of guts on the back of the truck; and Graham, Mpunzi lodge manager/chef/PH and overall good guy for pitching in too I believe after I left)

I have hunted bushpig before under similar circumstances and suggest getting right after it if the pigs are cooperating (I hunted in Natal and sat 5 nights to get a nice boar some years ago).

You are in very good hands here.

I will post a few pics of my very successful hunt when I return home and have my own pc to play with (borrowing a connection right now and headed home (USA) now).

 

[Sand Rat]

Well the day has finally arrived. Sandy and I will be headed to the airport shortly stopping over in Amsterdam for a few days of R & R before continuing to Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Hope I didn't forget any of the essentials. Packed the travel rod as well, thought I'd try for a poor man's McNab.

 

[Sand Rat]

I just hunted with KMG and bushpig baiting efforts were started my first day (April 4) by filling and tuning up the auto feeder, trail cam, and putting out some often very ripe offal from some management hunting I was doing......Trail cam had pigs coming in while there as that was also being checked almost daily when refreshing the bait pile

(a hunter may want to take a extra moment to thank LLoyd (Marius' tracker/skinner) for handling some pretty damn rank barrels of guts on the back of the truck; and Graham, Mpunzi lodge manager/chef/PH and overall good guy for pitching in too I believe after I left)

I have hunted bushpig before under similar circumstances and suggest getting right after it if the pigs are cooperating (I hunted in Natal and sat 5 nights to get a nice boar some years ago).

You are in very good hands here.

I will post a few pics of my very successful hunt when I return home and have my own pc to play with (borrowing a connection right now and headed home (USA) now).

Thanks for the update, glad you had a successful hunt and thanks for the gut pile! I'll make sure to treat LLoyd and Graham well. Looking foward to the first night in camp........hope to get lucky and mark the pig off the list.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

The Aussies have arrived. That's 1/3 of the crew. Decided to stop over in one of our areas on the way to camp. Got a photo now with a ripper of an Impala they got. Got message that they saw a snorter of a pig, so will wait him out and hopefully he'll come out of the thick stuff again. Here we go!

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Sorry for hijacking your thread Robert!
Update.....
The Aussie just took a daytime Bushpig.....

 

[rinehart0050]

Best of luck on your hunt- looking forward to the report!

 

[Sand Rat]

Sorry for hijacking your thread Robert!
Update.....
The Aussie just took a daytime Bushpig.....

No problem at all, long as they don't drink up all the beer! Sandy and I stopped by Hunters and Collectors Taxidermy this morning and their showroom is awesome. They had a ton of Caracal mounts as well, hope that's a good sign for our hunt this week.

 

[cpr0312]

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Gemsbok Gangsta]

Good luck everybody. May 24 is my first full hunt day, please save a couple critters for me Thanks Brad

 

[Sand Rat]

We decided to take the long way to the Eastern Cape from Saudi by a three day detour through Amsterdam. Goal was to try and catch the tulips in full bloom and relax before the hunt started. After catching the night flight from Dammam to Amsterdam on KLM we arrived On April 20 and checked into the hotel by 0730. Decided to stay at the Citizen M next to the airport since only one day of our itinerary included Amsterdam Central station and staying close to the airport made more since. After a quick change of clothes we were off to the town of Hoorn by local train for a vintage steam engine ride to Medemblik. The steam engine station also contains a museum and workshop where the repairs and restorations take place.

 

[Sand Rat]

More pics of day one.

 

[Wheels]

Enjoying your photos.

Looking forward to the rest of the trip.

 

[Markvm]

Not showing Sharyn any of those holiday pictures Robert, she'd have my guts for not taking her some place similar!

Cheers, Markvm

 

[rinehart0050]

Thanks for sharing! I always enjoy European Train Museums - especially when they have old trains that still run.

 

[Sand Rat]

Day two included biking through the commercial flower bulb fields and a visit to Keukenhof flower garden park. Spring was definitely in the air in the Netherlands.

 

[Sand Rat]

The last day we rented a Vespa scooter near central station and headed to Markem for the day. Governed to 25-30 kg/hr they are legal to ride on the bike trails throughout the countryside. The weather was Cold but sunny and we had a great day.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Thanks for taking us on the tour.

 

[Sand Rat]

Saturday April 23 we flew KLM from Amsterdam to Cape Town and sacked out at the Verde Hotel near the airport and Sunday morning caught a SA Air commuter flight to Port Elizabeth arriving at the Boardwalk Casino Hotel early afternoon. Monday was suppose to include a trip with Raggy charters out in the bay to visit the penguin colony and look for the large dolphin pods the frequent the area but the trip was cancelled so we just hung out at the boardwalk and walked the beachfront. Marius picked us up on Tuesday the 26th and it was off to Gramstown to start our safaris. Once loaded in the Landcruiser we were immediately welcomed by Flex and Rigby who would be our constant companions for the next ten days. It was a short 1 1/2 hour ride to the lodge chatting with Marius and discussing the details of sitting in the bushpig blind the first evening in camp. On arrival to the lodge the bags were stowed and we were off to the range to shoot the 300 Win mag I'd be using all week and the other set up with the night vision scope for the pig blind. A slight windage adjustment was made to the Ruger Hawkeye and we were off to check the trailcam at the bait pit and nail up some curtains to make the blind darker. Marius went over every detail about what to look for in identifying the boar, how to operate the night vision and how the pigs would react when coming to the pit. Now it was just up to me to do my part, the KMG crew had been working for weeks to ensure the pigs were there and on an exact schedule. We headed for the blind just before dark and were in position and waiting for them to arrive. At 8:45 pm they showed up like clockwork the only problem was I was having trouble with my eyes adjusting to the night vision, both eyes were watering and I just couldn't see clearly through the scope. Frustration on my set in and I decided to shoot the largest pig in the middle of the bait station. Problem was the boar was off to the side at this point and I managed to drill the largest piglet in the sounder and a smaller one standing behind it. I was pissed at myself and for letting all of Marius's hard work fly out the window. Let's hope tomorrow is a better day.

 

[rinehart0050]

Night vision scopes definitely take some getting used to. In the Army, we often use night vision goggles and an IR laser on our weapon. That's a tough one to get used to because you don't aim as you usually would, just point the laser at what you want to shoot and shoot (hoping the laser is zeroed)- no cheek to stock, no sight picture, etc. Fundamentals still apply though - steady position, steady breathing, etc.