SOUTH AFRICA: DE KLERK SAFARIS Round 2 The Return

[PARA45]

Give my best to the crew. Outstanding, good luck with your hunt. Can’t wait to read this report.

 

[AZDAVE]

Hope your week passes quickly and you are in the sands tracking soon.

 

[degoins]

How old is your grandson?

16

 

[Frederik]

16

He will have the best time of his life.

 

[Eduard_Venter]

Good luck oom F! Please let us know how the Safari Bullet Company bullets does on the lion.

 

[Frederik]

Good luck oom F! Please let us know how the Safari Bullet Company bullets does on the lion.

When are you coming over for a coffee or a cold one?

 

[Eduard_Venter]

I'm in town 23 and 24 December. Hopefully I'll make it for a visit.

 

[degoins]

He will have the best time of his life.

Man I hope so.

 

[Frederik]

I'm in town 23 and 24 December. Hopefully I'll make it for a visit.

We are here.

 

[Frederik]

I was going through the photos of the hunt last year and forgot about this one the first time we spotted the old lady we could get a snap shot zoomed in.

After that photo she took us for a bit of a walk before I finally shot her.
Only after she was down did we realized she was blind in the one eye.

Getting exited.

 

[VertigoBE]

Looks like a report will be incoming soon! @Frederik is having sundowners at De Klerk’s!

 

[VertigoBE]

And the dog’s are ready too!

 

[MarkB]

@Frederik you are so lucky, live in SA with only a 7 hr drive to Kalahari, not 3 days on a plane, hunting another lion, and doing it with family. I am totally jealous.

Best of luck, making lifetime memories. I hope you realize that a certain young man will want his own lion soon after you get yours. Maybe that's the plan.

I will be following, wishing I was there. Best of luck.

MB

 

[Frederik]

Just got back home.

Going to catch up some work and then do a proper report.
Overall what I can say is, it was better than my first trip this kitty didn't want to be hunted.

Family loved it and to have my son tag along on the lion hunt was just special and wife in camp ejoying the Kalahari hospitality.

Keep your eyes peeled when I'm posting the report.

Exiting hunt, bunch of laughs, too much food, memories and a super green wet Kalahari.

 

[Frederik]

Here we go so on the 10th of December 2022 at 04:05 am we hit the road for the long 7 hour drive to De Klerk Safaris. I was exited to show my wife Charmaine and son Aaron the Kalahari and Hospitality.
Even beter we were going hunting and Aaron would also be on the lion hunt for the experience.

A quick stop on our way to fill up and grab a good coffee to leave the hustle of the city behind from there we would be heading west.

Rifles that would be used for the trip from left my new CZ550 7x57, middle Musgrave K98 375 H&H and right my CZ550 Lott.

Our two vicious attack dogs would come along for the ride. Eddie left (1 years and 2 months) and Chokkie right (11 years old).

The night before we told Aaron that he could get a chance on a kalahari springbuck ram after the lion was down and if time permitted. He was getting very exited as he was nagging me to hunt a springbuck.

Now our time was very limited due to me coming back to close down for our yearly builders brak on the 15th of December so the only dates that worked was 10-13th December.
Hans was worried if it was to be enough time but I told him we will push hard from arrival and then push even harder when we find tracks and not quit untill she was down.

Frikkie was up for it and Yvan Han's son would be PH number 2 to push if we needed to. The drive was long but pleasant everything was green. God surely blessed us with good rain again this season and seeing everything green like this was special. I have never seen the Kalahari this green before and you would have to think twice that this same place could be barren and just show you red sand.

We drove through some rain on the way and there were yellow flowers all along the next to the road.

The big reason why the dogs came along just imagine the horror this Leopard tortoise could have inflicted on us.

There was tortoises everywhere on the road in the veldt and more whe couldnt see with the tall grass. We picked up the tortoise and let him go into the veldt to avoid traffick after the dogs had a bit of fun.

 

[Frederik]

We are now in Lion country, glad to turn off to tghe last strecth onto the farm gate we spotted Kudu bulls, impala, blesbuck, black Wildebeest, springbuck, ostrich and warthog along the way.

Man, it was good to arrive back again and arriving in Camp Frikkie and Heidie was awating us Hans, Marie and Yvan would accompany us that evening for a braai.
The rooms was done neat and clean again and we had two caps and new shirt and a little welcome letter written for us. Small touch but that shows extra service and attention to detail.
We unpacked and then headed to the shooting range to check the rifles.

Aaron, had his own bungalow and also recived a cap and a shirt with a welcome letter.

I was still working on loads on the 7x57 and had a load but didnt have time to sight it in and since De Klerk Safaris has an excellent range we did just that and sighted in the rifle at 100 meters.

Aaron showed Frikkie that he could handle the 375 H&H as he would be carrying it as backup on the lion hunt and we were set to go for the afternoon drive to see what we could find.
Or so we thought but Heidi had other pland she would not send us off into the veldt if we didn't have full stomachs. I warned my wife about it, the Kalahari was a dangerous place you could die from the overeating with very good food.

So before the laziness of the food kicked in we were on the cruiser to find and see what would happen and if adventure would be found. We had about 4 hours of daylight left so if tracks could be found early there was a chance.

Typical 17 year old teenager just have to pose and be cool.

Safety in numbers look at those stares lions beware.

A big Impala ram was on the menu for me except for a lion and I mean big one of those that just scream monster even without bino's and a good Kalahari springbuck ram for Aaron. With recent rain and a good shower just before we arrived tracks all looked fresh that was seen.

We spotted a good springbuck in a bachelor group and Frikkie and Aaron was off while me and Charmaine just spend time on tghe cruiser with the dogs enjoying the scenery birds and animals.
You just couldn't believe it we were just sitting there but saw 2 more herds of springbuck go past one herd of blesbuck, waterbuck and warthogs. Its' like the animals were coming to us.

Waiting and expecting a shot nothing happened and after an hour Frikkie radioed Chris to come and collect them. Seems the other two herds of springbuck spoiled the stalk and got the bachelors very nervous.

Frikkie also told how he was almost dead by stepping on a huge puffader.
He could hear it hiss and puff but could not see is then he spotted it 2 feet away from him.
It was a monster of a puffadder and huge old and dark not the colourful camo you are used too.

Frikkie told Aaron we only get off if its a monster springbuck or impala now, he had enough for today.

So with an hour or so of light remaining we kept looking for lion tracks impala or springbuck.
We did spot an impala that needed a second look and had to get closer Aaron and Charmaine stayed on the cruiser and Chris took them further down the road.
The stalk was great with giraffe next to us and some springbuck that we didnt spot we had a shot at the ram but he was bordeline and Frikkie said good chance we can do better.

So we let him go and called Chris in again and Frikkie just thought about the close call on the puffader.

That afternoon we saw, Springbuck, Impala, blesbuck, waterbuck, gemsbuck, warthog, giraffe, red hartebeest, buffalo, ostrich and black and blue wildebeest. A truck load of animals quite calm with the effect of plenty food and of course brand new impala lambs.

Almsot forgot Frikkie told us that Aaron learned a new buch of words when Frikkie almost stepped on the puffadder but didnt want to repeat them infront of Charmaine.

 

[DieJager]

This is going to be awesome

 

[PARA45]

Awesome, keep it coming.

 

[degoins]

Great report so far..
Tell Frikkie he needs to quit being so wimpy about snakes.....very un PH like. And tell everyone David and Gwen said hello.

 

[VertigoBE]

This is making us anxious to hear the rest of the story! Keep it coming! Cheers, V