Let me start by saying I'm not a great writer or master of the english language when it comes to grammar and puncutation; so please overlook that aspect of this and take this for what it is. This is my story/experience of my first African safari.
For years I've dreamed of a hunting safari in Africa, most of the evenings when the TV was on after the kids went to bed it was African hunting shows that I put on. Finally my wife got tired of my "One day I'm going to go and do that." She called my bluff and said figure out a way to pay for it, plan it, and you can go. So there I went, deep research mode. The financial aspect was easy enough, healthcare is a field that always has holes to be plugged and shifts to fill, so I did the numbers and figured out how many extra shifts were needed for a basic plains game hunt. I then hopped on here and put out feelers and was inundated with outfitters in my message box. I ended up choosing
@EXECUTIVE HUNT AFRICA for my first trip. Johan was one of the first ones to respond to me and within the first interaction gave me his WhatsApp number so that we could text instead of having to do the email thing. I really liked that personal touch. Plans were made and a quote was given. He even threw in a free Jackal hunt! I was on my way to my first adventure! Looking back, planning the safari was almost as much fun as the safari itself. The preparation both physically, and logistically kept the trip always in the front of my mind. I dreamt about it, it was becoming my obsession. In my dreams I could see the impala, kudu, gemsbok, and zebra all being placed on the wall in my den and telling the stories to friends and family as they came over.
Fast forward 7 months and I'm touching down in Johannesburg. My flight from the States came in late, 2300ish, and there was only 2 passport agents working at OR Tambo airport so you can imagine how long the process took. After securing baggage and clearing passport control I was assisted to my hotel room at City Lodge in the airport for some much needed rest. The plan was for my PH, Johan, to meet me at 0800 the next morning. At 0745 my phone rings in the room and I'm told my PH has arrived. After months of communicating back and forth we were finally face to face, a hearty hand shake and away we went. We of course had to stop and have a coffee and go to Safari Outdoor before heading to Limpopo. 2-2.5 hours drive and we arrive at camp. I was greeted by the camp staff, Johan's awesome family. The welcome was warm and I was taken to my tent where I was able to download my gear and clean up for lunch. After general get to know you chat and a hearty lunch, Johan comes to me and says "Let's go sight the rifle in and then we will go for a walk. After confirming zero on the 375 H&H we took off on foot. I was not expecting to do anything but was a little surprised when he handed me the rifle as we departed down a trail from camp. I was still in the mindset of being at home where taking a walk is just taking a walk. After about 30 minutes or so of walking we come across a small group of impalas with a beautiful old ram in the pack. Johan quickly cuts to the left in the thick brush and I follow suit. Shooting sticks were set up and I am in position. Johan calmly and collectedly tells me to breath and wait for the second ram to walk into my sight picture. Sure enough almost out of thin air one ram walks in and out of my scope and then the ole boy walks in. The 375 H&H barked and took not only the impala by surprise but me as well! He fell right where he stood. Johan smiled, turned to me and said congratulations on your first african trophy. I couldn't believe it, I had been in country for less than 24 hours and I had already taken one of the animals on my list.
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Johan hopped on his radio and had the tracker/skinner and his son come round with the truck and load up the impala. Onward we walked, and as we came around corner we stopped, off ahead about 50 yards there was 2 large bull Kudu in the bush. We backed up and Johan gave me his binoculars to look at them. I couldn't make a thing out! We sat down to wait and see if they would come out to go to the water hole that was just up the way but the wind shifted and they caught us. Off they went, so we got up, dusted ourselves off and to camp we went for supper and nice fire. I was feeling pretty down not being able to identify the Kudu but was reassured that I just needed time to adjust for what I was looking for, Johan said by end of the trip, you'll be spotting animals all over. Little did I know just how right he would be.
Day two came with an early morning and fresh french pressed coffee and biscuits. Today's goal was zebra, we got the tracker and loaded up in the truck and drove out. We dismounted after a short drive and started looking around for spoor. After a couple of minutes the tracker, Edmond, had picked up the spoor of some zebras and off we went.I never realized how thick the brush was on the hunting shows I watched, after about the third time I got caught in a thorny bush and had blood running down my arm I learned to be more careful in my movements. Just like snapping your fingers, the spoor disappeared. In spots we could find some new tracks and then they would vanish. All of a sudden zebras were 50 yards in front of us and they were moving out as quickly as they could. I laughed just out of the sheer joy of having seen zebras in the wild for the first time. We continued on, following some more zebra spoor. We came to an intersection where the tracks split, Johan sent Edmond down the path to see where they led and he and I took off the other way. To no avail it seemed we lost the zebra. We continued to follow the spoor but the wind was swirling and not in our favor. We decided to make note of where we were and come back after lunch. Upon getting back we started back up in the same area and started tracking the spoor, the tracks were older, according to the tracker, and probably this mornings zebra we had been on. We continued on and suddenly Johan tells me to get down. As I peer over his shoulder, I see a bull kudu chewing on some foliage. I slowly get back down, as Johan glasses he turns to me and says "that's a young bull there but there is a beautiful 50+ inch behind him. Lets move slow and low and see if we can get a better angle on them." Slowly and as quietly as possible we moved on hands and knees through the brush, the wind still in our favor. We crawled for about 40 yards, probably less really but at the time it felt like miles. We found ourselves behind a small bush and within 70 yards of the two kudu. The old bull was still behind the younger bull, as though he knew to use him for cover. We continued to wait hoping the wind didn't change. After what felt like hours, but only minutes, the young bull moved forward to get a better angle on some foliage, the old bull stayed in place. Johan set the sticks up and motioned me up. Onto the sticks I went and was perfectly on him. Just as the kudu turned to look in our direction the 375 once again barked and took us both by surprise. The bull ran straight ahead and there was crashing and snapping of branches and thick brush. We sat back down and breathed. We sipped some water and waited a few minutes to see if we could hear anything else. All was silent. We got up and headed over to where the bulls had been, as we surveyed the direction in which he had ran Johan turned to me with a smile and said "It is done." I looked over his shoulder and 20 yards away there was a beautiful spiral horn coming up from behind a bush. We approached with caution to find a beautiful 52" kudu lying on the ground.
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Back at camp we celebrated with cold beer and delicious food. I should take a moment here to brag on Henlomi and her awesome food. There wasn't one thing that she prepared that I didn't like. The time, care, and effort she took in preparing the meals and also tending to my tent and laundry was on par with that of a 5 star resort! She also made conversation easy, I generally don't talk a lot but I felt really at ease and able to open up with everyone in camp.
The next morning we loaded up in search of Gemsbok, we drove to a different part of the concession and it was amazing how with just a 15 minute ride we went from thick bushveld to more open grassland. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. We drove until we spotted some gemsbok off in the distance. We carefully dismounted and picked up their spoor, we walked and tracked but we just couldn't close the gap between us. I was constantly amazed at how effortlessly Johan and the team could anticipate the wind shift and correct our course for it. At times I thought we were going in the absolute wrong direction only to be proven wrong when I catch a glimpse of the gemsbok or see fresh dung and spoor on the ground. As we came through a small thicket Johan smiled and said to me "there's zebra ahead". They had no idea we were there. We set up on the sticks and waited. There was 2 mares with 2 foals and one stallion taking his time grazing about. Once the mares and foals were out of the way the shot rang out and I had my zebra!
(Multiple attempts and I could not load a photo of the zebra. ??)
Back to camp we went for lunch and refreshments before going back out to get back on the trail of the gemsbok. We hadn't been on trail for more than an hour when we saw 6 gemsbok off in the distance. It was a perfect opportunity as there was just enough brush on the side of the truck trail to conceal us as we approached, the wind, perfectly in our face. We worked our way up to them and when we were within <100 yards, I drew down on the big mature male. The shot rang out and he dropped where he stood, the other gemsbok took off running, straight towards us! They closed within 30 yards of us before stopping and looking at us. We had worked so quietly and had picked the perfect piece of cover that they didn't even know we were there until they were right on top of us. They took a hard right turn and bolted. The gemsbok hunt was exciting and it happened all just in time for a picturesque photo as the sun set.
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As we rode back to camp it hit me, I began noticing and identifying animals. My eyes had finally adjusted it seemed. We dropped off the gemsbok at the skinner's shed to be worked and off we went to set up and call for jackal. We made it into position just before it got dark. We called and had some call back but could never seem to get the booger to commit and come in to us. We packed up and went back to camp for dinner and drinks. I decided that since I was here, and I had completed my wish list so quickly I might as well tag on a warthog. It seemed my good luck in hunting had worn off as we spent the next couple days sitting in the blind waiting on the right warthog to come in. The evenings we jackal hunted never getting the sly creature to come in, but along the way we stumbled across a porcupine and some mighty fine rabbits.
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On the day before my departure we were sitting in the blind when finally the right warthog appeared. I placed the shot on him and off he ran. My stomach dropped, after all the good shooting I had done and I missed? We got the tracker over and immediately he found blood. Blood that I would have otherwise over looked completely. We tracked the beast for a ways when we found him lying under some brush, I put another shot, this time better placed and it was finished.
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Now that the fun was over it was time to pack it up and come home. I can honestly say I understand now when people talk about being bit by the African bug. I was and am addicted, so much in fact I've already planned my next trip for next year. This time I'll be taking my wife along, will she hunt? Most likely not, but she will get to have the experience and take it all in. The hope is eventually take the kids individually over the next decade in hopes that when they are grown they can take their dad on safari
. If nothing else to give them the life experience of the adventure to be had. Below are a few photos from around camp and the trip.
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If you made it all the way through this then thank you for baring with me. I just felt compelled to tell the story, even if it wasn't as detailed as it could be.
Here is my shameless plug for Johan and his family business:
If you're a first time African hunter or a repeat African expert; you can not go wrong hunting with Executive Hunt Africa. Honest, hard working, warm and welcoming. I came to camp as a stranger/new client and left feeling like a friend of the family. I have chosen to plan my next safari with Executive Hunt Africa.
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Executive Hunt Africa
#executivehuntafrica #southafrica
