Thank you in advance for reading about my experience with Impisi Safaris and my first trip to Africa.
In August of 2024, I decided that I could no longer wait and I wanted to live a 33 year old dream and make my first trip to South Africa a reality. Despite a lot of conversations and efforts with friends and family, I couldn't find anyone to go along and so rather than wait, I decided I would take the leap solo. I had originally planned to do this in 2026 but with discussions and continued rumors around the end to the captive-bred Lion hunt in RSA, time was getting short and I wasn't getting any younger. I needed to go as soon as I could. A friend of mine told me that coffins don't come with pockets and it was those words that really motivated me to get make this dream a reality.
Being as this was my first trip to South Africa and the first time I had ever worked with an outfitter for a hunting trip, I felt that I would be more comfortable dealing with a local agent that I could speak to face to face. I had met up with Select Worldwide Hunting Safaris at sports shows in Canada on a couple occasions and they came highly recommended by some well known industry people. I felt that recommendation was enough for me to book. I am a blue collar working class individual. I had some savings and decided that the timeline on losing an opportunity to hunt a Lion was too important to pass up and so I borrowed from my future and got the ball rolling.
I initially booked a10 day Cape Buffalo and Sable hunt with Impisi Safaris via Select Worldwide. Deposit was paid in September 2024. I asked my agent to find me a lion hunt as well as that was the real reason I wanted to move up my timeline. He assured me he could get me a great lion at fair prices and I awaited some information and pricing. While waiting, I happened to see an ad for an outfitter advertising an incredible deal with a Male Lion and a Lioness included at no extra charge. I contacted the outfitter and started discussions with him. I would be hunting a minimum 7 year old Lion with a free Lioness thrown in. He said he would be able to fit me in at the end or before my 10 day Cape Buffalo hunt. My Canadian agent wasn't the best at communicating and in the end was unable to secure me a trophy Lion hunt in the same ballpark let alone with the inclusion of a Lioness. I will report on my Lion and Lioness hunt with Magwegwe Safaris in the Kalahari on a separate thread. Impisi has been in business over 20 years and has a very large, well managed property. It is solely a game farm for hunting. There are no crops being grown here. 26000 acres of quartz cliffs, bushveld and that awesome red sand made for the experience of a lifetime. Jan and Belinda are incredible people and their team was all about customer service.
My trip consisted of business class flights from Calgary to Amsterdam and then to Johannesburg. I had zero issues with my rifles or luggage on the entire trip. Airport/Airline and police check ins were seamless. I had heard KLM could be a problem but they were very good for me. I was bringing along a Winchester Model 70 Safari Express in 416 Remington magnum with Leupold VXR scope. I also had a Christensen Ridgeline in 300 win mag with Swarovski DS Gen 2 for longer range plains game opportunities. Most of my game was taken using the 416 in Limpopo with the furthest shot being 80 meters.
I arrived in Joberg and transitioned the airport with the help of Mr X via Afton Safari Lodge. I stayed 2 nights at the lodge and shook off the Jet Lag. Afton Safari Lodge was very comfortable and the people were friendly. I was picked up the morning of my 3rd day in Africa by a driver with Impisi Safaris and we started our 4.5 hour drive north. I found the van to be comfortable enough and there was cold drinks and snacks on board.
Upon arrival at the Impisi Lodge, I was greeted warmly by the owner and outfitter, Jan Taljaard, and my first PH, Revel De Bruin. My Bags were brought to my room and I was able to have a nice lunch and meet a couple hunters who had been in camp for some time. The farm is 26000 acres divided into some different blocks. After lunch, we grabbed rifles to verify zero and went for a drive to get the lay of the land and experience my first hunt in South Africa. A few shots from each gun and we were on the road. It wasn't long before we were stalking Wildebeest and catching glimpses of other animals like Giraffe, Impala, and Ostrich. My PH said he wanted to focus on Buffalo and a particularly large Sable bull that had been spotted earlier that day. We moved into a hidden water hole to see if the Buffalo were hiding in there but unfortunately we only ran across fresh sign. Back on the truck and out toward the road, we almost got stuck as one of the trackers decided it was a good idea to try and drive through a mud hole. With a little effort we were on the way again. The sun was falling and we decided a very large natural water hole would be a good place to check out as the sun was setting.
A few moments later, we spotted a group of 3 buffalo bulls walking through the bush parallel to us. Quickly we positioned ourselves to cut them off and waited as they walked into a gap amongst the trees. A quick word from Revel and I set my rifle on the lead bull at 25 meters, clearly the biggest of the 3. I planted a shot right into his shoulder and he folded in half, dropping immediately. I quickly racked another round and fired into his chest as I had been told. Revel told me to hold on a third shot and then directed me to another spot in the chest to fire a 3rd insurance bullet to make sure the Buffalo would not rise again. 3 hours into my first hunt in Africa and I had my buffalo down. I was extremely lucky on this hunt and I am thankful for it.
As the sun set in Africa, we had 2 other bulls very close to us. Throwing rocks and sticks eventually moved them away. We kept our guns ready as we cleared a path to get the backie close enough to winch the bull into the truck. This entire experience had my adrenaline up. Soon enough we were on the way to the skinning shed. A call to Jan from Revel stating my Buffalo was down and loaded resulted in a bet on that days rate as Jan didn't believe that we already had a buffalo in the salt. Everyone gathered at the skinning shed and there was smiles and handshakes all around. Beers were shared around the tale of the kill and we soon headed up to the lodge for dinner and time around the fire. The tale of the tape was 43 inches wide with 15 inch bosses. A truly mature specimen and a Cape Buffalo I am proud of.
Day 2 at Impisi Safaris started out with cold meats, cheese and toast with fruit. A couple cups of coffee and we were on the road again. We managed to see quite a few different species again including Duiker, steenbok, Warthog and Red Hartebeest. Unfortunately, luck was not with us on many attempts to get a shot on some of these animals. The wind swirled around us and ruined many stalks throughout my 10 days at Impisi. In the afternoon, we battled with a couple flat tires and decided to run into the local community one stop shop and get a couple new tires for the truck. Swartwater was an experience in its own. We had the tires quickly replaced and we were back out hunting just in time for the golden hour. A beautiful Waterbuck bull made a mistake and gave me an opportunity near last light. The 416 rem mag barked once and we had another beautiful animal down.
Day 3 at Impisi Safaris started with rain. The rain came down pretty good until mid afternoon. I really enjoyed hunting in the rain as many animals behaved much differently. We managed to get some great photos and saw quite a few animals but were not successful during the rain. Later that afternoon, we spotted a large herd of Blue Wildebeest. We quickly put a plan together to stalk in on them. They were feeding to the east allowing us to use the sun and the wind to our advantage. We cut them off and set up behind some thorn bushes with a gap about 60 meters away we knew they would walk into. A short wait and a good mature bull stepped into the gap. A quick whistle by Revel and the bull stopped. My 416 Remington mag did its job once again and dropped the bull in its tracks. I reloaded quickly and kept the rifle on the animal as I knew they could sometimes get up and run if not hit properly. It was soon obvious the animal wasn't going anywhere. Another beautiful trophy on the books.
Day 4 was very quiet. We saw quite a few animals and managed a good stalk into range on some Zebra but at the time I wasn't sure I wanted a Zebra, A Gemsbok bull presented himself on the other side of the Zebra and it was that animal I was more interested in. We managed to get within shooting range on the Gemsbok but it was a young bull and we decided to pass on him. I was kicking myself for not taking that Zebra after that as we had a dozen or more failed stalked on Zebra after that. They proved a very difficult animal to hunt and gained a lot of respect in my books. Despite not taking another animal, the food and wine later that evening was second to none. Throughout my time at Impisi I was fortunate enough to eat Nyala, Gemsbok, Zebra, Bushbuck, Bushpig, Impala, Kudu, Blesbok Crocodile and Warthog. Zebra is my all time favorite followed by bushpig and Nyala. Everything else was also excellent.
Day 5 was bittersweet. Revel was going to be with me for the morning and then he needed to head back home to his real job. Other hunters were heading back to Canada which freed up the primary PH for the outfitter, Frikkie Scheepers. Revel and I hit the road and we were determined to find a Zebra, Red Hartebeest or Gemsbok. We also kept our eyes open for a large Sable bull everyone else had seen but us. It soon become clear that today would be a Red Hartebeest day. We were seeing them everywhere. A couple stalks had us close enough to see that we had no good bulls in with these animals. We decided to head into a different area where we had seen Hartebeest and Gemsbok. We did quite a bit of walking and managed to get close enough to some Gemsbok to determine they were pregnant cows. On our way back to the truck, we caught sight of a large group of Hartebeest. We clearly could make out one big bull with them. We made a plan to use the wind and cut them off. Once again, a quiet stalk and listening to my PH paid off. We had a 50m broadside shot on the bull and my 416 rem had him down in 1 shot. I was very happy with the quality of my Hartebeest bull. 21 inches on both sides for length. Not large enough for any books but certainly a mature bull.
After Lunch, I said my goodbyes to Revel and his team as they departed for the day. I would then jump in with Frikkie and we decided to go for a drive in another area we hadn't hunted yet. He had seen a large Gemsbok bull as well as a big herd of Zebra in this area. It wasn't long before we ran into the Herd Cape Buffalo Bull and his 80 or so cows. It was a cool experience to get a good luck at the Herd bull and the reason why his genetics were favored.
We moved away from the large buffalo herd and headed toward one of the natural water holes. We quickly spotted a black ghost moving through the bush 40-50 yards away. We drove passed that spot and decided to back track for a stalk. Frikkie had spotted a Sable bull in this area earlier and it looked like he hadn't gone far. The bull had a unique curve to his horns and Frikkie was quick to say this was that same bull. We got into position and before the Sable could catch our wind, I quickly shot freehand and hammered the 416 into his shoulder. He took off quickly. It wasn't long before we heard a thump and thrashing sounds of an animal down. The tracking was easy as there was an enormous amount of blood. 100 yards later and the Sable bull was down. Despite having its hard in pieces, the Prince of Africa is a tough animal. I had my Sable bull and I couldn't be happier with the quality of animal. He was a solid 42 inches and very respectable in my books. I had only ever wanted a mature representation of the species. I also respect the fact that there is no hunting by the Inch with Impisi. No extra charges for a Sable over 40 inches which seemed common with other outfitters.
Day 6 at Impisi Safaris started out with a plan to hunt Nyala. An earlier hunter had taken a nice Nyala bull off the property as it was starting to become a problem with the other young bulls. We headed to another concession where the outfitter had access to bigger and better Nyala Bulls. A group of 4 bulls had been spotted together and any of those would have been a great example of a mature bull. We hunted hard that day but unfortunately never saw the group of 4 bulls. The heat was high in the afternoon keeping the animals in the thick stuff. We saw some amazing examples of Gemsbok and a particularly huge Impala that had everyone drooling. After a late lunch, the farm owner, Ville, asked us to hunt a particular area where his breeding bulls were. He told us to take a mature animal from that herd and hoped it wouldn't be his prized herd bull. The rest of the afternoon was filled with many sightings of good Nyala, nyala cows and calves but despite me seeing many good bulls, my PH insisted we would find better. The golden hour was once again what we needed. A massive Nyala bull (in my eyes) stepped out and we made a quick decision to get into position for a shot. I wasted no time in getting a quick shot on the bull with the 416 rem mag and down he went in his tracks. The Nyala was my top plains game animal and the first of the spiral horned antelope for me. I was very happy with this bull.
Day 7 We spent hunting Zebra and Gemsbok all day. It was allot of walking and the wind and weather was not cooperative. Today would be Frikkie's last day with me as he had to had home to take care of some business. My list was also getting shorter and the bank account was telling me to slow down with trophies haha. Toward the end of the day, once again the Golden hour provided it's bounty and I managed to get a quick shot on a big Zebra mare. Zebra are very tough and she went 150 meters after taking a solid shot to her vitals. The blood spray was significant with each remaining heartbeat and the Zebra was easily recovered. She was absolutely beautiful, big and mature and had a very dark pattern.
I decided to take Day 8 off from hunting and enjoyed time around camp. The weather was exceptional and I was able to relax and take a breather. I was treated with an English breakfast and some traditional South African dishes for lunch and with dinner that evening. I found my way into another bottle of Pinotage and the evening ended with a good night's sleep.
Day 9 at Impisi Safaris was very busy. We hunted the morning and had no luck locating a mature Impala Ram. We returned to camp for lunch and my PH, Eduan, received a call from the outfitter. He had spotted a young giraffe with a cyst or something on its face. It was looking thin and he decided it needed to be culled. He asked me if I wanted to shoot it for him. I asked if I could let another hunter take the opportunity in camp as it was also his first time in Africa but he was much older than me and there was a better chance of me returning to take a giraffe of my own than him. Jan was surprised I would pass on the chance but he was happy either way, as long as the giraffe was taken quickly. We all hopped on the bakkie and went for a look. We quickly found the giraffe in question and Frank from Cochrane Alberta made a good shot, taking down the young animal. It was a good story all around as the meat went to feed the farm workers and was donated to a Lion sanctuary just 10 minutes away. I felt good about letting Frank take the shot and getting the opportunity to take an animal not on his list. Later that afternoon, we decided to go out and find an Impala Ram. We stumbled across a beautiful Steenbok Ram and I wasted no time in a quick shot with the 416. My PH tells me this was my best trophy out of everything I had taken. On the way to the skinning shed, we spotted a mature Impala Ram, a very short stalk got me within shooting distance and the 416 once again had another animal down. It was an excellent day!
Day 10, I made the decision to head into Johannesburg to meet Arrie, my Lion Outfitter and make the long drive out to the Northwest Province. We would be situated 20kms from the Botswana border in what the locals referred to as the Green Kalahari. I will publish a report on my experience here as well.
I do not have enough good things to say about Jan Taljaard and his operation at Impisi Safaris. They made me feel very welcome and went out of their way to look after me. I was made to feel like I was part of the team every step of the way. I have a torn MCL which prevents me from walking quickly or for very long distances. I need to take a 10 min break every couple KMs when hiking. The PHs and guides were very accommodating, leaving the pace up to me. Despite this disability, I was still able to take all my trophies and I felt like every shot taken was real hunting. The size of the farm and the Nyala concession we hunted was incredible. There was places we hunted that had not seen hunters so far that season despite being very busy for the prior months leading up to it.
One valuable lesson I learned was that I would book direct with the outfitter on my next trip to Africa. My agent wasn't the best at communication and although I won't accuse him of outright lying to me, it was pretty obvious once I arrived that there was some interactions that were a little deceitful. Poor communication around payments ended up costing me around $5,000 CAD because I was pressured into selling some investments too early despite communicating to the agent my timeline on final payments and him agreeing much earlier in the process. My hunt was paid in full in January, despite not coming until May. I had planned to want to pay everything in full with a credit for additional animals in March. Lessons learned for me for sure.
Now that I have built some connections with people in RSA, my next trip will be handled directly with one of them and I can't wait to go back.
In August of 2024, I decided that I could no longer wait and I wanted to live a 33 year old dream and make my first trip to South Africa a reality. Despite a lot of conversations and efforts with friends and family, I couldn't find anyone to go along and so rather than wait, I decided I would take the leap solo. I had originally planned to do this in 2026 but with discussions and continued rumors around the end to the captive-bred Lion hunt in RSA, time was getting short and I wasn't getting any younger. I needed to go as soon as I could. A friend of mine told me that coffins don't come with pockets and it was those words that really motivated me to get make this dream a reality.
Being as this was my first trip to South Africa and the first time I had ever worked with an outfitter for a hunting trip, I felt that I would be more comfortable dealing with a local agent that I could speak to face to face. I had met up with Select Worldwide Hunting Safaris at sports shows in Canada on a couple occasions and they came highly recommended by some well known industry people. I felt that recommendation was enough for me to book. I am a blue collar working class individual. I had some savings and decided that the timeline on losing an opportunity to hunt a Lion was too important to pass up and so I borrowed from my future and got the ball rolling.
I initially booked a10 day Cape Buffalo and Sable hunt with Impisi Safaris via Select Worldwide. Deposit was paid in September 2024. I asked my agent to find me a lion hunt as well as that was the real reason I wanted to move up my timeline. He assured me he could get me a great lion at fair prices and I awaited some information and pricing. While waiting, I happened to see an ad for an outfitter advertising an incredible deal with a Male Lion and a Lioness included at no extra charge. I contacted the outfitter and started discussions with him. I would be hunting a minimum 7 year old Lion with a free Lioness thrown in. He said he would be able to fit me in at the end or before my 10 day Cape Buffalo hunt. My Canadian agent wasn't the best at communicating and in the end was unable to secure me a trophy Lion hunt in the same ballpark let alone with the inclusion of a Lioness. I will report on my Lion and Lioness hunt with Magwegwe Safaris in the Kalahari on a separate thread. Impisi has been in business over 20 years and has a very large, well managed property. It is solely a game farm for hunting. There are no crops being grown here. 26000 acres of quartz cliffs, bushveld and that awesome red sand made for the experience of a lifetime. Jan and Belinda are incredible people and their team was all about customer service.
My trip consisted of business class flights from Calgary to Amsterdam and then to Johannesburg. I had zero issues with my rifles or luggage on the entire trip. Airport/Airline and police check ins were seamless. I had heard KLM could be a problem but they were very good for me. I was bringing along a Winchester Model 70 Safari Express in 416 Remington magnum with Leupold VXR scope. I also had a Christensen Ridgeline in 300 win mag with Swarovski DS Gen 2 for longer range plains game opportunities. Most of my game was taken using the 416 in Limpopo with the furthest shot being 80 meters.
I arrived in Joberg and transitioned the airport with the help of Mr X via Afton Safari Lodge. I stayed 2 nights at the lodge and shook off the Jet Lag. Afton Safari Lodge was very comfortable and the people were friendly. I was picked up the morning of my 3rd day in Africa by a driver with Impisi Safaris and we started our 4.5 hour drive north. I found the van to be comfortable enough and there was cold drinks and snacks on board.
Upon arrival at the Impisi Lodge, I was greeted warmly by the owner and outfitter, Jan Taljaard, and my first PH, Revel De Bruin. My Bags were brought to my room and I was able to have a nice lunch and meet a couple hunters who had been in camp for some time. The farm is 26000 acres divided into some different blocks. After lunch, we grabbed rifles to verify zero and went for a drive to get the lay of the land and experience my first hunt in South Africa. A few shots from each gun and we were on the road. It wasn't long before we were stalking Wildebeest and catching glimpses of other animals like Giraffe, Impala, and Ostrich. My PH said he wanted to focus on Buffalo and a particularly large Sable bull that had been spotted earlier that day. We moved into a hidden water hole to see if the Buffalo were hiding in there but unfortunately we only ran across fresh sign. Back on the truck and out toward the road, we almost got stuck as one of the trackers decided it was a good idea to try and drive through a mud hole. With a little effort we were on the way again. The sun was falling and we decided a very large natural water hole would be a good place to check out as the sun was setting.
A few moments later, we spotted a group of 3 buffalo bulls walking through the bush parallel to us. Quickly we positioned ourselves to cut them off and waited as they walked into a gap amongst the trees. A quick word from Revel and I set my rifle on the lead bull at 25 meters, clearly the biggest of the 3. I planted a shot right into his shoulder and he folded in half, dropping immediately. I quickly racked another round and fired into his chest as I had been told. Revel told me to hold on a third shot and then directed me to another spot in the chest to fire a 3rd insurance bullet to make sure the Buffalo would not rise again. 3 hours into my first hunt in Africa and I had my buffalo down. I was extremely lucky on this hunt and I am thankful for it.
As the sun set in Africa, we had 2 other bulls very close to us. Throwing rocks and sticks eventually moved them away. We kept our guns ready as we cleared a path to get the backie close enough to winch the bull into the truck. This entire experience had my adrenaline up. Soon enough we were on the way to the skinning shed. A call to Jan from Revel stating my Buffalo was down and loaded resulted in a bet on that days rate as Jan didn't believe that we already had a buffalo in the salt. Everyone gathered at the skinning shed and there was smiles and handshakes all around. Beers were shared around the tale of the kill and we soon headed up to the lodge for dinner and time around the fire. The tale of the tape was 43 inches wide with 15 inch bosses. A truly mature specimen and a Cape Buffalo I am proud of.
Day 2 at Impisi Safaris started out with cold meats, cheese and toast with fruit. A couple cups of coffee and we were on the road again. We managed to see quite a few different species again including Duiker, steenbok, Warthog and Red Hartebeest. Unfortunately, luck was not with us on many attempts to get a shot on some of these animals. The wind swirled around us and ruined many stalks throughout my 10 days at Impisi. In the afternoon, we battled with a couple flat tires and decided to run into the local community one stop shop and get a couple new tires for the truck. Swartwater was an experience in its own. We had the tires quickly replaced and we were back out hunting just in time for the golden hour. A beautiful Waterbuck bull made a mistake and gave me an opportunity near last light. The 416 rem mag barked once and we had another beautiful animal down.
Day 3 at Impisi Safaris started with rain. The rain came down pretty good until mid afternoon. I really enjoyed hunting in the rain as many animals behaved much differently. We managed to get some great photos and saw quite a few animals but were not successful during the rain. Later that afternoon, we spotted a large herd of Blue Wildebeest. We quickly put a plan together to stalk in on them. They were feeding to the east allowing us to use the sun and the wind to our advantage. We cut them off and set up behind some thorn bushes with a gap about 60 meters away we knew they would walk into. A short wait and a good mature bull stepped into the gap. A quick whistle by Revel and the bull stopped. My 416 Remington mag did its job once again and dropped the bull in its tracks. I reloaded quickly and kept the rifle on the animal as I knew they could sometimes get up and run if not hit properly. It was soon obvious the animal wasn't going anywhere. Another beautiful trophy on the books.
Day 4 was very quiet. We saw quite a few animals and managed a good stalk into range on some Zebra but at the time I wasn't sure I wanted a Zebra, A Gemsbok bull presented himself on the other side of the Zebra and it was that animal I was more interested in. We managed to get within shooting range on the Gemsbok but it was a young bull and we decided to pass on him. I was kicking myself for not taking that Zebra after that as we had a dozen or more failed stalked on Zebra after that. They proved a very difficult animal to hunt and gained a lot of respect in my books. Despite not taking another animal, the food and wine later that evening was second to none. Throughout my time at Impisi I was fortunate enough to eat Nyala, Gemsbok, Zebra, Bushbuck, Bushpig, Impala, Kudu, Blesbok Crocodile and Warthog. Zebra is my all time favorite followed by bushpig and Nyala. Everything else was also excellent.
Day 5 was bittersweet. Revel was going to be with me for the morning and then he needed to head back home to his real job. Other hunters were heading back to Canada which freed up the primary PH for the outfitter, Frikkie Scheepers. Revel and I hit the road and we were determined to find a Zebra, Red Hartebeest or Gemsbok. We also kept our eyes open for a large Sable bull everyone else had seen but us. It soon become clear that today would be a Red Hartebeest day. We were seeing them everywhere. A couple stalks had us close enough to see that we had no good bulls in with these animals. We decided to head into a different area where we had seen Hartebeest and Gemsbok. We did quite a bit of walking and managed to get close enough to some Gemsbok to determine they were pregnant cows. On our way back to the truck, we caught sight of a large group of Hartebeest. We clearly could make out one big bull with them. We made a plan to use the wind and cut them off. Once again, a quiet stalk and listening to my PH paid off. We had a 50m broadside shot on the bull and my 416 rem had him down in 1 shot. I was very happy with the quality of my Hartebeest bull. 21 inches on both sides for length. Not large enough for any books but certainly a mature bull.
After Lunch, I said my goodbyes to Revel and his team as they departed for the day. I would then jump in with Frikkie and we decided to go for a drive in another area we hadn't hunted yet. He had seen a large Gemsbok bull as well as a big herd of Zebra in this area. It wasn't long before we ran into the Herd Cape Buffalo Bull and his 80 or so cows. It was a cool experience to get a good luck at the Herd bull and the reason why his genetics were favored.
We moved away from the large buffalo herd and headed toward one of the natural water holes. We quickly spotted a black ghost moving through the bush 40-50 yards away. We drove passed that spot and decided to back track for a stalk. Frikkie had spotted a Sable bull in this area earlier and it looked like he hadn't gone far. The bull had a unique curve to his horns and Frikkie was quick to say this was that same bull. We got into position and before the Sable could catch our wind, I quickly shot freehand and hammered the 416 into his shoulder. He took off quickly. It wasn't long before we heard a thump and thrashing sounds of an animal down. The tracking was easy as there was an enormous amount of blood. 100 yards later and the Sable bull was down. Despite having its hard in pieces, the Prince of Africa is a tough animal. I had my Sable bull and I couldn't be happier with the quality of animal. He was a solid 42 inches and very respectable in my books. I had only ever wanted a mature representation of the species. I also respect the fact that there is no hunting by the Inch with Impisi. No extra charges for a Sable over 40 inches which seemed common with other outfitters.
Day 6 at Impisi Safaris started out with a plan to hunt Nyala. An earlier hunter had taken a nice Nyala bull off the property as it was starting to become a problem with the other young bulls. We headed to another concession where the outfitter had access to bigger and better Nyala Bulls. A group of 4 bulls had been spotted together and any of those would have been a great example of a mature bull. We hunted hard that day but unfortunately never saw the group of 4 bulls. The heat was high in the afternoon keeping the animals in the thick stuff. We saw some amazing examples of Gemsbok and a particularly huge Impala that had everyone drooling. After a late lunch, the farm owner, Ville, asked us to hunt a particular area where his breeding bulls were. He told us to take a mature animal from that herd and hoped it wouldn't be his prized herd bull. The rest of the afternoon was filled with many sightings of good Nyala, nyala cows and calves but despite me seeing many good bulls, my PH insisted we would find better. The golden hour was once again what we needed. A massive Nyala bull (in my eyes) stepped out and we made a quick decision to get into position for a shot. I wasted no time in getting a quick shot on the bull with the 416 rem mag and down he went in his tracks. The Nyala was my top plains game animal and the first of the spiral horned antelope for me. I was very happy with this bull.
Day 7 We spent hunting Zebra and Gemsbok all day. It was allot of walking and the wind and weather was not cooperative. Today would be Frikkie's last day with me as he had to had home to take care of some business. My list was also getting shorter and the bank account was telling me to slow down with trophies haha. Toward the end of the day, once again the Golden hour provided it's bounty and I managed to get a quick shot on a big Zebra mare. Zebra are very tough and she went 150 meters after taking a solid shot to her vitals. The blood spray was significant with each remaining heartbeat and the Zebra was easily recovered. She was absolutely beautiful, big and mature and had a very dark pattern.
I decided to take Day 8 off from hunting and enjoyed time around camp. The weather was exceptional and I was able to relax and take a breather. I was treated with an English breakfast and some traditional South African dishes for lunch and with dinner that evening. I found my way into another bottle of Pinotage and the evening ended with a good night's sleep.
Day 9 at Impisi Safaris was very busy. We hunted the morning and had no luck locating a mature Impala Ram. We returned to camp for lunch and my PH, Eduan, received a call from the outfitter. He had spotted a young giraffe with a cyst or something on its face. It was looking thin and he decided it needed to be culled. He asked me if I wanted to shoot it for him. I asked if I could let another hunter take the opportunity in camp as it was also his first time in Africa but he was much older than me and there was a better chance of me returning to take a giraffe of my own than him. Jan was surprised I would pass on the chance but he was happy either way, as long as the giraffe was taken quickly. We all hopped on the bakkie and went for a look. We quickly found the giraffe in question and Frank from Cochrane Alberta made a good shot, taking down the young animal. It was a good story all around as the meat went to feed the farm workers and was donated to a Lion sanctuary just 10 minutes away. I felt good about letting Frank take the shot and getting the opportunity to take an animal not on his list. Later that afternoon, we decided to go out and find an Impala Ram. We stumbled across a beautiful Steenbok Ram and I wasted no time in a quick shot with the 416. My PH tells me this was my best trophy out of everything I had taken. On the way to the skinning shed, we spotted a mature Impala Ram, a very short stalk got me within shooting distance and the 416 once again had another animal down. It was an excellent day!
Day 10, I made the decision to head into Johannesburg to meet Arrie, my Lion Outfitter and make the long drive out to the Northwest Province. We would be situated 20kms from the Botswana border in what the locals referred to as the Green Kalahari. I will publish a report on my experience here as well.
I do not have enough good things to say about Jan Taljaard and his operation at Impisi Safaris. They made me feel very welcome and went out of their way to look after me. I was made to feel like I was part of the team every step of the way. I have a torn MCL which prevents me from walking quickly or for very long distances. I need to take a 10 min break every couple KMs when hiking. The PHs and guides were very accommodating, leaving the pace up to me. Despite this disability, I was still able to take all my trophies and I felt like every shot taken was real hunting. The size of the farm and the Nyala concession we hunted was incredible. There was places we hunted that had not seen hunters so far that season despite being very busy for the prior months leading up to it.
One valuable lesson I learned was that I would book direct with the outfitter on my next trip to Africa. My agent wasn't the best at communication and although I won't accuse him of outright lying to me, it was pretty obvious once I arrived that there was some interactions that were a little deceitful. Poor communication around payments ended up costing me around $5,000 CAD because I was pressured into selling some investments too early despite communicating to the agent my timeline on final payments and him agreeing much earlier in the process. My hunt was paid in full in January, despite not coming until May. I had planned to want to pay everything in full with a credit for additional animals in March. Lessons learned for me for sure.
Now that I have built some connections with people in RSA, my next trip will be handled directly with one of them and I can't wait to go back.
