SOUTH AFRICA: JKO HUNTING SAFARIS Lion & Crocodile Jacques Spamer Kalahari Hunt

[M and M Bro Hunters]

Me and my father just returned from a dream come true hunt with @JKO HUNTING SAFARIS , It was truly incredible. But it wasn't that we were hunting on a massive property with no far driving, that our accommodations were 5 star, that we saw trophy animals everywhere. What made the Hunt was Jacque Spamer and his PH Riaan Scholtz. I have never met someone and felt like we had been lifetime friends before them. They made every aspect of the hunt special, we shared stories, laughs, and I can only recommend JKO Safari's. I promise they do it differently and you'll be grateful you've booked with them. I have had the pleasure of hunting all around the world and have met great people. I wish I met Jacque sooner and look forward to more hunts with him. Okay now to the report! I have always wanted to hunt a lion, ever since I was 4 and watched Ghost and the Darkness. I just never thought I would get the opportunity. Jacque worked with us and gave us great packages and we booked for June 24th to July 4th. We flew Delta Comfort Plus from ATL to JHB - 15 Hr flight. I highly recommend this one way instead of to a different country and a layover, as well as the extra 4 inches and 50 percent recline in seats was much appreciated and you could actually get some shut eye. Flight went great, and then we hit customs in Joburg where their machines were down. So we had to do everything by paper, which they ran out of and had to drive to get more. 3 and 1/2 hrs later we finally got through. By this time it was too late to drive to where we would be hunting in the Kalahari about 15 miles from Botswana. So Jacques out of his own pocket booked us a room with Africa sky guest house. He takes care of you! Here's some photos

Next up Gemsbok and Lion

 

[M and M Bro Hunters]

After about 4 hour drive to camp, I’m amazed at the beauty of the Kalahari and know that it will have my heart forever. That’s when we see two young rhinos to the side of the road. As we slowed down to get pictures the one decided to test the bumper of our bakkie, laughing and amazed at this sight we back up as he stands there daring us to move forward. Shortly after he does indeed lumber off and we pull into a beautiful lodge. As I walk past the main lodge I’m shocked to see an elephant and full size lion mount. As I go in I’m amazed by the animals and the lodge. Walking towards our rooms I’m shocked to find that it’s worthy of a suite at the Trump Hotel, 3 beds, a massive closet and one of the best bathrooms you’ll find anywhere. Including an oversized shower and tub. Not to mention the leopard skin that adorns the floor, the kudu horn lamps, wood bench and desk. It was an oasis that words cannot describe how amazing it was. We met our other PH Riaan and got on the bakkie to shoot the guns. We had 3 beautiful guns to choose from. A 30-06, 300, and a 375. My dad shot the 30-06 because the scope had a dot in the middle like his 300 back home. 3 shots, 3 in the diamond bullseye. I chose the 300, same results. I also shot the 375 which was a special experience and knew that was the gun I desired to hunt the cat with. Afterwards we headed out for a late drive. The scenery was beautiful, just what you imagine Africa to be. We saw Impala, duiker. Steenbok, springbok, blesbok, wildebeest, lechwe, eland, waterbuck, tssebee, Cape buffalo, rhino. I was in awe. I was in heaven. Jacques and Ryan were both knowledgeable, friendly, funny. It was as if we had been hunting buddies for years. We came back to the lodge and met our hosts, wonderful kind family Okter and his wife Sue Marie and Cousin Marcus. And was treated to a delicious dinner. All the food we ate over there I would choose over almost anything I've had in the states.

Okay next post Gemsbok and Lion! I Promise ha

 

[M and M Bro Hunters]

As I knew we would be after my lion the next day I woke up multiple times wishing it would be 6:30. Finally my alarm went off, we had a quick breakfast, some hot chocolate and were off. Once again the grass the landscape and animals we saw, I can’t describe it or do it justice for how incredible it was. Quite early we found a cat track, fresh as I learned that the line running through the sand happens at night. Adrenaline pumping we were on to her. She was hunting for her tracks were in large circles and she travelled many miles. The wind was blowing and it was hard to make sense of the tracks. Although how Riaan, Jacques, and our tracker Johannes followed and found the tracks amazed me. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack and they found them every time. She was on the move, we even found where she had bedded down as we passed by her. My smile couldn’t leave my face. I was in Africa hunting lions?! This was my childhood dream, at 4 years old ghost and the darkness was my favorite movie. And here I was blessed enough to be able to hunt one. The respect and admiration I have for this lion, as we never did catch up with her today makes me feel honored, a truly noble creature, formidable; and although those who don’t hunt, and can never understand, the honor and respect I had for her. Hunting, making memories with friends, family, conservation work. We came back and ate wonderful Kudu burgers and chips. I cannot describe how well you are treated and how kind everyone is. I write this as we are napping and 30 mins before we will go out looking for game.

We go out and immediately see more game. No shooters for the first 15 minutes, and then we see a big female gemsbok just walking across the road a few hundred yards away. The wind had been blowing all day and we decide to go after her. Sneaking in and getting about 50 to 75 yards we run into a group of 10 gemsbok and 15 springbok. We are behind thick brush and in front of a tree, the problem was, all the gemsbok and springbok were in thick brush and trees as well. We could never spot that large female, and all of the sudden we see the springbok take off and I knew that was it. The gemsbok stayed though, sitting on the sticks and glassing for about 30 minutes we see an even larger female with longer horns and more mass. The only problem is there’s 2 standing behind her. She then decides to lay down and the others walk in front of her. Nerves fraying and patience waiting she finally got up, behind another gemsbok. About 15 minutes we finally got a small window and my dad fired, I heard the whack and saw the impact as I was recording it on my camera. The herd takes off, her in pursuit but clearly hit hard. With the trees we never got another shot. We slowly started walking forward about 100 yards or so I see her bedded down, but no shot. My dad gets on the sticks, and after hollering and shouting she finally stands up from the bush and boom she drops and didn’t move again. It was such a crazy stalk having to wait, seeing them so close. What a great shot by my dad to stay calm and patient. Walking up I was blown away at how big she truly was. A massive beast!! Smiles all around as we took pictures, we rode back towards camp seeing multiple animals, no shooters, and bumping both rhino and Cape buffalo in the dark which was cool. Had a great dinner and headed off to bed to try and find my cat in the morning. We couldn’t stop smiling, amazed by everything here! Perfect guiding from Jacques to get us on this gemsbok, with a very hard stalk where we could have been blown, but he knew what to do, got us in position, waited and we got one hell of a gemsbok

Next up - More Lion and some Wildebeest action

 

[M and M Bro Hunters]

We got up and once again went after lion. Man this cat could travel, once again she had been in and out of four blocks and walked alongside an outdoor lodge. We thought we knew where she was and so we checked that block and all the trees and bushes where she might be laying or we could find new tracks. She was elusive, truly a ghost. After looking for her up until lunch we headed back for some food and a quick rest before we went out for some Wildebeest. Once again let me say just how incredible it is to see so many species, and trophies on a single massive property. We made a stock on some blacks and got within 60 yards. But no shooters among them , what blew me away is when we saw the same heard the next day Riian counted 20 and said it was the same heard. That’s who these guys are. Anyway we spot another heard in a massive open field. Smart as how could we ever hope to get close to them. I’m not sure if you’ve hunted geese but we decided to “boo them”. It’s where you set up on the ground, and someone purposely scares them and you hope you picked where they will go to. Well we found a small embankment in the middle of the sand that would cover us perfectly and indeed Jacques went and got them going right towards us. We were in the sand and had the sticks low as we were sitting, I didn’t realize I had to sit on the leg of the sticks since it was so shifty in the sand, my dad kept saying I’m moving to much, but we get a good look about 300 yards out and he shoots right under the bull. Well they took off and we never saw them again that day, and we’ve all missed and you feel so crappy. My dad was down, I was because I should have got on the sticks. But both Jacques and Riian assured us it was no problem, everyone misses. Riian even said everything happens for a reason. My dads dream animal has always been a kudu, we’d never been able to get him even a shot at one in times past and they knew this and so we were planning on going to this area where there were massive kudu and warthogs, something I was hoping to get very much. But as the prophet Riaan said, everything happens for a reason, after hunting the rest of the evening and not finding any shooters, miracle hour over, Riaan whispers Kudu. I look to my right in my Binos and just see curls! My dad gets on him, but it’s dark and he can’t make him out and asks us if he can shoot. We told him yes he’s a shooter and to aim right on his spine above the shoulder as it’s nearly 400 yards. Whack!! The kudu jumps high into the air and hearing the whack that the 300 gave a new it was a good shot, he went less than 30 yards and toppled over. We walked up to this magnificent creature, the grey ghost, and all my dad can say is wow. Over and over, I was elated that he’d gotten his kudu, a big nice old bull and what a hell of a shot. Jacques, Riaan, and Johannes our tracker had just as big of smiles as they congratulated him. And as he told me on the way back to the lodge he couldn’t stop smiling.

Still to come, the elusive Cat, Wildebeest, Crocodile

 

[Mekaniks]

What a great trip and fantastic report. That Kudu is a Stud! Welcome to AH.
Looking forward to the rest!

 

[M and M Bro Hunters]

What a great trip and fantastic report. That Kudu is a Stud! Welcome to AH.
Looking forward to the rest!

Appreciate the welcome and glad to be on AH! Thanks, my dad couldn't be happier with him!

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats on a nice gemsbuck and kudu! Look forward to more!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Glad you had a great time, looking forward to the rest of the report!

 

[Inline6]

Looking good so far! Looking forward to the rest of the report!

We have always enjoyed our time with @JKO HUNTING SAFARIS looks like he provided another excellent adventure!

 

[gillettehunter]

Very nice Kudu and that gemsbuck appears to be fantastic. Good shooting. Congrats to your dad.
Bruce

 

[NTO]

Nice. Have hunted out of that same camp before with clients very nice place. Jacque is a hoot have spent time in that camp and over here in the US with him he is the best in the business when it comes to lions.

 

[Nyati]

Good trophies so far, and yes, those lions can be quite elusive, hunting them is harder than most people think !

 

[jacques smith]

I’ll agree; Jacques is got lions down pat

 

[ILDRHNTR]

Congrats on two wonderful animals. Looking forward to more of the story. Thanks for sharing.

 

[xbr897]

I happened to meet Jacque when I was staying at Africa Sky. He was there with some other hunters and even though I was on my own and separate from them, he was very engaging and truly interested in what animals were on my list and where I was headed. Found out a few days later that he and my PH knew each other pretty well. When my PH posted a pic of me with my Blue Duiker to his feed, Jacque commented on it and recalled having met me at Africa Sky. Definitely a good guy there.

 

[M and M Bro Hunters]

I know it seems dumb blocking our faces out, but as a Special Education teacher and all the anti hunters, especially with lions.
That lodge that was put into the property was protected by a wooden fence and sliding glass doors, but just last week a male lion they were hunting had broke through and tried in vain to gain access to the lodge before climbing a nearby tree and the client shot him. I’d asked earlier that day if it was safe enough to sleep there as there was a big fire pit, and to be out amongst the animals and looking up into the African night sky would be such an experience. They said yes, we brought the 416 and 500. Nitro just in case. But they were nice enough to bring bedding out for us and me, Riaan, and Marcus spent a once in a lifetime experience for me sitting amongst the fire, telling stories, laughing, and I was in amazement of the beauty of the stars and the full moon. We went to bed at 1 as we had to be at 4 to drag the roads with a tree. This all added to the experience of my lion hunt and I loved it. We dragged till 6 and went and picked everyone up. As we drove we’d found her tracks! We knew they were less than 3 hours fresh, as we drove the block we saw where they started and went in. The other roads were clear, we knew where she was now and my adrenaline stared pumping as we walked in after her. Now as I’d said before the grass was thick and tall, some spots being taller than me and my dad at 6 feet. We’d followed the tracks as best we could but you lose them as it’s impossible to find them. We all spread out walking looking for tracks or her in the thick bushes or under trees. Now our tracker Johaness has been at this for 18 years, but he was so much fun, so kind and humble, easy to like and get a long with. But he has a gift because he found the tracks, they radioed to us that he was on them so we hurried back, then they’d jumped her and saw where she went into thick bush. As we were walking and Jacques told me she’s in this bush right here, I’ll forever have it ingrained into my head the first time seeing her. I can’t describe it, there she was massive and watching us the whole time. As I said holy shit she’s right there. Luckily she was in the middle of the bush and not on the back side. As we walked towards her trying to get a broadside shot, with her moving and watching the whole time, it was quite the experience. She could charge at any minute, after getting within 15 yards she presented a shot and I dropped her. I must have aimed a little high as I’d broken her spine and neck, but I quickly reloaded and put 2 more in her before we walked up and my childhood dream of hunting lion had come true. I dropped to my knees and put my hand on her with the ultimate respect and thanked god for his wonderful earth, my blessing to have this opportunity. I was shocked at how large

she was her paws were massive, her head, body length. It didn’t seem real but it was incredible and I can’t thank Jacques, Riian and Johannes enough for helping me get this lion.

 

[StevenQ718]

How big is the property?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

How big is the property?

I have not been to this property Steven, but Jacques @JKO HUNTING SAFARIS will be able to tell you in a few days. He is currently hunting in Tanzania with limited internet coverage.

 

[AZDAVE]

It is always a special day to fulfill a childhood dream. Nice writeup. thank you for sharing your adventure.