SOUTH AFRICA: Kemp African Safaris

[Hank2211]

@enysse, I don't know how I missed this the first time you posted. I have hunted in the same area, and in fact have some of the same mountain pictures you posted - and the mountains are quite distinctive there! I just received my taxidermy last week, and it was pretty rough - took 18 months to get it, from a taxidermist in Polokwane who promised me regular communication and then went radio silent. I hope you have (or had) better luck.

I hunted that area a couple of years ago, and had many of the same animals as you in mind. I would have loved to get the Sharpe's, but there were none in the area, but did pretty well on the rest of what I was after. But, as you say, it's tough hunting, when you're up half the night but also don't want to miss the early morning plains game hunting. And as for cold, it really doesn't matter what the temperature is, at that time of year it gets cold sitting still in a blind for hours every night! Taking quick shots in the dark doesn't make it any easier!

I can't wait for the next instalment(s) . . .

 

[enysse]

We were rushing back to the lodge, were going out night hunting and it was getting late. Just as we came around a corner we had a large stallion on the side of the road but I passed. We had done enough culling for the day. We rushing to set up hunting for the night hunting. This property had leopard, honey badgers, brown hyena and bushpig on bait. There seemed to be an incredible amount of predators in the area. We actually had two baits in the area. One mainly for the leopard and the other for the brown hyena, bushpig and honey badgers. When animals came into the bait they were very jumpy because of all animals in the area. It was terribly windy that night. I didn't have a wind gauge but it was blowing 35 to 40 mph. I was far from certain we were going to see anything but we put fresh bait out there and sometimes that's all you have to do to get animals moving. It wasn't until after 11 PM that the bushpigs came in to eat. We had a motion sensor connected to a light that would go off when animals got close to the bait. We could turn the light up if we wanted too and we has a spot light with us in the blind. The first bushpigs to go to the blind were a HUGE female and her two young. I could not believe the size of the female boar. They ate for 30 minutes and then left. They were jumpy the whole time they were eating, between the wind and light blowing all over the place...they were suspicious of everything. As soon as the female and two young left a large boar came into eat. I didn't wait long at all before I place a bullet into him and dropped him dead. It was an exciting moment. I shot him just behind the shoulder. I had spent enough time hunting them in the past and know that bushpig hunting can be hard! We took pictures and placed the bushpig close to the blind and continued hunting. There were plenty of other animals that could come in that night. At about 0130 I noticed a large brown hyena going into the bait. The PH confirmed it was a male and to shoot it when I could. I put the reticles right behind his shoulder and pulled the trigger. The brown hyena dropped dead. Everyone was proud and happy for me. They said it's not everyday shoots two great trophies in one night. Especially a trophy brown hyena and bushpig boar. Being a USA citizen I'm not allowed to take the brown hyena home. It would have been an incredible full mount or rug. Damn shame, thank you animal rights and USFW. We could have stayed hunting, but I called it a night. I was sleep deprived and exhausted. The trail cam pictures showed up that the honey badgers were there in the morning but honestly some days you have to call it quits and get some regular sleep.

 

[Nyati]

Eric, I am jealous, bushpig and hiena, two animals I could not get this year !

But it seems like you had a great time, despite the cold ( yes it can get cold in the Limpopo), so congrats

 

[enysse]

We did a lot of blind hunting like I said before at night. It was tough hunting. Those civet cats were smart. The second that motion sensor light turned on during the night, they were out of the bait. and we quite a distance from the bait so our scent didn't disrupt the bait. It was hard to find the animals in low light. They were always on the edge of darkness and it was difficult to find them when they came into the bait.

 

[Hank2211]

Congratulations! It's not every day you get a brown hyena! And I tried for three years before I finally got a bushpig!

 

[enysse]

One night it was after 0130 am. The civet cats had been in and out of the bait but we could not get a shot. There were honey badgers at the baits and we knew we could get one with minimum effort because the population was high. We saw this big one come in with his buddy and I decided to take him. One shot and I dropped him dead. We placed him under the blind and hunted the rest of the night. until morning and then took pictures.

 

[Hank2211]

One night it was after 0130 am. The civet cats had been in and out of the bait but we could not get a shot. There were honey badgers at the baits and we knew we could get one with minimum effort because the population was high. We saw this big one come in with his buddy and I decided to take him. One shot and I dropped him dead. We placed him under the blind and hunted the rest of the night. until morning and then took pictures.

Another tough trophy. Well done. Surprised you put him " under the blind." Usually they have a fairly skunk-like stink about them . . .

 

[enysse]

We went to eat at the Legend Golf and Safari Resort is situated within the Entabeni Safari Conservancy. You can see the extreme 19th hole in the pictures below. This is where they take a helicopter up the mountain to golf, the green is located 400 meters lower than tee off location. The food was excellent. Dawie Kemp is pictured in one of the photos with me.

 

[enysse]

The next day after an uneventful night, we went culling again. I took a old waterbuck off sticks at about 125 yds, then we found another lone old blue wildebeest and I killed it at about 50 yds. We saw lots of baboons, I missed a few with my 7mm, oh well..... We were hunting for burchell zebra, but they were spooky. Late in the day, just as the sun was going down we came up on a herd. I shot an old mare that had hardly any teeth left and then I shot a old stallion that had no ears left. I dropped the mare in her tracks but

the stallion ran off. The sun went down and we had to track it down in the dark. My PH caught up to it and put a bullet in the head to put him out of his misery. It just goes to show, a less than perfect shot and those zebra will run a long ways....

 

[enysse]

We got back from the cull hunt late so we tried some night spot lighting looking for genets, jackel and serval. We had some luck on the black-backed jackal. It took me two shot to knock him down because he was in the tall grass and I couldn't see most of his body. We had to use the PH's dog to track him down and the dog did an excellent job.
I messed up on a shot at a large spotted genet, I just couldn't get on him fast enough before he slipped away in the brush. I was kicking myself but then we redeemed ourselves by finding a HUGE small spotted genet. He climbed a tree and knocked him down with the shotgun before he could get away. We were all excited, it was an excellent trophy.

 

[rinehart0050]

Great stuff! Congrats and thank you for sharing.

 

[cls]

Great report, thanks. Brown hyena is up there on my list, congrats.

 

[cagkt3]

Great report! Hope you get to feeling better

 

[gillettehunter]

Good job Eric. Sounds like a lot of long cold hours in blinds. Not a lot of sleep either..... Looks like you got some unusual trophies. Congrats
Bruce

 

[IdaRam]

So many awesome trophies! Congrats Eric on what sounds like a wonderful hunt!
I have really enjoyed reading about your experiences, it certainly takes me back to those sleep deprived days and long, cold nights
Hope you get feeling better buddy.

 

[Hank2211]

An impressive genet!

And you need to be carful picking up those jackals - if the sh*t gets on your hands . . . can take a long time to get rid of that smell!

Takes me back . . . keep it coming!

 

[BRICKBURN]

The clean up man. Impressive.

 

[enysse]

Thanks for the compliments! I have to work a 12 hr night shift tonight and then after some sleep I can post some more of the report. I'm feeling better....fluids, food, sleep and medications.

To answer @Hank2211 question, I did drop my animals off at Bull's Eye Taxidermy. I met Craig a long time ago in Green Bay, WI. I trust he will get the job done. Communication has been excellent. I have to keep my taxidermy costs in control. My house might be maxed out in space....I live in Milwaukee and it costs an arm and leg to live there, taxes in Wisconsin are crazy. For the cull animals I only kept the zebra skins, nothing else.

Not to ruin the hunt report but a lot of great hunting is left. We were always on the look for a nice nyala or kudu................another surprise animal came available to hunt too. The hunting area had tremendous nyala quality. I hunted for 10 days and I used every minute of the hunt!

 

[kevin masters]

great report, thanks for sharing. Love the pic's

 

[enysse]

Well, like alluded to above, this place had very good quality of nyala. I was not going into this hunt looking for one but after seeing so many, I finally gave into temptation and added one. Since I have limited space at home for a mount, I really only wanted to take one if I saw something special. We looked at a lot of nyala, which was exciting for me. One afternoon, we came around a corner in a valley and we saw a great nyala. He was surrounded by many female nyala. He had it all, great curves, very nice bell shape and turned out at the top. Unfortunately for me, I took to much time analyzing him from a very short distance of less than 100 yds. In hind sight we should of drove by and stalked our way back because he took off running never to be seen again. He was over 28 inches, probably not 30 inches but he was HUGE! I sit think of him at night at work. It was privilege to see him. We saw more than few nyala over 26+inches. I know some will doubt me but book a hunt with Kemp Safari.
That night we went out to try to get that civet cat. For some unknown reason I missed a huge civet cat at the edge of the bait. I thought there was no way I could have missed. I know it was quick shot but some how I missed it. I was after 1130 PM, how it happen who knows. I don't think any tree branches were in the way but it was heart breaking. I also attempted a shot a large spotted genet cat with the rifle and just missed him. Should have had the shotgun with me. You spend a lot of the night starring into the stars, listening for animals. Below is a picture of the blind.