SOUTH AFRICA: Pawprint Kalahari Lion & Lioness Hunt

[Ridgewalker]

Congratulations on some very fine animals.
The Lion & Lioness hunt is especially interesting.

How complicated are the importation of the Lion & Lioness trophies?

They cannot be imported. That is actually why I could afford this hunt. It was a good deal IMO. I have no place to put a full body lion or both, so photos are my trophies.
If/when I go for elephant and possibly hippo, I’ll look for a deal where I don’t get anything either. Cuts the price way down and at my age I don’t need anything my family will just have to get rid of.

A simple life is the best life IMO&E. But everyone has their on wants and wishes that work for them. I’d rather spend my money on the hunt than on the trophies.

 

[Dr Ray]

Day 6, Sunday, 8/4. Started out focusing on Toby a Cape buffalo. I stayed in the bakkie to reduce the number of Toby’s entourage. After several walk and stalks, we heard a shot. Jeffrey drove us to the spot where we met up with everyone. The buffalo had taken off and they were about to start tracking it. Jeffrey and I stayed with the truck. It was noon, then about 1:00 Seun called on the radio and said for Jeffrey to take me to the lodge for lunch. After lunch I sat in the shade and read a bit. Suddenly I heard shooting. A few minutes later I was asked if I would like to ride with the crew to load the buffalo! Toby was successful! Yeah! I’ll let him tell you the long story of his wild ordeal!

After everyone returned to the lodge, had lunch and a few minutes admiring Toby’s handsome buffalo, we took off to see what Mother Africa would offer up. She was pretty greedy this afternoon with windy conditions again, but who cares...we are in Africa!

At almost dark, we were returning to the lodge when a fine very old warthog showed himself! My turn! Boom! Thank you Mother Africa for the ugly ancient warthog!
View attachment 298218

The 235 grain Barnes TSX traveling at 3,038 FPS can do some serious damage when close to the game and hitting a big bone!
View attachment 298207

A little red wine by the fire pit, dinner and a bit of joking commentary and it’s lights out.
View attachment 298219

Excellent!

 

[rinehart0050]

Congrats on your success! Two great looking lions! Well done.

 

[Nyati]

Congrats @Ridgewalker , that was a great hunt.

These lions are not so easy to spot, this is one in the same area where you hunted yours

 

[DillonG]

I must be among the many that say congratulations. A dream hunt for sure!

 

[Ridgewalker]

Day 8, Tuesday, 8/5. Woke at 4:50 to turn on coffee, shower, pack and prepare to leave at 8:00.
Settled tips. Had to jump start Johan’s bakkie and off for the 5 1/2 hour drive to PawPrint’s lodge.

Africa taxi service. The way they drive is scary!

Shanties in the Northwest.

Almost as soon as we arrived at Kiepersol (PawPrint Safari’s latest lodge), Pieter’s sister picked up Toby and headed for the airport. I moved my gear into one of their chalets. An older rougher part of the lodge. Another couple and their two young ladies from Oregon were in the nicer chalet. As long as I sleep well I could care less. I don’t spend much time in the sleeping quarters.

My chalet. Looks like it’s out of a movie.

The lodge gathering building.

The fire pit area.

The dinning, kitchen, bar gathering area.

Gorgeous view overlooking some of the new land.

View looking toward the Magaleis Ridge.

Johan and I took off for an evening hunt. I foolishly didn’t take it (pretty expensive trophy). I’ll probably regret that error in judgement!

Then we sat near a waterhole trying to call in a jackal when suddenly across the waterhole a young red hartebeest showed itself. Then a mama and finally a nice old man hartebeest! Johan had a tree between him and the old man so he couldn’t see his horns. They moved off into the timber, so we decided to try a stalk. We moved to a position when suddenly the young one appeared. He wasn’t 30 yards from us. The others moved closer, but the female stayed between us not allowing a shot. Suddenly the old man spooked and our “cat and mouse” game was over! Still exciting even though unsuccessful.

Dark came quickly and we headed back to the lodge for a glass of red wine and dinner.

After a relaxing dinner we went out for an hour or so night hunting looking for John a duiker and me a steenbuck and jackal. We managed to find a duiker, but by the time we determined the horn length, it was gone! Still we had a great time seeing big game in the spotlight!

Time for bed.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Spot the steenbuck?

Day 9, Wednesday, 8/7. My sister’s birthday! Ugh! I missed my usual call to give her a hard time about being older than me...she loves it!

We took off in the bakkie to beat ourselves up on 4x4 back roads all day trying to find John a bushbuck and me, well me something Mother Africa would sacrifice. My kidneys felt like they had been used as a punching bag!

Unfortunately Mother Africa wasn’t ready to give up a bushbuck, but she was willing to give me a very nice, very old blue wildebeest with the roughest old worn horns I’ve ever seen! NICE! Thank you Mother Africa!

 

[Ridgewalker]

Day 10, Thursday, 8/8. We got up early and Johan and I took off to Britts to swap his Toyota for his Land Cruiser and visit his beautiful family! When we arrived, his family all came out and greeted me with their huge smiles and wonderful hugs! We went inside for a brief visit with coffee, blueberry muffins and his wife had made a fresh cheesecake with chocolate and strawberries to celebrate my 72nd birthday on Friday! How sweet was that! Awesome family!

Heading back in the Cruiser, we loaded up with gear and joined the rest of the group to hunt a property north about 1/2 hour away. When we arrived, it was like being in Wyoming! Windy and flat! After checking in, each vehicle took off in different directions. I found nothing I didn’t already have good examples of except blesbok. So that’s what we searched for, a nice example of a blesbok. Within an hour we had found one.

So how many of you have seen this same windy terrain antelope hunting in Wyoming?

I tried to range the herd and came up with 225 yards on the last one in the line. Unfortunately I was shooting at the third one from the front! That was probably another 75 yards didn’t count on. My rifle was still sighted in at 100 yards for the lion hunt and sense we had only hunted thick bushveld, I never relighted it! My shot was low and broke a leg! It separated from the herd and I realized what I had done...that is to say I wasn’t thinking...another dugh! moment! We tried to move in somewhat closer. I realized and compensated for my error...BOOM! Another 235 grain bullet ripped straight through both lungs! He fell to the ground. Still Johan put a knife to it after we got to it. The 235 TSX had poked a bullet size hole in one side and out the other! I’m thinking at that distance the velocity had dropped off enough that without some good mass to hit, it just zipped through causing little damage. Just speculating. Still the little blesbok was down.

My handsome heavy horned blesbok.

After pictures and loading it, we drove and picked up John’s pretty little springbuck. Finally after much running around, his wife made an excellent shot on her first animal with a rifle! I was amazed! One shot in probably a 15-20 mph wind! And IMO it was one of the tougher PG...zebra! Gee, I felt happy like she was one of my own kids doing a great job of shooting!

John and his dead shot little wife!

Loading all game into the bakkie, we headed to the lodge. Another night tour looking for the elusive duiker and jackal escaping us once more!

A drink and dinner and off to bed.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Day 11, Friday 8/9. Completing my 72nd year on this grand planet of ours! Sadly it’s the day I fly out, but I still have a morning to get one last animal if only Mother Africa will show it to me.
The winds were brutal all night and still this morning!
Johan, Riaan and John are all up early and each congratulated me for surviving so many years of a wonderful life getting to be outdoors fishing and hunting! Yep, I am one lucky guy!

 

[Ridgewalker]

Sitting now at OR Tambo waiting on Delta 201.
Mother Africa didn't give me anything in wanted for my birthday today, but the winds died down and we saw nyala, golden wildebeest, impala, red hartebeest (females and young), blue wildebeest, zebra, ostrich and probably something else i missed.
Pieter had a cake we all shared in for my birthday lunch.

Johan made sure i was tired for the trip, so we walked nearly 3 1/2 hours searching for one last animal! Not bad for an old man!

I’ll add some more pictures when I get home!
Until then, may you all have at least one more grand Africa adventure!

 

[huntinlabs]

Congrats on the hunt!! It was great to hear about it and sounds like a true once in a lifetime experience!

 

[TTundra]

Congrats on a great hunt and happy birthday!!

 

[revturbo9967]

amazing hunt for sure

 

[jpomazi]

Great to meet you Phil. Safe travels.

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats on the BWB and happy birthday!

 

[cls]

Well done, great report and animals. Congratulations.

 

[Rindi Odendaal]

Awesome hunt congratulations on beautiful animals. X

 

[TOBY458]

Glad I was able to hunt with you Phil! You're a great guy, and a pleasure to share a camp with!

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Excellent report, great photos. Thanks!

 

[norfolk shooter]

@Ridgewalker I'm glad it all panned out for you and like I said I knew you would have an amazing time out there. Africa is one of them places that get into your veins and thats it you keep going back. Did you photo shop that pic of you and Pieter he look slimmer!!