SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa With Kemp African Safaris

[JES Adventures]

Day 1

I arrived Joberg at 5:30AM and my bag was one of the first off the carousel and I quickly made my way to check in my gun. Anna from Gunpermits.com was waiting for me in the reception hall and Dawie Kemp showed up shortly thereafter.

There were about a half dozen hunters in the office so it took around 30 minutes to complete the process. Dawie and I hit the road for his camp which is approximately three hours from the airport.

With a couple of stops we got to camp by ten and I met Marco and quickly unpacked my gear and got things organized.

Lunch was to be at twelve so we went to the range to check the rifles. I will be using Dawies .22 and 7X57 (suppressed) for the night hunting and my 338 Lapua for daytime hunting. All the guns were on so we went to check the bait from last night. The game camera showed that Bushpigs came in and stayed most all night and devoured half a Warthog! It was a shame as the nights before there were 3 different Honey Badgers, 2 different Brown Hyena, 2 different Genet and several Civet.

My objective on the night hunt is Genet, Honey Badger and if I am lucky Brown Hyena. In addition, there is a huge old Sable Bull we will hunt during the daytime hours.

With the bait nearly gone, Marco suggested we put fresh bait since the Bushpig ate nearly everything the previous night. That coupled with the fact they stayed around the bait all night it kept the other critters from coming in.

We saw some Zebra but couldn’t get a shot so we headed to camp for lunch. Sitting on the veranda looking out across the veldt with the mountains in the background I was impressed with the beauty of this area in the Limpopo.

After lunch we shot Dawie’s crossbow a few times as I may use it when I hunt the Sable Bull. It has been very dry and Dawie has a blind at a waterhole frequented by the Sable herd so we will hunt there tomorrow.

We took a drive to look for bait animals and finally came up on a herd of Wildebeast that we culled an old female out of. With a clean heart shot there was no tracking so we drove over and loaded her up after a couple of customary photos.

 

[cpr0312]

Good start! Look forward to following the report!

 

[gillettehunter]

Looking forward to all that follows.
Bruce

 

[Ridgewalker]

Genet, Honey Badger, brown hyena! I’m in! I love hunting those night critters!
Go get ‘me!

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 1 (Continued)

On the way back to camp we had a flat but Marco and Dawie quickly got it changed and we were back on the road in no time.

Sundown is around six so we will head to the blind shortly before dark to get set up.

Dawie and Marco had everything organized in the blind with mattresses and pillow to sleep while waiting on the critters to show up. The rifle was set in a steady rest aimed at the bait and the nite vision attached.

At the bait, they had infrared lights that were remote control to support the night vision equipment on the rifle. A motion sensor was set near the bait and a pager like device would vibrate and flash a red light when tripped back in the blind.

Marco did a drag with the fresh Wildebeast entrails and Dawie got me acquainted with the equipment as the light was fading. At dark, I settled down on the mattress and quickly fell asleep. I awoke to the buzzing of the pager as something was at the bait. It was 9:20 and Dawie took his FLIR device and scanned around the bait - nothing. We settled back down and about an hour later it went off again - another false. By the fourth or fifth time we concluded it was the gusty winds blowing small trees enough to set off the device.

Around 1:15 it went off multiple times and we turned on the night vision scope just in time to see a Jackal trot by behind the bait.

A few more false alarms through the night and we learned to wait them out before getting into position. The wind started to die down and the moon set shortly after 3AM. At about 3:40 the alarm went off several times in a row, this was new. Dawie was up first and switched on the night vision and just as I got into the chair he said “Honey Badger”. Just then I got focused on the display and saw him trot away from the bait, fading back into the darkness.

Dawie said “follow him” so I raised the rifle a bit and then a moment later he trotted back to the bait. His gait reminded me of a miniature Black Bear lumbering along and he stopped and started to feed facing us. The safety off I waited for him to change positions. The Badger turned broadside and I put he crosshairs just behind his shoulder and asked Dawie “hows that?” Dawie said “take him” and I began the tigger squeeze. As the 7X57 barked you could see the Honey Badger roll over and he was dead in his tracks.

We went down to recover him and his was a big, old male so we were ecstatic. Dawie called Marco and by time he got to us and photo’s were finished it was approaching five.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 2

Day one turned into Day 2 so we had a quick couple of cups of coffee and headed for the blind at the waterhole to wait for the Sable today.

Sunrise was about 5:45 and were in the blind a few minutes before. An Impala ram moved through just after sunrise and things started to come to life with all the birds singing to the dawn of a new day.

Sitting in the chair, I had faded off to sleep when I jumped to Dawie grabbing my calf saying “Sable are coming in”. It was 7:40 so I must’ve caught a couple hours of sleep.

I slowly got the shooting sticks and stood up and stayed ready with the crossbow. Cows and calves came in to drink and what seemed like an eternity but was only five minutes Dawie whispered “the big bull is coming”. The bull finally appeared and moved around in front of us, in and out of the herd. He went to drink at the water hole but stayed facing us the entire time offering me no shot. On two other occasions he was well within range but had other Sable either in front of or behind him so I could not shoot. At over 400 fps, the Raven Crossbow would pass through so we did not risk the chance.

Just as I thought he would clear, he took a 90 degree turn and went up to check a cow about 10 yards further away. He was broadside and it was perfect, Dawie ranged him at 38 yards. I waited for a small bull in front to clear and just as he did the shot zone appeared but with a small tree branch perfectly shielding it.

The bull stayed with the cow and I was sure as he pushed her she would leave and he would follow and go out of range. After a few minutes of testing her, he lost interest, did another 90 and started walking to our right. He stayed on the fringe of the herd at 38-42 yards away for several minutes. Finally, he turned back again and starting walking to our left and stopped slightly quartering towards us but a favorable shot. Dawie ranged him at 34 yards so I waited for approval to take the shot. I asked and as Dawie got into position he confirmed and I let the bolt fly. I saw it disappear and the bull ran away with the end of the fletching showing. We watched him fade into the bush and the herd scattered. We scanned the bush with our binoculars and picked him up laying down about 50 yards from where he was hit.

We watched the bull for nearly an hour and he got up once, moved 20 feet and laid back down. After another twenty minutes, Dawie said “the wind is good so lets ease up to him and put another shot in him”. Slowly we moved forward, the bull laying down quartering away from us. As we closed the distance, it was obvious he was weak so we took our time to get in place for a good shot.

We reached a clear path for the shot about 24 yards away so I fired and the bolt hit him high in the lungs. He jumped up, leaped forward 15’ and rolled over. That was it, the bull was down for good and we approached this massive animal in awe.

On close inspection, the broad-head was protruding from the opposite shoulder so the bolt passed both lungs but when the bull jumped he broke the bolt. That is why I saw fletching as he was running away.

After handshakes and congratulations, Marco brought the truck and we started the photo session. This is absolutely the largest Sable I have ever seen, let alone put my hands on. His massive bases and long, curving horns are absolutely spectacular. Dawie estimated this bull to be 11 years old and as the herd bull he had sired many great offspring. Unfortunately, he had taken out a few exceptional bulls over time in rutting battles so it was his time to go and new genetics take over the herd.

Back at the skinning shed, the final measurements came in at 47 & 47.5 inches with 10+ inch bases! An absolute monster and the last Sable Bull I will ever take.

 

[cpr0312]

Wow, you are off to an incredible start!! Congrats so far!

 

[Ridgewalker]

The sable is magnificent! But I must say that I am most envious of the honey badger! Grand hunt so far!

 

[JES Adventures]

Thanks @Ridgewalker, if you want a Honey Badger this is the place to come. They had 5 on bait before I got there!

 

[BJONES]

Congrats! Incredible Sable! Awesome! Honey Badger is pretty cool too!

 

[Bill116]

Great report so far. Outstanding sable. They are truly spectacular animals. Great job, waiting for more...

 

[buckmarkhunter]

What a great start. That sable is beautiful! The honey is pretty awesome too.

 

[meigsbucks]

An incredible sable and the honey badger is a special trophy.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 2 (Continued)

After dropping the Sable off at the skinning shed, we went to check the second bait and game camera in preparation for the upcoming night hunt.

We got back to camp and had a great meal of eggs, tomatoes and Wildebeast schnitzel followed by a much needed nap.

I woke about half past four and sat on the veranda catching up on my journal. What an action packed 24 hours from the time I arrived in camp to taking two fantastic trophies.

The camp is very comfortable with three guest rooms, a large living room overlooking the veranda offering a comfortable living space. A nice firepit is located just a few yards off the veranda and a swimming pool beyond that. Dawie, Marco and his wife Fran have done a wonderful job taking care of me and instantly treated me as an old friend.

 

[Shootist43]

That sable is an attention getter for sure. How are you planning to have it mounted?

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 2 (Continued)

We departed camp about 5:30 and got to the second location to set up for the night hunt. A tall machan (40+ feet high) overlooking the bait area so we would be laying down the entire night. The rifle was set to be shot from the prone position and with all the night vision equipment in place, we settled in for the night.

I slept some but don’t feel like I ever fell into a deep sleep. The weather was perfect, in the upper 60’s and a crystal clear sky. Looking up at the stars reminded me of when I was a boy and always dreamed of sleeping in a treehouse. Well, 45 years later I got my wish and here I was living my dream in South Africa!

As the night progressed, it was around midnight before the first alarm call. I rolled into position and turned on the night vision but could not see anything. Dawie was looking through the FLIR and said “Civet”. As he spoke I could see the Civet approach the bait so I set in for the shot and squeezed the trigger. I missed, I said “I overshot him”. The Civet stood there and I was having trouble getting the rifle to chamber a round as the bolt was hanging up on the blanket hung in front of me as cover. Just as I got a round in the chamber and got back on target I saw the Civet running off.

Back to sleep, but not really as my mind was replaying what could have possibly happened with that shot. I was steady, had the crosshairs just behind the shoulder and a solid rest.

About an hour later the alarm when off again, another Civet. This time Dawie watched over my shoulder as I steadied the rifle. I was calm, pushed the rifle down firmly in the rest and squeezed the trigger. Dawie said “you shot over him”. Now I have missed a second time. This had me puzzled as I shot this rifle the day before with perfect accuracy.

Once again, we settled back down to sleep when about an hour later the alarm goes off again. What do you think was there, yes a Civet. As I tried to get the crosshairs on him, I was having trouble as the rest was unusually low and I felt the suppressor was hitting a large branch in front of me. I picked the rifle rest up on the low side and planted the buttstock in my shoulder and squeezed off. Immediately I heard the report of a hit and the Civet lay dead at the bait.

While Dawie retrieved the Civet, I got my light out and inspected the rifle rest. It had fallen into a depression in the corner of the machan. On the first two shots while I was getting the crosshairs into position I was actually pushing the suppressor down on the tree limb in thus causing the shots to go high.

After another couple of hours in the dark and one more alarm (but nothing was spotted at the bait) the sun began to rise and Dawie called Marco to fetch us.

 

[JES Adventures]

That sable is an attention getter for sure. How are you planning to have it mounted?

Thank you @Shootist43, I will mount it a hard right turn which is opposite the first Sable I shot 33 years ago and display them together.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 3

Back at camp while drinking coffee, we discussed the misses and my theory about the barrel pushing against the limb. We then went to the range to check the zero on the rifle. A perfect bullseye on the first shot confirmed the issue with shooting high. A lesson learned but let me tell you, this night hunting has a lot of nuances that must be paid attention to. When you are in the dark, anything can happen.

Finished at the range, Marco said we should get fresh bait to do a drag so we headed out to cull on old female Blesbok. Well, it was easier said than done as they had been pretty readily available but when you started hunting them they disappeared! After some time we managed to get one down and call it a morning.

Back to camp for a shower and a siesta, we had a late lunch of Sable tenderloin and vegetables. While sitting on the veranda after lunch, I could hear the rumblings of thunder off in the distance. The first Spring rains are starting, what a Blessing. The temperature cooled down noticeably, should be a nice hunt this evening. We will head to the blind about 5:30 for my final night hunt.

Everything started off perfect at the first bait where I took the Honey Badger. Cooler temperatures, the perfect set up, excellent game camera pictures of a Brown Hyena the night before spending a half hour on bait - we were pumped.

The wind was gusty for the first three hours but died down around 10. The long nights plus jet lag I am not sure if I had or not due to the schedule we have been keeping caught up with me. I was brainshot in the blind and slept most of the first three hours. I was up from midnight to 2 but fell asleep again but waiting for the alarm.

I saw Dawie get up a few times and check the night vision but nothing. In my mind I was thinking “any minute” but it never happened. The next thing I knew it was 5AM and Dawie said “I can’t believe it, nothing came in at all last night, that never happens”.

Well, thats hunting! But the mattress in the blind was comfortable, the temperature in the 60’s and I was well rested. This was my first real focused night hunt and let me tell you, it was a blast. I will definitely do this again at some point in the future and Dawie & Marco have perfected it.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 3 (Continued)

We got back to camp a little before 6 and had coffee then headed for another concession they have about 15 minutes away. A beautiful property with a riverine along one side which is perfect habitat for Bushbuck and Nyala. I have taken these species in the past but Dawie just acquired hunting rights this year and had a client take a 17” Bushbuck with a bow earlier in the season so I wanted to have a look for a big Bushbuck. I never pass on the chance to hunt Bushbuck, I absolutely love them.

It was a cool, overcast morning and the game was active. Within the first 30 minutes we spotted two Nyala bulls over 26” along with several groups of Impala, Blue Wildebeast and Zebra. Shortly later when we made our way to the river we saw a Bushbuck of about 14” and more Nyala. Driving slowly, parallel to the river we spotted a very nice Bushbuck probably 16” on the long horn. I passed as I already have one close to that size so I was holding out for something exceptional.

We spent the entire morning there and saw a lot of game. In total, 7 Nyala bulls that were all shooters with the best going 28”+. This is a great property and I was very happy to have had the opportunity to hunt there this day.

Back to camp for a great farewell lunch of Wildebeast fillet, corn fritters and salad. I followed up on the veranda with a nice cigar, sipping a bit of wine before packing up to leave.

We will head to Pretoria this afternoon as my flight to Beira leaves tomorrow morning from Johannesburg. On to the next leg of the trip, my week in Mozambique.

I close this report with giving high marks to Dawie, Marco and Fran for a great trip. They had everything teed up for my short hunt and it was wonderful. If you are looking for an interesting alternative to a traditional Safari, do the night hunt it was fantastic. But, do yourself a favor and come for a week - you’ll end up with some great and unique trophies.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Very nice adventure! It sounds like Kemp has their act together especially on night critters!
Can’t wait for your next leg!