Back From South Africa

[Bullard4075]

Like so many of you I finally made it on a hunting trip to South Africa. To be more accurate Limpopo in the north east of South Africa. The whole experience was fantastic - ok - maybe the long flight not so much. Billings-Seattle-London-Johannesburg makes for a long trip, with layovers, 39 hours. During the London layover a walkabout in London was interesting. I've never had the least desire to visit outside the US but I have to admit London was interesting. My son an I and two others made up the party. Super weather,incredible hosts and the game rich area lead to a 8 day adventure. A further 4 hour drive from the airport to the camp did little to tire us further. Arriving (5ish pm) they asked if we wanted to rest up or go hunting. Hunting!! Later that evening son had his Zebra down. The further 7 days just got better and better.

[win40-82]

Did it taste like chicken? Seriously, did you have the chance to sample some of your kills, including the zebra?

[gamekeeper]

Glad you had a good trip, I would love to know what else you hunted while you were there....

London is a place I avoid nowadays but used to go there quite often.

[Bill in Oregon]

I treasure the memories of a plains game hunt with my brother in Namibia in 2007. Africa easily lived up to its billing.

[Paladin]

I am a bit Jealous. On my trip to Africa, we were not allowed to shoot (4-legged) animals. I got photos of lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos (4 legged) and many others in the 6 months I was there in 6 different countries.

DJ Africia 356.jpg

My last Jump on active duty before retirement, just after I got out of the C-130 in the Sahara.

[JimT]

Thanks for the report and it was good to hear you had a great hunt. I hunted the Limpopo in 2008 and enjoyed it immensely. It is great country! The flight to Africa is never an easy one. It's halfway around the world! I made many trips back and forth between 2008 and 2018, the last time I went. In those 10 years I made the crossing an average of twice a year. It never got easier but I learned to relax during it and figured out ways to ease things.

[Twodot]

so far it sounds like a great adventure

.............. The further 7 days just got better and better.

you are going to pull a Paul Harvey and post "The Rest of the Story", right?
..

[.45colt]

Good For You!! Glad You had a Safe Trip....and Yes the Rest of the Story? .

[vancelw]

Did it taste like chicken? Seriously, did you have the chance to sample some of your kills, including the zebra?

Tastes just like horse.

Zebra is so good, that it encourages my wife to try new things.
I've been thinking about cruising the cattle auction barns, looking for the occasional nag they run through cheap.

[piller]

I huntrd in yhe Limpopo Province with Chris Troskie.. it was a lot of fun.

[Bullard4075]

Every evening dinner was a different meat. Between my son and I we harvested Impala,Nyala,Bushbuck,Zebra and a couple others . Ostrich,Zebra,Impala among others were menu items on succeeding nights. I was surprised how much I enjoyed each and all as I am not generally fond of wild game. All were much milder tasting than I expected. The lodge employed a chef which probably helped. Outside of the hunting aspect the whole experience was much like being on a cruise. The staff (all black except the lodge host and his wife) were so friendly and genuine as to make us feel right at home. I mention the all black staff because of an disturbing trend I am finding among people - not close friends- asking about the relations between the blacks and whites.It's like they are waiting to hear some dirt of racism, absolutely none of which I observed. Quite the opposite.Back to the story. Every morning breakfast (EACH meal preceded by a prayer) was at 6. Conventional it was sausage,bacon,toast,fruit,cereal,etc. Unhurried it ended 6:30,7 or so. Loading up the two trucks -pickups with seat racks in the back- son and I in one and the other 2 members of our party in another.Each truck had a PH , driver and photographer. Driving,walking,stalking,shooting consumed the morning until about 11ish or noon. All shooting was done off tripod and were broadside shots with one exeption , my Impala at 40 yards. My Zebra shot at 150-175 yards the longest by anyone of the trip. We rented 30-06 rifles (mine a Howa 1500 with Winchester 180 gr) which was plenty adequate although with Eland I would have preferred a 375H&H. As an aside I was told (a rumor maybe) that you will have to rent rifles there as there is a "law" in the works forbidding one to ship firearms into the country. Seemed a credible source but who knows. Animal down was a radio call to bring another truck in to take the bigger animals Gemsbok,Zebra, etc. in and smaller like Impala was put in our truck. Animals were taken to another farm for processing. According to each situation we generally went back around noon for lunch. Another grand feeding!
After some down time, maybe a nap we went back out about 3:30-4 till dark just after 7. Dinner,the biggest of the day rounded things out.Our laundry was washed every day.We consumed bottled ice water by the case. At least two of the days it was over 100 degrees.We saw Giraffe,Impala,Gemsbok,Zebra and others most every day and some like Tsessebe less frequently. We saw Cape Buffalo. Almost too close. Didn't see Leopord but did see it's tracks. Saw Lions on an adjoining farm.A video photographer followed us everywhere hunting and I should get the footage (on a flashdrive) in a month or so. This is getting way too long so I'll end with a couple observations.Drink twice as much water as you think you want. Bring/write a journal (my mistake) as so much happens so fast it becomes a blur. I wish I had written notes every evening. It becomes not today or yesterday or wednesday but the day of the Gemsbok or chasing the Zebra.There is so much I thought I knew that turned out to be wrong and so much I never imagined.

[Griff]

[JRD]

Hunting South Africa, also in Limpopo, with my older son was a great experience for me as it was for you, although it was a very different experience than I'm used to. As you said, it felt like being on a cruise. I had the very same thought. As someone who's used to doing the work myself, or at least doing my share of the chores, it was a foreign feeling to be "hunting" while being waited on hand and foot. That is however how the hunting model is done there so you just go with it and enjoy it.
I don't know what your trophy plans are, but I recommend having a rug made from your zebra. My zebra rug is my favorite trophy from my safari. The Euro mount skull plates and horns on the wall are nice to look at, but the rug I can just stare at and study the patterns of light and dark stripes, and the subtle tan colored stripes inside the light stripes.

I'm not a big international traveler, so my trip really gave me an appreciation for how some people live in other parts of the world. It made me appreciate the good old USA even more.

I'm happy you got to experience the hunt with your son.

Jason