Send in the clowns
Not sure how they first got the reference to being clowns of the savanna, but some refer to them as such.
The blue wildebeest is not high on the wish list of first timers, nor is it the most majestic. Yet, think about it, when it comes to Africa’s main wildlife attraction it is, bar none, the Great Migration, where these animals are joint leading performers.
Hunters who have had the privilege to hunt leopard over hounds or over bait will know the anticipation and excitement of the hunt, from the day you book it, to the day you start hanging baits or dragging roads, through to the day you first lay eyes on your leopard. For Todd this all started in 2017 when he and his hunting mate John booked a double leopard hunt with us and our hounds in the Lowveld of Zimbabwe. A coin was flipped, and John was first up. On Day 9 of 14 the hounds closed in on John’s leopard and, after a very exciting ground fight, a superb, old, trophy tom cat was harvested. We rested the hounds on day 10 and then spent the next 4 evenings being blown off the tracks by the August winds. Long story short, we did not manage to connect with Todd’s leopard on that hunt. Unfortunately, that is leopard hunting!
Fast forward to 2019 and Todd was ready to return to fulfil his leopard hunting dream. This time he booked for May 2020, braving the heat in return for some moisture and greenery for the scent to stick to. With everything booked the countdown began. In March 2020 our season was just getting under way when we were knocked with the Corona Virus, a lockdown was implemented along with strict traveling restrictions. I remember thinking to myself that this would all blow over in a few months and we would get this hunt in before the end of the season… well, 2021 is here and so is Covid! We stuck to the same dates for 2021 and had our fingers crossed we could make this happen.
Thursday May 6th, my alarm was set for 02:00, 02:05, 02:10 and again for 02:30 just in case my snooze button was hit by accident. Before the 02:30 alarm I was forced to get up as the hounds had seen and heard Sakkie (my tracker) heading towards the vehicle to load the final bags. It’s incredible how the hounds know when it’s their turn to hunt. We opened for the 12 hounds that were coming on the hunt for a quick run around in the yard to clear their stomachs before the long journey ahead. Our plan was to drive 15 hours from Nottingham Road, Kwa Zulu Natal, through Beitbridge Border and on to Mbalabala where we would spend the night before collecting Todd in Bulawayo on the morning of the 7th. As most things in life, things didn’t quite go to plan. The trip to Johannesburg ran smoothly but once there we were delayed for 4 hours trying to sort out dog harnesses as I was told a few days before that “Oh I forgot to tell you, camp is right on the Zambezi River which almost makes it an island when the water levels are high.” So extra precautions were taken to make sure no dogs could get off their chains and end up swimming in the Zambezi. Anyways, we managed to get the harnesses and let the dogs off for a quick stretch and water before continuing through to Zimbabwe. We arrived at the border at around 7pm and sailed through the South African side and started with the Zimbabwean side at around 8pm. Everything was looking good until we were held at the border for 5 hours due to us not having an original stamp on the dog permits. I tried explaining that it was sent via email from head office in Harare so I couldn’t have the original, but it was a losing battle. Eventually we were allowed to leave, we had been on the road for nearly 24 hours and still had another 4 hours to go. Sakkie took over the wheel and I still don’t know how he knew where we were going, but he is an expert tracker after all. We had only stayed there once before, but needless to say he woke me up and asked if we should let the dogs off to run around before driving into the yard. After getting the dogs fed, watered and onto their chains we had 3 hours to sleep before leaving for Bulawayo.
Friday May 7th, with Todd now in the vehicle we set off on a 5-hour drive to our final destination, Sidinda Conservancy in Hwange. I booked this hunt through a good friend and PH Pierre Hundermark. We met up with Pierre in Hwange town to fill up with diesel before heading to camp. About 30km from camp we opened for the hounds to run around and get some water knowing that when we reach camp, they will have to be taken off one by one to make sure none get close to the water’s edge. With the fading light we quickly got Todd familiar with the rifle he was to use as tomorrow morning we were getting up before daybreak to check some baits. We arrived in camp and got settled in and discussed our plans for the morning. A big male leopard had been feeding the nights leading up to the hunt and last night he ate, but lightly.
Day 1 of Todd’s 14-day Safari started with our 3am wakeup call followed by a quick cup of coffee and then collaring and loading up the hounds. The night’s sleep wasn’t the best as all I could think about was one of the hounds getting off their chains and whether the cat had fed again. We drove for an hour to the bait where the cat had been feeding, but it felt like forever! The anticipation of not knowing how the next few hours is going to play out will kill anyone. We arrived at the bait site just as the sun was coming up. The walk to the bait was about 400m down into a valley. Todd, Pierre, and I got all our things together and started the walk to the bait. As we walked up it was clear that he had been back and had fed last night. Although he hadn’t eaten a lot a decision was made to drop the dogs and see how they pulled the track. I radioed Sakkie to drop my 4 start hounds. I checked on my GPS and saw they were on their way; I called a little bit and before I knew it, they were at the tree. Without any idea of the times he fed and how many times he came to and from the tree we gave the hounds time to work out the correct line to take. Within a matter of minutes, they had worked out what seemed to be a solid line. I went along the river whilst Pierre and Todd walked higher up on the ridge, which proved to be the smarter route. With the incredible rainfall that Southern Africa received this past season the bush was lush, green, and extremely thick. The hounds were quickly getting out of hearing distance when Pierre radioed to say he thinks they may have jumped the cat. At this point I was stuck in the bottom of the valley trying to wriggle my way through the thickets. I radioed Sakkie and asked him to drop the rest of the pack if he could hear the other dogs and to start heading towards them. I managed to get out of the thickets and onto the side of the mountain wearing a new designer ‘crop top’ due to it being ripped off when trying to run to the dogs. I met up with Pierre and Todd, and we checked the GPS and saw that the radio collars were not picking up, so we immediately started heading up to get a better connection. As we got on top my GPS showed the dogs were standing. I quickly ran towards them and as I got close to the edge of the hill, I could hear the hounds followed by the growls of the leopard. I signalled to the trackers to tell Todd to get to me fast as the cat was bayed on the ground in the bottom of the valley in grass taller than me! With the rest of the pack on their way, we tried to get into a shooting position as we knew that the minute the rest of the dogs joined in the cat was going to explode from the pressure.
The rest of the hounds arrived and as predicted the cat started to feel the pressure. The hunt intensified as the cat had chosen fight over flight. Those that have heard a leopard in this situation or similar, will understand the feeling of having hairs standing up in places you never thought hairs existed. We started moving slowly down the steep incline towards the cat: he rushed the hounds a few times and knew of our presence, but he stuck to the thick grass. As we got into position, I heard Todd say, “my glasses are misted up”. As he said that the cat rushed the dogs and came straight our way, stopped, and stared straight into our eyes. “There he is, shoot him” ………. “shooooot”….. Bang! The shot rang off and the cat retreated. Todd’s glasses had misted up and he had shot just over the cat. The dogs chased up the opposite bank where the cat found some more extremely thick grass to bay in. I hear the cat give one “brrrrrpppp” and again he came straight towards us, the dogs turned him and, as he ran through the smallest of clearings heading back up, Todd shot. It was one of the best shots I have seen on a running leopard. He hit the cat right between the shoulder blades dropping him in his tracks. I ran down towards to the dogs to make sure the cat was dead and not about to give one last bite. “Whoooowhoooo…. Whoooowhooo” rang out throughout the valley, this is my way over praising my hounds for doing well. Todd arrived at the cat and the emotion behind the smile could be seen from a mile away.
We moved the huge cat into a more open area. This is where it all started to sink in for Todd. It was an absolute giant of a Valley cat. His teeth had started to wear down and, with prominent dark yellow staining, this is a good indication of an older leopard. For Todd, this was Day 1 of his 14-day leopard safari, and we had got it all done within the first 2 hours of the hunt. It’s funny how these things work, I always tell my clients, “We will do everything humanly possible to get you your cat but if it’s meant to be it will be” and this was definitely meant to be.
The leopard hunt dream was fulfilled and, with 13 days left of the safari, we sought out more of Todd’s bucket list animals. We were very fortunate to take an ancient elephant bull, which was nearly through his last set of molars, a beautiful Dugga Boy and to test our fishing and drinking skills whist celebrating and catching vundu on the mighty Zambezi River.
The Black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) is sometimes referenced to as the white-tailed gnu. Its average weight runs between 250-425 pounds, and shoulder height is four feet. The overall length 65 inches to 90 inches. The black wildebeest has a dark brown to black coat with a rather incongruous white tail. Males are darker than females. Both sexes have forward-curving horns up to 30 inches long with the female’s being shorter but similar in shape to the that of the male.
It is a herbivore, existing almost exclusively on grass. It needs to drink daily, but can survive if water is scarce. They are active during the early morning hours and after the heat has gone out of the day. They are capable of speeds up to fifty miles per hour. Life expectancy is 20 to 22 years in the wild. They are prey to lion, hyena, Cape hunting dog, leopard, cheetah, and crocodile, the latter especially during the wildebeest migration when the animal is forced to cross rivers. Crocodiles wait for a sick, old, or young black wildebeest to cross, then rise out of the water and drag the unfortunate animal under. Lions hunt the mature black wildebeest, while calves are hunted by hyenas.
Black wildebeest belong to one of three distinct groups. The male herds consist of young males, or those past the breeding age. The female herd consists of adult females with their calves. Then there are the mature males who establish their own territory and maintain it throughout the year. Males become sexually mature at three years of age, females at one or two years. They breed yearly.
A dominant male will control a number of females and not allow other males to breed with them. Gestation lasts eight and one half months on the average, with births taking place from mid-November to the first week of January. The calves weigh about 25 pounds at birth. They are able to stand and run shortly after birth – necessary for survival.
Wildebeest hunting at first glance looks fairly simple. The animal, sometimes nicknamed “the poor man’s Cape buffalo”, lives on the open plains in vast herds. Easy to locate, he is anything but easy to stalk. As the hunter tries to close with the black wildebeest, the animal will turn and run in the opposite direction. Sometimes it will run but a short distance, then stop and look back. Sometimes the black wildebeest will run, jump, gyrate, spin, and leap into the air seemingly all at once. Sometimes it will do all this for no discernible reason whatsoever.
Expect shots to be long, up to 250-300 yards, unless the lie of the land allows stalking closer. Look for a fold in the land, or some trees that will give some cover. Some success has been seen by approaching the black wildebeest at an angle, not looking directly at the animal, and seeming to walk parallel while actually closing.
Determining sex when hunting the black wildebeest will require good optics as the female and male are very similar. Males have heavier horns than the females. Rely on your Professional Hunter for advice. Using shooting sticks helps when shooting black wildebeest at distances.
Choice of caliber is very important for two reasons, distance, and toughness of the animal. They can be dangerous when wounded. Minimum caliber should be a .270-7mm with a premium 150-grain bullet. A better choice would be any of the .300 Magnum – .338 Magnum family of cartridges, with a bullet weight between 180 grains and 225 grains.
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The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also known as the white-bearded wildebeest, common wildebeest, or brindled gnu, is one of the two species of wildebeest. It is a herbivore primarily consuming short grasses, and is widely spread over Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, and Tanzania. It was extinct in Namibia but is being reintroduced with success. Also, private game farms and conservancies are breeding the blue wildebeest.
The blue wildebeest is an extremely wary animal, prone to leaping about and running around when even slightly disturbed. Males are considerably larger than females and can weigh up to 600 pounds and stand five feet tall. Females seldom weigh over 500 pounds, but occasionally can go as high as 550 pounds. They breed at the end of the rainy season and give birth eight and one half months later. When the calf is about eight months old, it will leave its mother and join a juvenile herd.
Mature blue wildebeest have a brown, or silver-gray coat with black manes. Both sexes have horns, the male’s being larger and heavier than that of the female. Herds average 25-50 animals, sometimes more in open grasslands. They are tough animals and seen in company with zebras, impala, and hartebeest. They need to water twice a day, so tend to stay near a good supply. Average life span in the wild is 19-20 years.
They are most active in the early morning and after the heat of the day has dropped in the late afternoon. Blue wildebeest will gather at night in groups ranging from 10-20 up to thousands. Their major predators are crocodiles, lions, and hyenas. Also, packs of wild dogs can, and do take down the calves or infirm animals.
Males are very territorial, especially during the breeding season. Blue wildebeest males become aggressive and excited as they compete for mating rights. They make testosterone-driven displays towards other males, bellowing, snorting and locking horns with other competitors. A male blue wildebeest neither eats, nor rests when a female is present in his territory.
African blue wildebeest hunting can be quite exciting. The total number of blue wildebeest in Africa is near 1.55 million. The first time a hunter sees an enormous herd spread over the plains, he’ll think all 1.55 million are standing in front of him. Sorting out a 600-pound male blue wildebeest from these herds can be quite difficult. The professional hunter will be a great help in this endeavor. Older males will be a darker color, and their stripes will be wider.
One of the most common methods of hunting the blue wildebeest on African plains is by walking and stalking. Check the wind and start from downwind. There will be many pairs of eyes watching for danger, including sharp-eyed zebras that have melded with the blue wildebeest. Trying to move when eyes aren’t watching is very challenging. A method that usually works well is to never approach the blue wildebeest straight on. Walk at an oblique angle never looking directly at the animals, but watching them out of the corner of your eye. Move slowly and quietly. Plan on taking a long shot. Out to 200 yards, a good, flat-shooting .30 Magnum with premium 180-grain bullets works well. However, blue wildebeest are tough animals, and should the shot not anchor the animal, longer range shooting will be necessary. For that, a heavier bullet, .338 to .375 caliber isn’t overkill. A wounded blue wildebeest can open distance in very short order.
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Aim point on a broadside shot is along the back side of the front shoulder and one-third up from the bottom of the blue wildebeest’s body. For head-on shots, place the bullet in the center of the body, a handspan up on the chest. Don’t quit shooting until the animal is down. A wounded blue wildebeest can be very dangerous. Always approach the animal from the back and be ready to give it a finisher. They can, and will, get up and charge.
I met Sydney in Kentucky in 2020, just before Covid, and we immediately started talking about a family trip with her, her father and her boyfriend coming to Africa. It was planned for the end of 2020, but obviously Covid ruined our plans.
One evening in early 2021 she and her dad said that they needed to get out of America and get away from the madness. They called me, and it happened that I would be hosting them the very same day our first flights reopened into South Africa.
We immediately started planning the trip and it was scheduled for May of 2021.
One of her wish-list animals was a bushbuck – she was keen to have the horns. I knew there was one very big bushbuck that I’d seen in my orange grove. He was extremely clever, coming out just before dark and always staying deep in the grove.
Apart from other hunts, late every afternoon we would go to the orange grove and walk the big dongas and try to find him just before he disappeared into the grove. Once he was in the grove it would be very difficult for us to get near him because he could see underneath the trees, and we were walking from row to row trying to spot him. We nearly got lucky one afternoon when we passed one donga and I could just see the back half of him. He was obviously feeding behind a bush. It was only 25 yards, but after putting the shooting sticks down, and with Sydney looking too far trying to see where he was, the the bushbuck heard her and jumped off.
We were persistent in trying every afternoon, hoping luck would eventually be on our side, and as I was walking through the orange grove just before dark, going from one row to the next, I spotted the the bushbuck. As luck would have it, he was feeding with his back away from us and it gave me time to put the shooting sticks up and give Sydney a chance to get the rifle in. Meanwhile, the bushbuck turned and started feeding towards us. She didn’t want to shoot it while it was walking and subsequently it grazed all the way towards us from about 60 yards to about 30 yards, and she was able to give a clean shot to the chest. It jumped and ran three yards past us and fell 30 yards away.
It was satisfying to see the end of a very good hunt, and for anybody wanting to get one of these magnificent animals, truly the right way to hunt them is to spot and stalk, take your time, and do everything slowly.
Readers will have noticed a recent massive surge in alarming international news about the climate. This is an organised, contrived campaign to draw attention to the forthcoming United Nations climate conference to be held in Glasgow, Scotland in November. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has carefully chosen this time to release part of its Sixth Assessment Report, and the so-called ‘Summary for Policy Makers’. Media all around the world are giving maximum coverage to the report, which has been dubbed as ‘Code Red for Humanity’.
Evidence for a ‘contrived, organised campaign’ is that more than 460 news and media partners claiming to represent 57 countries and a ‘reach’ of two billion people have signed up to “ten tips of best practice to get the climate story right”. The ‘partners’ include various universities, newspapers, and non-governmental organisations, but also Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg and Reuters. Other signatories are Al Jazeera, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Scientific American, the Mail and Guardian in South Africa, and Huffington Post.
The ‘best practice’ list is the handiwork of Covering Climate Now (CCN), founded in 2019 by the Columbia Journalism Review and The Nation, with The Guardian as the main partner. The Guardian has abandoned the term ‘climate change’ for ‘climate emergency’. CCN seeks to collaborate with journalists in forging “an all-newsroom approach to climate reporting”. Read more about this co-ordinated propaganda campaign at https://dailyfriend.co.za/2021/05/17/a-climate-change-propaganda-handbook/
Is there anything new or really terrifying in the latest UN/ IPCC propaganda? Absolutely not. The ‘global warming’ scare story has been around for 33 years since 1988, and there is really very little to be worried about in the observed features of the climate during this period, or indeed over the past 100 years. The IPCC bases much of its dire warnings on computer models about the future, which are highly unreliable, to say the least.
Because of the CCN propaganda participants, you will not hear any counter-views from the many scientists who do not agree with the predictions of the IPCC. But to give readers an idea of what is out there if you look properly, here is the World Climate Declaration (2021) signed by a number of international scientists and professionals from many countries.
A global network of 900 scientists and professionals has prepared this urgent message. Climate science should be less political, while climate policies should be more scientific. Scientists should openly address uncertainties and exaggerations in their predictions of global warming, while politicians should dispassionately count the real costs as well as the imagined benefits of their policy measures.
The geological archive reveals that Earth’s climate has varied as long as the planet has existed, with natural cold and warm phases. The Little Ice Age ended as recently as 1850. Therefore, it is no surprise that we now are experiencing a period of warming.
The world has warmed significantly less than predicted by IPCC on the basis of modelled anthropogenic forcing. The gap between the real world and the modelled world tells us that we are far from understanding climate change.
Climate models have many shortcomings and are not remotely plausible as global policy tools. They blow up the effect of greenhouse gases such as CO2. In addition, they ignore the fact that enriching the atmosphere with CO2 is beneficial.
CO2 is not a pollutant. It is essential to all life on Earth. Photosynthesis is a blessing. More CO2 is beneficial for nature, greening the Earth: additional CO2 in the air has promoted growth in global plant biomass. It is also good for agriculture, increasing the yields of crops worldwide.
There is no statistical evidence that global warming is intensifying hurricanes, floods, droughts and suchlike natural disasters, or making them more frequent. However, there is ample evidence that CO2-mitigation measures are as damaging as they are costly.
There is no climate emergency. Therefore, there is no cause for panic and alarm. We strongly oppose the harmful and unrealistic net-zero CO2 policy proposed for 2050. If better approaches emerge, and they certainly will, we have ample time to reflect and re-adapt. The aim of global policy should be ‘prosperity for all’ by providing reliable and affordable energy at all times. In a prosperous society men and women are well educated, birth-rates are low and people care about their environment.
The World Climate Declaration (WCD) has brought a large variety of competent scientists together from all over the world (and it is not the number of experts but the quality of arguments that counts). The considerable knowledge and experience of this group is indispensable in reaching a balanced, dispassionate and competent view of climate change.
This group now functions as the ‘Global Climate Intelligence Group’. The CLINTEL Group will give solicited and unsolicited advice on climate change and energy transition to governments and companies worldwide.
You can read more about CLINTEL and the full list of signatories at https://clintel.org
Dr John Ledger is a past Director of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, now a consultant, writer and teacher on the environment, energy and wildlife; he is a columnist for the African Hunting Gazette. He lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. John.Ledger@wol.co.za
While most folks spend a lifetime dreaming of hunting Cape buffalo, I was lucky enough to make that dream a reality.
Cape Buffalo, known as The Black Death for their aggressive and angry nature, are one of the most dangerous big game animals not only in Africa, but in the world.
Early on, we had identified the old warrior of a bull that I wanted to hunt, instantly recognizable for his scarred face, worn horns, hard bosses, and wide spread – all the character a hunter could want in a Cape buffalo.
Stalking bachelor herds of bulls was exhilarating, to say the very least. The buffs were incredibly wary, even as we climbed the rocky kopjes and snuck through the thorns. We were busted over and over again.
When we finally caught up with the herd once again, the shot opportunity came fast. I was confident in the shot placement, just behind the shoulder as PH Stephen Bann from SB Safaris instructed. As the rest of the herd ran off, this buff immediately dropped, then rose again and disappeared into the thick bush. Stephen proved himself an expert on the tracks in the red sand.
Though moments seemed like hours as we pursued the wounded beast, it was to be a short track. A wounded Cape buffalo will charge in a flash, with pure intent to kill. Our group of four, each armed with a big bore rifle, were on highest alert. With a great crashing in the bush ahead of us, the bull gave his final death bellow, a guttural sound that pierces your very core. We froze momentarily and then were running in that direction.
It couldn’t have been scripted much better. We found the buff had dived headlong, nearly upside down, into some brush. Few Cape buffalo are harvested with one shot, and even I was surprised at the performance of my Henry lever action in .45-70 Gov’t. After a prayer of thanksgiving for this amazing hunt and harvest, our group celebrated the trophy – and memories – of a lifetime with hugs and more than a bit of emotion that is difficult to explain until one has experienced it all.
Established in 1981, Life-Form Taxidermy is a world-renowned studio, with a large, dedicated staff, providing top quality taxidermy and outstanding service.
Our indigenous taxidermists specialize in African game and, coupled with their artistic talent and craftsmanship, this results in life-like recreations of game species. All manikins are custom made according to client’s specific requests at no additional charge and full mount prices include standard habitat bases.
Our highly skilled administrative team is up-to-date on all International Export/Import regulations and provides exceptional and responsive service from the arrival of trophies at our studio to the delivery of trophies at the client’s door.
Our dedication to walking that extra mile and striving towards consistent workmanship, ensures that our clients receive lasting memories of their African Safari as well as resulting in their valued return to us through the years.
We have a vast range of outfitters that are spread around South Africa and therefore send our vehicles on a regular basis to collect trophies countrywide, at no additional cost. If your preferred outfitter is not part of our route, we will gladly make the necessary arrangements to collect your prized trophies wherever they are.
We like to boast that Life-Form is a “One Stop Shop” to meet all your needs. Included in our operation, we have a Dip & Ship facility, as well as our own Tannery.
For a detailed view of the studio and other facilities, visit www.lifeformtaxidermy.com
Just a quick update to let you know what’s been happening with me in the field.
My first hunt of the year was a leopard hunt with Andy from North Dakota. We hunted on Malangani where I knew there was a huge leopard – we saw him in 2019 lying on a three-quarters-grown wildebeest that he had just killed. He was 50 yards off the road and we watched him for quite a few minutes before he slunk off. This guy was our obvious target but he proved very elusive. All we could find was 10-day-old tracks in one riverbed but nothing else.
We baited the whole area hoping he would show up but he never did. Andy ended up taking another cat right near the end of the hunt. Dropping our baits on the last day we found his tracks from the night before in the same riverbed where we had found his old tracks. He had followed our drag to our bait but then just walked away.
At the beginning of June, Patrick, a retired policeman from NY, arrived with his nephew, James, for a buffalo hunt out of Nengo camp, again in the BVC. After torrential rains the bush was thicker than I’ve ever seen it, and I’ve been in the area for over 28 years! We caught the tail end of two cyclones that struck Mozambique.
As there was so much water about everywhere it was only after a few days that we found buffalo tracks to follow. Starting at 9.15 a.m. we followed them for many miles, often getting pretty close to them, but were unable to get sight of their horns. We finally called it quits and broke for lunch at 4 p.m.
The next morning we again found their tracks and got after them. The wind wasn’t that good but we spotted two bulls and managed to flank them and get the wind more in our favor. Creeping in close, Isaac and I saw that one bull had a good head and he was feeding into a slightly more open area. Please understand that the bush was still very thick, but at least we could see him. Moving Pat forward he finally got a shot and the bull was swallowed by dense, thick bush.
An example of the incredibly dense bush in which the wounded bull was hiding – totally invisible!
Trying to skirt the very thick stuff, both trackers said they could hear his labored breathing and then announced that he had fallen over. We got around the large thicket and moved closer on the hind side to look for blood. A few feet in front of us the bush suddenly exploded and he launched himself towards us at full speed. There was little time to react even though I was ready. As he passed on my left side at a distance of no more than six feet, I snapped a shot at his head, knowing he was headed straight for Pat and James. I guess the blast in his face and the 500-grain .470 that penetrated the nerve in his horn, persuaded him to change course and he ran between me and my friends as I gave him the second barrel just below the base of his tail. Much to our relief and to cut a long story short, we finally put him down after 13 shots. The good Lord was undoubtedly standing with us that morning. I don’t believe I’ve ever hunted in bush this thick!
We hope that you will join us in our little slice of paradise real soon.
Blessings,
John
When we planned our 1st trip with Motsomi in 2018, we planned it as a once in a lifetime trip. Then we fell in love with SA and made lifelong friends. Our 2nd trip here with Motsomi may have even topped our 1st as we have already started planning our 3rd trip. Marco and Isaac are an amazing team who work hard to help you find the best animals, and also do not mind teaching you along the way. I set a goal to hit 53 different species and they made sure I hit that good. Ackson served amazing food and made sure we were well fed. All of the staff is exceptionally friendly and helpful. Thank you, Pieter, Ria and Juanita for all you do behind the scenes to make things run smooth and come together. We look forward to our next trip with Motsomi.
Nick and Debi,
Maryland, USA
For my 3rd trip to Africa with Motsomi I brought my son along and thanks to Pieter we will have memories to last forever. From the beginning of the safari with hunting the Sable and Roan along with the Golden Wildebeest to hunting the Nyala which was my son’s dream animal to capping it off with his 55” Kudu and finishing it off with our Impalas on the last day. I want to thank Pieter, Ria and all the staff for making our trip a wonderful experience, I would also like to thank Jeff and Simon, our trackers for the friendly times while hunting. I will always consider the Motsomi Family as some of the best friends you can have.
Till next time,
Bob,
PA, USA
This trip was planned for my dad’s 60th birthday, and although a year late I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate. The team at Motsomi was a complete joy from the very beginning. From Ria and Pieter throughout the entire staff they couldn’t be a more friendly bunch. Pieter and his team, Jeff and Simon, made sure every hunt was enjoyable and filled with laughter. I couldn’t have asked for a better hunt and memories to last a lifetime. The trophies were an exceptional souvenir to remember a fantastic trip.
Coming to Africa for the first time with our whole family, where unsure what to expect. Any concerns were soon alleviated when we arrived at Motsomi camp. The area was beautiful and we were welcome with open arms. Pieter and Dirk were patient in teaching the boys about African Wildlife and hunting and the basics of safaris. The atmosphere and food were incredible. The staff from cook to tracker to cleaning were professional and friendly. They created a wonderful personal experience for us all. Can’t wait to come back!
Thanks so much,
Tasos and Gayle & the Boys
This is our 4th trip and still in love with Africa & the Motsomi family. Everything we had on our “wish list” was harvested. Pieter and Ria run a top-notch operation, paying attention to every detail. Food, accommodations, and hunts are well planned. Staff is very polite and friendly. Fireside conversation is always refreshing and this time we had the pleasure of spending time we had the pleasure of spending an evening with PC, Nadia, and their significant others.
When Motsomi says “come as a client, leave as a friend”, they are not kidding.
Paul and Sharon,
PA, USA
Dear hunting friends,
We’re halfway through 2021! And how exciting that this year has been a much nicer roller-coaster than last year. (We felt like saying good luck with the Thanksgiving and Christmas planning, but luckily there is more than enough time still left for this year!)
The entire Bergzicht team are very thankful for every hunter that made their way to Namibia this year, hunters coming later this year as well as the future hunters committing for next year and going forward. You are the reason we can say we LOVE our job. We can truly say it’s a wonderful process of planning, welcoming everyone into our home and at the end of the trip sending you back home with beautiful trophies as well as plenty of wonderful memories!
Despite some restrictions still in place with regards to travel (all over the world), all our hunters confirmed that travelling to Namibia was an easy process. With your negative PCR test, your passport as well as some documents to complete beforehand, the travelling was smooth sailing.
Upon returning home, COVID testing done in Namibia is organized by the Bergzicht team. We have a company coming to our apartment in town or someone will come out to the farm to do the test, with same day results. So, no need for long queues, planning, appointments, etc.
The entire Bergzicht team (Hannes and Geraldine, Steph, and Marie-Louise as well as all employees) had their first COVID vaccination. By the third of September, all staff members will be fully vaccinated! We are very proud of our employees’ willingness to take the vaccine and through this contributing to a safer & better hunting environment for our hunters as well as a safer working place for all of us.
In terms of the hunting, news, we’ve had plenty of success so far:
During May, our first Springbok Slam was hunted during one safari from one family. A father and two daughters. The girls each got a black – and white – while their father got the common – and the copper Springbok.
During July we completed our second Springbok Slam, by one hunter himself! This hunter also hunted the Masked Slam this year. In 2019, on his first trip to Bergzicht he hunted a beautiful Sable and Oryx, and this year he got the Golden Oryx and a Massive Roan. This was a very fruitful trip! Let’s call our client Mr Big Shot – Mr Big Shot also shot a Golden Wildebeest as well as a Blue Wildebeest. In the 2019 season he was the first to shoot a Black Impala on Bergzicht, and his wife also contributed to the Impala trophies by shooting a common Impala in July 2021.
As if that wasn’t quite impressive enough, Bergzicht’s first Bushbuck was harvested in 2021. Mr Big Shot now completed his Spiral Horn Slam as well! In 2019 he succeeded with a Nyala and a Kudu bull, while 2021 was the year for Bushbuck and Eland.
We hope this will be the first of plenty bushbuck in future!
Bergzicht is very proud to have all this different colour variants as well as a big variety of species available in self sustainable herds.
All compliments go to Hannes for years of planning, hard work and determination to build on the Bergzicht gene pools as well as on the variety of species. It’s always been about how to do this the right way, without short cuts!
The butchery is keeping us busy – what started off as an extra side-line business is now a full time, six-days-a-week operation! This ‘side-line business’ grew and intensified, Hannes had to buy another freezer again, an even bigger one. The newest addition arrived last week, with dimensions of 12m x 3m.
We’re in the middle of our winter now and we can say we’ve had some real cold days. Our Canadian hunters admitted it was cold. We’ve experienced winter according to Canadian standards and not only Namibian standards! While most of you will have great summer weather currently, soak up the summer sun while it is available.
Unfortunately, airlines flying into Namibia are still very limited. We still have no confirmation when Qatar will fly to Namibia again. But we stand firm in faith that a new normal and more stability will be reached soon.
For some of our newer subscribers, herewith some more information about Bergzicht:
Bergzicht Game Lodge offers all the modern luxuries a guest might expect at any lavish hunting lodge.
The hunting lodge is centrally located just outside Dordabis only 1 hour away from the airport and an hour’s drive from Windhoek, the capital of Namibia (therefor we don’t need any special permits for travelling with regards to the current COVID situation)
Bergzicht Game Lodge offers you guided hunting safaris on their exquisite game ranch just south of Windhoek, Namibia. Bergzicht Game Lodge offers 25 species of plains game on 60 000 acres of privately owned land, making this game ranch the perfect location for plains game hunting.
To ensure the ultimate hunting experience combined with appreciating the unique Namibian environment we recommend planning your hunting trip to last around 10 to 12 days (hunting season starts on 1 February and ends on 30 November). Our policy of not taking double bookings can make your dream come true of being the only hunter/group on 94 square miles (243 square km) free range.
At Bergzicht Game Lodge we are dedicated to making your trophy hunting safari a memory of a lifetime. We specialise in African plains game and tailor-made hunting safaris according to your desire. We will exceed every client’s expectation. Come and experience one of the greatest adventures in Africa
All the guest suites are well-equipped with en-suite bathrooms, flushing toilets and spacious showers with hot and cold water. To make your stay more comfortable, there are rifle racks, lamps, and bedside tables in all the rooms. The rooms are elegant and very tastefully decorated. They are also exceptionally well serviced. The lodge provides 220 volts of electrical power, as well as WIFI, 24 hours a day.
For the enthusiastic bird watchers, Bergzicht Game Lodge will be heaven. Namibia boasts more than 600 species of birds.
Every Hunting safari is tailored to meet your specific desires, with your unsurpassed satisfaction being our foremost priority.
Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. You are welcome to follow us on Facebook or Instagram to see information more frequently
Take care friends & stay safe!
Hope to hear from you soon!
Best regards
Caren
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