Sep 3, 2021 | News
Q: Tell us about your family, how they originally got to Africa.
A: My great-great grandfather came to South Africa around 1850. He was a doctor, and he married an Afrikaans Boer woman. My great-grandfather also married an Afrikaans Boer woman and they fought against the English during the Boer war. Their family farm was destroyed in the scorched earth policy at the time, and the family spent some time in one of the concentration camps. After the Boer war they emigrated to Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and worked for a company that was in the beef business. My grandfather was born in Bulawayo in 1912, and was educated in Rhodesia. He met my grandmother who had emigrated to Rhodesia from Scotland as a radiographer. My grandfather was a carpenter by trade which held him in good stead in later years when he started his own farming venture. He joined the Rhodesian Royal Air Force for the duration of the Second World War. On returning to Rhodesia he bought a farm at Balla Balla, approximately 70km south of Bulawayo on the Beit Bridge road, and did beef cattle and limited cropping under irrigation.
My father was one of four children – three boys and one girl. He was a twin, the youngest. He had a great upbringing on the farm where the hunting of plains game and game bird was freely available. On leaving school in 1965 he joined the Department of National Parks and Wild Life Management as a Cadet Ranger, and was fortunate enough to be transferred to Mabalahuta in the Gona-re-zhou National Park where he worked under Richard Harland who was an experienced elephant hunter.
Richard taught him the basics of elephant hunting. Added to this the Sergeant Game Scout was a man named Machavana who himself was very experienced with elephants. My father worked for the Department of National Parks and Wild life for nine years and gained a tremendous amount of experience in all aspects of big-game hunting, namely elephant, buffalo, lion, and leopard. There was a tremendous amount of control work to be done in those days.
Today this is not the case, as safari hunting has placed a big value on all these animals which are now hunted by safari operators with their perspective clients. So whereas in the past a farmer would destroy a lion that was eating his cattle, these days the farmer would sell the lion to a safari operator. While stationed at the Main Camp of Hwange National Park he met and married my mother, Bertie, who had come to visit her aunt in Bulawayo. Bertie came from Holland, but as a child, till she was 16 years old, lived in Indonesia and New Guinea where her father was an administrator for the then Dutch Colony. This I am sure prepared her for the bush life that they have lived since then.
Q: When and where were you born?
A: I was born in Bulawayo in 1975.
Q: How did you get into hunting – what was it that influenced you?
A: It was growing up on the farm in Mbalabala, and on the various hunting camps where my parents operated, and just generally having a passion for wildlife and wide-open spaces influenced my career decision.
Q: With whom did you train, apprentice and learn from?
A: I mainly learnt from my father Barrie Duckworth and company PHs Pete Fick and Hilton Nichols.
Q: What was the most important thing you learned during those early years?
A: Hard work ethic, honesty and that your word is your word. Obviously growing up hunting I learnt a lot about the bush and wildlife long before I started my apprenticeship.
Q: The early years of professional hunting – where were they?
A: I did pretty much all of my apprenticeship in Chewore South in the Zambezi Valley, Matetsi River Ranch near Victoria Falls, and the Save Valley Conservancy in the South Eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe.
Q: What was next?
A: On leaving National Parks in 1974 we decided to go farming on our home farm at Balla Balla. Our internal war was on and I felt that my aging parents needed support on the farm. However, I soon was missing big-game hunting, and when my former boss in National Parks who had also left the Department and had now started his own Safari company, phoned me and asked if I would do some pro-hunting for him, I jumped at the opportunity. Due to several factors I eventually left A B&M safaris and went on my own in 1978. We called ourselves Hunters Safaris. I was then joined by Roger Whittall and we formed our own safari company in 1982 which we called Zinyela Hunters Safaris (Pvt) Ltd. In 1998 we dissolved Zinyela Hunters Safaris and each formed our respective companies. Roger’s became Roger Whittall Safaris and mine became Mokore Safaris. These are the companies by which we still operate today. Obviously, growing up on the family farm and on all the hunting camps where my parents operated, my brother Neil and I grew up loving wildlife, hunting and the bush. We both went straight into the business as soon as I finished University and Neil finished Blackfordby Agricultural College.
Q: What were some of the more embarrassing, fun and interesting experiences?
A: My first few hunts as a qualified PH where I had to lead the charge had plenty “learning” experiences. The poor clients ended up getting walked a lot harder to try and get an animal as my inexperience (even after a three-year apprenticeship under some of the best PHs out there) lead to me passing up an animal or not getting the client in the right position, etc. It was sometimes embarrassing but always fun for the most part. There were a few difficult sections with clients where my inexperience allowed them to “bully” me, but I soon learnt how to deal with all these things, making safari even more fun, not only for our guests but also for myself.
Q: Any specific client experiences that stood out?
A: My first leopard hunt was in the save valley conservancy. I had set up a bait on the banks of a small stream on our Angus ranch. Tracks told us (before the advent of trail cameras) that we had a tom and female hit. In the blind early because of overcast weather and at 4:30 p.m. we saw movement by the bait. Soon we had two leopard cavorting and playing around in the river sand, one male and a female. You would have thought that being in daylight I would have seen that although the male was bigger than the female it was not an old cat. I am not sure if it was because I was shaking so much that could hardly hold my binos, or was just too excited to have a male in front of us that I instructed the client to take him. All that remains to be said is that the cat was not of the required age. Valuable lesson learnt!
Q: Any other valuable lesson?
A: The second valuable lesson I learnt was when i was conducting anti-poaching patrols on the same ranch.
A large job in the early years consisted of ridding these areas of huge numbers of snares that were remaining from the cattle days, as well as fighting the ever-present new poaching gangs. As an apprentice working on the property, I spent many hours patrolling with the game scouts. Due to the very low numbers of dangerous game back then, we normally just patrolled with shotguns loaded with either birdshot or buckshot…for shooting dogs and as an intimidation factor when confronting poachers.
On the day in question I was patrolling along the Chinchindwe River on our newly acquired Angus Ranch. We had been patrolling for maybe an hour, when we came across a snareline of about 30 wire snares along the edge of a mopane forest and an open area. We spread out searching for other snares and removing the ones we found. Whilst untying a snare, I heard a sound in a small Ilala palm thicket behind me in the middle of the open area. I asked the scout nearest to me if he had heard anything. He hadn’t, and so we just carried on removing snares. I heard the sound again and alerted the scout to this fact.
He was immediately convinced that it was the owners of the snares hiding in the thicket, and wanted to rush in and arrest them as the first guy to lay a hand on a poacher arrested got the biggest bonus! I cautioned him to hold back a bit as there were tracks of a buffalo herd that had passed near the snareline, and that this could be a snared buffalo. Taking the bird shot out of the Benelli shotgun I was carrying, I replaced it with slug, buckshot, slug, buckshot in that combination.
Once done and now better armed, I suggested that we proceed into the thicket and see if it was indeed the poachers. The ever-eager scout forged ahead with the snares he had removed over his right shoulder. We hadn’t gone but a few meters into the thicket when he hurriedly started trying to back out past me, but the snares on his shoulder were catching on the palm thorns. Trying to step to the side to see past him, I questioned him, “Chi, chi?” (“What, what?”). By then he was free from the thorns and made himself scarce. I then saw what was troubling him coming at me at full pace: An angry buffalo bull!
My first shot with a Rottweill slug at about eight paces, hit it in the right eye but had absolutely no effect on the bull! By the time I could pull the trigger a second time he had already dropped his head to toss me, so I shot him into the top of his skull with a charge of buckshot. Fortunately, this killed him outright and I was able to jump aside allowing his body to fall past me. I quickly put two 9mm bullets into the back of his head with the handgun I had as insurance, but these were unnecessary as the shotgun had killed him. 
My biggest concern then was to try and explain to my father how I had killed one of his precious buffalo that the Conservancy was trying to breed up. Of course, when I got him on the radio his only concern was our safety. I was extremely lucky that this was a soft-bossed bull, as I think if he had had a hard boss the buckshot would not have penetrated and I probably wouldn’t be here writing this story. In hindsight, I appreciate the follies of youth. I would NEVER go into such a situation again now if I had only a shotgun with me. The Lord sometimes protects the dumb!
That being said, thus far in my career, the two closest incidents with trouble from dangerous game I have managed to sort out using a shotgun. The other was a leopard.
Q: Anything you leant about what not to do?
A: Don’t go into thickets where there are wounded buffalo, only with a shotgun!
Q: Which countries/areas have you hunted since then?
A: I have only hunted Zimbabwe and Mozambique. We started operating in Mozambique in 2001 when the Zimbabwean government embarked on their fast-track land reform policy and started acquiring all our properties. We lost three properties in late 2000/early 2001 and so decided to look in neighboring countries for work.
Q: What were some of the interesting things that happened there?
A: Developing the beautiful areas we have in both Zimbabwe (Mokore and Angus in the save valley conservancy) and Mozambique (coutada 9) have been some of the most interesting and exciting experiences I have had. Save valley was, when my parents first bought these properties, under cattle ranching. Because of this and the terrible drought in 1992, there was minimal game in the area. Taking down all the cattle fences, putting in water holes, and bringing in huge numbers of game was very exciting. As a young apprentice this was a time of hard work but a lot of valuable lessons from some of the best game managers in the world. Working with the likes of Clem Coetzee, my dad Barrie, Roger Whittal, Clive Stockhill and others was a great experience for me.
Q: Tell us more about the Mozambique experience.
A: Our Mozambique concession was wild and huge when we first went in with very few roads and water. Game was severely depleted after 24 years of civil war and the poaching thereafter. Going in and opening up this area was very exciting and form some of my best memories of my entire career. Just taking a pack and walking off into the bush for a week to ten day patrol in an area where you have never been, where you do not know what is over the next hill is very exciting and pushes you on every day to go further in and discover new places. The excitement of getting water from the first boreholes we put in, the first dams built, new roads opened and camps built. Every project is exciting, often difficult but very gratifying. To be able to do this together with my parents, brother, wife and sister-in-law as part of the team has been a blessing.
Q: If you could return to any time or place in Africa, where would it be?
A: Chewore south in the early days. I still love every trip to the save, sengwa and coutada 9. I have been lucky to hunt in great areas. Unfortunately, being so busy close to home has kept me from exploring the rest of Africa so I am sure there are plenty other wild and beautiful places I have missed. I would love to see some of the other countries with big concessions like Zambia, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda. However, I still feel that by having been involved in the resurrection of most of our current areas they are a lot dearer to me.
Q: Which is your favorite trophy animal to hunt? And why?
A: I used to love hunting elephant bulls in big areas when there was a chance to find a big trophy bull. Now this desire has waned as there are very few big wild areas with huge bulls left. Now my favorites are buffalo (especially old dagga boys) and eland. These three are my favorites, as to hunt them is usually physical and a lot of time spent out on tracks. When following in the tracks of these animals they lead you to beautiful springs, pans and also some hellishly horrible thick thorn! Always interesting places though. Also, when on these hunts ones sees and hears all the other aspects and creatures of the bush. This is very different to hunting plains game on smaller areas and mostly spot and stalk from the vehicle.
Q: What is the best trophy animal one of your clients ever took?
A: Probably a 93 lb elephant with John in Ngamo/Sikumi area. There have been many, many great ones though with great memories. Some of them not the biggest measurement wise, but just old and tough.
Q: Tell us about two of your most memorable hunts, without naming names.
A: when I was an apprentice we did a mini-cull in the Dande communal area. Culling is never a pleasant job, but as a first-year apprentice this was extremely exciting. The fact that it was very hot and we ran out of water was probably the most lasting memory! I was sent with Magocha (father’s head tracker and hunting legend) to fetch the vehicle, and was hard pressed to keep up even though I was young and very fit. The heat and thirst were tough. Eventually we found a mostly dried-up pan with some small puddles of water in the places where elephant had sunk into the mud. I sucked some through my cap as a filter. Not tasty, but moisture!
On my first lion hunt in Mozambique, there were only a few nomadic lion in the area when we first started there. Now there are plenty, but back then it was extremely challenging to locate and hunt them. I was on a late-season hunt with my very good friend Dan. We had a big male hit our bait, but he was very leery and we couldn’t get him to come in when we were in the blind. All my strategies that I tried, failed. Eventually, we tracked/followed his calls very early in the morning after spending all night waiting by the bait in the blind. He led us to the base of a small kopje and i had a feeling he was up on it. I called, “roared” to him using my cupped hands. We heard a grunt and he appeared about 60 yards away on top of the rise. The early morning sun was shining from behind him and his mane was flared. What a magnificent sight. Unfortunately, the shot was blocked for Dan by a small bush. The lion started trotting down the slope diagonally past us. When he was about 40 yards from us I grunted, and this stopped him. A good shot from Dan and it was over. What a hunt. This lion only had one full paw left. Three had been damaged by poachers gin traps.
Q: Tell us about any disaster of a client and what you had to deal with.
A: one of my worst (thankfully only a couple that I have had to experience) clients was an Englishman hunting with me out of mkanga camp in dande area. He was a whiner, and whined about everything. Just an unpleasant person and impossible to please. Unfortunately, I was young and allowed him to “bully” me. Now it would be different.
Q: What are your recommendations on guns, ammo, or equipment for the first-time hunter to Africa?
A: For a first time hunter for plains game I recommend any of the .300 calibers. Trophy bonded bear claw and swift a-frames are probably my favorite expanding bullets. For buffalo hunters i recommend the .375 h&h. This caliber is fantastic and has stood the test of time, and can be used on anything from an elephant to a grysbok. Accurate out to 250 yards if the need arises, and you can find ammunition almost in any hunting camp. If a client comes with one of these, I recommend a mixture of solids and softs. Usually the first shot a soft and the rest of the magazine solids.
Q: Which guns and ammo are you using to back-up on dangerous or wounded game and tell us why?
A: I started my career using a .458 lott and now use a .505 gibbs. I would use my .458 more than I do currently but have had stock issues. I am confident in any situation with either of these two weapons. Both are accurate and hard-hitting. I only use solid ammunition (usually woodleigh) except for following leopard. I then use a soft point.
Q: What was your closest brush with death? If more than one – go for it and explain!
A: The buffalo with a shotgun explained above was one. The next closest was a leopard charge that ended up pretty close. I have had numerous close encounters with bad driving and blow-outs on the way to our areas that scare me more than most things!
Q: How has the hunting industry changed in your opinion over the past number of years?
A: It’s way more fast-paced, and many clients now are more interested in their phones than just sitting back and enjoying the bush. One of my pet hates is people looking at their phones when around the camp fire or at the dinner table. Unfortunately, this is the modern way!
Q: If you should suggest one thing to your hunting clients to improve their safari experience, with you, or with anyone else for that matter – what would it be?
A: Prepare, prepare, prepare. Shoot as much as you can and from as many different positions as you can. Get fit, and if you have time try read up on the various animals you may pursue, the country you are going to, and its customs and traditions. Go and relax. Hunt opportunistically and do not stress about the tape measure. Take plenty pictures, keep a daily diary and ask plenty questions.
Q: What can the industry do to contribute to the long-term conservation of Africa’s wildlife?
A: Try and educate the ignorant people overseas who keep trying to shut down hunting. They need to understand that hunters are not the enemy. In fact, they are the ones saving millions of hectares of habitat from being destroyed, and are continually fighting poachers.
Q: What would be your ideal safari if you have one last safari?
A: it would be a multiple buffalo and plains-game safari for 21 days in any of our current areas.
Aug 24, 2021 | News
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.
Aug 12, 2021 | Hunting Stories, News
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.
Aug 12, 2021 | Hunting Stories, News
African Black Wildebeest
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.
Quality Hunting Safaris Namibia
Seven Black Wildebeest Facts
- Scientific name: Connochaetes gnou
- Male weight: 250-425 pounds
- Shoulder height: four feet
- Gestation period: 81/2 months
- Mating season: March-May
- Horns: both sexes
- Birth: one calf
African Blue Wildebeest
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.
Hunter’s Safaris South Africa
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.
Seven Blue Wildebeest Facts
- Scientific name: Connochaetes taurinus
- Male weight: 600 pounds
- Male height: four-five feet
- Top speed: 50 mph
- Life expectancy: 19-20 year
- Mating season: March-April
- Horn length male: 30-33 inches
Aug 12, 2021 | Hunting Stories, News
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.
Aug 11, 2021 | News
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.
There is no climate emergency
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.
Natural as well as anthropogenic factors cause warming
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.
Warming is far slower than predicted
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 policy relies on inadequate models
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 plant food, the basis of all life on Earth
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.
Global warming has not increased natural disasters
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.
Climate policy must respect scientific and economic realities
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
Aug 11, 2021 | Hunting Stories, News
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.
Aug 10, 2021 | News
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
Aug 10, 2021 | News, Uncategorized
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
Aug 4, 2021 | News
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
He was immediately convinced that it was the owners of the snares hiding in the thicket, and wanted to rush in and arrest them as the first guy to lay a hand on a poacher arrested got the biggest bonus! I cautioned him to hold back a bit as there were tracks of a buffalo herd that had passed near the snareline, and that this could be a snared buffalo. Taking the bird shot out of the Benelli shotgun I was carrying, I replaced it with slug, buckshot, slug, buckshot in that combination.
