One of my hunters posted this report and I asked him if he would post it here as well. He did not have the ability to post it here, but asked me if I could do it for him. So here is the coWord doc he wrote.
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AFRICA JOURNAL
This is Matt’s and my journal account of our hunting trip to the Limpopo Province of the Republic of South Africa. The Crosses and Dallases have graciously shared recollections from their journals as well.
It was the hunting trip of a lifetime.
We are six...Matt and John Richardson, Jack and Pat Cross and Dave and Bev Dallas.
Matt, Dave, Jack and I are hunters, Bev and Pat serve as advisors, photographers and good companions. We are all long time friends. Freeda, my wife, and Sara, Matt’s wife remain in the states...Sara is expecting their second daughter, Freeda stays in support of Sara and to be there in the event of a problem with my Mom. Matt and I miss them. A lot.
Our outfitter is Jim Hackiewicz. We find him to be a fascinating person. An electrical engineer by training, he also has a degree in wildlife management. He has lived and worked in China, worked on the space shuttle, been the wildlife manager for Weyerhauser and is a licenced professional hunter in South Africa. Jim lives ten months a year in Washington state with his wife and five-year-old son..and works for a large aerospace company. Two months a year he lives and hunts in South Africa. He is the PH that Matt and I hunt with. And he is a pleasure to hunt with...patient, knowledgeable and dedicated to finding game for his clients.
Henk Viljoen is Jack and Pat’s PH. A long time licensed PH, Henk has the personality required to be a great PH..Jack and Pat became great fans of Henk in just a day or two..he is funny, knowledgeable about all the flora and fauna...and knows how to find game. A fifteenth- generation Afrikaaner of French descent, his physical appearance confirms his Boer heritage. Bitten on the finger by a puff adder a few years ago, he almost died; not from the snake bite, but from an allergic reaction to the antivenin. Henk is a perfect fit for Pat and Jack. Henk’s wife Ulinda, a banker in Ellisras, and his daughter Denise, join us during the week; they are a pleasure to be around and add much sparkle to our group.
Dave and Bev are fortunate to have Dave Tenant [Dave T.] as their PH. Dave T. is a PH with thirty years’ experience. Of British descent, his family moved from India to Africa before 1900. Born in what is now Zambia, Dave T. has lived in Zimbabwe and now lives in Pretoria with his wife. I told Dave T. I thought she was his daughter. Dave T. has marvelous black and white photos of his grandparents in India with tigers they killed.. I wish I could have spent more time with him and heard more about his family and its history.
LANDELANI is our home for the next ten days. Stone construction, walls fourteen inches thick, we find it more than comfortable. The staff...Anita our chef, and her assistants see to our every need. Laundry is done daily, folded and placed neatly on our bed when we return from our day in the bush. Meals are...well, spectacular..escargot, impala pot roast, eland cutlets, lemon custard... decadent best describes our gourmet fare. The property itself is approximately fifty square miles of African bushveldt. Scattered rock kopjes, every kind of thorn bush imaginable, with the Waterburg mountains in the background, the scenery is nothing less than grand.
JUNE 2, 2007
Up at 4:00 a.m., Sara takes Matt and me to Will Rogers International Airport. We meet Dave, Bev, Jack and Pat. We all have some concern about checking our rifles...no problems! The Delta agent acts as if it is old hat..
7:45 a.m. We leave Oklahoma City for Atlanta
Arriving in Atlanta, Jack and Pat adjourn to meet with their oldest son Greg and his wife for lunch outside the security area. We have plenty of time, our layover is four hours. Dave, Bev, Matt and I find a Chili’s for lunch. Hamburger and fries for us, betcha they will be the last of that for the next two weeks. While we’re waiting to get on the plane, Jack sees former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired General Richard Meyers. They are friends from their Air Force days and have a pleasant reunion. The General and his party are on the same plane to Johannesburg.
4:30 p.m. We depart on Delta Flight 34 for Africa!
JUNE 3, 2007
4:00 p.m. We arrive in Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
The flight is long!! Twenty hours, including landing and refueling in Dakar.
Jim has arranged for us to be met by Air 2000. Two black south African ladies are there to meet us; they are gracious and know their business, taking us straight to South African customs and directing us through the firearm import process absent fuss or bother. We are then met by representatives of Afton House. They are also efficient...gathering us up, finding and loading our luggage in trailers attached to vans for transportation to the Afton House.
Or Not! The driver tells us he is taking us to another bed and breakfast. After a bit of conversation, we tell the driver to take us to the Afton House. He complies. Upon arrival, the owners of Afton House explain that they are overbooked, the Eland House is very nice and they will deliver us there. We disagree, a heated discussion ensues, we stay at the Afton House. They blame Kathi Klimes for the confusion..Not so! After we are settled in our rooms, tempers cool.
The Afton House takes us to the LaGondola restaurant for dinner. When we arrive, General Meyers and his party are already there. Marvelous food...We start with calamari, then I have pepper steak with asparagus, sweet cabbage, sweet potatoes, Matt has veal with homemade noodles, then we have black cherries with cream and coffee amaretta. The bill for Matt and me, including a bottle of great South African wine is less than $50.00! We enjoy the meal and camaraderie along with General Meyers and his group as well as another group from the Afton House. The young man in that group just finished a cape buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe..killed a 38" bull.
JUNE 4, 2007
Up at 6 a.m....Great breakfast at Afton House....eggs, bacon, coffee, bread...well prepared and plentiful...very enjoyable...rooms are comfortable and we enjoy our stay once we are registered.
9:30 a.m. Henk Viljoen from Landelani is here to pick us up and take us to Landelani. Loading all our gear in the van and attached trailer [these little trailers are pretty neat] we are off. The drive is about five hours, highways much like the US. Four lane about half way, then two lane blacktop, then down to dirt [sand] roads. Signs are in English and Afrikaans, only thing is...people all drive on the wrong side!
2:00 p.m. We arrive at Landelani and are greeted warmly by everyone. Anita [Henk’s mother-in-law] has prepared a wonderful lunch...this lunch is just a precursor of all the wonderful food to come. As soon as we finish eating and unloading our gear, Jim says “let’s go hunting” Our hunt doesn’t officially start until tomorrow morning, but who cares!! First it’s off to the range to check our rifles and sights...all is well with everyone’s rifle..Matt and I with Jim, Jack and Pat with Henk, Dave and Bev with Dave.
3:00 p.m. We are hunting in Africa
Weather is great, 60 degrees F, calm and clear. We go to a waterhole...actually two waterholes together.... called the double pond. The PH’s have built a brush blind about a hundred yards away from the water. We settle in to see what Africa has in store for us..... About 4:30 p.m. the first animal appears, a kudu cow. She is soon followed by a kudu bull... Jim says “he’s a nice bull, definitely a shooter.” This is the first wild kudu bull Matt and I have ever seen. He is magnificent! His horns are coal black. They have the deep curl that Jim says makes them longer than they look. Matt and I study the bull [he’s interested in the cow]...while this is the first kudu we’ve seen in the wild, we’ve spent a fair amount of time looking at pictures of bulls to see what we like. This bull, while really nice, is just not exactly what either of us want, we decide not to shoot him. Jim assures us that in the next ten days we will see more bulls.. I sure hope he’s right. Before long, waterbuck began to appear. Maybe twenty five or so, with five or six bulls. One is a really good bull, maybe twenty seven inches with a good forward curl. One of the animals I really want is a waterbuck, but I’ve told Jim, “only a really big one” I can tell that Jim is thinking, we might not see a better waterbuck...but he keeps quiet. I finally decide not to shoot. It’s the first afternoon! And not even the first official hunting day! At last light there is still a waterbuck bull in the edge of the bush....maybe he’s the one.
Returning to the lodge after dark we hear accounts of our other hunters’ afternoon experiences.
Jack, Pat and Henk go to another waterhole. Lots of game, Livingston eland, impalas, waterbuck and a herd of zebra. Pat has expressed reservations about shooting a zebra. When the zebra herd appears Henk says “ that stallion is as good as it gets, if you want a zebra, he’s the one to shoot.”
Jack and Pat study..the zebra spook and leave..well, so much for that! Not! The zebra are back...no hesitation now..Pat says “shoot”! Jack does, zebra runs a short way and falls dead. Jack’s .300 WSM and 200 gr. Nosler Partition bullet has done a great job. Our first African trophy!
Jack, Pat and Henk leave Herman with the zebra and go to get help to load. When they return, Herman has quite a story to tell. After they left, the zebra herd returned. They began making odd noises..sounds Herman has never heard...then they gather around the zebra and began to push the dead stallion along the ground with their noses’ and hooves..They move the dead zebra stallion ten or fifteen feet! Herman is spooked by this strange behavior [who wouldn’t be] He goes back to the pond and climbs in an old bowhunters elevated stand. When Jack and Henk return, they confirm the dead zebra has been moved at least fifteen feet. The ground around the dead zebra is disturbed with many hoof prints and marks where the dead zebra has been pushed along the ground. Henk has never heard of such behavior...Africa.
JUNE 5, 2007
6:00 a.m. Our first official day of hunting.
Day dawns bright and crisp. Breakfast is toast, cereal, tea and coffee. Soon after leaving the lodge we come across a big cape buffalo bull..He is not in good humor..Best we move on, and we do. We hunt through the bush until we come to another waterhole. This is the waterhole where Jack killed his zebra stallion. Leaving the waterhole, we start back through the bush and immediately jump a good impala ram. Jim says “he’s a shooter.” As the ram moves through the bush I find an opening about the size of your hat and squeeze the trigger on my Husqvarna 9.3X62. The impala lurches forward and fades into the bush. Michael [the English foxhound tracking dog] is on the scene immediately. Off at the speed of light, he is barking “treed” in just a minute. My impala is dead. It looks like the 250 gr. NorthFork may have hit a limb just before it hit the impala’s shoulder. He’s a mature ram, maybe 23"...I’m happy with him for sure. We drop him off at the skinning shed and head for the “double pond.” There are a few cows in a small enclosure not too far from the skinning shed...they are out and follow us...this is the only time in ten days I see Jim a bit “out of patience.” We change plans, escape the “cow attack” and return to the area we just left. While we’re at the “zebra pond” a fine impala ram appears..Jim tells Matt, “that’s a pretty good ram.” Death sentence for the ram. Matt drops him in his tracks with his .325 WSM and 200 gr. Nosler Partition. This portends things to come over the next nine days. Back to the skinning shed, then to the lodge for lunch since we’re so close. Anita again works her magic. Antelope soup, homemade bread....I’m gonna weigh 230 lbs if I’m not careful.
1:30 p.m. we are back out. I tripped over my feet last night and have a really sore knee. Jim says “lets hunt the waterhole and give your knee a rest”...sore as it is, that sounds good to me. We are not in the blind three minutes when a really good shooter kudu bull and his harem appear. Brief discussion and all agree I better shoot this bull...he is heavy and wide, with good deep curls. Very interested in his cows, the bull is never still. Before he presents a clear shot, he does what kudu bulls do...he disappears into the bush, not to be seen again. So much for that. Over the course of the afternoon game comes and goes...twenty eight warthogs, including five or six shooters, twenty or thirty impalas, lots of sand grouse, guineas and doves. A couple of waterbuck cows come in and mill around for a long time. About 5:00 p.m. several waterbuck come in, one a pretty good bull. Jim and I are studying him when Matt says “that’s a really good bull.” A new waterbuck bull has come in and even I know this is the bull to shoot. With the evening sun behind him, his horns have an almost blue tint. They are long, heavy and have a great forward curl. Jim says “you are not likely to see a better one.” After he drinks and starts back to the bush he presents a good broadside shot. At the crack of the rifle, he staggers and begins a stumbling run. I can’t get a clear shot for all the other animals and the bull disappears into the bush. Silence. Jim says “you got him, that was a good shot.” We go to where the bull was standing, find a piece of lung tissue about the size of your thumb and a weak blood trail. Jim follows the trail into the bush and finds the bull dead about a hundred yards from where he was standing at the shot. I am more than delighted! He is gorgeous, 29.5 inches long with good mass. Jim says he is the second largest waterbuck he has seen killed in the last fifteen years. What a magnificent trophy! I can still see him as he came out of the bush with those magnificent blue horns! We have talked about what made the horns look so blue, maybe just the backlight? Whatever it was, it made it even more memorable. Two impalas and a great waterbuck bull...What a first day hunting!!!
Dave and Bev had a big day. Jim says Dave has set a “high standard” Dave has killed a big kudu, 54" with good width. About 75 yards away, the kudu staggered and stumbled about 20 yards before falling dead from Dave’s .338 win mag and a 225 gr. fusion.
Just a note about “Michael” Michael belongs to Henk, but he lives at Landelani. He also serves as sort of an unofficial host at Landelani. He can open and close the door to the lodge, will ask politely for a snack once in a while and generally makes everyone feel at home. He is an English foxhound about eleven years old. Blind in one eye and deaf in one ear from a porcupine attack years ago, he still is a great blood trailing beast [except for zebras, Michael doesn’t do zebras]
JUNE 6, 2007
Our second full day of hunting.
It’s raining, It’s raining..as the old song sings. I heard it thunder and saw lightning during the night; thought Scotty had beamed me back to Oklahoma. Jim says this is about the third or fourth time he has seen it rain here in June. As an old deer and elk hunter, I don’t give it much thought..Jim does, saying “this is Africa, game here doesn’t like it cold and wet.” Well, as a prognosticator, he ain’t half bad. We hunt hard all morning. Two really good red hartebeest bulls, neither Matt nor I are interested in shooting a red hartebeest so we pass. Another good waterbuck bull, but not quite big enuf’, Matt passes. That’s it for the morning. Back to the lodge for more of Anita’s magic...1:30 p.m. we are back at the double pond. See waterbuck, vervet monkeys...[when Matt was two years old, Curious George, aka Monken, went where Matt went] Matt is now thirty four, and very successful...perhaps our childhood follows us forever. We see lots of birds, my Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa, gets a workout. Jim produces a pink felt marker for my use [I think he is tired of seeing me dogear the pages, he’s an engineer, they are funny about things like that]. Later about fifteen waterbuck come in, two bulls, no shooters. I glimpse a cape buffalo as it passes in the bush. Jim pronounces it a really slow day...I guess so...we only saw about thirty or forty animals...I could take him to Oklahoma and show him what a slow day really is!
Dave killed a big warthog today. He shot him in the face at the Cheetah Dam...Dave said the pig was “peeping over” the water tank...too bad, so sad. Later in the day, Dave slipped and fell from the steps of the bakkie. His knee and ankle are swollen and black.
Back at the lodge...Jack and Pat have a baboon story. A large troop of baboons comes in at the Cheetah Dam, one particularly large male takes over the operation...he is especially vile! Long fangs and with an overall bad attitude. Noisy too, he grunts and squeals in a ugly voice. They shoulda shot the sucker! They also have an encounter with a black backed jackal.....Jack got a “scope cut”......it’s a bad day for jackals too.
JUNE 7, 2007
Our third day. 6:45 a.m. Day dawns bright, clear and cool. [the locals call it cold] We join with em’ and put on our jackets. We head east this morning, and sure enough, here is the buffalo bull with an attitude..the lodge staff knows about him, and is afraid, they will not leave the compound. 7:30 a.m. Five gemsbok bulls! Matt is up...he and Jim are following, they see em’ through the bush...just can’t get a clean shot. We move on. Giraffe! It’s our first wild giraffe, probably not a big deal to old Africa hands, but we are pretty excited [as the days go by, we become more used to seeing these giants, they really represent Africa]. We move on. Deeper into the bush, then, gemsbok!...four or five...Matt works to get a clear shot...finally the .325 WSM goes boom. The gemsbok is facing Matt about 140 yards away. He collapses at the shot, kicks a time or two and is quiet. Gemsbok are trophies we all hope for, this one is special. Not the biggest gemsbok, but still, a trophy well won...We are delighted. Jim works the bakkie up to where the bull lays, Matt, Jim and I load him and it’s back to the skinning shed. We hunt over to the Cheetah Dam, wind is wrong, we stay in the area until about noon and decide to try something different. All we see are warthogs and an ostrich. Anita has packed a marvelous lunch; boiled eggs, summer sausage, sandwiches and chips...we eat off the bakkie.
1:00 p.m. We are back in the area of the double pond. The wind is better here, we settle in. Warthogs are first, then waterbuck..two pretty good bulls, but Matt passes on both. Next, three nyala ewes, then four kudu cows come by. The weather is better and the game is moving. About 4:45 p.m. five kudu cows come from the north. There has to be a bull with those cows...and, there he is. This is a really nice bull, I like his looks; he’s what I’ve been looking for. He comes to the water, gets a drink and then pushes his horns down in the mud! Maybe kudu bulls do that a lot? He’s the only one I saw do it. When he starts across the pan back into the bush, he gives me a good broadside shot. At the shot he bucks, then runs/staggers into the brush. No blood. Jim and I know he’s hard hit. We find him dead about a hundred yards into the bush..heart shot. Jim allows “he’s even a better bull than I thought.” Believe me, he looks pretty darn big lying there in the bayonet plants! I couldn’t be happier! In my minds eye, I still see him striding across the dry pan, bluish/gray, with those white stripes bold in the sun...what a sight. Matt’s description.. “He was majestic!” He didn’t fall too far from where my waterbuck fell...Jim calls it “the garden of death.”
Back at the lodge....Jack and Pat have had another great day too. Jack has bagged a good nyala bull. Jack made a good shot with his .300 WSM, the bull is down, but not dead. He is not quiet. Both Jack and Henk are concerned that his death complaints will be disturbing to Pat. Truth is, the bulls complaints are disturbing to Jack and Henk too. They silence the bull and all feel better.
An impala fell to Dave’s marksmanship today. When he and Dave T. load the impala, they find he has an infected spot just under his horn. Likely from fighting, the impala are in full rut, we see them fighting and hear their “roars”......Africa.
JUNE 8, 2007..
6:00 a.m. Breakfast as usual...this is always a nice time, everybody is rested and feeling good. Looking forward to the day, the PH’s discuss where we’ll hunt, the rest of us listen and talk about what we hope to see or shoot. Cool this morning, riding in the back of the bakkie, you better have a jacket and cap [maybe we’re just getting more Afrikaan] We see giraffe and tesebe this morning, the first tesebe Matt and I have seen. Funny looking critters, Matt and I have no interest in shooting one. That doesn’t mean others don’t or shouldn’t, they are game, just not for us. 10:45 a.m. finds us at the double pond and a big warthog is having his morning drink. Bad mistake, Matt and his .325 WSM..one shot, no wiggling, dead pig. We see two dozen or so waterbucks, but again, no shooters. The best impala so far, Jim says maybe the best ram he’s seen this year, we are not hunting impalas today, so no shot. Back to the skinning shed with Matt’s pig.. on to the lodge for more of Anita’s magic.
1:30 p.m. Back to the bush. Stories abound of blue wildebeest in the Cheetah Dam area. We have not seen a blue wildebeest..one is high on Matt’s wish list, mine too for that matter. On the way we see a young kudu bull. At the Dry Dam we jump a good shooter kudu bull. Try as we might, Matt cannot get a clear shot. We struggle with the wind, seems that no matter which way we turn, the wind is wrong. We keep on keeping on...sure enough, things improve and we begin to see game. First, five tesebes, then a rhino cow and calf [first we’ve seen, brother those things are impressive!], then an aardvark!...I’m telling you, this ain’t Oklahoma! Back to the Cheetah Dam, two kudu cows and another rhino cow and calf. At the Dry Dam, another rhino cow and calf...we’ve gone from seeing no rhinos to being neck deep in rhinos. Another great day in Africa!
Back to the lodge....Jack and Pat have had a busy day. Jack killed a trophy red hartebeest about 7:00 this morning. It’s a really nice trophy. Unusual looking, but most impressive, Matt and I don’t plan to shoot one, but I can sure understand why you would. 1:25 p.m. Jack shoots a big kudu bull. The bull is hit hard but not down. Henk, Herman [Henk’s tracker,] Jack, Pat and Michael the tracking dog all set out on the trail of the wounded kudu. Two and a half hours and over a mile of thorn bushveldt later, Herman says to Jack “congratulations on your kudu” Jack looks around, sees no kudu....Herman says “hear that”? It’s the sound of the kudu’s last kick. Sure enough, about a hundred yards away, dead kudu. Quite a story and a great trophy at the end.
Dave gets a shot at a zebra today...175 yards away and facing Dave, it is a hard shot. It appears the bullet may have struck a bit off center and hit the zebra’s facing shoulder. Dave, Bev, Dave Tennent and Jacob [Dave Tennent’s tracker] all track the zebra for four hours, Dave Tennent and Jacob, then track it another two hours...While Dave and Bev wait in the bush, Dave takes the opportunity to carve his and Bev’s name in an African tree.
Dave later finds his scope has slipped in the rings and his rifle is shooting several inches off. He fixes it and has no further trouble.
JUNE 9, 2007
6:30 a.m. Out early, still hoping to catch the wildebeest around the Cheetah Dam. 9:30 a.m. No wildebeest, but lots of other animals and the birds are spectacular. Impalas, one kudu cow and she’s as nervous as can be...go away birds, red and yellow hornbills, pied babblers, starlings, natal francolin and the ever present helmeted guinea fowl, all join in the action. 9:45 a.m. Another kudu cow with two calves, then a young kudu bull, they fool around until after ..Whoa! here’s three new kudu cows and a big kudu bull! Skittish, back into the bush they go...10:33 a.m. They are back, along with the young bull.... .This is a shooter! Matt has to wait for the big bull to clear the cows and young bull..finally, Wham! The big bull jumps ten feet in the air! Jim and I are dumbfounded! He staggers about 50 feet and falls. When we get there, his head is still up, Jim tells Matt “shoot him again” Matt does, then we figure out, the bulls horns are hung in the thorns, the bull is dead. We admire the bull and Jim says “I believe this is the best bull killed this year” He looks big to Matt and me. When M. V. [the property owner] sees the bull, He admires him for twenty minutes, all the time saying “that’s a really big %$@#%$ bull!”
1:30 p.m. We hunt west, going almost all the way to the foothills of the Waterburg Mountains. This is wonderful hunting country, reminds me of my home state of Texas. No cactus though, and brother, that is a positive. The thorns in Africa are an irritation, but they don’t stay in you like that blasted cactus. Back to the Cheetah Dam, the wind’s not too bad and sure enough we start to see game....kudu cows, waterbuck cows, impalas...and a herd of blue wildebeest! It’s late and the wind has shifted again, the wildebeest cows come, but spook before we see a bull. Kipling’s red gods seem to have put a wildebeest hex on us. And a zebra hex. Herman, Henk’s tracker, earlier told Jack, “everybody else hunts zebras, zebras hunt you.” Jack and Pat see zebras everywhere they go. ...No zebras but...right at dark, a one horned kudu bull comes out. We’ve seen one earlier in the hunt and Jim offered him at half price. I declined. Now I think, maybe a kudu rug instead of a zebra rug?...and a lamp from the horn?...At my shot, the one horned bull staggers, but makes it into the bush. Jim.. “good shot, you got him.” By now it’s almost dark, we track a weak blood trail with flashlights for a couple of hundred yards, Matt and I agree, lung blood. We meet up with Jim, decide to go back to the lodge, pick up Herman and Michael and start over. All of a sudden Matt and Jim are on high alert! They can hear rhinos crashing through the bush..one advantage to being old and hard of hearing, you don’t get scared by noise you can’t hear. Have you ever been in the bushveldt on a moonless night? The Southern Cross is beautiful, but it doesn’t provide much light. I loan Herman my surefire, he, Jim and Michael start back in the bush.. in just a few minutes Matt hears Michael barking “treed”...the bull is dead not far away.
Oh! I almost forgot, while traipsing the bush today, I found a big white snail shell...It’s miles to water...Henk later tells me the snails are common in the rainy season... .. Africa!
JUNE 10, 2007
Another beautiful morning in Africa. After a light breakfast, we head east. Jim has mentioned that he has never killed a steenbok and would like to. Matt and I encourage him to “have at it.” Lo and behold, about 8:00, Matt spots a steenbok ram from the bakkie. We get Jim stopped and the great steenbok adventure begins.....Jim has told us that the problem with steenbok and high powered rifles is...you just blow em’ up, they are like shooting a gallon jug of water....he has a plan [Jim has a plan for everything, and I mean that as a compliment] His plan is to shoot the steenbok about midway back and high on the spine. Did you ever see a steenbok at fifty or sixty yards, in the grass and thornbush...they ain’t too terrible big. And, they don’t stand too terrible still. Well, Jimmy and his trusty 30:06 bring the steenbok to bag..and with a fairly small hole about midway back on the spine...we won’t discuss how many shots were involved...Matt serves as the official photographer for the event..and it has been an event....a noisy event... The rest of the morning is busy as usual, Livingston eland, impala, several shooter kudu bulls [but we’re done with shooting kudu] Also, a brown snake eagle and another marabou stork, fun for the birdwatcher of the trio. Back to the lodge for more Anita magic.
2:00 p.m. Back to the “zebra pond.” The usual suspects...Miss Piggy and children are first, then, poppa pig shows up..bad mistake..a 250 gr. Northfork from my Husqvarna proves more than adequate for Mr. Pig. Not even a wiggle. We wait, fifteen Livingston eland come in, a wildebeest cow, impalas, more pigs and two zebras..Zebras? ZEBRAS! Boy Howdy, here we go. Matt is the shooter. With so many animals at the waterhole, it’s really hard to get a clear shot. The zebra get a drink and finally began to clear the other animals. KerWham! Matt’s .325 goes off, the closest stallion staggers and starts that nose down run that we all know means dead zebra.. Jim says, “come on Bear, sometimes the other one will stand around.” We circle around where we think the zebra that Matt shot likely fell, sure enough, Jim sees the other zebra in the bush....I cannot. Now, I pride myself on being able to see game, but, these are the first wild zebras I’ve ever seen, and it’s not like they are standing out in the open...anyway, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. The other zebra departs unharmed. What a day in Africa..Jim’s steenbok, my warthog and Matt’s zebra...most of all, what a time just spending time hunting in Africa with good guys..
JUNE 11, 2007
Today we are off on a gemsbok hunt. Jim knows that we all want gemsbok. While there are quite a few here, he feels that since we are all interested it’s best to go where not only are there lots, but it’s much more open and with luck we can find shooters. Henk, Dave T., Jack, Dave, Herman and I all head southwest to another location. When we get there we find much different country...instead of the thick bushveldt, the country is almost treeless. We meet the landowner and are off. He professes to know exactly where the gemsbok are “hanging out” He does! The shots are longer, but we are experienced at long range shooting [we are from western Oklahoma after all] There are lots of gemsbok! We manage to each kill a bull by noon!! Still, it’s something of a letdown after the hard bushveldt hunting we enjoyed at Landelani. The landowner invites us into his home to see his trophy room. Wow! Lions, elephant, waterbuck, cape buffalo, impala, leopards, warthogs, kudu [including what is said to be the world record kudu] We are told the following story...The landowner’s dad had gone to another ranch in the Waterburg Mountains to look at a tractor for sale. While there, he sees these huge kudu horns in the barn. When he expressed interest in the horns, the ranch owner says he found the kudu dead on his property. The current owner bought the horns and now has them in his trophy room [on another kudu head]
Matt and Jim have spent the day hunting wildebeest at Landelani. No success with the gnu’s.
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Dave and Bev go up and meet M.V., see his home and get acquainted. Later, while at the zebra pond, Dave killed a trophy red hartebeest. 21" horns, Dave Tennent estimates it to be seven or eight years old.
JUNE 12, 2007
Matt and Henk are going to another property to hunt blue wildebeest. This still remains high on Matt’s list of hopefuls.
There are rumors of a big eland bull seen close by. There has been a large herd of Livingston eland on Landelani for many years. Jim has seen just a glimpse of a huge bull three or four times over the last several years, Henk has never seen such a bull. We have seen Livingston eland, cows and bulls, but nothing like what is described in the current rumor. Jim asked if I’m interested in giving him a whirl. Sure, why not? Jim sends out the trackers to search for sign, Jim, Jack and I head out toward the Waterburg Mountains to see what we can see. Cheetah! right by the trail...not thirty yards away, he [or she] stands still as a stone for just a moment, then two bounds and gone in the bush. Another wonderful sight of Africa. We hunt through the bush until midmorning, then back to the lodge for any word on eland spoor..We have to pass by the skinning shed....there are Matt and Henk and a 30" blue wildebeest.......they have a story............
They get to the property about daylight, meet the caretaker and a black tracker. The caretaker says “there are lots of blue wildebeest”...the tracker says “I can find em’.” They park the bakkie and start through the bush. Matt says “we don’t go but half a mile and cut wildebeest sign” Herman is also along, he and the local tracker start working. Shortly, they can see the wildebeest moving along parallel to the hunters. The country is broken and they are able to gradually close the distance. At about 170 yards the wildebeest become alerted and turn and face their followers. Henk says “ shoot the one facing us” Matt says “they’re all facing us” Matt and Henk work out which is the best shooter and Matt shoots him in the center of the chest with his .325..dead wildebeest. Matt observes... “here I am, a U.S. citizen, in Africa, shooting a blue wildebeest, found by a black African, over the shoulder of a Afrikaner PH of French descent, on a ranch owned by a Russian. I guess you could call that a multi-cultural happening. “
Back to the eland...At the skinning shed, Jim has a long conversation with Herman. This conversation is in Afrikaans...with a fair amount of pointing and gesturing. Jim explains to me “They found the eland’s sign, I believe I know about where he’s going, lets try and head him off” We jump in [or in my and Matt’s case, on] the bakkie and off we go. We get to where Jim thinks we need to be and dismount.
We don’t go very far when I see an eland cow about fifty yards ahead, watching us. The jig is up. Maybe not, she doesn’t move and we soon see another cow, then two cows. Then the bull, or at least we think it’s the bull. Then we decide it is the bull...but is it THE BULL? He’s in the bush, moving slowly...Jim says “ I’m ninety eight percent sure that’s the bull...I’m ninety eight percent sure that’s the bull...I’m ninety eight percent sure that’s the bull..that’s him! shoot him!” Great, except all I can see is the outline of the bull in the bush, I don’t have an opening for a .22 caliber bullet, much less a .366 caliber. Finally the bull moves and there is an opening about the size of a basketball. Only about fifty yards, the bull is quartering away, but still a good shot. At my shot, the bull jumps, stumbles about fifteen feet and falls. He’s still trying to get up, Jim get’s there before I do..and with my blessing administers the “coup de grace” I’m sure the bull could not get up, but we are taking no chances! We find my 250 gr. Northfork and Jim’s 165 grain Barnes lodged against the skin on the bull’s opposite shoulder. We are excited, Jim is jumping around like a kid that just won the best box at the junior high box supper. Matt is there along with Henk and Jack, they are grinning like opossums. Jim and Henk agree, it is the oldest bull they have ever seen. Henk asked if he might have his picture made with the bull..it reminds him of a bull he killed many years ago in Zimbabwe. I consider his request a high honor and quickly agree. I don’t know what the bull weighed, but I am a fair judge of cattle...he would outweigh a big Hereford bull. We didn’t measure his horns, they were worn down...but massive.
1:30 p.m. We are out again. Jim has found some old skulls/horns, one from a gemsbok, another from an impala and a third from a red hartebeest, we have mischief on our minds. As we approach the Cheetah Dam we see three warthogs. The one on the far side is a shooter. Matt and I have agreed to shoot another warthog for knife handles. Jim stops the bakkie about 175 yards out, when the sow moves, I have a clear shot at the boar. He is looking at me. The 250 gr. Northfork goes in just under his right eye...more than he can stand...dead pig. We take the gemsbok horns and tie them in the bush where they can just be seen from the blind..A trap for our friends that follow. We agree to go to the “zebra pond” and just relax..this has been quite a day! We don’t know it, but it ain’t near over! Eland are first to come in..nine cows and small bulls, then a grumpy wildebeest cow...we have seen this cow before...she has the personality of an axe murderer. One of the eland cows gets too close, she horns her on the hip...we can see a bloody gash from where we are....somebody needs to teach that wildebeest a lesson...Finally, just before dark everything leaves. There is an old tire on the far side of the pond [this was a cattle ranch many years ago] We have been watching what sort of looks like a warthog about half way in the tire, but not exactly...whatever it is, it never moves. After an hour, our curiosity is killing us. Jim decides to “sneak up on it and see what it is” He gets to within about thirty yards of the tire monster and a real monster appears! Jim doesn’t see the rhino and calf come over the low ridge twenty yards above him...Matt and I don’t know what to do..should we yell? About this time, Jim sees the rhino...he looks like he’s been electrocuted! She is twenty yards away with her calf and he has nowhere to hide. Neither moves...for an eternity...finally, Jim takes one step slowly back, then another and another until he reaches a safe distance. Whew! That could have been really bad. Oh, the tire monster turned out to be just a broken piece of the tire....Africa
JUNE 13, 2007
Another great morning in Africa. Matt and I are about done shooting. If we see a really good waterbuck, Matt will probably shoot him...I might shoot a blue wildebeest and would likely shoot a zebra. Our bag is pretty full and if we don’t shoot again, that’s just fine. Matt’s favorite place is the power line area. These are huge power transmission lines that cross Landelani. They are miles long and maybe 200 yards wide. The area underneath the lines was cleared long ago. Now the area is like a great long plain...and the animals feed and cross in great numbers. All kinds of animals. We park the bakkie on a rise and start to glass...it is amazing, you don’t see anything at first, then as you glass you find animals...an impala here, three warthogs there, another red hartebeest...a huge kudu bull..Jim thinks he might go 60"...he crosses and disappears into the bush. 10:00 a.m. The Double Pond...the weather is warm, almost hot, and game is on the move..there are probably seventy five animals at or around the water. Kudu, impala, waterbuck, nyala, warthogs...it is a spectacle. Wildebeest! the herd appears from the south, spooky, spooky, spooky...one good bull in the herd. An impala jumps a hundred yards away..you would think three leopards had jumped out of the bush...every animal breaks and runs at the speed of light! Ten minutes later most are back. The wildebeest crowd the water [along with a bunch of other critters.] I can see the bull, but am afraid to shoot for fear of shooting through him and killing something behind him..a bird flies over...they think it is a pterodactyl! and it is going to eat everyone!..In three seconds not an animal is visible. Jim calls it the pigeon mentality..i.e., when one flies, they all fly. So much for my blue wildebeest. Earlier in the week, Jim has said that he would like to kill a warthog for a friend. Here comes a pretty good shooter pig. Matt and I encourage Jim to bust him..pig wades out in the slimy green mud and water about ten feet. Boom! Jimmy’s 30:06 goes off...dead pig...ten feet out in the muddy, green, slimy Double Pond. I can’t help but observe to our intrepid PH.. “ I woulda waited till he was on dry land.” We go to get the pig, Jim takes off his boots, wades out and starts digging in the slimy green mud.. “looking for my bullet” says our PH. He doesn’t find it. [doesn’t find a moon rock either] He does however, retrieve his wet and muddy dead pig. And with a Cheshire grin “Team Hackiewicz, four shots, four pigs, no wiggles” Back to the skinning shed and on to the lodge for more Anita magic.
2:30 p.m. We are back at the Double Pond. Busy...red hartebeest, kudu, impala, waterbuck, more pigs...4:45 p.m. Waterbuck and a good one...maybe not quite as long as the one I killed earlier, but he is a trophy..he has that “I’m the Boss” look about him. Jim and I instantly tell Matt.. “you gotta shoot that waterbuck” Matt takes my Husqvarna 9.3X62 and drills him straight through the shoulders...his seventh animal and seventh one shot kill. It’s special too for another reason..The Husqvarna belonged to my Dad, I rebarreled it for Africa..Three generations of Richardson’s have now killed game with this rifle. It is a fitting end to our shooting in Africa!
Dave and Dave Tennent travel to Zinyathi, another property. Dave is still interested in shooting a zebra and a blue wildebeest. Sure enough, they return with both....a really big zebra and a good shooter blue wildebeest.
JUNE 14, 2007
Our last hunting day in Africa. We don’t plan to shoot anything else. We are just going to enjoy being in Africa with good friends..We do. We see giraffes, kudu, sable, tesebe, impala, blesbok, waterbuck and I can’t remember what else. Jack and Pat report an encounter with a big herd of cape buffalo. Pat describes the herd bull as “malevolent”
JUNE 15, 2007
Our last morning at Landelani. Anita prepared a great go away breakfast. We stop on the way to Joburg for some gifts, then on to the airport.
I’m tired. I’m ready to see Freeda.
WHAT WE KILLED
Matt killed : Kudu 55", Waterbuck, Blue Wildebeest 30", Zebra, Impala, Warthog, Gemsbok
John killed : [2] Kudu 52.5", Kudu [one horn], Waterbuck 29.5",Gemsbok, Impala, [2] Warthog, Livingston Eland
Jack killed : Kudu 54", Nyala, Gemsbok, Impala, [2] Warthog, Red Hartebeest, Zebra
Dave killed : Kudu 54", Blue Wildebeest, Zebra, Impala, Gemsbok, Red Hartebeest
Jim killed: Brown Hyena, Civit, Steenbuck, Warthog
*Jim certainly had our blessing to bag these trophies while we were hunting.
EQUIPMENT AND RESULTS
Matt used a Winchester model 70 .325 WSM with a Zeiss Conquest 3X9 and a #4 reticle. He shot 200 grain Nosler Partition bullets @ 2800 fps. He killed every animal with one shot. His impala, warthog, gemsbok and blue wildebeast dropped in their tracks, The zebra ran nose down maybe fifty yards, the kudu stumbled about twenty yards. The Nosler bullets performed exactly like I’ve seen em’ perform for more than forty years...the front third of the bullet breaks up, while the rear two thirds penetrates a long way. The only Nosler bullet that I recovered mic’d .503 expanded diameter.
Matt and I both used Minox 6.5X32 IF binoculars. They are superb! For the hunter in the bushveldt they are perfect! Matt and I both wore Russell boots with the turtleskin liner. They worked fine. We were somewhat over prepared for Africa’s thorns...the thorns are no worse and probably not as bad as the thorns/cactus in southwest Texas. While snakes were not a consideration in the African winter, they certainly are in south Texas hunting. Our clothing was mostly Cabela’s..we liked it and it worked as advertised. .
I used a Husqvarna Imperial 9.3X62 and 250 grain Northfork bullets @ about 2600 fps. This rifle belonged to my Dad [Matt’s grandad] and has great sentimental value to both of us. It was a .270 Winchester, I rebarreled it for Africa to a 9.3X62. This caliber just seemed appropriate given it’s history in Africa. And, I thought it would be effective. I also talked to Jim and he spoke highly of the caliber for where we would be hunting. I intended to restock it from the original stock, but time constraints, a banged up hand [and some rethinking] caused me to use the original stock. I’m glad I did. I put a Zeiss Conquest 3X9 with a #4 reticle on the rifle. The combination worked great. The Shilen barrel is a #3 contour. When I first finished the rifle, it was a little bit muzzle light...I added a pencil recoil reducer [8 oz.] in the forend just ahead of the recoil lug. This made the rifle just a smidgen muzzle heavy [what I shoot best] and also tamed the muzzle jump. Matt and I both were absolutely delighted with our Zeiss scopes.
I killed eight animals with the Husqvarna, all one shot kills....Jim administered the “coup de grace” while the eland was on the ground struggling. Jim and I had discussed this and agreed we would take no chances. If the eland was still breathing, whoever got there first would administer the “coup de grace” and I appreciated Jim’s efforts. The 250 grain Northforks worked precisely as advertised. I recovered bullets from the gemsbok, eland and one warthog. The bullets from the gemsbok and eland [both found under the skin on the opposite shoulder] looked like advertisements, [the expanded bullets mic’d .624 and .712 in diameter] the bullet from the warthog is a little be more oddly deformed...I’m sure all retained 95% or more of the original bullet weight. The exit wounds on my kudu, waterbuck, Matt’s waterbuck and one of the warthogs appeared to be about big as the end of your thumb. There were weak blood trails, [bearing in mind, only one animal went more than a hundred yards....my one horned kudu went maybe 300 yards, I shot him a bit far back, he was dead when Jim found him].
Jack shot a Winchester model 70 .300 WSM, a 3X9 Zeiss Conquest scope with a #4 reticle. He used 200 grain Nosler Partition bullets. Jack used Nikon 10X42 Nikon Monarch binoculars, while Pat used 8X32 Burris binoculars. Jack wore Doc Martin boots.
Dave used his Winchester model 70 Super Grade .338 Winchester magnum. I believe he used 225 grain Fusion ammunition.
Kathi Klimes @ Wild Travel was our travel agent. She and her husband are experienced African hunters and travelers. She was a great help in planning our flights and offering advice on air travel. I recommend her and will use her again.
Jim Hackiewicz aka JJHACK [Hunting Adventures.net] was our outfitter. He also served as the Professional Hunter for Matt and me. Not enough good things can be said about Jim and his staff. They simply provided us with the hunt of a lifetime. They anticipated every possible problem [I know, because there were no problems] and planned for every possible scenario. Most importantly, they are fun to hunt with and be around! If I ever get to go back to Africa, it will be with Jim. We planned this trip for more than a year and Jim was a big part of that planning. When I started looking into an African hunting trip, I looked at many possibilities...and talked to lots of folks, and lots of references...not one of the hunters that had hunted with Jim had anything but high praise.
ANIMALS SEEN AND KILLED AT LANDELANI
CAPE BUFFALO
WHITE RHINO
BARRED MONGOOSE
SLENDER MONGOOSE
CHEETAH
GREATER KUDU *****
IMPALA ****
WATERBUCK **
GEMSBOK ****
ZEBRA ***
BUSH BABY
BABOON
VERVET MONKEY
AARDVARK
STEENBOK *
DUIKER
CAPE HARE
GROUND SQUIRREL
RED HARTEBEEST **
BLUE WILDEBEEST **
WARTHOG *******
BLACK BACKED JACKAL *
TESEBE
NYALA *
GIRAFFE
BROWN HYENA *
CIVIT *
LEOPARD TERRAPIN
SABLE
BLESBOK
LIVINGSTON ELAND *
BLACK ANTS
* DENOTES KILLED AND NUMBER
BIRDS
GREY HERON
MARABOU STORK
HADEDA IBIS
THREE BANDED PLOVER
BLACKSMITH PLOVER
SWAINSON’S FRANCOLIN
SHELLEY’S FRANCOLIN
NATAL FRANCOLIN
HELMETED GUINEAFOWL
OSTRICH
WHITE-BACKED VULTURE
BLACK HEADED SNAKE EAGLE
BROWN SNAKE EAGLE
AFRICAN FISH EAGLE
BURCHELL’S SAND GROUSE
RED EYED DOVE
LAUGHING DOVE
RING NECKED DOVE
EMERALD-SPOTTED WOOD DOVE
NAMAQUA DOVE
MEYERS PARROTT
GREY LOURIE
PEARL SPOTTED OWL
VERREAUX’S EAGLE OWL
LILAC BREASTED ROLLER
AFRICAN HOOPOE
YELLOW BILLED HORNBILL
RED-BILLED HORNBILL
AFRICAN GREY HORNBILL
CARDINAL WOODPECKER
FORK-TAILED DRONGO
CAPE CROW
BLACK HEADED ORIOLE
ARROW-MARKED BABBLER
SOUTHERN PIED BABBLER
WHITE-BROWED SCRUB ROBIN
TAWNY FLANKED PRINIA
CHIN SPOT BATIS
MAGPIE SHRIKE
BURCHELL’S GLOSSY STARLING
GREATER BLUE EARED STARLING
CAPE GLOSSY STARLING
RED BILLED OXPECKER
RED BILLED BUFFALO WEAVER
BLUE WAXBILL
