I am finally writing from the comfort of my own home… AND, I have a special assistant helping me out today. Nonna (our tame Kudu cow), is right outside the window, peeking in to see if I’ll give her a treat.
Since our last newsletter, we have had a great time.
Darryl ended up getting some beautiful trophies at our place, of which the Golden Gemsbuck and a Tsessebe were definite highlights. The Tsessebe is known for being the fastest of all African antelopes, with a top speed of 90 km/h (55 miles/h), and this one was no easy task to get. Many people think that because we have high-fenced ranches in South Africa, hunting will be easy and not a “fair chase”. But, once you’ve gone out after one animal for three full days of hard hunting, I’m pretty sure you will know that this statement is not true.
The next group consisted of two couples. We started out by going to Kruger National Park for three days, where we got to see a wide variety of beautiful animals. One of the highlights was getting an up-close-and-personal encounter with the endangered Southern Ground Hornbills, a species of birds solely found within Africa. They are about the size of a turkey and the largest species of hornbill on earth. A few of the male birds surrounded our vehicle and even followed us for a while. It was quite entertaining.
From there it was off to our lodge for some hunting. Both men took down some great trophies, but the true excitement came when both ladies, hunted for the first time ever! We know and understand that hunting is not for everyone, but we do enjoy it when someone comes here and decides that it is time to pull the trigger. And, when that first animal happens to be the infamous “Black Death”, well let’s just say we LOVE it! Jolene decided to go BIG or go home, so she took down a Cape Buffalo on her first hunt ever. She left with a great trophy and a “war scar” after getting scoped in the process, but she took it like a champion!
Then, we were joined by the Yearsley brothers. They hunted for a few days before I went to pick up their wives from the airport. The ladies decided to start their trip in Pilanesberg National Park. This is one of the smaller national parks in South Africa but still has a lot to offer of which a hot air balloon flight over a part of the park is a definite MUST. From there, they joined the guys at our lodge for a few days. Both brothers had a very successful hunt, completing their lists and adding on a little “extra”. They ended their South African vacation with three days in Kruger National Park, where they were lucky enough to see all of the Big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant, and Rhino).
Our next clients are already here and I can’t wait to tell you what they get up to!
Until next time – happy hunting!