Hello reloading friends. A few of us are considering booking a hunt with Bowkers Safari in the eastern cape of South Africa. I’d like to hear about your experiences with Meyrick. Appreciate your feedback. Thank you.

I have not hunted with Bowkers Safaris. However, I have met them at a sportsman convention and visited with them. I still have their flyer in my African folder in my book case. I am sure that pricing has changed from what I have in the flyer.

They like others appear to offer a good experience. If memory holds, it was spot and stalk, and they work with you depending on your ability to get around.

They have package hunts for hunters offering both 1X1 or 2X1 for clients.

And also offer build your own hunt, you provide a list of animals you would like to hunt and they will do their best to get you a chance at them.

I am sure that they will provide you and your friends a great time.

I have not hunted with Bowkers either but I want to offer some comments on hunting some parts of the Eastern Cape.

- You can see and hunt in some amazing, beautiful, historical country.

- Some outfitters there do not own their own land and the hunting areas may be spread out over many miles. It's big country. If you book with the wrong outfitter you can spend a lot if time driving up and down the highways, going to relatively small hunting pastures. That happened to me with Two Water Safari a few years ago where some days I would spend 4 hours on the highway coming and going to hunting places. ( I was a "greenhorn" and didn't ask enough questions before I booked.)

- Some outfitters in the Eastern Cape book several hunting parties in their camp at one time and it can be a bad thing. Ask about that ahead of time.

- In some areas there are rocks and rocks and more rocks. Tough walking.

These are things that can be good to know about, ahead of time and maybe you already do.
Other than that it is an awesome country.

Things you can do before or after the hunt.
-Battlefield tours. Roarks Drift, Isandwana, Zion Kop, Blood River. (Please pardon my spelling!)
-Parks. Addo Elephant Park, Mountain Zebra park, Double Drift and Great Fish River and Nottingham Farm.
-Take a tour up the Sani Pass into the kingdom of Losotho.
-Stay for a few days at The Haven on The Wild Coast.
-Graaf Reinet is a cool little town. It's where the movie Red Dust was done.

Have a great time. Brian

I'd be happy to tell you about my experience if you want to PM me.

I know the Bowkers quite well having hunted with them and gotten to know the family. They offer an excellent east cape hunting experience. The Bowkers have been on their farm since the 1840s. The bowker family was one ofthe earliest settlers to colonize the area. The family patriarch Frank was instrumental in the preservation of the bontebok to the point of huntable populations today. I think you will enjoy your experience with them. Several others from my area have all had good hunts with this family and we remain very good friends. Sincerely. Luke

I grew up with Meyrick and we have hunted on each others ranches.
A first-rate PH with an excellent set-up. His father Frank was the Eastern Cape's very first PH licensed over forty years ago, I believe, and they have been in the business the entire time.

It sounds like a great operation! Brian

I have hunted with the Bowker's twice and Meyrick was my PH both hunts. The Bowker's are good people and I've enjoyed my time with them both in the field and off. One of my clients was with me on his first African hunt and he took the #1 Black Wildebeest, #12 Blue Wildebeest and a host of top 40 animals and had no idea what he'd taken as he wasn't looking for record book trophies. Meyrick's brother Denham was his PH. Denham has since retired from hunting. I've taken some excellent plains game with Meyrick including my first Bontebok, but I've never entered any of them in a record book. Meyrick is very entertaining, knowledgeable and sharp on finding places that offer good hunting. They host you at the family farm and the staff was always excellent. The Bowker's only accept small parties so you won't be in camp with a large group of hunters you've never met. The most I was in camp with is 5; my 3 and a husband/wife. I'm happy to discuss any details should you like to give me a call. I have a great many photo's I can share. I would recommend hunting with Meyrick, you'll have a great time. LDK

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
I'd be happy to tell you about my experience if you want to PM me.

Why a PM?

Post here, good or bad.

Isn’t that the whole idea of trying to help your fellow hunters?

Since I've put it out on the Forum. I guess I should post about my experience with the Bowkers as Saeed requested. First off let me say my stay with them wasn't bad it just wasn't anything special. I had a chance to represent the Bowkers but decided against it as I knew I probably wouldn't be much help to them. There are many many operators in RSA offering almost exactly the same thing and from my observation the Bowkers offer just that. RSA is a hard sell for me so I'll stick with the few operators I've found offering a somewhat unique experience.

The Bowker property is steeped in colonial history and the collection of Cape kudu horns in the skinning shed is amazing.

I'm sure the OP and his friends will have a ball.

Mark

I hunted with them twice. Dunham was my PH and
Meyrick was my friends PH. We both had great hunts and would highly recommend them. Hope this reply isn’t too late to help.