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I just read a recent post from L. David Keith in which he tells a good story about a huge spider of some sort. I am trying to plan a trip to RSA with my hunting buddy so I just have to ask: Are spiders like that quite common? And since I've brought it up what about snakes, scorpions, etc,etc? We're looking at a possible month of May timeframe. Tell me everything, don't leave anything out. I guess you know how I feel about "little critters". | ||
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I did see a rather large spider in my room in RSA (about the size of a 50 cent piece). It was VERY fast and very flat and could easily get under some paneling in the room. I found that a large rubber band was fast enough to dispatch it. It didn't do me any harm, however. I also saw one puff adder in RSA. If you watch where you step and don't stick you hand in holes, you should be OK. Also, don't walk around at night without a light. Puff adders are lazy and will lay on or by a path waiting for an unsuspecting rodent. If you step on one, it will be a bit upset. | |||
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While doing the 2 or 3 hour drive to switch camps during my Zim. elephant hunt in '04 there was a brown rather plain looking spider about the size of a quarter above my head near the sun visor of the Cruiser for most of the morning. I didn't think anything of it. My PH, who lives for dangerous game hunting, has been tackled by a wounded leopard, stopped many charges, etc., etc. absolutely freaked out when he noticed it above his head. We were going 50mph at the time. He locked up the brakes and jumped out as the truck as it was sliding to a stop. He grabbed a big stick and went after the thing with a vengeance. I don’t recall what type it was but he said they were bad news. After that I was a little more careful about what was around me. It also cracked me up to hear about those fuzzy caterpillars causing rashes. They look like something kids would play with but I guess you don't want them crawling on your skin or even your clothes. Kyler | |||
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Hi Al, I was in Zimbabwe when we ran into the multitude of Spiders. We were in the back of the land cruiser and while driving along a primitive road in the bush, we encountered their webs strung across the path. I've seen Baboon spiders and a few others in RSA during July. It's cold outside and they want in. Take you a can of quality bug spray. That's about all you can do. Not many places in Africa are airtight, even the new lodges I've been in. For the most part there are none to be seen (spiders). David Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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Anyone seen the "Kalahari Ferraris" or V8's as some call them in Zim? My PH was telling me about them and said they are dormant until the rainy season. He says they are the fastest things he has seen and can run up your body and back down before you can yell. The true name is solifugid and they are a type of false spider. Other common names are wind scorpion or camel spider (Gulf war soldiers are familiar with them). _______________________________  | |||
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Snakes and bugs in Africa? No...       I'd go back tomorrow if I could, notwithstanding the occasional creepy-crawly. Caveat: These are not from RSA. ------------------------------- Some Pictures from Namibia Some Pictures from Zimbabwe An Elephant Story | |||
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Charles, you're up late too I see? One thing I never get used to is turning off the light and hearing all of the crawling through the thatch roof and up and down the walls. I don't want to know what it all is. One time a mouse ate a tube of antibiotic creme that was next to my pillow...while my head was on it. _______________________________ | |||
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Just walked the dogs so it is about time for light's out. Padenga took care of the rustling for me! ------------------------------- Some Pictures from Namibia Some Pictures from Zimbabwe An Elephant Story | |||
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May should really be OK, but you still have to watch yourself. Scorpions like to lie up in dead wood. NEVER handle wood on the fire with your bare hands - kick the log deeper into the fire, or use a shovel. Watch warm spots (bedclothes, boots etc) for scorpions. RSA has some of the most poisonous spiders you could wish to meet. By far the most of them are quite harmless, but you may want to research the Sack Spider and the 6-eyed Crab Spider. By all means, bring some bugspray (or buy some here - your outfitter should have plenty), and just nuke anything with more than 4 legs on sight. I got bitten last year buy a Sack Spider, and all I can say, is it was NASTY! On the subject of snakes - follow your PH's lead / advice, and keep an eye on the tracker. When his mainspring springs, you want to avoid that spot at all costs. I re-iterate - May SHOULD be OK. Don't forget to check yourself regularly for ticks. If you feel something walking around on you, it probably is. Investigate immediately, even if you have to strip down. Having said all that stuff, don't let it put you off an experience of a lifetime - just enjoy responsibly, as the beer ad says  | |||
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I saw a huge spider in our room in June in South Africa. I described it to the PH and he sid it was harmless. Also saw snakes, in spite of the cold. | |||
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I have to change nation or period, Two times in Namibia, in two different years, in the period between June and July and I did not see any snake, any spyder, any caterpillar, any skorpion .... no flies, no mosquitos ... to be honest I saw skorpions this year, but tey were already become keyrings. bye Stefano Waidmannsheil | |||
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we've seen a lots of different bugs and a handful of snakes, but i think the neatest was one nite hunt when we ran into a blind snake in RSA. kinda looked like a big pink worm. | |||
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Howdy. One night I layed in bed with a few candles lit and listened to some music on a portable CD player. I looked at the cieling above my head and noticed I was being watched. With the dim light it took a little while to make out who he was. It was a large bat looking directly at me hanging off the thatch above me. | |||
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When the generator shuts off, listen to what happens next in your room...it won't take long. _______________________________ | |||
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Biggest spider I ever saw was in The Gambia. It was in a palm tree and must have measured about 6 inches from the tips of the outstretched legs. A whopper. Not some tarantula mind you but a sci fi spider. _________________________________ AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim. | |||
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