I had trip to S. Africa most people would like to forget. I could only laugh after awhile. I had this trip planned for about a year. It was combination of visiting old friends, observe so dogs at a field trial and do a little hunting.
My wife drove me to Kansas City, where I would board American Airlines with connections with Iberia Airlines to Joburg. Thirty minutes before boarding my flight was cancelled because of mechanical failures. I was now in bind, I contacted the fight attendant on duty. I told her I had a connection in Dallas to make. She says sorry, nothing I can do, she then gave me a phone number to call. I called that number after being on the phone for an hour they found me a new route to Madrid, where I would connect with Iberia to Joburg. I told her about my luggage and I have rifle case. She said that would not be a problem. They would take my luggage and have it rerouted with me. Well eventually I made it to Madrid where I found I now had 18 hour layover. I reached Joburg to find out I had no luggage and they had no idea where it was. I was next to fly to Bloemfontein. I was assured they would find my luggage by the next day and I would have it. I got on the SAA flight to Bloemfontein. One half hour into a 1 hour flight, we developed mechanical problems. We turned back to Joburg, with fire trucks waiting. We were informed we would be on special flight to Bloemfontien in 2 2/1 hours. We go to get on that plane and it had mechanical problems. SAA said they would put us for the night. I called my friend waiting in Bloemfontein, I would not be coming in till the next day. There was one last flight on that night and it was full. One of the SAA employees came up to me and asked if I still wanted to go that night, because they had a cancellation, I could get on. Well, I jumped on it and I called my friend and left a message I would be there that night. I got to Bloemfontein only to discovered he was not there and the airport was closed down for the night. I borrowed a cell phone made a couple frantic phone calls. Another friend picked me up and got me a room for the night. I went down the next day to a town called Vanderkloof in the Northern Cape. I borrowed some clothes and rifle and went out hunting for Waterbuck, that had come into the area. They said it was good one and the game farm it had escaped from was several miles away and they were never able to recapture it. So, my PH friend said lets have a go at it. We were unable to find it. Because, I had to go to German Shorthair field trial in three days, I had to leave to return to later. I was a guest judge there and was to evaluate how their dogs compared to ours. Out of the 40 plus dogs I saw there just a few that would do well in the U.S. Wild bird were everywhere. I have not seen that kind of number unless I was hunting opening day of pheasant season in S. Dakota.

After the trial I then spent four days trying to get a Bushpig. Andrew Mclaren of Mclaren safaris, was there to help as PH. Things did not go well, the first two days with no bushpigs showing up. We then went to another location and the first night a bushpig came in but was unable to get a shot because of comedy of errors. The second night, a bushpig came in and I was about to pull the trigger. They came to pick me up at the blind by vehicle. They were 15 minutes early, pig was gone in a flash when it heard the vehicle. I had to head back to Bloemfontein where I was to meet up with another PH friend to continue my hunt for Waterbuck. When, got to place were I was to meet my friend his vehicle had broken down. While I waited, his Spannish clients showed up. We finally headed for Vanderkloof. We got news the road we were to travel on was blocked by police because there was a shoot out going on between 17 bank robbers and the police. Helicopters were involved. A local farmer was killed and 7 officers were wounded. They did manage to capture four of the robbers and five vehicles. The robbers did not manage get any money. The vehicle I was riding in, engine blew up when we go half way there. After a normal 2 hour drive took 9 hours. My luggage finally had arrived after 10 days. We then spent the next four days trying to find this Waterbuck. On the third morning we say the waterbuck briefly running through the bush. No chance of shot. The following day we staked out a waterhole where we hoped he was going. No, luck, we then got information that he had been seen the previous day in another area. We went to that area to plan for the next days hunt. As we were walking through the Bush at about 150 meters away we spotted the waterbuck looking at us. I had only a straight on shot through the bush and no shooting sticks. Because this waterbuck was so spooky, I decided to take the shot off hand. One shot at the V of the neck and he was down. What they thought was a 30 inch water buck was 27 inches. I did not care, I was elated because of what it took to get this waterbuck and the shot I had to make through thick bush. And five other hunters had already tried.

I wanted to kill a good warthog to a have life size mount. I turned my attention to that. So, the next few days we concentrated on Warthog. We saw several warthogs in the area but none met what I wanted. On the third day we saw a three male warthogs in a wheat field next to where we were hunting. We did not have permisson from that landowner so all we could od was watch. After watching them for a while we figured where they were coming out of the bush on the property we had permission to hunt. The next day we set up near this cattle fence. So next evening, after sitting for several hours the biggest warthog of the three came out with sow. I could not get a shot before it got to the wheat field. We were trying to figure out how to get the warthog to come back on the property we were on. We decided whistling might not spook it too much and it would go back through the fence in the same place. Well it worked. It came back through, as soon as it came from up under the fence, I shot, breaking its neck. The shot was a difficult one. I was sitting down and I did have shooting sticks. The brush was the only problem and it was 100 meter shot. When we got to the warthog. We could not believe the body size. We had to call for help to load it. It had 13 inch tusks, which is what I was striving for. But, when we decided to weigh it, came the real suprise. It weighed in at (112 kg) 246.5 lbs. In that area no one had seen a warthog that big. We had a female gemsbok (36 inch horns) hanging next to it and it weighed 110 kg. Nobody in that area or the four PH's came to see it, had never seen one that big.

I got a call that the bushpigs were coming in again up north. I headed back up the next day. The following night we set up with a full moon. After about two hours sitting in the blind it started turning dark. A full lunar eclipse occurred then the clouds moved in. Well that took care of that. The next a full moon and clear. From out of no where the wind started blowing and it got so cold, I thought my toes were going to freeze. Nothing moving at all, we usually see duiker, ect. moving into the Maize (corn) fields. Well that ended my pleasure/hunting trip. The story is not over.
When flying back to the states, we coming into Miami during the tropical storm. We made three attempts at landing. Finally we landed on the third try. It was the roughest landing have ever been in. The flight attendants turned white when came in. We hit saw hard, the plane bounced so badly, people would have been thrown all over the cabin if they not been seat belted in. A rollar coaster ride was a piece of cake, compared to that landing. I can assure you trouble does not come in three's. Three planes with mechanical problems, lost luggage, four vehicles breaking down, a lunar eclipse and landing to end all landings. This all one trip.

I want to thank Andrew Mclaren of Mclaren safaris for doing his best to get me a bushpig. Mynhard Herholdt, of MH Safaris for getting my waterbuck and huge Warthog. I have hunted with both these outfits before and will again.

This was a trip you would want to forget or one you will never forget.

That was quite an experience! At least you have a great story to tell and some nice trophies to remember with.

Brooks, it has enough twists in the story to make a good novel
Good on you for keeping your chin up in the face of adversity.
Question on the pointers, are any of them being used to hunt with Falcons?
Thanks
Ian

Only on the internet is evey hunt expected to go just perfect, most hunts have a couple of setbacks from time to time, however in your case you may be close to a record...but you certainly handled it well, probably because you didn't go with unreasonable expectations, and have the presence of mind to handle lifes little setbacks in general.

My worst was spending 36 hours or so in an empty camp with no guide in a country where you could not hunt without a guide, and I had no real clue where I was or rather how to get out...but I finally just hunted on my own until the guide returned with his leg in a cast..I shot my animal and had it packed and quartered..He was happy and I was more than pleased..it worked out great in the end because I didn't allow it to ruin my hunt, maybe next time I will end up in jail in a foriegn country, now that sounds like good clean fun and something to write a book about...

Ian

Yes, several GSP's are used with Falcons. I met one indvidual who uses Pergrine Falcons, plus he uses a captive bred Gyrfalcon (sp?.

That's a great story Brooks. I'm sure it was a fiasco you'd as soon forget but looking back on it I think it will become one of your favorites. Outstanding trophies each and every one, congrats! Be sure to post some pics. Did you get to hunt any birds with Andrew? His area is one of the best.
Good hunting,
David

Brooks, that was a classic Trip From Hell. I had a few of those, where everything begins badly and goes downhill from there. I hate it when that happens, but if you travel often enough, it will.