Wow what an experience! now I know what you guys been talking about. I hunted with "Ntshonalanga Safaris" and what a great outfit to hunt with! I'm going back next Summer, I need to close the deal on a nice Gemsbok. Alaska's my back yard playground, but I'm sold on this Africa thing....Chuck Kahahawai hotobucket.com/albums/nn105/AKsheephunter/Impala.jpg[/IMG]

You cannot go wrong when you hunt with Peter Harris!

We have hunted with him twice, and would gladly do so again.

Peter is a real gentleman, and will taylor your hunt the way you wish it to be.

I'd thought I'd post pics of the different lodges I stayed at, some of you guys might recognize them. A great 5-day hunt taking 8 trophies. Chased some nice Gemsbok the first two days at a couple concessions in the Limpopo province, But they are elusive! now I got that monkey on my back and gotta go back to get one. The red hartebeest was my favorite, I think he was a rare find, and an exceptional one to say the least. I tell you my safari outfitter put me on some nice stuff...I can't wait to get back...CK

Congratulations on your hunt. Sorry that you've now developed the same addiction as the majority of us. It's really uncurable, but it is treatable by repeated trips back to Africa. . . .

Nice pics! Your rifle looks like a Steyr Pro Hunter. What caliber did you use?

Looks like a great hunt AKsheephunter....I still have a year until my first trip and can't wait.
Congratulations.

Nitehawk, yes it's a Steyr prohunter stainless, topped with a Kahles 3x12x56 in a .300 Win mag. I used Federal premiums, 165 grain Barnes TSX, I'm sold on these bullets!!! The zebra was probaly the heaviest boned animal taken, and one shot on the right shoulder dropped it in its tracks at I would say under 200 yards. The bullets used I would say was perfect for all plainsgame, very flat shooting. Of course hunting the springbok shots up to 500 yards are not uncommon. Most of my other shots were betwwen 250-325 yards. It was fun, to say the least....CK

AK, I can see why you are smiling so much... Congrats and a super safari...Good shooting...


Mike

Ah Chuck ... now you've gone and done it ... looks for all the world like you had a wonderful time! Now your headed for PSD (post safari depression) and that's only curable by planning the next one.

Darned sure got me. Went to Limpopo, RSA, in 2004. Then to Tanzania in 2006. Planning to go back to RSA in 2009. I begin to understand what a drug addict feels like ;>

Congrats! Great lookin' trophies.

I'm already planned for Summer 2009, 10 day hunt with my son, he wants a kudu bull, and me a gemsbok. We also would like to night hunt for some bushbucks....yeah PSD has set in but I'll be huntin' soon enough...Griz,caribou,dall sheep, and late season Mountain goat on Kodiak...CK

AK:

I'm sure you felt as I did on my first hunt that the size or score of the trophies was not your first priority. So, if you were not aware of it, both your red hartebeast and your black wildebeast are outstanding individuals. Congratulations! A kudu and an oryx (gemsbok) are both a must, so if there is anyone in your family who needs a justification for your next trip, tell them that failing to collect these two species is NOT an option.

Great pics of the Sitka gear. Looks like it worked well in SA.

Thanks Stonecreek, yeah your right, Iwas not looking for high scoring/size trophies. I just wanted something nice, of course I wsn't sure what I was auging against since it was my first to Africa after all. I guess a little bit of luck always helps (right place right time. My PH was always looking out for me and he just didn't want me to take just anything, he wanted look over animals over, and then he would give me the word whether to take them or not. I could see he was just as happy as I was. I'll post more pics of the Red Hartebeest at different angles.

Is there area that you hunted close to Jo'burg? It looks very familiar. . .

Hmmm...not sure, I believe it was further south about 2 hours from Pretoria, in the Mpumalanga Province (Rhino Lodge), However, where I got the zebra and Impala was in the Limpopo province up north, where the brush and trees were thick, also 2.5 hours from Pretoria....CK

The picture above with me and the crew w/ red Hartebeest, My skinner is the one with the Michigan state t-shirt, we kept him busy for the 5 days, the other guy was a tracker, but let me tell you about him...he had eyes as good as my 10x42 binos, and man can he find game!!! that guy had a gift. And of course my PH the Biggest guy in the picture. I learned alot from all of those guys, a whole different type of hunt from the way we do it here.

Congrats on a great trip! Thanks for help us still here by posting those fine photos.

JPK

Congratulations on an excellent first safari.

The bug has bitten. You're doomed to a lifetime of licenses, immunizations, incredible sunsets, lions coughing in the African night, the smiling faces of the trackers when you score, and many great adventures. When are you planning your first buffalo hunt?

Congratulations on your first hunt. Some very nice animals.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
You cannot go wrong when you hunt with Peter Harris!

We have hunted with him twice, and would gladly do so again.

Peter is a real gentleman, and will tailor your hunt the way you wish it to be.

I have hunted with him twice as well. Fantastic hunts Great service and good animals. And a fantastic sense of humour. Top bloke.

Saeed,

Do you know if Deon Van Niekirk is still hunting with Peter?

quote:

Originally posted by Blair338/378:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
You cannot go wrong when you hunt with Peter Harris!

We have hunted with him twice, and would gladly do so again.

Peter is a real gentleman, and will tailor your hunt the way you wish it to be.

I have hunted with him twice as well. Fantastic hunts Great service and good animals. And a fantastic sense of humour. Top bloke.

Saeed,

Do you know if Deon Van Niekirk is still hunting with Peter?

Last time I hunted with them was 2002, and Deon was Peter's partner then.

Congratulations on a great hunt! Thanks for sharing!

jetdrvr, planning my first buff hunt in three years...gotta finish the small stuff before I start hitting the big five...However I did see some nice buffs at one of the concessions I hunted. I'm not sure if he's a nice bull, I just didn't want to just piss him off with my .300....check out the pic below...CK

quote:

Originally posted by AKsheephunter:
The picture above with me and the crew w/ red Hartebeest, My skinner is the one with the Michigan state t-shirt, we kept him busy for the 5 days, the other guy was a tracker

Somebody clue me in: The tracker is wearing an outfit that appears to be matching blue pants and shirt/coat of the same material. This outfit appears to be almost identical to that worn by virtually all of the farm workers -- who doubled as trackers and skinners -- on the farm we hunted in Namibia. Are these just popular clothes, or is there some other reason they seem to be so ubiquitous?

By the way, I'm told that this bright blue is among the most visible colors to otherwise colorblind ungulates.

AK,

How'd you get those trophies with no bullet holes in the hides? Your taxidermist is going to love you.

Oh theres bullet holes in them, most of the time the crew cleaned them up with bottled water, some of them we took pictures of the opposite side of entry. The hartebeest was hit front left shoulder so it was hard to see.The zebra front right shoulder...However,I did make two poor shots, The Blesbok was in a full run,and I shot him towards the back, The black wildebeest, was a long shot and I couldn't hold steady...and I shot him in the tail, but he was easy to follow, of course with the blacks they have white tails...well he was the only one with red. He would merge with the herd but we stayed on him, and after over an hour we finally got him down. My skinner only recovered three bullets that he gave me, the rest were complete passes, I was shooting 165 grain Barnes TSX's, I'm sold on these bullets. The zebra was probaly the largest and biggest boned animal, one shot, dropped it in it's tracks....CK