Returned from my second trip to South Africa, had an incredible time with Hunt the Sun Safaris. Here is the report:

Dates 5/8/12 to 5/23/12
Areas hunted: Northern Cape proximal to Kimberley, Eastern Cape from Grahamstown, to Hankey.

Species most desired: bushbuck, blue wildebeest, impala, warthog
Species taken: bushbuck, blue wildebeest, impala, black wildebeest, nyala, springbok, duiker and steenbok.
Species targeted but not taken: warthog (needed one half of a second more)

Outfitter: Mike Birch, owner Hunt the Sun Safaris

Professional Hunter: Evert Bezuidenhout

Airlines: South African Airways (excellent service)
United Airlines (very poor service)
Transient boarding: Africasky Guest House, Johannesburg, SA: excellent accommodations (be sure to order the lemon cheesecake with the vanilla ice cream)

Lodging was two days at Imbasa and then with private families (my choice), I was offered opportunity to stay in lodges including Hayward Hope but chose to stay with my PH and his family in their private residence.

Quality of accomodations and service: outstanding

Meals: excellent

quality of animals: excellent (steenbok may be record book, duiker is good'un, nyala is my best so far).

Overall Quality of the hunt: outstanding

Rifle used: lodge rifle, Mauser (sporterized) 30.06, a tack driving marvel.

Bullets: forgot which ones but they were top quality 180gr: black wildebeest needed two, all of the remaining trophies were one shot kills.

Comments: my second trip to this wonderful country exceeded my first trip which was truly wonderful. The animals were wary, hard stalks needed and shooting was 80 yards out to 300 (bushbuck). I met more of the local residents and I continue to be amazed with their friendliness, kindness, humor, and enjoyable nature. I'll be heading back again next year.

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Beautiful "brick." and then the camera broke?

Sorry, Scriptus, there are a lot more photos. The problems is that I struggle getting photos uploaded on forums so I quit with one success. I'm blogging and there will be photos there, for sure. At my age this high tech stuff gets confusing.

Very nice steenbuck.

Upton,

I very much enjoyed reading your blog, Thanks for the link. Getting a lot out of life.

Steve

Thank you for your comments, I blog to try and convey the wonder of South Africa and how it affects me. I am alive when I'm hunting plains game there in a way I don't feel alive anywhere else, if that makes any sense.

That is a serious steenbuck.

quote:

Originally posted by Upton O. Good:
Thank you for your comments, I blog to try and convey the wonder of South Africa and how it affects me. I am alive when I'm hunting plains game there in a way I don't feel alive anywhere else, if that makes any sense.

More than you know.

quote:

Originally posted by Upton O. Good:
Sorry, Scriptus, there are a lot more photos. The problems is that I struggle getting photos uploaded on forums so I quit with one success. I'm blogging and there will be photos there, for sure. At my age this high tech stuff gets confusing.

You are so right about the high tech stuff. I am lucky enough to have a wife to help me out without feeling too beholden.

Very, very nice steenbok!
I would love to see more photos

Okay, let's see if I can load a couple more photos. It may cost me my computer screen if it doesn't work...

Ah, a room full of monkeys with typewriters really can compose Shakespeare's works if given enough time.

This was the number one animal I've been wanting to take for the past two years. This particular bushbuck was very old, teeth were worn to the gum line. His horns are thick, worn with lots of character. My PH talked me through the 300 yard shot, the longest I've ever taken at an animal. He dropped with one shot from the 30.06. My PH is an incredible young man. It was also the first time I've ever shot an animal with this large of an audience.

A lovely animal, lots of twist and just turning out at the points.

And my duiker.



Nyala...



And impala, also old with very worn teeth and horns with lots of character.

That's a proper steenbuck!!!

Congrats on an excellent safari!!!

Thank you for the compliments, what is funny is the ceiling in my home is too low for most of my trophies so I don't have shoulder mounts. The duiker, steenbok, and bushbuck should fit nicely, though, and will be done that way. My larger trophies, kudu, gemsbok, wildebeest are relegated to an arrangement of skulls in the corners of my livingroom. Tiny's the way to go.

Thanks for the report,and the link to your blog.
I have enjoyed them both.
Congratulations

Nice to see such quality trophy photos. Very well composed and well done.

Fairgame, Thank you for noticing, I'll relay your comment to my PH. I agree with you on his ability with a camera. His mother is a professional photographer and if she didn't teach him then it must be genetic. He is a perfectionist and detailed when it comes to recording the client and the game. His new focus now is getting video of the hunt.

Congratulation and thanks for sharing, looks like you had a great trip.
Love the bushbuck, they got such an "impish" look in ther face

Congratulations and well done!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Thanks for your kind words Karl,always a pleasure hunting with you

Great mixed bag - a bushbuck is top of my list for next time

Great group of trophies...congratulations.

Fine trophies, and yes, great photos to compliment them.

David

Thank you all again for your compliments. I'm afraid my two trips to South Africa have totally ruined me for hunting in the U.S. I've also read Peter Godwin's three books ( Mukiwa, When a Crocodile Eats the Sun, and The Fear) and now I can worry at nights about South Africa and all of my friends there. Anyway, if anyone reading this has NOT been to Africa, please be forewarned, if you go, it may drastically change your view of things in the world as well as ruin your hunting at home.

Looks like a great time, and great field photos!

Greg

Nice Bushbuck, My brother in law is sitting between you and Evert. Good stuff.

LVH40, your brother-in-law is a fine gentleman, we chatted about cabbages and kings but mostly about rugby. I have developed a serious respect for those who play that really tough sport. And the hunt was great fun.

Looks like you had a terrible time judging by the smile on your face. Nice trophies. Beautiful steenbok.

Pagosawingnut: you make a very important comment. I always convey happiness, joy, excitement, many emotions with a smile, it just comes natural to me. I see advertising photos and photos of folks hunting or displaying their harvest and its amazing how many of them look like they just had a difficult root canal done and they are glad its over. I sometimes want to say "Man, if you're happy with that big (whatever) you just shot you might want to tell your face."

Anyway, thanks to you and all of the others for the compliments, it was an amazing, wonderful, exciting experience and I'm going back.

Hey K, definitely, its too far to travel not to have fun, look forward to seeing you next year!

Very nice?