Well my son and I returned Sunday from our first African hunting trip and what a fabulous time we had! First I must thank Kathi at Wild Travel, for keeping my wife informed as we made our way home. We were originally due to leave 07/22 on SAA and while dealing with SAA personnel during the strike was like dealing with someone with a very bad bi-polar disorder, Saturday evening they did route us through London and then direct to Chicago, well before the Thursday departure they were quoting others. This would in no way deter us from returning to Africa. As a matter of fact my son kept telling me that he just wanted to return to Shi-awela Safaris and hunt until the strike was over. He is suffering some very serious post safari blues.

We hunted with Shi-awela Safaris in the Limpopo region of RSA. Shi-awela is owned and operated by Ken & Jo Ball, and Ken is the 5th generation of Balls raised on this property. Ken’s parents are also on the property and Ken’s father Dennis was a very renowned cattle breeder until as he says “ 20 years ago I had an epiphany one night and realized that native animals were meant for the land not cattle and within a month I was no longer in the cattle businessâ€.

Shi-awela is 10,000 acres of solid bush veldt and it was some of the most challenging and enjoyable hunting I have experienced. While there may have been a 2.5 meter fence around the perimeter of the property, all of the animals are free roaming and naturally reproducing on the property. The only time animals are introduced is to broaden the gene pool. As a matter of fact several years ago Ken’s Eland and Gemsbok population suffered severely when the property was subject to a black frost and their preferred graze was eliminated, Ken decided not to reintroduce the Eland and reduced the Gemsbok hunting until they could naturally increased their population. Shi-awela is less of a business and more of a passion for Ken and Jo and you are made a part of their family while you are there. This was extremely important to me as not only was I realizing a 30 year dream but I brought my 9 year old son with me.

There has been some discussion here of bringing children with on a trip like this and now that I’m back all I can say is having my son with made this trip one of the most special times of my life. From the time we arrived at the Afton house, then at Shi-awela until the time we left, the enthusiasm and kindness shown to my son was amazing. Ken and his father and our PH all took a very special interest in Michael, and Ken made sure that he took Mike out on his own, just the two of them, on numerous occasions. I owe an awful lot of people thanks for all they did not the least is Saeed for this wonderful forum.

The hunting was great, but the event that made this trip was my son taking his first game animal ever, mid day of the second day when he made a perfect shot on a wonderfully old gnarly Warthog. I will never forget the look of absolute amazement on his face, nor my coming close to having a heart attack when he made the shot. Now Mike had been practicing his shooting for the past year and while he has gone bird hunting with me he has never carried a firearm, when 2 weeks before we left he confided to his mother that he didn’t know if he wanted to hunt. Mike and I had a conversation and I let him know that we didn’t need to bring a rifle for him if he didn’t want to and that if he did it could stay cased until he decided to take it out. Mike told me he wanted to take the rifle and asked if it was ok to just shoot at targets and I said sure and then he asked if there were rabbits or squirrels because he thought he could hunt something like that but that he didn’t want to hunt a Zebra. Mike went on to take two Impala rams, also one perfect shot each. I think I have created a monster, because we are not back even a week and he is asking how soon we can go back, and he has decided that he no longer wants to be a ballplayer when he grows up but a PH.

For me, my Blue Wildebeest will always will always be special. My PH Nicol and I required 2 hours of crawling around in the bush in order to put me in a position to end the hunt. We had hunted this solitary bull on and off for 5 days before we were able to take him and he was a wonderful old bull well past his prime with worn down horns and full of character. What a great hunt!

Well I wont bore everyone with a blow by blow but it was absolutely a dream come true. I have promised my son that if he continues to do well in school we will come back for his 13th birthday in 2008.

If I can figure out how I will try to get some pics added.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks for the report, nothing like the first African safari and to share it with your son, that is something special.

Here's a link to Shi-awela Safaris Website

Regards,

Terry

P.S.
Go Here for How to Post Photos, or email them to me and I will post them for you.

Great pictures! I'm sure you made some wonderful memories.

Mike,

Congratulations on you'alls sucessful safari.

My son is 5 and he's been joining me on four or five hunts a year for the last couple of years. Some of these hunts turn into stick throwing or salamander hunting expeditions. Still they are special and though they can be trying at times I really look forward to them. As a team we turned a corner last year when together we stalked to within 45yds of a whitetail doe. I wasn't too sure how he'd handle the kill (only I was armed, of course) but he was ok and asked, "What's that?" twenty times as I field dressed her.

I can't wait to share with my son the experience you shared with yours.

Congats again,

JPK

Just saw the photos and they are great. A really, suitably, proud son and dad.

What calibre rifle did your son use?

JPK

Very good report and great pictures. Any info on rilfes and loads would be much appreciated.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us.

Harris

JPK,
My son was using a Ruger 77 RL in 250 Sav. 100 gr Speers pushed by 38 gr of H414. It was my first rifle I bought when I was 16. I was using a Ruger No 1 in 300 Win, shooting 180 gr partitions pushed by 75.5 gr of RL22
Mike

Mike and especially that young hunter...Welcome to the "Band of brothers"..

Mike

Congratulations! Great trophys and pics.

It's splendid that you used handloads for the hunt. You'd be surprised how many belong to a forum like this but insist on using factory loads. I think using ammo you created adds to the satisfaction and enjoyment.

quote:

Originally posted by MDA:

Well I wont bore everyone with a blow by blow but it was absolutely a dream come true.
Mike

Great story...blow-by-blow recounting (and photos) is the reason I come to this forum!

Great report and photos - nice to see dad and son enjoying some special moments.

Phil

Great hunt! You must be a proud father! Well done, you now have a son with healthy interest, but possibly african fever for the rest of his life..
Is that a bontebok on the first picture? I guess it`s a blesbok, but the rings on the horns seems to go all around the horns..