Just got back from a fantastic group hunt at Tholo Safaris in Botswana. This was originally booked with Jason Bridger and Kanana, but when the property went for sale Jason got us moved to Tholo.

I had 6 first time African hunters, BEGNO from here and myself (and I wasn't seriously hunting). I wanted to take my new double out and shoot a few things, but honestly didn't think there would be a lot of opportunity.

I am not going to write a long drawn out report, but will say it was all top notch. Jason and Clive Eaton took care of this group very well. I have never seen so much game, great kudu, eland, gemsbok, etc. 250,000 acres is huge.

Some highlights were 5 guys getting 55" kudu, 4 great old eland, a 26" impala, 39" and 41" Gembsok bulls. I don't have photos from 2 of the hunters, but will put up a bunch of the trophy shots below.

I thought I was kind of finished with PG. This hunt was so much fun because of the property, game and staff. Everyone worked for their hunt but came up successful.

I rode along with some of the clients a few times, but mostly I was allowed to just go out with tracker Kamuru and hunt. That was very fun for me. I personally took 2 warthogs (45 and 47 yards), 2 gemsbok (old cow 116 yards, bull 42 yards), 2 wildebeest (67 yards, cull 27 yards), a worn down old kudu (40 yards), and a zebra stallion (164 yards). I was using my new V-C .470 NE to get some practice, and I think I proved to myself that it will shoot a lot better and a lot further than I thought. I was a great exercise with the double. I did miss a zebra at about 90 yards trying to get one through some brush.

I think we ended up with 54 big game animals and 6-7 jackals for the week. Again, I am missing a bunch of photos, but you will get the idea of how good this hunting is. There was surface water everywhere from a really late rain, and I can't imagine how good it would be with leaves off and dry conditions, but honestly it was beautiful being green, and the hunting was still very good. I think I am going to set aside 3-4 days next year just to track eland.

This was such a success I am going to take 2 groups back to back next year at a special rate. Also thinking about putting together a later season double rifle or big bore rifle group hunt. Jason said we could do 3 old worn or broken eland bulls plus 5 wildebeest (and any trophies a la carte) for an unbelievably low package price.

If anyone is interested let me know. I am already over 1/2 full on the first groups for next year.

There could not be abetter place for a first PG safari, or a regular PG safari for that matter in my opinion. This really renewed me for a FUN hunt in Africa at incredibly low costs.

Here are about 80% of the trophies the last morning. Still some in skinning shed.












116 yards






BEGNO's brute



Kamuru and I (164 yards)















26" impala

10' Black Mamba Kamuru killed



Puff Adder

Looked like you had a superb time with the guys Tim. Nice hunt. Have heard great things about Clive's outfit and you verified that. Obviously an excellent company. And I still love hunting PG... just to be in the bush on tracks with a rifle over your shoulder is worth the price of admission regardless of what is on the menu!

Tim,

sent you a PM.


Morten

Tim,

I had no idea other than you would have a great hunt. Clive does a great job and the area is very well managed. That Kamuru is a special human. I've never seen a guy enjoy his job more.

Mark

That impala........holy cow.......amazing.

Will be there in 34 days (but who's counting) with my fifteen year old youngest son and an old Army buddy. Great pics!

Great photos great trophies I thought that hunting was banned in Botswana

hunting is legal on private land. Gov't concessions are closed, but all the guys over there really feel things are on the right track to open back up...

Awesome adventure!

I love those eland. Couldn't ask for much more in one.

Beautiful trophies! Thanks for posting them.

Excellent!


Torbjorn

It looks like a fun time all around. Well done .

Nice!

We are leaving on the 15th for Tholo. I can't wait to get there!

Congrats, looks like the skinners were kept pretty busy.

Many fine trophies there and as Mike said the skinners must have been working overtime.

Wow!! If you had to pay by the smile you be paying this off for a long time. Love the snake pictures!!

Cheers
Jim

The Botswana snake photos reminded me of why I hate snakes so much.

I have two snake stories from my African travels.

Once in Djibouti I had a noise tapping on the glass of my office, I looked through the window to see a beady eyed bastard trying to figure out how to slip through a window. I thought it was a small python so I walked outside and non chalantly grabbed it by the tail and drug it away from the window.

When I took hold of his tail, his head flaired out I dropped him and ran to get a shovel. About 5 minutes worth of excitement eventually left him headless and in the trashcan, and then another 5 minutes trying to figure out what the hell it was on the internet.

I can only say bravery and stupidity often go hand in hand. Any cobra is a damn scary snake.


My 2nd African snake story was in Namibia. One of the bushmen trackers had killed a puff adder that morning and threw it in the road by where we picked him up for work. When we stopped the truck to pick him up, we parked right on top of the dead snake (unbeknownst to us), as I stepped out of the vehicle and onto the dead snake I felt the dreaded "I just stepped on a snake feeling", and yelled "snake" and started jumping on the snakes head. After a few jumps I realized it was already dead.

Me yelling snake caused the PH in the other side of the land rover to come unglued as he did a snake dance (knocking his head on the top of the landrover with her jerks and jumps, eventually we had a hell of a laugh afterward.

During my several hunts in RSA, Zim, Namibia and Bots, all during the months of July and August, I've seen the most snakes in Namibia. Cobras, puffys, boomslang, mambas and rock pythons. My experience is anecdotal, I know, but I wonder if the habitat found in Namibia is more beneficial to snakes than elsewhere in Southern Africa.

TWL,

Fewer people, killing fewer snakes, equals more snakes.

Same thing anywhere you go without lots of people.