End of Season Newsletter 2021 - Karoo Wild Safarisend

We’ve come to the end of our 2021 season. We’ll always remember 2021 as the year after Covid…the year after almost everything in our everyday lives came to an abrupt halt. Despite the disruptions of last year, 2021 has been an immensely successful season for Karoo Wild Safaris. Our previous commitment to be a personable, family run, African hunting outfit has stood us in good stead. Our focus remains on offering our clients a hunting adventure and experience they will remember forever.

Our 2021 season began in early March with the hunt of Greg, a first time African hunter from Michigan, USA. Greg was our first guest since the Covid disruptions in travel and we thank him for his commitment to re-schedule his hunt. We had a remarkable stalk on a nyala on the first day and our good hunting fortune continued from there. Kudu proved a challenge initially but we got a terrific bull on the 4th day, one of the heaviest kudu ever shot with us. Greg finished his hunt with 9 trophy animals – a nyala, burchells zebra, black wildebeest, black springbok, gemsbok, blesbok, kudu, steenbok and a common springbok.





Howard and Magi returned for their 5th hunt with Karoo Wild Safaris. It’s always a pleasure to welcome our friends from Colorado back to the Karoo. A cape buffalo hunt was the main goal of Howard’s hunt. It was a physically tough hunt for all involved. We experienced unseasonably hot weather and tracking and stalking buffalo was exceptionally challenging but ultimately very rewarding. Howard made an incredible shot on the 3rd day of stalking buffalo to take an old dugga boy. He also hunted a sable, golden gemsbok, kudu, two springbok, two impala and a baboon. Lindsay and Magi spent a night in the magnificent Mount Camdeboo Game Reserve and had sightings of lion and other big five animals.





We were excited to welcome Redgie back for his 3rd South African hunt with us. Videographer, Paul Ruschenbaum joined us for the 10-day adventure. A hunt with Redgie and Paul is always a fun affair. We hunted out of our home base in the Karoo and also spent 3 days in the Free State Province. Redgie continued his love of eland hunting by shooting his best one yet. He also hunted a world class sable, a 2nd eland, waterbuck and kudu. Paul took some outstanding pictures and video which can be viewed here.






Jamie and brother Jason from Kentucky hunted with us in July on their first African hunting trip. We had a dream start to the hunt with both brothers getting a burchells zebra, impala and kudu early in the hunting safari. Jason made a classic stalk on a gemsbok bull to get within 100 yards. A large cold front hit in the latter part of the hunt and the higher ground of the Eastern Cape experienced a light snowfall. Jamie hunted a gemsbok in sub-zero temperature and we had unique sighting of elephant, rhino and giraffe in the snow. It was a classic African hunt with our new friends and hope to hunt with them again one day soon.





Chris and Keith, long time friends from Oklahoma City hunted with us in early August. They bid on our donated hunt at the Anna’s House Foundation gala dinner and raised some much-needed funds for foster kids in the process. We had a truly epic hunt! We got two impala on one stalk on the first morning. We split up for kudu; Mitchell and Keith earned bragging rights by getting a beautiful kudu first. Later on, we were successful on eland, gemsbok and two burchells zebra. The zebra hunt was a morning to remember, we drove up a hair-raising mountain road to access a grassy plateau where the zebra were grazing. We were unlucky to miss several opportunities on kudu with Chris early in the hunt. The suspense continued into the final day of the hunt with Chris bagging a beast of a kudu bull.






Tom and Jose, both professionals in the firearms industry, joined us for an African hunting adventure to remember. Tom hunted with a truly classic rifle. a single shot Holland and Holland 375 flanged, custom made in 1921. Jose alternated between his Marlin 45/70 Government and 308 Winchester. Jose hunted an impala on the first morning, we stalked in close to enable the 45/70 to do its work. He also hunted a waterbuck with the 45/70, an exceptional shot at a long distance. Tom’s first animal was a target of opportunity, a magnificent nyala bull. A cold front had rolled in and we had to work hard for the two gemsbok. Some patient stalking allowed us to hunt two kudu on the same day and we finished the hunt with a blesbok ram on the last afternoon. We had a spectacular safari and we look forward to seeing our new friends in 2022.





Bob returned for his 3rd hunt with Karoo Wild Safaris. His friend, Richard, accompanied him as an observer. Bob has hunted almost all the species of South African plains game and this hunt was for some of the rarer game. Having hunted a steenbok and klipspringer in 2018, Bob was keen also keen to add to his collection of the Tiny Ten species of antelope. We were successful on an oribi on the coastline around Port Alfred on the first afternoon. We were exceptionally lucky to get a terrific vaal rhebuck on the 2nd afternoon. We travelled to the Northern Cape were Bob bagged a world class roan and golden wildebeest. He also hunted a Hartmann Mountain Zebra, unique to the drier parts of South Africa. Later on in his hunting safari, we connected with a red lechwe and cape grysbok.
Kurt and Henrik from Sweden hunted with us in late November. Although seasoned African hunters, this was their first South African hunt. Henrik and Arnold (PH) hunted a trophy impala and 10 cull animals consisting of kudu, impala and springbok. Kurt and myself focused on some of the more elusive animals and connected with an impala, steenbok and old bushbuck ram. We hope to welcome them back to the Karoo again






Terry and Anne, son Gary and daughter Claire, returned to hunt Africa on their 2nd trip with Karoo Wild Safaris. Arnold and myself guided them and pro videographer, Paul Ruschenbaum captured their 10 day African hunting safari in the Kalahari and Eastern Cape. We hunted - burchells zebra, bushbuck, red hartebeest, kudu, duiker, springbok, aardwolf and a variety of small predators. Thanks for trusting us with your dream African hunt.







2021 marks 10 years since Mitchell (tracker) and Francis (lodge staff) first joined the Karoo Wild team. In this time, they’ve become an integral part of our success. Their enthusiasm for what they do remains undiminished and we thank them for their continued service.

We’ve have a brand new website. Please browse through it. It now includes detailed information and information on each African hunting species

Karoo Wild Safaris

The 2022 hunting season holds much promise. International travel to South Africa is remains open to US citizens and hopefully will open again soon to all other countries.

Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet wrote “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming”. Much like spring, life after Covid holds hope for us all. I pray you all live your lives to the fullest and accomplish all you set out to achieve.
Thank you all. May you have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Nice report Victor! Congrats on a successful safari season!

Great read Victor
looking forward to our hunt in September

Beautiful country and beautiful animals! Thanks for the report, great job

Wow! Elephants in the snow! What a great photo. Congrats on the season.

That is some beautiful country and animals. Elephants in the snow is a pinch me moment.

Some beauties there, Vic!