This is my first Trip Report so I beg your patience and indulgence as the trip was, to put it simply, quite incredible.

U.S. Booking Agent: The T. Jeffrey Safari Company
Todd Rathner
Shannon Irving
Travel Agent: Gracy Travel
Steve Turner
Outfitter: Tollie's African Safaris
Tollie and Karen Jordaan
Location: East Cape, South Africa
Somerset East
Hunt dates: June 18th 2007 through June 27th 2007

Game Taken: Kudu, Nyala, Gemsbok, Black Wildebeest
Blesbok, Impala, Springbok, Steenbok
Vervet, Dassie
Rifles used: Rem 700 7mm Rem Mag. 168 GRAIN Berger VLD
Win model 70 Classic .300WSM 180 grain Sierra Gameking BTSP

My Wife and I flew from Houston Intercontinental via Delta to ATL on the 14th of June then from ATL to JNB also on Delta from ATL to Jo'berg with a "Fueling" stop in Dakar, Senegal. The "fueling" stop turned out to be quite a thing when approx. 20 people de planed in Dakar and then the plane was "checked" over by "Officials" from Dakar and we (all the passengers on the plane )had to identify every piece of carry on luggage to make sure no one de planing in Dakar had left anything on board ( bomb check )!!!! This happened at about 3:00 a.m. if I remember correctly. No bombs were found and we took off for JNB. We arrived at JNB June 15th. to find out that one piece of luggage was missing but we had the rifles. We had to spend the Night in Jo'Berg. At JNB we were met by Bruce from Gracy (?) and were escorted to SAPS to meet the young lady from Rifle permits, in and out in 5 minutes. Bruce took us downstairs to meet Louis from Afton where we stayed overnight in Jo'Berg. Watching Bruce, who is not a large man, take our entire luggage down the escalator on the airport luggage trolley was quite unusual. Louis was as everyone here has described, quite the gentleman and Afton was a great experience. A driver from Afton dropped us off at JNB the morning of the 16th. for our SAA flight to Port Elizabeth we had to spend another night in PE, we stayed in The City Lodge Hotel a very nice Hotel right on the sea wall.

June 17th. the DAY is finally here our PH, Puren Joubert, and his tracker Petrus pick us up at the Hotel in PE, the pair that will be taking care of us while we are in Africa. We loaded up and drove to the airport to meet two of the other PH's ( Beans and Jaco )that were in town to pick up another group arriving that morning, after that we were of for about a two-hour drive to Tollie's Farm outside of Somerset East. It was like babes in Toyland once we got out of the city. Driving down the highway we saw monkeys on the roadsides and we even saw warthogs. But we didn’t see grassy plains and Huge Acacia trees we saw high desert and high desert mountains, this was not what we were prepared for but man was it all pretty, and what a surprise. We arrived at our guest quarters at the farm, a house they call "Buffelsfontein" (Buffalo Springs), I was depressed. This place was incredible, no detail was left out, the decorating was impeccable these accommodations were easily 5 star. I have always thought and felt that outfitters that spend an extraordinary effort on accommodations do it to make up for the lack of good hunting, boy was I going to learn how different Africa was. We unloaded and unpacked the luggage that we had, and then went to the lodge to meet Tollie and Karen; we also met their sons Paul, Peter and Willem. This is one of the finest families I have the privilege of knowing. We were made welcome and shown around the main headquarters, after which we proceeded to their range to check the rifles, that accomplished we went back to the dining area / bar for the first of many mouth watering, inches to the beltline adding meals you can imagine. A few cold Castle Lagers then back to our room for bedtime.

June 18th. Monday, Time to hunt.
After breakfast Puren picks us up at around 7:00a.m. stating that we are going for Springbok first off. We drive up in the hills to an area he likes and get out of the truck to climb even higher to an area for glassing, and right off the bat we find a herd about 600yards away with a good ram. Puren then sends Petrus the tracker around them to push them towards us. After about an hour they start to mill our way, Puren is glassing the herd the whole time to make sure there is a ram that is big enough to shoot, finally he concludes that yes there is a good one and that I should shoot him. After we make sure we are on the same one, it was pretty easy as he was herding the ewes around pretty hard, I took the shot at 134 yds. and he dropped like a rock. I was so relieved that my first shot in Africa was a good one I almost fell out. The first African game in the bag. This shooting with people watching is not what this fat boy is used to, it adds some pressure that’s for sure.

My Springbok

Immediately after the Springbok we went to check on a herd of Black Wildebeest we had glassed while waiting on the Springbok but we, rather Puren, after stalking close enough to look them over carefully decided, that none of the bulls were of a quality to shoot so we loaded up the Springbok and headed down the mountain when a single Wildebeest crossed the road a hundred yds ahead of us. We got out of the truck to check it out when a young Kudu bull took off from the other direction and Puren told me to shoot this Kudu now. Puren said this is a cull animal we will use for meat for the lodge so I shot the Kudu as ordered and not very well I might add, my first shot was right in the flank and it took two more shots to bring him down. Man this was going fast, two animals were down on the first morning before 10:00 a.m.. We took both animals down to the skinning shed and ate lunch. After lunch and a break Puren thought we should go and check out an area where he new a herd of Blesbok hung out, the wife and I were game so off we went. Once we got to the area we spent about 2 hrs. driving and glassing we saw Kudu cows, Guinea fowl and Springbok but no Blesbok. Finally Puren sent Petrus up a brushy valley to have a look see and he found a herd in the valley. We took off and chased those animals all over the mountainside and across the valleys for 4 hrs. never able to get a shot at the Ram Puren wanted. There was always a smaller one in directly in front or behind the one Puren deemed worthy, Hell they all looked good to me but that kid was picky. Finally just before dark we lost them and we( not Puren) decided to give it up till tomorrow, just about then the wife turned around and looked way down the mountain, across the flat land below us and said " is that them". Puren glassed them and said " yes, that is them but we must hurry it is getting dark". So off we went again, running this time to catch up with them. Again we caught up but same story the herd was bunched up and no clear shot. Finally they strung out to run off again and Puren told me to shoot the third one in line I did, it was so dark I could hardly see the cross hairs, and the muzzle flash of the rifle blinded both of us so we didn't see the shot. The herd took off and we both thought I may have missed but when we got to the spot where he was standing when I shot he was there, what a relief. I hate shooting in the evening, I hate looking for animals in the dark, but we didn't have to he was stone dead. What a beautiful animal.

My Blesbok

What a first day!!! My first hunting day in Africa and three incredible animals, I was in sensory overload. My wife had never been hunting before this and she stayed with us the whole time, never complaining and taking pictures the whole time, what a trooper. Once we got the Blesbok back to the truck, Puren and Petrus had to carry / drag the animal almost a mile to the truck, we headed for headquarters to clean up and eat supper. Man I went through a few cold ones that evening.

June 19th. Tuesday, A day of travel.
Puren and Tollie had discussed the Black Wildebeest and Gemsbok situation the prior evening and decided that we should try Puren’s family farm outside of Steytlerville for these animals so off we went. Tollie was also taking one of the other hunters there to finish her hunt with a Red Hartebeest, as she was to hunt that morning, they left much earlier than us. We left at about 12:30 a.m. and took our gear and what clothes we had (still no news on the lost bag) for a two night stay. Puren’s farm was also an incredible place, the house and garden where amazing, especially in such a desolate place. We arrived at about 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon and after unpacking we went to Puren’s Uncle’s farm to look for a Kudu we stayed until dark, no luck. After the failed attempt at Kudu that evening Puren prepared an excellent dinner of Kudu steaks by the light of kerosene lanterns as there is no electricity this far out and after eating and a couple of drinks we went to bed.

June 20th. Wednesday, Another busy day. BW, Gemsbok
Puren wakes at about 6:00 a.m. for breakfast and informs us that we will start out this morning for Black Wildebeest at another nearby location. Off we go, with Petrus in the back we take off driving for about 45 minutes to this location to find a Black Wildebeest. At this new farm we pick up a local tracker to show us around this older fellow heads us in the right direction and we strike onto a herd of wildebeest pretty quickly, park the truck and commence a stalk. This area is pretty open and the animals are very spooky. After trying to get in shooting / glassing range for a couple of hours Puren sends the trackers and the wife back to the truck and we cross a ridge to check the other side for animals. Lo and behold, another herd of about fifteen. We are able to stalk to within glassing range of this herd using scattered clumps of acacia scrub for cover. We start to look over the animals when Puren gets very excited, he tells me that there is a very good bull in this herd and we are going to get him. We proceed to stalk very carefully from clump to clump until we were about 250 yds from them and there was no more cover to use. Puren sets up the sticks and I get the rifle on them, the herd is milling constantly so we are having quite a time making sure I am on the correct one. Finally I am sure of the one he wants me to shoot and the bull falls at the shot, MAN OH MAN. When we get to the bull Puren is very happy, he says that this will be my best trophy of the trip. I may be weird but I think this is one of the coolest animals on the planet, those up curled forward facing daggers, the thick neck and that mane, just incredible a Black Wildebeest to me is like no other animal on the planet. Puren takes off to get the wife and the trackers leaving me to appreciate this animal in solitude for a while. When he returns with the gang I can tell that the Boss Lady isn’t real happy with having been deserted for so long, then she explains it so that Puren and I are sure to understand, “that it will not happen againâ€. We both decide that it would be prudent to consent to “Her Lady’s†wishes so to preserve our happiness and our lives. The trackers proceed to field dress the Wildebeest paying no attention whatsoever to the crazy white woman. When the offal is removed from the carcass the old fellow proceeds to empty the stomach of it’s contents and taking that and the liver produces an old mesh onion sack to carry his payment for his guide service. We then leave this property dropping the old man back at the big farmhouse and proceed back to the Joubert place for lunch and a siesta.

My Black Wildebeest

After the afore mentioned lunch and siesta we arise well rested to procure a Gemsbok on Puren’s place, he has many on his property. We take the truck to an area he wants to start at, dismount and take off on foot; this is some extremely cut up, rocky country. We go a mile or so before we spot the first Oryx and there are 8 or 10 in the herd and we try to close in using a dry creek bed, or Donga, but the wind was wrong or they heard us crunching in the rocks and always seemed to be moving off as we got within glassing range. After 3 or 4 miles of this cat and mouse stuff Puren decided to try another area, again, over the ridge. After another 45 min. hike we did find another group of Gemsbok in a valley ( Kloof as the call ‘em there ) 5 of them, we were up on them several times while Puren was deciding if any where shooters. Puren told me there where no bulls in this herd but there was a very good cow if I wanted her, I told him that if was a good enough animal to satisfy him I was sure I would be tickled to death with her. About then we noticed they were gone and we hadn’t seen which direction they went. We took off over yet another ridge looking for them trying to move quickly but quietly over this rocky terrain. As we were walking along the crest of this ridge trying to look down on both sides Puren held up his hand signaling us to stop, he had heard the Gemsbok crunching down the side of the ridge ahead of us. We hurried ahead to try and get a shot before they could disappear again. Puren abruptly stopped and set the shooting sticks for me and taking up his binoculars looked over the rapidly departing animals and told me, I must shoot the third animal if I could. I was steady on the sticks but the Gemsbok was quartering away at a very tough angle, when the crosshairs settled on her last rib the rifle just went off, I swear I don’t remember pulling the trigger, it just went boom, and the whole herd took off down the valley. Puren asked me if the shot was good, I told him where the cross hairs were when the rifle went off and he decided we should wait a few minutes before we went to look for her. Oh, the emotions and thoughts you have at a time like this, it happens every time. Was the shot good, should I have taken such a raking shot why didn’t I wait for a better angle, on and on? This was the first animal I had shot on this trip that didn’t go down at the shot. Up until now I had fooloishly felt like the one shot wonder. Well time to look, Puren and Petrus stayed on the side hill while the wife and I went to where she was at the shot, and proceeded from there in the direction the herd left. We had gone only about 60yards when we saw her ahead piled up in a clump of scrub dead, she had gone no more than 100 yards after the shot. Upon examination the bullet entered behind her last rib and exited through her off side shoulder, again what relief. This was the main animal for me, Gemsbok where the animal that drew me on this trip. The striking color contrasts on the face of this animal, the long straight horns. This Gemsbok was beautiful I am so proud that she is mine. These days are just getting better and better. Puren and Petrus with quite a bit of detouring and winding are finally able to get the truck to her and we load this magnificent animal up and head for the house for another fine meal and drinks by the fireside. Puren tells us that we will get up early in the morning and try for Kudu again at his Uncles place.

GEMSBOK PICTURE

June 21st. Thursday, Impala, Cape Kudu, Steenbok
Today an early breakfast and we head for the Uncle’s farm for Kudu again. Puren feels very strongly that this is the place we will get a good Kudu. We climb up the side of the mountain in the dark and find a place to sit and await a Kudu. A place is found and we sit and wait. In the early gloom a Duiker jumps up on a rock to check us out then leaves in a state of alarm. We where privileged to watch a most glorious sunrise and two small Kudu bulls and several cows but to Purens annoyance no big bulls. At about 8o a.m. Puren decides that we will bag this and go find an Impala, Tollie had arranged for us to hunt on a farm that was renowned for the quality of their Impalas. We drove to this place and picked up another local guide for this farm. We had not been on the place for 30 minutes when driving through an area of dense brush (and man this is some kind of brush, the stuff makes South Texas brush seem soft as a feather pillow by comparison)
We pop out into the clear and Petrus beats on the cab of the truck and in Africaans tells Puren there is a large ram Impala going up the hill in front of us. Puren stops and we glass the far hillside and even at this long distance, 6 or 700 hundred yards, I can see this Impala appears to have large headgear. Puren kills the truck and we sit in the truck and wait for the Impala to go over the hilltop so we don’t spook him on our stalk, as there is no cover between him and us. Once he is out of sight and over the top of the hill we jump out of the truck and take off at a jog trot to close the distance. When almost at the summit of this hill Puren thankfully slows up, right before I fall out, damn this kid covers ground fast. As we ease along the top of the hill we don’t see our Impala anywhere. Petrus sees a herd of Impala across the valley from us and thinks our ram may have joined them. He and Puren think we should cross the valley and look them over. While Puren is walking down the side of the hill looking for a way down we step around a clump of brush and there he is not 50 yards from us. Lady luck was smiling as he had his head down feeding straight away from us and never heard our approach. Puren quietly set the sticks and whispered that when he raises his head I should shoot. After staring at this Impalas backside through the scope for about a day and a half he finally raised his head and looked straight away for about another half a day, I can hear my heart beating in my ears. Puren through clenched teeth whispers that he will whistle so the Impala will turn then I am to shoot him, but ol’ Puren got a case of the dry mouth and whistle he can’t, but he does make enough noise that the ram turns enough for a shot at which Puren nudges me and his patent “you must shoot now†is ground between corded jaws. I shoot, heck I don’t even think I was looking through the scope but I shot. I don’t think I even hit the ground. I have no idea where that bullet went. I felt like the ultimate goober, and just stood there like an idiot. Puren then asked politely if I thought I should maybe shoot again seeing as the Impala was also just standing there. Well, what the heck, I shot again and this time I was unbelievably able to do it correctly. We know have a beautiful Impala ram and it is not yet noon.

IMPALA PICTURE

Puren sends Petrus back to get the truck while we carry the Impala to a vehicle accessible area. I would have enjoyed this trip as it was down hill. When Petrus got back with the truck we drove around this farm for a couple more hours to look for Kudu but none where seen. The Kudu situation was looking tough but we had plenty of time yet. We headed back to Farm Joubert for lunch and the all-important Siesta. All napped up by about 4:30 p.m. Puren decided we should ride around and glass for Kudu so we head out. I just love riding around looking at this country and the animals, we saw Blesbok, Red Hartebeest, Black Wildebeest and more Gemsbok. In a particularly rough and mountainous area the wife saw movement along the top edge of one of the mountains and called it to our attention. We both Puren and I grabbed binos and proceeded to check it out, we saw kudu cows, and as we where about to give it up, out from behind the ever present scrub stepped a grand Cape Kudu bull. That sir is your bull is what Puren said. We got out of the truck, me with my rifle and Puren with my range finder. Puren ranged the bull at 365 yards and asked if I could do it, after the Impala earlier I was appalled. My reply was let me find a rest and I will see how steady I can get. I quickly found a suitable rest and got the cross hairs on the Kudu’s shoulder and thinking about the distance held at the top of his shoulder hump, that damn rifle went off again, about scared me to death, but I just knew the shot was good. Puren polite as always asked how the shot went, as he could discern no sign that I had hit the animal. I hated to do it but I told him the shot felt good, he seemed a bit skeptical, but I talked him through it. The mountain side was all rock we didn’t see any rocks blow up, I was rested solid, I never even felt the trigger pull hence I don’t think I flinched and pulled the shot and I didn’t look at the animal long enough to get shaken. Puren sent Petrus up the mountain to look for sign. Petrus was up the mountain quite a while when he called by handheld radio that he found two small drops of blood. Puren took his rifle out from behind the seat of the truck and took off up the mountain to look for himself. Found Blood but no animal, now time for the self-doubt to kick in, again same old story, should that shot have been taken. Puren and Petrus both look for another fifteen minutes after which Petrus comes down and tells us that Puren wants us to take the truck around behind the mountain and he will walk around to see if he can push the wounded Kudu around and either he or I can finish him. I am feeling terrible know but we get in the truck and head off. It takes us about 30 minutes to get around where Petrus is driving us as we come around the back side of the mountain Petrus’ radio starts squawking in Africaans I can tell it’s Puren and I can tell he’s excited but I don’t have a clue what he is saying. Petrus stops the truck and tells the wife and I that Puren has found my Kudu and that he is dead. I just want to get drunk. The emotions one goes through when hunting are incredible, first, anticipation waiting for the hunt then suspense searching for the quarry, next is excitement when the quarry is sighted, now comes the all important adrenaline induced “fever†when it is time for the shot, followed by immediate elation at the shot, now for suspense at the result always followed by a touch of remorse at the culmination. That is probably deeper than one such as I should delve, in public anyway. Back to Puren and my Kudu. When we get back to where we shot from Puren radios that we should continue around and we will be able to see him on the mountainside. We do, and we can, he radios down that I need to come up, I look at the broken slope above and am glad my life insurance is paid up for either a heart attack or at the least a heck of a good tumble await me in this endeavor, but, again leaving my wonderful all suffering wife (someone has to survive to deal with the children) behind Petrus, I head up, poor Petrus gets tired of waiting on me clawing my way up and quickly passes me and leaves me to toil my way along. Finally, I make it up to the animals (yes I am including my guide and his tracker) and the Kudu is incredible, I am at a complete loss, what an animal. While I am catching what breath I can and doing what I think is a manful job of not throwing up. Puren tells me that right after we took off in the truck he started casting about for sign and found where the Kudu had taken a dive off the side of a fifty-foot cliff and into a large mott of scrub and the only thing he could see from above was one hoof sticking up. Puren was as proud of this animal as I, telling me that this was a true mountain Kudu it was easy to see he was an old scarred warrior, and now he was mine. Two hours later he was off the mountain, they caped out his head skin right there. Puren would send Petrus and another hand back in the morning for the carcass.

KUDU PICTURE

Puren wants to get a steenbok or Duiker this evening, so we quickly head back to the house where Puren starts us a lamb (I’m a Texan so don’t tell anybody) stew in the fire pit in one of this three legged pots, and we head back out for one of the little guys. We ride around for an hour and a half and see many Steenbok and a couple of Duiker that are not to Puren’s taste when finally Puren spots a worthy Steenbok, I can tell it’s worthy because “you must shoot now†is Africaans for: that is a fine trophy sir you should collect that one.

Steenbok

We do collect that one and head off for supper, what am I gonna do about eating sheep? Ah, well, no one is gonna see me right, no body is gonna know right, what the heck. I scoop up a big ladle full and it smells good, I take a bite and it tastes good, but it took three helpings to decide for certain that it really was good. We then finished the last of my bottle of Crown Royal sitting around the fire that night, I don’t think my head even hit the pillow before I was lights out.

June 22nd Friday, Drive to Tollies Dancing
Today we sleep in, we slept until about 8:00 a.m. Petrus and another farm hand had already recovered the Kudu carcass and Puren had some chores to attend to and we left the Joubert farm and headed back to Tollie’s around 11:00 a.m., we were in no particular hurry this was a leisure day, a day of introspection and relaxation also of bad nerves and trepidation. Trepidation you ask? Yes trepidation, you see today was the day that I ran completely out of tobacco. I had been carefully hoarding my remaining supply of snuff since we found that the missing bag contained my whole supply. You see my wife, that wonderful woman, who the foresight to pack everything half and half, half of the clothes in each bag, half of the toiletries in each bag, even half of my Bourbon in each bag, had put all of my snuff in one bag the lost bag, the bag that was not there. You think no big deal, buy more, my original thought also, but it seems that in South Africa no one has this nasty vice so none is available, this is a major problem, but I try not to despair. I do have hard candy I will survive, yeah, sure.
Any way, back at Tollie’s we unpack and relax until Supper time then head for the Dinning Room for another evening of fellowship and another of Ms. Karen’s masterpiece meals, this night was I believe Wildebeest fillets stuffed with mushrooms it was fantastic. After supper, Jaco, one of the other PHs decided that this was a good night for dancing. There where two other families here at this time, both incredibly having daughters of legal age ( 20-25 ) so the stereo was turned up, the furniture all moved aside and the dancing commenced. This was fun, this was the first time the wife and I had danced in years, She showed Puren how to do a Texas style two step, and I showed one of the girls a two step and Mrs. JTEX and I danced until midnight it was great. The P.H.’s kept the single girls busy. Another good day in Africa.

June 23rd. Saturday, Mrs. JTEX’s Springbok. lost video camera, monkey
Another glorious morning in Africa. Last night unbeknownst to the wife Puren and I had decided that after all of her uncomplainingly following us over hill and dale and hill and hill and hill (you get the drift), that today was the day that the darling bride should presume to hunt and kill her first animal. Specifically we thought that a ewe Springbok to mount with the previously collected ram would be appropriate for her first animal ever. We informed her of this at breakfast and she seemed quite excited. After a hurried breakfast we loaded up Mrs. Bwana and headed for the range, we thought it prudent to let her fire the rifle a few times off the sticks to familiarize herself with this type of shooting, 3 shots into an 1 ½†later Puren thought she was good to go. So we proceed back to the area where we had previously killed the Blesbok, to find her a Springbok, me as dedicated cameraman, her as the intrepid hunter. We found a large herd and began our stalk. We stalked and stalked and stalked, this herd of Springbok had eyes everywhere, we spent 3 hours after them and never got within 300 yards, we were trying to keep her first shot inside 100 yards. Finally Puren left Petrus, the wife and I in a wash out gully while he took off to drive the Springbok to us for a shot. Puren turned out to be one of the finest Springbok herders I have ever encountered. He got the herd headed our direction finally, headed our direction at a high lope, and I think 3 or 4 jumped the gully directly over our heads. If I had an open choked shotgun it might have worked out, but a scoped rifle was not quite the tool for this job, they had escaped peril again. After his exertion, Puren decided that maybe we should break for lunch and re group, I think the lad was a bit tuckered after his herding. While eating I think maybe the Springbok had time to loose their adrenaline high, for shortly afterward we managed to close the distance to 200 yds. Puren asked me what I thought and I told him that it looked like 100 yds to me with a knowing look he agreed. I remained stationary while the hunting part of this crowd moved into position for the shot. Puren set up the sticks and the discussion began about which was the correct animal to shoot. I was watching the animal through my binoculars at the shot and saw clearly that it was a good shot, after a short sprint she was down. I looked at my wife to give congratulations and she had her face covered, she was crying, it was her very first time you see, her first time to experience these horrible / glorious emotions that I so inadequately tried to put into words in an earlier chapter. Puren looked sheepishly at me, I just shrugged, then I thought I should say something sensitive perhaps even providential. I thought for a moment and then took a deep breath and composed myself and I told her “ There’s no crying in Hunting†what’s wrong with you? No I didn’t. We gave her a few minutes to regain her composure and gather herself then we talked back through the long stalk and the good shot, over 200 yds, when she had a few minutes time to absorb it all we went to admire her beautiful animal.

Mrs. JTEX'S SPRINGBOK

She was extremely proud of this animal, as were we all. I was going to film her telling us of the whole experience but at this time I noticed that somewhere along the way I had lost the cam corder, it must have fallen out of my jacket pocket somewhere along the way, uh oh. Luckily Puren had his camcorder and he filmed the re cap for us. She explained that she was now hooked and I would not be leaving her behind on any more hunting trips and that I had lost that particular rifle as she was claiming it for herself. Puren asked her what was next, she, the intrepid huntress that she so recently has become, told this young man that she thought next would be Cape Buffalo. Before loading the springbok up Puren called her over, dipped his finger in the wound and began to carefully apply war paint as is customary for a first kill. I watched in awe as she acted as if it were no big deal.

The Boss Lady in Warpaint, Ain't she a Doll!!!!

We loaded up and headed in to take her animal to the skinning shed. After depositing the Springbok we headed back to our lodge to clean up for dinner. While driving back a troop of Vervet monkeys scrambled across the track ahead of us, Puren slid the truck to stop and told me to grab the rifle and try to shoot some as they are considered vermin. One old male made the mistake of stopping to look while the others disappeared into the scrub. I shot a monkey, who would have ever thought it.


VERVET MONKEY

Puren retrieved the monkey and pointedly showed us that he had blue testicles.


MONKEY B**LS

I flippantly stated that this monkey must have been married quite a while to achieve that shade of blue, no one laughed. Mrs. Bwana didn’t think my remark humorous, and Puren didn’t get it’ apparently blue ba**s don’t mean the same thing in S.A. as it does in the U.S., oh well, under appreciated as usual. After going back to the house and cleaning up we drive back to H.Q. for dinner and drinks. At dinner Tollie had further ceremony planned for the new huntress, once all the hunters and P. H.’s arrived Tollie called for everyone’s attention and called Mrs. Bwana to the bar where he produced a saucer full of blood and a small chunk of raw liver. Tollie proceeded to paint her face again while explaining that in Africa it is customary for a hunter upon killing their first big game animal to partake of the raw liver. This was bad, man oh man, Tollie seemed like such a nice man, and to leave his three young sons fatherless would be such a travesty, Ms. Karen a widow, horrible. But just as I was about to fling myself into the path of immanent destruction our host scooped up the bloody sliver of RAW liver and placed it in my brides mouth and I’ll be damned if she didn’t swallow it! Of all the things, if I had tried to make her eat COOKED liver and onions I would have two black eyes and be in desperate need of an orthopedic surgeon, just shows to go ya’. The woman is now bloodthirsty.



June 24th. Sunday, Addo, Lunch at Lion And Croc, Shamware, Johan Joubert, Janine.
Sunday, no hunting today. The Jordaan’s don’t hunt on Sunday in respect of the Sabbath. I get up and dressed and take off down the hall to the breakfast room, before Mrs. Bloodthirsty has rolled out, as I am fixing my plate and visiting with another of the hunters Mrs. B.T. calls for me down the hall in an anxious kind of shriek she uses when alarmed. I respond with my usual burst of speed when responding to this tone so uniquely hers. A few minutes later when I arrive she is standing in the middle of our room sticking her tongue out at me. She says “ROOK A ISS†I do rook. Her tongue is black! I give her my best, alarmed look, and tell she has the dreaded “ South African Black Tongueâ€, she must have contracted this malady by eating the raw liver. As I head back to breakfast I tell that I have really enjoyed our 22 years of marriage. You can tell she really is pleased by this kind remark I make about our marriage, I can tell by the look in her eyes, but she says nothing, standing there with her horribly black tongue hanging out like that. About the time I am finishing my breakfast she shows up for hers, she then explains that after vigorously scrubbing her tongue with her toothbrush the black came off and it was most likely caused by the red wine she drank last night, then she told me that “ I was completely full of s***t†and I knew she was fine. After breakfast Puren drives us to Addo Elephant Park for sight seeing. At the park we see Kudu’s loads of Warthog and probably a hundred Elephants. There are Ostriches and Zebra even Cape Buffalo we got loads of pictures.


Some pictures from Addo

It must have been mating season for Warties as we got quite good show of Warthog pornography.

Warthog love

We were to meet two of the other P.H.’s, Beans and Andri, and their charges at a restaurant called the Lion and Croc right outside of Addo. The food was excellent, but I keep trying, foolishly, to keep up with these guys drinking. These are great guys, a lot of fun to be around, especially Andri Fox, his sense of humor is so dry it’s dusty. Listening to him explain to the young black waitress in such minute detail what he wanted and how he wanted it prepared damn near killed me. I will have a T-Bone, it must be thick, this thick ( holding his fingers an inch and a half apart ) and rare, not medium rare, but rare do you understand? If it is not so I will send it back, yes, I will send it back do you understand? Guess you had to be there, and 7 or 8 beers into it, it does kind of loose some of the humor in the telling. Well any way, after finishing lunch Puren takes us to Shamware game reserve to meet his father Johan Joubert and pick up his girl friend Janine. Puren had spent about half his life living at Shamware and the other half at the family farm. Johan Joubert proved to be quite the gentleman, he is the Veterinarian at Shamware game reserve and was one of the first wildlife Vets in S.A. They were preparing for a wildlife sale and had several pens full with captured animals for the sale. Dr. Joubert took us on a tour of their facility and they had Eland, Red Lechwe and Waterbuck, they even had a young Caracal that was in for rehab due to an injury. Janine went back to Tollies with us. She was quite a nice young lady and seemed able to keep Puren in line quite easily, women seem to have that ability. We spent the evening just chilling out and absorbing all of this.

June 25th. Monday, Warthog, Wind, Mrs. Bwana goes sightseeing in Somerset E.
Today I am to hunt a Warthog and the Mrs. Decides to hang out and go into town for shopping and to visit the local school, she is a Junior High teacher and wants to see the local school. We drive to an area to find a Warthog, the wind had kicked up over night and was blowing at gale force all day. We searched high and low, we found plenty of sign and many burrows but there were no hogs to be found. Once while walking through a dense bottom we jumped a sow with young at extremely close range. Janine was along as cameraperson today and when we busted the Warties the sow blew past her at about three feet, it was exciting for her. It was probably best that I didn’t understand Africaans because she had a pretty intense and shrill conversation with Puren after that, he didn’t get to say much. This was the first hunting day that we didn’t bag anything but I still saw some wonderful country. When the wife got back that evening she told me that the wind was so bad in town that there were even trees down. She enjoyed her visit to the school and got to meet the Assistant head master that personally took her on a tour to meet some of the teachers and students. She was amazed at the differences but the one thing she stressed that impressed her greatly was the politeness and exemplary discipline of the students. This was the white school, she couldn’t go to the colored school it was closed due to a teacher strike at the time we were there. Another fantastic dinner and bed. It is misting rain as we drive back to our lodge.


June 26th. Tuesday, Nyala , luggage shows up Snuff at last! Whiskey gone, snow on the mountains joberg snowed in
I have not mentioned this earlier but this was a package hunt and we had all of the animals in my package in the salt, the Warthog and the Gemsbok were extra animals I wanted while I was there. We wake up this morning to snow on the mountaintops, this is the same storm that crippled Jo’berg, I hate snow, but it was beautiful and quite unexpected. Puren wanted to try for Warties again today but I declined and instead asked if we could go look over some Nyala, I told Puren that if we could find a really good one I would like to have one. Tollie has a lot of Nyala we would see several everyday while driving between our lodge and the main H.Q. and I was impressed, and Mrs. JTEX approved so I was good to go. Off we went on a Nyala hunt. We drove around glassing in the area we had been seeing Nyala and we found several shooter bulls but Puren said that we could do better and it was early, so we kept looking. This was an area of the farm that we had not been on any of the other hunts and we were in some beautiful river bottom area driving in the dry riverbed when the truck broke through the crust and stuck. Now was my chance to prove my worth, my big opportunity, I am good at pushing stuck trucks. With help from Petrus, Puren driving and the Ladies as witness, I am able to push the truck out and we continue on, hero at last. We found a big bull in the edge of a small alfalfa field and I was even on the sticks, but after Puren studied the Nyala for a while he decided “that no this is not the one eitherâ€, the quest continues. Puren decides that we will drive to another area to look around , I elect to ride in the back of the truck with Petrus to help him look for animals and as we are driving I see a bull Nyala way up on the side of a mountain. I knock on the cab of the truck to get Puren to stop, once he does he glasses this bull and tells me quickly that this is the one we have been looking for. I think, great, another mountain, but as I wanted this animal badly and I can tell he’s a good one I ask what’s the plan. We get back in the truck and continue another mile or so down the track and park the truck. Puren explains that we are going to climb up the mountain and get higher than the Nyala then side hill over to where we had seen him and I should have an easy shot. So we climb Puren, Petrus, Janine, Mrs. and me. When we claw ( well I clawed ) our way to the height Puren deemed right we side hilled back to where we had seen the bull, but alas no Nyala,. We continued a considerable distance past where we had seen him and no Nyala. Puren was disgusted, he figured the bull must have spooked and headed for new country, so he sent Petrus back to get the truck. Petrus headed diagonally back for the truck while we went straight down the side of the mountain to meet him back on the track we had come in on. Petrus walked right, probably 30 yards, by the small clump of scrub where we had seen the Nyala at on his way down to get the truck. When we got to the bottom of the mountain we were headed to the track when Mrs. Bloodthirsty happened to turn around and look up the mountain and asked no one in particular if that was him there. Puren and I both turned and looked up and that Bull was watching us standing there, his glorious horns shinning in the sun, in the same exact brush he was in when we first spotted him. This crafty old animal must have laid down and hidden and let us just walk past him, he had let Petrus walk right past him and still held tight, what a shrewd old bull this was. We immediately placed some trees between him and us and moved closer, the closest we could get was about 200 yards at the base of the mountain he was on. I took a rest on the tree we were hiding behind and shot, he went down with the shot, but got back up again, quickly threw the bolt and shot again this time he stayed down. I had a Nyala.

NYALA PICTURE

Puren and Janine proceeded to have a serious discussion in Africaans after I shot, I am beginning to be glad I can’t understand the language, he had said something involving video camera and she started gnawing his a** pretty severely and he got a wee tad bit red, this little gal ain’t putting up with any crap from anybody. Puren thought now would be a good time to go see what I had shot, I quickly agreed and we head back up to recover the Nyala. Man I can’t believe the regal beauty of this animal, the sweep of the horns, the color, the beard and chaps. This is an old guy, his hair is thin and his teeth are worn down. I can’t believe how lucky I am, and how thankful I am that the Mrs. turned and looked back. This was the first and only animal I have ever taken with the .300 WSM I have been saving this rifle for something special and here it is. Mrs. JTEX wants to come up and see the animal and she even carries up a couple of cold Castles for Puren and I. What a woman I have, beautiful, a hunter and a bartender that delivers, what a deal, and oh yeah, she hasn’t had me murdered yet. Janine didn’t come up and Puren hollered down the mountain I assume for her to bring the video camera. Big Mistake! I did learn that NIEA! ( spelling? sounds like knee-ah ) means no. NIEA screeched at you by someone at the top of their lungs, with enough force to curl your toenails through leather hunting boots means hell no!!!! For such a small gal she’s got volume, scary volume. Puren tries again in a somewhat different tone of voice using a lot more words, I get tickled and start snickering, I can’t help it, it’s funny when it’s not me sucking up from some boneheaded insensitivity, he just gets redder. But what ever he said must have worked, in a few minutes Janine shows up with the camera but she won’t speak to Puren. Anyway I have finished my beer and Petrus shows up and begins to cape my Nyala and then field dress him, I carry the head and cape down and let the young guys bring the carcass down. It just cant get better than this. We get back to our lodge at about 2:00 p.m and head to our room for the siesta and somebody has dragged our suit case out to the middle of the room, wait can it be, it is, it’s our missing bag arrived at last. I immediately tear through the bag find my snuff supply and go for a nicotine fix. It just got better! Upon checking out the bag it had been slit and the back up Bourbon had been lifted, oh well the snuff was there!. The Mrs. napped and I dipped snuff I just sat, spit and absorbed nicotine, what bliss. While I was enjoying my re union with nicotine I decided to take a walk over to Tollies taxidermy shop and visit with Rudolph the taxidermist, he runs a fantastic shop. His wife Caroline runs the household at Bufflesfontein and handles the tour guiding for Tollies and their young son Seth is another neat kid, the whole time we where there he was always packing his trusty cap gun in a belt holster prepared for anything. Back to the taxidermy, Rudolph had many finished pieces there on display almost every African animal imaginable. And he walked me through the shop and showed me works in progress he had a very well run and clean ( spotless would be a better description) operation. Back to H.Q. for dinner and then bedtime.

June 27th. Wednesday, Our last day in Africa
Our last day in Africa, the days have gone so fast. Mrs. JTEX decides that she and Caroline will go to Graf Reneit today for shopping and sightseeing so Puren and I decide to just goof off. Oh Boy, no supervision. We decide we ought to go and look for the video camera I lost while chasing the wife’s Springbok. We stop at H.Q. and pick up a .22 rifle to take along with us in case we run across any more monkeys. We search around for a while and damned if I don’t find the camera. I checked it out and even after the rain it works, Sony does pretty good on their camcorders. We ride around looking for monkeys for a while with no success and Puren tells me that we are to meet PHs Beans and Andri in town for lunch. After riding around and looking at animals for a while we drive in to town for pizza. We sit around talking and swapping stories for a couple of hours and a few dozen cold Castles, these really are some great guys and I do enjoy their company. We go back to my lodge and Puren and Beans are telling me how Andri is able to pitch rocks into the air and shoot them with a rifle a scoped rifle no less. I ask for a demonstration and Andri only too happy to oblige request that I retrieve my .300 WSM, the model 70, as his work rifle and old sporterized Enfield .303 with a 18†long suppressor and a fixed six power scope is not the rifle for this job. I hand over the rifle and he grabs a plastic water bottle walks out into a field pitches the bottle into the air and blows it to smithereens. I am shocked, an unfamiliar rifle he has never touched before, a scope with 4.5 power magnification and splat! I retrieve my video camera and cajole the poor guy into trying again. He does, and splat! Twice in a row, and I got the second one on video. As he is walking back I am still recording Andri looks into the camera and exclaims, “ Now your rifle is sightedâ€. Man if I was to ever need back up on dangerous game I would not be worried if Andri was on the trigger, that was some damn fine instinctive point and shoot. I still had plenty of cartridges left for the 7MM left so we headed to the range to shoot them up. I gave my left over .300 WSM cartridge and used brass to Andri he has one and he says brass and bullets of that caliber are hard to come by in S.A. On the way to the range Puren spotted a Hyrax or Dassie as they call them sunning on a rock about 250 yards away and bet me I couldn’t hit him with the 7MM.

HYRAX PICTURE

That is the most accurate rifle I have ever owned. At the range we were shooting rocks behind the target stands out to 600 yards on the hillside, the 7MM is set up for long range shooting with a 6.5 x 20 Luepold with custom turrets cut for windage and elevation to mat

Part 2
Try again ( It would not fit in one post/ )

At the range we were shooting rocks behind the target stands out to 600 yards on the hillside, the 7MM is set up for long range shooting with a 6.5 x 20 Luepold with custom turrets cut for windage and elevation to match the specific load, and the guys were having a ball laser ranging distant targets, setting the turrets and being right on with the first shot. Andri wanted to swap me the Enfield for it, but you know all the trouble with getting a suppressed rifle into the states I had to decline. Our last Supper a few more stories and a few more Castles with the S.A. crowd. Andri decides that there are too many partial liquor bottles left and that he and I need to empty them properly. He starts bartending and we commence to throwin’ ‘em back. Some of the others start up the dancing while Andri and I continue on with our power drinking. Damn that guy can drink I swear there is a camel somewhere in his not too distant lineage. Well finally all the bottles are empty, I am honestly relieved, I don’t have a clue what all kinds of fire water I consumed but I had consumed a plenty. I decide it’s bedtime and decide that some one needs to pour me back to our lodge and into bed. Andri volunteers, we wish all a good night and Andri takes us back. We go ahead and take care of our packing so we won’t be rushed in the morning and retire to for our last sleep in Africa.

SUNSET PHOTO

June 28th Thursday, Time to leave, a sad departing.
Puren drives us back to P.E. to the airport and Tollie drives another of the families Beans is there too. They take us through ticketing and checking our rifles in. Tollie buys us breakfast at the airport and walks us into he terminal where we say our goodbyes and again try to convey our appreciation for all he and his incredible family have done to make sure our visit to his grand country was as good as it was. Now for the fun part the trip home. To begin with our flight from P.E. to Jo’berg was delayed 4 hours, an after effect of the snowstorm in Jo’berg they told us. Barely leaving us enough time to handle all the gun stuff and catch our connection to ATL, a lot of running and hurry but we made it. We had a sick preteen boy in the seat in front of us on the flight from Jo’berg to ATL, barfed in the aisle and severe diarrhea. Oh what fun, but I am certain it was even less fun for the poor little guy.


June 29th. Friday, A happy arrival, Home

Arrive in ATL and wait for our connection Houston while watching the news in the terminal find out Texas has been flooding the whole time we are gone. Our 17 year old and my best friend pick us up at the airport and I am so glad to see them. We collect all of our bags and the gun case and head home.

I want to thank all of you here on AR for all the information I was able to glean here. To all of you that stated Africa gets in your blood you are right, we will be going back.

To the people in South Africa, thank you all, thank you for your kindness and your graciousness. Thank you for sharing and welcoming us so wholeheartedly to your
Wonderful country.
To T. Jeffrey Safari thank you for all your help and thank you for recommending Tollies to us.

Tollie, Mrs., Karen thank you for sharing your home, and your wonderful family with us.

Puren thanks for your patience, your guidance and all of your hard work.

Two friends having fun and a Castle

All of you have friends in Texas, and we are very privileged to have friends in Africa and an experience we will both carry with us for the rest of our lives.

Thank you.

What an enjoyable read. Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts.

I enjoyed your discussion about the emotions associated with the hunt. If I were a less manly man, I would have to agree with you. Harrumph, harrumph, How 'bout those Cowboys?

Thanks!

JTEX, very nice! Excellent pits, too. Congratulations. Making plans for return?

Good read, just a personal note. I hunted the Eastern Cape Sept and Oct 2001 and the main topic of the day was the events of 9/11. We were hunting near Graff Renet and people ask me where I was from and I told them Bedford Pa. about 25 miles east of the crash in Pa and the crash site was only a few miles fom Somerset Pa. The distance between the two towns is about the Same as the distance between Somerset East and Bedford in the eastern cape. That made it eiser for them to understand. After reading your report I admit I am wanting to return to the Cape.

Great report!! Congratulations on the nice tophies and the wonderful hunt.

Also, very unique photo of the two kudu bulls!!


Phil

Very nice report and pics. It's always enjoyable to take your wife with you to Africa. Thanks again.

The best report I have read in a while. Thanks for taking the time to put it down.

My favorite bit:
"The emotions one goes through when hunting are incredible, first, anticipation waiting for the hunt then suspense searching for the quarry, next is excitement when the quarry is sighted, now comes the all important adrenaline induced “fever†when it is time for the shot, followed by immediate elation at the shot, now for suspense at the result always followed by a touch of remorse at the culmination. That is probably deeper than one such as I should delve, in public anyway."

Congrats on a great trip!! Your report took me back across the pond. Now you are hooked and will have to go back.........buffalo??

Bob

PIGGY PORN!

Lol great story and nice pictures, thanks for sharing

Justin

LOL....I showed my wife the blue monkey nuts....She didnt like your joke either. I however thought it was pretty good.

Thanks for the post.

Thanks all for the kind words.

Yeah ACER your right, Cowboys, yeah what was I thinkin' man!!!

SGrave, you bet, the Boss Lady says I have to take her back, what a deal.

UEG, you are right it was great to have her along to share this experience.

Bog, Thanks, and you are welcome.

Bob, Thanks. And yes I do HAVE to get back. Yeah Buffalo...wels she has since tuned it down a bit and decided maybe a nice Zebra for a rug instead. But I did buy an extra spot on the deer lease for her this year.

Bugle, thanks. That boar Wartie was chasing sows all over the place, man was he in a bind!

Scpoe, The female sense of humor is beyond me.But I am glad you appreciated my feeble attempt at humor.

It was a very special trip for me, I have dreamed of Africa all my life. And thanks all for the compliments and the indulgence ( and patience I was a bit windy).

JTEX

Great report! Congrats on initiating a new hunter. I guess this means that you need a new rifle.

TerryR

great report and photos - thanks!

Good read JTEX, thanks for posting. Congrats on your success. David

SWEET!! I really like your Black Wilde....I wanted one when I went but found out the area I hunted had none....needed to be further south. Great trip and read...congrats.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI

Excellent report & outstanding hunt

Our first trip to Africa in 2003 was with Tollie. What a great experience and first hunt. You could not have chosen better.

They put on a great time for us first timers.

Terry, thanks. Yes she told me that I would be needing a new rifle, but I think maybe we'll get one that is just for her.

Tim, thanks. And you are welcome.

David, thank you.

GarBy, thanks, the Black Wildebeest is sure an unusual looking animal, I'm sure that next time you'll get yours.

Ahmed, thank you.

dogcat, your reports and references where a consideration in using Tollie and I could not agree with you more.

I have quite a few to thank here on AR for all the advice and knowledge gained by just lurking here.

Congrats on the trip! Nice pics.

Interesting thread, the country side views are breathtaking, trophies are great! Thanks for sharing.

Pornography allowed on AR, now?

Edmond,
I am sorry if I broke the rules I, uh, meant to show it as purely educational

Well written and very entertaining. Your wife is a real sport. Mine would have killed me and the PH for the liver stunt.

Great read, sounds like a great hunt.
I hunted with Andri Fox, who you mentioned, in 2001. We spent as much time at practical jokes
as hunting. He is a great guy to spend time with.
Don't ever let Andri talk you in going fishing in his dingy. That crazy takes an 8 foot rubber raft with an outboard motor, miles off shore in the Indian Ocean.

Thanks, Greg, yes she is a great sport..

RM,
Thanks, and yes it was agreat experience.
Yeah Andri and Beans told me several stories about Andri's "Rubber Duck". I think I would have to pass. But I know just what you mean about the joking, he was playing constantly, I think the guy could have fun in a rubber room ( that's a compliment where I'm from ). Did you here any stories about while he was in the police force? I believe he could get pretty serious also.