Location: Blaauwkrantz Ranch, Eastern Cape north of Port Elizabeth, South Africa

PH: Philip Dixie

Tracker: Neville

Dates: July 3 to 9, 2012

Rifles: Dad used his Remington Sendero 7mm STW and hand-loaded Barnes TXSs; Nick (my brother) and I used my Ruger No.1 .300H&H and hand-loaded Woodleigh PPSNs.

Animals killed: Four kudu, three impala, two warthog, one zebra, one blesbok.

Comments: I apologise for the brevity of this report; I would like to attempt writing a magazine article of this hunt. This was our first-ever guided hunt, and for my brother and I, our first trip overseas. Flying with SAA was a positive experience with good meals, entertainment and service. Our firearms and ammunition were taken care of and all went smoothly. We found officials in both Australia and South Africa to be very helpful. Being collected by a representative from Afton House with our permits already completed made it much less stressful than it would’ve been. Afton House provided wonderful, friendly hospitality with terrific food and lodging. The Rudman / Dixie family of Blaauwkrantz made us feel like part of their family, extending a warm welcome and beautiful hospitality. It was a pleasure to spend time with them. Their operation is first class. We also enjoyed spending time with the other clients there, two wonderful couples from Texas – Karl and Becky, and Doug and Debbie. The lodge, and over 80,000 acres of property, was more than big enough to handle us all. Our eyes were wide-open as we took-in the amazing sights and sounds of the African bush for the first time. The bush there is incredibly thick, and has to be seen to be believed. The whole experience was incredible, from the abundance of wild game to the camaraderie at the lodge. Our hosts took good care of us, especially with a couple of important items that we’d forgotten and when Dad came down with severe bronchitis – the medical care in South Africa is excellent and quick, and he was soon on the mend and enjoying walking and stalking in the bush again. Our guide, Philip, was patient and encouraging, and was as excited as we were when we enjoyed success. He and Neville worked extremely hard to give us the best opportunities. Also, the tracking dogs are simply amazing to work with, and saved us from lost animals on two occasions. That in itself was an amazing experience. The weather was mostly pleasant, although we did experience one rainy morning. Being from Australia’s north, I found the temperatures to be mostly quite cool, whereas my brother and Dad found the temperatures just fine. As well as plenty of kudu, warthog, blesbok and impala, we saw zebra, blue and black wildebeest, eland, nyala, bushbuck, duiker, steenbok, porcupine, dassies, vervet monkeys, lechwe, ostrich, and grysbok – there may’ve been others that have slipped my recollection at this hour. In addition, we saw many interesting, magnificent birds. I learned quite a bit about my own shooting limitations and am giving serious thought to how I can improve – my Dad and brother were good, and I was lucky. We also enjoyed a visit to the nearby cheetah farm that also had baby lions and leopards; and, we enjoyed a visit to Addo Elephant Park. The main objective of our hunt was to spend quality time having an adventure with our Dad, as well as to hunt kudu, an animal which has captured our imaginations. We achieved all this and more, and are truly grateful to our hosts for opening our eyes to Africa and fuelling the fire to return someday. I can’t wait to take my wife and little boy back to Blaauwkrantz! And, it’s only 11.5 hours flying time from Perth to Jo’burg, and 8.5 hours back with the prevailing winds! Darwin to Perth is almost four hours. Jo’burg to Port Elizabeth is only 1.5 hours or so. Thank you for reading.

Nicely done...congrats!

My first African hunt was at Blaauwkrantz. Great hunt, and Arthur and Trini run a nice operation.

Looks like you had a great time, congrats.

Very Nice!

Nice, thanks for sharing
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Thank you for the short version.
Great family adventure.

Bonzer kudu there for Greg, mate! The wartie ain't half bad either.

Karl and Becky are great people. I would gladly spend time with them in camp. The Rudman's and Dixie's are amazing people. I went this same time last year and cannot wait to go back. I need to get to the Karoo. Did not get it done last year but had the trip of a lifetime.

That Ruger No. 1 in 300 H&H is a nice weapon isn't it? I have one as well and it has become my go to rifle for anything other than DG. From Whitetail to Tahr to Heyna and more. Love the rifle and caliber.

You guys had a nice hunt. Great that you were able to experience it with your Dad. I'd love to take my Dad but at 88 and with failing health, we missed the boat on that one. You'll cherish the time spent with him in the field. Thanks for the report.