First time short Hunt with Andrew McLaren in the Free State

Outfitter and PH
Andrew McLaren

Dates
Pick up in Pretoria on the 22nd July, Hunting days 23rd until 27th July, transfer to the OT Airport in the afternoon of the same day.

Areas Hunted
- Kloofzicht Game Reserve, near Krugersdorp
- Soutpan, Free State

Guns and Ammunition
I could you use several rifles and a shotgun form Andrew. A .300 Weath. Mag. .a 270 Win. with sound suppressor, .22-250 and a .22 LR as well as a side by side shotgun. Both guns and hand loaded ammunition were free of charge.

Weather
Very dry and sunny, pleasant

Airline
Emirates from Zurich to Joberg via Dubai

I will express myself in a brief manner, since my english is not very fluent.

End of May it was clear that I had to go on a offical trip to Pretoria in July. As it was possible to add a few days off, the idea of hunting in RSA came to mind immediatly. Here AR came into play and its value became evident. A short question on the forum, I had answers and a few offers at hand instantly. 3 of them where interesting and serious offers. I could evaluate the offers quite well by other reports, I could judge the PH – at least a little bit – by his previous statements and remarks on the forum. The forum ist not only a stage for various characters but also an outstanding archive - which is always particularly interesting for a historian. Thank you very much AR!!

I imagined a true, intense hunt and to hunt some species which where somehow adequte to the period of hunting (3-4 days) and to my status as a first timer in Africa. – No immature buffalos behind a fence, please! Beginning of June I started evaluating the offers, by the 20th everything was settled. The good thing about a hunt at short notice is, you don't have to wait too long. There was not much time for preparation. I "deboned" A perfect shot in order to have some informations to study during the trip.

At the end, I decided in favour of Andrew McLaren Safaris, maybe simply, because he offered the most difficult hunt. He comunicated well at all times. Besides he offered a hunt in a terrain wich is completly different to the one I annualy hunt in Switzerland.



Since Andrew characterized the potential hunt – as I can state by hindsight – in a very honest and presice manner and very eloquent as well (much better then I could possibly do), I feel free to quote form one of his emails:

"Please do not be put off and think that there is no chance of success. Not so at all! Here are good numbers of springbok widely dispersed over thousands of hectares of low-fenced grassveld. By “low fenced” you must understand that the fences will keep cattle and or sheep in or out of an enclosure. However the springbok, steenbok, duiker and warthog in the area hardly slow down when crossing such fences. One can honestly say that their movement is not restricted by the cattle and sheep fencing in the area. Blesbok are a bit better retained by the fences found hereabouts, but many have learned the trick of jumping clear over such low fences, while other blesbok have learned the technique of simply crawling [in typical springbok style] under the lowest wire strand. These animals can therefore be described as truly free ranging wild animals. In the area where I offer this hunt, they come and go where and when they like to, despite some rudimentary fences!
 
So the hunt offered is for true free ranging wild animals. The terrain in which you are to hunt is true grassveld. Mostly knee-high Themeda trianda but with a few low hills and some trees and shrubs on these low hills. Hunting technique is to walk a promising area very slowly with very regular stops to glass the horizon. The idea is to see the horns stick out above the horizon, before the very sharp-eyed springbok sees you. Once you see them before they have seen you, the real stalk starts. [I will provide you with suitable knee-pads to make long crawls on hands and knees less of a torture! J] It is a really difficult way of hunting these very wary springbok.
 
Another method of hunting may be to leave the camp very early in the morning – long before first light – and go an sit in a pre-selected spot in ambush and anticipation. By the time it is fully light, you will know if the selected spot was well chosen. Then you may wait for the group to get closer. Or you may stalk closer. Also a very difficult way to hunt. What does NOT only not work, I will not even allow an attempt at it, is trying to get the animals by shooting from a vehicle! Guaranteed failure if you attempt to get close enough in a vehicle!
 
I can and will give you three full days of hunting from early till late. If you work hard at it, and shoot well, you may get one, or even two, animals in three days of hard hunting. But, other than that there are indeed free range animals around, there is no guarantee about getting any specific species or a certain sized trophy. Blesbok are a bit easier to hunt, and some hard effort and good shooting should get you one. Maybe even a nice specimen. But this is NOT a guaranteed “put & take” so called trophy hunt. Steenbok are present in good numbers too, but a long and very frustrating search may result in an easy shot – or it may as well result in no sighting at all! Warthog and duiker are available in lower numbers, and it is very much a chance game to see and get one. These are typically seen when you are driving to church and have no rifle with you!"

***

Finally, the plan was as follows: Andrew would pick me up in Pretoria in the afternoon of the the 22nd. On the 23rd we would hunt impala at Kloofzicht Game Reserve (1 hour drive from Pretoria). Andrew's son works as a facility manager at the game reserve. A very easy, most possibly successful, beginning. At noon we would than drive to Mervilla, Soutpan in the Free State. Around Mervilla we would hunt for springbuck, steenbuck and blessbuck - the more difficult part.

***
Day One, July 22nd
Round about when I arrived in Pretoria on the 14th of July Andrew annouced that there was the unique opportunity to shoot a very big plains game animal in Kloofzicht for a good prize. He kept it little mysterious, but I had a guess. So on the morning of the 23rd we stalked an eland first – a very impressive animal, I did not expect to hunt first in Africa. It was a short stalk, it went so quick, I was quite speachless. Nonetheless, I was relieved that the first shot with the .300 Weath. hit properly. What was particulary great about the Eland, Andrew separeted a piece of the – very delicious – filet, which I could take home to Switzerland successfully to enjoy it with my wife. Here, Andrew and his wife Cecilia, were very helpfull too!

Please excuse the poor quality of the photographs, but as soon as I have a rifle and binoculars at hand, I forget my camera. Most of the photos I did with the Iphone some with the clumsy but good Fuji X100 and a few pictures Andrew took with his camera.






Kloofzicht is a very beautiful game reserve. It is not very big though, but it is located around a fairly large hill with a flat top with trees, brush and some cliffs, it is a real habitat (I would have loved to quickly walk up to the top of the hill). After the eland was recovered, we simply walked around the hill. There were no Impalas, juste a few hartebeest at sight. At one point we spotted a warthog up the hill, about 300 meters away. Behind some rocks and brush, we tried to cut the distance. When we were in position the animal was gone, not sure if it was already off or hidden somewhere. A few wildebeest observed us for quite a while. After some time the warthog reappeared. At 180 meters it is not a very big target anymore. This time, I had the .270 in hand, as it was zeroed at 80 meters, I aimed high. After the shot a pig dashed off. It seemed smaller and more reddish though, in the hustle one is not always completly sure. I may have missed. After an instant it returned at full speed, one moment it stood still. I shot and missed clearly. The pig was gone. 15 minutes later we headed to the place I shot at first. I did not have a very good feeling. It was a great pleasure to advise my PH not to trip over a dead warthog. No impala, but two interesting and very different hunts!






Juste before noon we drove to Mervilla (5 hours), we arrived at 5 in the afternoon. Near Mervilla we spotted a group of springbok in the distance.





Day Two, July 23rd
We started easy at that day. I shot a few shots with the .22-250, a very pleasant caliber, at his "private" shooting range first. After a hearty breakfast we went off for springbok by foot. We walked and glassed. He showed me some blinds from where springbuck could be hunted at first light. By noon, behind a low hill with a beacon on top we spotted the group of springbok seen the day before. Andrew gave me some instructions how to get closer to the herd. He stayed behind to overlook the situation. I started crawling very low, I thought I did not advance at all, my knees and my ellbowy hurt after 20 meters – of course I forgot to take the knee caps along, I constantly draged the borrowed rifle trough the dust, I was very thirsty and there were a lot of very small bushes with nasty thornes. I had the deep feeling though, that I will only have one opportunity on a springbok on this hunt. Nonetheless, very slowly, I came closer and spotted a solitary buck. Since I crawled down the hill I had to be even more carefull to remain unseen and at one point there was no more cover at all. The buck was bedded about 280 meters away and constantly looked into my direction. In Switzerland I am familiar with taking rather long shots and the chamois regularly start grazing after they have bedded. So I had to be patient and keep still. Around 4 in the afternoon the buck got up, but walked away immediately. The distance to shoot got bigger and bigger every second. Once, he stood still for a moment, I shot, he walked on, I gave another shot. He continued walking, but slowed and seemed hit. Meanwhile Andrew, finally relieved from waiting for such a long time, crawled up - this man is very fast on his knees and arms!! A last shot and he was down. I was very tiered this afternoon, and even a little proud. Andrew repeated a few times, "now the pressure is off, definitly" - indeed. After one drink I was completly drunk.

After an exhausting hunt - not all saftey measures kept!




Day Three, July 24th
The next day before breakfast we went off for some wingshooting (grouse and guinea fowl) with Andrews pointer, a charming lady by the name of Sofie. Andrew was successfull I was not. A very interesting hunt I have done before. Then we stalked some dazzie, a marmot like like varmint, using the .22 LR, between some abadoned farm buildings. In the afternoon we looked out for some blessbok. But this, seemingly easy to hunt species, was particularly wild at these days, it was impossible to come close in an area with no cover at all, so we gave it up. At last light we checked a few spots for steenbok. – I am not in that bad physical shape, but after all the crawling for springbok I had some pains at parts of my body unknown before. In the evenings, after dinner, I was always quite tired. Maybe I was a rather poor guest.



Day Four, July 25th
Friday was steenbok day. We returned to the promissing areas from the day before. But those little creatures are tricky. They simply disappear in the gras. We had a buck in sight at distance, then really tried to sweep the area carefully for about 2 hours, if it migh jump up again. He was gone, vanished like a ghost. Another attempt we followed two steenbok. I tried to get close, they escaped. When they take flight, they go of really fast. Additionally, in this open country, almost without any distinctive points, it is particularly difficult to locate the animals precisely. We were after them all day. At the end, I was not successfull. At dusk, I had a buck in the scope though, but with the last light against me, the picture in the scope was blurred. Under these circumstances, I did not risk a shot.


Day Five, July 26th
For the last morning Andrew had an offer for a trophy black wildebeest in a game reserve located right at the Vaal river. We drove off in the early morning. It appeared to be a tiny reserve, more a cage. The animals were very nervous, constantly circling around. Two of the wildebeest were true monsters. At last I shot a wildebeest. But this was not the sort hunting I imagined. Perhaps, I was ravished by the idea of big trophy. But at the end it was my very own decision! It might have been wiser to go for steenbok once more… At last, Andrew drove me back to Joberg to the airport. Befor boarding I was pleased to take a shower at the Emirates Lounge. The eland filets, home in Switzerland, tasted great.






Conclusion
I had a few very nice, very intense days with Andrew. True hunting! It was a great, first short little introduction to hunting in Africa. Thank you very much! The variety of hunts conducted – stalking, wingshooting with a dog, varmint hunting – in the very unique grasveld landscape made it particularly interesting and challenging. Andrew is without doubt a very expercienced PH. A calm atmosphere is essential for a good hunt. On one hand you could discuss hunting tactics with him on the other he lets you make up your own mind. Last but not least, it was a safari at a very affordable and reasonable price as well. The McLarens, Cecilia and Andrew, are very generous, courteous hosts and interesting people too. Food was great and plenty – I really eat a lot. There were even some snacks at hand I never had time to eat between the rich meals. The accomodations in Mervilla are simple, yet absolutly sufficient. I very much prefer such sort of basic accomodation, rather then some fancy, seemingly luxurious lodges. The extremley attractive and impressing skull of a big bossed buffalo Andrew made appetite for more hunting in Africa…

That is a great adventure! Congratulations!

Sounds like you had a good time and a proper hunt. Congratulations.

Thank you for the interesting report and photo's.
JCHB

Congrats on a proper hunt. I think your English is probably better than mine!


.

Thanks for the report and pics. As others have said, your English isn't as bad as you seem to believe. I'm glad you had a good hunt and the description you've provided of it certainly gives one a good understanding of your experience.

Hunting the way it should be. More walking and getting a bit tired, but game earned, and a good feeling. Have seen too much driving around in a vehicle, then getting out and a short "stalk" to shoot. Congratulations.

Congratulations on a great hunt report of a memorable hunt with a good man.

I look at that last pic of Andrew in his cruiser with that typical little grin on his face and can almost imagine he's thinking of that lovely eland!

Spitzenklassen..Sehr gut...Alles in ordnung!!.

I have used that very 22-250 for shooting two springboks last time I was at Andrews place..That´s all it takes.

Congratulation with that springbok. They are hard to get close to for sure. Springbok jagd on the open grasveld is hard hunting, but what a satisfaction to get one. Next year either my .270Wea or .240Wea will roaring on the boerveld.

Thank you for all the kind comments on my first report!

Hunting in the grassveld truly is a real challenge.

Indeed Jens, one is amazed, how efficient this neat little caliber, the .22-250, is.

You will have some interesting, speedy calibers at hand for your next hunt with Andrew. Waidmannsheil!

Daniel

Thank you for the pics and very nice report. Can hardly wait for my next hunt with Andrew mai -june 2014

quote" It was a great pleasure to advise my PH not to trip over a dead warthog.

That's and instant classic.

Congrats on a fine hunt.

Very well written report of a great hunt. Felt I was right there with you the whole time.
Imagine the shock you had when seeing for miles with very little if any trees in sight anywhere coming from the steep high mtns at home. I've ridden around some of your country and compared to some of ours here in Colorado you've got ours beat for steepness. Height might match in places. but its the steepness that impressed me most.

Glad you got the opportunity to enjoy this trip and hunt. Hopefully you will have many more.
George

Thanks for the comment, George!

Since I regularly hunt in the mountains in Switzerland. I really wanted to experience hunting in a completly different terrain, in Africa. That was the real challenge and not less interesting. For me, hunting is not only about shooting some animals but also to perceive a certain landscape.

Hopefully, I will do some hunting in Africa soon!

Daniel