Congrats and have a good hunt !!!
Andrew , you DA MAN !
Well done Again Sir !

Heartiest congratulations Jason.

You're gonna have an absolute BALL!!!!!!!

congrats buddy
enjoy SA and the great hospitality that comes with the territory.
have a super hunt,you are gonna be in great company.
Dave

Congratulations Jason, you will have the time of your life.

congrats to jason
and many kind thanks to andrew for even having this generous offer and all the others involved.

Well done. Hope to hear from you soon
Michael
Chanstin Safaris
chanstin@gmail.com

Africa has been a dream of mine since I was a little boy. I am on cloud nine and cannot wait to go. I want to thank all the indiviudals who donated the trip, goods and services and for everyone who took the time to enter and review the entrees. I could not sleep the night I found out. Thanks to all and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Andrew...

I will DONATE my SERVICES to process ALL TROPHY SHOTS [pictures] from Jason's Safari with you!

Here are my threads for reference...

http://forums.accuratereloadin...1411043/m/1571007521

http://forums.accuratereloadin...1411043/m/5581079521

I will provide him with a TROPHY SHOT PORTFOLIO FOLDER to include a processed ORIGINAL "file", and a processed 1023 pixel "file" for displaying on the internet/email, and a processed "file" for an 8"x10" or LARGER print...if he so desires to have it printed at his favorite photo lab...

Three processed "files" per image for his TROPHY SHOT PORTFOLIO...

Andrew and Jason...I wish you both a GREAT and SAFE hunt!!!

Aloha!

Roland

Tremendous generosity by all involved. Bravo.

Another live changed forever, and for the better.

That is the spirit.
Thank you , Late-Bloomer, for your offer.I am sure it will be valued.
Regards
Michael Muller
chanstin@gmail.com

I feel an update on the planning progress Free Hunt of the is in order:

Jason McKinney as the winner had chosen to invite John Wintters, a long-time hunting buddy, to share the experience with him. Their date of departure from USA has been set as 14 May 2010, and they will be back in USA by 31st May 2010. The period in between is to be very busy: Hunting plains game at two distinct places, joining a group of guinea fowl hunters for two days and squeezing in a quick visit to the Kruger National Park. The good thing about all the driving required to get to the Kruger is that they will be able to meet and share a beer with Shakari on the way too!

The meet-and-greet and firearms import assistance offered by Aubs458 is well in hand, as is the arrangements to hunt the gemsbuck donated by Chanstin Safaris. Hunting of other trophies donated by Mr. Unnamed and Luan are well planned too. I’m very pleased to have just hears that they both intend to bring very sensible calibres for what they intend hunting! 

I aslo want to thank Late Boomer for the very kind gesture by sponsoring the photo-enhancement for the winners.Great idea and thanks very much!

I’m really looking forward to meeting these lucky hunters.

Andrew McLaren

Andrew and Chastin....It's been a real privilege for me to participate by being a sponsor...


Roland

quote:

Originally posted by Late-Bloomer:
Andrew and Chastin....It's been a real privilege for me to participate by being a sponsor...


Roland

Also a privilege for me to be able to judge it!

Jason McKinney Hunt Report of Andrew McLaren Safaris

Original Contest: http://forums.accuratereloadin...2100588/m/3081050711



I was the lucky/fortunate winner of the 2010 Andrew McLaren Safaris contest 10 day, plains game hunt. I was extremely excited to experience the “Dark” continent and am very thankful/grateful for Andrew McLaren, contest judges and donators for their generosity and commitment to promoting Africa’s hunting opportunities.

The scenery, camaraderie, friendships created, accommodations, food and the thrill of ethical pursuits of game are unforgettable. John Wintters’ accompanied me on the adventure (AR name: SemperFiHunter). He is a long time friend, hunting companion and used to be my Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps. In addition to the great time hunting, we included 3 days of touring Kruger National Park.

I want to personally thank the below. My first time to Africa would not have been the same without your contribution. THANK YOU!!!!

Andrew McLaren (AR Forum: Andrew McLaren), www.mclarensafaris.com; a true outdoor enthusiast, kind host, hunter and now friend. Thank you for the great memories, the good and the ones we can now laugh about.

Cecilia McLaren: Lovely wife and warden of Andrew, fantastic cook, hostess, caregiver and African “mother” of 2 USA boys.

Steve Robinson (AR Forum: shakari) www.shakariconnection.com, www.kuduland.com and other judges: Thank you for taking the time to judge the contest and provide valuable information and your personal contribution to the sport of hunting.

Michael Muller (AR Forum: Chanstin) (chanstin@gmail.com) (Donated non-trophy Gemsbok Bull from Malalankwe Game Ranch), a true pleasure to be with and fine PH.

Aubrey Kent (AR Forum: .458aubs) (Kent Safari Services) www.airchartersafrica.com (Donation of “Meet and Greet” services), a great guy and a wealth of knowledge; made getting through SAPS office fast and easy.

Luan Lombard (AR Forum: luan) (Donation of 1 small and 1 large trophy animal.) I would not have been able to experience the addition of an Impala and Red Hartebeest without your generous contribution. Thank you Luan.

Anonymous Donor (Donation of Warthog), although we did not see any worthy of shooting, the pursuit was memorable.

AR Forum: Late-Bloomer (Donation of photo touch up services).

Alex Adkins (AR Forum: ChetNC) 2009 winner of the Andrew McLaren Safaris contest, announcer to one of the biggest thrills of my life and provider of what to expect.


Equipment:

Rifle: Winchester .270 WSM with Zeiss Diavari
Ammo: Hand loaded 140 gr. Nosler Accubond @ 3,200 fps
Rifle Case: Storm iM3000
Binos: Steiner Predator 12x40
Boots: Lowa Renegades

4 months of planning for a 15 day African Safari seems like plenty of time. But when you have never been to Africa, 4 months is not enough. I utilized www.mclarensafaris.com, www.airchartersafrica.com and www.shakariconnection.com to plan my trip. They provided valuable information on gear, rifle selection, do’s and don’ts, documentation requirements, animals to pursue and expectations. I was fortunate enough to purchase my roundtrip tickets to OR Tambo (Jo’Burg) through South African Airways for $1,200. Their customer service was great and informed me of various items I should be aware of when traveling to Africa.

We arrived at OR Tambo Saturday afternoon and was meet by Aubrey Kent of Kent Safari Services/Air Charters and Tourism www.airchartersafrica.com. Aubrey donated the “Meet and Greet” services for this contest. Aubrey is a great guy and tells you how it is without any assumptions. We were in and out of the SAPS office in 15 minutes. It was very smooth and seemed very easy but I am sure he took care of any issues before we even arrived. Aubrey then put us up for the night in a local hotel and joined us for a few beers. We sat there for a few hours talking about politics, economics, hunting, etc… We walked back to the hotel room and crashed. Aubrey picked us up the next morning and drove us to Brookwood’s Trout Farm, which we enjoyed for 2 days. We pursued and were successful at culling 2 male Impala’s on a near by farm. The scenery was fantastic and allowed us the opportunity to ensure our rifles were on target and we were acclimated.



We next drove to Mervilla and started the “true” hunting experience in my opinion. We would pursue Springbok, Blesbuck, Gemsbok, Black Wildebeest, Duiker, Steenbok, Guinea fowl and any varmint we could get a shot at. We pursued Springbok first. Andrew indicated this would be an exciting hunt that would require all of our skills. And he was right. We spotted a herd about 2 miles away and then sculpted a plan of attack. The pursuit required attention to wind, utilizing land marks, making the most of the terrain and ultimately crawling into position. The Springbok loved the open grassveld and were very comfortable in the “Pans” (very large and open dried up salt flats). The Pans ranged from 1 mile to 2 miles in length and/or width. I was fortunate enough that the herd pretty much ran from one side to the other and then back again. They literally almost ran over me at one point, had me pinned down and stood there staring at me. Luckily I was positioned behind a termite mound with the sun to my back. I was able to take 2 Springbok; a white and a normal colored quality male specimens. The longest shot was 225 yds but I could see that it could have been a whole lot more.



We next pursued Blesbuck on a near by farm about 20 minutes away. The terrain was very similar to where we pursued and hunted the Springbok but without a Pan. As we drove down the dirt “farm” roads, we could see a herd about 1 mile away over the next ridge line and decided to stalk from there. Andrew told us both what to look for in a quality male Blesbuck and we devised a stalk that would place John and I in a position of opportunity. John and Andrew headed West on the back side of small rock bluff and I crawled to a grouping of rocks about 200 yds away. The heard spooked and ran for several minutes in a very large circle towards me; as they had seen the movement of John and Andrew. I nestled into position with my rifle lying across the rocks and made a clean shot on the best one I could get the crosshairs on. John later made contact with a nice Blesbuck as well. The picture below shows the quality of the blesbuck on this farm.



The next adventure took us to Auch McCoy, where John pursued a Zebra and I pursued a Black Wildebeest. The local manager, Hannes Bekker, lead us around the farm to ensure we utilized our time wisely. First up, Zebra. John and Hannes moved into position on a small herd of Zebra about 300 yds from a pond down hill from a “Koppies” (large hill mostly comprised of rock). I must say that John and I were amazed at the toughness of these animals. He positioned himself behind the dam and fired away. Andrew and I could hear the shot and the hit. The Zebra heard the shot and the mature male felt the round. But he did not act like he was hit. They ran for a good 4 minutes across the rolling grassveld. John and Hannes pursued the animal, as it was not hard to see which one was hit. Several attempts and tense moments awaiting the final shot transcended into what seemed like an hour. John was finally able to place a killing shot almost exactly where the hunt had begun. After review of the shots, it was realized that his rifle was shooting low. We would later verify the trajectory to equate to a 7 inch difference at 250 yds with his .375 H&H Mag. I have never been up close to a quality Zebra and must say they are extremely beautiful creatures. It made me want to pursue one myself.



1 Zebra down,1 Black Wildebeest to go.

We had seen several herds of Black Wildebeest in pursuit of the Zebra and Hannes had seen a really good mature male in one of the herds. We headed to the last point of interaction and found them within 500 yds. I do not know how Hannes found the one we were looking for but he did. It was a fairly large herd of 100+; intermixed with young bulls, cows and mature bulls. After 5 minutes and several conversations of which one it was, I fired away. They looked about 200 yds away, but Hannes told me after the shot it was more like 350 yds. These are some tough animals. The herd split up after the shot and the mature males went one way and the rest in the opposite direction. They looked so much alike! I asked him which one do we follow and he promptly grabbed the sticks and were off. After a 5 minute pursuit, Hannes sighted the bull and I dropped him where he stood. The first shot was a little far back and barely caught one of the lungs. The final shot was in the boiler at 250 yds. They are extremely hardy, unique and beautiful animals. I think everyone should pursue one.



We were lucky to have the opportunity to hunt for Guinea fowl as well with some of the South African Wingshooters members. They were a very cordial group and asked about the USA and what we thought of South Africa in general. It was interesting that they hunted uncut “maize” or corn fields for the birds. We do the same for pheasant here in the states but our fields are cut. It makes for a much more exciting hunt shooting in 8 foot tall corn fields. Your shot selection is much smaller and the birds seem to know exactly where to fly and when. They also do “surrounds”. This is where you get 15 or more hunters, surround the area of the birds and collapse the circle till they start flying. Then all hell breaks loose and you see the dark cloud of birds and the fall of black rain. We had a great time and it was a good break from the rigors of plains game hunting. Below is a picture of the group around the camp fire.



Our next adventure took place at Blandfort; roughly a 40 minute drive from Mervilla. We would pursue Gemsbok and Red Hartebeest among rolling hills, rocks and bushveld type terrain. We were accompanied by the farm guide, William, a one eyed worker with the eye sight of an eagle rolled into 1. We were immediately meet by Impala, Gemsbok and a few Red Hartebeest. We pursued the Gemsbok for 2 hrs until we finally found them in a small bowl about 500 yds across. William and I set up in some trees on the ream of the bowl and selected the herd bull. We found him fairly quickly and were about to take a shot, when he walked behind a tree and laid down. 30 minutes later, the herd began to move and he finally got up. I was shooting off sticks, seated on a rock with a very steady rest. William stated they were 350 yds, I thought they were at least 400 yds. I took his advice and sent one down range. We herd the smack and thought he would go down. Wrong, he ran off in the opposite direction of the herd. We could see that he was hurt and not using the front left leg. I figured I had hit the shoulder blade and the 140 gr. Accubond didn’t have enough energy to plow through at that range. We walked over to the spot where he was standing. I then realized that it was more like 450 to 475 yds (I later got John’s range finder and confirmed 468 yds). We pursued the animal for 45 minutes and finally made the killing shot. The first shot had hit low on the shoulder and 2 inches above the breast plate. Only 2 more inches and we would have saved the worries of a wounded animal. This may not be the biggest Gemsbok in South Africa, but he was the biggest on the property, and it is a great trophy to me.



Last but not least, Red Hartebeest. This was donated by Luan Lombard and I am very grateful for the opportunity to pursue and harvest such a great animal. Everything seems to be in herds in Africa. The Red Hartebeest bunched together like rats in a New York City sewer. We found them fairly quickly and were in position behind a clump of small trees, waiting. And waiting and waiting. We spotted 3 quality bulls in the herd and had picked the unsuspecting target out. But he loved the females and held tight for some time. I was on the sticks and had him in sight at 250 yds, waiting for the right moment. The herd got restless and began to move around. The bull did not know what to do and moved out from behind the females. Bad move. Bang = Dead. He ran 20 feet and fell over. These are very colorful and awkward looking animals. They have a very long face with horns that go straight up and then turn 90 degrees toward their back side. They have a beautiful roan/reddish color hair coat that is short and slick. It is a trophy in my book, regardless what anyone else says.



Our final hunting adventure was donated by Michael Muller of Chanstin Safaris. Michael donated a non-trophy Gemsbok from the Malalankwe Game Ranch. After a discussion with Andrew, we decided to let John pursue the donated Gemsbok, since I had already taken a quality bull. The terrain at Malalankwe was very hilly and brushveld type country. One would think that you could utilize the terrain in order to position yourself for a shot. And for the most part, we were able to. But the Gemsbok were able to utilize it better than we did. I followed Michael and John for an hour or so with the camera. After several repeated attempts and several hours of pursuit, John was finally able to get a clean shot. The non-trophy Gemsbok had a unique formation. The horns virtually went straight back towards its back side. The hunt was memorable for us all and we are grateful for Michael’s and the Malalankwe Game Ranch’s generosity.


We decided to extend our adventure 3 extra days and visit Kruger National Park. This is a must for anyone going to South Africa. The scenery, animals, history and thrill was unforgettable. We drove around the South West portion of the park and witnessed Elephant, Lion, Cape Buffalo, Rhino, Giraffe, Kudu and various other species. Our favorite memory of that trip involved a herd of Elephants and our minibus. Let’s just say that we got to close for comfort and the nursing females let us know. Below is my favorite picture of that trip.



In summary, Andrew McLaren and his wife Cecilia were gracious hosts. They provided nice accommodations, ample and tasteful food, quality hunts that were “true” hunts and adventure. This was my first time to the “Dark” continent and it will not be my last.

There were some minor “Oops” incidents/situations, but we worked through them and were able to have a memorable and exciting experience. I would recommend Andrew McLaren Safaris to those individuals looking for a quality and exciting hunting experience at a fair price. I must admit that when I saw Andrew (age 64); I thought we would be driving more than walking and stalking. Boy was I wrong. He walked just as fast and long as any other 30 year old PH. Andrew and Cecilia, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You truly made the experience for John and I a life long story around the camp fire.

Thanks for sharing !!
Very nice trophies
Sorry to hear you were unable to wack a nice wartie, maybe next time...

L

This looks like a fantastic and well-rounded trip! Great gemsbok there.

What a wonderful adventure! Congrats!

Nice hunt report. Looks like you guys had a good time and took a nice group of trophies.

I am noticing that the more Andrew hunts with Marines, the shorter his hair gets!

Chet

Congrats and nice trophies

Chanstin Safaris- Additional/Supplemental Hunt Report from the AMS Free Hunt 2010
Donated Non-Trophy Gemsbok

My name is John Wintters and I accompanied Jason McKinney on the above mentioned hunt. This was my second safari and my second trip to South Africa. My thoughts and opinions of the trip essentially mirror Jason's, so I will primarily discuss the time we spent with Michael Muller of Chanstin Safaris, during which I hunted the donated animal.
As Jason had already shot a beautiful gemsbok, he graciously allowed me to hunt with Michael. After my zebra hunt, I corrected the problem of my .375 shooting low,after being unkowingly bumped, and was confident once again of making ethical kills. Michael met us at the ranch we were to hunt overlooking the beautiful Vaal river. After a quick tour looking at some interesting animals, we went to the house of the ranch owner and had a nice lunch. We enjoyed the view of the river from atop the mountain, then readied for the hunt. The terrain was steep and rocky with a lot of bush. I really enjoyed hunting in this environment, and we saw tons of animals. Sometimes too many it seemed, as we were repeatedly busted by impala, kudu, and zebra while stalking the gemsbok. Hunting for a specific animal really increased the challenge of the hunt, but Michael was the consumate professional, always confident and encouraging despite the difficulties. We really worked hard for this animal, and I know that I appreciate the hunt and the trophy (in my book) even more so because of the degree of difficulty. What was expected to be a rather quick and easy hunt for this gemsbok turned into 5 hour oddyssey of stalking, climbing, and hiking. We saw a lot of country and a lot of animals. We used up just about all of the available daylight, and had a great time. It could have been a little shorter, but I rushed a shot as he was walking into some bush and missed him cleanly, the bullet going just in front of his chest. Along about the time the sun was going down, Michael was able to get us into position once again. We had the sun behind us and were trying to pick the right animal out the herd. When I first heard about this animal being donated, I thought he would probaby have a broken horn. There were a few times during this hunt that I wished he did have a broken horn, and this was one of them. A broken horn would have made positive identification, an absolute necessity in this case, much easier. The horns on this gemsbok were bent backwards somewhat, with the left horn skewing out a bit. At times I struggled to pick the right animal out of the herd. He seemed to have a knack for standing behind trees and other animals. But Michael managed to point him out to me one last time, and when he offered a broad-side shot, I sent a 300 grain TSX through his lungs. The entire herd thundered away and we were unable to see him go down. But we were able to see that he was not in the herd when they ran up the mountain. After about an 80 yard sprint, he had gone down surprisingly close to one of the ranch roads, making recovery much easier. We shook hands, took some pictures, and hauled my trophy up to the house, where we had a celebratory beverage. Unfortunately, we were unable to accept the offer of staying and enjoying a braii. We had to leave immediately to travel about 4 hours to where we would spend the night, before going on to Kruger the next day.
I must say that I absolutely enjoyed the entire experience with Chanstin Safaris. Michael Muller is a credit to the Professional Hunter fraternity and a genuine pleasure to be around. He is extremely proficient and was very patient, even when I was slow to make a shot. I can recommend his services with the highest confidence that you will not be disappointed. I would gladly hunt with Michael any where, any time.

http://i39.photobucket.com/alb...ids/JWsa2010_165.jpg

I can't help but post another pic of my zebra.


http://i39.photobucket.com/alb...s/JWsa2010_092-1.jpg

Part of the elephant herd we got into the middle of.

http://i39.photobucket.com/alb...ids/JWsa2010_228.jpg

The biggest bull ele we saw.

http://i39.photobucket.com/alb...ids/JWsa2010_295.jpg

I would like to thank Andrew and Cecilia McClaren for a rewarding and memorable experience. The hunting and the hospitality will not be forgotten.
Hannes Becker of Auch McCoy is a great guy, and surely has a bright future as a Professional Hunter. Thank you Hannes for a great hunt.
It was an honor and a pleasure to meet Shakari and Mrs. Susan. Thank you both for your hospitality and for taking care of our weapons while we were in Kruger.
375 Fanatic, we enjoyed your company and thank you for your assistance while we were in Kruger.
I am always impressed with the character and integrity of the truly Professional Hunters that I have had the good fortune to know.

Thanks to all involved, both actively and behind the scenes, for making this such a memorable experience.
Sincerely,
SemmperFiHunter