David Tennent Hunting Safaris

To continue with this year’s hunt….

We arrived in the Free State mid-morning from Pretoria.  Once everyone was settled in and had had a light brunch, we went to the shooting range to check that the rifles were shooting straight.  First up was Brett (11 years old) with his .243W.  After a few small adjustments to Brett’s rifle, it was shooting well.  Next up was Brett’s Dad, Dan, with his .300 Weatherby, that proved to be shooting well.

It was Brett’s first trip to South Africa so he was going to hunt the first animal, an Impala.  We decided to go out as soon as possible, as the weather was not too hot and there was only a light breeze.  We all got into the pick-up – the hunters at the back.  We saw lots of game while we were scouting for Impala and eventually, we spotted them on the other side of a dry riverbed.  There were 6 rams together with 3 good looking rams in the bunch.  We stopped the pick-up a long distance away from the Impala and Ken, Dan, Brett and I climbed off the vehicle and set off for the long and careful stalk.

Ken had made up some small shooting sticks for Brett which he brought with him from the United States, and which became invaluable on this particular hunt, as well as on the hunt for Springbuck.

The only way down to the dry riverbed was down a steep slope.  We all slid quietly down and started across to the other bank.  I had made a mental note of where we had last seen the Impala, which were not far from this other bank.  We carefully crawled up the bank to see where they were, only to find that they had moved off a way.  We crawled over the top of the riverbank and, using what little cover we could find, we got reasonably close to the Impala.  I put Brett on the shooting sticks in a sitting position and waited for the Impala that we wanted, to give us a good shot.  Unfortunately the Impala were feeding away from us so we could not get a good shot and the distance was a little far for a clean kill.

Leaving Ken and Dan behind, Brett and I made our way down an old dry wash to try and close the gap.  We crawled up the side of the dry wash that we thought was closest to the Impala and again I got Brett into the sitting position with his shooting sticks.  The Impala were still feeding away from us with no possibility of a good shot.  I counted the Impala and realised that one was missing but I could not see it anywhere.

We sat for quietly about 15 minutes when the missing Impala suddenly appeared out of another dry wash that we had not seen.  It stood broadside at about 80 m.  I whispered to Brett that if he felt comfortable, he should take the shot and no sooner had these words left my mouth, when a shot rang out.  Brett had put in a great shot!  The Impala ran for about 20 m and piled up.

Brett had now got his first African animal and had done a great job!!  It was a good stalk with very little cover.  I am sure Brett will remember this hunt for years to come.  I would like to compliment both Ken and Dan for the hard work they put in to school Brett in shooting, walking behind a PH as quietly as possible and also practicing shooting off shooting sticks.  If you are not used to shooting off shooting sticks, it can be difficult. 

Congratulations Brett!!

In August this year, our very good friends, Ken and Sheila Harrison, their daughter Kelly Herb, son-in-law Dan Herb, and grandchildren Brett and Brianna, joined us for hunting in South Africa.  Ken and Sheila had been threatening to come out and hunt South Africa with their Family for about 4 to 5 years and they were true to their word!  The hunt was to be divided up into 3 sections, namely hunting in the Free State Province, in the Limpopo Province and a tour of the world famous Kruger National Park.  But more about this marvellous time later because a previous hunting experience with Ken and Sheila comes to mind!!

 I guided Ken and Sheila about 10 years ago on a hunt which was, to say the least, hectic!!  We hunted Limpopo, Free State and Natal Provinces, taking many good trophies along the way. 

The short story that I would like to share with you is as follows:

Sheila does not like snakes at all.  So when Ken and I went out stalking and hunting, Sheila would stay with the vehicle, until one day in Natal, Ken and I persuaded her to come on the hunt with us.  We had not gone more than 50 meters from the vehicle when we bumped into a cobra!  Sheila to this day, believes that Ken and I planned the whole event!  As you can imagine, Sheila was not impressed at all and again elected to stay with the vehicle, and nothing would change her mind!  At least the incident did not spoil her enjoyment of the rest of the time we all had together!

We once again had our great friends from France hunting with us.

Come hunt South Africa for your African hunting Safari. Let us know your wish-list and we will put together a great hunting safari for you at an unbelievable price. Come and enjoy the David Tennent Hunting Safari experience. We have excellent concessions for all your hunting needs. We at David Tennent Hunting Safaris will ensure that you have a great safari. We can also arrange tours either before or after your safari as well as day trips and curio shopping. Drop us an email and let us put together a memorable hunting safari for you.

We at David Tennent Hunting Safaris can arrange your African Hunting Safari, be it for the big five or the tiny five. We can tailor-make your African Safari to include a tour either before or after your Hunting Safari. We have a 10 seater mini-bus which can accommodate 9 PAX. It has tinted windows for your comfort as well as an on-board 40lt fridge for your convience.

We have access to great hunting concession areas throughout Southern Africa.

Our prices are quoted in South African Rands (ZAR) as clients can take advantage of the weak ZAR and the strong US$ and Euro.

We have had late rains this year and the bush in the Limpopo Province of South Africa (north of Johannesburg) is still very thick. Our suggestion to clients coming out early in the hunting season is to hunt the Free State Province of South Africa (south of Johannesburg). The terrain is more open with undulating hills and mountains which make hunting both challenging and rewarding. The shooting distances are longer than in the Limpopo Province so rifle calibres in the 300Win class would be a good choice especially for springbuck, where shots are taken at 300 yards +.

So if you are planning your next African Hunting Safari drop us an email and we will plan a great Hunting Safari for you.

Bring along the whole family. Stephanie can keep them occupied while you are out hunting. Stephanie can arrange day trips either for shopping or to places of interest in the area.

We at David Tennent Hunting Safaris will ensure that you have a great safari with great memories and great trophies.

The following morning we went out to look for Black Wildebeest. We knew where a herd of 6 Black Wildebeest bulls hung out and we went to see if we could find a suitable bull for Reza. We found the herd and had a good look at them. There were some good bulls in the herd but I had seen a better bull with another herd the previous day. Once the second herd was spotted we decided to stalk the herd of Black Wildebeest. There was very little or no cover for us to stalk undetected so we walked in single file and slowly moved towards the herd. The Black Wildebeest were getting very nervous at about 200 meters and started there usual running around in circles and charging off only to return a little closer to us. Two bulls decided that they would have a go at each other and started fighting. At about 150 meters the two bulls stopped fighting and had a good look at us - the one that we wanted was a little off to the right hand side of the herd. Once the shooting sticks were up and Reza was comfortable, we waited for the bull to turn slightly, as he was facing us straight on. The bull turned to its right and Reza put in a great shot, the bull went about 20 meters and piled up. It was indeed a great Black Wildebeest and once photographs were taken it was off to the skinning shed where Jacob would do his magic.

 This was the end of Reza’s short 4 day hunt and his first experience in Hunting South Africa. We are sure that Reza will be back in Africa for another African Hunting Safari. Reza has a score to settle with his “ducking springbuck” which seem to be bullet-proof!!

From all the staff at DTHS we would like to thank Reza for choosing us for his first Africa Safari and we hope that it will not be his last!

LIMITED PACKAGE (5 DAYS)

This package offers the client with limited time or the first-time hunter, a chance to experience a South African Hunting Safari. Clients are met either in Johannesburg or Pretoria and returned there after their Hunting Safari. The accommodation is comfortable with all modern amenities. The food is of a high standard and traditional to South African cuisine. Our professional hunters are all experienced hunters and have the client’s best interest at heart.

ITINERARY

Day 1:

Guests are met either in Johannesburg or Pretoria. We then travel to the hunting area in the Free State, a drive of approximately 3 hours.

Day 2 – 4:  

The days are spent hunting with your Professional Hunter in some of the most spectacular scenery the area has to offer, with the Maluti Mountains as your backdrop.

You will see diverse herds of game in spectacular numbers. Animals to look out for are: Eland, Zebra, Black Wildebeest, Impala, Springbuck, Blesbuck, White Blesbuck, Red Hartebeest, Waterbuck, Gemsbuck, Kudu, Common Reedbuck, Mountain Reedbuck, Buffalo, Common Duiker and Steenbuck.

A typical hunting day starts at sunrise and we hunt to about 11am when we return to the lodge for a hearty brunch and some relaxation. We start hunting again from about 2:30 – 3:00pm until dark when we again return to lodge for a shower and a delicious supper.

Day 5:

The last morning of your African Hunting Safari is preceded by breakfast and then the drive back to Johannesburg or Pretoria, after a memorable South African Hunting Safari.

R16950.00 Per Hunter, R4790.00 Per Observer.

(Package is quoted on a 2X1 Basis, for 1X1 there is an additional charge of R4500.00.

Trophy Fees include:

1 X Springbuck, 1 X Blesbuck (Other trophies are available at an additional charge)

CONDITIONS: The final account will be calculated on the bank buying rate (which is the lower rate) of the foreign currency applicable at the time and at the last day of the safari.

INCLUDES:

Catering; Laundry; All ground transport whilst in the concession area; 14% VAT on daily rate; Services of a Professional Hunter; Skinner & Tracker; Wine & Malt in moderation.

EXCLUDES:….

EXCLUDES:

Taxidermy; Dip & Pack; Gratuities; Accommodation before & after the safari; Liquor; Transport from JHB International Airport at R1500.00 return; Rifle hire at R165.00 per day; Ammunition; Skinning at R100.00 per animal.

For Taxidermy prices on Dip & Pack or mounting of trophies go to http://www.highveldtaxidermists.com or contact them via email at mailto:infor@highveldtaxidermists.com

At about 2pm Reza and I went out in the search of a Gemsbuck bull. While driving we spotted a herd on the side of a hill. Reza and I got off the pick-up. I asked Jacob to continue driving my pick-up along the dirt road and park it out of sight in a stand of trees. Once Reza and I had crept to a good position to see the whole herd of Gemsbuck I set up the shooting sticks.  We waited for the Gemsbuck bull that we had determined was a good one, to move into a position that would give Reza a clear shot. After about 10 mins the bull moved slightly away from the herd and I gave Reza the go ahead to take the shot. Reza aimed carefully and fired, the bull did not react in any way to the shot and started to make its way back into the herd. Reza was using my Winchester mod 70 in 375 H & H. We could not believe that he had missed!  But he hadn’t missed because then the bull started to move away from the herd and showed signs of been hit. Reza put in another good shot to put the Gemsbuck down for good. After celebrating and taking lots of photographs of Reza’s Gemsbuck, Jacob went to fetch the pick-up and we loaded the bull onto it and headed once more back to the skinning shed where Jacob would do the caping etc. By this time it was late so we called it a day.

Next……. The Black Wildebeest hunt!

The next problem was how we were going to get the pick-up close enough down to the Eland and try and winch it up into a better position so that we could load it onto the pick-up. After about an hour we got the pick-up to about 250 meters away from the Eland Bull, but we could not get any closer. There was no choice but to skin out the Eland where it lay. Jacob my skinner/tracker and driver started the long job of skinning the Eland. In the mean time I called the concession owner and organised 4 of his farm workers to help us with the task ahead. Once help arrived (by this time it was dark) Jacob finished removing the cape off the Eland. We then had to carry the Eland piece by piece up to the pick-up. Once loaded (it was now 10:30pm) we turned the pick-up around and started the slow journey along the track we had made down the steep mountain. We got to about 200 meters from the top but found that we could not get up the last slope, due to the amount of water and mud (it had rained a lot recently) as well the extra weight of the Eland on the back of the pick-up. We had no choice but to call the concession owner to come and rescue us. When the rescue vehicle arrived, the decision was made to leave my pick-up where it was with the Eland and White Blesbuck, and recover it early the next morning. The evening was cool so the Eland and the White Blesbuck would be ok. We all climbed up to the waiting pick-up and returned to the lodge. The time was now 2:30am. After waking early, and letting Reza sleep in until we got back, we made our way back to my pick-up and with a pull from the second vehicle, we managed to get my pick-up moved from its sticky situation. Once back at the lodge and skinning shed, we finished the job of caping the Eland and White Blesbuck. It was a great Eland hunt with a happy ending!

Once Reza and I had taken photos of the White Blesbuck Ram and loaded it into the back of the pick-up. We started back for the lodge and the skinning shed, where my skinner Jacob, would do the caping of the White Blesbuck. We had not gone far when we spotted a large Eland herd grazing on a side of a hill. We could see even from a distance, that there were some good Eland bulls amongst the herd. To cut a long story short we had a long, fruitless walk as there was very little cover between us and the Eland. The Eland eventually went up into the mountain. We slowly followed andfound them on a plateaux. Again there was very little cover for us to get close enough for a shot, so we had to wait it out and see what they would do. While waiting in the only cover available, the wind shifted and the Eland got a good whiff of us and quickly moved off as only an Eland can do. The plateaux that we were on was in 3 tiers, the 3rd tier being a very deep gully with very thick vegetation. Luckily for us the Eland went down to the 2nd tier and after a mad dash, we had them below us at about 120 meters. Leading the herd was the big bull that we had been after. Once the shooting sticks were up, Reza positioned himself for a downward shoulder shot. At the shot the Eland staggered but did not go down and started forward. At the second shot the Eland went down but to our amazement, started to thrash around on the ground and slowly edge towards the 3rd tier of the mountain, where it unceremoniously rolled over the edge and down the embankment. The Eland came to rest against a fair-sized tree which stopped it going all the way down where we found it on its back dead.

Reza after his first africa animal the White Blesbuck.