I hunted with Cruiser Safaris in May of this year with my son along as an observer. This is my report It was mt first time hunting in Africa and I made some mistakes but had a great time. For those interested I used a 30-06 with Barnes 180gr TTSX ammo.
Day 1 On our way
Got to the airport and went to check the rifle in. I put my ammunition in a locked case in my checked bag but the woman at Delta’s counter said the ammo needed to be in the rifle case. This is directly opposite of what I was told, but when it comes to Africa, you go with the flow. We got on the plane to Atlanta with no problems. From Atlanta, we boarded a plane to fly nonstop for 16 hours to Johannesburg, South Africa. Man it was a long flight. Got very little sleep. Got to Johannesburg and were met by MR. X from the Afton Guest house where we were to spend the night. First we had to get our guns. We went to the SAPS office and while we opened our gun case for inspection Jeremy quickly got the ammo box and put the ammo in it like it should be. The police officer looked at our papers and we got through OK. Two guys with us did not have the papers filled out correctly and they had to bribe the police officer $100 each to get their rifles. Like I said, Africa. So after the bribe we waited about an hour for the officer to leisurely decide he would release their guns to them. We eventually got to the Afton house and had a steak dinner before heading to bed for some much needed sleep.
Day 2 Off to the lodge
We were met at the Afton House by Craig, a professional hunter from Cruisers. When I went to pay the bill for the stay at the Afton House, the grid was down so I had to pay in cash instead of a credit card. Good thing I brought some extra. After loading up we were on our way, with Craig stopping at a local market to pick up some groceries that the cook needed. Back on the road we entered a small town and saw the road blocked by a large truck. Craig said it was some type of protest or strike so we needed to find another way out of town. We drove down some side roads until Craig found a local policeman who had us follow him through the side streets to get around the blockade and continue on. Arriving at Cruisers, we were met by the cook, Delmarie, with cold fruit drinks. She showed us to our rooms and after settling in, we sighted in our rifles. We met our professional hunter Munsu and he asked if we wanted to go hunting that afternoon until it got dark. We agreed and soon were in the field. We saw some blesbok and a couple of waterbuck but could not get close for a shot. Finally, just before dark we found a male blesbok guarding his harem of females staring at us. We set up the sticks but I could not get a clear shot at him. He eventually moved off and we left for the lodge. Dinner that night was eland pie.
Day 3 Tough Start
Looking for: impala, warthog, kudu, gemsbok, waterbuck
The first day of hunting. We started walking and immediately saw a wildebeest laying down. Munsu said to pass on it as he wanted to concentrate on the animals I had contracted to hunt. We saw a big waterbuck but he slipped into some thick bush and we could not find him. More walking and we saw some impala but could not get close to a shot. More walking. Saw some gemsbok but they winded us and took off. We found a couple of impala and snuck up close to them but they were immature males. We also saw a couple of zebra but were not interested in shooting one. Then a big giraffe came walking right toward us. He got within 5 yards before he knew we were there and ran off. By then it was lunch time and Munsu called Sampson to pick us up. We drove over to a shady spot by a waterhole and Sampson had a fire going. Munsu got out the food and cooked us eland sausage over the fire. Quite good. Jeremy and I were talking that we were unsure about Munsu as he was so quiet and withdrawn. When we sat down to eat, Jeremy started asking Munsu questions and he started opening up and talking to us. He does not own a rifle but his dream is to purchase one and be able to hunt a Kudu and mount it on the wall of his home that he is building. After lunch we hunted hard the rest of the day. Coming out of the brush we saw a waterbuck completely out in the open standing broadside. Munsu glassed him and said one of his horns was broken off so we passed him by. We spent the rest of the day looking without success. Never got close to a shot. We had easily walked over 10 miles. I was a little disappointed but realized that is hunting and was hopeful tomorrow would be better. On the way back to camp a large warthog darted in front of the truck and Munsu could not help running over him. We quickly reversed direction and found the pig still alive in the tall grass by the side of the road. He was badly hurt but still able to move. Sampson and Munsu grabbed him by the legs and threw him in the back of the truck. When we got back to camp they put the warthog out of its misery. Dinner that night was grilled kudu filets.
Day 4 Good and bad
Looking for: impala, warthog, kudu, gemsbok, waterbuck
The day started as before. Lots of walking. We bumped into a wildebeest but Munsu said his horns were small. We stood still and he never saw us. Amazingly, he got to within about 20 yards and then slowly wandered off as another bull was calling He had no idea we were standing there. We ran into several shootable impalas but every time the sticks went up, they bolted. Munsu called Sampson and we got on the back of the truck to ride around and try and spot something. We topped a small hill and about 400 yards in front of us an impala ram was grazing by the side of the road. We quickly stopped, and jumping off the truck, slowly headed toward the impala just inside the row of bushes by the road. At 150 yards we saw he had moved to the other side of the road completely unaware of us and walking directly away. Munsu set up the sticks but I could not get a shot except through the impala’s rear. Munsu whistled and the impala turned slightly giving me a severe but slight angle. I lined up and squeezed the trigger. I heard the bullet thump and the impala lurched forward, fell down, but was up in an instant and ran back into the bush from where he came. We walked up to where I had hit him and found no blood. I was heartbroken thinking I had shot too far back. Munsu told us to stay on the road while he sorted out the track. He started into the bush and the suddenly turned around with his hand out to shake my hand. I was not understanding at first but then he said congratulations. I looked and there 10 feet inside the bushes lay the impala. Man, I was happy. He was a nice mature ram.
We took a break for lunch and since it was a hot day, Munsu and Sampson lifted the impala and threw it in a water trough to keep it cool to prevent the hide from spoiling. After lunch we took off again looking for Kudu or whatever else we could find. Alternating between riding and walking we saw a couple of Kudu but nothing worth following up. The sun was starting to get low and when we were riding on the back of the truck, off in the distance, Jeremy and Munsu spotted several animals in the road. I could not see them. Probably in excess of 800 yards. Munsu glassed them and said “Gemsbok.” We jumped off the vehicle and started the stalk, staying about 50 yards inside the brush line. After about 400 yards Munsu snuck back to the edge of the road to have a peek. Still there. We advanced about 200 more yards and Munsu checked again. Nothing. They had moved backed into the bush. Slowly inching our way towards the area we hoped they were located, Munsu stopped short and slowly set up the sticks, motioning that a gemsbok was looking at us. I took aim and could see nothing. As the sun was almost directly in front of us, the glare through the scope was severe. Never mind, as Munsu gathered up the sticks and whispered they were moving off to the right. We followed on a parallel path stopping behind a large bush. Rising up we could make out two horn tips A gemsbok was facing us looking hard in our direction. We kept down and in a couple of minutes he turned and walked off to the right. We slowly followed them, and seeing a small opening in the bush about 100 yards distant Munsu put down the sticks and told me to aim at the clearing. He would tell me when to shoot as there would only be a second or two for a clear shot. A few moments later a gemsbok appeared, crossing to where I could see his vitals. Munsu urged me to shoot and I fired, the gemsbok turning slightly from the impact before running off. “You hit him hard,” Munsu said. Waiting a couple of minutes, we picked up the trail. There was lots of blood and Jeremy saw a couple of drops in the sand going off to the right as the herd had veered to the left. Following that, we found the gemsbok a short distance away. I was elated but as I walked around to get a better view, I was crushed. The left horn was long and thin, indicating a female. The right horn was short, deformed, bent at a severe angle to the rear, and splintered in 3 places. Making a split second decision, Munsu had not realized the horn deformity. I was concentrating on the shot and honestly never looked at the horns. Munsu explained that this would not count towards my license and I could shoot another gemsbok if I desired.
Loading up the gemsbok and retrieving the impala, we head back to camp. Upon arrival Pieter met us and confirmed that I could shoot another one. Still, I was sad for how it turned out. It was a great stalk, a lot of cat and mouse. The true essence of hunting. Dinner that night was impala sausage. We also had a surprise. I had talked to Delmarie the previous day and told her today was Jeremy’s birthday. She made a cake with candles on it and we all sang happy birthday to him.
Day 5 Good fortune
Looking for: warthog, kudu, gemsbok, wildebeest
We arrived at a new area looking for kudu but also anything else that was on my list. We started off walking and quickly encountered 3 wildebeest bulls. They were curious toward us and did not bolt right away. Munsu said they all had small horns so we did not follow them. Walking a little farther on, we rounded a bush and staring at us about 80 yards away was a gemsbok. Munsu snuck a few yards closer to get a better angle. I got the rifle on the tripod and was just starting to pull the trigger when Munsu whispered for me to hold. A second gemsbok appeared behind the first and he did not want to risk the bullet passing through the first and wounding the second. I held off, hoping they would not turn and run. In a few moments the second gemsbok moved up to the right beside the first one. “Take the one on the left,” Munsu whispered. I aimed and took the shot. The gemsbok dropped as if it was poleaxed. Reloading and keeping my scope on it in case it arose, we waited until we were sure it was going to stay down. We approached slowly and even though the gemsbok was almost gone, I put another round into it mostly as a precaution from it sharp horns. It was a nice male with the characteristic shorter but thick horn style that males have.
After pictures, we decided to hunt a little longer but if we did not see anything within a couple of hours we would return to the lodge and drop the gemsbok off as it was a hot day. We took off on the truck hoping to find a kudu. We did just that as approaching a water hole a cow kudu took off with 2 bulls trailing, one smaller, and one that had good horns. We jumped of the truck with Munsu picking up the track. Following for a few hundred yards in rocky, thick terrain we eventually lost them, returned to the truck, and headed to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon we tried the same property, again searching for a kudu. We drove around for a while and rounding a corner came across some kudu in the edge of the bush. Sampson backed up to try and flush them out and suddenly a magnificent male jumped out onto the road, ran a few yards, and stopped to look back at us. His horns were enormous. ‘Hold off,” Munsu cautioned. “You can’t shoot him, it is a breeding bull. Wait to see if another comes out.” On cue another smaller but still nice bull appeared. Unlike the first he never stopped to look back. Back to searching we went until almost dark. We saw some other kudu but every time we got close, they ran off. We were almost ready to call it a day when a group of about a dozen wildebeest took off from the edge of the road and stopped to watch us about 100 yards out. The bushes were low and there was no way we could stalk them without being seen. Munsu asked if I could shoot if he turned sideways off the back of the truck and I rested my rifle on his shoulder. I told him I would get in position and see. I flipped around behind him and put the gun on his shoulder. Peering through the scope I was not wobbling too bad so I told him I thought I could hit the wildebeest. Looking back, it was pretty dumb as my feet were dangling off the truck and I was not anchored very well. I squeezed the trigger and at the shot the herd dashed madly away. Munsu looked back and said he thought I entirely missed as just before the shot he felt the rifle lift off of his shoulder. We walked out to where the herd was standing and Munsu started to track them. It eventully got too dark but he was pretty confident I had missed, which actually made me feel better as I did not want to deal with a wounded animal. We decided to come back in the morning to confirm this. Afterward we both laughed at our stupidity, agreeing never to attempt such a stunt again. We left for the lodge and had a dinner of roast oxtail.
Day 1 On our way
Got to the airport and went to check the rifle in. I put my ammunition in a locked case in my checked bag but the woman at Delta’s counter said the ammo needed to be in the rifle case. This is directly opposite of what I was told, but when it comes to Africa, you go with the flow. We got on the plane to Atlanta with no problems. From Atlanta, we boarded a plane to fly nonstop for 16 hours to Johannesburg, South Africa. Man it was a long flight. Got very little sleep. Got to Johannesburg and were met by MR. X from the Afton Guest house where we were to spend the night. First we had to get our guns. We went to the SAPS office and while we opened our gun case for inspection Jeremy quickly got the ammo box and put the ammo in it like it should be. The police officer looked at our papers and we got through OK. Two guys with us did not have the papers filled out correctly and they had to bribe the police officer $100 each to get their rifles. Like I said, Africa. So after the bribe we waited about an hour for the officer to leisurely decide he would release their guns to them. We eventually got to the Afton house and had a steak dinner before heading to bed for some much needed sleep.
Day 2 Off to the lodge
We were met at the Afton House by Craig, a professional hunter from Cruisers. When I went to pay the bill for the stay at the Afton House, the grid was down so I had to pay in cash instead of a credit card. Good thing I brought some extra. After loading up we were on our way, with Craig stopping at a local market to pick up some groceries that the cook needed. Back on the road we entered a small town and saw the road blocked by a large truck. Craig said it was some type of protest or strike so we needed to find another way out of town. We drove down some side roads until Craig found a local policeman who had us follow him through the side streets to get around the blockade and continue on. Arriving at Cruisers, we were met by the cook, Delmarie, with cold fruit drinks. She showed us to our rooms and after settling in, we sighted in our rifles. We met our professional hunter Munsu and he asked if we wanted to go hunting that afternoon until it got dark. We agreed and soon were in the field. We saw some blesbok and a couple of waterbuck but could not get close for a shot. Finally, just before dark we found a male blesbok guarding his harem of females staring at us. We set up the sticks but I could not get a clear shot at him. He eventually moved off and we left for the lodge. Dinner that night was eland pie.
Day 3 Tough Start
Looking for: impala, warthog, kudu, gemsbok, waterbuck
The first day of hunting. We started walking and immediately saw a wildebeest laying down. Munsu said to pass on it as he wanted to concentrate on the animals I had contracted to hunt. We saw a big waterbuck but he slipped into some thick bush and we could not find him. More walking and we saw some impala but could not get close to a shot. More walking. Saw some gemsbok but they winded us and took off. We found a couple of impala and snuck up close to them but they were immature males. We also saw a couple of zebra but were not interested in shooting one. Then a big giraffe came walking right toward us. He got within 5 yards before he knew we were there and ran off. By then it was lunch time and Munsu called Sampson to pick us up. We drove over to a shady spot by a waterhole and Sampson had a fire going. Munsu got out the food and cooked us eland sausage over the fire. Quite good. Jeremy and I were talking that we were unsure about Munsu as he was so quiet and withdrawn. When we sat down to eat, Jeremy started asking Munsu questions and he started opening up and talking to us. He does not own a rifle but his dream is to purchase one and be able to hunt a Kudu and mount it on the wall of his home that he is building. After lunch we hunted hard the rest of the day. Coming out of the brush we saw a waterbuck completely out in the open standing broadside. Munsu glassed him and said one of his horns was broken off so we passed him by. We spent the rest of the day looking without success. Never got close to a shot. We had easily walked over 10 miles. I was a little disappointed but realized that is hunting and was hopeful tomorrow would be better. On the way back to camp a large warthog darted in front of the truck and Munsu could not help running over him. We quickly reversed direction and found the pig still alive in the tall grass by the side of the road. He was badly hurt but still able to move. Sampson and Munsu grabbed him by the legs and threw him in the back of the truck. When we got back to camp they put the warthog out of its misery. Dinner that night was grilled kudu filets.
Day 4 Good and bad
Looking for: impala, warthog, kudu, gemsbok, waterbuck
The day started as before. Lots of walking. We bumped into a wildebeest but Munsu said his horns were small. We stood still and he never saw us. Amazingly, he got to within about 20 yards and then slowly wandered off as another bull was calling He had no idea we were standing there. We ran into several shootable impalas but every time the sticks went up, they bolted. Munsu called Sampson and we got on the back of the truck to ride around and try and spot something. We topped a small hill and about 400 yards in front of us an impala ram was grazing by the side of the road. We quickly stopped, and jumping off the truck, slowly headed toward the impala just inside the row of bushes by the road. At 150 yards we saw he had moved to the other side of the road completely unaware of us and walking directly away. Munsu set up the sticks but I could not get a shot except through the impala’s rear. Munsu whistled and the impala turned slightly giving me a severe but slight angle. I lined up and squeezed the trigger. I heard the bullet thump and the impala lurched forward, fell down, but was up in an instant and ran back into the bush from where he came. We walked up to where I had hit him and found no blood. I was heartbroken thinking I had shot too far back. Munsu told us to stay on the road while he sorted out the track. He started into the bush and the suddenly turned around with his hand out to shake my hand. I was not understanding at first but then he said congratulations. I looked and there 10 feet inside the bushes lay the impala. Man, I was happy. He was a nice mature ram.
We took a break for lunch and since it was a hot day, Munsu and Sampson lifted the impala and threw it in a water trough to keep it cool to prevent the hide from spoiling. After lunch we took off again looking for Kudu or whatever else we could find. Alternating between riding and walking we saw a couple of Kudu but nothing worth following up. The sun was starting to get low and when we were riding on the back of the truck, off in the distance, Jeremy and Munsu spotted several animals in the road. I could not see them. Probably in excess of 800 yards. Munsu glassed them and said “Gemsbok.” We jumped off the vehicle and started the stalk, staying about 50 yards inside the brush line. After about 400 yards Munsu snuck back to the edge of the road to have a peek. Still there. We advanced about 200 more yards and Munsu checked again. Nothing. They had moved backed into the bush. Slowly inching our way towards the area we hoped they were located, Munsu stopped short and slowly set up the sticks, motioning that a gemsbok was looking at us. I took aim and could see nothing. As the sun was almost directly in front of us, the glare through the scope was severe. Never mind, as Munsu gathered up the sticks and whispered they were moving off to the right. We followed on a parallel path stopping behind a large bush. Rising up we could make out two horn tips A gemsbok was facing us looking hard in our direction. We kept down and in a couple of minutes he turned and walked off to the right. We slowly followed them, and seeing a small opening in the bush about 100 yards distant Munsu put down the sticks and told me to aim at the clearing. He would tell me when to shoot as there would only be a second or two for a clear shot. A few moments later a gemsbok appeared, crossing to where I could see his vitals. Munsu urged me to shoot and I fired, the gemsbok turning slightly from the impact before running off. “You hit him hard,” Munsu said. Waiting a couple of minutes, we picked up the trail. There was lots of blood and Jeremy saw a couple of drops in the sand going off to the right as the herd had veered to the left. Following that, we found the gemsbok a short distance away. I was elated but as I walked around to get a better view, I was crushed. The left horn was long and thin, indicating a female. The right horn was short, deformed, bent at a severe angle to the rear, and splintered in 3 places. Making a split second decision, Munsu had not realized the horn deformity. I was concentrating on the shot and honestly never looked at the horns. Munsu explained that this would not count towards my license and I could shoot another gemsbok if I desired.
Loading up the gemsbok and retrieving the impala, we head back to camp. Upon arrival Pieter met us and confirmed that I could shoot another one. Still, I was sad for how it turned out. It was a great stalk, a lot of cat and mouse. The true essence of hunting. Dinner that night was impala sausage. We also had a surprise. I had talked to Delmarie the previous day and told her today was Jeremy’s birthday. She made a cake with candles on it and we all sang happy birthday to him.
Day 5 Good fortune
Looking for: warthog, kudu, gemsbok, wildebeest
We arrived at a new area looking for kudu but also anything else that was on my list. We started off walking and quickly encountered 3 wildebeest bulls. They were curious toward us and did not bolt right away. Munsu said they all had small horns so we did not follow them. Walking a little farther on, we rounded a bush and staring at us about 80 yards away was a gemsbok. Munsu snuck a few yards closer to get a better angle. I got the rifle on the tripod and was just starting to pull the trigger when Munsu whispered for me to hold. A second gemsbok appeared behind the first and he did not want to risk the bullet passing through the first and wounding the second. I held off, hoping they would not turn and run. In a few moments the second gemsbok moved up to the right beside the first one. “Take the one on the left,” Munsu whispered. I aimed and took the shot. The gemsbok dropped as if it was poleaxed. Reloading and keeping my scope on it in case it arose, we waited until we were sure it was going to stay down. We approached slowly and even though the gemsbok was almost gone, I put another round into it mostly as a precaution from it sharp horns. It was a nice male with the characteristic shorter but thick horn style that males have.
After pictures, we decided to hunt a little longer but if we did not see anything within a couple of hours we would return to the lodge and drop the gemsbok off as it was a hot day. We took off on the truck hoping to find a kudu. We did just that as approaching a water hole a cow kudu took off with 2 bulls trailing, one smaller, and one that had good horns. We jumped of the truck with Munsu picking up the track. Following for a few hundred yards in rocky, thick terrain we eventually lost them, returned to the truck, and headed to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon we tried the same property, again searching for a kudu. We drove around for a while and rounding a corner came across some kudu in the edge of the bush. Sampson backed up to try and flush them out and suddenly a magnificent male jumped out onto the road, ran a few yards, and stopped to look back at us. His horns were enormous. ‘Hold off,” Munsu cautioned. “You can’t shoot him, it is a breeding bull. Wait to see if another comes out.” On cue another smaller but still nice bull appeared. Unlike the first he never stopped to look back. Back to searching we went until almost dark. We saw some other kudu but every time we got close, they ran off. We were almost ready to call it a day when a group of about a dozen wildebeest took off from the edge of the road and stopped to watch us about 100 yards out. The bushes were low and there was no way we could stalk them without being seen. Munsu asked if I could shoot if he turned sideways off the back of the truck and I rested my rifle on his shoulder. I told him I would get in position and see. I flipped around behind him and put the gun on his shoulder. Peering through the scope I was not wobbling too bad so I told him I thought I could hit the wildebeest. Looking back, it was pretty dumb as my feet were dangling off the truck and I was not anchored very well. I squeezed the trigger and at the shot the herd dashed madly away. Munsu looked back and said he thought I entirely missed as just before the shot he felt the rifle lift off of his shoulder. We walked out to where the herd was standing and Munsu started to track them. It eventully got too dark but he was pretty confident I had missed, which actually made me feel better as I did not want to deal with a wounded animal. We decided to come back in the morning to confirm this. Afterward we both laughed at our stupidity, agreeing never to attempt such a stunt again. We left for the lodge and had a dinner of roast oxtail.
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