BOTSWANA: Botswana Or Bust

[Hunting Hitman]

A last minute opportunity hunt came open and an outfitter I know asked if I could make it happen. I immediately pulled it together and my dream of hunting the giants of Botswana has materialized.

Jumped on a plane yesterday on British Airways out of LAX and am in mid transit to Johannesburg. Needless to say ever time I check in on BA it seems nobody has ever checked a rifle in….75 minutes later I was checked in and happy to get on the flight.

I will keep you all,posted as to the South Africa COVID testing requirements after clearing customs tomorrow. Stay tuned for my 14 day Safari adventure is about to begin.

HH

 

[R.M.C.]

Very cool!! Let us know how it goes!!

 

[WyoBull]

Awesome you were able to take advantage of this opportunity. I'm in for the adventure updates.

 

[sestoppelman]

Enjoy Botswana! My avatar bull was taken there in 1990.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Enjoy and keep us updated

 

[BRICKBURN]

Good luck

 

[Scrumbag]

Enjoy!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Very nice! Have a great trip and shoot straight!

 

[thi9elsp]

Good for you. Looking forward to going on the trip with you from afar.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Quick travel update:
Deplaned in Johannesburg and headed to customs. I was asked for my South African COVID questionnaire and my negative COVID test with QR code. Very quick and easy and did not have to show them any proof of vaccinations. Waiting for plane to Gaborone.

HH

 

[VertigoBE]

Good luck @Hunting Hitman and safe travels!

Looking forward to hearing about your adventures in Botswana. It is a country I know very little about for hunting.

 

[sestoppelman]

Good luck @Hunting Hitman and safe travels!

Looking forward to hearing about your adventures in Botswana. It is a country I know very little about for hunting.

Starting in the early 60's it became a top safari destination and many of the better known PH's from east Africa migrated south to start new companies and open it up to safari.
Sadly the Okavango Delta is closed to hunting now, or was last I heard, but when it was open it was some of the very best hunting in all of Africa.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Update 1:

I arrived in camp in CH8 with Tholo safaris. I have my personal PH Aart Van Den Brink with me as he travels with me on all my dangerous game safaris. The camp is beautiful to say the least and I cannot imagine a better setting for a tented camp.

Our first day out we saw over 30 bull elephants the two largest of the ones seen were a 55 and a 57 pound Bulls. Anywhere else and we would be done but our company PH Steven asures us we can find better.
We made several stalks to get close for better looks and got to within 20-25 yards on all of them.
Other game seen were Zebra, hyena, Warthog, and Eland. There are Lion and leopard tracks all over the place and I am thoroughly impressed with abundance and variety of game.

Dinner the first night was Assorted heavy appetizers by the campfire with copious amount of whiskey. The meal consisted of a bacon and split pea soup with Tomahawk Steak and frites. Desert was a strawberry cheesecake.

After dinner a fine Davidoff Churchill and off for bed.

HH

 

[VertigoBE]

Update 1:

I arrived in camp in CH8 with Tholo safaris. I have my personal PH Aart Van Den Brink with me as he travels with me on all my dangerous game safaris. The camp is beautiful to say the least and I cannot imagine a better setting for a tented camp.
HH

Pardon my uncultured ignorance, but I did not know this was a thing, to bring your own PH on another outfitters hunting concession.

Now that I think of it, never heard of anyone having their own PH either…

 

[Frederik]

Good luck hope you bump into a 100 pounder !!!

 

[IvW]

Pardon my uncultured ignorance, but I did not know this was a thing, to bring your own PH on another outfitters hunting concession.

Now that I think of it, never heard of anyone having their own PH either…

Not un common.....

 

[kdenn]

good luck hunting. keep us updated please.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Update day 2:

Windy this morning and it seemed to have diminished the sightings(14 bulls seen today). We saw a very promising bull just as it was entering some thick stuff and decided to take a look. About 45 minutes later we came upon an absolutely stunning mid 50’s bull and got to within 40 yards. As I wasn’t going to take him there was no need to get closer.
For those of you that have hunted elephants before it will be old news but for anyone thinking about it I wouldn’t hesitate to go for it. Getting up close to these giants is as incredible as it gets.
Typical 78 course dinner…. No really I believe the camp team is personally trying to kill me with all the food, drink and hospitality we’ve been shown on the trip so far.
Dinner tonight was 3 different hot appetizers then butternut squash soup, chicken schnitzel with broccoli cheese, and a guava cheese pudding for desert. A very nice Cohiba and whiskey to cap off the evening and it was off to bed. More tomorrow…

HH

 

[mark-hunter]

While waiting to board the plane from Windhoek en route to home, I am followoing this one closely.
Pls send some photos!
The start of this adventure looks promising!

Keep it coming!

 

[John Telford]

Pardon my uncultured ignorance, but I did not know this was a thing, to bring your own PH on another outfitters hunting concession.

Now that I think of it, never heard of anyone having their own PH either…

Not uncommon- Wilbur Smith always took John Sharp with him as his PH. As long as they have a licence for the country in which they operate (sometimes they also require a work permit) all is good. Good luck with the hunt!