BOTSWANA: Two Weeks Hunting In The Kalahari With Kanana Safaris

@BRICKBURN looking at your google earth maps you should look into a free mapping program called Q-GIS. This in conjunction with a GPS can really improve your maps including high resolution imagery(1-meter to 1-ft accuray), All this except the GPS unit is free. I use it for work all the time, thought it might interest you.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Sadly, I'm playing on a MAC.

 

@BRICKBURN -Dual Boot the machine and you can run Windows on it as well, or just use the MAC install.

http://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html

 

Thanks.

 

It was decided that the Kudu is getting a new cape to replace the previously mounted version.
So I'll get Kudu version 2.0


The latest news:

January 21, 2016
It is now two years after the face to face with Jason at SCI.
A Gemsbok and Wildebeest skull and horns have been delivered to the taxidermist in South Africa today.

At this point I am not too concerned as I am convinced the correct trophies have previously been stolen.
Funny, how the smaller horns never seem to be stolen or lost.

A bad attitude and a sad legacy attached to a wonderful hunt.

Perhaps pictures are the way to go.

 

This is what showed up in South Africa today.





This is the Gemsbok on the ground. Is this the same one?



The Wildebeest Skull August 2014. Is this the same one?


On the ground

 

I regret to say but the Gemsbok is a definite no.
It seems to me that the Blue Wildebeest is the same but would really need to see a picture similar than the one that you took of your skull to compare and be 100% sure. Can you ask for one?

Really sorry about all that is happening here.

 

Dont think the Gemsbok is the same, the Blue could be the same though.

 

Gemsbok is not yours and i would not waste good money doing anything with the not yours skull... I would not hang it in the house... i probably would not ask for it to be shipped to me and return it or let the taxidermist dispose of it.

Wildebeest appears to be the same.

 

We know how you feel. My wife's first african animal was a blue wildebeest and the one that arrived here definitely was not the same one, very disappoiting for her! Plus we paid all cost associated with getting it here.

 

Appreciate the feedback and condolences. I concur with the impressions expressed thus far.

Not really a fair picture for the Wildebeest.
I am leaning toward it being mine just because of the ridges on the right horn base.

I don't think I got my Gemsbok in the picture at any point in time. Shrinkage or otherwise.
That skull won't be making any further trips that is for sure.

I do not need a replacement sent. At this point in time it no longer matters to me and I am done wasting time and energy on it.
Lesson learned.


I have pictures and memories of a great hunt and I will be focusing on that.

The trophies I want are scheduled to be done and ready to ship in March.
This will be a combination shipment of everything from Botswana 2013, South Africa 2013, and everything from 2015.

 

What a shame that oryx you took was a beast. I do think the blues is your for sure by the marking on the horns.

What lesson have you learned if you dont mind sharing. Would it be on the marking of trophies before you leave or more about the place you picked or something else.

 

I don't think the blue is yours either. The horns on yours are more vertical than what you see in the skull at the taxi. Could be due to drying out, but particularly the horn on the right looks to be pointing much more horizontally or up than what you took.

 

The trophies were all marked by the skinners and I could identify them in the shed. No issues there at all.

My advice: NEVER disregard an unanswered question you have sent anyone. Do not minimize it, make an excuse, pass it off or allow the great reputation of the Outfitter to blind you to potential complications beyond his control that can arise from a simple unanswered question.

In this case I sent copious email requests directly and through colleagues and no one ever got an answer to the exact same reasonable question. An estimate of the cost of shipment for a hypothetical crate of trophies. ie. the package list.

I assumed there were multiple choices to get my taxidermy done in Botswana. Because I had been to South Africa and Namibia, I assumed I knew what was going on.
However, every country is different. You have to relearn it.
There is a defacto monopoly in taxidermy/ D&P in Botswana. That leaves you no alternate choices or options.
Not a great thing to learn after the fact.​

I learned and used that knowledge for my trip to Mozambique and made choices before I left home on the topic of taxidermy.
I'm a slow learner, but I learn.

 

Just for giggles Phil and a fun exercise. Some other pictures.

On the ground in August.





You can see in todays picture the place where the tape has come off the one horn. It is clean and black.
I do think this one is my Blue Wildebeest.
When it comes down to it. I'll see it when it arrives and have a closer look at the horns in my hands and compare it to the pictures.


The Gemsbok on the ground in August 2014 at pick up.
The one on the left looks to be the large based Gemsbok. Not sure about the right horn though.

 

I think some of the nightmares I heard is what kept me from going to places like zim and bost. when hunting was going strong there. Just not as much control on stuff as like in SA and namibia.

So was jason the problem with the emails or just the d/p place. Do you think your right trophies left jason place? Did anyone else in your group have problems or they get there trophies all ok

 

Bill, to be very clear:
JASON WAS NEVER THE PROBLEM, EVER.
He always answers every question and did so with regard to anything I ever asked. He is hands down one of the best I have dealt with. I would hunt with him again in a minute.

South Africa is a saturated market and well developed. Namibia is also well developed, thus all the choices. Botswana is beginning to develop the plains game hunting industry. There are just not a lot of choices for ancillary/support services.
Just know this fact going in.
Less developed = less choices.

To be honest, a few items were ruined due to delays. Not the Outfitters fault.
Given the number of trophies a relatively low percentage. Without the delay they would have been fine.

 

That is good to hear. I only talked with him once and he seemed like a stand up kind of guy to me.

Glad must of the other trophy came out ok.

 

@BRICKBURN, I may getting fooled by the camera angles too. It will be interesting to see how it works out, whatever the case I do hope it's yours.

 

Camera angle changes everything. No one can doubt that.

Thanks Bill.
It is just one more learning experience in the great scheme of hunting in Africa.