SOUTH AFRICA: I'm back from safari #1

[Stormy Kromer]

The pics are better if you click on them to open.

I forgot to mention our flights. We live in Southwestern Minnesota, a little over 100 miles west of Minneapolis. We are about 100 miles NE of Sioux Falls, SD. We chose to fly out of Sioux Falls for many reasons. United flies out of there so we could get to Chicago then to Newark to make flight 188 across the ocean to SA.

We chose Sioux Falls because it is so easy to get to. Parking is walking distance to the terminal and only $9 per day. There is also a hotel (Aerostay) attached to the terminal. We had a 7:45 am flight and we went the night before and stayed overnight. In the morning we got a cart from the lobby, loaded up our luggage and wheeled it from our room through the hotel lobby to the United desk and checked in. Took the rifle to the TSA agent a few steps away and got it inspected and locked back up and he took it to the back to get on the plane. With that completed, we walked back to hotel lobby (about 100 yards) and had a nice breakfast and waited til it was time to go through security and board the plane.

I would stay there and fly out of Sioux Falls again even if it was further away than other options such as Minneapolis.

On the return flight we left SA at 10:00 pm Friday evening. We landed in Sioux Falls at 10:30 pm Saturday. Over 30 hours of travel in airports and planes. It was great to grab our gear and walk to the attached hotel, check in and sleep for a solid 8 hours get up have a leisurely breakfast, walk through the parking lot to pick up our vehicle and drive home. Very simple. Its a good thing we stayed over night. I couldn't pick up my rifle until the United gate was open the next morning. Firearms go to a special locked room when removed from the plane. They were closed when we landed at 10:30 the night before. Next morning I went to the gate, showed them my ID and they handed me my rifle case. United did a good job. TSA can be a pain, especially upon reentry to the US at Newark, I didn't know you had to recheck your bags and go through security after you clear customs. Its just the way it is. Africa was easy.

 

[Fatback]

Congrats on some fine trophies.

 

[ILDRHNTR]

Awesome! Thank you so much for the details and current info. Congrats on such a group of great animals. My son and I are preparing for our first, leaving in 86 days and 4 minutes. Thanks for keeping us excited (like we need much help with that ).
The pics are superb!!!

 

[Stormy Kromer]

In the words of my favorite auther....."Hell I was There!" Elmer Keith.

I'm not even close but if I can do anything to help a fellow hunter I will. I only want everyone to enjoy themselves on a hunt. Thanks to everyone who helped me.

 

[R.M.C.]

Sounds like a great trip, congrats!!! Very nice animals!!

 

[Buffalo1]

Great summarization of trip- great writeup about hunt- beautiful trophy photos. Well done !!

So the question is- when ya going back ?

 

[CAustin]

Congratulations on the first hunt. Now go again and your hooked.

 

[Mike B. 216]

Congratulations on your hunt and great info for going to Africa for the first time.

 

[Frederik]

Nice detailed report love the kudu bull.

 

[FrontLines]

Congrats, glad to have you back.

 

[t_stomski]

Sorry for the quality of the photos. I don't know what happened, I have good ones that I'll be printing off.

To answer a couple questions posted.

My gun case is a metal locking case that I bought at Cabela's store in Owatonna, MN about 20 years ago. It has a rod that goes through 4 loops and folds down to give you room to put in your own lock. Its a great case, I looked at Cabela's site and can't find it anymore. I did see one on sale on Ebay for $100, that's a good deal.

For papers, cash, passport and credit cards I used a Blocking Passport with neck stash manufactured by RFTD. They're $11.99 on Amazon. Worked great, I wore it around my neck and tucked it under my shirt. I always knew exactly where everything was and it was safe.

Hey bud, congrats on your trip. I'll be flying to Johannesburg, and I also booked a room at City's Lodge Hotel. Then, I'll have a connecting flight to Port Elizabeth next morning. Is there any problems traveling with a rifle? Do they lock guns in separate room, for example? I'm concerned about leaving it in a hotel room and going for dinner, for example. Can you expand a little bit on that. Thank bud.

 

[Katy Darren]

As for sleeping on the long flight, I’ve flown internationally for business and pleasure for about 25 years now and unless in business/first rarely sleep. Premium economy has the same problem, sitting up on a flight just makes it almost impossible for me.

However just this past year I (or more accurately my wife) discovered what I’d call almost a game changer that we used on a flight to Buenos Aires as we were on our Antarctica adventure. It’s a neck wrap called a Trtl that allows you to position and rest your head while sitting up so it’s not flopping around. That and some sleep aid, whatever works for you - wine, melatonin, CBD, NyQuil, something, plus I use wax earplugs and a sleep mask and we found ourselves getting a few hours of sleep. That’s why I say ‘almost’ a game changer, there’s no miracle but getting 3-4 hours of sleep vs basically none makes a nice difference.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I didn't have any trouble with the rifle in Johannesburg, we used Rifle Permits and they walked us from the airport, through police security and then right to the front desk at City Lodge. We left the rifle in our locked room and went down for dinner. I felt safe, I didn't ask the desk if they had a safe room, they might.

Don't miss the breakfast buffet, it opens early.

 

[t_stomski]

I didn't have any trouble with the rifle in Johannesburg, we used Rifle Permits and they walked us from the airport, through police security and then right to the front desk at City Lodge. We left the rifle in our locked room and went down for dinner. I felt safe, I didn't ask the desk if they had a safe room, they might.

Don't miss the breakfast buffet, it opens early.

Cool. Thank you.

 

[MAdcox]

Congratulations on a great first trip and thanks for the write up, excellent animals.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Your PH was not wrong. Those are very fine animals. Wasn't the gemsbuck a cow? Nothing wrong with that - they generally have longer horns. The horns on yours looked slender for a bull. Extremely nice one. Extremely! And that kudu is a beauty!

I strongly suggest buying headphones for the trip. Those airline ear buds are junk. I picked up a pair of cheap collapsible headphones from Dollar Store and they work great.

I can handle the long flights and layovers. I'm used to driving straight through to Montana every fall to hunt. Usually about 24 hrs. But I'm a beast.

Stormy's Cabelas gun case is same as Kalispel gun case. They are still in business.

I hunt there in August at the height of winter to avoid snakes and bugs. Three times and I've yet to see a snake of any sort. When I arrived at the lodge for my first trip I saw a dead mosquito in the bathroom sink and not one since. You will need a warm change of clothes that time of year.

I recall that my ammo case could not be inside checked baggage when I left Joberg. Might have been the airline's requirement.

I had to chuckle. When arriving there this last time, my PHASA guy and I were at the police station to check in my guns. Some rich American with a distinctive accent (you can connect the dots) was arguing very loudly with the officer in charge, insisting that it was his American constitutional right to put ammo in his gun case, gonna call the US ambassador, blah, blah, blah. This jerk had a gun and scope worth as much as a good used truck! My PHASA guy, who rarely spoke a word, turned to me and rolled his eyes ever so slightly. The sergeant just silently waved the safari costume idiot aside and took care of us. "Hey, I'm gonna miss my plane!" he screamed. Yeah, I think that was a foregone conclusion at that point. Then what? They don't let you wander around with a gun case in Joberg airport! Just be a nice person and everything will go smoothly.

 

[jlb1036]

excellent experience and thank you for sharing
I'm planning to return for my second safari august 2023
plains game and cape buffalo with my new 470 nitro DOUBLE

 

[Art Lambart II]

Nice write up

 

[Katy Darren]

...........

I had to chuckle. When arriving there this last time, my PHASA guy and I were at the police station to check in my guns. Some rich American with a distinctive accent (you can connect the dots) was arguing very loudly with the officer in charge, insisting that it was his American constitutional right to put ammo in his gun case, gonna call the US ambassador, blah, blah, blah. This jerk had a gun and scope worth as much as a good used truck! My PHASA guy, who rarely spoke a word, turned to me and rolled his eyes ever so slightly. The sergeant just silently waved the safari costume idiot aside and took care of us. "Hey, I'm gonna miss my plane!" he screamed. Yeah, I think that was a foregone conclusion at that point. Then what? They don't let you wander around with a gun case in Joberg airport! Just be a nice person and everything will go smoothly.

That was me and I don’t appreciate your view on that situation!







JK

 

[Osama Mahdi]

We share the same PH. Currently a friend
Nice report I love it