Stretch
AH fanatic
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2012
- Messages
- 623
- Reaction score
- 141
- Media
- 29
- Hunted
- USA , Canada, New Zealand, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia
I was living the dream as we were once again on our way to Africa. Actually, I never really left Africa. What I mean is that since the first time I experienced her allure, she became indelibly tattooed to my heart. It fuels a desire to return again and again. A consummate hunger I can’t seem to satisfy. There is something about Africa that gives me a feeling of truly being alive. We were far from home, yet it seemed to be like we were at home. This would be my 7th trek to Africa, but my first to the East Cape. Our plan was to spend the first half of our adventure experiencing the flora and fauna surrounding Addo Elephant and Mountain Zebra National Parks, followed by the second half where I would be hunting with @KMG Hunting Safaris with Marius Goosen as my professional hunter (PH).
My wife, Michele and I flew into Johannesburg where we caught another flight to our destination in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) on the East Cape of Africa. Marius recommended Elephant Tours and Safaris where the owner Diesel Du Preez picked us up to kick off the first half of our much anticipated excursion. I love hunting, but when one visits Africa it’s important to experience as much as possible because she offers so much. As we headed towards our destination I couldn’t help but notice how different the East Cape was from the previous areas we had been to. Here it was green, lush and mountainous, which was in stark contrast to the dry desert savanna and bushveld of north-central South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The Eastern Cape is one of the most diverse regions in the world where six distinct biomes converge. This unique mosaic is found nowhere else on the African continent. I found myself muttering in total awe and sheer amazement.
As we traveled Diesel shared his vast knowledge of this area he calls home. Arriving at our first night’s accommodations we immediately could see they were much more than ample. Luxury tents included a queen size bed with a thick comforter that would come in handy with the cool nighttime temperatures. We turned in for the night knowing the next day held promise of a magical day in Africa.
It’s difficult for me to describe the feeling of waking to the first morning sunrise in Africa. The anticipation had become reality. Here we were about to embark on the journey that fills my being. Yes, this promised land got ahold of me a long time ago and the passion hasn’t waned. I was living my dream. From our tent we spied hippo, impala, elephant, wildebeest and zebra. I watched Michele absorbing the moment. She was all smiles and in awe of this paradise.
After breakfast we headed to Addo Elephant National park. This huge wilderness area is Africa’s third largest game reserve, covering a whooping 445,000 acres. Originally founded in 1931 there were just 11 surviving elephants due to relentless poaching. Today the herd has now grown to more than 600 Elephants. The weather was comfortably cool, starting out about 40F then rising to 60F midday. Most people I talked to have the illusion that Africa is extremely hot, but not so during the winter months of June, July and August. We liked this weather, although a light jacket came in handy. We made the most of the short 10 hours of daylight seeing a multitude of animals including Elephant, Hippo, Kudu, Wildebeest, Cape buffalo, Red hartebeest, Zebra plus many other iconic African animals. We even got lucky when a brown hyena made its presence known. It even stuck around just long enough for a quick photo. The array of animals and birds we saw was simply amazing. This park is a must-see special place. When the daylight waned a campfire and dinner ended a perfect day.
The next day started early with another captivating sunrise. After breakfast it was off to yet another photo safari on a private game reserve where we hoped to see a wild cheetah. We had contributed to Cheetah Conservation Project where wild cheetah are radio collared in order to scientifically track and study these elusive cats. These tracking collars are specialized devices that transmit location via radio signals. We were briefed that even though they had tracking collars, there was no guarantee that we could find a signal in the huge area the cats roam. Imagine our delight when later that morning a signal was detected. The feeling inside was intense as we slowly approached a female with her seven month old cubs. As we were quietly observing a springbok herd appeared. The female mother went into hunt mode. She soon took chase and managed to catch a small springbok. To say a cheetah is fast is a gross understatement. As I glanced towards Michele I could see she was simply beaming with joy. Seeing a cheetah in the wild was a bucket list passion of hers. What a special event to share with my bride.
That afternoon found us traveling through the Winterberg mountains. We were headed to yet another game reserve where our private accommodations were nicely tucked into the African bush. We stood on the deck as two Kudu bulls made their way through the bush below. The day ended with a rousing dinner under a star filled sky. I couldn’t help but feel blessed. I was almost overwhelmed with gratitude to be in Africa with Michele by my side.
The next day we woke to a spectacular sunrise highlighting the mountains to the east. Today we would be spending our time at Zebra Mountain National Park. This wilderness area was established in 1937 as a reserve to protect the once endangered Cape Mountain Zebra. At that time only five stallions and one mare remained in the area. Today the reserve boasts several hundred Zebra. What many non-hunters don’t realize is that regulated hunting is not and has never been the reason animals have become endangered. The main factors in population declines are poaching and habitat loss. In fact, hunter’s dollars account for whooping 82% of revenue for conservation. The hunting sector is a massive economic driver in South Africa contributing approximately 2.5 billion USD annually. Hunter expenditures are the real backbone of financing today’s thriving wildlife populations, protecting habitat and deterring poachers.
This chilly 35F morning started with us once again anticipating a Cheetah sighting. We were to embark on our 2nd Cheetah Conservation Project where a female with five cubs was radio collared. The rangers told us that a scientist had for seven day previously attempted to locate, yet failed to find them. Luck was shinning on us as mid-morning a transmitter tracking signal indicated their location. The armed rangers lead us on a brisk hike up a steep koppie (rocky outcrop) Once again we were in the proximity of a group of wild Cheetahs. It was surreal as Michele photographed these stunning animals. After that we spent the rest of the day exploring Mountain Zebra National Park. During the day we were fortunate to observe 18 different animal species as well as countless birds. The highlight animal was the Cape Mountain Zebra which is a distinct sub-species that only occurs in the rugged mountainous region. The first thing I noticed is the mule like stature with closely spaced, narrow black stripes that extend all the way down to their hoofs. Unlike other sub-species the hoofs are pointed, which are perfectly formed for climbing this unforgiving rocky terrain. This uncrowded reserve offers so much for those who enjoy nature. Our smiles told the real story of what we thought of this amazing place.
To be continued...
My wife, Michele and I flew into Johannesburg where we caught another flight to our destination in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) on the East Cape of Africa. Marius recommended Elephant Tours and Safaris where the owner Diesel Du Preez picked us up to kick off the first half of our much anticipated excursion. I love hunting, but when one visits Africa it’s important to experience as much as possible because she offers so much. As we headed towards our destination I couldn’t help but notice how different the East Cape was from the previous areas we had been to. Here it was green, lush and mountainous, which was in stark contrast to the dry desert savanna and bushveld of north-central South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The Eastern Cape is one of the most diverse regions in the world where six distinct biomes converge. This unique mosaic is found nowhere else on the African continent. I found myself muttering in total awe and sheer amazement.
As we traveled Diesel shared his vast knowledge of this area he calls home. Arriving at our first night’s accommodations we immediately could see they were much more than ample. Luxury tents included a queen size bed with a thick comforter that would come in handy with the cool nighttime temperatures. We turned in for the night knowing the next day held promise of a magical day in Africa.
It’s difficult for me to describe the feeling of waking to the first morning sunrise in Africa. The anticipation had become reality. Here we were about to embark on the journey that fills my being. Yes, this promised land got ahold of me a long time ago and the passion hasn’t waned. I was living my dream. From our tent we spied hippo, impala, elephant, wildebeest and zebra. I watched Michele absorbing the moment. She was all smiles and in awe of this paradise.
After breakfast we headed to Addo Elephant National park. This huge wilderness area is Africa’s third largest game reserve, covering a whooping 445,000 acres. Originally founded in 1931 there were just 11 surviving elephants due to relentless poaching. Today the herd has now grown to more than 600 Elephants. The weather was comfortably cool, starting out about 40F then rising to 60F midday. Most people I talked to have the illusion that Africa is extremely hot, but not so during the winter months of June, July and August. We liked this weather, although a light jacket came in handy. We made the most of the short 10 hours of daylight seeing a multitude of animals including Elephant, Hippo, Kudu, Wildebeest, Cape buffalo, Red hartebeest, Zebra plus many other iconic African animals. We even got lucky when a brown hyena made its presence known. It even stuck around just long enough for a quick photo. The array of animals and birds we saw was simply amazing. This park is a must-see special place. When the daylight waned a campfire and dinner ended a perfect day.
The next day started early with another captivating sunrise. After breakfast it was off to yet another photo safari on a private game reserve where we hoped to see a wild cheetah. We had contributed to Cheetah Conservation Project where wild cheetah are radio collared in order to scientifically track and study these elusive cats. These tracking collars are specialized devices that transmit location via radio signals. We were briefed that even though they had tracking collars, there was no guarantee that we could find a signal in the huge area the cats roam. Imagine our delight when later that morning a signal was detected. The feeling inside was intense as we slowly approached a female with her seven month old cubs. As we were quietly observing a springbok herd appeared. The female mother went into hunt mode. She soon took chase and managed to catch a small springbok. To say a cheetah is fast is a gross understatement. As I glanced towards Michele I could see she was simply beaming with joy. Seeing a cheetah in the wild was a bucket list passion of hers. What a special event to share with my bride.
That afternoon found us traveling through the Winterberg mountains. We were headed to yet another game reserve where our private accommodations were nicely tucked into the African bush. We stood on the deck as two Kudu bulls made their way through the bush below. The day ended with a rousing dinner under a star filled sky. I couldn’t help but feel blessed. I was almost overwhelmed with gratitude to be in Africa with Michele by my side.
The next day we woke to a spectacular sunrise highlighting the mountains to the east. Today we would be spending our time at Zebra Mountain National Park. This wilderness area was established in 1937 as a reserve to protect the once endangered Cape Mountain Zebra. At that time only five stallions and one mare remained in the area. Today the reserve boasts several hundred Zebra. What many non-hunters don’t realize is that regulated hunting is not and has never been the reason animals have become endangered. The main factors in population declines are poaching and habitat loss. In fact, hunter’s dollars account for whooping 82% of revenue for conservation. The hunting sector is a massive economic driver in South Africa contributing approximately 2.5 billion USD annually. Hunter expenditures are the real backbone of financing today’s thriving wildlife populations, protecting habitat and deterring poachers.
This chilly 35F morning started with us once again anticipating a Cheetah sighting. We were to embark on our 2nd Cheetah Conservation Project where a female with five cubs was radio collared. The rangers told us that a scientist had for seven day previously attempted to locate, yet failed to find them. Luck was shinning on us as mid-morning a transmitter tracking signal indicated their location. The armed rangers lead us on a brisk hike up a steep koppie (rocky outcrop) Once again we were in the proximity of a group of wild Cheetahs. It was surreal as Michele photographed these stunning animals. After that we spent the rest of the day exploring Mountain Zebra National Park. During the day we were fortunate to observe 18 different animal species as well as countless birds. The highlight animal was the Cape Mountain Zebra which is a distinct sub-species that only occurs in the rugged mountainous region. The first thing I noticed is the mule like stature with closely spaced, narrow black stripes that extend all the way down to their hoofs. Unlike other sub-species the hoofs are pointed, which are perfectly formed for climbing this unforgiving rocky terrain. This uncrowded reserve offers so much for those who enjoy nature. Our smiles told the real story of what we thought of this amazing place.
To be continued...
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