matt vejar
AH veteran
I hunted the Kowie /Kariega conservancy near Port Alfred this past September 23-29 with Wolma Kemp (Kempe) - as he is called. This was a specialty hunt for Caracal and Blue Duiker with dogs and night hunting for Cape Grysbok and the first Common Reedbuck allowed to be taken off the conservancy. All hunting was free range in this very large conservancy that is parceled all around Port Alfred with the main ranch’s and pineapple farms that I hunted near Bathurst and the famous Pig and something pup/restaurant. Oldest licensed Pup in RSA I’m told.
After a two hour drive up from Port Elizabeth we headed to a ranch where the manager of the conservancy-Jeff -was waiting for us to look for the Common Reedbuck. We made a 30 minute stalk trying to keep position as the animal was bordering another ranch where he could not be hunted. We also had several Oribi to contend with. This conservancy is loaded with Oribi for anyone looking to add this dainty antelope to their collection. They only have two tags a year so a premium animal for sure. Anyways about a hundred yard shot from 375 into the chest with a solid and 10 yd stumble - trophy one in the salt
Day 1
We we’re leaving at 7:00 in the morning to drive out to the conservancy when the phone rang and it was Jeff saying the dogs had treed a cat and to come quickly. Upon arrival we could hear the dogs barking a ways up the mountain and we quickly loaded the 12 gauge with #1’s and headed up a very steep hill/mountain. After about a two hundred yard climb I was in position to shoot breathing pretty hard. Kempe had said to hold center mass as the shot was maybe 30 feet to the top branch where the cat was laying broadside. I could see most of cat and touched off the shot. The cat dropped like he was dead, but regained his footing and off he went. The dogs retread him some 200 yds later and just barely up the mountain. I could not believe I had made such a poor shot. Anyways the next shot was very clear and it blew a small hole in his stomach and fortunately the cat got hung up by its paw and was stone dead. The tracker freed the cat and not blemish on the skin from the dogs. This was a very large Caracal male. Full body mount for sure. I can’t express how professional the hounds man and his crew were. He works for Jeff full time and the conservancy take numerous Caracal off a year. This has helped increase all game populations and they plan to take many Caracal off this year as well. No shortage of cats here. When they skinned the cat the first shot took a lot of deflection or a bad shell as skin showed a few pellets in the leg and chest and 1 pellet right between the eyes!!!
The cat was takin by Bulu- the skinner- to the skinning shed. We carried on to a pineapple plantation within the conservancy where we met up with Rod -retired teacher- who leaves on the plantation and has his own pack of Dogs to hunt Blue Duiker. Basically the hunting method is two drop the dogs off at the top of the ravines between plantation fields in this hilly region and push the animal to the waiting hunters usually some 500 yards or so down the ravine. This fast action shotgunning is something else. Thick vegetation and swift moving animals make connecting difficult. When the first push produced an animal screaming by I could see how the previous client had not connected until the seventh shot. I was lucky on the third push the Blue Duiker who was running some 30-
50 yards in front of the dogs-turned towards me and I shot it at maybe 20 feet in front of me. Rod had told me to aim low and this was good advice as he stated that most people shoot over the very small target-big rabbit size at most. The bounding animals make for frequent misses. Lucky this area is going to give you multiple chances and Kempe says usually 2 days is all that’s needed. I have never hunted with dogs before and can’t emphasize how professional and organized this part of the hunt was. Two key animals down by noon day 1.
The weather forecast was to turn cold and windy for the next few days and although it really wasn’t all that bad any amount of cold and wind at night really makes Cape Grysbok hunting a very tough hunt. We stayed at his friends beautiful home in the Port Alfred Marina so not your typical hunting lodge. As I was hunting any other species during the day we did some sightseeing and luckily one Saturday was the Springboks we’re playing the All Blacks in rugby and Argentina played Australia so it was like Super Bowl Sunday all day. Derek the chef put out some great food - as he did everyday- without question he his the best chef I’ve had in Africa period.
Day 4 we finally connected on the Cape Grysbok on a calm windless night just 30 minutes into the darkness of the night. We had only seen 1 female the first evening although other game was present. They kept telling me it was going to be tough because of the weather but I really had no idea spotlighting could ever be that tough. Anyways they take 12 Cape Grysbok a year on quota and I was the last one. It was an easy shot of maybe 40 yards but I had told Darrel - Jeff’s son and the man running the spotlight- just one chance is all I want and thank goodness it happened. Probably the most carefully placed shot I’ve taken!
Rowland Ward at 3”!!!! Couldn’t be happier after 3 long cold nights in the back of a truck.
The last three days were spent at Kempe’s lodge near Uttenhage where I took an Impala and looked for a big warthog but rain and cold made for tough hunting. We did see some monster Cape Kudu but they had filled the quota of 6 or 7, but most high forty inch kudu I have seen in East Cape. The lodge extremely nice and anyone looking for a big kudu you’ll probably score their if you can hold off shooting an average one. Also lots of big bushbuck and Duiker. Go during the rut as bush is really thick. This property is around 7,000 acres.
I called several references before I booked hunt and all gave the highest testimony you’ll ever get about an outfitter/PH. Well I can tell you it is well deserved and they steered me in the right direction. Kempe is a top notch guide and the people he works with like Jeff, Darrell and Rod ( and their hounds man) are going to give you 100% effort and no less. Port Alfred is a top area for the animals I took as well as bushpig and Oribi.
Kempe is fun to hunt with and great just to hang out with -as are Bulu and Derek his two right hand men. He uses two fox terriers Rigby and Ziess if you make a bad shot. This is definitely a hunt to take the wife on as accommodations are not gonna get any better than the Port Alfred Marina home we stayed at!!!!
Looking forward to hunting Red Duiker and Suni with Kempe up in Kwa-Zulu Natal in the near future.
After a two hour drive up from Port Elizabeth we headed to a ranch where the manager of the conservancy-Jeff -was waiting for us to look for the Common Reedbuck. We made a 30 minute stalk trying to keep position as the animal was bordering another ranch where he could not be hunted. We also had several Oribi to contend with. This conservancy is loaded with Oribi for anyone looking to add this dainty antelope to their collection. They only have two tags a year so a premium animal for sure. Anyways about a hundred yard shot from 375 into the chest with a solid and 10 yd stumble - trophy one in the salt
Day 1
We we’re leaving at 7:00 in the morning to drive out to the conservancy when the phone rang and it was Jeff saying the dogs had treed a cat and to come quickly. Upon arrival we could hear the dogs barking a ways up the mountain and we quickly loaded the 12 gauge with #1’s and headed up a very steep hill/mountain. After about a two hundred yard climb I was in position to shoot breathing pretty hard. Kempe had said to hold center mass as the shot was maybe 30 feet to the top branch where the cat was laying broadside. I could see most of cat and touched off the shot. The cat dropped like he was dead, but regained his footing and off he went. The dogs retread him some 200 yds later and just barely up the mountain. I could not believe I had made such a poor shot. Anyways the next shot was very clear and it blew a small hole in his stomach and fortunately the cat got hung up by its paw and was stone dead. The tracker freed the cat and not blemish on the skin from the dogs. This was a very large Caracal male. Full body mount for sure. I can’t express how professional the hounds man and his crew were. He works for Jeff full time and the conservancy take numerous Caracal off a year. This has helped increase all game populations and they plan to take many Caracal off this year as well. No shortage of cats here. When they skinned the cat the first shot took a lot of deflection or a bad shell as skin showed a few pellets in the leg and chest and 1 pellet right between the eyes!!!
The cat was takin by Bulu- the skinner- to the skinning shed. We carried on to a pineapple plantation within the conservancy where we met up with Rod -retired teacher- who leaves on the plantation and has his own pack of Dogs to hunt Blue Duiker. Basically the hunting method is two drop the dogs off at the top of the ravines between plantation fields in this hilly region and push the animal to the waiting hunters usually some 500 yards or so down the ravine. This fast action shotgunning is something else. Thick vegetation and swift moving animals make connecting difficult. When the first push produced an animal screaming by I could see how the previous client had not connected until the seventh shot. I was lucky on the third push the Blue Duiker who was running some 30-
The weather forecast was to turn cold and windy for the next few days and although it really wasn’t all that bad any amount of cold and wind at night really makes Cape Grysbok hunting a very tough hunt. We stayed at his friends beautiful home in the Port Alfred Marina so not your typical hunting lodge. As I was hunting any other species during the day we did some sightseeing and luckily one Saturday was the Springboks we’re playing the All Blacks in rugby and Argentina played Australia so it was like Super Bowl Sunday all day. Derek the chef put out some great food - as he did everyday- without question he his the best chef I’ve had in Africa period.
Day 4 we finally connected on the Cape Grysbok on a calm windless night just 30 minutes into the darkness of the night. We had only seen 1 female the first evening although other game was present. They kept telling me it was going to be tough because of the weather but I really had no idea spotlighting could ever be that tough. Anyways they take 12 Cape Grysbok a year on quota and I was the last one. It was an easy shot of maybe 40 yards but I had told Darrel - Jeff’s son and the man running the spotlight- just one chance is all I want and thank goodness it happened. Probably the most carefully placed shot I’ve taken!
Rowland Ward at 3”!!!! Couldn’t be happier after 3 long cold nights in the back of a truck.
The last three days were spent at Kempe’s lodge near Uttenhage where I took an Impala and looked for a big warthog but rain and cold made for tough hunting. We did see some monster Cape Kudu but they had filled the quota of 6 or 7, but most high forty inch kudu I have seen in East Cape. The lodge extremely nice and anyone looking for a big kudu you’ll probably score their if you can hold off shooting an average one. Also lots of big bushbuck and Duiker. Go during the rut as bush is really thick. This property is around 7,000 acres.
I called several references before I booked hunt and all gave the highest testimony you’ll ever get about an outfitter/PH. Well I can tell you it is well deserved and they steered me in the right direction. Kempe is a top notch guide and the people he works with like Jeff, Darrell and Rod ( and their hounds man) are going to give you 100% effort and no less. Port Alfred is a top area for the animals I took as well as bushpig and Oribi.
Kempe is fun to hunt with and great just to hang out with -as are Bulu and Derek his two right hand men. He uses two fox terriers Rigby and Ziess if you make a bad shot. This is definitely a hunt to take the wife on as accommodations are not gonna get any better than the Port Alfred Marina home we stayed at!!!!
Looking forward to hunting Red Duiker and Suni with Kempe up in Kwa-Zulu Natal in the near future.
