Kalahari Safari, A south
African hunt
By Traveler
Traveler and his Orynx
South Africa is a vastly diverse
country, and I have been fortunate to have hunted across our lovely country,
Bushveld, Plains, Desert, and Forest. Each form of hunting has a form of magic
that is totally unique. When I go on these hunts, I will try to do so with some
locals, not so much for their knowledge of the area, as to the extremely
interesting interaction you can have with these people. It is intoxicating to
see our country through the eyes of people you will not meet under normal
circumstances.
There is in my view only one hunt that you have to add to your “to do” list; the
good old Kalahari Safari. When you do go on your Kalahari Safari, go with the
Local Kalahari men. The Kalahari is inhabited by an entertaining group of
people, all of them hardy, and never afraid to work. The best of them coming
from the far north, from the Red Dunes, these old timers tamed the wild
Kalahari. Most of them started farming in the hinterland when they still had to
vie with lions, leopards and hyena on a daily basis for space. Those people are
as hard as nails, the salt of the earth, and wonderful people to spend time
with. We visited a transformed Kalahari in June 2006, a desert that had received
the highest rainfall since 1976.
For an inhabitant of Pretoria, like myself; getting to the Kalahari locals there
is at least 4 hour slog to complete as the first leg, before you are able to
start collecting your hunting partners. This process started for us in Vryburg,
for my wife Nadine (yes, a woman accompanied us on this most holy of male
activities) and myself, met with the first chapter of our hunting partners.
Gielie (with a few fingers missing on his right hand), Neville (our cook, and
camp commandant), Alwyn (a farmer in the Vryburg area), Phillip (owner of a
“geel-apteek”*), Arthur (farmer, car sales man & owner of another liquor store),
and his son Francois (young farmer and qualified mechanic). With some newly
acquired friends we left Vryburg and headed for Kuruman.
Arriving in Kuruman, I headed of to say hallo to another friend, and the rest of
our party headed of to buy whatever they had forgotten at home. In Kuruman we
met 2 more of our group, Gerrit (son of the owner of Hemelstraat, owner of a
transport business and farmer), and Hans (sales person). We were now almost at
full strength and headed out of Kuruman towards Hotazel, and on to Vanzylsrus.
One last member of our party had to join us, and he was in hot pursuit from
Pretoria, Nicol (owner of Mahindra Zambezi in Pretoria).
Our convoy consisted of 1 Toyota Landcruiser (well worn), 1 Mahindra Bolero, 1
Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up and a Volkswagen Syncro Combi. All the bakkies were
pulling trailers, filled to the brim with copious amounts of all things to
overcome thirst, or hunger. Seeing our provisions on hand I was expecting at
least another 10 persons to join our group for 10 days, and not just 4 days.
Turning north from Kuruman we headed for the red dunes of the Kalahari, past van
Zylsrus on the road to the Kalahari Gemsbok Park.
After a few more drinking and braai stops we eventually reached the camp at
Hemelstraat, more than 18,000 hectares of lovely Kalahari dunes, with a few
interspersed rock plates. A recent game count determined there were more than
1,000 Springbok, and more than 200 Gemsbok on Hemelstraat.
Although a permanent structure was 50% completed and could be used for sleeping,
my wife and I decided to sleep inside the tent that we had taken along. For ones
that know desert during winter will know how deep the cold can creep into your
bones. When those bones had broken many times, the cold becomes more unbearable
during the night. The only advice that I can tender for the cold is a K-Way
Gear; jacket, thermal gloves, scarf, beanie, and even sleeping bag. The people
at K-Way know how to make stuff to keep you warm. On this trip they again served
the purpose keeping me warm.
While our fellow camp companions drank into the wee hours of the morning, I
dreamt about a 40 inch Gemsbok.
Day 1 in the field started, not before the sun broke over the horizon, as we are
kind of use to when hunting in the bushveld. We were not sitting, and freezing
our back sides of one some deserted spot awaiting the animals coming around the
corner. First business of the day was to get our “partners in hunt” to awake
from a Klippies induced sleep. Secondly we had a hearty, hearty breakfast that
made sure we would not want to eat sand while in the veldt.
Third order of business, and that was a daily process, replace a leaf spring or
two on the Land Cruiser. Please bear in mind our Land Cruiser of choice was
almost old enough to be part of a museum exhibition. An old SWB, Petrol Bakkie
Cruiser. This old warhorse had been around the block twice and once straight
through the block…
By 11am, we eventually came to the area where we were going to be hunting, and
the day now started in all earnest. Broke up into 3 groups, 2 hunting groups and
one “reserve” group, the reserves keep the drink, and food, and they get the
task to prepare the livers.
The task that lay ahead; 6 Gemsbok, and 35 Springbok to be taken in 2 days of
hunting, approx 12 hours of hunting.
Our group consisted of myself, Nicol van der Walt and Arthur Atwell, our guide
could have not been better, in Gerrit. The manner in which he brought us to the
animals and the way in which he went about his business is unmatched in any hunt
I have been on previously. His knowledge of Springbok and Gemsbok behaviour is
astounding.
In approx 1 hour, Nicol had taken a Springbok ram and also a Gemsbok Bull. Nicol
is a one-gun-man and does his shooting with a .308 Sako fitted with a variable
Tasco Telescope. He used Remington Accelerator Ammunition, on all the animals he
shot on this trip. The effect was really an eye opener. I also later switched to
this rifle when the pressure was on to get Springbok for everybody who put in
money.
Not long into the day I had an opportunity for my Springbok, and it arose in
complete glory. As we came over the top of a dune, the channel was filled with
Springbok. They gave us a slight glance, but made no attempt at running. The
biggest problem with this herd was choosing a good animal that was standing
clear of another animal. The last thing I wanted to do was to shoot an animal,
and wound another. I was very certain that the .50 conical would fly straight
through the thirty odd kg gazelle, even when bone was struck.
After some waiting a beautiful ram presented a perfect broadside shot, I put the
conical low through his shoulder, and he dropped were he stood. I now gained
some confidence as this was the longest shot I had taken on a Black Powder hunt,
85m; up to that point in time.
Approx 2 dunes further Nicol shot his first Gemsbok, a perfect shot in the
centre of the chest, the bull was hit back onto his haunches when the bullet hit
him. This first experience of the day showed how strong and tenacious the
antelope of Africa can be. Later examination showed that the bullet completely
destroyed the heart. But he had not read the script, and ran with the herd, with
us in hot pursuit. The Gemsbok was true to his kind, running for nearly a
kilometer before expiring, and in typical fashion he went down with his back in
a thorny acacia, and his sharp end armed with horns facing us. We took a moment
admiring him, in my mind the undisputed king of African Antelope.
We proceeded with our hunt, and took a few more Springbuck at very long range,
unfortunately none within BP range.
Coming around a corner inside one of the channels between the dunes we came
across another herd of Gemsbok, realizing our intentions might not be pure they
set of a gallop. We followed at a distance, I immediately identified the Gemsbok
I wanted to take, large body, and very wide spreading horns, most definitely the
largest in the herd. After keeping our distance for approx 2km they came up
against a dune and turned for a look at us. Gauging the distance I brought the
cross hair on my telescope to rest where the neck meets the body, and gently
squeezed the trigger of my Ranger; the Gemsbok dropped a short moment later,
having not moved. The conical had struck solidly.
Gerrit quickly drove us up to the animal, as we pulled next, we saw I had shot a
cow, stopping next to her she tried to get up, (much to our shock) later
examination proved that the conical had hit the spine a little low, and broke
the bone, but did not sever the spinal cord. She could not get up, and we
quickly put her down. Measurement showed that she was standing just short of
126m when I shot. The conical had passed on to exit after breaking a vertebrae,
even the thick skin on the neck could not keep the 385gr conical from exiting.
Later measurements on the horns came out at 38,5inches and 38inches
respectively. All present agreed this was one of the largest Gemsbok cows taken
in their presence in many years. Unfortunately the tree in the background does
hide the length of the horns a little. (You cannot eat the horns) Slaughtered
she weighed in at 101,8kg’s 3 days later at the local butcher.
Traveler posing with a Springbok
At that moment I was ready to pack my gun away for the rest of the day, sit back
and appreciate the moment. I had taken the most beautiful of all antelope in her
natural habitat with a muzzle loader. It was a moment to cherish. For a moment I
sat next to that lovely animal, closed my eyes and thanked God for the
opportunity He had granted me in taking this lovely animal in a fair and clean
manner. This animal might not have been an elephant, or buffalo, but the Gemsbok
has always been an antelope that has in some manner fascinated, and enchanted
me. Sitting there next to a large Gemsbok cow, half way up a red Kalahari Dune
was as good as a hunting moment can get.
I had to wake myself from this moment, time to load the Gemsbok, and proceed to
“Die Boom” (The Tree), as spot approx in the middle of the hunting camp, under a
large Camel Thorn Tree. The non-hunting cooking team awaited us there. All the
animals were offloaded at this tree, organs removed and the carcasses rinsed.
After this job, we had a brief lunch and was on our way again. This round
though, I put my smoke pole away, and took a .308, time was pressing and with
approx 7 hours of hunting left between the afternoon and the next day, we were
still 20 Springbok and 3 Gemsbok short of our full bag. On the second part of
Day1 my lovely wife Nadine left “Die Boom” and she joined our hunting party, she
stayed with our group throughout Day2 as well.
The rest of the hunt had a few exciting and even low moments, but they are all
meant for another time around another camp fire.
What is a Kalahari Safari about? Yes, it is about the hunt, and about having fun
in the process, but I have found something more.
It is spending time in the enchanting and harsh Kalahari Dunes, with people who
share a similar and deep respect for this unforgiving landscape. Touching the
desolation of the desert, experiencing the freedom that was experienced by
intrepid explorers 100 years ago in this same landscape, sitting back at night,
to listen to the sounds of the veldt, and to feel small in this huge expanse of
sand that was created by the hand of God, and that has not yet been spoilt by
the hands of Man. Then lastly leaving behind the trappings that make us modern
humans, and if this can be done with a muzzle loader in hand, then every moment
is another bonus.
Returning home on Sunday after 4 days on Hemelstraat was one of the lowest
points for me. I will be able to surrender myself to the life of a hunter for
quite some lengths at a time, even in the great red dunes of the Kalahari.
The bag between 5 guns ended with 6 Gemsbok, 30 Springbok & 1 steenbok.
*geel-apteek is another description used for a liquor store.