South Africa Safari

Summer 2006

March 2005 Hunting trips can be akin to a spiders web, expanding outward from a central radius in various directions and unknown distances. As an example, this hunt had its origin in and around my successful 2004 Dall Sheep hunt in Alaska in which my friend and guide, Derek Harbula, the second hunter and new friend, Jim Renkema and I schemed and planned for another future hunting adventure together. Dall Sheep had been and always will be my holy grail of hunts, and it cannot be exceeded for excitement or sheer determination of effort and will. Dall Sheep hunters know of what I speak, but someone who has never hunted the majestic white sheep of the north have no comprehension of the intricacies, pain, and effort involved in hunting these animals. I do not know if the word fun aptly describes the hunt. Exciting? Extremely. Rewarding? Certainly. Worthwhile? Absolutely. Fun?????? If extreme physical discomfort, dehydration, and physical breakdowns are fun, then sheep hunting is it. Therefore, a hunt to South Africa melded gently into our minds because, simply put, it would be truly a fun hunt with none of the hardships that we experienced in Alaska. So as the three of us departed Anchorage, we vowed to plan into the future and see the realities of a hunt to the Dark Continent. Over the next few months, my mind worked at a feverish pitch to find a way to make this hunt a reality. When my taxidermy total for the fall exceeded ninety birds, I realized that South Africa was a financial actuality and got the ball rolling by contacting both Derek and Jim to reassert their interest. In South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, most of the plains game hunting is done on concessions which are blocks of land that vary in size to a few square miles, to hundreds of miles squared. I had no interest in hunting small tracts of these concessions, or hunt small high fenced areas. South Africa has discovered the financial feasibility of game animals and has an extensive and aggressive management plan. Due to the value of the wildlife, many ranches have enclosed their boundaries to keep animals in or people out. Some of these fences are simply barbed wire low fences similar to what ranchers have around their pastures in South Dakota. Others have enclosed their wildlife with fences that reach for the sky and make the hunt much too easy for my taste or interest. South African game animals are technically the property of the land owner, and therefore, no license, per se, is required. Management practices have developed into a system that requires pay for each animal and the hunter also pays a daily rate for lodging, food and other services like laundry and game trackers. For example, a hunter may pay a rate of $300 per day for seven days--$2100 totalwhich pays for food, lodging, transportation and all the services required on a safarii.e., the PH, trackers, skinners, etc. Then, the hunter pays a preset price for each animal harvested. The number and different species harvested is totally dependent on the wallet thickness of the hunter. Of course, with any endeavor, these prices are somewhat negotiable and also vary greatly from one PH to another dependent on species availability. There are pros and cons to this system. On the positive side of the ledger, if no animals are harvested, you pay no extra money. In Alaska, during the summer of 2002, I

spent close to what I will for this entire safari and had nothing more to show for it than a wonderful experience. No license fees are required which is another positive aspect since I spent $505 for just the right to hunt Dall Sheep in 02. The only negative side is psychological as it seems that you are purchasing an animal instead of a hunt. Personally, I will do my best to evolve past this thought process---I am almost there already. If the hunt develops into what I trust it will, a true challenge, this will cease to exist. Next came the daunting task of locating a Professional Hunter (i.e. guide in North American vernacular). How do you research the vast number of PHs? The difficulties are immense as not only am I responsible for myself, but Jim, Derek and possibly his son Dalton as well, which puts added pressures into my decisions. Both Jim and Derek decided to let me be the ramrod to locating, negotiating and finally booking with a PH. For all endeavors there must be a start. For me, it was the internet. My research began with searching through the web for all web sites of PHs. Using Google, I keyed every possible and applicable search to locate web pages. Obviously, I typed searches with key words like, South Africa Hunting or Plains Game Hunt Africa and listed every and all sites on a master list. I expanded my search outward like the spokes on a wheel to less obvious search words like, Kudu Hunting or Blesbok Hunting. Eventually, I reached so far into my bag of web tricks that I keyed words like Springbuck into Google images and backtracked to any sites that had pictures of harvested animals. I reached and reached and reached even deeper to locate every web page that had anything remotely to do with a South African hunt. Gradually, my master list grew to over fifty sites. I have no solid estimation of the time I spent doing this research since it was spread over many months, but lets just say that if I had been paid minimum wage for my efforts, at least one more South African animal would have met its demise from the income I earned. Being of sound body and mind (well body anyway) I also began to watch for and pay attention to other sources. For example, on occasion, the Outdoor Channel, Mens Channel or Outdoor Life Network will have hunting shows done in Africa. Many taxidermists web pages also have links to websites. I used every creative method I could conjure to continue to add to my list. Eventually, my research began to repeat locations-it was almost like watching reruns on TV Land as I mentally began to memorize the sites that I had previously located. At that point, I decided to take the next step. Instead of choosing possible PHs, I decided to eliminate possibilitiesa proven scientific approach. My criteria for elimination were based on the following factors: 1) size of the concession or concessions 2) price either too high or too low 3) and what my instincts told me. Concession size was of utmost importance and it became the most important factor in my search. In South Africa, there are game farms which are, what I consider, very small enclosures and they include high fences. If concession size was not listed on the web site, I immediately crossed it off my list. It took a miniscule amount of time looking to realize that if the concession acreage was not given, there was a reasonit was a small area. The cost of the trip was also a factor, albeit a secondary one. Each website would list their daily fees and trophy fees per animal, and many would also have package deals.

These packages would include daily fees, along with trophy fees for anywhere from four to ten animals and seven to ten days of hunting. Generally speaking, these packages would save the hunter anywhere from $500 to $1000. Long ago, I learned that if the deal seems too good, it probably is. Therefore, I eliminated any outfitter whose price seemed way too inexpensive, because, I concluded there was a reason for this much lower fee. I had no interest in trying to evaluate and discover just what this would be. Also, due to my budget restraints, any PH whose prices were exorbitant (in contrast to the other fifty I had looked at) was also marked off the list. And finally, I trust my gut. My instincts are well developed, and I trust them explicitly. If something simply felt wrong about a site, it was eliminated as well. Not very scientific, but it sure made me feel good knowing the accuracy of those instincts. The final result of all this work was a list of eight. Included on this list was Hunt and Tour Africa (www.huntandtourafrica.co.za), which is owned by Larry McGillewie of Grahamstown, South Africa. I had watched Jim Shockey (the best known muzzleloader hunter in the world and host of Jim Shockey Adventures TV Show) hunt with him for various plains game, and Kim Hicks who is the host of a TV show titled, Hunting 201 aired five different episodes with Larry. A quote from Kim during one of the episodes caught my attention. It was something like, Larry knows every bird in South Africa-my kind of guy. Immediately, my internal instincts were shouting that this was the one. Also, after watching three hours of hunting shows with Larry in them, I got a fairly good impression of the kind of person he truly is. I was especially impressed with how Larry handled an incident that occurred on one of the Hunting 201 shows in which the host, Kim Hicks, was desperate and on the edge of being belligerent. Larry defused him nicely. I decided to send Larry an email that was very vague, inquisitive and purposefully ignorant about hunting in South Africa to see how he would respond (tricky, huh!). His response was friendly, immediate and appropriate. The next step was to contact some of the hunters who had been with Larry on a safari and ask them a few pre-selected questions. I made just two calls, one to Ohio and one to Colorado. Both men highly praised him for being a true gentleman. They both were adamant in regards to Larrys personal attention to their hunt and the success of it. And finally, my primary question was what type of sense of humor Larry possesses, as this often highlights a persons character. Again, both men said that he is a joy to hunt with and has a great sense of humor (since then, this humor has shown itself many times in our emails back and forth). At this point, I contacted both Derek and Jim (we had been keeping in contact throughout this entire process), to inform them that I had found our PH. Obviously, we were a long way from booking as the negotiations had yet to begin, but I was 100% at ease with my selection. I then asked both Derek and Jim for a list of animals that they were most interested in as Larry had requested this for pricing purposes. Early in this process, Larry had emailed me and had stated that due to the devaluation of the US dollar in contrast to the South African rand, he could no longer offer the package on his website and we would be forced to pay our daily fees ($350 US per day times ten days for $3500) and purchase animals from the trophy list.

At this point, my list was short and included Kudu, Bushbuck, Springbuck, Impala, and Blesbok. The previously mentioned package included these animals along with Gemsbok (Oryx) and Grey Duiker. Jims list was the exactly the same, but with the addition of a Red Hartebeest. Derek, too, was interested in the same animals along with a Zebra. And to complicate matters (and to make the negotiations more complex), Derek mentioned that he would like to bring his son, Dalton, along for the trip, and asked me to see what I could arrange to make this happen. Larry, as do most PHs, has an observer fee for non-hunters, which is, in this case, $150 per day. Again, hunters pay $350 per day. I told Derek I would negotiate his wishes into my plan. To make the proverbial long story short, emails between Larry and I flew back and forth like golden leaves falling off a wind blown autumn ash tree. Proposals and counterproposals filled my waking hours. After what felt like an eternity, we agreed on the following items. First, Larry conceded and offered each of us the ten day package for the previously mentioned animals at the price of $6200. This package, priced individually, would have netted $7100---a $900 savings along with a small saving on the VAT (value added taxes14% on the daily fee). My next concern was managing the situation so Dalton could join us and hunt with his dad. Larry graciously agreed to admit Dalton into camp at the observer rate ($150 per day) instead of the hunter rate ($350 per day) and allow him to either shoot a few animals off his dads package or pay the trophy fee for an animal. This would calculate to a savings of $2000 for the Harbulas. And to sweeten the pot even more, he agreed to decrease the price of the Zebra from $1400 to $1000. This equates to saving $3300 for Derek. The final request I made from Larry was one that I had no realistic expectations to be accepted. Simply stated, I informed Larry that now he had to do something for me since I was bringing him three, maybe four, hunters. My suggestion was a free Steenbuck to be added to both Jims and my package. He agreed!! Even though a Steenbuck is only a $250 animal on the trophy list, it was an animal that both Jim and I were interested in adding. Therefore, Jim and I each saved $1150 from original negotiations. So, by working hard and doing my best manipulating, the total savings for the four of us will be $5550. Not bad!!!!! In March, of 2005, as we were concluding these negotiations, some strange and I hoped non-related events occurred. First, Jims son, Ryan, was in a severe and life threatening car accident. Next, Dereks dad became very ill. And finally, on March 15, I received an email from Larry stating that he had severely cut his legs and feet on a boat propeller. Needless to say, even though I do not believe in superstitious rhetoric, I was on guard for a while. If superstition is deeply imbedded in a persons soul, there would be cause for concern. Or, if the old adage of bad things coming in threes is true, I would be as safe as a newborn baby in its mothers arms. After making the decisions on what animals I wanted to hunt, I then began to organize my mind with knowledge of each animal. Going on line, specifically to Google, I searched, found and pasted the best photographs I could locate for each animal (see appendix). The most vibrant and characteristic photographs were required in order to

qualify for the document. The final selections are excellent for showing the beauty and uniqueness of each species. Then I began to research for information on each species characteristics, habits, size, etc. Some diligent snooping found two different web sites with such information. Unfortunately, both were part of a more complex site, and each required some techno magic to eliminate the unwanted materials. The end result (see appendix) is a good document which explains pertinent information about each species. I also located two different documents that were a synopsis of hunting in South Africa (see appendix). The sites covered every aspect of a hunt to the Dark Continent from importation of firearms laws to expected winter weather (which, of course are the months of June, July and August since they are in the southern hemisphere). Both were informative and helpful. Next on my agenda was to locate maps which I included into a separate word document (see appendix). Included in this section were: a map of Johannesburgs airport, an aerial photograph of Port Elizabeths airport, a general map of South Africa, an excellent highway map out of Port Elizabeth, a map of the city of Port Elizabeth, and even a satellite photograph of South Africa with the adjacent four countries. My bird passion also required addressing since bird watching, or twitching, as it is known in Europe and South Africa, will be an important addition to the hunt. Finding a handful of web sites on African bird watching (there must be a strong tourist flow to South Africa for bird watching), I searched for the best books and identified which books listed all species in southern Africa. Ebay is a great supplier for used and seemingly insignificant things like bird books as within a week, I was merrily flipping pages, and with amazement, admiring the uniqueness of the feathered creatures of another continent. After a short search, I located a PDF file from one of the twitching sites that listed the two hundred most common birds in the Port Elizabeth area. Port Elizabeth will be the final destination of our flight, and it is where Larry will meet us. Therefore, that list will most certainly be accurate. Each species listed is now highlighted in my bird book, which gives me an accurate list for concentrating on when I try and memorize as many of those birds as possible. Being curious, I also did a small amount of research into the history of South Africa. The following information was located on a web site: (go to page 9 to skip the history) South Africa was settled by the Dutch-East India Trading Company at the Cape of Good Hope, on April 6, 1652. The merchant Jan van Riebeeck along with 82 men and eight women had been instructed to establish a strong base to provide the Company's ships with fresh groceries, mainly meat and vegetables on the long journey from Europe to Asia. Despite many set-backs - during the first winter 20 of Riebeecks men died - the settlement started to flourish. The number of sailors who anchored at the Cape to stock up on milk, meat and vegetables grew steadily. The construction of a pier rendered the bay safer and even more attractive. Soon there were workshops to repair ships and a hospital for the ill.

Jan van Riebeeck From the beginning of the 18th century, the settlers expanded north and west, led Trek Boers, white farmers penetrating the interior looking for grasslands for their cattle. Armed conflict with the native people were inevitable, and in 1779, the first of the ferocious Xhosa wars broke out.

The power struggle between citizens and the government ended with the landing of British ships at the Cape and the annexing of the colony to the United Kingdom in 1795. The history of the 1800s was punctuated with the Great Trek. Starting in 1835, more than 10,000 Boers, the Voortrekkers, left the Cape Colony with their families and went north and north-east. The reasons for this mass exodus were their economic problems, the threatening danger of conflict with the Xhosa, who settled on the other side of the Fish River, and primarily, discontent with the English colonial authorities who didn't provide sufficient protection. From 1833 on, the slave trade was declared illegal and the "Emancipation Act" demanded that white masters set their slaves free, against payment of a small compensation by the state. The Voortrekkers felt that the British policy destroyed their traditional social order which was based on racial separation, and would undermine white predominance, which they saw as God's own will. They headed for Natal to gain land for settling and grazing. To that end they had to negotiate with Dingane, the king of the Zulus. The negotiations ended with the agreement that large areas in central and south Natal would be ceased to the Boers. However, when the delegates under Piet Retief prepared to leave, they 6

were lured by the Zulus into an ambush and killed. Then the Zulu warriors fell upon the Voortrekkers who had made camp at the foot of the Drakensberg to wait for the return of their leaders. The Zulus killed 500 of them and stole almost all their cattle. The Voortrekkers, now worn out through the death of their second leader Gert Maritz, and through internal quarrels, were at the end of their power. Only their newly elected leader Andries Pretorius was successful in consolidating the group and preparing it for a retaliatory strike against the Zulu king. On December 16, 1838 the Zulus were completely defeated in the famous "Battle of Blood River". This enabled the founding of the first short-lived Boer Republic in Natal, with Pietermaritzburg as its capital. By 1842, British troops occupied Port Natal, today's Durban, and annexed the hinterland as a Crown Colony. The Voortrekkers retreated behind the Drakensberg. From this time on, many smaller conflicts erupted between the various factions in southern Africa. The Cape Colony had spread further and all the land between the Vaal and Orange rivers was declared British territory in 1848. The English, however, had not taken into account the strong resistance of the Boers who had already settled there. Because the area was economically of little interest to them, they soon gave it up again. On the 23rd of February 1854, the contract of Bloemfontein was signed, which led to the foundation of the Orange Free State.The "Oranje Vrystaat" developed into a politically and economically successful republic. But this positive process was overshadowed by various negative events in the second Boer state, the South African Republic in Transvaal (today Mpumalanga). By now British sentiment was in favored of amalgamating their own colonies and the Boer republics into one union, with the primary purpose of gaining possession of the Transvaal gold mines. The Premier of the Cape Colony, Sir Cecil Rhodes, first tried to achieve this union through a putsch that failed due to wariness on the part of Paul Kruger, President of the Boer Republic. Soon the new Governor of the Cape, Lord Alfred Milner, succeeded with the use of armed force. The Orange Free State, which had formed an alliance with the South African Republic, became involved in the conflict. On October 11, 1899 a war broke out between these two Boer Republics and the two British colonies of Cape and Natal. The "Boer War" lasted three years. On the side of the Afrikaners there were 52,000 soldiers fighting against a contingent of 450,000 men under British command. The Afrikaners did initially achieve some spectacular successes, but very soon the tables turned. On March 13, 1900 Bloemfontein was occupied and on the 24th of May, the Orange Free State was declared British territory. Shortly afterwards Johannesburg and Pretoria fell, and on the 1st of September, Transvaal was annexed as a British colony. Then the Boers started a guerrilla war that was grueling for everyone involved. The British, under General Lord Kitchener responded with unequalled severity and brutality. The Boer commandos were hunted systematically, the fields devastated, the harvests destroyed. The women and children, who were left destitute and homeless, were kept under horrific conditions in huge concentration camps. In total, more than 27,000 women and children died from famine,

exhaustion and disease. Eventually the Boers realized that any further resistance would demand more senseless sacrifices, and peace negotiations began. On the 31st of May 1902, a peace contract was signed. Both Boer Republics became British Crown Colonies. The policy of consistent racial separation was introduced in 1910 through a group of laws that further curtailed the rights of the black majority. The "Mines and Works Act" of 1911, for example, limited black workers exclusively to menial work and so guaranteed the availability of cheap labor and secured the better positions for white workers. The "Native Land Act" of 1913 set aside 7.3 per cent of South African territory as reservations for black people and barred them from buying land outside these areas. Deprived of the right to vote or to strike, the black population had no means of political influence, and so the ANC, African National Congress, and other resistance and liberation movements formed. They were all initially badly organized and minimally effective. The white governments pursued their politics virtually without obstruction. After the Second World War, the conflicts intensified and black workers went on a number of wild strikes. The whites became nervous and helped the right-wing National Party to an overwhelming election victory in the elections of 1948. The NP was led by D.F. Malan, who stood for drastic measures against the "black menace," coined the concept of "apartheid" and consistently enforced this devious policy. From then on, it was not "only" about the separation of the races in the economic sector, but increasingly the private domain of all non-white people was regulated and controlled as well. Marriage or any love relationship between members of different racial groups were forbidden, and in all public institutions and offices, in public transport and on public toilets, racial segregation was introduced. More detrimental because of long-term consequences was the education system, the so-called Bantu education, which tried to keep the black children at a very low standard. Subjects were even dish washing and the weeding of flower beds. In 1954 J. G. Strijdom succeeded D. F. Malan in office. He drove apartheid legislation even further. His successor in 1958 was H. F. Verwoerd, a brilliant intellectual, who refined and theoretically substantiated the apartheid ideology. Limited self-administration was instituted in the black reservations and they were declared semi-autonomous homelands: the Transkei, Ciskei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and KwaZulu. By this measure the South African government rid itself of responsibility for the economic and social problems in the reservations. The white government could call its elections free and general, because the majority of the blacks were no longer citizens of South Africa. In the meantime, black resistance under the leadership of the ANC had consolidated. Mass protests resulted in the government banning all opposition groups and organizations. This interdict was to no avail. The resistance organizations became militant and kept on working underground. After the Soweto uprising of 1976, when thousands of pupils, demonstrating against Afrikaans as a compulsory school subject, were brutally shot, the unrest spread over the whole country. The ANC struggle became militant and South

Africa developed fully into a police state. This situation lasted a few years, until in 1989 the last president of the old South African government, F. W. de Klerk, openly admitted the failure of apartheid policies. An important reason for the collapse of the old regime was- after many years of economic and trade embargo the desolate state of the economy. Eventually negotiations opened the door to the first general elections in South Africa. Much of South Africas history eerily mirrors our history: from settling, to expansion, to conflicts with native peoples, to slavery, to racism, to some semblance of equality. Simply change the names, and the history is strangely similar-even to the point of having covered wagons and forming them into circles to repel the savages. Another parallel is the use of wildlife by early settlers which moved tremendously large populations to the edge of extinction. In North America, it was the bison, pronghorn, elk and whitetail deer. In South Africa, it was the bushbuck, springbuck, kudu and blesbok. It is strange how similar we all are. The geologic history of South Africa is as follows (again from a web site): The land mass of South Africa is very old and particularly rich in mineral resources. The mountain socle was already part of the supercontinent Gondwanaland which, 300 to 100 million years ago broke into many parts that built whole new continents, Africa being one of them. Through the following, millions of years lasting geological shifts, tectonic arching, breaking and the formation of crevasses, the resulting outbreak of volcanoes, depressions, the deposition of gravel and wind and water erosion the geological profile of the land has formed.

. As the relief map shows, South Africa is in the west, south and east surrounded by a cornice of mountains. This chain, consisting of many single mountain ranges, is

known as the Great Escarpment. In the east, in the area of the Drakensberg of Natal and in the Kingdom of Lesotho, it reaches heights of almost 4,000 metres. In the south and west, the highest peaks are at a bout 2,000 metres. In front of the escarpment, there is a partially very narrow coastal strip, which is called the Lowveld. At the Indian Ocean, these coastal plains have high precipitations and are fertile. The western part, however, is, due to the cold Benguela current of the Atlantic, a coastal desert, reaching up to Namibia and Angola. After crossing the escarpment, one gets to the central high plateau of South Africa, called the Highveld. It has heights of between 1,000 and 1,700 metres. It slowly declines towards the north, to the Kalahari basin that doesn't have an outlet. Because the surrounding mountain chain forms a catchment area for the clouds from the sea, the precipitation on the Highveld is low which results in arid, semiarid conditions. Throughout this research, I also located some interesting facts in regards to South African agriculture. Wheat and corn are the primary crops grown in the country, although vineyards thrive, compliments of the large wine industry. Also, many types of fresh fruits are grown and shipped to Europe during South Africas summer months which, of course, would be the European winter. South Africa is also well known in the circles of the scientific communityespecially in regards to anthropology, the study of humans, as the oldest dated Homo sapien (110 000 years old) fossil was found here. Technically, I guess, you could say that I am going home..in a broad sense of the term. March 30, 2005 Last night on an episode of the Amazing Race (a reality show on CBS), the teams flew from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Johannesburg. It was very exciting to observe the exterior and interior of the airport that is just fourteen months into my future. Carla was much relieved at how modern the city and country is. Last week, while doing research on the history of South Africa, I came upon the word Xhosa for one of the native tribes. The pronunciation eluded me, as trying to pronounce it was as difficult as spending a day in a shopping mall. The internet is so great-not only did I find the phonic pronunciation, k s, the program actually said the word. From my perspective, all of this was like adding gasoline to a raging inferno--May 31, 2006, cannot conceivably get here quickly enough. March 31, 2005 Today, Jim and I sent our $2000 deposit for the hunt into an account Larry has in Denver. NOW it feels real-not just some dream. An email from Jim made me laugh earlier this morning as he stated, Blake, would you PLEASE HURRY UP. Ive never been more excited to spend 2 grand. He seems to be as impatient as I am for this to materialize into reality. The process for the deposit was simple. Larry sent us an account number and a routing number for his account. A quick trip to the bank, a sent fax, and presto the hunt is officially booked.

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April 7, 2005 The internet never ceases to amaze me with the information that can be located with some diligent searching. Today I came across two very interesting sites. One of them lists all the pelagic birds in the Cape Town area on a seasonality chart. For nonornithologists, I will translate: sea going birds based on how common they are each month. The table breaks each species down per month and color coats them as: almost definite (more than 90% chance), probably (from 50-90% chance), possible (from 2050% chance, unlikely/vagrant (less then a 20% chance). I will cross reference this data with the information I have already recorded in my bird book. I also located a site that lists six different localities in the city of Grahamstown (which is our final South African city and Larrys home) that includes the birds that most likely will be found in each spot. For example, one spot is the Grahamstown Botanical Gardens; and under that heading, is a list of thirty birds that most certainly would be seen there. Cool! April 15, 2005 What were the criteria for the choice of animals I have decided to pursue on this hunt? On Larrys website, he offers more than 40 different animals that can be hunted. Therefore, the task is not as simple as deciding on a single animal to hunt like is so common in the US. In Alaska, I had very few animals to choose from--Dall Sheep and Black Bear were my only two options. But South Africa?? Decisions, decisions. Initially, I had selected Blesbok, Impala, Springbuck and Bushbuck because of their relative inexpensive price and their uniqueness. Choosing Impala was easy as it is the African equivalent of whitetail deer. Springbuck struck my eye as a beautiful, lithe and unique trophy (it is South Africas national animal). They also have a unique species specific behavior called pronking, which simply described is a high bound when running. Blesbok are not considered a glamorous species like Kudu or Gemsbok; but, I simply enjoy their distinctiveness. Bushbuck is an animal that I have always had an affinity for, and it was a mandatory animal on my list. Plus, in contrast to the other three which are basically plains game that live in the open savannahs and grasses, Bushbuck occupy a much denser habitat which makes hunting them special and unique. Kudu (K d) are THE African species to hunt, the Grey Ghost of the continent. They are the epitome of the African bush. African safaris are defined by their Kudu hunting. Therefore, I most certainly had to hunt them to truly have a safari. Gemsbok, or Oryx, place a close second to the Kudu in regards to a true African adventure. Their size, long sweeping horns and unique facial patterns place them in a class of their own. That leaves the Grey (Common) Duiker and Steenbuck. I am hunting Duiker (DIE ker) because they are included in the package. They are a small, dull, short horned and not very exciting from a hunting aspect or point of beauty. In contrast, the tiny Steenbuck has been highly elevated on my personal list. Steenbuck are an extremely beautiful dwarf antelope that reaches no more than half a meter (20 inches) at the shoulder. Their habits and size make them a challenging trophy. I look forward to hunting them with great enthusiasm.

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Impala

Common (Cape) Springbuck

Blesbok

Cape Bushbuck

Cape Greater Kudu

Gemsbok (Oryx)

Common Duiker

Steenbuck

May 6, 2005 Jim and I have been communicating about air fare to Port Elizabeth. The plan is to purchase our tickets as soon as we possibly can due to the current high cost of fuel. We both feel that the flights are inevitably going to increase in price. Our plan is to purchase them sometime in June because of this fact. We are also planning to coordinate our flights so we can travel together as much as possible. Jim cracked me up with an email the other day in which we were discussing flying together. His statement was something

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like, We have to sit next to each other. Otherwise, can you imagine the poor person sitting next to us? Our options are to meet in Atlanta for a straight shot to Johannesburg, South Africa, or get together in Newark or JFK and connect in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. From Amsterdam the flight would go directly to Johannesburg, South Africa. Then from Johannesburg, another flight is required to our final destination, Port Elizabeth. The two options have very similar costs for each of us. The connection in Amsterdam would extend the trip about five hours, but on the other hand, we would fly over Europe, the Mediterranean and the entire continent of Africa. The sights would be breath taking. Flying directly from Atlanta to Johannesburg would save us time, but the flight would be extremely bland as it will be restricted to the northern and Southern Atlantic basically all water. Decisions, decisions. Currently, we are leaning towards the flight to Europe as Jim is of Dutch ancestry and he would love to be able to say that he was in the Netherlands-even if it just the airport. And to be honest, that is the route I would prefer as well. The cost of the tickets when we purchase will probably be the deciding factor. Therefore, my flight will depart from Aberdeen, connect in Minneapolis, to JFK (or Newark), then Amsterdam, next would be Johannesburg and finally to Port Elizabeth. That is ten take offs or landings and ten more on the way home-twenty total. I love to fly and the takeoffs and landings are the best part of the flight. August 3, 2005 One year ago today I was fishing for halibut in Alaska. However, this is about hunting Africa. Jim and I have been swapping emails all summer trying to finalize air fare and other odds and ends. On August 1st, Carla and I made a day trip to Cabelas in Mitchell to, along with other things, purchase some of my African hunting attire. When we walked out, I had two new pair of Safari pants, a new Safari shirt, a new cap appropriately colored for the African bush, two new pairs of socks, and a real neat hybrid boot/shoe for hiking. Then, yesterday, I received an email from Debbie at Custom Travel which included Jims, and my, proposed flight itineraries. After wading through it, one factor became as clear as a bottle of ginthe date for arriving in Port Elizabeth was incorrect. She had us arriving in Port Elizabeth on June 3, 2006, and we needed to be there on the 2nd. Needless to say, that has been taken care of as we most assuredly do not want to miss a day of hunting. Therefore, here are the specifics. We decided on the Atlanta route for two reasons: 1) it was $210 cheaper and 2) more importantly, the Amsterdam flight required us to go through customs in the Netherlands. Neither Jim nor I wanted that hassle of trying to get our rifles through customs in a foreign country. I will be leaving Aberdeen the morning of May 31 at 11:00 AM (see appendix for the itinerary) and arriving in Minneapolis around 12:20 PM. From there I have a lay over of just 55 minutes before my flight leaves for Atlanta at 1:15. I will really need to hustle through the airport to make the flight. Then I should arrive in Atlanta at 4:49 PM. Jim will be arriving in Atlanta within minutes of my arrival.

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The logistics of the next leg requires an over night in Atlanta, and through Debbie and Custom Travel we got a room for only $79 at the Club Hotel by Doubletree which is just a short distance away from the airport, and they offer free shuttle service to and from the airport (see appendix for map). Jim and I will get a motel room, and after a good nights sleep prepare for the long, long flight to Johannesburg.

At 10:30 on June 1st, our flight leaves Atlanta for Johannesburg (pop. 1,480,530). It is a 17 hour and fifty minute flightno, that is not a typographical errorwe will be on the plane for almost eighteen hours. By the clock it will be a 24 hour flight as we travel east through six time zones. On my itinerary it states that there will be one stop. After talking to Jim on the phone today, and through internet searching, I found out that the stop is a refueling only break in the Cape Verde Islands on a little tiny piece of land called Sal Island (see appendix for maps). That is cool. I will be able to say I was in the Cape Verde Islands (which is an archipelago 400 miles west of the African continent), even though we may not exit the airplane. We are scheduled to arrive in Johannesburg at 10:20 AM on the 2nd. Our connection to Port Elizabeth (pop. 749,921) leaves at 2:20 PM and lands at their airport at 4:05 PM. That is where Larry (or one of his associates) will be meeting us. On June 13, we turn the entire process around on the return trip. I will arrive back in Aberdeen on June 14th at 6:15 PM. My total air miles will be 20 320. The Earth is about 24 000 miles in circumference. Wow!! August 7, 2005 On Thursday, August 4, I contacted Debbie at Custom Travel Africa (414-282-5321 or ctravel@execpc.com) via phone to finalize payment and logistics for the flight. She was very helpful and enthusiasticone of those people who is always sky high and bubbly (is that a word?). Tomorrow, my tickets should arrive via Fed-Ex. They must be signed for as $1828 is certainly no small matter. But it will be worth every little shiny penny. The process was simple as I paid for it with my trusty Cabelas visa. I do need to contact her again as I need to apply for frequent flyer miles with Delta as they and South African Airways process their frequent flyer miles together. On my itinerary, it lists the flight number, takeoff time, landing time and total flight time for each leg of the journey. It also includes the type of aircraft for each flight. Now, since I love playing with the internet doing research, I can have some fun. The first thing was to find photos online of each of the aircraft that I will be traveling on (see appendix). For example, from Aberdeen to Minneapolis it is a SAAB SF 340.

Club Hotel by Doubletree - Atlanta

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Not only did I find a photo of that aircraft, I found one in Northwest colors. I also posted the seating chart and plane statistics (speed, maximum altitude, etc.) for each different type of aircraft. From Minneapolis to Atlanta I will fly on an Airbus A320again, I found a photo in Northwest colors.

Saab SF 340

Airbus A320

Then I ran into a slight snag in my well processed plans. The flight across the Atlantic was listed in a 326. What in the world is a 326?? I pride myself in knowing a little more than the average person about aircraft, and had never heard of a 326. Logic would indicate that the jet must be large and have tremendous range to fly from Atlanta to Sal Island, and for that matter, from the Cape Verde Islands to Johannesburg. Ergo, on a whim, I went to Google images and tried 747-326 (the 747 is commonly referred to as the jumbo jet and makes many of the longest worldwide flights). Bingo! As I surmised, it is a variant of the 747. Since the flight is South African Airways, I found a photo of the jet in South African Airways colors along with the previously mentioned seating chart and plane specifics. This was getting challenging and fun.

Boeing 747-326

Next in line was the flight from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth, and again, I ran into some problems with my document. The flight aircraft is listed as a 738. Once more I drew a mental blank (at this point I am beginning to question my knowledge of aircraft), and began to search online. I found nothing, absolutely nothing in Google or Google images that corresponded with that number. It was perplexing. Then in a flash of brilliance, I began to research the Boeing 737 which, of course, I knew something about. It seemed too coincidental that the plane designation number was just one number apart. EUREKA!! The 738 is a variant of the 737 properly labeled 737-800. After the time I spent locating this one small piece of information, I felt gratified and pleased. I guess it would be similar to the feeling you get when you finally finish mowing the grass on a hot

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summer day. Plane photo (in South African Airways colors) and plane statistics were placed into the document.

Boeing 737-800

The trip home will vary in aircraft at just one flightAtlanta to Minneapolis. I am listed to fly on a DC-9. When I searched for data (finding a photo in Northwest colors was easy), I ran into another slight snag. Northwest Airlines flies three variants labeled DC-9-30, 40 or 50. The variation of each design is basically size as the larger the number, the more passengers it can accommodate. Needing a seating chart for the word document dictated that somehow I had to identify which I will be flying in. It was not an easy problem to solve. After many unsuccessful attempts to solve the problem, an extra synapse fired in my brain and I noticed a fairly obscure fact, each variant had different ranges in their statistics. And only one, the DC-9-30, had the range to fly the listed 906 miles from Atlanta to Minneapolisproblem solved.

DC-9-30

August 13, 2005 One year ago today, high in the Chugach Mountains of Alaska, my lifelong dream became reality when I harvested a magnificently massive Dall Sheep ram. Time is exquisitely fleeting as it seems like just weeks ago. I only trust and hope that May 31, 2006, will arrive as quickly. After waiting for my airfare to arrive, and waiting, and waiting.. I finally contacted Debbie at Custom Travel. She apologized for the lateness of processing our tickets, and said they will not arrive until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. When they appear, I should know my seat location as it normally is on the ticket. Last night I sat down and did some fancy financial figuring. With the outstanding bills for taxidermy, cash on hand, birds to be picked up, birds to be shipped next week and all other monies still coming in from my business, and then subtracting air fare, the balance I owe on the hunt, tips, and shipping of my trophies home, I will have well over 16

$2000 remaining. Of course, I expect to have a large number of birds coming in this fall which will also contribute to the South African hunt if necessary. My point is that I no longer have any worries in regards to financing this hunt. I will have more than a sufficient amount necessary to comfortably afford this adventure. Therefore, as you can imagine, I have completed a list of other animals that I may want to harvest if time warrants such opportunities. My short list includes: Blue Duiker, Cape Hartebeest, Warthog, Mountain Reedbuck, Blue Wildebeest, Black Wildebeest and Burchells Zebra. Of course, I will not be able to hunt all these animals due to time and financial restraints, but they are the species I am most interested in. Blue Duikers are exceedingly tiny, quaint little antelope animal found only along the coast of southern Africa. They are so small (large rams will barely push the scale over ten pounds) that they are hunted with a shotgun loaded with 4 shot as the logistics of their thickly overgrown habitat dictates such. Normal hunting is with human beaters and dogs pushing the animals through the forest to the waiting hunter. It is a very unique hunt, and it interests both Jim and me. The negative aspect of hunting them is that they require an exclusive day to hunt due to traveling time to reach their habitat, and other hunting opportunities in that dense veldt (bush) are limited. Cape Hartebeest is an animal that Jim was very interested in from the onset of this adventure. In fact, as I stated earlier, he has added it to his package as an animal he will hunt. My interest in them has grown with time and research. Their long elongated face and gangly gait are almost comical when first viewed. Their horns are massive at the bases and form a bell shape which bends sharply to the rear. This gives their already exaggerated face an even longer appearance. However, they are distinctive and I would like to hunt them.

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Warthogs, Pumbaas clan, are on the list because they are distinctly African. They, too, represent an African safari in various ways. Most hunters going to the Dark Continent include a warthog hunt because of this fact. They are, however, the epitome of ugly. Jack OConnor explained it well in one of his classic articles from Outdoor Life: The Warthog is so incredibly ugly that in comparison he makes the next- ugliest animal you can think of look like Hedy Lamarr.

Hedy Lamarr

Warthog

Mountain Reedbucks remind me of our whitetail deer in color and size. Their horns grow straight up with a slight outer and unique forward curve to their terminal growth. They are relatively inexpensive ($350), and I will take one any time throughout the hunt if the prospect presents itself. Black and Blue Wildebeests are the animals that cover the grasslands of Africa. They are the creatures that groan and moan as their migrations carry them across the desolate Serengeti Plain. To be honest, there are animals I would rather take, but I always keep opportunities open. Zebrasoften hunters ask why hunt them? To this I answer, Why not? They are a difficult animal to hunt, and their hide does make a beautifully distinctive floor or wall rug. I believe some people equate them to a black and white striped horse and this places a taboo on the psyche of hunting them. Zebras are not horses! They are an abundant and challenging animal to hunt. I wonder if the same people would question hunting them if they grew gracefully flowing horns or antlers.

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Blue Duiker

Red (Cape) Hartebeest

Mountain Reedbuck

Black Wildebeest (Gnu)

Blue Wildebeest (Bridled Gnu)

Burchells Zebr a

August 15, 2005 My tickets arrived this afternoon which was a nice surprise as I was not expecting them for a day or two. Unfortunately, I will not know my seat until I check in next May. Custom Travel included a ton of information with the tickets ranging from necessary custom forms to US Embassy numbers. It was very informative and took me an hour to scan through. I will be hard pressed to come up with a question that is not answered somewhere in that stack of literature. I also contacted Delta Airlines by phone to enroll in their Skymiles (frequent flyer miles). Even though I technically will not be flying Delta, South African Airways are partners with Delta and the miles I fly from Atlanta to Port Elizabeth, and back, will apply to Delta too. Since I will be flying Northwest Airlines from Aberdeen to Atlanta, I went back through my Alaska materials and found the number for their program as well. Both of these Debbie, at Custom Travel, had requested to ensure that I receive the benefits of the program since I am adding a few air miles to my accounts. It is only 289 days until we leave. August 22, 2005 Derek called yesterday and gave me a report on how the sheep hunts went in Alaska. His hunter shot a nice ram not far from where Jim and I shot ours, and two other hunters who were with another assistant guide also got rams. Tonys hunter did not get a sheep. Anyway, back to Africa. A few weeks ago, I made Derek a copy of the hunting episodes that I had recorded with Larry McGillewie as the PH. My devious mind was trying to get Derek motivated enough to commit to the hunt and get booked too. He is still undecided as there seem to be some problems. There is no doubt in my mind or his that the desire is present. I am confident that he sincerely wants to join Jim and me on this great adventure. The video did have the desired effect, as Derek was provoked in the

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right direction. Under Dereks request, I fired an email to Larry asking how late Derek can wait before the opportunity no longer exists due to logistical problems for Larry. August 29, 2005 After finding a factbook on the Republic of South Africa, some interesting particulars came to light about the country. For example, South Africa has a population of 44 million people. Life expectancy is only 43 years due to the high percent of people with AIDS which is currently 22% of the population. Seventy nine percent of South Africans are classified as black African and only 10% are white. English is spoken by just 8% of the population with eight languages listed. The unemployment rate is 26% with 50% of the people being under the poverty line. September 19, 2005 A few days ago, just because my curiosity is extremely active, I counted the number of South African birds that I have memorized over the last few months. When the finally tally was 204 birds, I was pleasantly surprised. My primary book is Newmans Birds of Southern Africa which has become very well worn with use as I try to use it daily. This book is complete as it includes each bird species of southern Africa. Two other books, compliments of eBay, also grace my ornithological library: First Field Guide to Common Birds of Southern Africa and Southern African Birds. These two books are wonderful companions to the more complete Newman book as they are illustrated with photographs. They also reinforce the more common birds. Bird-wise, South Africa can be divided into seven major natural regions: Grassveldalmost treeless grassland; Fynbos (pronounced FAIN-bos)-a sort of Macchia or chaparral; Karoo-an arid to very arid semi-desert; Afromontane Forest-more or less evergreen with a closed canopy; Bushveld-a fairly arid to arid open to closed woodland often referred to in south Africa as Savannah; the East Coast Littora-a moist tropical to sub-tropical mosaic of forest, coastal thicket and grassland; and Pelagic-open sea up to 200 km offshore. Each of these regions has their own collection of endemic birds. October 5, 2005 Various individuals, when finding out that I will be hunting in South Africa, have inquired as to the caliber of rifle that I will be using. In some peoples minds, the plains game in Africa seem to be of mythical size and proportion with flame erupting from their noses producing clouds of brimstone, and they possess muscular bodies composed of glistening fangs and polished claws that can tear the poor unbeknownst hunter into an unidentifiable mass. In reality, the largest animal I will hunt is the immense Kudu which may weigh in excess of 550 pounds. Consequently, a cartridge that will kick with enough recoil to loosen your teeths fillings is certainly not needed nor recommended. My choice of cartridge for this hunt will be my faithful 7mm Remington Magnum. The rifle is a Ruger 77 with a Nikon 3-9 variable scope. The cartridges themselves will be hand loaded with 140 grain Barnes XLC bullets loaded at a blazing 3261 feet per second. This is a very potent load. Barnes bullets are hollow points with a homogenous copper structure. In contrast to tradition bullets, there is no lead in the bullet. These bullets are the latest in technology as they cannot break up as traditional bullets do. They form petals that peel back from the hollow points to the base of the hollow chamber

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and then plow through, retaining 100% of their weight. They also have a blue colored dry film lubricant coating to reduce the friction of the bullet traveling down the barrel. A reduction of friction reduces the pressure inside the chamber, allowing the bullet to be loaded at a faster velocity. This combination is deadly and lethal of which I have supreme confidence.

7mm Remington Magnum

Barnes XLC

November 4, 2005 Technology is such a great advancement of our society; but it can also be a royal pain in the posterior. For three months I have been attempting to communicate with Larry via email, and I have not received a response. About four weeks ago, I asked Jim to email Larry, and he too did not get a response. Finally, Jim emailed me informing me that Larry had email problems and is now up and running. Jim also said that Larry has responded to all my previous emails. Unfortunately, I have not received those responses. Then, yesterday when I tried again to send Larry an email and I received a message that it was not local and was not delivered. UGHHHHH!!!! December 1, 2005 After much frustration over the last month, the email problem with Larry seems to be solved. I decided to use my Hotmail account to communicate with him. Unfortunately, I cannot access that account from school. Another factor has complicated matters for this hunt-the Blizzard of 2005. Due to the ice storm prior to the blizzard, and the blowing snow during, we missed two days of school on November 29th and 30th. South Dakota is a mess with 8000 power poles down, 10,000 miles of power cables lying on the ground and 30,000 customers without electricity. Many people in the Redfield area still do not have power and, according to the governor, may not for another week. Our school policy is to make up lost days, due to weather, at the end of the school year. We were scheduled to be done on Wednesday, May 24. Now the final day of classes will probably be Friday, May 26. Monday, May 29th is Memorial Day so if we have another snow day, it will be made up on Tuesday, May 30th-- I depart the morning of May 31. Therefore, I have just ONE more day of leeway before my departure date causes problems. Obviously, I talked to the superintendent of schools today in regards to my situation. He was very understanding and promised that we would work something out whether it is simply allowing me to use my two personal days at the end of the year or something more creative. Understandably, this removed some very real pressure from my life.

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December 16, 2005 Jim and I are now committed to hunting Blue Duiker. After much contemplation and planning, we both decided that we did not want to miss an opportunity to hunt such a unique animal in such a distinctive way. Larry has a limited number of permits for these teeny tiny antelope, so we were forced to make a decision now. I received an email from Larry yesterday stating that he has reserved two of these spots for Jim and me. This feels right, as again, I trust my instincts, and my gut tells me that I am suppose to do this even though it will add $900 to the hunt. Jim is very excited about it as well. In fact, we have both elevated this animal to the top or near the top of our personal lists. The two of us, however, have noticed that our lists are like the rising Alaskan tide as they constantly change. December 20, 2005 Jim finally has Chippy (his Dall Sheep from our 2004 hunt in Alaska) home from the taxidermist. He emailed me a few pictures, and I was glad to see the finished product. His taxidermist gave him a great piece of advice which we plan to heed. Basically, Jim was told to act poor in the financial department and behave in such a way that the PHs will believe that we are indifferent to shooting any additional animals. Understandably, the PHs will try and convince us to shoot as many animals as possible as this is money in their pockets. We will counter with a jaded yawn, an uninterested glance and a dispassionate shrug of the shoulders, while deep in the recesses of our minds we will be planning to harvest these trophies. Maybe, just maybe, the opportunities to harvest extra species will be with a slightly lower price tag if the PHs feel like we may not be interested. January 4, 2006 Finally, 2006 has arrived. THIS YEAR I GO TO AFRICA. Rowland and Ward is one of the organizations, along with Safari Club International (SCI), that scores and records trophy quality of African game animals. SCI, as a general rule, scores by lengths of each horn and adds the mass at the base of the horns to achieve a final score. Rowland and Ward use just horn length measurements. They are both comparable to the Boone and Crocket Club here in the United States. First, and foremost, my interest in trophy quality is not for my personal ego or to be used as a benchmark for an evaluation of the type of hunter I am. Unfortunately, there are hunters whose only concern is getting their names on these published lists. The quality of my hunt is based on the experience, and is not based on whether an animal grew an additional inch or so to its horns. I find it a sad commentary on any hunter who is disappointed if their beautiful trophy falls short of a preconceived measurement. More importantly, and I say this with slight tongue in cheek, the animal should get the credit as it did the work to grow the hornsthe hunter had nothing to do with it. So what is the importance of these measurements? Simply, they identify what constitutes an average or large specimen. For example, since I am no expert on Steenbuck, there is no reference point for me to disconcert a truly huge Steenbuck ram. By using the Rowland and Ward minimums as a standard, I now have the knowledge to say that a 4.5 inch horn is big.

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Consequently, I have compiled a list of the minimum length for listing in Rowland and Ward for each of the species I will be or may be hunting. I also located a website with horn length measurements based on realistic expectations for a hunter in South Africa. I emailed these to Larry for cross referencing. He agreed with most of the listings. Therefore, listed below are these two measurements:
Rowland and Ward Blue Duiker 1 Steenbuck 4 Common Duiker 4 Mountain Reedbuck 6 7/8 Warthog 13 Springbuck 14 Bushbuck 15 Blesbok 16 Cape Hartebeest 23 Impala 23 5/8 Gemsbok 40 Kudu 53 7/8 Realistic Expectations any length 4 1/2 4 above 12 above 14 above 21 above 22 above 36 above 45

January 17, 2006 Earlier this morning I received an email from Hunter International Brokerage Services, Inc.,(1633 Bayshore Hwy, Suite 337 Burlingame, CA 94010 650-652-0100) which is the company that Jim has decided we will use to import our trophies back to the US. He was kind enough to do the research necessary to choose a quality company to ensure that our animals hides and horns arrive in the US in a safe and timely manner. Essentially, Jim and I need to sign a Power of Attorney to allow Hunter International to be our legal representation for the frequently arduous process of procuring our trophies. Then, when we return from Africa, we will send them a list of the animals we are shipping back. From that point, it will be three to four months before the horns and hides are back in our hands. This is not an inexpensive venture. For example, it will cost $190 for the brokerage fee, $85 for a handling charge plus the airport will charge a $30 storage fee and a $35 import fee. That is $340 in fees and does not even include the shipping price of getting it from South Africa to South Dakota which is based on volume and weight of the crate. The shipping fee itself could exceed a thousand dollars. And even before it leaves South Africa, we both will be paying Dip and Pack Africa (Dip and Pack Africa, Handfield Farms, PO 103, Paterson 6130Telephone 27 41 4680464), (http://www.safari-international.com/dippack-eflyer/dippack-dollar.html) a dipping and packing fee for trophy preparation so the hides and horns can pass US customs. Dipping is a process of drying and chemically treating the horns, bones and hide to meet U.S importation laws. This fee is $55 each per smaller animal and as high as $75 each per large animal like Kudu, Gemsbok, etc. There is also a $175 documentation fee that is required by the South African government. I may leave a few of the capes behind as I am most certainly not going to have all nine to eleven animals mounted. Jim, though, talked to his taxidermist in Phoenix and he is giving Jim a credit amount per skin on any future taxidermy work. For example, if Jim does not want to mount his Kudu, the taxidermist will give him $100 worth of credit on the animals he does want mounted. So we both will be checking to see if the increase in weight and size of the crate will be offset by this credit. Obviously, if it would cost just a 23

small amount more to ship back all the capes, it would be financially sound to do it and save in taxidermy fees. Also, after consulting with Roger Heintzman, a taxidermist in Aberdeen, he strongly suggested bringing the capes back and selling them on Taxidermy.net(s) website. Jim and I have made a decision in regards to our final payment to Larry. We still owe him $4200 for our package of the previously mentioned eight animals (Kudu, Gemsbok, Springbuck, Impala, Common Duiker, Bushbuck, Blesbok, and Steenbuck), $900 for the Blue Duiker, and $420 for the VAT (value assessed tax), for a total of $5520. What we decided was to pay Larry on or about May 1 for the balance of our expenses owed him. Neither one of us find any logic in carrying that kind of currency with us to the Republic of South Africa. The only remaining expenses will be for the previously mentioned dipping and crating along with tips (which is not an inexpensive enterprise) to Larry, the trackers, skinners, cooks, house help, beaters, etc. January 30, 2006 I have now memorized 324 birds from my African bird book. My goal was to have 300 in long term memory by the time we make the triptime for a new goal. Jim and I were emailing about how difficult it is to sleep on an airplane and how that could result in our hunt beginning with the two of us being in an exhausted state. Larry, and most PHs in Africa, recommended some type of sleep medication to assist in getting rest on the eighteen hour flight. Jim is going to talk to his doctor and perhaps get a prescription for a sleep aid. If he does, he will get enough tablets so I, too, can take it. That way, we both do not have to mess with it. As we were discussing our rest situation, it dawned on me that we should do our best to NOT get too much sleep on the night we stay in Atlanta (May 31) as this would make sleep much easier on the evening of June 1 as we cross the Atlantic. My mind flashed possibilities back and forth like a listing ship. A burst of brilliance (ok, a snap of sense) ushered a great ideacheck to see if the Braves (Atlantas professional baseball team) are in town. We lucked out. The Braves play the Dodgers at 7:35 that night. A quick email to Jim confirmed his interest. Therefore, our plans are to arrive in Atlanta, check into our hotel, and grab a taxi to Turner Field for the game. After that, we will go out for supper. Our schedule will guarantee that our bed time will be fairly late. Since we have some spare time in Atlanta, why not use it to the fullest and make this an even greater adventure? I then proceeded to search various web sites that are ticket brokers to check on ticket prices for the game. They vary from a low of $25 dollars each (not interestedBob Uecker section) to a high of $290 each (not interestedBill Gates section). Realistically, we are probably looking at around $80 for each ticket if we want a decent location. My plans are to purchase the tickets as soon as possible to insure we get the seats we want. I also went on line and located numerous web sites listing Atlantas best restaurants. One of these sites even listed the best restaurants within walking distance of Turner Field. How did we survive in the pre-internet era? February 8, 2006 Today, an interesting fact dawned on me. This summer, between this African adventure and the 17 day European trip that Carla and I are going on, I will be crossing

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both the equator (0 degree line of latitude) and the prime meridian (0 degree line of longitude). I find this fact interesting and somewhat exciting, in a science teacher sort of way. The last few weeks, I have been compiling a word document with photographs, from Google images, of other hunters with their trophy animals that correlate to our list of animals we will be hunting. I did this to prepare myself (and Jim) for our picture taking when we are fortunate enough to harvest these antelope. It was strange as each animal had poses that I liked and disliked, but these poses changed from animal to animal. For example, the gemsbok looks great with a side shot, while a kudu looks terrible in this position. Or, a blue duiker posed on top of a rock or stump looks very attractive, but the same animal flat on the ground looks strange and out of proportion with the hunter. Of course, this is extremely subjective and what I like, Jim may not, but it does give us a reference point which will help insure that our pictures are of the highest quality with the animals positioned in a way we prefer. February 14, 2006 Last night Derek contacted me by phone. Jim and I have been trying for months, in vain, to get in touch with him. It appears he will not be making the trip with us due to family situations and other factors. There is still one variable that could result in him joining us, but I doubt it will happen. It is disappointing that he is not making the adventure, but he has been so far removed from the process, that it really does not feel like he has ever been a part of it. February 21, 2006 Exactly 100 days from today, Jim and I meet in Atlanta which officially begins this adventure. I contacted Larry via email to finalize some questions. My primary concern was to decipher the procedure necessary for customs and the importation of our rifles into South Africa. Basically, everything happens in Johannesburg: customs, rifle clearance, etc. On his website was a letter that I had to complete and then print which invites me to South Africa for the hunt. That letter along with a form, for the importation of our rifles, that Jim and I will fill out before we leave, are required. These documentations, along with US Customs form 4457 (which I will have to file in Sioux Falls some time this spring) are all that are necessary. When we land in Johannesburg, we will proceed to the Police Station at the airport and process the paperwork. I also photocopied highway maps of the states that I will be flying over on the flight from Minneapolis to Atlanta. I then drew a proposed flight path between the two cities on a map of the US. My next step was to correlate this line to the individual state maps. Once this was completed, I broke my total flight time into eighths, and by using the takeoff time from my ticket, listed this time on the corresponding state maps. Therefore, like my other flights in past years, I will have a detailed map with the expected flight path and the expected time for each eighth. Between the window, my map, and my watch, I should have a very good idea exactly where I am and what I am seeing from 35,000 feet above the Earths surface.

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February 24, 2006 From a science aspect, an interesting fact formed in my mind as we were coming home from a basketball game last night. Many of the constellations in the southern hemisphere are different than what we see nightly in the northern skies. Perhaps the most famous constellation in the southern night is the Southern Cross which was made famous in the song, Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills and Nash. When you see the Southern Cross for the first time Also some of the constellations we see are visible from south of the equator. For example, my favorite constellation is Orion, the hunter. Every cloudless morning, in the fall, Orion stands proudly in the southern skies. It has become somewhat of an icon of the hunt for me as I have observed it throughout my life. Now, and here comes the cool part, I will see Orion from South Africa, but it will be inverted (upside down) as viewed in the southern hemisphere. Of course Orion will still be in the same position, but I will literally be standing upside down which will cause the apparent change of Orions position. March 2, 2006 Tickets for the May 31, 2006, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game have been purchasedI think. The process was relatively difficult as the Braves did not open their single game tickets for sale until the 1st of March. Therefore, many of the best seats had already been purchased by season ticket holders. We did get good tickets that are in the second deck and half way between home and third. The snag with the entire process is that after paying with the credit card, the tickets were to be emailed to me and printed on my computer. They still have not arrived even though I received an order number. I fired an email to the address on the confirmation sheet. By the way, the tickets were only $32 each, but after all the add-ons (convenience charge, processing charge, order processing charge, ticket fast delivery charge) the total was $77.05 for the two tickets. March 7, 2006 The ticket saga continues unabated. On March 3, I placed a call to the Braves ticket office and was given the phone number to Ticket Masters whom I called immediately. They were very cooperative and sent me a second email, which unfortunately did not arrive either. It was obvious to me by this point that the state email server in Madison was blocking the transaction. Therefore, a third call was placed to Ticket Masters and I had them send the email to my hotmail account at home. This email with the attachment of the tickets did arrive on my hotmail account which can only be accessed from home. However, when I tried to open the attachment and print the tickets.no luck. I downloaded Adobe Reader from the hyper link on the email, but the PDF file would not show up. I even sent it to Jim hoping that he could print it from his computer. This also failed. UGHHHH!!!!!!!!

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March 13, 2006 The ticket saga is thankfully over. I forwarded the Ticket Master email from my home computer to my school email account. And, thankfully, I could access and print the PDF file from my classroom computer. March 15, 2006 Today I finished my itinerary which is a listing of my location on each day I will be on this trip and other important and pertinent information (see appendix). This was primarily done for Carla, as she will want all the contact information for emergency reasons. Included on the list are the phone numbers for each airline, the US Embassy in South Africa, Larrys cell number, and Jims PHs cell number, Jims wifes number and even our hotel number in Atlanta. I also included each flight number just in case an emergency occurs while we are in the air. And since I will be spending about 48 hours in an airplane over the 15 days of this hunt, it is prudent to list these numbers. March 18, 2006 Yesterday, Carla and I made a trip to Sioux Falls to complete the US Customs form 4457. The process was simple and took no more than ten minutes. The form itself has no expiration date, so as long as you take the same exact items, it can be reused for future endeavors. March 22, 2006 My command of written language may not be capable of thoughtfully conveying just how encompassing this trip has become in infiltrating and possessing my thought processes. Jim, too, has been bewitched by this strange phenomenon. It seems to hang on like the morning mist, becoming invisible during most of the day but is still always present. It exists, always lurking just outside the realm of sight or thought as a deeply imbedded memory does when awoken by a long forgotten sound or smell. I do not have the ability to shuffle it into my subconscious and leave it there, unforgotten, for more than a few minutes at a time. However, I understand and appreciate that this affliction is a relatively common malady for many hunters going to Africa. I just hope that it fades after the trip concludes. As a sub-note, in our emails, Jim and I routinely refer to this persistent anguish as Africanitis. March 31, 2006 Since I am always looking for new opportunities when on any adventure, I fired an email off to Larry in regards to the water temperature of the Indian Ocean during the time we will be in South Africa. Some of the animals, like the Blue Duikers, live on concessions that Larry leases that coincidentally edge right up to the ocean. From the videos I have watched, the beaches are awesome with light colored sand that actually form large dunes of very impressive height. His response pleased me greatly as the water temperature will be around 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) which, unexpectedly, is the exact same temperatures that our South Dakota lakes reach during the heat of the summer. I have not swum in an ocean; I plan to rectify that slight void in my life.

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April 5, 2006 Another month has expired, and we are getting closer and closer to our departure date as in just 56 days we leave. Last night a locking ammunition box that I ordered from Cabelas arrived. The airlines are as fickle as the autumn breeze when it comes to regulations for ammunition. One source will say that your cartridges may be in the same case as your rifle, and the next will refute it. A specific airlines webpage will state they may be together, while the next webpage says no. Ergo, Jim and I both thought it wise to invest in this inexpensive insurance measure. This way, we have all our options covered which will guarantee that our ammunition and rifle will both arrive in Port Elizabeth. If nothing else, the box will provide supreme protection for binoculars, cameras or rangefinders. May 3, 2006 We are down to 28 days until our departure date and it is beginning to feel tantalizingly close almost as if our finger tips cannot quite reach what we so deeply desire. I did some internet searching for restaurants that are within reasonable walking distance of Turner Field since Jim and I will need to eat supper after the conclusion of the baseball game on May 31, and the possibility of getting a cab after the game are fairly remote. To begin with, I found a website that listed the best ten restaurants in Atlanta categorized by food type or ethnicity. I then cross referenced the location of each with the address of Turner Field. To make a fairly long story short, the only option we really had due to distance or how late the various restaurants stay open was a highly rated seafood restaurant called Six Feet Under. Going to www.mapquest.com I typed in the address of Turner Field (755 Hank Aaron Drive baseball fans will understand the importance of the address) and the address of Six Feet Under. Mapquest is a great internet site which will actually generate a map from any known address to any other known address. Therefore, I now have stored away in my travel folder, a printed map with a highlighted path that Jim and I will follow to the restaurant. By the way, it will be a short 1.6 mile walk (if we cannot get a cab). May 10, 2006 Jim and I have finalized a few more details. First, and of relative importance, was the plan to meet once we arrive in Atlanta. Our plan is to rendezvous at the airports Ground Transportation Center (GTC), which is where the Club Hotel by Doubletrees shuttle will pick us up for the ride to the hotel. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is a massive monster which requires more planning than just meeting. Therefore, I went on line to the web site for the airport and found maps showing the location of the GTC. I could even click on to the GTC for a much larger and more detailed map. I emailed Jim a hyperlink to the URL (web address), so he too can have a map. Now we simply need to coordinate exactly where on the map we wish to meet. Thank you internet!

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May 15, 2006 With just 16 days until departure, my final payment has been made for the hunt. Russell Lovemore, Jims PH and Larrys partner emailed us his Wells Fargo account information including the account number and routing number. A quick trip to the bank, a hastily filed form, and prestothe hunt is now paid for in full. May 23, 2006 One week from tomorrow Jim and I meet in Atlanta. Today, I called Jim at work to finalize our meeting location at the airport. We are both going to have a difficult time sleeping the next few days. School concludes tomorrow, but we leave at 7:00 AM Thursday for Rapid City and Spearfish which is where the state track meet is being held. I expect it will be very late Saturday night when we get home. Carla and I are planning on going to Sisseton on Sunday morning and fish for a couple days. We will arrive back home on Monday night, and I will finalize my packing. Tuesday night we probably will stay with Fran and Del (Carlas parents) so I can be at the airport by 8:00 AM or so. Therefore, this will probably be my last entry before I leave. That is exciting! May 31, 2006 10:45 AM CST THE TRIP BEGINS Carla and I stayed in Aberdeen with Fran and Del (Carlas parents) last night. Carla drove me to the airport and waited with me until flight time from Aberdeen. The check-in went smoothly as, by now, I know the procedures necessary to check in a rifle and ammunition. My first flight from Aberdeen to Minneapolis is Northwest 3004, and I requested and received a window seat-8A. My gate in Minneapolis is F6 and the flight is NW 1542 to Atlanta. My seat for that flight will be 25F which is a window seat on the starboard (right) side. Originally I was slated for an aisle seat, but I requested a change that was thankfully granted. The day is overcast and visibility to Minneapolis will not be good. After checking the radar this morning, the flight to Atlanta will also be cloudy as a cold front extends from Arkansas to Minnesota. 11:15 AM We are far south of Aberdeen. The clouds and storms have apparently altered our flight path to a more southerly route. Right now we are in the sunlight, but we are surrounded by dark grey clouds- it is almost like looking through a smoky campfire. Through a break in the grey, I can still see the James River below us. I hope this new flight path does not impede our progress too much as I have just 55 minutes to get to my gate once we arrive. 11:20 AM The clouds are now snowy white and have great variations to their heights. It is strange as I am looking down to see the constant changing forms of the billowy clouds.

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Clouds on the flight to Minneapolis

11:24 AM We are finally turning southeast, but the great heights of the clouds force us to weave back and forth like a drunken sailor walks while on leave. We must be far south of Redfield. Flying through and over clouds of this magnitude is beautiful in a stark, contrasting format. 11:35 AM The captain came on to inform us we are at 19 000 ft. and air traffic control will not let him go higher due to turbulenceDANG IT! They take all the fun out of the flight. We are, however, jumping around pretty impressively-this is what I paid for as I love to fly. The captain also informed us that we are heading towards southeastern Minnesota in order to skirt the weather. Visibility is now zero. 11:50 AM We have dropped down well below the clouds. There is a river system lined with trees which looks like great whitetail habitat. It runs from the northwest to the southeast (Little Minnesota River). I could see a flock of white pelicans flying far below usthank God for my good eyes. 11:55 AM The weather has improved dramatically as visibility is now very good. When we arrive in Minneapolis, I am going to need to sprint through the airport to get to my next flight as past experience with this flight tells me will be landing at gates A or B which are a long ways from gate F. We shall soon find out how good my physically conditioning is. 12:37 PM I am worn out. Our flight was late, and I literally ran from gate A to gate F. The flight leaves in 25 minutes, and they are not boarding yet. Whoops, we are now boarding! That was too close. 12:45 PM I just boarded and am still pooped. Coincidentally, I met my seatmate, Holly, on my entrance to the boarding dock. I heard someone say, My seat is in the back. I told her what my seat number was, and she replied, I will be sitting next to you. Holly is with her mom, Donna, and they are on their way home to Alabama after attending Hollys boyfriends NAIA Baseball Tournament in Idaho. Two hours and four minutes to Atlanta. Liftoff at 1:06 PM. My seat allows me to actually use two different windows, and the visibility is very good. 1:16 and Rochester is to my right. The Mississippi River breaks look like awesome whitetail habitat with rolling hills and agricultural mix. We are now

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crossing I-90 and clouds are rolling in. I continually catch myself evaluating the habitat below for funnel sites and deer stand locations. 1:25 The Mississippi River has a huge look to it like a giant flood plain of perhaps a mile wide-very impressive. There are numerous dams or locks that show up as lakes. Then downstream are the marshy areas. We are now over Wisconsin, and the Mississippi River seems to unnaturally rise up onto the horizon and disappear in the mist. We are at 35 000 ft altitude. 1:35 Dubuque Iowa on the horizon. Low clouds form a cotton barrier to the ground. 1:45 over Henry, Illinois which appears to be a small town on the Illinois River. 1:52 Bloomington, Illinois is below and looks quite large. Because of stratus clouds periodically blocking my view of the ground, the only way I can keep track of our location is due to the interstate highways that pass below us. 2:01 Champlain, Illinois is below us. There has been much change to the landscape since we left Minneapolis, as it has become a gentle mix of forested breaks and draws along with a majority of farm land. 2:10 Crossing the Wadash River which forms the boundary between southern Illinois and Indiana. 2:20 White River (Indiana) is below us. A large meander to the south made it easy to identify. 2:35 I THINK we just crossed the Ohio River and are now over Kentucky. It is just too hazy and cloudy to tell for sure. Looking to the west, we have some very interesting cumulus clouds that look like big wooly sheep leaping into the air. We are starting our descent. There is an ominous looking thunderstorm off our starboard wing. I have seen very little of Kentucky or Tennessee due to the clouds and haze. 2:56 PM CST or 3:56 EST (I am now switching to EST). We are sharply banking and descending towards Atlanta. It is strange how small the US is when screaming across it at 550 mph. 4:01 EST Somehow it became forested in the last few minutes. 4:12 Touchdown in Atlanta. 5:25 I just competed finding and retrieving my bags. Huge does not even closely describe the size of this airport-monstrous perhaps-mega maybe-the words elude me to aptly describe, in print, the size of this place. As we dropped down into Atlanta, the haze and clouds began to break. The landscape itself is very flat and heavily forested with evergreens. The soil is the deep red variety that is so typical of the south. Finding the baggage claim was easy, but it did entail quite a walk. A tram is available, but I felt like walking after the long two flights. In hindsight, I probably made the wrong decision, though it did feel good to stretch my legs. Jim should have arrived by now. Our meeting point, which was decided by a map I had emailed him, is directly out the door from my current location. It is cool in here, but hot out there. It took me a solid 30 minutes to complete my sojourn, so I plan on giving Jim a good 20 minutes before I exit the terminal and enter the humid southern heat. The flight itself was uneventful although the cloud patterns and types created a varied palate to the sky. I wish I could have seen more of Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia, but the clouds had other ideas.

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The city of Atlanta was virtually invisible to me as it was on the opposite side of the plane throughout our approach. Once we landed, I could see skyscrapers to the north which must be downtown. The only thing I observed were numerous housing developments carved out of the pine forests. I cant wait to see Jim and shake his hand, because then this trip will truly be real and not just a figment of planning. Funny, but you would think arriving in Atlanta would be enough reality. For most people, I suppose it would be enough adventure and stress. I, however, am just getting warmed up. 6:05 PM I have been waiting outside now for 20 minutes. It is fascinating to watch the ebb and flow of the taxis filtering through. There is a roped off area for people to funnel through like cattle through a gate. Then the cabs show up and swallow the people. Hundreds of taxicabs have rolled by in the last few minutes.

Ground Transportation Center Atlanta Airport

6:45 PM Still no Jim. His flight was scheduled to arrive at 5:20, so it must have been delayed for some reason. If he does not arrive very soon, we will not get to the game before it starts. As a side note, through my research I found that last year during the month of May, 680 000 people went through this airport. I believe I saw that many today. Jim finally arrived at 6:50 as his flight out of Phoenix had been changed without his knowledge. The flight actually departed an hour later than he had planned. We waited fifteen minutes for the shuttle to the hotel and arrived there at 7:15. 11:55 PM Jim and I just returned to the hotel. The game was fantastic as the Braves won 9-3 over the Dodgers. Just about everything that could happen in a baseball game did happen. We saw Chipper Jones hit a home run. Nomar Garciaparra homered for the Dodgers. There were two triples, a couple fantastic catches, two shattered bats, a balk, a dropped fly ball, and the list goes on and on. The taxi charge was $15 to the ballpark. The driver really did not know where it was, but I had a general idea from the maps I had researched, and we followed the signs from there and finally reached a blocked road. Jim and I bailed out knowing that we must be close to the stadium. Rounding the corner, Turner Field almost magically appeared in front of us hidden away very well in the center of the city. Passing through the first gate we found, we progressed up a stairwell and the

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field suddenly sprawled in front of us. We had unknowingly ended up at the exact location for our seats-lucky for sure.

Turner Field - Atlanta

After the game, we asked a police officer for the best location to get a cab. One officer actually flagged down a cab for us. Then we went to the restaurant, Six Feet Under, and I had the Cajun catfish while Jim tried the fried catfish. We both enjoyed the meal. We tipped (read bribed) our waitress to call us a cab. The cabbie that arrived was a little off kilter to put it mildly. He was a spaced out one man comedy routine, who strangely enough had been to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, our final location. I truly believe that the guy is the only white taxi driver in the city of Atlanta.

Six Feet Under

The club Double Tree is a very nice, new and clean hotel. At $158 a night, it should be. Our plans are to get to sleep later tonight in order to ensure that we are tired on the extended flight tomorrow.

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June 1, 2006 6:30 AM we awoke. I watched ESPN as Jim was showering. It showed, as the #1 Play of the Day Kenny Loftons catch against the Braves. We were there and saw it live. We plan on leaving around eight for the airport. 9:30 AM We are sitting at gate 14E ready to board the 747 for Africa. What a mess to get to this point. The line for our boarding pass was long. The line through screening was long, and the distance to gate E was long. Jim had to repack his ammo from his gun case to his ammunition box even though in Phoenix they said it could be with the rifle. We talked to a lady in the screening line that was from Port Elizabeth originally, and she fired us up even more. I have decided that you have to be a very, very patient person to get through this monstrosity of an airport as it being busy does not accurately describe it. I tried calling Carla last night and again this morning. I did not think she would be home, and she wasnt. One note for further reference, make sure to always carry an extra padlock and keys for the suitcase, as apparently when ammo is locked inside the suitcase must also be locked. Thank goodness I accidentally had a tiny lock on the suitcase. This was something that neither Jim nor I had been told or read about in preparing for this adventure. 9:55 AM We just boarded the 747, and it is one big sucker! As you enter from the front, it looks as long as a football field. The arrangements of seats are two on the left, two on the right, and an additional four in the center. Our seats are superb as we have the two on the left side, and as an added bonus, they are the first seats after the galley. This gives us unprecedented leg room and will make the flight much more comfortable.

747 we flew in to South Africa

In March, Delta cancelled their partnership with South African Airways so our air miles will not be added into the account. This is equivalent to loosing a free flight to anywhere in the US. The screen in front of us has a view from the rudder looking towards the nose of the aircraft as there is a camera in the rudder giving us a live video feed. It is very cool and very interesting to watch.

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11:10 AM We are on our way. The visibility is decent today as low small cumulus clouds are covering one half the ground as we peer down. Georgia is a green state with forests seemingly everywhere. 11:20 AM We are about ready to cross the Chatanooga River which forms the border between Georgia and South Carolina. It actually looks more like a large reservoir than a river-very impressive. 11:30 AM There is a large body of water that runs east to west with a river flowing east out of it. Also, there is an interstate highway crossing it from north to south. I wish now I had copied a map of SC. 11:35 AM We are over the coast. The estuaries and river drainages are prevalent. The sediment is obvious against the blue ocean. The clouds have ended at the coast. Our flight video monitor is showing that we crossed just north of Charleston. Altitude 35 187 feet -- Speed 555 MPH and it is -57 F outsideBRRRRRRR! 12:15 PM Lunch of Beef Stew, Salad, Roll, Cheese and Crackers, Pecan Bar, two candy piecesall delicious. 1:15 PM We are currently southeast of the Bahamas which we could have probably seen if not for the cloud cover. I just completed my customs form for the airport in Johannesburg. If my calculations are correct, we should arrive on Sol Island around 6:30 EST, and it should be dark because of local time. I need sleep but am fighting it knowing just how difficult it will be to sleep during the very short night that is in front of us. 2:50 PM For an hour and a half I have been reading, The Wild Blue by Stephen Ambrose. It is the story of George McGoverns B-24 crew during WWII. To comply with tradition of these oversea trips, I borrowed it from Kevin. The clouds are finally breaking and the long lost Atlantic can now be seen. Looking down, the ocean is blue, and if I look up, the sky is the same shade of light blue. In between is a white layer of stratus clouds that make the whole thing look like a two layered blue cake with frosting in the middle. What is really strange is the lack of depth perception as everything appears to run together like thin paint on a canvas. Our speed is now 602 MPH and are altitude is 37 190 feet. Three hours and sixteen minutes to the Cape Verde Islands. 3:17 PM Crossing the mid-ocean ridge. 4:50 PM and the sun is setting creating a sky that is a beautiful shade of violet-blue with pink accents. I decided watch the movie, King Kong. 5:15 PM Pitch dark. King Kong gets about a four on a scale of one to ten-not very good. 6:10 Landed on Sol Island. Desolate describes this place well, at least what we can see of it in the dark (local time is 9:10). As we descended, we could make out a few tiny clusters of lights from three of the islands. The airport is not much more than what Aberdeen has for buildings. To give the reader an idea, there were lit tents along the runways. Jim told me to use that for an example of how remote this place is. Oh how I wish that I could tour this islandthink of the birds! Besides the airport lights, this island is extremely undeveloped. On the video screen in front of us is a map of the world showing where the sunset and sunrise lines are along with the current position of the sun. 7:25 EST We have departed from Sol Island. During the refueling, we were allowed to move around the aircraft but could not depart it. We received new cabin crew and

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flight attendants. I chatted with one of the flight attendants about what the island looked like during the daylight. According to her, Sol has very little green to it because of the salt. The other islands are very green and on all the islands the beaches are beautiful. 9:59 EST Thanks to Jims Lunesta, I slept two hours. We are currently south of Gunea and our flight paths should take us over the tip of Angola and Namibia. Five hours and forty minutes until we arrive in Johannesburg. The sun, according to our monitors map, is back on the eastern coast of the African continent. I am switching to South African time which is currently 4:06 AM. This trip makes sleep a difficult concept to rationalize as I have no idea whether I should be tired or not-time just flows on and the body must adjust as best it can. 4:39 AM South African Time Watching Cheaper by the Dozen Two. I give it a six. 5:30 AM The stars are incredibly bright from six miles above the Earth. Many of the brightest appear to be below us. The sky seems strange and alien as no constellations seem similar to what we normally see. 5:45 AM There is a single star over the left wing that appears huge and bright-way more intense than anything in the northern sky. 6:30 AM It is just beginning to turn orange to the east, but at this altitude it happens very quickly. By watching our screen map, it will be a close race between sunlight and the African coast. Obviously, we want light. June 2, 2006 6:46 AM The sunrise looks like a stretched out rainbow with the reds at the bottom and the purples on top. 7:03 AM The coast of Africa (Angola) is in sight. The light still is not great, but the land is clearly visible. The terrain looks rough and with no settlements that can be seen. A river flows into the ocean. It is quickly turning into the sands of the Kalahari Desert. To the east are many small mountains which blend in the morning haze like a Bob Ross painting (you know, the guy with the fro that paints with the big brushes?). 7:15 AM Sunrise-our first on the African continent. The land below is very stark and desolate looking with no towns or highways visible. The light is so intense that we are looking at the downward camera in our screen to view the surface. 7:30 AM We are now over the country of Namibia which is one of South Africas neighboring states. This is the home of the bushman. There is a huge flood plain that is reflecting the suns golden rays. Along the waters edges, would be hippos, elephants and crocodiles. Finally we see a highwaywe are well over 100 miles into Africa before we spot a road. 7:50 AM We are flying over a very large lake that appears to be drying from evaporation. It is shown on our map screens as a brown (desert like) area. The suns angle is so bad that I cannot open the window for fear of blinding someone across the fuselage from me. 8:00 AM We just crossed our first agricultural area with large round hills to the southeast. 8:15 AM Breakfast of a link sausage, scrambled eggs, a fourth of a tomato, potato triangle, hard roll, fruit, yogurt and orange juice. 8:35 AM Now into Mozambique airspace. The haze makes describing the ground difficult.

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The flight attendants are passing out a customs declaration form for the South African Revenue Service. The form was very simple to fill out. 8:55 AM The landscape below is what Jim and I both consider classic Africa which are trees widely distributed over semi-arid land. 9:05 AM We flew over the capital city of Mozambique, Gaborone. It was a short distance before we were over South Africa. 9:45 AM Touchdown in Africa!!! There were many mountains around Johannesburg that formed ridges that ran east to west and make a beautiful northern border to the city. The pilot banked the plane fairly severely which gave us an excellent view of this huge city. 12:05 PM Jim and I have passed through customs, processed the rifles through the police department, checked back in for our flight to Port Elizabeth, checked our rifles back in and finally passed through the screening process. Whom ever, and many people did, said that the process was simple, must be an Einstein. After landing, we unloaded onto the tarmac, where shuttles were waiting to transport us to the airport buildings. Once there, we stood in line for customs. After that was completed, we proceeded to the baggage claim to get our suitcases. The police station was right next to the luggage carousel, and they had our rifles and were waiting for the twenty or so of us to line up. At that point, they recorded the number from the US Customs Form 4457. The rifles (in the cases) then passed through their office while we had to walk through a second customs station in which we had to either enter the declare line or nothing to declare line. Next, we were ushered by a porter to the front of the police station (we were at the back of the station earlier). Once inside, we were lined up and asked to produce our 4457 form, an invitation letter from our PH, our previously filed out South African Police Form, and our return ticket from South Africa. Whew! Then, in turn, each of us opened our cases to show that the numbers engraved on the rifles corresponded to the form. After this, it took about ten minutes to process the paper work which is a stapled form that we must carry with us the entire time we are in country. After this was done, a porter grabbed the rifle case and we exited the international terminal and walked 300 yards to the domestic terminal. Once we arrived to domestic departures, our tickets were inspected, we rechecked our luggage for the Port Elizabeth flight, and then proceeded to another room the police use to collect the rifle and make sure it gets on the proper flight. During this entire time, we were not allowed to touch our rifle cases. Jim and I then went through the screening process to enter the secure area of the airport. Double WHEW!! This entire process took three hours. Right now, we are sitting and waiting for our flight to Port Elizabeth, and we are gazing west over the airport. And guess what? I spotted my first African bird- a Rock Martin. Jim and I decided we needed something to eat and found a little caf in the airport called Whimpy. We both ordered a burger and fries. Jim noticed that ketchup is called tomato sauce. As we returned to our loading dock, I noticed a second bird which I quickly identified as a Cape Wagtail. I am now two for two. I saw two birds and identified both without using my book (of course I did check to make sure I was correct).

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Jim working on his journal

2:00 PM We have just loaded the 737 for the trip to Port Elizabeth, our final destination. Needless to say, the two of us are running on adrenalin as our energy reserves have long been exhausted. But, in two hours, this three day flight will be over. Tomorrow we hunt Africa. Jim and I are across the aisle from each other and we are obviously bummed that neither of us have a window seat. It is very possible that my eyes may close for a portion of this flight. After what Jim and I went through today, I can sincerely say that it is a dang good thing that I am an organized person. Always keep all your tickets, boarding passes, luggage receipt, tags, etc. in an organized envelope or folder as you never know exactly what is required. 2:43 PM The captain just announced that our delay for take off is due to poor weather in Port Elizabeth. Apparently, the prevailing wind direction due to a storm will force this flight to land on the east to west runway. This runway is too short for our current weight. Therefore, SAA is offering 32 passengers a flight two hours later and a free ticket anywhere in country if they are willing to wait. This decrease in weight, they calculate, will allow us to stop the aircraft before we run out of runway-a comforting thought. Also, there is a rumor spreading through the cabin that the luggage is being off loaded for the later flight tonight or possibly tomorrow. That would not be good as we need our rifles tomorrow morning. 2:52 We are still sitting patiently waiting to depart. The flight attendants have just announced that indeed the luggage has been removed and will probably arrive with the 7:00 PM flight. Every hunt has a hitch, and this one is ours. These things happen and must be taken in stride, but it still sucks! I am always looking for a silver lining to any cloud, so here is my thinking. Maybe we will get some time for Russell to show us Port Elizabeth which will mean more birds! 3:35 PM and we are still on the ground. The problem is with the passenger manifest as each person that departed must be removed from the master list. We cannot leave until that is completed. 4:00 PM and yet we wait. We were expecting to be in PE (what the locals call Port Elizabeth) by this point. This is one of the most ridiculous situations I have ever been in. It is possible that the flight with our luggage could actually beat us to PE.

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FINALLY we are in the air and it is ONLY 4:27 PM which is two full hours late from our scheduled departure time. By glancing out the window, the area below us looks similar to western South Dakota in that it is dormant brown in color with small meandering streams snaking across the landscape. There are now some very nice mountains that are gathering in the setting suns glow. They have some widely scattered white on top due to snow. To the west, on Jims side, it is flat and water pockets reflect in hundreds of places. Supper is a smoked chicken and beef sandwich. 5:40 PM We have landed at PE. It was rainy and cloudy on our very slow and winding approach. The plane stopped on the tarmac and we had to walk to the terminal. I have a picture saved on my computer at school that was taken at the same angle as our walk. Upon entering, I talked to one of the security people about being able to re-enter when our luggage arrived. She knew of the problem and assured me that we would be allowed back in. Our plan was to go out to the very busy lobby, and try to find Jims PH Russell Lovemore who was scheduled to meet us. No worries, Russell found us. He must have looked for and located the two most lost looking souls in the airport. He, too, was well aware of the situation with the late flight and the luggage problem. My rifle had miraculously arrived, but Jims rifle case and both suitcases were hopefully on the next flight in. I simply had to sign a form and the rifle was kept in a locked room until we returned later. To kill some time, we went to a seafood restaurant where I ordered four large prawns, calamari, ocean perch and chips (fries). The portions were huge and it was all extremely tasty. After the meal, we headed back to the airport where lo-and-behold, our two suitcases had arrived. But, Jims rifle apparently had not made the flight. This caused some real problems as it would probably be tomorrow before it would arrive. The hunt gods must have been smiling on us this night, as the last few items came through the door and Jims rifle case was one of them. We loaded Russells Toyota with our gear and headed down N2 (highway) towards Grahamstown. From what I could see of PE, it is a gorgeous city nestled tightly against the Indian Ocean. Russell was very likeable form the outset. I have no doubt that Jim will enjoy his company. We stopped for petrol (gasoline) in Grahamstown and calculated that it is over $4.00 a gallon. The city itself sits in a bowl and glowed brilliantly against the overcast sky. Twenty five minutes later we arrived at the lodge. From what we could see, everything here is very luxurious and clean. Jim and I are cranked for tomorrow (imagine that). The plan is that he will be going after Kudu on another property, while Larry and I will be hunting around here for Kudu or whatever we find. The Southern Cross burned brightly tonight as the clouds have finally cleared. It is windy and cool here as a jacket is needed. Oh, I almost forgot, we saw a cow Kudu in the headlights right before we got to camp-our first sighting of an African big game

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animal. Hopefully I will write more tomorrow as it is almost 11:00 PM and we have been traveling for three days. Wake up is scheduled for 6:00AM. June 3, 2006 The first day of the hunt. 5:45 AM Even though I had set my alarm for 5:55, I awoke at 5:30 after sleeping soundly and comfortably throughout the night. The journey here has been so long, but the rewards will be so great. Larry arrived at 6:30. We had toast and yogurt for breakfast. 10:10 PM I just shot a Kudu bull at 350 yards. We are going to walk up to the ridge it walked over. 12:45 PM We are frustrated beyond belief as 2.5 hours of vigilant searching has resulted in no found animal. 8:30 PM. The day is over. It was perhaps the most memorable day of my hunting career, but unquestionably the most frustrating. First, let me explain the beginning of the day. I was introduced to Richard who will be my tracker and skinner. He speaks very little English. We waited until shooting light to drive the two miles to the rifle range which was also the area I would be hunting which is part of the Hellspoort property. A target was set up at 25 yards and another at 100 yards. Jim shot first and fired perhaps six rounds. I then shot at the 25 yard target and was very close to the center. Moving on to the 100 yard target, I fired a round and Larry called it two inches high of center which was perfect. I remember seeing a dark mark high on the paper but dismissed it as a tape mark or hole. Larry asked me if I wanted to shoot another and I declined. This was to be my first mistake of the morning.

Jim and Larry at the rifle range

By the way, the bird life was phenomenal as I identified the vast majority without Larrys help. I will have a master list and pictures of all the birds I saw in the appendix of this journal. Larry also purchased for me a checklist that corresponded with my book. I used that to keep track of my total number by writing down the day of the hunt in the box adjacent to the birds name. The country we hunted closely resembles western South Dakota, with larger hills and different plants of course. Hellspoort is 20 000 acres in size. Larry, Richard, the Hellspoort staff member Dansile (Daunce si lay) and I began to glass. Immediately they were spotting Kudu, Gemsbok and Impala. We then drove into the large rolling hills and

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slowly hiked and glassed as we went. We did bump into one very large warthog boar that was escorting a female around. It was much larger in body size than I was expecting.

Glassing for Kudu

The bush on these hills reaches ten feet or more in height and is very dense. The leaves on almost all the vegetation is succulent and holds much water. Larry had me try one which was bitter, yet not bad tasting. During this time, Richard stayed with Larrys Toyota Land Cruiser and communication was accomplished by radio. We saw a few Kudu, but nothing of size.

Hellspoort habitat

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We worked our way from the top of a hill down into the bottoms where the dirt roads wander seemingly aimlessly through the property. Working up one of these roads, Larry spotted a group of Kudu on the opposite ridge with a very good bull. I went prone with the bipod extended and was very calm considering the circumstances. Larry estimated the range at 350 yards, and urged me to hold just below the backbone which would be the correct elevation. The bull stepped into a small opening and the rifle barked. Larry called the shot high, which shocked the hell out of me as the shot felt absolutely perfect. The bull then broke into a second small opening and gave me a quartering away shot. The bullet strike was unmistakable in the quiet morning air. I took a third shot at the neck as it walked slowly over the ridge but missed. At this point, I was 100% confident that I had shot my first African animal and that it would be lying dead just over the ridge. Larry sent Dansile up to the location where the bull was standing on the second shot and he yelled back, in Kosa, that there was blood. As Larry and I walked up to the spot, I knew the bull had expired just over the hill. I was wrong. With the exception of a half hour dinner break in which we had fry bread buns and seasoned beef similar to BBQ, we spent the entire day looking for the bull. Larrys dog Bagu (baw GOO which means hunter dog in Kosa) could find no sign. Richard found a very small amount of bloody fluid 500 yards and 180 degrees from the bulls line of travel. Nothing else could be located, and we never did find out if that blood was from the Kudu or not. During this entire time, I kept thinking we would find it.

Bagu ready to go hunting

Also, missing that first shot at the bull had me confused and that high mark on the paper target continued to haunt me. Upon my insistence we went back to the range to check my rifle again. My first shot printed six inches high right next to the mark on the target. Walking down to the 100 yard target, the first mark was a hole that obviously was from my first shot earlier in the day. It was not where Larry had called it. However, I do not blame him in any way as it was my responsibility to check where the rifle was hitting. By this point I was so frustrated that I was spraying bullets all over the damn place. I actually had Larry shoot my rifle just to make sure it wasnt the rifle. Frustrating!!! A couple days later, we ranged the distance from my first shot to the tree the Kudu was standing next to. It was 300 yards. So between miscalculating the range by 50 yards

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(which was critical at that range), and my rifle hitting six inches high at 100 yards, the first miss was explained. The second shot will haunt me for the rest of my life, as the angle was such that it had to get into the vitals. The only possible explanation was it was under the spine and over the lungs. I may never know. Perhaps during this next hunt, they will find it. We saw so much wildlife from giant Eland to tiny Steenbucks. I was amazed at how effective Larry was at spotting game. By the end of the hunt, I was beginning to believe that if he did not see anything, there was nothing to be seen. Jim had a great day by harvesting a big Kudu bull and a very nice Springbuck. They saw a total of nineteen different big game species. I will have pictures of all his animals at the end of the journal. Supper was Impala Stew, rice, cheese and broccoli, salad, bean soup and a custard desert. The meat was delicious as well as everything else. Our routine was to meet at the bar area for a cold drink (South African for pop, juice or anything cold to be drunk) and hors devours. We then go to the dining room for supper. Afterwards it is coffee or a cold drink again.

Bar area Hellspoort Lodge

Dining Room Hellspoort Lodge

It is very difficult to convey in words the frustration of todays hunt. It goes far beyond words. I could not visualize a more exasperating beginning to this adventure. We saw 21 different bird species today. Vervet Monkeys ran wild all across the concession. Larry warned me about the tiny ticks that they have that are no larger than a

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pin head. And finally, when I crawled into bed, there was a hot water bottle sandwiched between the sheets warming my bed. Is this being spoiled or what? June 4 I woke at 5:30 AM. I slept very poorly due to the entire situation from yesterday. I could not eliminate it from my mind. It consumed me all night. Yogurt and toast again for breakfast. Today we (Jim and Russell, Larry and I) are heading to a different concession called Kwantu for Gemsbok and Blesbok. The morning again is cool and requires a jacket. After a forty five minute drive we arrived at Kwantu just as the sun was clearing the horizon. There appeared to be a small community including a church and a convenience store, which I later learned was named Sidbury. Really, it is nothing more than a collection of buildings.

Kwantu Preserve Sidbury

As we waited for the local guide, I started to crank off the bird species running around like a cat after a mouse. The Hadeda Ibis were everywhere and obnoxiously loud. In the distance, we could see Blesbok, Zebra, Wildebeests (both black and blue) and numerous other animals. Following the dirt roads through the ranch, game abounded like I have never experienced. Everywhere you looked there was wildlife. We progressed slowly through the property noting a few large Blesbok rams, but primarily looking for the Gemsbok. Stopping at one spot to glass one of the local guys spotted some Jackal that reminded me of our coyotes in their behaviors.

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Jim and Russell Kwantu

Kwantu habitat

Moving down the ridgeline, we stopped at a second location and Russell inched over the edge, dropped down and signaled Larry and me to come forward. Grabbing my rifle, and loading it on the move, we moved forward until the horns of the Gemsbok came into view. They were moving away from us so we left Russell and continued on a parallel course trying our best to get in front of the herd. After glassing them for a minute during which I could only see horn tips, Larry made the call that there was a good bull in the group. Both male and female Gemsbok have horns, but the males tend to have more mass, while the females tend to have slightly longer horns. Of course, we were looking for a bull. The next think I knew, the herd began to nervously trot away from us exposing them to my view for the first time. Larry quickly set up the shooting sticks as the herd continued to move further away. Finally at what we later measured at exactly 290 yards, the 15 or so animals stopped. By this point I was resting on the shooting sticks and had my scope cranked up to nine power. Larry stated that the bull was the animal on the far right, and asked if I was solid. After what happened yesterday with the Kudu, I told him I was not shooting that far off the wobbly sticks. Next to me was a rock, so I went down to a sitting position resting the rifle over the stone and I tucked my elbow into a bush. The crosshairs were locked solid on the bulls shoulder as I squeezed the trigger. At the shot, the Gemsbok launched upward with an obvious broken shoulder. I had made a perfect shot but after yesterdays debacle was preparing to shoot again when Larry insisted I wait as the bull was going down. It traveled no more than 15 yards before falling to the ground. Suddenly all the anxiety and frustration from yesterday was gone and I could again enjoy the experience. Jim and Russell had watched the entire show from a hill behind us. We jumped back into the Land Cruisers and drove down to the bull. It was more impressive than I thought it would be in size and color. The horns were very thick (7 6/8 each) and tapered to a sharp point far back over its body (measured at 33 6/8 and 34 0/8). The color was gorgeous as it was a mix of tans, whites and blacks ending in a very black bushy tail. As my hands ran over its hide, I continued to admire a spectacular animal. Believe when I say I checked its odor and found very little scent to it.

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Gemsbok-my first African animal

After the obligatory picture taking (it was only 8:30), we loaded it onto the back of Larrys LC (Land Cruiser I am getting tired of typing it out each time so from this point on it will be LC) and headed to their skinning area. Jim and Russell continued looking for a Gemsbok. As Richard worked on the cape and skull, I went bird watching and ticked a few more off my list. Also, I checked my GPS and noticed that I was 9428 miles from home. Larry eventually got tired of waiting and suggested we go back and look at the herds of Blesbok we had seen earlier in the morning. Driving to the first herd, Larry began to glass and told me to look for whitish colored horns as that are an indication of age and also of a male. Quickly glassing the first group, he immediately pointed out a male he thought we should pursue, which surprised me that he decided so quickly. From my untrained eyes, they all looked very similar. But, as I found out later, the ram he saw was exceptional. Blesbok are not the most intellectual of the antelope clan and are very territorial tending to return to an area after being disturbed. Larry drove the LC out of sight and we tried out best to stalk the open area by using a small clump of bushes as cover. The herd was so large that there were always eyes on us as we closed the distance. The group began to mill around and mix themselves up continually making it difficult to staying focused on the one ram.

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Area we stalked the Blesbok

Finally reaching the clump of vegetation, I extended my bipod and was planning to shoot prone. The only problem was that there was a slight rise between us and from the ground it was difficult to see more than half the rams body at a time. To complicate the matter, the entire herd continued to move and blend together. Inching out further I finally got enough clearance to make the shot. Waiting for the herd to clear the animal was frustrating and nerve wracking. There seemed to constantly be Blesbok or Blue Wildebeests in the way or in the background. After what felt like an eternity, Larry finally said the ram was clear as it quartered toward me at 190 yards. Only about the upper two thirds of it was visible, which was more than enough target for a solid shooting position. For the second time in an hour, the rifle barked. Coming down from the recoil, I saw the ram crumple to the shot. The other 30 or so animals scattered as Larry and I again shook hands.

Blesbok Ram

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Bagu and I walked to the Blesbok as Larry headed back to the LC. As I approached it, the size of the horns immediately caught my eye as I finally noticed just how great a trophy this animal was. Again, the beauty of these animals is difficult to explain, but the colors were exquisite varying from snow white to a purplish cast that glowed in the early morning sun. The horns had an almost translucent hue to them giving the white look. Blesbok have a very large gland under each eye that secretes an oily liquid which has a very sweet scent to it. Other than that, I could not smell any other odors. As Larry arrived, he commented on how it was a true trophy animal. Later, we measured the horns at 16 2/8 with bases of 7 which are tremendous numbers. After the picture taking, I glanced at my watch and noticed that it was only 9:40. The Gemsbok had dropped at 8:30. Wow-that is fast action. Heading back to the skinning area for the second time this morning, I was smiling and almost forgetting about yesterdays terrible events. Once Richard had skinned the Blesbok cape, Larry was anxious to get back to Grahamstown. I got the quick tour as we drove downtown through the more historical section and got a fabulous view of the church that creates the centerpiece of the city. Many shops lined main street in a manner that is reminiscent of the US before malls. Along the way, I noticed many oak trees and its leaves were turning yellow and dropping. Flowers are everywhere like our summer and then you see a tree in autumn colors. Weird is the best word I can think of to describe it. Larrys home is very nice and is decorated much simpler than US houses as few things clutter the walls. I met his wife Sharon and we had bean soup for dinner which was very good. Richard stayed outside and completed the skinning of the Blesbok cape. For the first time, I noticed the differentiation between the two races here in South Africa. In fact, the three of us over dinner had quite a discussion about the problems with the races here. All the white population and a few affluent blacks live in the main part of the city.

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Larrys home in Grahamstown

But on the far side of town spread broadly across the hilltops is a place Larry calls the location or township. This area is home to the majority of the black population, and for lack of better term, is a slum area composed of shacks. Apparently the government builds these tiny buildings and the black people live in them for free. Some of these people make their own homes out of whatever they can scavenge. Larry and Sharon have bias towards this area due to the high case of crimes and HIV which is rampant. They are very uneducated about AIDS. Ask me about some of their beliefs, as I do not want to mention them here. The separation between the white and black population is deep and ugly. Larry said, The ten percent of the white people in this country have to pay enough taxes for the other ninety percent to survive. After taking a few pictures of Larrys home, we headed back to the lodge. Along the way, a group of meercats crossed in front us. Larry is constantly asking me to identify things. I got this one right. Arriving at the drying sheds, Larry and Richard went to work cleaning, salting and doing the necessary paper work, while I went bird watching. Larry spotted two Mountain Reedbuck, an antelope species I have interest in, directly above us.

Richard salting hides at the drying shed

An hour later, Larry and I set up next to the highway on a high bank to glass for bushbuck. We saw eight, but unfortunately there were no good rams. The Vervet Monkeys are very common, and as I glassed, I noticed one sitting on the very top of a tree. It looked comical in a wild kingdom sort of way. 49

Richard drove the LC back to our location and we headed on the dirt/rock roads back into the area where I had hit the Kudu. Along the way we saw a Grey Duiker, many Warthogs and twenty or so Kudu. As the sun set, we cleared the rugged country and hit the flats where we had seen the two Steenbuck the night before. Eventually we spotted five different Steenbuck and one might have been a shooter. Richard had spotted this little guy bedded down not fifty yards off the gravel road. As we passed its general location, I saw it lying flat against the ground next to a fairly large cactus. We parked and inched our way back. The ears came into sight first, and as the little guy saw us, he tried to get lower to the ground which made us both chuckle. It was like the ram was trying to force his little body into the soil. Finally, it broke and ran looking strangely small for an antelope. We arrived back at the lodge right at dark. Russell and Jim returned with success as Jim shot a great Gemsbok and Blesbok too. Supper was Fallow Deer roast, ground green beans, a cooked vegetable that may have been sweet potatoes and a rice dish that was just slightly seasoned. The house staff explained to Larry and Russell in Kosa what the meat was. They both laughed and said if I could figure it out they would tell us. My mind whirled as I tried to think of something that they would not expect me to guess. I blurted out, Fallow Deer, and the smug looks on their faces disappeared. They both wondered how I figured it out. Our hors devours tonight were wos (vos) which are small sausage like Slim Jims. The pre-meal appetizers where fish squares and desert was sweet sliced bread fried crispy and covered with ice cream. 9:40 and it is bedtime. June 5, 2006 Monday We awoke this morning at 6:00 AM. I had the normal toast and yogurt for breakfast. Today we are heading to Port Alford for the Blue Duiker hunt. We may also find Grey Duiker and Bushbuck. Jim cracked me up this morning as we were talking bout the PHs and trackers ability to spot game, when he said, It pisses me off when one-eye sees more than I do. His tracker, Wandali (Wawn da lay), has just one eye and is showing Jim up. As we passed through Grahamstown, the school children were on their way to classes. I was surprised to see how they all wore school uniforms which consisted of dark blue slacks or shorts, a white collared shirt and a dark blue blazer. Exiting the city, our path took us south along the most agricultural area we have seen. The most common crop? Pineapples. The rest of the route was typical of the area consisting of high rolling hills with valleys between. The bottoms and tops were agricultural while the side hills were primarily veld or bush. Arriving on the north side of Port Alford, we passed through the township section of the city where the black people live in squatter shacks. These houses are stacked together like cord wood and do not even have running water. As in Grahamstown, this gradually faded into the government houses which are half the size of the house the reservation Native Americans live in. People lined the streets, hundreds of them, heading various directions, with various speeds (all walking of course) and wearing various clothing from filthy dirty to very dressy and professional looking. When I inquired to Larry where this mass of humanity

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was heading, he shrugged his shoulders and said, Some will work in the fields. Some will work in homes. A few have higher paying jobs, and some just beg all day. I forgot to mention that on the forty five minute drive down to Port Alford, Larry gave me his opinion of the racial segregation and problems in SA. If anyone is interested, please ask me about his views. It is interesting. Moving through the city we descended until the grandiose ocean came into view. It was breathtakingly blue against the green vegetation and very light brown sand dunes. The housing now became upscale with homes that I am sure would sell for one million dollars or more. Heading west of the city, we arrived at the concession. The drive off the highway began with a two track gravel road and deteriorated into a track across the open grassland, where we spotted our first Oribi of the trip. This path continued another two hundred yards to the home of the concession owner, Adrian. Both Larry and Russell had given us a heads up about Adrian. Tragically, ten years earlier his father was murdered in what is now Adrians home. And to compound the situation, Adrian is a very nice and hospitable man but he is a very simple person without much intellect. Throughout the day I thoroughly enjoyed his company even though he has a definite learning disability. He is rightfully proud of his inherited land as it is, without doubt, the most beautiful place (with maybe the exception of the Alaska mountains) that I have seen. From his yard you can glance down the valley and see the Indian Ocean seemingly surrounded by lush rolling green hills of thick veld and highlighted with the glistening sand.

View from Adrians yard

Leaving the yard, through the now so common gates, we passed the location where Jim Shockey shot the Albino Bushbuck on his TV show. We progressed lower into the extremely thick cover the Blue Duikers call home. Stepping out of the LC, I was surprised at the consistency of the sand as it was so fine it was like walking on flour.

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Preparing for our first Blue Duiker drive

Russells two trackers, Richard and one of Adrians staff along with four dogs were to try and force the tiny Blue Duikers to either Jim or me. The beaters moved around the bush for a couple hundred yards to the east to begin the first drive. Adrian took the four of us forward to our stand sites. Russell and Jim took the first location which was literally a jungle. Jim was using Russells 12 gauge Remington 870 pump. Adrian moved another 75 yards or so before setting Larry and me up. Our spot was even more dense, but was a nice funnel area as a steep hill was to our backs. All the vegetation held the sand firmly in place as it really was just dunes.

Blue Duiker habitat along the Indian Ocean

On the way in, Larry pointed to a Blue Duiker track in the sand. It was unbelievably small as the picture I took of it next to my shogun shell will show. By the way, I was using Larrys Winchester 101 over and under loaded with 2 number one shot. Larry said it would be equivalent to our number two shot.

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Shotgun shell next to Blue Duiker track

In the distance we could hear the beaters began the drive by shouting and hollering. Within a few minutes, the dogs began to bark which meant a chase had begun. I whispered to Larry asking how close the dogs get to the Duikers and he replied that they rarely get within 300 yards of them. The barking was due to the strong scent. This was very exciting knowing that at any second one of the little rocket ships could and would be passing by.

Me on first Blue Duiker drive

On the forest floor were numerous snail shells that were whitish with dark brown lines. These shells varied in size with the largest being the size of a tennis ball. Anyway, back to the hunt. Larry and I were scanning every little hole in the under-story and trying to keep a little puppy that Adrian had sent with us quiet, when a shot bellowed out from Jims location. I glanced at Larry and we both smiled. Then a second shot rang out and I said, Oh, oh! Larry nodded in agreement as the second shot probably meant Jim had missed. Heading towards Jims location, we found him standing excitedly near to the last place we had seen him. When I asked what a Blue Duiker looked like, he smiled and said, A f**king grey blur. He also said it looked like a miniature lion pouncing through the bush.

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Jim explaining to Larry how he missed-twice

After checking, he had missed which was easily understood considering it was a crossing shot on a screaming little antelope. We loaded the dogs and Adrian showed us our second drive sight which was 300 yards from our first. The beaters and dogs were dropped off at the bottom, as we took the vehicles up near the top. This area was strangely familiar as it looked exactly like the coulees around Veblen, except, of course, the plants were SLIGHTLY different.

Preparing for our second Blue Duiker drive

Unloading, we followed a cow trail that bisected the 75 yard funnel. Again, Jim and Russell took the spot while Larry and I proceeded further in. As Adrian and Larry chased three cows out of the way, I got ready. This spot was more open giving a shot that could reach out to twenty or so yards. To our right, the vegetation ended within 15 yards and an open grassy area was present which would force the Blue Duikers to stay in the cover. Larry told me to watch to the left and he would look right and tap me on the shoulder if he saw one coming. My reflexes were ready as my instincts fired into gear and were telling me to get ready. We had not stood for two minutes when Larry excitingly tapped me on the shoulder. Spinning to his side, I saw my first Blue Duiker screaming through the vegetation in a rate that fast cannot adequately describe. Larrys motion and my turn caused it to turn straight away from us and down the cow trail. I knew it would not exit the cover and would be diving back into the bush. Throwing the shotgun to my shoulder, I fired so quickly I surprised myself. The Blue Duiker slid forward into the sandy soil. I was pumped as Larry and I shook hands and quietly laughed. 54

He latter asked how I shouldered the gun and fired so quickly. I would estimate from the time Larry tapped my shoulder until I fired was less than one second. Walking up to the diminutive animal, I was excited to the point that would rival some of my most memorable hunting moments. The shot, by the way, was later measured at 14 yards.

Adrian, Larry where my Blue Duiker dropped

The Blue Duikers coat is mauve brown. Its hooves were tiny and its nose was no bigger than a fingernail. There was no scent to the animal at all except for its glands by the eye which gave off a very sweet licorice smell. It was beautifully delicate. The animal itself was a female which are larger than males. Its horns were a very respectable 1 3/8 long.

Blue Duiker

Jim was cranked when he saw it as he was convinced that just one shot had meant I was successful with the animal I was probably most interested in on this trip. This ranked right up there with any hunt I have been on. 55

As we stood around the vehicles, Richard, who was carrying the animal, shouted something in Kosa. Turning, we saw a Blue Duiker cross within feet of the bumper of Russells Toyota. Apparently, one of the dogs had pushed it out of a very small little pocket of cover. Jim and Russell continued on as Larry, Richard and I went to the top for better pictures. The view from the picture location was the best of the entire day as it was above the rest of the property which showed the blue ocean and tan dunes.

View from photo location of Blue Duiker

After taking the pictures, Larry decided we would cross the highway to more of Adrians property to look for Bushbuck and Grey Duiker. Upon crossing the road we immediately spotted both species. Richard stayed behind to skin while Larry, Bagu and I proceeded up the largest hill near us. From there we spotted more of each species including one nice Grey Duiker. It was simply too far to judge accurately, but Larry thought the ram may be big enough to shoot.

Hilltop we glassed from

Bushbuck and Grey Duiker habitat-Adrians

Progressing off the knob, we dropped down into the valley and Larry spotted another Grey Duiker. After inspecting it, he decided it was too small. Continuing to close the distance to the first animal, we inched forward up the large round hill. Larry pointed just

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as it came into view for me. Its body was screened by some bush. Motioning for me to shoot, Larry gave me all the motivation I needed. At the shot, the animal did not even twitch. How could I miss at 23 yards (later measured)? Working the bolt quickly has never been a problem, and after the second shot the animal crumpled to the ground. Walking up to it, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was much more attractive animal than I have given it credit for. The horns were nice and long at 4 6/8 of an inch. The coat was much longer and more wooly than our other species and the legs were a rich chestnut brown which contrasted its grayish/brown coat. After a couple of quick pictures, we moved it down to a better location for the good photos. Larry picked it up like a suitcase holding the legs and horns in one hand. When Richard arrived, we took the pictures, loaded it in the LC and headed back to Adrians house.

Grey Duiker

The weather today was the hottest of the trip with temps in the mid eighties and windy. Since it was getting near noon, we dropped Richard off at Adrians so he could skin the Grey Duiker while Larry and I headed into town for dinner. Along the way was a marsh which I had asked Larry to stop at. I added numerous birds to my growing list. The restaurant was called Guidos and was located next to the citys ocean inlet for boating. The clarity of the water was spectacular as it changed from a light blue with a green cast to a deep ocean blue. The breakers were crashing into the retaining wall spraying water. I hope the photos show just how gorgeous this place was.

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Port Alford

Port Alford beach

For dinner, I ordered a pizza. Jim was successful too on his quest for a Blue Duiker. On their seventh drive, a male came slowly bounding past and ran directly into the shot from Jims shotgun. Larry had to have a pizza with THE worst toppings I can imagine ham and banana!

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Larry at Port Alford with Guidos behind him

Earlier in the journal I had commented on how I was going for a dip in the Indian Ocean. Well, I purposely left my swimming shorts at the lodge because I thought it may be too much of a hassle. Larry had other ideas and said in no uncertain terms that I was going swimming. Adrian, Russell and Jim had also joined us for dinner and were laughing as I pulled off my shirt, shoes and socks and headed towards the water. I was wearing a pair of pants that have zip off legs and were basically wearing shorts now. Walking across the hundred yard wide beach, I began to question my sanity. The water would be cold, the breakers would be large and seaweed floated everywhere. To make a long story short, the water was not too bad of temperature, and I took my first swim in an ocean.

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Me swimming in the Indian Ocean

We then headed back to Adrians where Jim and Russell stayed to hunt Bushbuck and Grey Duiker. We headed towards Grahamstown to a different property to try for a Bushbuck. As with each time we go to a new concession, I met the landowners. They were very nice and I enjoyed talking to Justin and his wife (I missed her name). We were also inside their house which was clean, but somewhat run down by our standards. I do not wish to degrade these wonderful people in any way, but this gives any reader of this journal a snapshot into life here. The house was surrounded by an eight foot electric fence. Justins father, who lives across the road, was attacked at night and almost killed while at home. So they now protect themselves this way. This concession was different from any we had seen so far as there was much agriculture on top with deep breaks and draws covered with vegetation. We stalked one bushbuck that gave us the slip, but got to within 202 yards of a ram that Larry said was close but not large enough.

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Justins Bushbuck area

While walking back to the LC, Larry suddenly said, Look! and pointed to a far hillside. Moving along at perhaps 100 yard away were two fantastic Aardwolves who looked golden orange in the setting sun. With their vertical stripes they almost looked like miniature tigers. It was a rare treat to see them. Supper back at the lodge was vegetable soup which was a creamy soup with a few peas and noodles, Impala stew (excellent), mashed potatoes, peas and desert was a bar/cake like thing. Twenty five new birds were added to my list today. It is 10:45 and I have been writing for two solid hours to record todays numerous events. Tomorrow we stay on Hellspoort and look for Bushbuck, Steenbuck or a dead Kudu. Jim will hunt here too, for the first time. I forgot to mention Jims miss of a Grey Duiker today. It has been a goal of his to be the first to spot one of the animals he will be shooting. This Grey Duiker he spotted bedded on a hillside. Russell took a look and decided it was a very good ram. To make a long stalk short, Jim missed the shot. And as if by magic, his $250 Grey Duiker transformed itself into a $1200 Oribi! Whoops!! Jim almost purchased an extra animal. Obviously, Russell was very red faced from embarrassment as Jim recounted the sordid story. Adrian just laughed. June 6, 2006 Tuesday We awoke at 6:00 AM this morning and had my normal breakfast of toast and yogurt. We proceeded to the gravel road by the firing range and picked up Dansile again. We saw Steenbuck, Impala, Springbuck, Gemsbok, Grey Duikers and Kudu. One group of Kudu with a potential shooter gave us the slip in the dense cover. Near where I had wounded the Kudu the first morning, we found another bull, but it too disappeared without a trace. These Kudu are elusive and spooky animals. If they see or hear you, they are gone. Right now it is exactly noon, and Larry and I are back at the lodge for lunch of bacon and eggs. Russell informed Larry that Jim had wounded a Grey Duiker and they were looking for it as I write this. The day is, again, warming up to near 75 degrees. It is very difficult to distinguish directions here as nothing runs east to west or north to south. And, the sun is low on the horizon just as it is back home during December. The disconcerting fact,

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for direction knowledge, is that the sun rises to the east but stays low on the NORTHERN horizon. It is a strange feeling to see the low sun to the north. It also makes taking photos very tough as the sun is low, but it is still very intense. Numerous times during pictures, I have literally had tears running down my face from the light. 5:45 and we have just returned to the lodge, and it is dark. We began the afternoon hunt by going to a large kopie (cop ee) or hill Larry refers to as the beacon. Immediately we began to spot game. As the sun began to move lower towards the horizon, the decision was made to begin a slow trek through the area. This spot was slightly north of where we have been hunting Kudu and is much more open and flat. It is very similar to western South Dakota including the color of the soil and the cactus that grow everywhere here. The problem we were having was the extreme stillness of the evening. A group of Impala was being herded by the dominant male and even from a quarter mile its grunting could be easily and clearly recognized.

The more open and low habitat of Hellspoort-I called this area the flats

Progressing across the flats, we slowly climbed and circled a small kopie to expose different vistas. Larry inched over a small ledge and immediately, but deathly slowly, squatted down and whispered that a herd of Impala and Springbuck were feeding below us. In the calm cooling air, we cold clearly hear the herd pulling vegetation off the ground. The Impala grunted while the Springbuck whistled incessantly. They were no more than twenty yards from us for around five minutes. Thankfully, since we were crouched in a very uncomfortable position, the herd finally broke and ran. Our next attempt was for two Steenbuck that Larry had picked out from this same hill. On the way, I met an Acacia tree in a very close and personal way. These trees are covered with large and sharp thorns from top to bottom. Larry stepped across a donga, which is an eroded cut or channel, and reached back for my rifle. Carefully noticing exactly where he had placed his foot, I stepped across. Instantly the ground underfoot gave way and I fell sideways into a very large Acacia. Larry had a look of pity and then humor as I extracted my scratched up body from the tree. The sun had set by the time we arrived to the Steenbucks little home area. They were either lying down or had given us the slip by taking off. These guys were fun to hunt. Steenbuck have a defense system of lying instead of running and will often let you approach very closely before they loose their nerves and break cover like a rabbit with a pack of hounds on its tail. They are small and fast when running. Earlier, I had spotted a female and she allowed us to get within fifteen yards before running. Steenbuck are a

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fascinating and beautiful animal that I consider the most attractive of all the antelopeespecially in the waning light of evening which makes their coats glow with a reddishorange cast. Later, as Larry and I were enjoying the hors devours of crackers, cheese, meat, chips and peanuts, we got word that Jim had been successful on shooting a bushbuck ram. It was a frustrating day for him as earlier this morning he had lost the Grey Duiker. The shot must have been low in the shoulder or leg as they found a small piece of bone and just a spattering of blood. Two hours of searching produced no more sign. I understood his frustration as I lived it the first day with the Kudu bull I lost. Back to his Bushbuck, when he and Russell arrived, I went to see a Bushbuck up close and personal since my contact with them has been from afar. After shaking Jims hand, I asked for the story. He replied with a look of distain on his face and a quote of, I F**king missed! We both began to laugh as he began the tale. The ram had given him a 130 yard shot which missed cleanly. The Bushbuck ran and then slowed to a walk as Jim scanned ahead for a potential second shot. The ram obliged and Jim did not miss twice. His confidence is shaken as mine was just a few short days ago. Supper tonight was lambs shanks (excellent), lamb ribs, baked potato wedges, glazed carrots, rice, creamed corn in a half squash bowl, and desert was a pudding/cracker thing with both mint and butterscotch flavoring. By the way, Hellspoort is operated by Tenis and his wife Nelma. They are both very kind and very hospitable. In SA, thank you is always answered with pleasure instead of youre welcome. There are many other words and details that are different as wellfar too many to name. It is 8:40 and I am going to bed. Tomorrow we stay at Helspoort. The bird total is currently eighty. June 7, 2006 Wednesday We were up at 6:00 AM for yogurt and toast. This is the first time I really feel refreshed since we arrived. It is 8:30 AM and my Kudu bull is on the ground! What a tremendous trophy and what a stalk. We are waiting for Richard to bring the LC as the bull died in some very ugly and nasty stuff. It is going to be interesting getting him out of this place. We left this morning and headed to the same general area as past days, glassing the slopes from the gravel road. Larry spotted a Kudu group including a bull he thought looked superb. Our only approach was to drive a half mile further east and parallel the slope trying to spot the sneaky and alert Kudu before they spotted us. We had traveled perhaps 700 yards when Larry put on the brakes and slowly raised his binoculars. Looking over his shoulder, I could see bits and pieces of Kudu at over 300 yards as they browsed through the Gwanish (or speckboomboom means tree in Afrikaans) which is the plant that has the bitter tasting leaves. Larry ranged one of the cows at 316 yards, the largest bull was higher on the ridge and slightly further. The entire herd was feeding near the top and obviously working their way over the ridge. This area was so extreme in its plant density that it could consume and hide an entire herd of elephants. We could see just bits and pieces of Kudu as they fed through tiny openings. Larry set me to shoot from a Gwanish tree, but I had to stand on my toes and that would not do. I moved slightly down slope to a second Gwanish. Bits and pieces of

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hide again filtered through the trees but they were moving to the left and my view was being blocked by some of the vegetation. For the second time, I changed location slightly down slope and repositioned. The problem with these plants is that their limbs are soft and pliable like celery stalks and make very poor shooting rests as they bounce up and down. Larry urgently pleaded for me to get ready as he saw the big bull was entering a small opening. Horns came into view first, followed by the head and flowing mane of a large bull. Then the bull was clear, and the rifle went off. The bull broke upslope and I took a second shot as it trotted through a tiny opening. As it reached the crest of the ridge line, I fired a third time, and then the bull was gone, swallowed by the heavy cover. My first thought was, Youve blown it again! There was no indication of a hit, nor was there any reaction I could see. My mind reeled as the nightmare of the first day flashed through my mind. Larry turned to me and said, Your last shot may have hit him as he stumbled or dropped at the shot. This was the only indicator that I may have hit it. Remember that this bull would push well into the 600 pound range. Larry sent the local guide, Nowaii (No why) across the canyon to the location of the bulls disappearance. As we were waiting, Larry looked through his binoculars and said, I see a horn. He then glanced to check on Nowaiis progress and when he looked back, the horn was gone. This was a much better indication the bull was badly hurt. Nowaii yelled back that there was bloodnow this was getting interesting. Smartly, Larry told him to grab Bagu and wait until we arrived. Larry and I headed across to his location. Upon arriving, I could see a smattering of blood along its trail and some of it was not what I wanted to see as it indicated a hit too far back. Following the sign and moving towards the last place we had seen the bull, Larry suddenly froze and pushed me forward. There standing no more than thirty yards away was the much alive bull. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no shot possible as the only thing I could see were the horns and head. Moving up to position for the shot caused the bull to break and run down the hill. Larry released Bagu and that little dog tore after the Kudu like the devil himself was after it, barking and yipping the entire time. Brush was breaking from the Kudus path and the dog was barking fiercely as the three of us sprinted after them. Within just a few seconds, we could hear that Bagu had the bull bayed which was a very positive indicator that the bull was badly hurt. Knowing that at any second a finishing shot could happen, I tore off my backpack and handed it to Nowaii, as we carefully and quietly moved forward. Bagus barking was getting very close, when Larry and I noticed the large curled horn above the brush. Moving forward, the bull was standing motionless staring intently at Bagu. The horns were striking, and I took the only shot available, which was at the neck. The sight picture was perfect as the rifle went off resulting in the bull literally nose diving dead into the bush, kicking once before becoming still. God, it was exciting. In fact, after my Dall Sheep, this hunt may be my most enjoyable.

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Me and the Kudu where it fell-the picture shows how dense the bush is

After the obligatory hand shaking and photo session, Tenis and three of his farm hands arrived to carry the bull out. The entrails and stomach were removed to lessen the weight, while cuts were made on the hocks large enough to accommodate two wooden poles the men had carried up the kopie.

Kudu bull-perhaps the best trophy of the trip

Four men used the poles, while one lifted the head. Within thirty minutes, they had it loaded in the back of Tenis truck. I took a picture from the spot to show how the terrain looked.

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Carrying out the Kudu

We then went to find Russell and Jim who were hunting not far from us. We located Russells Toyota parked out in an area that would be for one of the species that occupy the open range. Approaching the vehicle, we noticed the two of them stalking something. Setting up three hundred yards from them, I spotted a bedded Steenbok which meant the game was on. Larry and I laughed and giggled almost continually as the two of them inched forward trying to locate the ram that we could see so clearly from our position. Finally the female broke and ran followed shortly by the male which was smaller than desired. Talking over the stalk was a blast, and, of course, I had to tell them about my Kudu. Splitting apart, we crossed the property looking for Steenbuck or Impala but finding none. I did see a mongoose which was a treat. Heading back to the lodge for lunch, we spotted a nice bunch of Mountain Reedbucks. Larry and I waited until 12:45 for Jim and Russell before deciding we had better eat. Lunch today was spaghetti and meat sauce along with vetkoek (vet cook) which is the fried bread/buns. We had barely begun our meal when we heard Russell pull up. Jim had a quizzical expression on his face, so I had to ask how it went. To make a long story short, he wasted five rounds at a huge Steenbuck ram. In his defense, four were running shots and no one can appreciate how difficult they are to hit until you observe one running. Our plans for this afternoon are to go into Grahamstown and fly in the ultralight aircraftfun!! By the way, my Kudu had horns of 51 6/8 and 50 4/8 which is an absolute monster. Larry stated, The bull is equal to the largest harvested on this property for the past fifteen years. For a Southern Greater Kudu, hunters try their entire lifetimes for a bull that pushes the tape measure beyond the mythical 50 mark. We also drove past the spot Kim Hicks on his Hunting 201 TV Show, missed a warthog. When I get home, I plan to watch that episode again. As we were heading into town, I noticed a fact I should have thought of before leaving the US. The moon is upside down here in contrast to what I have seen my entire life. What we see in the lower right, is actually in the upper left quadrant here. Weird. By the

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way, they do not have a man in the moon here, but a springbuck in the moon. Larry was frustrated that I could not see it. I tried to explain that I do not see the man either. 5:45 PM We just returned to the lodge after going for a flight with Larry on his ultralight. What a thrill as it is like flying without the use of an airplane. I think it gives a feeling of openness and flight that only the birds can experience more freedom. Larry and I went up before Jim and Russell arrived. The ultralight has a delta wing (triangular) and a 50 horsepower engine to power the back mounted three bladed propeller. It has a tricycle arranged undercarriage. The two passengers fly in tandem with one slightly above and behind the other. Steering on the ground is controlled with foot petals that move the front wheel. Once in the air, all flight controls are accomplished with a pivoting push bar.

Jim and Larry on the Ultra-light

Larry lined us down the runway, gunned the engine, and within 150 yards the ground leaped away from us. As I mentioned, the feeling in looking down to your left or right and having nothing but space is exhilarating to say the least. We flew over the south end of the city where their university is found. Proceeding over downtown Grahamstown we flew over the town square that Larry had shown me a couple days ago from the ground. Continuing, the change was dramatic as we flew over the Township section of town as the shacks and tiny houses covered a huge area. There were five brand new schools nestled throughout the Township. Most of them are apparently not even used.

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University from the air

Downtown Grahamstown from the air

Then Larry mentioned that we would be flying over the cemetery the people in the Township use. It almost looked like game trails from all the paths carved into the ground. You could see many people digging many graves (I would estimate 15) in order to bury their dead family members. Understand that these are the actual family members doing the digging, and of course, there would be no coffins or vault-just a hole in the ground.

Township area of Grahamstown

Extreme west end of cemetary

We then flew over a military range that has become a game preserve as no hunting is allowed. Dozens of Blesbuck and Springbuck allowed us to noisily float past them without giving us a second glance. Larry, however, had new plans for the Blesbuck on the return flight. He chose a likely looking group and steered the ultralight to dive down on them. I know how German Stuka dive bombers must have felt during WWII. The Blesbuck attitude was significantly different this time as they saw this gigantic bird swooping down on them at 50 mph. To say they scattered would be an understatement.

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Buzzing the Blesbuck from the Ultra-light

Approaching the little airport, we could see Jim and Russell waiting below us. Upon landing, I told Jim that he was in for a huge thrill. Returning from his flight, Jim looked like the Cheshire Cat as his face was adorned with a smile that extended from one ear to the other. He was almost speechless, as was I, when trying to describe the experience. The three of us then talked Russell into going for a flight as he also is a licensed ultra-light pilot. Supper tonight was baby marrow (a vegetable), chicken with carrots and potatoes in a cream sauce, rice, followed by half a peach in a hot pudding-delicious. The temps today were again warm. Once the sun clears the horizon, it warms up in a hurry. June 8, 2006 Thursday 6:00 AM I awoke at 5:30 and decided to shower early this morning as my sleep schedule feels more normal. So, while I have some time, I want to describe a few of the amenities of this hunt. Each morning when we leave the lodge for the days hunt, I leave yesterdays dirty clothes on the floor. By the time we return in the evening, they are washed and folded neatly on the bed-this could become habit forming, Carla! Also, the bathroom is completely cleaned each and every day, too!

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Interior of Lodge

Lodge photos

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The suns apparent path here makes a peculiar route from my perspective. It rises in the northeast and makes a small little loop relatively low on the horizon, never really making it to the west. It is extremely difficult to maintain direction here because of this fact. The languages here are varied and many. For example, all the white people speak both English and Afrikaans as they both are taught in school. The black people speak primarily Kosa which has tsks sounds to it. Larry very easily bounces back and forth like a gyrating super-ball between the three. Apparently, for some subjects it is easier to use English to communicate while the next thing you know, they are talking Afrikaans. For example, when retrieving my bull yesterday, Larry and Tenis were speaking easily and fluently in English and then suddenly changed to Afrikaans when they began to discuss management principles for the game on the farm. Larry later apologized (which of course was unnecessary) for the switch and my elimination from the conversation but explained that it was easier for them to use Afrikaans for that subject. Larry stayed in Grahamstown last night, but I think we are going after a Springbuck ram this morning and then Bushbuck or Steenbuck (they pronounce it Stee EN buck) this afternoon. I forgot to mention yesterday that Larry was describing the family expectations and responsibilities in the Black Community. The society has developed a welfare program that is, from our standards, very strange. Male children, once they reach the age where they begin to work, are expected to pay their parents money for raising them. Therefore, these very poor and overpopulated people have as many children as possible. The young girls are literally sold as wives--again, producing money for the parents. 1:40 PM I have much to write and describe in a short amount of time so I hope I get this completed before we leave the lodge this afternoon. Today we drove to a concession east of the lodge and met the Mrs. of the family whose name was Joy. She was a very nice lady who was full of questions about where I live. Their yard was something to behold as materials like wheels, tires, junk metal, etc., made mounds of junk. In fact, Russell calls their place the junkyard.

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Joys farm

When we arrived, the Steenbuck were out feeding as we saw five in a short amount of time, one of which Larry thought might be a shooter ram of around 4.5 inches. These little buggers lie down and disappear as I have mentioned before. So as we moved forward, the ram did just that. The hunt now turns into a game of intense glassing, trying to pick up and ear or horn tip. Larry located the ram and we moved slowly forward hoping we could get a shot before it ran. We did not! The little bugger broke like a scared rabbit. I got one shot at 100 yards and missed cleanly. It was a very tough shot as they dart back and forth. These Steenbuck are not going to be easy.

Steenbuck habitat on Joys concession (ranch)

Moving further onto the property, we spotted a very nice Impala ram with a herd of 20 or so ewes. Larry immediately said it was a shooter and the stalk began. We left the LC at a dam with Richard and the local guy, Larry and I moved closer through the brush. This area was much more open along the edges where the Impala were feeding, but dropped down in elevation to some thick and nasty stuff.

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The herd moved away from us and over the ridge, forcing us into the Acacia and Gwanish. Inching along, I suddenly saw the ram 100 yards above and to the left of us. Grabbing Larry, I pointed. Slowly he backed up and glassed, wondering out loud if it was the same herd as they seemed so placid. One look at the ram was all he needed. We slithered around a Gwanish tree and Larry told me to put my rifle over a branch. That did not work worth a darn as the weight of the rifle dropped it down into the tree and obstructed the bullets path. The herd began to move away which forced us to move higher up the ridge. Doing so exposed the ram at about 130 yards. Tapping his shoulder, Larry communicated that he wanted me to use his shoulder as a rest for the upcoming shot. The crosshairs wobbled around as I remember thinking, Why didnt he bring the shooting sticks? But I took the shot. The ram bolted showing no signs of being hit. I was confident about the shot, but to be safe, we walked to where it was standing and fanned out looking for sign. That sick feeling began to well up inside my stomach again. Suddenly, we heard noise and some shouting from where the local guide had entered the brush. He had jumped the bedded ram and noticed that the blood was too far back. DAMN! Larry wisely sent him back for Bagu as we patiently waited for the little dog. Within ten minutes, Richard, the local guy and that beautiful little Jack Russell Terrier arrived. Any guesses on how this is going to turn out? Larry and I moved forward and slightly above the last place the ram had gone, hoping for a shot if Bagu jumped the Impala. Almost immediately, Bagu sounded off and the chase was on. We could hear brush breaking as the ram crashed by our location without giving us a look. In fact, the only thing I saw was a patch of hide between two trees. Bagus barking faded into the canyon as Larry and I sprinted trying to keep up. Richard had brought Larrys rifle, and I told him that if he gets a shot to take it as my ego was not an issue here. He tried to bolt a round into the chamber, but the magazine was empty-my PH. Trying to keep track of the chase while crashing and dodging through the veld is no easy manner. Twice we stopped in order to hear the direction in which the dog was traveling. Finally, Larry whispered that the ram was at bay. Slowly and quietly we inched towards the sound of the ruckus. I prepared for a shot at very close range for the second time in two days. At ten yards the bush broke and Bagu was dashing back and forth in front of a massively thick tangle. Obviously, the Impala had backed into the mess but was not visible from our position. Larry whispered to stay as he moved around the backside. Motioning me over, he pointed and said, Shoot it in the neck. The problem was that when I looked through the scope, the only things visible were the innumerable branches. Quickly telling Larry that there was no way to shoot through that jungle, we moved closer to about ten yards. I clearly remember seeing the ram drop his horns towards Bagu which gave me a relatively clear shot. The rifle barked and the ram tipped over. Relief can come in large or small doses. This was a large dose. Upon inspection of the ram, the simple beauty of this animal is obvious. They have an exquisite hide containing three different shades of brown. The lyre shaped horns were full and nicely formed. It was a magnificent ram.

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Impala where the chase ended

Richard hoisted the dead Impala on his shoulders and began to hike up the ridge. I turned to Larry and said, Richard just increased his tip. Part way up, the local guide also assisted Richard by the two of them carrying it on their shoulders together.

Richard carrying Impala

We took some very nice photos at the top of the hill with the eastern sun providing perfect sunlight.

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Impala ram

After dropping it off at the skinning area, we exchanged local guides and went on the hunt for a Springbuck. Driving south, we crested a large kopie that flattened and opened. Immediately Larry spotted a herd of 25 or so Springbuck who were very edgy and spooky, running as soon as they saw the LC. A half mile down the road, Larry stopped the vehicle and we began to walk out into one of the more open areas with the local guy leading. I spotted two female Springbuck above us and we began to glass.

Springbuck area on Joys concession

Without warning, Larry called me over and told me to go prone and shoot the one broadside. Heck, I did not even know if it was a good male until I cranked the scope up to 9X. At 162 yards, the gorgeous animal dropped to the shot. I distinctly remember the local guide patting me on the leg to congratulate me on the shot. Walking up to the animal finally showed just how attractive these small antelope are. The patterns of colors on the face and body are perfectly designed. For the second time

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today, a man picked up my animal and carried it over his shoulders. The pictures turned out wonderfully as anyone will see from the picture below.

Springbuck

We then drove down to the house for the second time in an hour. Within thirty minutes we were driving the twenty miles back to Hellspoort. I could smell dinner as we passed the dining room heading for the skinning area. As we turned the corner, the carcass of a skinned animal hung from the hooks. Larry simply said, Steenbuck. Jim had finally shot the monster Steenbuck that he had been chasing for two days. His eighth shot at the animal finally finished the hunt. At 5.5 inches of horn, it is truly a great trophy. During one of Larry and my conversations, I asked how old Richard was. He responded by saying, Richard does not know. His father never told him. Birthdays mean nothing to these people. We left the lodge at 3:30 to go Bushbuck hunting. Heading north from directly behind the lodge, we went down and up a couple of very steep and treacherous slopes. Eventually, we stopped at a gate and Larry informed me that we would be walking from here, and motioned me towards the edge of the hill as he needed to make a phone call. By this point, I understood well the intricacies of Bushbuck hunting-get high and begin to scan the thick undergrowth. Richard was already glassing as I sat down and began to pick apart the vegetation with my Steiners. Within seconds a large dark Bushbuck ram filled my field of view along with a lighter colored and obviously smaller ram. I whispered to Richard and pointed down saying, Bushbuck and holding up two fingers. He nodded his understanding as his English is not good and my Kosa is nonexistent. Arriving a few minutes later, Larry was informed of their location even though the thick bush had swallowed them both up as it so frequently does. Finally, the smaller Bushbuck stepped out followed by the larger male. Larry glassed the larger ram and made a comment about his thick neck which is a good indicator of age. Richard was sent for the spotting scope and quickly returned.

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Without spending much time looking, my PH said, Lets go! I grabbed my shooting sticks and we headed down the very steep hill trying to use the fence cut-line to minimize our noise. We tried to setup for a shot at about 275 yards, but the ram was feeding away and presented no shot. Moving slightly down slope, we hit a small opening with a fairly heavy tree trunk. I sat down, leaned the rifle against the tree, adjusted the shooting sticks as a brace, planted my left elbow on my knee and my right elbow on my other knee making a fairly firm shooting stance, although a contortionist would have been proud of me. It took the Bushbuck seemingly forever to finally present a shot with did not help with the steadiness. I am sure it was a good five minutes of being in that same uncomfortable position. By this time, I was NOT as solid. At the shot, the ram reared up and dropped back rear end first into a thick stand of the ever present Gwanish. The shot seemed too far back again. We could make out an ear, a horn and the white rear end in the scrub. My thoughts were, Here we go again. The shot was actually a long one at 325 yards and a Bushbuck is not a huge targetbut dang it! We watched for a few minutes and decided to move in. Approaching its last location, Larry whispered that I should stay on the vehicle trail we were walking on while he and Bagu would swing around and push the animal out. I asked how far up he thought the animal was and he answered by saying 50 yards. I nodded, turned, and saw a single horn reflecting in the sunlight no more than fifteen yards away. Hastily we slid south another five yards which somewhat opened up a shooting lane through the thick branches to the ram. My first shot missed and probably was deflected, the second did not.

Bushbuck in the jungle where it fell

Again, what a beautiful animal Bushbucks are. Their dainty horns contrast with the white chevron on their body. It was a spectacular trophy that measured 12 6/8. Picture taking followed as Richard drove the LC down to our location. With perhaps an hour of light left, we decided to go looking for a Steenbuck which would be the last

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animal in may package. You would think three great trophies in a day would be enough, but I was not going to miss a minute of this day as I love to hunt and it has nothing to do with getting another animal.

Bushbuck

Larry who has phenomenal game eyes, spotted five immediately. We moved in on a few, but none were anything special. The track we were following ended at the house of the property we were on which neighbors Hellspoort where I met the Mrs. of the family. She was like all the landowners we have met, very gracious and interested in where I was from, what I did, etc. Richard quickly and skillfully skinned the Bushbuck as the landowners retain the rights to the meat. We arrived back at camp, and Jim and Russell soon followed with horns from a dead Kudu they had found on Hellspoort. At first my heart skipped a beat as I thought perhaps the mystery of my first day Kudu was over. After further inspection, it was obviously not from the bull that I had wounded as it was only 40 long and Larry had estimated mine at around 48. Also, once Jim described the condition of the carcass, I knew it had been there longer then five daysprobably more like two weeks. Supper tonight was deep fried goat cheese, followed by rice, squash (I think), broccoli and cheese, and Springbuck Pie. The Springbuck meat was extremely tasty. A slice of lemon/banana pie followed. Since we have almost filled our package, the two PHs are doing their best to convince us to shoot more animals. Jim is adding a Blue Wildebeest and a Red Hartebeest for sure. They also offered him a Nyala for $2000 which is a very good deal. So, he committed to that animal as well. As far as our packages, I need my elusive little Steenbuck while Jim has just the Impala to go. They also offered us a second Impala at $200 which I may take. And if I see a good Warthog like we did on the first day, I may shoot it. Finally, I have been interested in a Mountain Reedbuck for over a year and plan to add one to my package. It is 8:50 and time for bed.

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June 9, 2006 Friday A change of plans has occurred today as I am heading out with Jim and Russell to a property near the coast where Jim will attempt to shoot his Nyala. Richard and Wandile will be accompanying us as well. This property is also where I may shoot another Impala. We headed out of Grahamstown on N2 for ten miles before turning south towards the little town of Alexandria. The homes in this community for the black people are deplorable. People, as with every morning, were walking seemingly aimlessly like lost souls. Just a few miles south, we entered the property which is owned by a man named Otto whom we met, along with his wife, later in the day. Driving into the yard and skinning area to drop off the lunches, and skinning equipment we noticed animals everywhere. As we exited the yard, I spotted a Grey Duiker feeding placidly in some heavy cover just off the side of the farm road. Russell took a quick look and informed Jim that it was a good ram. So, Jim, Russell and I quietly sneaked down the road, which had a pretty solid wall of vegetation on the duikers side, until we hit a high bank on the opposite side of the animal. Jim extended his bipod for a sitting shot as we inched up the bank which would give him the elevation to clear any obstructions in front of his barrel. We could see the animal moving in and out of the vegetation like all animals seem to do here. A point I need to make is that this species has been Jims nemesis as he wounded one a few days ago and has had a strong desire to get one since. So he felt real pressure as he prepared for the shot. Relatively quickly, the duiker stepped out into a small opening and Jims 7 STW shattered the early morning quiet. The ram dropped down like a rock falling off a cliff. His 137 yard shot was perfectly placed through both shoulders, dumping it immediately. We were all three pleased with the results. Pictures followed and then we returned to the yard so Wandile could cape it out.

Jim preparing to shoot Grey Duiker

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Jims Grey Duiker

The next order of business was to find Jim an Impala which did not seem much of a problem as they were scattered throughout the property. Seriously, there were dozens of mature rams grazing seemingly everywhere. These animals on this property have no fear of vehicles at all and will often let you drive within 100 yards before running. But once you are walking..that is a different story as they become very skittish. Russell picked out one very good ram, and we made an initial stalk that resulted in no shot as the animals spooked. By the way, this concession is no more than four miles from the Indian Ocean and the grass was soaking wet from the dew. Plan B included a stalk on another Impala. Jim went prone when we closed the distance to 307 yards and prepared to harvest his first Impala. His bullet had other plans as it plowed into the soft soil slightly above the animal. He was frustrated and could not believe that he had missed.

Impala habitat on Ottos concession

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One great thing about Africa is if at first you do not succeed, simply find another animal and start over. This time we took a long drive around the property to get into position on the original ram. Glassing as we went, we saw our first Nyala bull. What a spectacular creature-handsome, stately, and truly African. Eventually, we arrived at a group of trees and began the stalk which ended up being a long stalk. Jim and Russell finally closed within range by crawling on their bellies for the last 100 yards. I had a ringside seat as the spotting scope I was carrying for Russell zoomed them in closely. Watching Jims body movements, I could tell he was getting ready to fire. This entire episode probably took forty five minutes to complete. During that time, the Common Reedbucks were whistling their alarm calls, Impalas were snorting, and the Blue Wildebeests alarm sounded like someone strumming a large rubber band stretched across a bass drum. One of the most fascinating sights of this entire trip occurred while I was observing a Zebra through the 30X spotting scope. The heat waves caused the black and white lines to shimmer in a very unnatural way. The Black Wildebeest next to it appeared black, but the lines of the Zebra were blurring back and forth likes its hide was changing colors. Finally Jims rifle barked, his third shot of the day, and I ran towards their position. When I arrived, I could tell things had not gone perfectly by their reactions. The ram had a broken shoulder but was still on its feet. Eventually it moved into some cover, but Russell picked it out and Jim finished it. Impala are so gracefully beautiful.

Jims Impala

Jims second animal of the day was dropped off at the huge skinning tree for Wandali to do his magic. We continued to search for a Nyala bull that would meet Russells requirements for a trophy animal. Even though we saw many, none were large enough. My plan for the day was to shoot a second Impala if time and situation allowed it. We found a very good ram within fifty yards of where Jim had shot the Grey Duiker. Since we really were not looking for an Impala, I thought when we stopped it was for a Nyala. A very nice Impala stepped out, I borrowed Jims rifle and tried to get off a shot, but the ram would not cooperate and I messed up by not getting the safety off in time. Later, I had an easy 200

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yard shot at the same ram and missedI suck! Seriously, I have no idea how I missed that shot. In fact, after the rifle went off, I turned to Russell and said, Is it down? He replied, You missed. I was shocked. We continued to look for an Nyala (en yaw la) and were at very last light when Russell said, Blake, shoot the one to the right. Holy Crap! In front of us, just 100 yards away, was a great Impala ram moving away from the vehicle. I sprang out, leaned across the extended bumper and dropped it with a shot to the rear as it was cresting a hill at 104 yards (Jim ranged it). Not my most impressive stalk, but a nice ram taken at the last minute. And, the landowner had requested that we take a couple of the overpopulated rams off the property.

My second Impala

By the way, the landowner usually keeps the meat as I have mentioned before, and usually sells it. The internal organs like the heart, kidneys, liver and even intestines usually go to the farm staff. Very little is not used. An interesting phenomenon happened tonight as a low ground fog formed instantaneously. One second we were driving back to the house in clear air, and the next instant a low haze covered the ground. Apparently, the warm humid air from the ocean moved inland and condensed. I have never seen anything like it. Tomorrow Jim and Russell go for BlueWildebeest and Cape Hartebeest, while I still need a Steenbuck, and I also told Larry to find a good Warthog. An interesting additional fact to this journal is that the driving in SA is done on the left as in England. For the first few days it felt strange, but it is becoming very natural now. Also, instead of signs with arrows showing that the road is going to curve, South Africa actually paints arrow at a 45 degree angle to the center line showing the direction of the curve. It is 9:30 and bedtime. I almost forgot to mention that I called Carla tonight. It was great to hear her voice. Strange how I was getting ready to eat supper and go to bed while she was just getting ready to begin working on her remodeling. Earlier today we had a prickly pear cactus blocking the road and had to be removed. These plants are more aptly described as trees and may reach ten feet or higher with a trunk that is very tree-like. I was moving towards the road block and bumped into a 82

small cactus that was no more than a foot high. One of the thorns pierced me like a hypodermic needle. When I extracted it from my leg, I could feel the blood running into my sockwicked plants. And finally, I need to mention and describe just how good the PHs and staff are at preparing game for the photographs that are such an important part of this hunt. Larry is very good at locating perfect locations for the photos by considering terrain, ridgelines, light and background. Richard then positions the animal with the legs tucked under so the side is exposed. He then cleans up all blood by covering it with soil if it is on the ground, or by cleaning it off the animal with water and rags that are carried in the LC for just this reason. The next step is to remove all vegetation in the foreground (front) of the animal to make sure it does not detract from the photograph. This is done by simply pulling the plant out or it is cut by a machete if it is too dense or thick stemmed. They take their time and make sure the pictures are of quality.

Postioning my second Impala for pictures-note the machete

June 10, 2006 Saturday This morning we left Helspoort after a breakfast of yogurt and a muffin. Heading back to the flats, our plan was to find a Steenbuck or Warthog. The condensation in the valleys filled them with a glowing white mist as the warming morning sun did its best to eliminate the fog. As we progressed past the rifle range, we began to see the vast array of animals like we normally do, including a couple of Steenbuck and Warthogs. Leaving the LC, we began to stalk a few of the dainty little antelope. Steenbuck hunting is a blast as you stalk them from afar and close to a distance where horn length can be ascertained. This is not an easy thing to accomplish as the little buggers are very alert. We made three different stalks but passed because of size, or were busted by their sharp little eyes. Easing up to the top of a ridge, Larry spotted a very nice Warthog below us along a donga. My first look through the binoculars told me he was a definite shooter. I turned to Larry and said, Lets go. He responded by saying that it is less than 250 yards, and I should shoot him from here.

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My first thought was that it was closer to 300 yards. Earlier in the day, I had dropped my point of impact down 1.5 inches on my scope because I thought that any Steenbuck or Warthog shot would be close. This change was about ready to haunt me as a mistake. Lying prone with the bipod down created a rock solid rest as I cranked the scope up to 9X. Using Larrys call of 250 yards as the distance, I knew my bullets would now be just slightly low. Holding on the center of the shoulder as the hog entered a little opening, the shot went off. Dust erupted from behind the Warthog as it sprinted toward the thick cover. Larry said it was hit, but low in the shoulder. Later, we measured the distance at exactly 300 yards. Between my dropping the point of aim and using the wrong calculation of the range, we had another interesting situation to iron out. Larry had watched it enter a thick patch of brush, but not exit. I had watched a second pig run to the east and totally missed the hit animal. He then called Richard who brought the LC and his rifle (with cartridges this time). Again, in no uncertain terms, I informed Larry to shoot if he got an opportunity. I sneaked into position to the side of the heavy cover as Larry and Richard began to move through it. Bagu had developed an eye infection and was not with us when we needed his services the most. They immediately found blood, but the trail exited and entered another thick area that Larry could not see from his original position. Inching along and silently looking for blood, Larry and I followed a fairly heavy trail another thirty yards before we stopped literally in our tracks. The Warthog had crossed a small donga and was breaking brush as it moved. For the second time in just a few minutes, I was sent around to try and intercept its exit path. Halfway there I heard Larry shoot and shoot again. He yelled that the pig was down. Running through the African bush is never really a great idea as everything here sticks you, but I ran. Breaking into a small opening, I could see Larry standing and looking down. As I closed the distance, I could see the animal had crashed deeply into some brush. Larry wanted me to take some pictures and caption them, Find the Pig!

Find the pig

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The animal itself was much larger in body size than I expected, and perhaps even uglier than I expected if that is possible. They have four big warts on the males face which are really bumps of cartilage. Their skin is a matted grey and very thin to the touch which explains their dislike of the cold. Larry had me grab the hide on the rump, and it was very thin. The hair, or lack of it, is usually in clumps of two or three hairs that are up to 12 inches long on the back. Each of these hair tufts are a centimeter or so apart. They really have very little hair. As I was admiring the beauty of the pig, I noticed what originally looked like a piece of plant matter above the left eye. Grabbing it to remove it for the pictures, I was shocked to slide out a one inch piece of tusk that was imbedded deeply into its skin. He apparently had been in a fight with another male and that animals tusk had broken off.

We dragged it back to the road, took the normal pictures and headed out to look for another Steenbuck.

Warthog-what a beauty (?)

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Glassing from the beacon, Larry picked up a Steenbuck far out on the open plains. We sent off on a stalk and closed to within forty yards. It was a female and no male was around which is strange. Lunch at the lodge was scrambled eggs and a sausage like ring baloney. If I have counted correctly, I have now harvested ten animals. The only one left from my package is the Steenbuck, although I still have interest in a Mountain Reedbuck. It is nap time as the Steenbuck will not be leaving their mid-day beds for a good hour and a half. We left the lodge a little before three and headed to the neighbors property on which I had shot the Bushbuck. There is a fairly open area that we had seen numerous Steenbuck. Larry and I departed the vehicle and climbed a very rocky kopie to survey the area. Immediately and quite close a Bushbuck male moved below us followed by a female. Some diligent glassing resulted in one Steenbuck which we decided was too small. Further down the hill and downwind of us a Bushbuck broke cover. Larry said, Big Bushbuck! Its horns were very long and probably around 15 according to my PH. Following the terrain of the ridge, we moved quickly westward toward the huge flat. Glassing showed many pairs of Steenbuck scattered throughout. We began by stalking to the south which was the closest animal. Our plan was to make a large circular route through the valley, closing to and evaluating each ram.

Valley we stalked Steenbuck

Remember, these little guys have radar eyes and huge cupped ears, so getting close enough to judge horn length is very challenging. The first pair disappeared on us although we did flush one very small animal. Moving up the west side of the valley, we stalked to with 150 yards of another pair, but the ram was not large enough. This put us near the end of the mile long flat, so we turned and headed to the east side planning to work our way north toward the earlier spotted next pair. We were following a fence line when Larry suddenly stiffened up, raised his binoculars and simply said, Shoot that one! To the west stood a ram highlighted

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beautifully against the setting sun. Moving slowly up to the fence post, I cranked my scope up to 9X, and consciously remembered to hold low near the grass line. The long horns were obvious as I looked through the scope. The trigger broke, the rifle roared and the Steenbuck disappeared. Far in the background and against the next ridge, a puff of soil leaped into the air creating an orange colored cloud when combined with the setting sun. My PH quipped, I think you got a Steenbuck. Crossing the fence, we walked the 120 yards to an animal I have looked forward to shooting since the conception of this hunt. I was not disappointed when we walked up on the tiny little bodied ram as it is truly a spectacular looking antelope. Its facial features give it a delicate look that does not seem to fit in with the rest of the antelope gang. The color and body form is simply awesome. One of my first thoughts was, Jim is going to hate that I shot one so easily.

Steenbuck ram

The setting sun shone brightly in my eyes as we snapped pictures of the ram and me. This was the last animal of my package, and even though I may add one more animal, it was special for that reason. Also, I so enjoyed hunting Steenbuck. Kudu, Blue Duiker and Steenbuck have been the most enjoyable hunts of this trip as they are difficult, challenging hunts and are totally different from the rest of the game animals. We drove to Pieter and Reinette Groblers home as we were on their property like with the Bushbuck. Pieter was a very nice and gracious host who asked us to stay for tea or cold drinks. During the thirty minutes we stayed Pieter continually played with Vlooi (flew ee) their pet meercat.

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Reinette Grobler and the meercat Vlooi

Since Pieter did not want the small carcass of a Steenbuck to contend with, Richard will be taking home the meat tonight. As we were departing, many of his farm staff where standing around near the road. Larry gunned the engine and scattered them like a flock of Guinea fowl-laughing the entire time he was doing it. The farm help were laughing too. Even normally reserved Richard found humor in it. Tomorrow mornings plan is to look for a Mountain Reedbuck for me and then take a quick trip to Russells property before heading to Kwantu for Jims Blue Wildebeest hunt. It sounds like Jim is going with me in the morning, and I will go with him in the afternoon. It if 9:00 and bedtime! Whoops, Jim shot a Red Hartebeest and a second Bushbuck today. The Bushbuck was somewhat of a mistake as Russell convinced Jim to shoot thinking it was a monster. It was not. Russell did give him a large break on the cost because of the situation. Supper was rice, vegetables with bacon pieces, and Bushbuck (Jims) curry. June 11, 2006 Sunday I awoke at 6:00 AM. We are leaving later than usual this morning since Mountain Reedbucks are not early morning animals like Kudu or Bushbuck. However, it is 6:30 and I can hear Jim moving around, but both PHs are still asleep. My checklist of birds shows that we have seen 97 species as of this morning. 9:30 AM We are back at the lodge for a cold drink and cake. Tinus joined us this morning as we left the lodge and headed through the gate directly behind the skinning shed. I spotted three Mountain Reedbucks almost immediately, but they were two females and an immature male. Jim and Russell went to glass another area for us. Moving up to a gate, Larry informed us that we would be walking from here. Grabbing my gear, including rangefinder and shooting sticks, we began the now common practice of working the ridge tops and glassing as we went.

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Seeing nothing from the first ridge, we moved downward on a very rapidly declining hill face. Moving up onto the second hill top, we started to see game including Kudu, Bushbuck and Grey Duiker. Slowly moving near the top, which is the preferred habitat of Mountain Reedbucks, Larry spotted a female staring at us. We tried to move to a different position in order to see more of the kopie, but the female broke to our left. Quickly moving that direction, I prepared my shooting sticks just in case. Two females broke across an opening on the next ridge, coming from our hill and were quickly followed by two more females. Larry then said, Shoot the ram! At that point, I had not even seen the male as I was intently watching the females running across the opening. The ram was highlighted by the sun and stood on the lower half of the slope quartering towards us. I remember asking Larry to make sure that I was on the correct animal. Sitting down with my shooting sticks extended, I laid the rifle in the crotch of the sticks, tucked my right elbow into a bush, and cranked the scope up to 9X. When the crosshairs settled on the Mountain Reedbucks shoulder, the rifle went off seemingly by itself. A resounding plop echoed back as the animal dropped to the ground. Walking the 137 yards, I realized that this was itmy last animal in Africa.

Mountain Reedbuck

Mountain Reedbuck have many of the same features as our whitetails, including strangely enough, a white tail. Their horns have a soft base to them and then they extend up and forward. The skin is a mixture of light brown that extends up to the neck and then gradually changes into a grey brown. They are an attractive animal in a plain sort of way. Jim and Russell had called Larry just before my shot to inform us that they had located three shooter rams. We were actually on our way to the LC when we got the Reedbuck. By the time we had the animal carried to the vehicle, Jim and Russell arrived to congratulate me. Picture taking, of course, followed. Earlier this morning, Larry spotted a band of Baboons as the troop was working up a kopie. Even though the distance was great, they were interesting to see.

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A quick trip to the skinning shed followed. Then Russell, Jim, Wandali and I headed towards Russells property near the town of Paterson. We traveled on gravel roads for almost the entire trip and passed a little village nestled in the middle of seemingly know where called Riebeck East. Moving west, our route passed through a deep canyon carved and etched with overhangs and cliffs. Russell said that many of the caves have Bushman pictographs inside them. Also, you could clearly see the tectonic process that forced these ridges upward by looking at the folds in the rock layers.

Folded rock in canyon

Moving onto N10 we headed south towards Paterson. The highway rises up and crosses through a pass called Elephants Head from which the view was spectacular to the northeast. The many ridges or folds were testament to the forces inside the Earth that formed them. Nearing Paterson, the landscape changed dramatically into a flat plain. I was surprised to see a small town that could easily fit into rural SD, especially since it has a grain elevator rising sharply above the town of around 2000 people. Just a short distance past the town we turned into Russells property of 2400 acres which is nestled along the low grasslands and bush. I began to expect a plethora of new bird sightings in this new type of habitat.

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Russells property

Russell is building his land as a hunting preserve and has many of the animals established including Kudu, Blesbok, Impala, Waterbuck, Black Wildebeests, Grey Duiker and a species we had not seen yet, Lechwe. We even got to see a Bat Eared Fox from just 100 yards. I added a nice assortment of bird species to my list including South Africas National Bird, the Blue Crane which was a must see for me on this trip. In fact, it was one of the reasons I accompanied Jim and Russell today. I even picked up a couple feathers that I hope I can bring home. As the nine Blue Cranes took to flight, I was surprised to hear that their call is almost identical to our Sandhill Cranes. Again, this is a grassy plain with intermittent bushes that have a very aromatic scent to it not all that dissimilar to sage. Russell asked me how badly I wanted to see a bird called a Black Korhann, to which I responded by saying, Badly! Sending Wandali and me on a 300 yard march through the aromatic plants to flush a single bird may seem strange to some people. I took off like a young puppy on its first pheasant hunt. We did flush a Marsh Owl which was a new bird, but the Korhann remained elusive. The highlight of the quick hike was Wandalis discovery of a Leopard Tortoise. I will let the picture describe it.

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Wandali and Leopard Tortoise

Meeting back with Russell and Jim, we were sent on a second walk when I heard this strange call that closely resembles a creaking door being continually opened but at a much, much higher decibel level. Finally, a Black Korhann. Russells Toyota had spooked it which saved us the second walk. The Korhann is a strange bird that is large and flies with its legs hanging straight down. Russell gave us a very nice historical account of his land. One of the things he pointed out were the numerous low places that cross his property and, for that matter, the entire valley. These were the remnants of the wagon trail from the 1830s as settlers were forced to use this route in order to travel from PE to Grahamstown. Of course they used oxen instead of horses. Reaching the end of the property, Russell pointed out a spot where a hunting client had apparently missed a Kudu bull. The sun must have been just right today as Russell saw the now decaying carcass lying on the ground. What a waste. Russell had me try the fruit or pear of the prickly pear cactus. Once you get past the considerable thorns on the fruit, it is very juicy and has a very mild pear flavor but with hundreds of more seeds in it. We then stopped, upon my request, at the Lovemore famil y cemetery where Russells ancestors go back seven generations to the original settlers of this land. I found his family history very interesting as it is a direct line to the original settlers to this land.

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Lovemore Cemetary

Next was a tour of his dip and pack business with a description of the entire process of which our trophies will go through. It was very interesting. And finally, he showed us the plans for the lodge he and Larry are planning to renovate for next years hunting season. Financially I understand their move, but Hellspoort is such a great property. I hope they do not loose it.

Russells Dip and Pack Business

We then drove to a small roadside caf where we met Russells wife Julie and his two very energetic young sons Chad and Mitch. Julie is a very nice lady who actually runs the dip and pack business.

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Diner

Due to Russells suggestion for lunch, both Jim and I ordered roosterkoek fillet on both sides. It is a dish that is a steak lying on two pieces of the square dense thick toasted bread that seems to be fairly common here. The steak has a tangy sweet onion sauce with just a little kick to it with tomatoes, cucumber slices and lettuce surrounding it. The meal was superbly delicious, ranking up there with the best meal of the trip. After the meal, we went out back where there was a grassy garden area and Russell played with his sons for a good thirty minutes as they do not see much of each other during the hunting season. Chad and I played Rugby catch once I learned the underhand technique to passing the ball. Saying goodbye to Julie and the kids, we headed to Kwantu which is where Jim and I shot our Gemsbok and Blesbuck. Jim was on the hunt for a large Blue Wildebeest and I was the moral support. This preserve is amazing as when you enter it, there is a sign that says, Next fence 10 km. It is huge and animals roam freely everywhere you look. In fact, I got a look at my first giraffe today. They were sky lined on a ridge and the big burly beasts looked like African skyscrapers towering over the bush. We located a large Blue Wildebeest that let us drive past him but continued on to see if we could locate a monster that they had seen when hunting here before. That bull was finally located but was running like a crazy man. Russell decided to head back to the first bull. The problem we would have stalking this Wildebeest was getting past the dozens of Zebra without spooking them. The stalk was long and difficult. The bull was very well aware that something was in the bush as we closed to 100 yards. Although we could not see it, the warning snorts were clear and close. Russell crawled forward from the brush we were hiding behind and set up the shooting sticks with the plan of Jim stepping around the Acacia and firing before the bull ran. Easing around to the shooting sticks, Jim prepared for the shot as I rotated behind him giving me a view right down his rifle barrel. Standing broadside at just fifty yards was the magnificent animal.

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At the shot, the Wildebeest jumped straight up with its head down in a classic position. As it landed to run, it was obvious that the shot had been perfect and had broken the bulls shoulder and passed through the vitals. Jim was taking no chances as he put a second shot into it as it ran away from us. Within thirty yards the bull went down. This was very exciting and fun to watch and participate in. The Wildebeest was much more attractive than I thought it would be as its hide had very short hairs that looked like they had been closely groomed. It was a monster with a spread of 26. Pictures and a huge struggle to load it followed.

Jims Blue Wildebeest

Taking it back to the skinning area, we found out that this animal was destined for cat food-the lions, tigers and cheetahs they have in pens. Forty minutes later we were back at the lodge where we had rice, squash, peas, and the equivalent of our chicken pot pie. I also found out that the Kudu and Bushbuck that we ate this week were from my animals. After supper I tried to call Carla, but she was not home. It is 9:45 which is well past my bedtime. Tomorrow is the last day of our safari. Jim will be going after his Nyala for the second time and may shoot a second Impala. I am simply going hunting. If I see a big Warthog, Steenbuck or perhaps a Grey Duiker I may stalk it or may not. I may shoot or may not. But one thing is for sure, I will be carrying my rifle somewhere in the African veld tomorrow. June 12, 2006 Monday Day ten-the final day. Jim was the first up this morning at about 5:45. I awoke with a slight sore throat that feels scratchy and uncomfortable. WHO CARES? Larry and I will be on Hellspoort again and will just snoop around and enjoy the day. The morning is still and fairly warm, but the ground fog is extremely heavy. It limits visibility to no more then 100 yards. I am confident that once the sun rises, the intensity of the heat will burn it off in a hurry. Larry decided to go up the high ridge to the west of the trophy shed and hopefully get above the fog. Bouncing up the trail, we suddenly broke free from the clouds and were in the early morning sunlight. The sight was breathtaking as I hope the photos will show.

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The high peaks were clear and sharp against the white rolling fog bank below, filling each valley like water streaming down a gorge.

Fog in the early morning light

The sun was blocked by a few high cumulus clouds, but shafts of orange morning light broke free. The clear bright fog below us almost had a life of its own as it moved surprisingly fast to the north.

Fog and the sunrise-perhaps the best picture of the trip

Gradually other peaks began to show. The hill I shot my Mountain Reedbuck on yesterday was especially striking as it looked like a stage in a rock concert with the white gases sliding downhill. The sunlight produced tree shadows that extended far past the hill itself and touched the top of the fog with dark lines. It was a spectacular beginning to the final day, and it was much appreciated by me.

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Fog clearing from the hill that I shot my Mt. Reedbuck on

As usual, we saw many game animals but nothing we were interested in. Tinus pulled up and asked us to shoot him a monkey as his caged Lynx needed meat. I was more than willing to oblige as the Vervet Monkey is really a pest and considered vermin as they cause tremendous damage to crops, gardens, orchards and bird nests. We drove to the flats and, of course, saw game but nothing interested us. As we neared the spot where the Lynx was caged, Larry told me to shoot a monkey that was sitting on the propertys fence. My shot sailed harmlessly over its head and into a far hillside. Driving down towards the monkeys previous location, the same monkey was seen sitting on a rock cliff over looking the Great Fish River. Leaning against a post and using the fence itself as a rest, I did not miss the second shot. Richard was laughing out loud as he climbed over the fence to retrieve it. Carefully observing it up close, I was surprised at a couple things. First, its skin is a bright blue color that is hidden by its grey fur. Secondly, they have a very mean long sharp and nasty set of canine teeth which could be very damaging. Tinus and his staff were trying to separate the female Lynx from the male when we arrive with the now defunct monkey. Leaving them we followed a path down to the river and enjoyed its uniqueness.

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Along the Great Fish River

Crossing the gravel road, we drove through the heart of this farm. We did spot a male warthog with a female and her young. Just for the enjoyment of it, we stalked to within 75 yards. Lunch today was two sausages (similar to brats) on a bun with a fried egg. I think a quick nap will be nice. Jim and Russell have not checked in yet so we do not know if they have been successful or not. And finally, just as we finished eating, the wind for the first time in ten days became gusty to what I would guess is 25 mph. After the nap, we headed back behind the lodge to simply enjoy the afternoon and evening. We stalked to the edge of a fairly steep and deep rock wall in a fairly large canyon. As we glassed a female Bushbuck and her offspring appeared below and began to feed. Later a female Grey Duiker joined them. I snapped a few pictures of this unique place.

Larry glassing

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As Larry and I were walking back to the LC, I glanced to my left and a group of Warthogs cleared the bush no more than fifteen yards from us. Watching a pig turn inside out from fright is hilarious! We stopped a couple times to glass. One of those times, Larry said, Baboon. I could see the general direction of his gaze and tried to find something in the distance I could use as a reference to spot them too. Noticing an old windmill that no longer had blades, I asked, Where from the top of the windmill? Larry replied, On it. Sure enough, a Baboon was perched on the very top of it. I laughed for the next couple of hundred yards. Later I spotted a very good Warthog that had just rolled in mud. I was tempted, but passed on the shot. Driving down to the Steenbuck area, we did not see a single one of the sneaky little guys. The sun then set on my last hunting day in Africa, highlighting an isolated group of Acacia on a far hill against the fading orange glow-a fitting end, to a great hunt. Jim shot his Nyala today at 80 yards. They had to crawl over 500 yards to get a shot. Supper tonight was the SA equivalent of meatloaf made from my Kudu, along with rice, peas in half a baked squash and hot apricot halves. Dessert was a bread pudding. Before we ate, Wandali and Dansile asked if they could perform a play for us. They played the roles of Jim and Russell, and it was very funny. Then the housing staff and the three trackers came in dancing and singing a native Kosa song. It was much appreciated.

Wandali and Dansile as Russell and Jim during the play

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The staff dancing and singing

Kim Hicks from the previously mentioned hunting show called Larry while we were relaxing after supper. Because SAA are dropping their direct flights at the end of the month, the only tickets he can purchase are around $4000 each. IF we had booked for July or later, we would not have gotten to go on this safari. We then tipped our PHs (I had tipped Richard earlier) and paid our final bills. Tomorrow we are leaving the lodge at 7:00 AM and will be driving to PE. We hope to get an hour or two of shopping before our flight to Johannesburg which departs at 12:30. The flights home will be trying, long and difficult. It is 9:30 and bed calls.

Final collection of trophies in the trophy shed

June 13, 2006 I awoke this morning at 5:45 AM. We had a large breakfast of eggs, bacon and sausage. Russell, Wandali, Jim and I took the very scenic 2.5 hour drive to PE. Along the way we stopped at a factory that evaporates water from holding ponds of sea water and extracts the salt. Our primary goal for the stop was to see flamingoes which we did.

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We then stopped at a local arts shop where we looked at some of the African artifacts, but neither of us purchased anything. I asked Russell to take us to a jewelry store where we both purchased future hunt insurance for our wives-aka diamonds.

Mall where Jim and I purchased future hunt insurance

Russell walked us through the airport and explained the process once we arrived in Johannesburg. The check in here was easy and we got our boarding passes. Jim received his all the way home to Phoenix. For some reason, I could only get mine to Atlanta and will need to figure out how to get my next two boarding passes once I get there. My baggage and rifle case both have sticker all the way to Aberdeen. But I do not. We took our rifles to the police station here at the airport where the serial number was checked with the form we have been carrying for the past 12 days. We then signed a document, locked our cases, and went through security. It will be an hour and twenty five minutes until we board for flight 412 to Johannesburg. By the way, the flight to Atlanta will NOT be on a 747 like our itinerary stated, but an Airbus 340-600. I just counted the number of birds I saw from my check list-110 new species. 11:45 AM Our plane has just arrived. Jim looked at me and said, I am already tired of traveling. 12:10 PM Boarded the 737 I have seat F which is a window seat. Jim has seat D which is an aisle. There is no one sitting between us.

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Port Elizabeth, South Africa as we depart

Indian Ocean coastline from the air

12:55 PM We are cruising at 37 000 feet and just flew past Grahamstown which was clear and sharp out my window. I could see the road to the lodge, and even the trophy shed where I did so much birding. The lodge itself had a cumulus cloud directly over it and was blocked from my view. It was easy to see the exact ridge my Kudu came from and the area I shot my Steenbuck far to the south. Even from the air, the farm looked big. Ultra cool! We are having a cold meat sandwich and orange juice for lunch. Jim is reading while I am looking down and with a huge smile adorning my face I am thinking, That is Africa below me.

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As we head inland further, the green vegetation along the coastal areas gradually changes into a much browner, drier habitat. We have mountains below with snow scattered along the tops and deep rivers cutting canyons into the elevated landscape. 1:30 PM There is a very large reservoir below us as we exit the mountains.

Reservoir from 7 miles high

1:40 PM There is a very large city below us. For entertainment on the flight, there are drop screens where you can watch gags which are exactly what the name implies. Some of them are very funny. 3:15 PM We just completed the process to get to our next gate. Again, it was not nearly as simple as we were told to believe. Upon arriving, we took the transport from the tarmac to the domestic departures building. Once there we followed the signs to the police office where the numbers on the sticker were checked to their records. We then signed a form. Then a porter (who carry ID and wear bright orange jumpsuits) assisted us by grabbing on to us (trust me-they find you). We walked outside the terminal and reversed our course from June 2nd walking down to the international terminal. Once there, we applied for the 14% VAT refund for the diamonds we had purchased, and were then directed to police station in this terminal by our porter. Our cases had to be opened and they inspected the number on the rifles with their records and we signed again. From this point, our cases will be locked and they will be placed on our flight to Atlanta. Whew, again! The people were all very friendly, but it is a whirlwind of activity to complete. The final step was to pass through passport control where they inspect your passport and boarding pass. We now are living in the equivalent of The Terminal (Tom Hanks movie) for the next three hours. Jim is checking out a duty free shop as I write this. This part of the airport is not taxed as it is not really considered South Africa yet. You really need to watch the previously mentioned movie to understand that last statement. As I was sitting here, I had a young man from South Africa Tourism ask me to conduct a survey about why I came to SA, what I did, how I was treated, etc. It was a great way to burn thirty minutes.

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4:30 PM During the rifle processing, we talked with two couples who also just completed a hunt. They are waiting for the same flight too, and of course, I started chatting with them. The wives told me I, had to check out a store called Out of Africa. I purchased a spoon for Mom (no bells available), a hat for Dad, and two hats for myself. The grand total was 240 rand which equates to about $38 US. 5:20 PM I just finished my book. We found out that our flight SA 209 does not leave until 7:35 PM and we start boarding at 6:50 PM. 5:40 PM I broke down and purchased some German chocolate for Jim and me. We had this exact brand while in Europe and I knew it was good stuff. Jim, between bites quipped, Damn, now I am going to have to buy some of this for my wife! He obviously enjoyed it. 7:05 PM We are on the Airbus for our long flight to Atlanta. This is one big sucker with an arrangement of two seats, four seats and two seats again. We either slopped out or Custom Travel gets an A+ grade as again we have the bulkhead galley directly in front of us which gives us the tremendous leg room. We must be living right. Our elevation is 39 000 feet. I am watching the movie, Failure to Launch. 8:45 PM Over Botswana 9:05 PM Over Namibia Supper tonight is braised chicken in Moroccan spices, chocolate mousse, salad 9:45 PM We are crossing the Namibia-Angola border. How strange it is to look down over hundreds of miles and not see a single light below. 4:10 AM I slept very soundly compliments of Jims Lunestra. We are almost to the Cape Verde Islands. 4:30 AM Landed at Sol and they conducted a security check. While we were on the ground, Jim looked at me and said, I am now an international big game hunter! Me too!! 7:00 AM We are one third of the way from Sol to Atlanta. I watched the Pink Panther with Steve Martin, but slept through most of it. I have slept for seven full hours which is more than I expected. Jim has been out for eight. 9:00 AM It is still dark, but it is getting light to the east. Our speed is 500 mph and that makes it difficult for the suns apparent rotation at 1000 mph to catch us. 11:00 AM (still African time) Our night was 15 hours long and we are near the Burmuda Islands. It will be 27 hours and 30 minutes from our entrance to the PE airport until we touch down in Atlanta. Breakfast at 6:00 AM EST (I have now switched time zones) of eggs, sausage, potatoes, croissant, yogurt, fresh fruit, and orange juice. 7:33 AM Landed in Atlanta. 8:55 AM Whew, again! I will do my best to describe what a process this is to get through customs with a rifle. The first step is to simply clear customs where you show your passport and answer a few questions-normal routine. Then you proceed to the baggage claim to collect your luggage and rifle case. Once that is completed, you are ushered into a second area where the serial number on the rifle is compared to the number on the 4457 form. The rifles are then locked up and sealed. A few feet further, they ask for your hunting boots and spray the bottom with a chemical to kill any diseases (especially foot and mouth disease) that may be in the soil on the boot. They then put the boots in plastic bags so the liquid does not seep onto your clothing.

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Next, they forward you to an area where the case must be opened again and the small declaration form must be signed (like anytime you start in an airport). The case is then locked again. That will be the last I see of it until Aberdeenwhich is a good thing since I severely bent the rules by smuggling in my Warthogs teeth. Yes, I was nervous!! Walking across the room, your luggage is then taken and a conveyer belt moves it to the proper loading bay. The final step is to, one last time, go through a metal detector. Then you have free reign of the airport again. This was very much complicated due to the fact that I did not have my boarding passes for the flight to Aberdeen or Minneapolis. Remember, the lady in PE could not give me those for some reason. During all this, Jim and I said our goodbyes as his flight to Phoenix leaves in thirty minutes. The lucky sucker will be home by 12:30 noon. He was a joy to hunt with, and we will always have very fond memories of this trip. Of course, we are already planning our next hunt together. So, here I sit in Atlanta, GA, with two tickets and no boarding passes. There is a flight that leaves here at 11:32 AM (my flight is scheduled for 2:30 PM), and I considered changing my flight to that one, but it was full and I would need to wait in Minneapolis anyway. 10:30 AM After a little bit of concern, I have my boarding passes to MSP and ABR. The lady behind the counter was a little confused and had me concerned for a short amount of time. First, she said there was no record of my ABR flight. As I dug for proof in my travel folder, she hesitated and said, Wait a minute, yes you do. She then proceeded to staple the incorrect boarding pass to the wrong ticket. Oh well, at least I have the boarding passes. My throat is very sore and the stuffy sinuses persist. I have cough drops and plan on purchasing a few more before I depart Atlanta. I did break down and got a scoop of pecan ice cream and a Sprite zero. 12:10 PM Three long torturous waits can sap the strength from Hercules. My sinuses are not good, and I hope there is a place that cells Kleenex tissues. If not, I will be borrowing a length of toilet paper. I need to retake some Sudafed. 1:20 PM I began a conversation with a group of elderly people who are going to MSP and then on to Fairbanks, AK. They are going to Denali for two days followed by a cruise down the inside passage to Vancouver. One of the men worked on B-29s during WWII so we had much to talk about. A man sitting down from us joined in the conversation when he heard I was from Redfield. He has an aunt that lives there. How small is the world?? 2:25 PM Just boarded NW 613 to MSP which was not the flight listed on my itinerary. Also, I am in seat 25C (aisle) on an Airbus 320 which is a different airplane than my itinerary showed. It is cloudy out and we are departing late. I will have to run through the airport once we land. 4:15 PM I slept most of the flight (thank goodness as my sinuses are getting worse). We landed at the exact minute my next flight left for Aberdeen. There is not need to hurry as the plane is probably leaving right now. One more small bump in the road for me to solve as I have not experienced missing a flight before. I made the long walk down to the proper loading dock, and as I expected, no one was at the desk. I began to walk back, planning on talking to the first NW employee I could find at any of the docks. Finally finding one, she checked the computer (which actually

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listed why my flight from ATL was late), issued me a boarding pass for the next flight to ABR which departs at 9:05 PM, and gave me a voucher for $13 worth of food anywhere in the airport as an apology. Now instead of arriving in ABR at 6:15, it will be closer to 10:15. Dang it. I was hoping to be home in Redfield before darkthat idea is history. So, my sinuses are killing me, and I have to wait another four hours, none of which is good. I tried calling Carla to inform her of the change of plans. The pay phones all have card readers where you can use any credit card to make calls. Unfortunately, each time I tried, the operator would declare that they were having computer problems. Traipsing through the airport, I finally found a store that sold prepaid calling cards. Calling Carlas cell phone did not work as I got no answer. I then called Fran and Dels to leave a message. Finally, I called Ebachs and Kody answered. I asked him to have Julie get a hold of Carla. I did manage to use the voucher and had pizza compliments of Northwest. At about 9:15 my flight left MSP for a quick trip to ABR where Carla was waiting for me. It was 12:00 midnight when we finally pulled into the driveway of our house. My final length of time in airports and airplanes on the trip home was 42 hours and 37 minutes. June 20, 2006 Reflecting on this adventure is unquestionably difficult as it has so many varying aspects to it. For example, I could expound long and hard about the hunting itself. The variety of game, the amount of game, the habitats of the various species, the varying hunt styles, all contributed to make this hunt feel like many hunts thrown together and melted into one grand experience which elevated it into a league that other trips cannot possibly compete or compare. The nervous excitement and tension of traveling to a foreign land, whose laws and rules must be followed especially considering a rifle was involved, also contributed to the enjoyment of the experience. I understand that for most people this would detract from the experience, my adventurous spirit dictated that it contributed. The cultural aspects of a foreign country are always exciting. The racial differences and obvious social divisions in South Africa are distinct and rarely crossed. Throughout this journal I tried to keep the reader somewhat informed about the unique situation of the country. The dark continent, and even the Republic of South Africa, is more diverse than anywhere else in the world. Where else will you find a country with 13 different languages? I would be amiss if I did not mention the beauty of the land itself. Its diversity was tremendous varying from sandy coastal areas, to semi-deserts. The vegetation was tall and short-thick and thin-but all seemingly with spines and thorns. Needless to say, the bird life was beautiful, amazing and frequent. The time I spent memorizing the birds was well spent as I would estimate that I could identify 90% of the birds we saw-this single factor of seeing so many birds made this hunt a success. I also need to consider the delight of the bonus mini-adventures like the micro-light flight and my first swim in any ocean. Russells very enjoyable family dissertation contributed to my enjoyment. The constant banter between Larry and me kept the conversation alive and entertaining. He has strong opinions on every topic known to mankind, and when he was right, I told him so. But when he was wrong, I would always

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counter with a statement to make him think and ponder. Jokingly, I told him that he did not win a single argument over the ten days. He probably feels undefeated as well as he is definitely a type A personality. And, of utmost importance, was the generosity and genuine pleasantness of the people of South Africa. Regardless of who we met, each and every South African was a delight to meet and become acquainted with. To a person, they were interested in you as a visitor to their country. As they say, .pleasure! This was honestly and truly a trip that was a once in a lifetime adventure and needs to evaluated that way as it can never be and will never be duplicated or copied. Understanding that fact, my only question is-when will I go again?

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Throughout the hunt, Larry and Russell would give Jim and me various tips on what to look for to distinguish a trophy animal from an average animal. I decided to record these for future endeavors. Therefore, here is the list: Kudu- horn tips back, deep curls (spirals to the horns) Bushbuck-big neck, curl to the horns, comparison to ears Steenbuck-length or horns even or above the ears Grey Duiker- horn length just above or below ears Mountain Reedbuck-above ears and tips or horns curl forward Impala-tips of horn open at the top Blesbuck-straight up, backward sweep, mass consideration, white look to horns Warthog-amount of white extended by teeth, what you see is three inches shorter Gemsbok-compare to others in herd, face is 12-14 long so use that for comparison Blue Wildebeest-wider than ears Springbuck-look for heart shape, above ears, tips pointing inward or back Nyala-bell shaped, points turn out, deep curl Lengths and masses of my trophies: R-length L-length R-mass L-mass Gemsbok 33 6/8 34 0/8 7 6/8 7 6/8 Blesbuck 16 2/8 16 2/8 7 0/8 7 0/8 Blue Duiker 1 3/8 1 3/8 Grey Duiker 4 6/8 4 6/8 Kudu 51 6/8 50 4/8 9 4/8 9 4/8 Impala #1 20 2/8 20 2/8 5 4/8 5 4/8 Springbuck 11 6/8 12 0/8 5 2/8 5 2/8 Bushbuck 12 3/8 12 3/8 5 4/8 5 4/8 Impala #2 21 0/8 21 0/8 5 2/8 5 2/8 Warthog 11 0/8 9 2/8 Steenbuck 4 5/8 4 5/8 2 0/8 2 0/8 Mt. Reedbuck 6 0/8 6 0/8

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Trip notes not included in the journal: While traveling on a back road out in the middle of nowhere, Russell noticed a black man wearing a Cabelas cap-even in Africa.. Drivers in SA when passing cut in immediately after the pass has been completed. This took some getting used to as it seems very, very close. The bottled water in SA had a very strong and, in my opinion, offensive taste to it. I had a very difficult time drinking it. After preparing my Kudu to be carried down the hill, the trackers washed their hands with the ever present Gwanish leaves. While in Romeof course I tried it, and it cleaned my hands beautifully. Photos not used in the journal:

The ever present Aloe plant

Foot of the Dlue Duiker compared to my thumb

Dogs ready to Blue Duiker hunt

Looking back on Port Alford

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Jim and Russell below us during ultra-light

Entrance to Hellsport

Jim and Larry on a flyby

Larry Glassing

Richard carrying Steenbuck

Russell and Jim glassing for Nyala

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Jims Trophies

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Blakes Trophies

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Birds of South Africa

Bar-Throated Apalis

Pied Barbet

Cape Batis

Chin-spot Batis

Black-eyed Bulbul

Sombre Bulbul

Cape Bunting

Golden-breasted Bunting

Kori Bustard

Ludwigs Bustard

Stanleys Bustard

Jackal Buzzard

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Bully Canary

Streaky-headed Canary

Yellow-eyed Canary

Ant-eating Chat

Buff-streaked Chat

Familiar Chat

Mocking Chat

Red-knobbed Coot

Cape Cormorant

Reed Cormorant

White-breasted Cormorant

Blue Crane

Black Crow

Pied Crow

Dabchick

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African Darter

Spotted Dikkop

Laughing Dove

Red-eyed Dove

Cape Turtle Dove

Emerald-spotted Wood Dove

Fork-tailed Drongo

African Black Duck

Yellow-billed Duck

Black Eagle

Crowned Eagle

African Fish Eagle

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Red-headed Finch

Blue-billed Firefinch

Greater Flamingo

Red-necked Francolin

Egyptian Goose

Spur-winged Goose

Pale Chanting Goshawk Helmeted Guineafowl

Kelp Gull

Hamerkop

Black Harrier

Black-headed Heron

Grey Heron

African Hoopoe

Crowned Hornbill

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Hadeda Ibis

Sacred Ibis

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher

Black-shouldered Kite

Black Korhaan

Clapper Lark

Orange-throated Longclaw

Brown-throated Martin

House Martin

Rock Martin

Red-faced Mousebird

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Speckled Mousebird

Fiery-necked Nightjar

Black-headed Oriole

Ostrich

Spotted Eagle Owl

Marsh Owl

African Black Oystercatcher

African White Pelican

Blacksmith Plover

Crowned Plover

White-fronted Plover

Spotted (Karoo) Prinia

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White-necked Raven

Cape Robin

Karoo (Scrub) Robin

Secretarybird

South African Shelduck

Fiscal Shrike

Cape Sparrow

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow

African Spoonbill

Cape Glossy Starling

African Pied Starling

Red-winged Starling

Black-winged Stilt

African Stonechat

White Stork

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Black Sunbird

Greater Double-collared Sunbird Lesser Double-collared Sunbird

Malachite Sunbird

Southern Tchagra

Cape Rock Thrush

Southern Grey Tit

Southern Black Tit

Cape Wagtail

Green-backed Bleating Warbler

Swee Waxbill

Common Waxbill

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Cape Weaver

Spectacled Weaver

Cape White-eye

Red-billed Wood Hoopoe

Bokmakierie

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South Africa Mammals seen-June 2006

Cape Buffalo

Waterbuck

Blue Wildebeest

Black Wildebeest

Giraffe

Nyala

Burchells Zebra

Eland

Red Hartebeest

Oribi

Common Reedbuck

Lechwe

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Jackal

Meercat

Yellow Mongoose

Grey Mongoose

Bat-eared Fox

Vervet Monkey

Baboon

Lynx

Aardwolf

Dassie (Rock Hyarx)

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