Hunting in the Bushveld

---

After observing the amazing wildlife the Kruger had to offer, I figured it'd be quite the experience to get an even closer look, so as I was planning my trip and my friend Danyan asked if I wanted to experience South African hunting, I replied with an exuberant, "yes!". After staying the night with Danyan, we woke up at a decent time and got all of our supplies sorted. When I heard the shopping list my mouth began to water, but more on that later. While shopping, Danyan could barely keep himself composed he was so excited. He explained that he usually goes hunting twice a year and it's the thing he looks forward to the most. He finds that nothing compares to heading out into the bush with friends, having the experience of the hunt, and relaxing thereafter.

So after we were all packed up, we traveled about two hours northwest of Johannesburg into an area they call the Bushveld. There was a bit of a difference between the Kruger terrain, and it reminded me much of the prairies, obviously with a South African twist. Right after we arrived, I was amazed at the accommodations. It was a hunting farm, with a beautiful little pond that many of the antelope would come and drink at. The accommodations were not skimpy and apart from the building where we slept was another building with a home style bar and a TV to keep us entertained with the Rugby on.

However, we weren't interested in that much and Danyan immediately wanted to get shooting. It was about 4:30pm and the sun was beginning to go down, which is a good time to find some action and made for beautiful lighting as well. Our guide greeted us and we hopped in the bakkie (what South African's call pickup trucks) which was an impressive Toyota Landcruiser designed for the bush. We spotted a few Kudu and the hunt began. We drove into the bush as close as we could get to the animals and Dayan made his shot. The animals scattered and we moved in to inspect the possible kill. Luckily, the decent sized Kudu only made it about 10 meters from the spot it was hit and dropped, so I congratulated Danyan on a good shot, which according to our guide was right through the lungs just near the heart. Danyan had a grin from ear to ear, and he was happy to have accomplished his goal early. Another truck came by to pick up the beast and we drove back to our living area and enjoyed a celebratory beer. When we returned to the camp, the animal was already hung up and the butchering process began. I've never seen anything like this before in real life, and it was quite the process, albeit a little gruesome. Not long after, once the sun was down, the rest of our troop came in and we began to party into the night by huge campfire. I got to meet some new South African friends and it was fabulous having a bunch of laughs with them. Everyone was on the same level, which made for some definite good times!

Our days didn't offer too much variety, which was okay, because it was a bloody good time. Wake up early, eat, hunt, drink, rugby, fire, eat, drink, hunt, repeat. The animals that were bagged were 2 Kudu, and 2 Blesbok. Oh and did I mention we ate? I was treated to some traditional bush braais (Afrikaans for BBQ). We ate like kings with buroworst, ribs, and a traditional poiki kos, which is similar to a stew, but made in a pot directly on the fire. The meat we used was Anton’s last years kill of an Oryx, and it was delicious! I should also mention my new addiction… Biltong. It’s similar to Beef Jerky, but far more addicting and made more so with vinegar, rather than just salt. It’s also cut against the grain, instead of with the grain. In the Kruger, Jan and I had Kudu and Ostrich biltong, but on the hunt it was strictly beef. I must say the beauty of the Bushveld had me at hello, and I've fallen in love. This experience was probably one that many won't get, and I'm so grateful for Danyan, Jan, Cobus, Johan, and Anton for having me along.

So now it's off to Victoria Falls to experience the power of the Zambezi, as well take a day tip to Hwange to visit my sponsored child, Bravo.

-J

p.s. scroll down for more pictures

---

Photos

The "Bakkie"
This was our chariot into the bush.

Ribs!
This is how we Braai

My kill
They only let the Canadian shoot targets, for obvious reasons.