RHINO

Thanks to a thing called a green hunt, the rhino is making a strong recovery in some parts of Africa. A green hunt is where the hunter shoots a rhino with a dart. The animal is only out a short time for vets to draw blood and run a few tests. The money spent by hunters on green hunts has given a value to the rhino. A portion of this money now goes to the local enconomy and the local people.  When it comes to conservation, the money spent by hunters is still the best chance of  the rhino making a come back. At this time, I think South Africa has stopped green hunts for some reason? Poachers shooting rhino, just to saw off their horn to be sold in Asia, still remains the biggest threat to this wonderful animal. Three times on safari I had the crap scared out of me by rhino. Luckily I was in the safari truck each time it happened. Towards the end of an evening hunt as we were looking at some game on one side of road, a rhino exploded from the bush on our other side just a few feet in front of us. The second time it was almost a carbon copy of the previous encounter but is was on a night game spotting ride. The third time also happened on a night game spotting drive but it was in the Limpopo region on the river bottom. We were driving along an over grown road. Frikkie had seen the eyes of something to our right so everybody's attention was focused in that direction. Suddenly the thick brush very close to the left side of the safari truck exploded with snorts and cracking brush. We had driven up on three bedded rhino and scared them about as bad as they scared me. An adult male rhino can weigh in at over 4,000 pounds and has only two enemies, Man and the odd bad encounter with angry elephant. For the most part a rhino goes and does what he wants to do, when he want to do it.  The rhino also is known to have a very short temper and  a reputation of charging even when unprovoked.

GOT YOUR BACK JACK!

Frikkie with the big double gun

Frikkie du Toit...a big man with a big heart who carries a big gun...and in Africa you better know how to use it. The first time I met Frikkie was at the Harrisburg Sports Show several years ago. My wife and I had decided that we wanted to research a possible second safari to Africa. Di had given me the green light to start looking, so I was on a mission. We talked to almost every African Outfitter at the show. Some had impressive mounts and flashy booths with videos blastings away. Frikkie had a little more simple but effective set up. It turned out he had all that he needed, at least for me..a booth, a banner, pictures, a nice brochure, and his personality.  As we talked about the game, the location of his camp, the climate, and everything that goes with getting to know a little bit about the professional hunter and how he runs his operation, he simply came across as an honest straight shooter with a great sense of humor. On the long ride home Di & I talked about all the professional hunters we visited with. We both agreed the really nice guy with the odd name seemed to be the best. Several years passed until we made our next visit to Harrisburg. The next time we went I made a bee-line to Frikkie's booth as soon as the doors opened. This time we were serious as we asked him to give us a quote on a hunt and photo safari to Kruger Park. Later that year we decided to book our safari. We again went to Harrisburg to visit Frikkie and go over some questions we had.  That evening Frikkie invited us to join him at the African Outfitter's Super Bowl Party. Watching NFL football with rugby fans was a riot. They only cared about the score at the end of each quarter because they could win a little money on box/score wagers they all were in on. During the evening I noticed how almost every outfitter made it a point to say hello to Frikkie. You could see on their faces that they had a lot of respect for him too. Even the staff at the hotel knew him and seemed to honestly like him. The party later spilled into the bar.
FYI: Do not try to stand at the bar and drink one for one with professional hunters. They will crush you! Last year...we went the Saturday before the Super Bowl. Learned my lesson the year before. The final plans and payments were made...Look out Africa here we come! When you are headed half way around the world with your wife, a good and trusted PH is a must. After all, it is his job to keep your sorry American butts alive. I had checked references and felt very confident we would be in good hands. When you spend a week with a guy in the bush then another week with him in the car you get to know each other. My image of Frikkie is a loving husband and father with great respect for god and for Africa and her animals. He lives for Blue Bulls Rugby and the thrill of the hunt. One evening, after dinner, over a few cocktails the conversation turned to the dangers of his job. As policeman, as a soldier, and as professional hunter, he has faced potential death from man and beast many times with the scars to prove it. He is a man who has faced gun fire and the charging fury of buffalo, rhino, elephant, lion, and leopard, just to name a few. He has seen the icy cold gaze of death eye to eye on more than one occassion. If push came to shove in the bush, I can say with out a doubt, that I knew Frikkie had my back, not because it was his job to do so, but because he cared. In a fight, if I got to pick two men to go with me that would have my back no matter what,  I would take my brother Jim and Frikkie du Toit. I did get to shoot his "big guns" too. Let's just say the recoil got my attention.

Loving Father & Husband

Respect for Africa and her animals

Learn more about Frikkie:
http://www.africabig5.co.za/index.html

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

Africa has four spiral horned antelope species...eland, kudu, nyala, and bushbuck.  I had taken a kudu on our first safari and so a bushbuck would give me two of the four needed for "The African Spiral Slam." Maybe a eland on my next trip? The giant eland has been a favorite animal of mine since the first time I saw one while sitting in a leopard blind at night in Zimbabwe back in 1998. The magnificant  Nyala is an incredible animal that most hunters dream of taking. If I see that a hunting show says they are after nyala, I record it every time. The only problem is that a nyala comes with a pretty steep trophy fee by my standards. Our hunt in the southern Kalahari had been a great success. I had taken three exceptional trophies but to get my bushbuck would require going to the part of the country that they call home. The next time I loaded my rifle would be after an eleven hour drive, over two days, to Africa's famous Limpopo region. The plan was to meet Frikkie's friend Marco to hunt his concession's heavy covered lush river bottoms for a bushbuck. The bushbuck is the smallest of the four spirals. It has a dark chocolate coat with white spots on the back third of the body. A good male will have black horns 14 inches or better. Very thick cover near water is their home. They are shy secerative creatures and their love of heavy cover makes them a very challengeing trophy.  They may be small and shy but when wounded they have been known to charge and use their razor sharp horns like daggers on hunters. They feed and move much like our whitetail deer and are most active from just before dusk until shortly after sunrise.  Our hunt started by getting the safari truck stuck in the deep black mud of  the river bottom. Frikkie just laughed and said, "It wouldn't be a safari if you didn't get stuck at least once". Thank god Frikki and Uri had to slog through the knee deep black ooze to run the cable from the power wench on the front bumper to pull us free.  As we made our way along the river bottom we came upon a nyala bull rolling in the mud. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him. I was in awe at the impressive sight  which instantly lit a  fire inside me..someday I have to hunt a nyala. At least I could dream about it.  He was massive. About the size of a bull elk. He has golden boots that come up to the knee. A dark brown coat with white stripes down the sides. Plus, a thick shaggy main around the neck and under the belly. Topped off with a set of huge spiral horns covered in mud. Frikkie and the other guys also had noticed that the nyala really lit my fire. The hunt for bushbuck was proving very tough. We had seen plenty of animals but the high grass was making identifying a good male and finding a shot on such a short animal difficult. When we saw a one horned nyala, I again got very excited. Frikkie gave me a goofy look and said "He only has one horn." I replied, "I know but he is still a nyala."  After dinner Frikkie told me that he had a special surprise for me on the evening hunt, if we got the the chance and then flashed me a huge grin. I had assumed he was going to let me shoot a small cat or spotted genet if the chance came up. We spent the next several hours bouncing along the river bottoms but just could not get a shot at a bushbuck. Then it happened a dream I thought would never come true did exactly that. As we turned the corner there stood the same nyala bull we had seen earlier in the day rolling in the mud. I told Frikkie, "He's a monster." To my surprise Frikkie told me, "Take him." The look of total amazement and shock must have said it all because I surely could not speak. Again Frikkie told to me to take him. I settled the crosshairs on his front shoulder and fired. As I approached my nyala my hands started shaking. It was like a dream or out of body experience. I just sat beside my magnificant trophy in shock as a million thoughts raced through my mind. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever really expect to take a nyala, let alone on this trip. After many hand shakes and photos, Marco pulled a bottle of J&B from behind his seat. As we sat there in the dark watching the full moon dance on the water, I could hear the hippos protesting our presence. To my wife, Frikkie, & Natasha I say a heartfelt THANK YOU for helping me experience the impossible dream...my very own nyala. On the cold ride back to camp it hit me, we'll have to come back again to get that bushbuck...YAHOO!

Frikkie and me with a monster Nyala bull.



Marco, Uri, and a happy me

Visit Frikkie du Toit Safaris:
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SPOTS IN THE TREES

Lady luck was on our side when in came to cats in Africa. One night when out spotting for game we saw a Serval. A shy and sly  small cat with a spotted coat very similar to that of a leopard. We hadn't went more than a hundred yards and we saw a second Serval hiding in the tall grass. He stepped into an old vehicle track where the grass was shorter when I finally got to see the entire cat. WOW...such a beautiful animal in such a big and dangerous place. Finding lions was not a problem either.  Every time we would get near a stream bottom with larger trees Frikkie would say, "Keep your eyes open for a leopard in trees." We were looking for leopard in the lower branches of larger trees. Leopard take their kills to the trees to avoid having their hard earned meals stolen by hyena and lion. They spend most of the day just relaxing in the tree tops and come down at dusk to hunt. We talked to several people that had been to Kruger more than once and still had not seen a leopard. On our first evening in the park it happened. We were making our way to Satara Camp when we drove by another lush green riverbed. I was scanning the trees on my side of the vehicle for spots in the trees. When Di shouted "LEOPARD!" I turned my head to see out the other side of the car and there it stood in a "Y" of tree just less than 50 yards away. A fantastic huge male leopard. I think he was using the tree for a better view of the surrounding plains to spot a possible meal. As he made his way to the ground, you could see that a leopard is a very muscular cat built for power and strength. One morning the ladies decided to sleep in so it was just me, Frikkie, FJ, and Xanthe. What a morning it turned out to be. As we made our way on a lonely winding road through Kruger, Frikkie pointed to the trees in river bottom ahead. There on a thick branch was another fantastic male leopard sound asleep. We drove closer to get some better pictures which was very difficult in the early morning light. He stirred a little, gave us quick look, and went back to his nap. Not one but two leopard sightings on one safari. As I said before....Lady Luck was on our side when it came to the big cats. The only cat we did not see was a cheetah. No big shock with all of the high grass from the heavier than normal rains making a cheetah sighting next to impossible.

A FACE ONLY A MOTHER COULD LOVE

Let's face it, a warthog has a face only a mother could love. They look like they are covered in shark skin that has been out of the water for several days. And that face...ouch! Add some long coarse body hair, some regular mud baths, and you have one ugly dude. When frightened a warthog runs away with his tail held high. Our first PH in Africa used to act like he had a remote control every time we spooked warthogs and they fled with their tails in the air. He would say with a smile..."Using my remote control for his antenna." They do look like an R-C toy with their tail held straight as a poker as they exit stage left. Our last morning in Kruger Park I stepped outside of our chalet to find a warthog eating in the yard. I was excited about the chance for a few close up pictures without any brush or tall grass to mess up the shots. Then it hit me, he must have gotten through a hole in the game fence protecting visitors from the wild animals of the park. NOT COOL...when I remembered several large hyena the night before standing just a few feet from the fence just down wind of our bar-b-q. I would not want to open the door to find the devil's dogs there to greet me. For the record, warthog is my second favorite african game on the dinner table, only behind the springbok. After the warthog left, I discovered the local monkeys had found our coolers and helped themselves to breakfast. The Kruger monkeys and baboons are as bold as any theives in toughest section of the big city. They have learned people = food.

ONE OF THE ROTTEN BANDITS!

TUSKERS

When driving in the Kruger Park you are not permitted out of the car and for good reason. There are plenty of things that could kill you. Kruger is home to the Big Five-Elephant, Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Lion, & Leopard. Add in Hippo & Crocs and you have the Deadly Seven. Plus, we did see four puff adders in one day. More on that another time. Frikkie told us a story about a park guide taking some tourists on a night game spotting tour. The guide stepped behind the safari truck to take a bathroom break and a leopard killed him. He also told of a family of seven that fled the terrible enconomy of Mozambique. They crossed into the park hoping to make it to one of the main roads and get a ride into South Africa to look for a better life. Only the father and a three year old made it. The father said lions had eaten the other five people. Back to the story at hand. After so much driving any time we came across one of the places in the park you could get out and stretch your legs, it was always a welcome stop. The Kruger Elephant Museum was a very cool place. Outside stands a life-size bull elephant sculpture. Inside they have the skulls and tusks of the seven largest tuskers ever to call Kruger home and many other very interesting and informative displays. Beside the museum is a cafe with a fantastic view of a river. What a great place to grab a cool drink and relax before hitting the road again. On this day a bull elephant was cooling off in the river in the mid-day heat.

Di, FJ, & Frikkie

Xanthe...what's up?



Cooling off



GIVE ME A COUPLE LONG NECKS

This blog and our safari started with the release of three giraffes at Frikkie's ranch. For such a large animal, they can fade into the bush surprisingly well. The large spots on their coat make a very effective camo pattern in places where the trees are at least as tall as they are. If the trees are shorter than that, they sort of stick out like a sore thumb. We had only been inside Kruger Park a very short time when a bull giraffe slowly made his way across the road in front of Frikkie's Toyota. I remember seeing giraffe at a great distance with just the out line of their heads above the african bush. Other times, we would see them very close. You would be driving along and suddenly...boom there was a giraffe. Trust me Kruger has a lot of long necks.  The nice thing about the giraffes in Kruger is they really don't mind having their picture taken. It seemed that they could have cared less about  us with our shutters clicking away. As Xanthe would say each time would we see the gentle giants, "They are just so beautiful."

THE POTHOLES

As you drive from Jo-burg to Kruger Park you go through some stunning mountain vistas. When I think of Africa, lush green mountains with clear flowing streams are not exactly what comes to mind. But they do exist with specatular splendor.  As we drove along, I could not stop thinking about how nice the mountain streams and rivers looked.  I could see deep dark pools and fast riffles. I just kept wondering to myself if they held fish. The water looked perfect and the fisherman in me was very curious. Image my excitement when Frikkie told me that these deep cold rivers were teaming with trout. Yes...I said TROUT! As soon as that discovery was made, I flagged a mental note to bring my fly rod with me for a couple days of fishing on our next safari. FYI: They even have an ORVIS shop. The same waters that hold trout show their power further down stream at a place called The Potholes. The views here just brings out the photographer inside you. From the parking lot you make your way down a well kept path to an arched bridge that spans the steep walls cut into the African rock by the river far below. A casscading waterfall awaits you on the other side of the bridge. As you make your way down river, you can see the awesome power of running water and mother nature at work. The rocks have been carved into strange circular shapes by mighty ancient whirlpools. The well worn rock faces show soft orange, brown, tan, and cream colors. Enough of me trying to explain it. I will let the pictures do the talking for me...

                                                   

Visit Potholes photo gallery:

http://www.sa-venues.com/attractionsmpl/bourkes-luck-potholes-photos.htm

CLICK IN THE NIGHT

The Eland is largest and heaviest of Africa's four spiral horned antelope. My first encounter with an Eland happened on our first safari to Zimbabwe back in 1998. Di and I were sipping red wine with our PH late one night in a blind that had been used for leopard by a previous hunter. We were hoping to take one of the smaller night animals like a genet or cat over the remaining bait. While enjoying the stars we heard a strange clicking sound in the distance. It sounded something like those cheap plastic halloween toys with the little metal clickers on the back that I used to hate getting as treats as a kid. My heart rate started to shoot up as the clicking sound kept getting closer and closer. Finally it sounded like it was just outside of the blind. Di and I peered through the small opening in the blind for shooting. In the moonlight, just ten yards away, stood a huge creature I had never seen before. Not even in a book, magazine, or on a hunting show. It was just massive and incredible. What was this giant thing with a bushy tuff of hair between two thick and long spiral horns, a huge humped front shoulder, and a swinging flap of sink below the neck? Our PH told us it was a "good" Eland bull. We watched in awe as he made his way through the African night. The Eland has a small marble-like bone in their feet that clicks when they walk under the pressure of their massive weight. For such a large animal they are very spooky. Most of the time, as soon as they see you, they quickly move off.  Below is a young bull we saw on Frikkie's ranch on our latest trip.

BLACK DEATH

To charge or not to charge?

I have heard that the Cape Buffalo kills more professional hunters and trophy hunters than any other animal in Africa each year. Many a PH (professional hunter) has been forced to face down a wounded buffalo in a deadly showdown. The hunter has but one shot during a charge. He must either shoot the buff just below the boss between the eyes at very close range or come face to face with two thousand pounds of fury trying to hook him with massive horns and then stomp him into the ground. Black Death has a nasty reputation when wounded of running into the heaviest, nasty cover he can find and then waiting, so he can charge and settle the score. They have also been known to double back on their own trail and wait until the hunters get very close then explode from the bush at the side of the trail with only one thing on his mind...killing! I have seen a video from Kruger Park where a pride of young lions attacked a buffalo calf. The herd bull blew into the pride and started hooking lions and tossing them like rag dolls to resuce the calf. Watching hunting and nature shows made seeing a cape buffalo another item on my bucket list. The first time I saw a buffalo the size of the animal and the muscle mass was shocking. Don't let the stupid cow feeding look fool you. A buff has a bad temper and can turn on you at any moment. When he puts his head back and snorts then looks into your eyes you see no fear, only a grumpy old fellow, full of hate for the world. He is really just deciding if he is going to charge or not. It is no wonder so many hunters find cape buffalo to be one of the most exciting hunts there is. Maybe some day....if I hit the lottery?

What are you looking at?

Big Buff

SPRINGBOK

Springboks is the name of the South African National Rugby Union's team. Bokkie, the springbok, is the star of a very cute and funny South African cartoon. I loved watching Bokkie get himself in trouble on the flights over and back. This small but beautiful creature is one of the strongest images linked with South Africa. That is why I wanted to make sure a springbok would be on the trophy list this trip. They have a soft white face with black stripes on the side of the nose. A trophy male will have horns that are thick at the base that curve inward towards each other at the tip. The hunt would take place on Eric's ranch which was the same place I had taken my gemsbok earlier in the day. We saw plenty of springboks over the first couple of hours but never really got a good chance at a shot. Plus, Frikkie wanted to find a "really good" male. I am used to hunting thickets back home in Jefferson, Clearfield, and Clarion Counties. To shoot 150-250 yards in most of the places that I usually hunt, it would go something like this...Fire a shot. Go dig the lead out of tree. Reload it into the cartridge and fire it again at least once. Maybe twice? Deep in the back of my mind I was worried about another long shot. After all, I had already misjudged, to me what was a long shot on blesbok the day before.  We finally found two very nice rams feeding in the open grasslands as we came out of the thorn bush. Frikkie told me the better ram was the one of the right. I thought I had done my homework but in the excitement of the moment, when looking through the scope, I reverted to what I know best-Whitetail. I forgot that springbok is a much smaller animal making me think he was further than he really was. When I shot it felt good but my aim was not true...DARN another warning shot. The pair took off in high gear. A springbok that just had a 30-06 round wizz over his back can really motor. When we caught up to them it was basically the same shot again. When I shot this time a strange thing happened. When the shot hit my springbok the second ram reacted by lowering his head and chasing him trying to use his horns as a weapon. I have seen other turkeys attack a dead or wounded gobbler after the shot but  I never expected that with the African plains. On the follow up, a herd of at least 30 wildebeest crossed the tracks we were on. I thought we were in trouble now. At that moment, Esok proved his outstanding skills as a tracker. In no time at all, he had some how sorted things out and had us back on the track. It was nothing short of amazing to me. When a springbok passes the hair on its back stands up but only for a very short time. It is called pronking. It gives off a very sweet smell too. For the record, of all the game I have tried over the years, hands down springbok is by far the best tasting.

Visit Frikkie du Toit Safaris:

http://www.africabig5.co.za/index.html

LIGHTING IS EVERYTHING

Lilac-breasted Roller

If there is a prettier bird on earth than the Lilac-breasted Roller, I know I have not seen it yet. It is a stunning bird every time you see it.  Unlike Impala, I never tired of finding another one around the next corner. I do not feel these pictures can really show how impressive of a site it really is. We took more pictures of this bird, trying to get just the right one, than anything else in Africa other than maybe lions. I am pretty sure Frikkie took one of the pictures above and I downloaded it when I was getting some other pics off his camera card.  On a drive in Kruger Park one evening it finally happened. The sun was going down and we caught the bird above setting very close to the road in the perfect light. The sunlight seemed to dance off the bird's wings and chest. God had a fine day, the day he created this creature.

CAT & MOUSE WITH A GEMSBOK

Every hunter that goes on safari has one animal that he or she really wants the most out of all the animals on their trophy list. For me this time it was, the desert wanderer, the gemsbok. When you say Kalahari to most african big game hunters, they will usually think of one of two animals, the majestic gemsbok or the mighty lions known for the huge thick brown manes. The gemsbok has stunning black and white features on the face, belly, and legs. The rest of their body is covered in a short coarse tan hair. Both the male and female sport a pair of long black sabor-like horns that are used in mating battles and for defense. The female's horns may often be longer but the male's horns are heavier and thicker. Our quest for gemsbok would take place on a ranch owned by Frikkie's friend Eric which was about an hour drive away. The sprawling ranch had three very different types of cover, open savanna, mixed high grass and bush, and thorn bush thickets that are thicker than Andy Rooney's eyebrows. Not long into our hunt we found a nice herd of gemsbok in the mixed grass and bush. We just had enough time to glass the entire herd before they spooked. Frikkie told me that there were two nice bulls in the herd and we should try to go after one of them. When we caught up with the herd again they had moved into the thorn bush thickets.  For the next three hours we played a game of cat and mouse. The gemsbok used the cover to just stay out of range. Several times we were able to identify a nice bull but for one reason or another we could not take a shot. One time the bull would move off before I could get a clear shot. The next time he would stand still but in far to heavy cover to attempt a shot. Every time he would stand still in an area with a clear opening to shoot,  a female, young bull, or calf would be standing in front or behind him. Finally it all came together. We got in close and the herd starting moving towards a small opening in the bush. Frikkie pointed to the opening to our right and told me get ready. He whispered, "The bull will be the first one and he's going to be close." When the bull stepped into the opening less than 50 yards away I settled the crosshairs on his front shoulder and  fired.  As I admired the spectaculart horns on my gemsbok, it hit me...gotta scratch this one off the bucket list.

Hunt gemsbok with Frikkie du Toit:

http://www.africabig5.co.za/index.html

BABIES ARE JUST SO CUTE

Luck was also on our side when it came to seeing the next generation on the dark continentant. While hunting blesbok we came upon a gemsbok calf. He was bedded near a road we were driving on and spooked as we approached. He just kept running ahead of us. Rather than risk the baby getting injured or pushing it any further distance from the hiding place where his mother would be expecting him to be upon her return, Frikkie decided to stop and hand capture the calf. After a few quick photos the calf was returned to a spot very close to the orginal hiding place. We checked back later to find the mother feeding nearby. On another morning we were lucky enough to come upon a baby springbok less than a day old. Its still wet droopy ears were a dead giveaway. In Kruger Park we saw many babies...monkey, baboon, elephant, rhino, wildebeest, impala,  buffalo, and giraffe. All baby animals are cute but there is just something about seeing wild african animal babies that touches your heart. Maybe our string of good luck came from spending time with baby Johanoc?

Frikkie with baby Gemsbok

Newborn Springbok

Wildebeest

Johanco in a hat my grandmother made

THAT DARN GRASS

In the bush everything either has thorns or some other way of scratching or poking at you. My legs show the minor cuts and scratches from several days of hunting wearing shorts in the bush. The rains this year in South Africa were heavier and lasted longer than usual. The ample rains have made the grass in the bush tall and lush. Great news for the game as there would be plenty of food during the upcoming cool dry season. Tall grass may be great for the game but not so much for the hunters. The grass makes everything a little more challenging. It is a little harder to see game in the heavy cover and the darn seeds seem to have a way of working into you socks and then keep poking at you like little needles.  In the photos below you can see that even larger animals like buffalo, rhino, and the majestic sable are hard to see in tall grasses. Note to self...Next time bring a pair of boot gators!

Cape Buffalo

4,000 lbs. Rhino

Sable