African Safari 2003

September 30, 2003
Well, anticipation definitely increased about one week prior to departure, especially after I finally prepared with shots, passport, work being taken care of, etc. As well as not seeing many deer while bow hunting this week at home. Season starts September 13th in most of Louisiana.
Of course, actually leaving home slowed my desperation to hunt in Africa for a very short spell. One must think death could occur on such a trip. But I must say that if you have a chance to do what you wanted to do for all your life then do it without hesitation – living in fear is just as good as being dead. With a little planning, devotion, discipline, and good ole ‘want to” anyone can do as they wish, what in my case is hunting in Africa. Though it took me a while to go since I first dreamt about it – at about 12 years old in Texarkana, Arkansas I’d seen my first African animal being mounted – a Kudu. I daydreamed about what it must be like to hunt such an animal. At 12 I’d already been into hunting, trapping, etc. I also thought only few people in the world could afford the trip and never seen myself in that category. I tell you thought that it takes no more than it does to buy a pool, used automobile, furniture or something we just have to have. Well, trip to Africa is the same way – you just work for it. And like any other dream that people have in their lives it can be achieved if it’s really wanted.

One thing I noticed I my flight to Georgia modernization had chopped up the landscape. And to think that it’s all done for our supposable better way of living. So I asked myself: “Has it really?” (I wonder what God must think when he looks down here).
What I’m saying is don’t get caught up in getting more but be happy and take your time to live a dream. Some things on Earth in our lifetime will come to pass and no longer be there to enjoy. The forests and animals in them most definitely feel the pressure. But it’s not hunters who’s killing them – it’s all the people who are wanting more and more every day. Hunters want more of nature, more of animals and more different species of animals to be taken care of – and they want it more than anyone else. Destroying the nature is destroying yourself and the future for all those you love. So help when you can.

Custom Travel agency set up my overnight stay in Atlanta, Georgia at Double Tree Hotel and it was good. I had an awesome meal that night at Blue Bay Fishmarket & Grill: lobster, shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, scallops with rice, baked potato and seafood gumbo. Atlanta seemed to be very clean and well groomed city.
At the airport I met 2 guys from my job at embassy in Moscow – Luther and Scott – after almost 4 years. Small world! And I made friends with a man who sat by me – he was a banker from South Africa who lived in Atlanta. (He said that yes, there are hunting seasons in Africa.) I also met guy by the name Ward Dobler from Dakota Arms.
We flew on Boeing 747-400, which was double Decker (with me on the top deck). I’ll tell you that 16-hour nonstop flight was tough thought not unbearable. South African Airlines plane was great, the food was great and the service.
Took me total of 9034 miles from Alexandria, Louisiana. Johannesburg Airport was nice and friendly. Clearing customs was no problem at all. A lot of it had to do with Bob and Peter preparing me on what to do earlier before trip. Bob is the Booking Agent with Cruiser Safaris. Peter Lamprecht is the owner of the hunting camp. (All information on this agency that took me to Africa is at www.cruisersafaris.com)

Day 2, October 3rd was my first hunting day.
The ride to the ranch where we were hunting was about 3 ½ hours from Johannesburg by truck with a good portion being a gravel road. Riding and driving on the wrong side of road was different, too. A lot of mountain range looked like it does just as you get into the Rocky Mountains.
Upon the arrival the facilities were more than I expected and had very much of an African feel to it. Immediately the food was available and it was very, very good too. Only 2 other hunters were there – one for Safari and the other was leopard hunting. The room to myself was as nice and big as in any resort you would pay $200 a night for. In the evenings I could watch beautiful sunsets out of my window.

DAY 3, OCTOBER 4, SATURDAY
Day three ended up with 3 animals all marking record books. First one was taken early morning and it was a duiker buck. Then we came in around 11:30am to eat (and again it was good), clean up and take a nap.
Around 3pm we went back seeing game everywhere, spotting and stalking this time and looking for the right one. We got on warthogs, impala, wildebeest, rhino, giraffe, etc. Later we found lone gemsbok bull, and after an intense stalking and waiting for a good shot I took it. And he took off. Waiting left me wick at knees like I haven’t been in a long time. Instantly we went after him with no blood trail with Peter tracking him to my amazement by tracks and trails. With a lot of luck we got on him only for him to jump up and run again, but with quick run ahead about 15 yards I got in the position enough to shoot him in the ass to slow him down, and only then to get a final 3rd shot dropping him. 200 grain Weatherby was trying to do its job. His horns were 33 inches long and 7 ½ inches around at base and he carried a huge body.

Later we stalked within 30 yards two huge rhinos. And when they got spooked all we saw after they gathered their momentum was what looked like two boulders crushing trees and bushes on their path followed by the cloud of dust. With no desire in shooting such majestic animal, simply sneaking up on them was just as challenging.
We had about 32,000 acres in this one location alone to hunt without imposing on other property. Other game we saw was monkeys, prairie grouse, geese, ostrich, prairie dog, snake eagle, African goose which was beautiful, African pigeon (which makes the sound that you hear so many times on African shows).
Right at dark that day I took a blue wildebeest with quick hunt and quick kill leaving him down at maybe 40 yards. I shot him facing me straight on at around 300 yards. This probably was the longest shot I ever made on an animal. His score was 83 give or take ½ inch. This animal is so much prettier than what they look like on TV. I tell you though that loading such large animals is a job. We got its head and two front feet pulled up on a tail gate, then tied a snatch block to a pad eye on the back cab of the truck, tied one end of rope to the head and long end to a tree, and moved truck forward pulling animal on up.
We ended day seeing warthogs. Then I learned that females have 2 wattles on their heads and boars have 4 and bigger bodies.
There was much more to this day but I was ready for a dreamland after I got full of eland casserole, which is considered the best African game animal for human consumption, and kudu jerky with pumpkin balls, etc… and add to it a good tussle with a dog…


DAY 4, OCTOBER 5, SUNDAY
Day 5 started at 5:30am with breakfast I asked for: three pieces of toast with peanut butter, honey and syrup. Also good ole coffee generously mixed with caffeine to do my body good. Then we left out one man, one guide and one driver for the truck to start combing the landscape with binos. Peter uses a 3-cylinder turbo diesel 4 door Nissan to hunt out of. You don’t always hunt out the truck though but have to ride a lot since 32,000 acres can hold and hide animals well. We took some stalk hunts for 1 hour or so in strategic areas with waterholes, greenage on bushes for food. It can get tough to get on a lot of these animals when you have 40 sets of eyes and 20 sets of noses working against 2 eyes. You very rarely hear the animals either.
Peter says that hunting in Africa best in the evenings. In the mornings animals prefer not to move much and lay down from competition of each other and predators around waterholes and such. Mostly leopards, black hyenas, civets, jackal. We were seeing few baboon tracks but that’s it so far.
One thing about all African soil I’ve seen that it’s red like a river bottom, but must be rich in some way for game to strive here as they do.
At this point I most definitely felt, as this is another world in another country… not being like South at all. The vast emptiness with nothing but game leaves me feeling as if all work from year past was drifting away, letting my mind, body and soul heal to humble me down to be happier. Hunting gives me a way to forget most of the things going on in our lives, I think, to realize what we need to do within ourselves to be better for ourselves and those we care for. I myself always felt that hunting was the first instinct god gave us, and those civilized men who don’t find it in something else like sports or fishing, still yarn for it. For a man not to pursue a passion is not to feel like a man, I think.

The morning hunt was slow with few animals moving. We came in for lunch. I went to visit a village near the camp then came back for a swim. We left out at 3pm, saw a few animals now and then. So we started stopping and walking through brush several hundred yards to waterholes glassing them over. After about 3 waterholes we spotted a waterbuck barely before it spotted us. We got closer and in the sitting position for a shot after about 15 minutes. He was staying under a large camel wart tree. With the scope on him waiting for him to move I grew tired and laid down. This time he moved only to lay down leaving me virtually no shot at all. We’d debated on me trying to make a neck shot but decided against it.
We decided to get closer so we crawled on our bellies out and managed to get closer and hidden behind a thorn bush. He spotted us but did not spook. He knew something was there so the stir down was on. Finally in about 15 minutes he stood up and turned his head to look back so I took 3 steps to the right of the bush right out into open with my gun up. Another stir down was on until my arm was about to break all along with 10 bugs biting me. Then he started to break and run and I made my shot. He was gone, but so was I behind him in full sprint trying to get another shot but there was no need – he went down. I have made a perfect shot leaving me 4 one-shot kills. And few mercy shots after finding them.
Let me say this was a hell of a hunt. He was a Safari Club scorer, Dolby and Boone & Crocket.
Today I wasn’t even wearing my watch. Who cared what time it was! I was not living by a timepiece.
The difficult part was the dry heat that was burning my eyes and lips and drying my nose out along with the increased quantity of flies bothering me. Peter said it was a good sign of rain to come.
I learned that big trees in Africa we see on TV are Camel Wart trees and the small ones are usually Shepherd trees. We also managed to tape rhino with a baby. Found out that rhino only can have baby every 5 years.

That was a heck of a day. We ended it up with a grilled over fire steak and all trimmings. Peter got his laughs by putting Louisiana Hot Sauce in my tea.

DAY 5, OCTOBER 6, MONDAY
Africa, Africa… the institution solution for me. Every step in my nine-dollar tennis shoes was a good one.
Morning hunt was slow though again seen some young animals. We spotted about 15 or so baboons taking off on a road and direction they headed had another road. We speeded around to head them off, but they were crossing just as we got there, but I managed to get a round off at about 300 yards with a clean miss. If I’d hit him he’d have flipped a few times.
Came in for a great lunch and to rest. Animals were all bedded down, and even a human can walk only so much area over before he needs rest.
That evening we were still mainly concentrating on kudu bull. We spotted a big one and tried to stalk him but he saw us and hightailed. Then I stalked a gemsbok with my movie camera to about 35 yards. But the highlight of the day was chasing down a warthog till he stopped to face me.
Being hell bent we went for each other with me taking him with my Gerber knife. Best part was that Peter caught it on video just in time. Peter said it was the first time he ever heard of this happening in Africa.
Then again later we stalked within 5 steps of a rhino facing us before actually seeing us. Talk about adrenaline rush! I tell you though to kill one is to do nothing. These animals have ten fold to offer alive. You get 5 steps and look into those huge eyes and you will feel something more than seeing it dead after a 200-yard shot.
Soon after that Peter thought he would try his luck to run on a warthog. And he did hitting him with his shooting sticks.
He was a big one, too. A really big warthog will be 150 to 160 pounds and usually cut their victims with the bottom teeth, using the top ones to tear at the point of impact. The unfortunate part – we didn’t have camera this time.
We ended the day with supper: blue wildebeest, sweet carrots, spinach, rolls, bean casserole, spicy rice and gravy. The wildebeest was the best yet, leaving eland meat on a second place in my taste test. Of course the grand finale was making the African employees to think of me as a Guinea pig to have a real bad gas with a fart machine Peter had. We almost busted a gut.

DAY 6
We decided extra hour this morning and try for a zebra today. They are nothing like a horse. They are just wild as the rest. Just can’t hide as well and always do only as the leader of the pack does. They are only as smart as he is. Peter estimated there is over 200 of them in just his hunting area alone. That morning we had no luck finding zebra, though we came across nice southern impala with 2 females with wildebeests mixed around them. We got up to about 150 yards and had to sit for about 15 minutes to get a shot. I left him the impala dead in his tracks, thanks to bipod on my gun giving me a really steady hand.

We ran into about 18 giraffes in a couple of different groups. I’ll tell you, no hunter should hunt them. They are like zoo animals even in wild. You couldn’t miss them, so why in the world shoot them?
It seemed that luck was trying to pass me by but we were staying up with it. Around lunch we found a lone eland bull – the largest antelope in the world. After stalking, chasing, hiding we finally got a shot dropping him about 10 steps to his death. He was about 1800 lbs., this a damn huge animal! He scored 82 on books out of 222 animals. Loading him was an experience. I was ready for lunch.

After lunch we went to a Peter’s neighbor’s place with about 6500 acres, to continue hunt kudu where it was thick. Kudu like where it’s thick. We were in a bush for about 2 hours and found couple of young kudu bulls and several females when we came across a huge one, but quickly saw that something was wrong. The excellent bull fell victim to the drought and lack of food and gave up. He could not get up and laid for too long to have a chance. He could barely move his eyes. The owner of ranch suggested to finish him. I must add that was a sad moment for me. It gave me even more respect for these animals trying to survive in these drought times each year. But I must tell you that there are thousands animals that don’t die for this reason like they used to in the past.
First of all, the Africans realized that these animals could produce great economic values due to hunting industry. For this they now supplement feed them and build water holes to help sustain them during the droughts. Without it many animals would die and twice as many would suffer for months. They also build high fences now to control poaching and insure the game is hunted right and are allowed to grow to full maturity. If hunters from all over the world did not come to hunt here, the locals could not afford to spend money on food and water. The more needed and valuable something is to the society, the longer it will last. So if you want to help African animals and its people, go hunting there.

Back to the hunt. I’d been noticing that usually if there is a good bull somewhere there is another one near by. This time my instinct told me that there was another one around. Sure enough about 400 yards we found one hiding from the sun under a tree. We stalked to about 125 yards but no clean shot could be found. After some time he spotted us and broke to run behind some trees.
Seeing behind him was quite open, I ran up and kneeled down, steadied the best I could on him in a lope when he slowed to cross a three-strand bobwire fence. I took the shot being confident I could hit him, and I did taking him.
He roughly scored about 2 points over the Record Book. He had 3 ¼ turns with thick bases.
After all that happened that day I was sure that the luck must end. Well, it didn’t. Driving out now I spotted a lone warthog ran off from a waterhole. His tusks were very much apparent. I assured Peter he was the big one and asked him what he thought. Peter said to go for it, and I was gone. I figured he must have ran by now at least 300+ yards so I did too, before slowing down to stalk and hunt him. I was only guessing where he might go. In about 20 minutes I spotted one standing still, and at about time I saw it was him again, he lit out like a bat out of hell. With scope turned down I threw the gun up to take a shot.
He didn’t stumble or anything so I assumed I had missed, but like always, I still was looking. By now 15 min went by when I heard peter yelling. I thought he was yelling to find me but turned out a cobra was in a process of trying to pop him. Soon we all met – him, driver, tracker and me. We all were circling around looking for sign when I found a piece of warthog skin about 4”X6”. From there we found tiny spots of blood, then splatters, etc. Tracker and driver stayed on the blood trail while me and Peter stayed on their side looking for an animal in case he jumps to run off or charge. Tracking went on for about 15 more minutes when we heard tracker hollowing. He had spotted him and was running after him. Then we all did jumping thorn bushes. He ran down into an arkbarch hole. Peter stood on the top with 9mm pistol and I knelt down 20 yds in front in case he bolted. The warthog stuck his head out only to take four 9mm bullets to his head before giving it up. I was worn out, breathless and thorned to death but it was hell of a hunt and he turned out to have long thick tusks to make a hell of a trophy. I got to brag – you can bet, only a well-determined hunter and excellent guide would have finished this hunt. Peter and me always worked as a team against the animal, became one during the stalking as well as reading animals. His determination and my desire is what blessed me with such a fine hunt and animals that all scored (I must have seen 600 warthogs lesser than mine). But it was not over yet.


DAY 7 In Limpopo Province, South Africa, near Botswana.
Man! After this hunt my legs feel like someone’s been punching on them. All due to running trying to catch animals in open, and walking here is like walking in your kids’ sand boxes most of the time.
Today we went after zebra. After about 2 ½ hours driving trying just to spot some what we never did. Though we came across a spot on the road that looked like 3 or 4 of them had crossed. The wind wasn’t quite right to go their way so we went up a little and in about 20 minutes we found their track. We walked hard and fast for another 2 hours non-stop trying to get on them, when we ran into 2 eland bulls. We squat and waited for them to move on to keep them from taking a chance to run and spook zebras. Soon we heard zebras talking back and forth trying to locate each other. So we slowed only to be pegged by two eland bulls. It didn’t spook them too bad, besides it was very thick. We lost some blood from this stalk from fishhook type thorns.
After following the track a while longer we spotted them again. The first shot opportunity was no good -- there was too many zebras ahead of the one we wanted (which we had a hard time keeping up with since they all look alike). Soon they paused and mingled around and with him in my scope (along with some limbs) I thought I had a hole to the vitals. Squeezing the round off on the second shot opportunity we knew it was a hit. Quickly he went out of sight in thick brush. In about 10 minutes we picked up a blood trail and followed it for about 5 minutes more to see him at about the same time he saw us. He ran, and so did I behind him. He ran till he assumed he had lost me. Only when he stopped and looked back the second shot hit him right where I wanted it to – the neck. He fell in his tracks.
I must say I’ve picked up some tracking tips from Africa, but on this one it wouldn’t have happened without Peter. Listen, these animals could prove to be a challenge but one is plenty for me in my lifetime.
We came in ready to eat, and eat we did! Gemsbok and kudu mixed with a mild spicy brown gravy and rice.

That night we decided to hunt solely for steenbok and maybe blesbok. You have a better chance to get an animal you want by concentrating solely on that animal. Each has few different areas and habits.
We started the evening hunt at about 3pm. We went to the place where Peter’s great grandfather shot a hippo years ago. Now it is a cattle farm. There has been no water there for years, though you can tell that there used to be a small river maybe not very deep. We were finding some steenbok now and then but no males. We did stalk on few monkeys but weren’t too serious about that. Then right at dark we spotted a steenbok and started after him but with not much hope. Area was vast and very open so we ran from tree to bush, stopped and squatted, sat and waited till we thought I was in a descent range. This animal was 31” long and 22” tall. I leaned my barrel gun against a small tree when he ran about 50 yards. I was making noise all the time hoping he would stop. He did. I looked through the scope and he looked so small. The reason that I couldn’t see him well was that I forgot to turn my scope from 2 to 10. But I squeezed off dropping him in his tracks at about 300 yards. Tell you, I was surprised – that was definitely the longest shot I have ever made especially at such a small target. He lacked 3/16” making a record books though will be a beautiful full body mount.

DAY 8
This morning we left before daylight upon my request. I wanted to hear Africa waking up as well as to capture some of the night sounds without the noise of the wind. Also wanted to take time to put sounds of birds to the birds. We picked up an old couch and hid it under a large thorn tree from about 10 yards of the waterhole. We didn’t see any animals till about 9:30am and after that till noon there was always something coming and going the whole time. Though not only blesboks I was interested in. I saw a nice one on the way out but he was at a steady 100 mph and I didn’t want to take a chance wounding him.
We came in for a fine lunch and after that sat out at front visiting with Artamon who was visiting with us. Artamon is probably the only 2-year old castrated pet warthog in the world. He is free to come and go in the bush by Peter’s house as he wishes. He has a mud hole where he takes a mud bath and dog food every day around midday for 20 to 30 minutes and then he leaves. Though he will stay long enough to eat a pear or apple from you or let you have a picture with him. He was the only survivor out of 9 piglets Peter found at a very young age. I tell you he’s a sight.
We left late for that evening hunt. I heard wildebeest and eland as well as few kudu. I think moon was effecting them a little. I was content with hunt already. Peter said he had never had no one taking the grand slam in 4 days. Especially that all animals scored. We definitely were after them.

DAY 9
At morning we found a large herd of blesbok. They found us as well and hightailed. We tracked them for about 30 minutes before we found them. Just as we started to move in 2 wildebeests got in our path. We got on our bellies and moved past them to get winded by them, which triggered blesbok to run. We did all above again except it was some cow kudu that gave us away this time. The herd seemed to be heading to a watering hole we knew of, so we walked fast to get to the truck and ran to the watering hole. Big mistake. We were too late -- there were at least 160+ animals there. We sat anyway but saw only a warthog. On the way out I took couple of pop shots at baboons running at about 450 yards.
The evening hunt was slow. We had only 3 warthogs, 2 cow kudu, and a snake eagle showed up.
One must wonder as I did before coming here about insects. Well, mosquitoes were not very bad, and there are no reported cases of malaria here now. I’ve had more problems with spiders that can run as fast as human walks. Though there’s nothing to worry about 90% of time since they are harmless. They just freak you out now and then. To me the flies were the most annoying, usually only about for 2 hours during the heat of the day. Insect repellent definitely helps. Here, at Cruiser Safaris, this is all there is to worry about. You eat, hunt, and sleep and it’s all good!

DAY 10
Started out getting up to all my clothes fresh washed and ironed, believe it or not. I want to say if you come to Africa to hunt be aware that it’s very dusty here so bring good cleaning gear for your guns, cameras, binos, etc.
After breakfast I got ready to sit on a couch in blind for about 4 ½ hours. I was still hoping to see the big blesbok. I just felt he’s there. Well, I sat there for about 4 ½ hours at waterhole seeing a lot of game but didn’t take anything.
I’ll tell you though. Just having to worry about some deer jumping out in front of you is one thing. Here last night we had a rhino running in front of our truck at about 15 feet from it with us doing 35 mph.

In the afternoon we came in, ate lunch and went right back to sit in blind at a smaller waterhole. It was slow at first but then game started moving: one large herd of wildebeests, jackals, looked over one good warthog, had huge gemsbok come out. We saw other game as well. At dark we dragged a gut pile to attract jackals and hyenas down the road to different location. We sat waiting for the moon to rise enough to see at night. Unfortunately the jackals came within 20 yds yapping at us before it did so I couldn’t see them. We hoped it was hyena. Between the moon rising and jackals it was a good night hunt. I was told this is not something within the normal realm to hunt at night except for leopard hunt.
We sat there till 10pm. There were few warthogs came by as well as some dark spots – we just didn’t know what they were.

DAY 11
Started morning hunt at 7am in blind till 12 noon. We only saw 9 impala. We couldn’t believe it. We thought maybe because it was too windy that day leaving it warm but not hot. So animals watered most probably while we were having lunch and napping for 30 minutes.
That evening we were on a mission for blesbok. We drove within ¼ mile of each waterhole we could find, killed truck and stalked our way into them about 7 times. Each time we saw game but no male blesbok. At one waterhole we were standing and waiting for the driver to bring the truck around after radioing him, when a big black jackal ran into within 25 yards of us to drink, and then he panicked when realized that we were there.
The last waterhole we stalked to we saw blesbok. And guess what – it was the same waterhole we were sitting at all this time. All we saw was about a dozen females. I became a little aggravated so I just walked out to let them see us, and they ran. We got back in the truck and drove for 5 minutes and stopped to get a picture of the sun going down, when with the corner of my eye I saw blesbok moving away from us in a trot. It was late but we went after them. The sun drops like a rock here and it is very beautiful due to moister mixed with dust to give it a brilliant hue look. Well we found blesbok and the one I was looking for. We winded up stalking them three times as they moved without seeing us. At each time we had trouble finding the male in the open or not covered by females or thorn trees. Just as Hanz, the “PH”, wanted to quit I said one more time. Now it was almost dark. Once again I had my gun lying across the shooting sticks trying to find him. And I did – under a tree. Just as he turned I aimed sharp for his rectum and put it within ¼ inch there, folding him up breaking his back. Problem was that I wasn’t sure if it was the male blesbok I was after but knowing it’s a male. When I got there I found that my persistence paid off again cause it was him. Tell you, to find one animal on 32 thousand acres three days later after seeing him first time and waiting for him, made this hunt a darn good one. He turned out to score 42 SCI books. Only need 39 to make it.
That night we ate till I couldn’t lay down and be comfortable to sleep.

DAY 12 The last day of hunt.
Started 6am looking for another warthog, and I was pumped since a man shot one with tusks 15 ½ inches on each side making it 2nd largest killed warthog in Peter’s camp. They found him just yards from where I shot my first warthog at 11 ½ inches long. I’m still proud of him though. The meat buyer said he buys around 400 of them before he sees one that big, and that’s only a few times a year. So I was glad just to see a 15 ½-incher. The man from France who had shot it said it was his 89th African animal in his lifetime. The 15 ½-incher was his 14th warthog.
Mother luck was on our side this morning. It was cool enough for a long sleeve shirt again and very cloudy. They said hogs would not move with weather like this. Sure enough there weren’t any, so we drove very slow looking into thickets with binos. We found few small ones, mostly females though and in the process of stalking we did manage to get within 20 ft from a warthog that stopped to stand his ground. P.H. took photo of us facing off. After two minutes or so I backed off giving him his room to go about his business.
We continued to walk from thick areas to more thick areas being watchful of openings in between. We only caught a glimpse of one trotting away from us. At the same time we were feeling beat. We discussed what to do. Last night they had got a few raindrops first time in nine months. Though only few drops but enough to make tracking much easier. So we decided to track after him just to see. After about 35 minutes we caught up with him but a little too close – about 10 yds. He ran like hell but it was easy to see he was a shooter. He ran and so did I, to the point that I was seeing stars when he stopped for one instant at about 500 yds into chase. All I could see was his ass so again I sent a 300-grain bullet into it for an enema.

…. That was all she wrote. As of for today – I can’t officially get the score until the skulls are boiled out. But his tusk was 13 ½ inches making him one out of about 2000. Tell you, hunting this prehistoric looking hogs is a blast when you get out the truck and meet them head on in their own environment.
That evening we went out about 4pm. On the way we picked up some black kids walking home from school. They walk about 2 ½ miles each way for school. Hanz said they had 12 years like in the states but are not required, and if their parents want them to quit they can at any age.
Then I asked about the AIDS within black community. I learned a lot. Seems that the biggest problem is that people do not believe in condoms and that they do protect. In fact they think using condoms will only make it worse. Talking about poor education from the government. I heard that witch doctors tell men that there is one way to get rid of AIDS, which is to have sex with a virgin girl, so by doing so they kill them as young as nine years old.

The evening hunt we took Peter’s electronic game call out, and set up trying to call in jackals and tiger wolves. It only took about hour and a half till we had some yapping near by. Few minutes later a jackal came out and I took a shot. I couldn’t believe I missed. He was a ways out and I should have been more serious taking my shot. Anyway, I didn’t really need him and still had a good final hunt.

DAY 13
I left 9am to Johannesburg to drop animals at the Taxidermy shop and buy few gifts at Curio shop, then to the airport to come home.
The flight home was easier cause I took a sleeping pill knocking me out for about 5 hours. Then watched tree movies, napped again making it quicker coming home. And at that point now the only thing I was thinking was to see my wife, Vera, who so patiently helped me to write this article. With the wife that understands that hunting is my passion and no giving me any problems about doing it sure makes it easier on a man and makes a man thankful.
I want to thank Star Gun & Archery at www.stararchery.net for helping me getting the gear I needed for my safari and putting my pictures and the story on their website.
Special thanks to Peter Lamprecht for an unforgettable good time with a good man who became a good friend, who asked me once “what makes a good man?” Now, Peter, I would say a man like you since I grew to know you while hunting.