{"id":122,"date":"2018-12-08T13:11:19","date_gmt":"2018-12-08T13:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rnbtheme.com\/twelve\/?p=122"},"modified":"2019-03-01T18:45:35","modified_gmt":"2019-03-01T18:45:35","slug":"standart-gallery-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schhunting.co.za\/?p=122","title":{"rendered":"Guillermo De Las Heras"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We were starting our final approach to Kudu Lodge\u2019s landing strip when George Potgieter, our pilot, Professional Hunter (PH), guide, friend, and owner and operator of Schoongezicht Rare Game Breeding and Hunting Safaris yelled \u201cPIG.\u201d\u00a0 The nimble Cessna 206 Stationair banked sharply left as we buzzed a big and startled warthog boar enjoying a late morning breakfast, probably wondering why the giant bird took an interest in him.\u00a0 Following the first wildlife sighting of our safari, barely an hour\u2019s flight from Johannesburg and after a smooth landing, we were met by Eric, another PH, and Samuel the superb tracker who had led me and my wife to so many memorable trophies during previous safaris.\u00a0 A short drive later we were in the familiar and luxurious surroundings of Kudu Lodge.\u00a0 This was my fifth visit to Schoongezicht to hunt with George and his team.\u00a0 George and his delightful wife Genie, also a licensed PH, own and operate Schoongezicht, a privately-owned family operation in a safe and Malaria-free area along the Botswana border in the Thabazimbi Bushveld.\u00a0 The hunting grounds cover over 8000 hectares, including 3000 hectares of nearby concessions, with a variety of breathtaking landscapes ranging from typical open African savannah to dense bush, dry river beds, and hills and valleys.\u00a0 There are more than sixteen different species of plains game in large numbers as well as cape buffalo.\u00a0 George is an idealist as well as a realist who understood what was lacking and set out to create one of the largest hunting areas in the Limpopo region by acquiring numerous properties adjacent to his original farm and taking down all the fences except for the perimeter fence, allowing the game to roam free in several thousand hectares of natural and unspoilt African bush.\u00a0 The result is akin to a return to old Africa.<\/p>\n

The planning for this safari started where they all start, at the end of the last safari, almost exactly a year to the day.\u00a0 This one required special coordination as I would be joined by another George, a colleague, friend, and hunter, who would be traveling many thousands of miles from the Far East to join me on our second African safari together.\u00a0\u00a0 We were met by George at Johannesburg International airport and, after a short cab ride we boarded his Cessna at the civair Grand Central airport for the one-hour flight to Kudu Lodge.<\/p>\n

After a short rest and a delicious lunch prepared by Elize, Eric\u2019s wife, world-class chef and co-hostess at the Kudu Lodge, we went to the range to test the rifles and were soon off to look for \u201ctargets of opportunity\u201d before our first African sunset of this safari.\u00a0 An amazing array of animals were on the move.\u00a0 From large herds of constantly running wildebeest to warthog families hurrying to the safety of their nightly accommodations and majestic giraffes calmly nibbling on an early evening snack.\u00a0 No worthy game was to be had but we were treated to one of those uniquely beautiful African sunsets I only dream about when I\u2019m not on the Continent.\u00a0 A spectacular dinner of impala tenderloins followed our cocktails by the welcoming fire at the lapa.\u00a0 There was a lot of catching up, story trading, and planning for the morning hunt.\u00a0 At dawn we set out to find a proper zebra stallion for my friend George.\u00a0 Easier said than done as the zebra were elusive and skittish but, after a couple of hard yet unsuccessful stalks at two different herds, a third herd decided to cooperate.\u00a0 George (the PH) knew the herd running alongside the road would cross in front of us and instructed George (the other one\u2026) to get off the truck and follow as the herd crossed the road in front of us.\u00a0 Predictably, the leading stallion stopped and turned to look at us while he waited for the heard to cross behind him.\u00a0 His noble gesture cost him dearly.\u00a0 My friend George, drawing from practice with quick shooting at the range the previous day, aimed and fired with lighting speed into the chest of the majestic stallion who dropped literally in his tracks like I\u2019ve never seen an African animal drop.\u00a0 George had his long-awaited zebra trophy.<\/p>\n

We continued our hunt looking for trophy impala and a big warthog for George and a sable for me.\u00a0 The two Georges went off on foot to an area known for its big impala rams, and Eric took me to another area in search of sable.\u00a0 Somewhere along the way Eric appeared to literally smell a steenbok which materialized out of nowhere and was a huge one.\u00a0 Our careful stalk only got us to over a hundred yards of a beautiful ram whose head barely cleared the tall grass.\u00a0 My shot at where I guessed the body should have been passed high over him and he vanished in a second.\u00a0 Regardless, it was a beautiful sight watching him leap high above the grass in the early morning sun of another gorgeous South African morning.\u00a0 Close to high-noon we met up with the two Georges bringing in the back of the safari car a magnificent warthog and a beautiful impala ram.\u00a0 Not a bad catch for one morning\u2019s work!<\/p>\n

Later in the afternoon George decided to check out another waterhole in an area known for solitary sable bulls.\u00a0 We were dropped off a long way away and conducted our silent approach on foot, constantly checking the wind and seeking cover as we moved closer.\u00a0 There, in the shade of a tall mopane tree, stood a jet-black solitary sable bull.\u00a0 Crouching behind a thorn bush, George checked him again through his binoculars and confirmed he was a trophy bull.\u00a0 As there was only open country between us and him, and he was looking in our direction, there was no way to get any closer.\u00a0 Up came the shooting sticks, and Georges said: \u201ctake him.\u201d From a hundred and thirty yards, the .375 H&H magnum bullet struck the bull in the center of his chest.\u00a0 As it is typical with heart shots, the bull bolted and ran about sixty yards before collapsing, already dead the moment the bullet hit him.\u00a0 It was an emotional moment when I bent over the body of one of Africa\u2019s most iconic antelopes and stroked his thick and shiny black pelt.\u00a0 Strikingly beautiful animal with thick, swept-back horns with a deep curve and showing all the signs and battle scars of an old bull.\u00a0 Back in 1989 in the Okavango Delta at the onset of my very first African safari, I came across a hunter who has just taken a superb trophy sable.\u00a0 From that day onwards, my dream was to someday hunt one of these magnificent beasts.\u00a0 After countless African safaris, the dream had come through that sunny African afternoon at Schoongezicht.<\/p>\n

After the customary photos and celebrations, as we headed back to camp just before sunset, a beautiful steenbok presented himself and was promptly added to my list of trophies for the day.\u00a0 Another wonderful meal, and stories and drinks by the fire rounded up our second day.<\/p>\n

The next few days were marked by endless hours of tracking silently in the scorching sun in search of an appropriate warthog (read old pig with huge tusks) and, perhaps a big impala.\u00a0 Monster warthogs are elusive to say the least and many approaches resulted in discarding possible candidates who just failed to measure up.\u00a0 In the meantime, George mentioned he had seen an old solitary roan, who was well past his procreative years and may not have much longer to live and asked if I would be interested in trying to find it.\u00a0 I had always viewed the roan as a unique and rare trophy few hunters have a chance to take and I never thought I would have the opportunity to hunt one, yet there it was\u2026\u00a0 After some brief hesitation I agreed to give the roan a try – but only after we succeeded on taking a proper warthog.<\/p>\n

On our way back to camp, as our fourth day\u2019s light was fading, George spotted what turned out to be the much sought-after porcine.\u00a0\u00a0 We quickly jumped off the \u201cbakkie\u201d (South African for pick-up truck) and approached as close as George thought was prudent while he checked the tusks.\u00a0 The shot rang out before George finished saying \u201cthat\u2019s him!\u201d \u00a0and the rewarding thud that followed indicated a solid hit.\u00a0 This warthog was what I was looking for and more.\u00a0 An old boar with enormous tusks just like George said he was.\u00a0 Truly a memorable trophy.\u00a0 As luck and hard work would have it, unbeknown to us in a different area of the farm, the other George had also taken an impressive old boar with phenomenal tusks.\u00a0 The other George also collected several record-book trophies including a large impala ram, a beautiful old wildebeest, and a spectacular old sable bull.\u00a0 We were reaching the end of another memorable safari, but we were not done just yet.<\/p>\n

On our last day, as we continued to look for other game as part of Schoongezicht\u2019s game management program, we also looked for the old roan bull.\u00a0 Shortly before lunch, we made a pass by a waterhole we knew the old bull sometimes came to drink in the middle of the day.\u00a0 After another long and careful approach on foot, minding the wind, and crouching behind thorn bushes, we were rewarded by the sight of the old roan bull.\u00a0 Another long-range heart shot, a short sprint, and the old roan bull was down.\u00a0 The second largest African antelope, brought back by South African conservationists and rare game breeding from near extinction a couple of decades ago, exists once again in large sustainable populations.\u00a0 Schoongezicht has hugely successful roan breeding program with one of the largest herds of roan antelope in South Africa.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure this old bull was responsible for many offspring roaming the bush at Schoongezicht and other properties in the region.\u00a0 This magnificent record-book old bull was clearly on the decline, with hipbones and ribs showing through his thinning frame.\u00a0 I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to hunt him.<\/p>\n

Early the next morning we took off in George\u2019s Cessna for the short flight back to Johannesburg.\u00a0 We left feeling proud of our accomplishments and humbled by the hard work, professionalism, and respect for the animals and the environment exhibited by George, Eric, and their families, as well as Samuel, trackers, skinners, and all Schoongezicht staff.\u00a0 We had hunted some spectacular animals in the most pristine and beautiful habitat.\u00a0 \u00a0We did it ethically and with the outmost sportsmanship, and came out with a deeper understanding of conservation, game management, and sustainability.<\/p>\n

As we reflected on this fantastic experience at the departure lounge at Johannesburg airport, we did what one must do at the end of a safari\u2026\u00a0 Plan the next one![\/vc_column_text]

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