Africa 2.0

Blkram

Handloader
Nov 25, 2013
2,966
3,192
My wife got a great surprise today; she has won an African safari!😎

We attended the 3rd Annual BC Outdoor Sports Show in Chilliwack BC last weekend. Was a good show, and we spent some time chatting with the folks from Koranna Mountain Safaris of South Africa. We have been planning on a return trip to Africa for some of the species we didn't have on our last safari; for Susan this includes the black wildebeest which she has been fascinated with for some time. We did get to see a couple on our tip, but the outfitter we had booked with did not have any on his list of available species. And I am looking to collect the eland that I could not fit into the budget on the last trip. Deon and Tersa Cilliers were very nice to talk to, and after walking around to see the rest of the Show, we ended back at their booth to talk more about a safari package that would include these two animals, plus some others of interest to us. They provided us with a package price for the two of us to hunt 8 days, for 7 species, and the add on of an 8th, if the right opportunity may present itself. We are seriously considering booking the hunt with Koranna. they have been in business for more than 30 days and have many great references.

They also has a draw for a free safari that they were drawing a winner for each day of the show. Susan and I both put our names in, and I teased a few others not to even bother, as we were going to win the trip! ;)
The free hunt includes 4 days for black wildebeest, a white blesbuck and either a caracal or a jackal; Susan has also been interested in the caracal. She has only to pay for the flights to/from Johannesburg. Susan hadn't seen photos of the white blesbok before, but likes the unique look of it more than the regular blesbok.
Needless to say, Susan is quite pumped about her winning the trip and we are now looking to confirm dates for this trip! Most likely in May of 2026.

We will be organizing a call soon to confirm the hunting package for me and my eland, along with red lechwe, *bushbuck, and copper springbok. With Susan's win of the trip, I can add a sable to my list on this trip. (*The bushbuck would be the animal that was to be the potential 8th on the trip as they are so difficult to get, and an opportunity may not present itself on a 8 day hunt on their concession.) If I get an opportunity for genet on Susan's night hunt for caracal, I might add it to the list.
And adding the 4 additional days for Susan as an opportunity during my hunt. The land and accommodations look great. The main lodge is well over 100 years old, and the land has been in their family for many generations. Being in the Free State, we will get to see a new area of South Africa on this trip and many other species we did not get to see on our last trip, such as barbary sheep, giraffe, golden wildebeest, hartebeest, lions and tsessebe.

A return trip to Africa just got more exciting!
 
Gil,
Congrats to Susan on winning the safari. I think you are the big winner here, you have an amazing wife. Looking forward to hearing more about the upcoming trip. Congratulations to both of you!

JD338
 
Just had our call with Koranna Mountain Safaris to talk more about booking the dates for Susan's free safari in South Africa's Free State, and adding additional days and animals for me.
Looks like we will be going for 6 hunting days May 11-16 of 2026.
I addition to Susan's black wildebeest, white blesbok, caracal and jackal, I'll be adding lechwe, cape bushbuck, black and copper springbok, genet and serval.
Should be fun and interesting with the addition of night hunting the smaller predators!
The PH has left handed firearms (Rem 700's in 223 and 308 - all suppressed), so we'll likely be using his instead of having to worry about issues associated with transporting our own (permits, limited airlines willing to ship firearms, and lost/damaged luggage).

We'll be chatting with Allan Schenk Safaris this Sunday, about hunting with him after May 17th of 2026 for Livinsgtones eland, Limpopo bushbuck, and Honey badger in the Limpopo area.

Should be a great adventure: 2 safaris in different areas, for 10 hunting days and nights, for 9 new species (plus another cape bushbuck)! New areas of South Africa to discover along with new species!
 
Gil,
Congrats to Susan once again on her big win. Sounds like you both are going to have an amazing safari. The planning and preparation will be a lot of fun too!

JD338
 
Sounds like a great trip, Euro mounts or full taxidermy?
Going to be a mixture of European and flatskins, and shoulder mounts. Possible for a lifesize on a small predator or two.

No room for many shoulder mounts, unless they are smaller animals. If I get my addition approved, I will have more room!
So the eland will be a European for sure, and a flat skin, if I can get the Livingstones, as it has the stripes that I find more attractive. (My nyala from last year is getting shoulder mounted, and the remainder of the hide flat skin; the rest are Euro and flatskins - sable, kudu, impala)

The caracal and serval, I would like to have tubed, like my Canadian lynx, to hang them on the wall beside it. The genet and honey badger would make nice lifesize mounts, so we'll see if one or both get mounted. The jacal will be a skin. Hope to get the skulls from all.

Susan's wildebeest and blesbok will be European, with flat skins.
I would like to have a bushbuck shoulder mounted, we'll see which is the nicer for this. (My Cape bushbuck from last year could only be European as he was so old his skin (hide and hair) was in very poor shape.) Euro and flatskin for the other. This will be the toughest species to get on either hunt, so we'll see how it goes. (I was lucky to get mine last year! Only ram we saw in 8 days)

We are hunting the two hunts around the new moon to improve our chances of seeing the bushbuck, and the night predator hunting.

Susan's common Springbok last year was European (and a flat skin), and the copper will likely be to. Might shoulder mount the black Springbok; we'll see which is prettier. If both Euro, then flatskins too.
The lechwe, we'll have to see. The Kafue has the black on the shoulders and legs that would be lost on a Euro, but maintained on a flatskin, and better on a shoulder mount. The mature red's can get this in the area where we'll be hunting (perhaps hybrids) so we'll see when I get one.
 
Had our call with Allan Schenk Safaris today about the hunt with him for the Livingstones eland, Limpopo bushbuck, Honey badger and Serval.
Looks like we'll either be in the Limpopo or North West area, as it will depend on where he can find us the Livingstones eland. His concession has the Cape eland, and he hasn't hunted the Livingstones in quite a few years.It will be their rut, so should make it a little more interesting.
He is recommending 6 hunting days and nights for this hunt.
The Honey badger will be a baited hunt, while the serval will be travelling around using the spot lamp to find one. Should be interesting!
 
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