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Sofala Newsletters>
Expect the Unexpected
June 15, 2009
In the heart of the South African Bushveld, Sofala Safaris 2009 is providing a hunting season with experiences that true hunters dream about. The intensity and struggle to succeed in hunting Africa’s plains game that are truly wild and off in a flash when the slightest sense of human presence is detected only increase the reward and awe when hunters finally make the shot they had been visualizing for so long. One hunter cried on my shoulder for about 3 minutes after we had finally found the zebra he shot at least thirty minutes prior to some serious tracking on a blood trail that provided only a few red drops in the African red dirt.
Hunting zebra on Sofala is probably one of the most challenging hunts out there. Unlike most zebra herds that prefer the more open areas, zebra on Sofala like to stay in the thick and dense vegetation, often use impala as a first line of defense and always run in the direction the wind blows. So if at least 30 impala eyes somehow fail to detect the hunter, the zebra rely on their sense of smell and incredible ability to blend in with the trees and bushes. One might think that the black and white stripes would stand out in the bush but in reality the zebra almost completely disappears when standing behind trees. Most hunters described this phenomenon in a unified voice that said: “After I saw the zebras once, it seemed that there were black and white stripes everywhere I looked yet no zebra in sight.”
Back to the zebra hunt. After miles and miles of walking for almost 3 days and once even sitting down with the gun ready to fire firmly on the shooting sticks - within 60 yards of a herd of zebras (!) - we simply could not find an opening through the trees and bushes to take a good shot. As a guide there is nothing more frustrating than setting the hunter up for a shot after an energy sapped leopard crawl yet the animal seems to know exactly what parts of its body to hide behind the brush and presents no real target for the hunter. Finally one morning the opportunity of a lifetime that lasted only 5 seconds presented as the zebras took off once again but came to a surprising halt for a very brief moment. An open chest shot was our only option and I wasted no time to “yell” in a whisper for the hunter to shoot.
Well over 25 people, with about 15 hunters aiming to complete their purchased hunting packages visited Sofala in May and the first part of June and experienced part of our best hunting season to date. Several groups also took advantage of our private tours to Kruger National Park, Cape Town and other toursit destinations in Southern Africa after their safari hunt. Kudu hunting was incredibly difficult as the trees were still covered with leaves due to very late summer rains yet we still managed to successfully hunt 8 “grey ghosts.” Other trophies included 4 zebra, 6 gemsbok (two with exceptional sets of horns), 20 impala which included a ram with horns that were 26 INCHES long. The ram, shot by James Mcguire, will most certainly go into the Roland Ward Record Books as the minimum entry required is 23.5/8 inches. Other trophies included 2 waterbuck, 5 blesbuck, 4 steenbuck, a baboon and 8 warthogs to mention most but not all of the animals hunted within one month.
Over the years, Lukie and I learned one thing that separated some hunters from the rest as far as being exceptionally successful when hunting with Sofala. As I have mentioned already, hunting with Sofala is not easy and the hunter that is completely willing to do whatever it takes to be successful has always been rewarded above and beyond his expectations. The zebra hunter mentioned was one of those characters, and so were his buddy who also shot a gemsbok after an incredible stalk and a shot that for a moment I really did not think was possible. However, during previous hunts I quickly recognized this hunter’s incredible accuracy and calmness and basically let him decide if he could do what he did best: hit the target, the very small target. What an exciting prospect when the guide can tell the hunter is an exceptional marksman. These guys had hunted big game in North America such as moose and elk and understood that their chances would only increase if they were willing to go the distance with the guide.
The zebra hunter wasted no time and when I said shoot, he did. I saw the zebra raise its front legs high in the air like a wild horse at the moment of impact and that was enough to convince me that the bullet hit its target. There was no exit wound and this complicated tracking the zebra that ran at least 200 yards. What a moment it was when we found it, a hunt that will give me goose bumps every time I replay it in my mind.
So many other incredible hunting adventures took place I can literally write pages and pages. Hunters who were very well prepared found scenarios where they did not quite have an idea what to do or what to expect. This is the beauty of Africa and what hunting in the “dark continent” is all about: expect the unexpected. Please look for all the pictures that will be posted on the website of the 2009 hunts and share it with your loved ones and friends. We have several hunters who will return next year which really fits our slogan that states “the true hunter always looks for more adventure.” With the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa make sure you book your hunting trip with Sofala sooner than later.
Regards
Louis Steenkamp
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