The Hunting Trail

We specialise in traditional walk and stalk bushveld hunting and I informed my friend that it would not be easy to accomplish, and we were not prepared to hunt or shoot from vehicles in order to achieve the desired result. Mindful of PHASA's recently published guidelines on the subject, and respecting our ethics, they agreed our terms and condition... s. Under no illusions as to the task that lay ahead, we were all intrigued at the prospects of what we might accomplish if successful. All agreed that we would work hard to achieve the desired result, but at the end of the day, if we did not, we would surely enjoy ourselves. The team comprised of the Producer, Marinda Stuiver, the two cameramen, Dino and Donovan, my Outfitter Raymond Tree, myself, and most important of all, our client Anton de Bruin. Luckily he was as excited at the prospect of his hunt being captured on video as we were, and readily agreed to participate. Our preparations began, as we would for any local or overseas client, with a briefing on what to expect, followed by a trip to the local shooting range to test both the equipment and the client's capabilities. We were impressed with Anton's shooting skills and were confident that given any reasonable shooting opportunity, we wouldn't have any problems in that department. These routine but essential tasks behind us, we headed north for our hunting ranch, Gannapan, in the Limpopo Valley. Our journey through Thabazimbi and beyond was typical of any hunting trip, full of enthusiasm and excitement of the unknown adventures that surely lie ahead. It didn't take long before the pressures and stresses of the city were left behind. As with all such journeys, they never seem to take long, but the traditional refreshment stop at Thaba Inkwe took a lot longer and cost a great deal more than planned, through no fault of theirs I might add. Somehow, neither seemed to matter. The next morning 5 am alarm call was greeted by some, with far less enthusiasm than had been expressed the night before. With all ...Read More