Saunders Group - Bruce,Ryker,Shane,Steven and Karen.

The Saunders group arrived in our Limpopo camp just before midnight on Monday 15 June and after having a meal they went to bed in the early morning hours. The first morning was spent in camp and after discussing the basic plans for the hunting safari and sighting rifles and bows they went hunting yesterday afternoon.

They saw a lot of animals to start their first day of hunting in Africa and Steven hunted and killed a big beautiful Blue Wildebeest bull with a double lung shot from his bow. The shooting distance was 20 yards and the bull went down after about 120 yards. The trophy quality of this big bull is very unique with the horns going backwards against the skull and then curling down. Steven’s wife Karen accompanied him on the hunt and took a few pictures of other animals the saw from the blind.

They all went hunting early this morning of 17th and we will wait and see what the day brings.

Steven with Trophy Blue Wildebeest

Ryker and Bruce

Ryker and Bruce

Yesterday I went out bowhunting in the blind overlooking a water hole. There was a great number of different game including warthogs, blesbok, kudu, impala, and other species. Due to the successful game management of the World of Africa Outfitters, there were many trophy-sized kudurangingfrom a rack length of 46-50 inches seen in just one day. Today due to the superb location of many different hunting blinds, there were many opportunities to shoot big game. I shot at a trophy impala, but still after a fatal shot and the blood covered arrow to prove it, we still couldn’t find the animal, but since the World of Africa Outfitters has many different hunting spots, I bagged an even bigger one that evening. Not a bad start for the first full day of hunting. 

Shane with Trophy Impala

With one of my trophy’s taken, next on the list was a 50″ or better Kudu. This has animal is the main reason I want to come to Africa. After seeing several Kudu’s the trophy I had been waiting on finally showed himself. Patience is key to bow hunting. My guide also confirmed the same thing “be patience is the key to success” When my 53″ bull came close enough, the shot was good enough to drop to 600 pound bull in 40 yards. A life time of memories under the African Skies. 

Shane with Kudu

On my second day of full hunting the 18th of June in Africa, I scored on the animal I wanted most, a Greater Kudu. It was a late afternoon hunt, I had seen this Kudu before but he never gave me a shot. This time was different, at a range of 20 yards my shot was true. It has been a dream of a life time to come Africa, after three days two animals down and 2 to go.

Steven and his Kudu trophy

My good luck continued when I hunted a huge 30″+ Trophy Waterbuck bull on Saturday. This is a truly magnificent once in a lifetime trophy and will score very high in the record books. 

Shane with Trophy Waterbuck

On Monday Steven finally got a good Zebra Stallion, he always wanted to hunt this African Trophy. The shot was a bit back, but the Zebra went down after 300 yards.

Steven with Zebra

I went out the afternoon of our last hunting day and shot a old Trophy Blesbuck Ram. This was the final animal hunted on my first Africa Hunting Safari.

Shane with Blesbuck

 After three hard days of Kudu hunting and passing up several smaller bull we keep searching for that Kudu bull that was going to be our show piece back home. After passing on a couple of 48″ bulls we were head off the mountain and ran into the 4th animal on our list. It was luck more the skill, I wanted the Kudu so dad took the Nyala, not much of a shot for him but he was thrilled with the 300 pound bull.  We took the next day off the ride the elephants ( it’s like straddling a VW bug) and to the game park. We saw two leopards. Day six of our hunting trip brought highs and lows. The Kudu I had been hunting the past three days showed himself with two other bulls. The PH got everything setup in the heavy bush. It was the longest shot I had ever taken 250 yards. The shot was true but the big Kudu did not go down. We tracked it for a mile in the bush. At one time we had 9 people looking for my Kudu. Night came and we had to leave. We had no luck the next day as we searched the 14,000 acres. Still no luck. We called it a day and left the farm. Another farmer had ask us to shoot a wild hog or the baboons that was getting into his feeders. So after the 5 days of hard Kudu hunting, some easier hunting was needed. This baboon came off the mountian to the farmers feeder. The baboon was making making a gluten of himself until my 270 put an end to the raiding. We got 3 of our 4 animals we came for but lost our Kudu.

Ryker,Bruce and Phillip

Hello, my name is Ryker and I’m a 17 year old from Nashville, Tennessee. The lodge is only one step shy from a resort, and being in the northern part of South Africa makes that seem fantastic. There is no real way to express how nice and caring the staff is. The PH’s always ask if you need anything during a meal, always congratulate you after your kill, and always have a warm welcoming smile even at 5 in the morning. The hunting is fantastic, there was plenty of game and there will always be a PH to fit your specific hunting style. You will always have a tracker/skinner with you and your PH, and never underestimate your tracker because he is worth his weight in gold. I wounded a kudu this trip, and we searched the mountain high and low. Not only did my tracker Jacob walk up and down the mountain countless times, but also went to the effort to get 4 extra trackers from the nearest village to help us. After your hunt, you return to camp right after dark to find yourself welcomed by a nice cozy fire with dinner almost prepared. The dinner was centralized around the local foods of South Africa, but still a gourmet meal nonetheless. There is no other word to describe the experience other than addicting. At the end of this trip, we already have decided to make a second trip. Again I say, I’m a 17 year old. I have been from Europe to Alaska and this safari ranks at the top of my list of things I have done. I strongly suggest that you buy that plane ticket and share your safari experience with World to Africa Hunting.

Ryker and Friend

The Saunders group are leaving in the morning to visit a Wildlife centre and interaction with African Predators like cheetah and wild dogs. They are then going to the airport to get a flight back home. We really enjoyed their company and will have memories to last a life time!! Thank you for your friendship and we hope to meet soon around a camp fire under the African Sky. From all the staff at World to Africa Hunting we hope you have a good trip home.

Zimbabwe sport hunting has become a tremendous source of income for the country and specifically for conservation and promotion of tourism. The most popular dangerous animals hunted as part of Zimbabwe sport hunting include that of lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalo. Rhinos are not hunted as part of Zimbabwe sport hunting because of their endangered status. Hunters from the USA, Austria, France, SA, Germany, Canada and also the UK now regularly hunt in Zimbabwe during the Zimbabwe sport hunting season which starts in April and ends November. About 500 elephants and 500 leopards have become available for the hunting season. Many tour operators have already reached their quotas for the Zimbabwe sport hunting season and as such it is recommended that you book hunting in the country through professional outfitters such as WTA well in advance to ensure that you also get your chance of a trophy hunt for one of the most popular larger animals in the country.

Although it is essential to prevent the killing of animals left, right, and centre, hunting as a sport should not be condemned because some animals are cute and cuddly. The bambi effect is a term used by hunters to refer to people who irrationally object to the killing of certain animals because they are so loveable including rabbits and duikers etc. The environment is fragile and in many cases such objections will promote an imbalance in nature. To ensure that the habitat in a specific area stays in balance it may from time to time be a requirement to kill animals even though they are cute. Through normal sport hunting it is possible to regulate the killing of animals and do so to ensure a balance in nature.

One of the most known clubs for hunting safaris worldwide is known as the Safari Club International. Its membership is made up of hunters that follow ethical hunting practices. It is one of the few hunting safari clubs that transcend international borders. As a hunting safari club on international level it hosts annual conventions and speaks out against practices such as the fenced hunting of endangered antelopes from the African continent on USA farms. We recommend that you join the club or similar hunting safari clubs which will give you information about latest hunting practices, regulations, and controversies. Belonging to hunting safari clubs will also give you more exposure to hunting opportunities, excellent rates, and the best methods for hunting specific animals.

Canning is a process whereby the animal is caught or bred and raised as a domestic or caged animal and then is released only a few hours before the hunt begins. Other forms of unethical hunting practices which should be avoided in trophy hunts include for instance, the use of spotlights to blind the animal or to severely affect its night vision and then to shoot it is in the state of blindness or semi-blindness. Using of glue to kill birds and making use of traps to catch the animals also form part of unethical hunting practices. Internet hunting is one of the newest forms of unethical hunting practices. Webcams are used as well as remote controlled guns to locate and then kill animals. Make sure that you only use outfitters and professional hunters such as WTA that will never participate in unethical hunting practices.

There are various hunting methods that can be used in the pursuit of a trophy. Some are illegal and other simply unethical. Always select outfitters that only make use of and promote legal and ethical hunting methods such as WTA. Some of the hunting methods often used in trophy hunting in Africa are listed below for your information.
• Blinds – where the hunter waits on the animals from a concealed position – often used in bow hunting.
• Camouflage involves the visual concealing of the hunter to blend in with the surroundings.
• Bait – that is when a decoy is used to attract the hunted animal. It can be in the form of food or scents or sounds.
• Dogs – used for tracking animals.
• Flush – to scare the animal out if its hideaway.
• Stalking – to walk silently after an animal as a predator would do.

With media hype about canned lions it is understandable that people may think that hunting plays no part of conservation. The truth is that ethical hunters will not participate in canned hunting. Conservation hunting is thus possible and plays an important role in the provision of resources for the conservation of wildlife and the environment. With conservation hunting the landowners and managers of conservation areas can manage animal populations. Elephant populations as well as the populations of lions, rhinos, and various antelope species can quickly become too dense for the allocated area. By allowing conservation hunting the animal numbers are kept in check and the competition for water as well as food resources is reduced ensuring a balanced habitat.

Safari comes from a Swahili word that means long trip or journey. In terms of eco-tourism it is used to refer to an overland trip with the purpose of enjoying the outdoor life. When used with hunting it means a long journey of hunting. Instead of just taking the trip for the purpose of game viewing and exploring the bush it has as purpose travelling to and after animals for hunting purposes. The hunters on safari hunting trips are accompanied by licensed outfitters or hunting leaders called professional hunters in short normally referred to as PH. As part of the hunting safari trips you will also have skinners, guides who know the area exceptionally well and porters where luggage carriers are required in difficult terrains.

Hunting is a process whereby living wildlife is pursued to kill for food, trading or for the art of the kill – thus sport. Lawful hunting is the pursuing of animals with the purpose of killing them within the ethical and legal boundaries of a specific area and country. It differs from poaching or trapping an animal. Poaching is unlawful killing of animals for whatever purpose. Trapping an animal cannot be seen as part of hunting and especially not sport hunting where the animal is given a fair chance to survive and where the skill of the hunter is placed against the skill of the animal to survive. Sport hunting includes trophy hunting and is a highly regulated sport. As such sport hunting should not be confused with trapping or canned hunting. Apart from the legal regulations that should be adhered to, there are many ethical codes which should be followed.

Fabio Zuccaccia - Hunting in Free State April 2009

Fabio Zuccaccia from Italy and our agent Eugenio Franzoni arrived at the Free State lodge on 26 April. They are making another DVD video for Ars Venandi Video owned by Fabio. After sighting the rifle when they arrived at camp we settled and went through the planning for the week ahead. Early the next morning Fabio and his PH, Phillip Theologo went hunting on the farm and saw a beautiful big Black Wildebeest bull, with a well placed shot at 280m the bull went down after only 40m. They then continued after lunch and found a herd of 6 springbuck rams and waited patiently for the biggest ram to move away from the rest. With another fantastic shot at 300m the Springbuck ram dropped in his tracks.

Black Wildebeest

Fabio & Eugenio

White Blesbuck

Red Hartebeest

Fabio and Phillip Theologo the PH

We then continued with the Safari to Limpopo were Fabio hunted a Zebra and Klipsringer with well placed shots. Eugenio hunted a Common Reedbuck, Blesbuck and Impala. They returned to Italy on 4 May and Fabio will start producing the new DVD of the hunt soon.

Andre & Fabio

Klipspringer

To buy any of Fabio’s previous DVD Videos about hunting please visit www.arsvenandivideo.com the unique style of the productions will be a favourite to any hunters collection.