Having undertaken all of the research detailed in the previous blog posts, I was ready to book my first safari!
To this end, I spent hours trawling the internet, reading every magazine, talking to friends and colleagues, and built up a shortlist of outfitters. Luckily, SCI was hosting their big annual show in the US and my friend Bee who worked at SCI offered to scope out a couple of the outfitters who were attending for me.
My criteria was clear, I wanted true fair chase hunting in large areas without high fences, where the animals could behave totally naturally and were part of self-supporting populations. I was less bothered about luxury accommodation, but I did want to keep additional travel, once I got to Namibia, to a minimum both for cost and time saving. I wanted to hunt, not go on a road trip! I also trusted Bee’s thoughts on both the ethical ethos of the outfitters he’d met and whether he felt they would be a good fit personality wise. Having suffered my company on several evenings of drinking in Texas, he knew me well enough to decide if we’d rub along well in the bush or not!
After a debrief and referring back to my notes, phone calls and emails exchanged, there appeared to one clear winner, Bergzicht Game Lodge. Located just over an hour from Windhoek (the capital of Namibia and where you will fly into), yet in a truly unspoilt remote part of the country, this was what I was looking for.
I had already spoken to Steph (P.H.), Marie-Louise (manager of the lodge, the butchery and Steph’s wife) and also Hannes (Marie-Louise’s father and founder of Bergzicht). On the emails and calls, they had come across as experts in running such an operation, possessed of the same ethos and ethics when it came to hunting as myself and also seemed to own a slice of hunting heaven on earth.
After due consideration, a booking was made, dates were put in the diary and I was off to Africa. What followed was one of the greatest experiences of my life and a trip I cannot wait to undertake again. Although we started as strangers, we left as friends and memories were made that will last a lifetime.
Join me on my trip…
Day 1
Travelling to Africa is a long journey, there is no getting away from that. If you are lucky enough to be able to fly business or first class, then your journey will be much more pleasant than mine. The important thing to remember is that you are travelling for a reason.
A drive down to London Heathrow from my home in the countryside was uneventful and before I knew it, I was sat on an Ethiopian Airline’s flight to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia with our photographer. From there, we sprinted from arrivals, fought through a congested security queue and then sprinted again to connections for our connecting flight to Windhoek. The less said about the outbound flights the better, the plane was poorly maintained, the food inedible and overall it was a good lesson in why you should try to transit through either Europe or one of the Arab states!
Finally though, we were in Namibia. I sent a message to Marie-Louise to let her know we had landed, only to be told that Steph (our P.H. and her husband) was already waiting for us in arrivals. It was great to be met by the person we would be hunting with rather than a driver or other representative. It meant that the short (just over an hour) journey from the airport could be spent getting to know each other, discussing the plan of action for the trip and working out how to get started.
Before we knew it, we arrived at Bergzicht having spent the journey marvelling at giraffes, baboons and other wildlife enroute (albeit at a distance), little did I know that this was nothing compared to what I would see.
The lodge had been decorated with a large Union Jack flag for our arrival, and several of the staff had come out to welcome us, one with damp flannels and another with fresh fruit juice, just what was needed to refresh us after our journey!
Next came an introduction to the team, Marie-Louise, Sara, Annagret and Lina who would look after us in the lodge plus Ridgey and Shiraz (the resident Ridgebacks and tracking experts).
After a freshen up and as I had not brought my own rifle, we decided to head down to the rifle range so that I could get acquainted with the rifle that Steph would be loaning me for the trip. This was a lovely .300 win mag bolt action with Zeiss optics and home loaded ammunition, capable of taking anything except the largest of game (which wasn’t on our list anyway). It is worth noting at this point that the armoury available was very impressive, with great rifles, quality optics (mostly from Zeiss) and premium bullets, so the worry about not taking my own evaporated.
After I had proven I could put a bullet where it was needed, we then set off for a recce of the area near to the lodge. Whilst it seemed that we covered a huge amount of ground, this was only dipping our toe in the vast area Bergzicht own and hunt over, in excess of 240 square kilometres! We immediately started spotting animals, including Springbuck, Ostriches, Black and Blue Wildebeest and Steenboks. Clearly this was a well-managed, game rich landscape and proof that safari hunting is a clear avenue to success in Africa!
Having got our bearings, we retired back to the lodge to relax before dinner. The rooms at Bergzicht are on a par with luxury hotels, there is certainly no “roughing it”. From king size (and very comfortable) beds and walk in showers, to a turn down service and chocolates on your pillow at night, this was beyond my expectations. If you want to bring a loved one or a fussy traveller, you would have no issues here.
Likewise, this can also be said about the food. Over the next week, we were spoilt with meal after meal of incredible dishes. Each evening the table would be set with a different theme, first would be some nibbles, usually crisps, biltong or the like, all made on site, before you sat down in candlelight to be delighted by the incredibly talented ladies in the kitchen. Dinner was always three courses, often comprised of meat from Bergzicht itself, the Kudu fillet being a particular favourite, and accompanied by local beers and wine for those who drank and a variety of alternatives for those who didn’t. Go to Bergzicht and go hungry, you do not!
Day 2
After a good night’s sleep and feeling fully rested, we reconvened for breakfast at 7am. Breakfast consisted of fresh fruit juices and fruit, cereals, yoghurt, sausages, eggs and toast, along with copious amounts of strong coffee to fuel us on our morning hunt.
Once my appetite was sated, we loaded up the pristine Toyota bakkie (truck) and I met Franz and Obed, our trackers. As I was to learn over the next week, these guys were imperative to the success of our hunts, as well as being great company and a source of knowledge re our surroundings.
Obed is the senior tracker and has been with Bergzicht for many years, whilst Franz is a newer and younger addition to the team whose natural talents had already led to his promotion to number two and the right-hand man to Obed. They explained that their home was actually to the north of our location, towards the top of Namibia, but having heard such great things about Bergzicht, they had moved down to join them, bringing their families with them. This was a story I heard from the rest of the staff during my trip, as they all came from the same tribe and positions were filled by word of mouth as and when they became available.
Then it was the moment of truth, the first hunt of the trip. Steph decided that as a good herd of Springbuck had been spotted about ten minutes drive away, we should go and check them out to see if there was a suitable ram with them. With Obed and Franz stood high on the back of the truck scanning for any sign of the herd we made our way towards where they had been spotted the day before. After a little searching, they were spotted in the distance and we stopped well out of sight about 600m away. We decamped from the truck and after checking the wind direction one last time, set off to climb to a slightly higher viewpoint to check them out more closely, Franz staying with the truck to watch from there.
Soon Obed and Steph were deep in discussion as they weighed up the pros and cons to several rams, trying to decide if there was a suitable past-prime male to take out of the group. Having decided that there was, I was beckoned forwards and the plan of attack was discussed. We then set off in a line, first Steph, followed by Obed then myself with Shiraz walking closely at heal to Steph. After closing the gap to around 200m and having crept to the protection of a small group of scrubby trees, Steph started to talk me through the herd and explain which animal was the correct one to take. Setting up on my quad sticks, I waited for the Springbuck to present me with a clear shot, something quite difficult with a large herd milling around him.
Finally, he was free of the others and this is where I made a mistake. You will often hear P.H.s tell clients to put the shot into the shoulder itself, rather than the crease just behind as we are used to on Roe deer and the like. In the moment, I forget this advice and my normal placement took over. The Springbuck reacted to the shot, however, so did the rest of the herd and they set off like a steam train across the plain. Steph wasn’t too worried, he thought the shot was good and he would quickly run out of steam and not be able to keep up with the others. I however felt sick, my first shot and I had forgotten to take the experts advice. It is testament to Steph and Obed that they were still positive as we started to track it.
In short, this shot taught me the importance of shot placement on African animals and just how much stronger their adrenalin and self-preservation abilities are compared to European game. This Springbuck kept going for a surprisingly long time, drawn ever onwards by its companions, even with both lungs shot through, as they sought to evade danger, much longer than any of us expected and it was Shiraz who eventually found him, with us going straight past it!
After we had given our thanks for the life of the animal, discussed its size (huge, possibly the best taken this season) and its mature age, the team set about presenting it in as respectful a manner as possible for some photographs. This level of respect was repeated throughout the trip. All blood was wiped away, the animal posed naturally on fresh ground and shown off to its best. Something I made sure to show appreciation for.
With that concluded, we then loaded the animal onto the truck and set off back to the butchery to get it skinned and into the cool as soon as possible. All the animal at Bergzicht is used, the trophies and skins often stay with the hunter, the prime cuts of meat go into the various products the butchery creates for either the lodge or restaurants and private clients. The remaining cuts are shared out between the staff to ensure they have a consistent protein supply to fuel all their hard work, even the bones are recycled. It is truly the circle of life in action.
Day 3
Having woken well rested after another luxurious night in a very comfortable bed, no doubt helped by an incredible meal the previous evening (I honestly wanted to steal the cooks by the end of the week!), I joined Steph for a breakfast of eggs, sausage, toast and coffee to discuss the plan for the day ahead.
We had seen a group of Kudu the previous day up on one of the big hills that surround the lodge, albeit they were making their way over the hill (and the boundary) when we spotted them. As Kudu was high on my list (as it is for most who have read Ernest Hemingway’s Green Hills of Africa), Steph thought we should see if we could get a closer look at them and see if there was a big old bull amongst them.
What followed was proof of the healthy ecosystem that Bergzicht is blessed with. Not only did we spot our group from the previous day, up near the top of the hill, about 50m from the summit, but the land was alive with animals, all savouring the early morning sun. It appeared that there was a suitable bull with the group, but Steph was worried that if we stalked into them, we might spook them and then they would be off over the hill and we would lose them.
Instead, we continued to another smaller hill about ¾ of a mile away where Kudu often also stand, using the height to watch for danger. Enroute, we spotted many Kudu cows and several younger bulls, one with already very impressive horns, yet needing a few more years to spread his genes. Reaching the hill, we spent some time glassing from the back of the truck before spotting another group hidden under a group of trees. None of them passed Steph’s high standards and Obed and Franz agreed, the one at the top of the big hill was the best. Steph turned to me, “What do you think? Willing to take a risk?”. Having agreed in the affirmative, he quickly spun the truck around to get us back to within walking distance of our original spotting location.
This proved to be an awkward stalk, the hill itself rose steeply and a thick belt of small trees covered the entirety of the lower portion of the slope. By the time we had reached the treeline, thankfully unnoticed by the kudu on the slope, we realised that if we went into the trees, we would be blind until we reached the other side. It was also likely that we could spook something out of the cover and they would run out in turn spooking the kudu. We were stuck. After ranging it and discussing the ballistic drop of Steph’s home loaded rounds, we decided to get as close to the treeline as possible before we lost a clean shooting line and see if we could take a shot from there.
I had not felt pressure like this for years, not only was it a longer shot than I normally take (although I have since practised heavily at longer distance to improve my confidence), the Springbuck was playing on my mind, I did not want to mess up on my dream animal, especially so close the crest and the boundary. Slowing my breathing, Steph helped me dial in for distance and then I waited for the bull to step clear of a small tree that was guarding him. Eventually, after what seemed hours, but was in reality minutes, he stepped forward and allowing for the steep angle I placed the crosshairs onto the lower part of his shoulder and slowly squeezed the trigger.
He was down, a perfect shot, and he was dead before he knew it. He tumbled slightly before lodging behind a rock and we started to climb up to him. It wasn’t until we arrived that the true size of these magnificent creatures became apparent, ground shrinkage there was not! We also faced the issue of how to get this enormous animal down to the truck. Steph radioed back to the lodge and asked for some additional help, finally it took 10 people to carry it off the hill, cutting a path through the undergrowth as we went.
After we had delivered the kudu for skinning at the larder, had lunch and a short rest, we decided to head out to a different part of the Bergzicht land. There was no definitive plan as this area had a very popular waterhole so the thought was to creep towards that and see what frequented it over the afternoon and if anything interesting appeared, put a stalk on it.
What happened in reality was rather more exciting. A group of Oryx was spotted from some distance away and the decision made to stalk into them. Shiraz led the way, nose to the group, when suddenly from in front we saw dark shapes moving through the trees, baboons! We paused to let them move off, hoping they had not spooked the oryx, before continuing on our way.
Before we knew what was happening there was a screech and a baboon launched itself from under a bush attacking Shiraz in a brutal manner. Luckily, Shiraz is made of stern stuff and he fought back, the baboon retreating to a tree where it waited to attack again. Steph knew this was not normal behaviour for a baboon, whilst they can be aggressive, leaving the pack behind was unusual. It was also not safe to have an aggressive baboon around, either for us and the dog, nor for the other workers if they came through this area. Steph quickly set up the sticks and asked me to shoot it before it decided to venture down. That done, we left it for the hyenas as it stank, evidently not in the best health and not something any of us wished to get too close to!
The stalk for the oryx was blown and we resigned ourselves to driving to a new area to find an undisturbed spot. Whilst we had been driving, we had been referring to Warthogs as Pumba (as in Disney’s “The Lion King”), something that Obed had taken up when calling out animals and educating us on what was around. It would later become apparent that he had never seen the Lion King though and thought it was merely our term for the animal! I had mentioned to Steph that I would love a good Warthog, but I was advised that they tend to be an opportunity hunt rather than a focus so to keep my eye out on our travels!
As we were travelling away from the scene of our run in with the baboon, Franz tapped on the truck cab and motioned excitedly to a semi fallen tree in a wide clearing ahead. We stopped the truck and walked over to look at what he had spotted. It turned out that he had seen Cheetah tracks in the dirt and then seen the tree where they had been playing and learning to climb, there were claw marks all over it and it had obviously been the source of much fun for them! As we were all focused on this, trying to judge when they were last here, we suddenly heard “Pumba! Pumba!” from back at the truck. Obed had stayed behind and had spotted a warthog running across the clearing up ahead. We quickly grabbed the rifle and Steph excitedly told me it was a big old boar and to stop him if I could. We whistled at him and he slowed, just enough for me to squeeze off a shot. He dropped on the spot, as it turned out when we got to him, only a few feet from the entrance to his burrow, so close and yet not close enough! He was an old fighter, covered in scars, including a great Harry Potter like zigzag across his forehead, a true past prime trophy to be proud of!
What a day, two of my most sought-after animals accounted for, in vastly differing yet exciting circumstances and both the type of old male both I and Steph were wanting to hunt.
Join me in Part 2 as we chase after oryx, impala & more!
Bergzicht Game Lodge : https://www.bergzichtgamelodge.com
