South Africa

[Gateholio]

i would rather do several fly in trips in b.c. rather than go there.have fun and good luck.

Good thing they make chocolate AND vanilla ice cream.

[Asper]

Just turned in our points for our tickets today.

British Airways ex Seattle via Heathrow.

Now I'm getting jacked!

Somewhere in RSA my nyala is getting bigger even as I type this!

Got everything in order for U.S. air space and bang sticks?..Through my up bringing I always thought the brits to be the gun sticklers, ecspecially since it was right after O tube bombing I went. They were the best. The number two hassle was USA. But right up there with a strong lead. Is everybody sitting? The arabs... And I quote"Due to recent world events we cant be to careful"...eeeeeyyyyaaaaa oooookkaayy. Dont know what your hold over at Heath is, but I'll tell you weather your into this royal crap or not(and I'm way not) if you have a 2+ hour hold get yourself into town. Its only like 10 minutes if I remember. When you pop up,hang a left and see that frikin palace... Cause man, all the pictures in the world dont touch the true visual insanity of it.

Hey your goin to have a whale of a time

[David Heitsman]

We're renting over there. I've given up flying firearms internationally a few years ago. They will charge for ammo only. Should be less than $100 and they assure us the firearms are top quality.

It just takes one more piece of stress away.

[Asper]

Its to late for me to tell you all the reasons you WANT your own banger in RSA. All I would accomplish now is stressing you out. Not goin to do that. I will say this. When it comes to SA you go look in the mirror right now. The fellow you see in there is the only one that an assurance means didley from. All others are liars crooks and thieves. I'm not saying all others over there are. I'm saying you should go with that kind of skeptisism. Cause most over there are entering with the "He cant harm us if we dont live up to our end"approach. Seriously bro. Watch everything like a hawk. Dont let your gaurd down one holy minute. To the indigenous lying is part of life and really not a wrong thing. And most whites over generations have taken a "if you cant beat em join em"attitude.. Whitey had me hunting kudu for 6 straight days in an area where he himself had paid for all kudu bigger than a dog to be tranquilized and exported out of. I'm paying him. Ya. paying for what. If things dont look right over there about any single thing your going to do get the poop no matter what ya gotta do.. I'll give you an example as to their ability to turn a blind eye to the truth. You been following mugabi's position on malaria in the news? Nuff said

[Kudu]

What Asper says is true, to a point - It will help if you go in with your eyes wide open (I’m South African so I speak from experience)

The Land owners are as a whole are OK - There are of course always the rotten apples’ in the barrel - And these sharks will try and take you if they think that they can get away with it.

Hunting In Kwa Zulu Natal - Target species for this area is going to be bush buck - bush pig (not to be confused with warthog) Nyala, Black wildebeest- Grey Duicker.

Natal is very tropical - much of the land is covered in sugar cane and forestry...

Kudu are a bush veldt animal - (go to the Eastern Cape - Steyterville/ Jansenville - Or Mpumalanga - Pietersburg /Louis Trichardt areas are best), Same can be said for blue wildebeest Impala and warthog

Gems buck are a plains game like spring buck so you need to go to areas like the Kalahari / Karoo for them - they do not do well in the bush veldt.

You will find that in most areas the trackers / skinners and general camp staff are the indigenous black guys - unless you can speak one of the languages like Zulu, Xhosa or Ndebele - be careful - many times the expectations are bigger than the rewards offered by the visiting hunter - always discuss this with the land owner / Ph so that there will be no misunderstanding at the end. Do not expect to maintain valuables if you leave them laying around - Never give a valued knife too a skinner - the chances are good it will get "lost".

simply put - go in with your eyes open...

If you guys are going out there and want specific help before hopping on the plane to Cape town or Johannesburg and blowing a fortune - give me a shout - I will be happy to get a few mates to check out your destination, or even put you on the right track with good hunting and ethical - honest people.

I’m sure you would do the same for me next hunting season when I start hunting in BC

Regards
Mike

[Asper]

It dont get better than that

[David Heitsman]

Hey 1/2 pint er I mean 1/2 Slam,

How 'bout those innoculations eh?

Yesterday got a tetanus in the right shoulder and typhoid in the left, had to sleep on my back last night. They both still hurt tonight, 24 hours later.

I think I'm done just have to confirm on the malarial zone.

[1/2 slam]

Took 3 days before things got back to normal. Dang they hurt!!

[David Heitsman]

7 more sleeps!

[1/2 slam]

I'm like a kid on Christmas eve