Bush Breaking Newsletter No 2 of 2014

Hallo and welcome to our second hunting Newsletter for the 2014 Hunting Season. We trust you all are all

enjoying the summer weather and all the fun activities that go with it. May was a very month for us here in

Africa. There is more to this newsletter than pictures and boring captions, several hunters sent us some

exciting hunting reports, and we would like to share the hunting stories and pictures…

We met Goerge Szeparowycz and Rosalind at the Great American Outdoor show in Harrisburg this past

February and we were very excited to welcome them to South Africa. The hunt started off in the

Mountains of the Eastern Free State where George and his PH Charles, chased Eland in the mountains

before the hunt for George’s Lioness was to take place. Armed with his CZ550 .375 H&H rifle, they headed

to the Kalahari. Below is George and Rosalind’s account of the hunt:

“The terrain is flat and sandy and it was very hot, in the 90’s. We spent some time driving around and also clearing

the road for fresh tracks for the next day.”

“On the 3rd day, George and PH Drom were walking through the area and happened upon her sleeping. She was a

very old lioness that was pushed out of the pride. She trotted off and we trotted off after her. After some time she

took up her stand in a thorny area, restricting visibility to her. The George took her from 10 feet away!!…What a

great hunt and a great day for everybody. The cat may have a different opinion.”

“We moved on to the Limpopo province and on our 2nd day out Charles spotted a nice old warthog. Very skittish

animals it took a bit to sneak up on him. He was taken at 80 yards with the trusted.375.”

The next evening we are about to call it a night and we see a magnificent Kudu bull very much in the rut and

thoroughly distracted but some fresh looking females (and who can blame him). George jumped from the truck and

stalked some 100 yards or so in. One shot and he dropped 20 yards away. Again the .375 H&H did its job.”

George& Rosalind, we all enjoyed spending time and hunting with you and we look forward to seeing you in 2015!

What an honour to welcome back our friend Gary Woelzlein from Birch Run, Michigan. Gary, Chad and other hunters from their neighbourhood, hunted with us in 2011. This time they were back with more friends and customers of Gary’s Taxidermy. This time, Gary and five others hunted in the Eastern Cape and also the Western Cape where the terrain is hilly and rocky and the temperature varied from 95 to 25.

For Gary the trophy of the trip was hands down the vaal rhebok, he spent months learning everything he

could about these interesting critters. The “vallie” they hunted must have had around 30 lucky ladies! On

one of our outings, Andre spotted a nice ram on top of a mini-mountain, checking out his surroundings and

they decided on a stalk up the backside to try and connect with him upon his escape. Andre and Gary

made their ascend to the top and once they came over the top, just like in the tv shows, Andre spotted

him broadside at 60 yards and Gary took the shot,not a perfect shot, but very vital.

It's a hunt Gary and Andre will never forget.

When Gary originally booked this hunt, on the top of his list was a Nyala. While looking for a Waterbuck, a

large Nyala male came out of the brush and they instantly started hunting him. The shot was 80 yards or

so, and he went straight down. This also happened to be around 30 minutes after Gary’s hunting partner

Ron shot another nice Nyala ram.

What a great hunt Gary! Thank you for putting this group together, we appreciate all your had word!

It was an early morning when John Rhines and PH Andre met with the hound’s man and the dogs to start their hunt.

The dogs were very excited and after they picked up the smell of the caracal, there were no stop to them and

keeping up to them was definitely not an easy task but luckily John Rhines is a very experienced bow hunter and

took the Caracal down with one shot.

John with another trophy, a BEAUTIFUL Gemsbuck bull!

It was Chad Williams’ second time hunting with Somerby Safaris and what an exciting hunt with some amazing

trophies he took with PH Andre Nel! Look at the long tips on the Impala on the left. Chad also shot this very nice

Fallow deer.

Ron Bickel arrived a day earlier than the rest of the group for his Sable which took place in the southern part of Limpopo province. After scouting around for a Sable with horns that curled back far enough, Nico

spotted this outstanding bull. Ron made the perfect killing shot and what a stunning animal! Ron also hunt this beautiful Red Lechwe down in the Eastern Cape!

Hunting a Kudu bull was the main reason for Beau Cook to come to Africa. He was a little disappointed on

the first day (Beau and PD climbed over 4 hills on the case) but then got another opportunity the next day.

Beau shot him in the shoulder at 230 yards midway up a hill and the Kudu fell over instantly but then

proceeded to get back up. Luckily his shoulder was broken, so he could not climb up the hill they say, but

Murphy ’s Law make him decided to climb over the next 2 hills. At 250 yards on shooting sticks, out of

breath and trying to hold still he finally went down 2 shots later. Nice work on PD and Beau on never giving

up! What and outstanding trophy, well done guys!

Beau is a very eager Waterfowl hunter and Egyptian goose was definitely on his list to hunt. The first one

he shot was in the middle of the lake and they waited until it floated to about 30 yards from shore. So Beau

decided to get in his boxers and swim in the cold water to go and get it. The next one he chased down in a

field. A lot of work for geese but it was well worth it for such a passionate bird hunter.

Last but not the least was Jack Metzke. Jack’s took several outstanding trophies including this beautifull Eastern Cape Kudu and a very good Blue Wildebeest late one afternoon just before sunset.

14 Days were over in a flash and the five Michigan hunters headed back home! Thank you to all of you for a great hunt and again a great big special thank you to Gary Bum!

Jeff Simmons and Brad Fraser were revered to SOMERBY Safaris by their colleague at Syngenta, a good

friend and avid hunter Ven Lengkeek from Michigan. Jeff and Brad were attending a work related conference down in Cape Town and after a couple of days in the office, these two men were very eager to get out in the bush and draw some blood! They only had a few days to spare before they had to head back

home and did not waste a minute to get to their hunting destination and sight in the rifles before their hunt can start with a big bang!

Brad was so excited after his first hunt, a BEAUTIFUL Warthog that he decided he cannot leave South Africa

with only one animal and also took this very NICE Impala ram after a short walk and stalk.

Jeff’s choice of trophy animals was this STUNNING Blesbuck ram and this BEAUTIFUL Red Hartebeest. Somerby Safaris wants to thank you for sharing in some great memories and hope to see you next year for

a 12 day safari!

What a really good surprise to find out that Mike Escalona actually booked his hunt by “googling us on the

internet. Mike was in Cape Town for a business trip when he “googled” for the best outfitter to hunt with

for few days on a very short notice and his choice felt on Somerby Safaris. Suné only needed to make a few

phone calls and within an hour everything was sorted and Mike was on his way from the Cape to spend a

few days with Somerby Safaris. Mike shot a total of 6 animals on his hunt and by the look on his face you

can see he really enjoyed every minute while he shot this very nice Impala ram!

We met Jared Cullison a few years back for the first time at The Dallas Safaris Club show and hit it off right

away. The group grew to four couples and we were very excited to pick up this group of friends from

Oklahoma and give them a hunt of a lifetime! Here is Jarred’s account of the trip:

“Let me start with a phrase “Just one more”. This was our group’s mantra for the entirety of our trip from

the first day to the last. Whether it was just one more hunt, just one more story around the fire or just one

more drink, Drom and his crew made sure we always had Just One More. I have hunted all around the

world and one thing I have learned is it the little things that make the trip. Every aspect of our trip was

planned out perfectly and on the occasions that things did go array Drom and staff quickly fixed and in

most cases made it better. During our time each and every one of our seven hunter’s three ladies added

animals to be harvested. And with our “just one more” theme all of us was able to take every additional

animal we wanted. “

“After 3 days of hard hunting myself, my friend James and our PH Johan had a big fat zero in the bag, but

that was all about to change. Late in the day we decided to make one last run up the hill to see if the bulls

had come out of the bush. And wouldn’t you know there he was standing broadside 100 yards away

smiling at me. With my Marlin 338 Express and one shot I was lucky enough to quickly dispatch this fine

animal.”

“The next two trophy I was able to harvest a Nyala. I went from 3 days hunting for my Kudu to 30 minutes

for my Nyala. Drom was able to find a place that had many Nyala that had never been hunted before. We

arrived on location to find the ranch loaded with quality animals. To our great luck this guy was standing

under a tree not a quarter mile from the gate. With the trusty 338 I dispatched this amazing animal with

the same speed and precision as my Kudu. With only a 60 yard shot he staggered 40 foot and went down

for the last time. “

“The next few days I was more of a support staff for the other hunters and for my lovely wife who was able

to take her first animal. A fine Warthog that was tearing up a farmers feedlot. “ Well done Melanie!

“On day seven things began to pick up for me. On

the way to the Free State we stopped at one of

Droms connections for my chance at a Red Lechwee.

After arriving on the ranch Drom and Johan took a

drive and with a bit of luck the farm hands had

pushed the Lechwee out of the corn crops. If this did

not happen there would have been no way to find

them in all that corn. The wind was really blowing

this day, I am from Oklahoma and winds of 20 to 30

MPH are not uncommon and I have hunted in these

conditions many times. But the winds on this day

made Oklahoma look calm. I would guess we had gust of 40 MPH or higher and at times you could even lean into the

wind. With the wind in mind I lined up a 150 yard shot and waited for the herd to stop moving, then with a squeeze

of the trigger “click” misfire….. I then ejected the round and reset and again “click”. You know sometimes the buck

fever just grabs hold. I had not taken the safety off on my trust lever action 338. So now with the amazement of

everyone the giant Lechwee was still in the field and the third time was the charm “click…BOOM” good shot but a

little high. We quickly closed the distance for a follow up shot and with that final pull of the trigger I had bagged my

Lechwe.”

Jarred also shot several other trophies including a Gemsbuck and a Springbuck.

“All in all this was the most amazing and fulfilling hunts I have ever had and as our mantra says we will be back for

“Just One More” adventure with Drom and his hunting family. “

James Richards was on board for the trip from day 1 when we met him and Jarred at the DSC Show in 2011. James

was very passionate about predator hunting and we had to do a lot of hard work prior to his safari to ensure a

successful hunt. Here is the account of the experience:

“ It was a very early and cool morning when Mias (PH), Chris and I headed to the Kalahari. After several hours of

driving down some rough roads, we arrived late morning at the lodge where we had a very nice brunch to kick start

our day. After brunch we loaded up, checked rifles and headed out with the trackers on the front of the truck. The

trackers cut a track and quickly found a lone female. We circled several blocks of bush until we found the one that

she was still in. After following her at a brisk pace we were tracking down the road, Mias noticed something and he

clicked his tongue and you could hear the whoosh of barrels and clicks of safeties as everybody swung toward the

movement.

The lioness was bedded down less that 10 ft under a bush right next to the road. She got up and silently walked away

and we decided to continue after her and quickly found the very large Steenbuck that she had just killed and stashed

under that bush. She stayed way ahead of us and kept circling back over our tracks. She took us back by the

Steenbuck at least 3 more times. My hat is off to those trackers, they stayed right on the most recent tracks. She

kept giving us the slip, so I was set up on the corner of the block as the trackers and owner went in to flush her out.

She didn't come out so I went in and just as I got the crosshairs on her, she laid down. All I could see was ears and

nothing else. She silently slipped away again and all we could see was just a flick of the tail. We decided to try the

same set up again but on a different corner this time. As she came into the road about 500yds away, we raced closer

and stopped. As she turned broadside to head back into the bush, I levelled the crosshairs of my 7mm magnum on

top of her withers and sent one. I saw the cat buck and bit her shoulder, then, I heard the smack of the bullet (a good

low lung shot). She was almost 300 yds. away. I watched her stumble in the grass as we went and got the trackers.

As we walked into the bush, 4 abreast and trackers behind, you could smell the feces of lion. She was laid up under a

bush at about 10 yds. and the bush started shaking. I put 2 more 160 gr TSX's into her quickly.

“ The caracal has been toward the top of my list since I found out they ran them with hounds. I love dog work and

was excited to hear some hounds on this trip. Drom stopped at his dad’s farm because they had a problem caracal

that was killing lambs. He sent for the hound’s man and we met him early on a very foggy morning. We turned 16

dogs loose, ranging from Jack Russell terriers, to generic big game hounds, to greyhound/wolfhound style coursing

dogs.

The first dog ran in about 20 yards and struck. The rest of the pack was soon to follow. Then they all erupted in a

furry of barking. We all had to sprint to keep up. The dogs soon made a sharp turn along a small ridge, I stayed

above, ready to drop down when they treed the cat. Then I heard growling and a handler yell for the gun. I started

jumping down the small ridge, rock to rock, to get to the ruckus. The dogs had caught the big tom on the ground and

were mauling him badly.

The little terriers were the most eager to pull some hair. It took all of us to get the dogs backed off of the cat so I had

a clear shot with the 12 ga shotgun. I shot him through the chest to stop the fight. I lifted him up and through him

over my shoulders. We found his latest kill, a lamb, from the night before. That must have been why he didn’t get

far, he was fat and lazy from all of the lamb dinners. While taking pictures, I barely could hold him and extend my

arms. We gathered the dogs and moved to a different part of the farm, only to get on a jackal race and an end to

the hunting. He’s going to make a great trophy when the taxidermist patches him back together.”

We eased around and she growled and trashed some more, so I shot again. We watched her for a few minutes; she

growled but wouldn't give up, so I put 1 more in her to end it. Very tough animal. After over 5 hours of tracking, it

was bittersweet end to this amazing hunt. This was the first blood I drew in Africa, and it definitely won't be my last.”

Kate with her First African Animals, well Done Kate!

Chris Skrocki or better known as “gadget man” was determined to experience everything and wanted to be

part of all the excitement and was trying his FLIR thermal night vision and out on everthing and everone!

Chris was hunting for a couple of bushveld species in the Limpopo province but decided to change his Blue

Wildebeest for this typical Free State plains game clown of the field, better known as the Black Wildebeest.

Hunting in the Free State differs from Bushfield hunt as the shooting rage to take down animals is much

further and weather conditions are much windier. Chris and ph Johan Odendaal were taking their time

when they were scouting for the perfect Black Wildebeest trophy and by the look of it, they found it. Chris

were having lots of fun while hunting for his Ostrich, it will make a beautiful pair of leather boots Chris!

Jay Johnson and his lovely wife Linda Johnson were thinking about their big Africa safari for a long time but

after a long visit with Jared Cullison and a few Jack Daniels it was time to make the final decision and both

Jay and Linda were convinced that this will be a holiday of a life time!

Jay’s trip started off with a Waterbuck hunt in the Limpopo…

“On our first morning of hunting, Chris and I were paired up with Mias to hunt a Kudu for both of us and a

Waterbuck for me. I wanted to hunt a Waterbuck from the start but after seeing them run in the wild and

appreciating this bulky animal with the white ring on the back side, it was a definitely YES!

While we were driving around spotting, Mias spotted a single Waterbuck bull standing on the other side of a small valley which he believed to be a nice one worth checking out. We drove across the valley and Mias confirmed that yes, this one was worth taking. We continued to approach closer and closer until we were

no more than 50 yards away. I took aim and squeezed the trigger. The buck kicked, ran about 30 yards and went down. I was very pleased with my first South African trophy!

A very nice specimen.”

Waterbuck was not the only animal that was on Jay’s hunting list and Jay could not make a better choice

than this beautiful Gemsbuck!

What another great story from Jay on his Gemsbuck hunt:

“Hunting in the flat grasslands of the Free State differs completely from the dence bushy area in the Limpopo Province. Soon after we drove onto the property and we came upon a small group of 6

Gemsbucks. After chasing them from hillside to hillside across about a mile of valley area, we were able to get within shooting distance.

As I took aim over the top of the truck, I could feel the wind moving the truck. I steadied my shot as much

as possible and squeezed the trigger but the animal immediately did a 180 and ran up and over the hill with the rest of the group. We suspected that the animal was wounded and after we glassed them, it was

obvious that my first shot had hit the Gemsbuck across the brisket area. I quickly took aim and squeezed another shot off. This time there was no doubt, the target had been hit

and after a couple of steps it took a tumble down the hill for about 20ft.” Congratulations Jay!

There was never a dull moment during our time with the Oklahoma group, thank you for great hunting and

great sportsmanship. Thank you Jarred and friends, we will not forget, Just one more!!!!

Linda Johnson gave a very interesting account of the safari from a non-hunters perspective:

My husband and I recently experienced our first visit to South Africa. He was there to take trophies; my goal was to

relax and soak in the local culture. As included in our travel arrangements, we were exuberantly greeted at the

Johannesburg airportby the Somerby team. Following is the short list of what I learned:

South Africa has nine provinces in which 11 languages are spoken. Afrikans (derived from German and Dutch) is spoken most often. Somerby staff communicated to one another in Afrikans and to the guests in English as effortlessly as if they were tossing a soccer ball back and forth. Limpopo and the Free State have the bumpiest dirt and gravel roads I have traveled particularly when riding in a light framed Toyota pick-up. Body parts jiggled and wiggled as we were educated on the many types of buck that inhabit the regions: Gemsbuck, Blesbuck, waterbuck, springbuck and make a buck. The beauty of South Africa is never ending. We drove through Golden Gate National Park on a crystal clear day. We were in awe of the magnificent scenery dotted with a few exotic animals. It was inspiring that our guide was also totally enjoying the views. She has been at these precise locations many times (four years working for Somerby touring non-hunters on a regular basis--you do the math). She spoke of the grandeur of the buttes, mountains, valleys and pristine sky as if she were casting a virgin look. Men can be trained to become "men in waiting." My wine glass was always full in the evening at the effort of the Professional Hunters and sometimes by the owner himself. Meals are ALWAYS tastier when prepared for you and served on dinnerware. Portions were plentiful and we had the opportunity to taste some local game as well. In summary, the Somerby Safari experience exceeded my expectations in terms of customer service, accommodations, meals, excursions and overall organization.

We were very happy to welcome back Terry and Ronda Smith from Fort Smith in Arkansas. Terry and

Ronda came on their first hunting trip with Somerby Safaris in 2013 and it was during that trip that Terry

and Ronda totally fall in love with the beautiful scenery of South Africa. This time Terry decided to invite

their good friends Jeff and Carla McAllister with and what a super nice couple!

Terry had never thought in his wildest dreams that he would hunt a Cape Buffalo on this trip with Somerby

but when Drom told him about a “problem buffalo” that was causing a lot of stress and drama on one of

his concessions, he did not have to think twice!

After discussing all the final details of the hunt, it was time to pay attention to the fresh dung everywhere

in the road. The air was filled with adrenaline as the minutes passed and finally Andre indicate that the

trouble maker was standing in front and Terry was to take the shot with his trusted 375. Well done Terry!

You deserve the beautiful trophy! Now Harold will need to get one too!

Terry with two more trophies, a BEAUTIFUL Red Hartebeest that he shot in Botsalano Game Reserve in

North West and this Duiker during a night hunt on Drom’s farm in the Free State.

While I am typing this newsletter I am getting goose bumps by just looking at Jeff’s Warthog that he shot in

the Limpopo Province at one of our main consessions. Jeff, this is a MONSTER Warthog and probably the

great grandfather of all Warthogs. “Wow” is all I can say to you and PH Andre with his tracking dog, Ratel

as back up.

Jeff wanted to add a Zebra to his list of trophies and Carla could already see this beautiful rug in her lounge

or living room and keep on advising Jeff to take one with no bite marks and what a perfect choice!

Carla who was determined to accompany Jeff on as many hunts did not know it yet but was soon the one

who will pull the trigger on her first African animal. Carla is a very passionate lady and after Ph Andre gave

her a few brief lessons on shot placements and safety, she was ready for her hunting adventure. Andre

spotted a very nice Blesbuck ram that and as soon as the opportunity present itself Carla made the kill and

nobody was sure whom of Jeff and Carla were the most excited about the shot. Congratulations Carla and

hopefully it will be the first of more.

It was not all about hunting for the Smith and Mcallister ladies, they were having lots of fun while travelling

to Cape Town for a couple of day and were also visiting the Basoetoe Cultural Village in Clarens.

While Drom, Andre and the rest of the guys were very busy here in South Africa during the last twee weeks

of May, Charles was hunting in Zimbabwe with Clete and CJ Landis. They had a very successful Dangerous

Game Safari and shot 2 leopard, buffalo and a Big Elephant Bull. More pictures and stories to follows in

the next edition.

Somerby Safaris wants thank all the hunters and non-hunter for the wonderful time that we could spend

with all of you. Some of you came for a second or third safari and were already friends, but to all of you

that came to hunt for the first time “you came as clients but you left as friends”. We are looking forward

to sharing more exciting stories and hunts in our next newsletter early in July!