“BEE GRATEFUL”
While the Eastern Free State mountains tower into Lesotho forming an impenetrable wall of sandstone cliffs, and steep valleys and deep ravines create an oasis for wildlife and game, such as Eland, Kudu and Oryx, the flats, surrounding this impressive geographical masterpiece, form extremely arable lands. The staple crops which are planted and harvested annually are sunflowers and maize. While the abundance of water and extensive food source create the perfect storm for birdlife such as duck, geese and rock pigeons, this post is a tribute to our impressive bee population.
“WARTHOG WONDERLAND”
For those of you that have hunted with us, you will remember fondly the extensive number of warthogs that roam our hunting concessions. They are comical, clever, hardy and both beautiful and ugly all at the same time. It would seem impossible that a mere 50 years ago, warthogs in the Eastern Cape were unheard of. In fact, there are hardly any records of warthog reported in the journals of the 1820 settlers. There are still people today who, on the strength of no written evidence, claim that there were never warthogs in the Eastern Cape prior to their introduction.
“CATTLE & KUDU”
In reality, farming, whether it be game, cattle or crops, needs to be run like any other business. Any unnecessary costs to your enterprise needs to be dealt with and mitigated in order to ensure the success of your operation. The conflict between wild game and domestic cattle has been going on for centuries. Whether it be predator and prey, wildlife spreading diseases such as the rinderpest or competition for grazing, domestic cattle farmers have always viewed wildlife as a hindrance or threat on their farming operation.
“CRACKER COUNTRY”
Anyone who has fished the coast of South Africa will understand the abundance of fish that we have access to as recreational anglers. Whether it is fishing for big sharks off the rocks or targeting edibles for the table at camp, few places can compete with South Africa when it comes to rock & surf angling as well shore entry spearfishing. My most sought after species, whether fishing off the rocks or spearfishing, is the black and white mussel cracker.
“CRUCIAL KRUGER”
One of the greatest success stories of modern-day conservation is the world-renowned Kruger National Park. The park covers just shy of 20 000 square kilometres which makes it roughly the same size as Israel, slightly smaller than Belgium and about a third of the size of Ireland. Having been declared a ‘no hunting zone’ in 1898, it was formally recognised as a National Park in 1926 and began generating revenue through ecotourism shortly thereafter.
“HOWA HAPPINESS”
Having received my first pellet gun at the tender age of 4 years old, it is safe to say that I have spent my entire life hunting. As my passion for the outdoors grew and I developed as a hunter, it soon became apparent to me that running a safari business, and sharing the experiences that I am so fortunate to have on a day-to-day basis with others, is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.