Hunt Report - Botswana Kalahari with Tholo Safaris

Dates: March 17-24, 2007 (8-days)
Place: Clive Eaton’s Ranch in the Kalahari & local ranches and local community properties.
Animals Hunted: Kudu, Eland, Warthog and Blue Wildebeest.
Animals seen but not hunted: Zebra, Waterbuck, Blesbuck, Springbuck, Steenbuck, Duiker, Black Wildebeest, Giraffe, Ostrich, Brown Hyena, Jackal, Gemsbuck, Red Hartebeest, Impala, Hippo, White Rhino, Guinea Fowl, Dove & Sand Grouse.
Professionsl Hunter: Clive Eaton (Assisted by apprentice PH, JP Becker).

It has been about 6 years since I have done a safari that wasn't centered around dangerous game, and I have to say I truly enjoyed this one. I have been threatening Clive for years that I was going to come and kill some of his animals. I had a hunt scheduled for 2004, but had to cancel at the last minute. I finally rescheduled it for March 17-24. 

March is not the ideal time to go to the Kalahari, it is hot, it can rain, the bush is thick, but it is certainly an option for those who want to take their kids on safari over spring break. There was a father and son in camp they were taking advantage of this date for that very reason.

Clive’s camps are very nice. His camp staff was very professional, punctual and attentive. The Bushman trackers were incredible by any standard and the game was abundant. The company around the fire in the evenings was first class. It included; JP, Clive, Linda (Clive’s wife), and Clive’s father who is 83, sharp as a tack and a true, polite gentleman. You couldn’t ask for more.
 
As a side note, Clive is set up well for bow-hunters.

Wildebeest

After a failed stalk on a small herd of Zebra, we turned back for the truck. As we turned around, I saw a Wildebeest standing under a tree only 100 yards or so from us. I said, “I would like to take that Wildebeest.” So I did. He is 29” We later saw some 30” + Wildebeest.
 

Warthog  

After many safaris, I lacked a good Warthog. Not anymore!   



Kudu

I told Clive that I wanted a very good Kudu and if I didn’t shoot a Kudu, it was not a problem.

We looked over a ton of very good Kudu. At one point, about halfway through the safari, the tracker said to the PH, “What is wrong with this guy. Why doesn’t he want to shoot the big Kudu?” He explained that I only wanted a really big Kudu.  

On the last day of the hunt we were driving through Clive’s Cattle ranch on the way to lands owned by a local Bushman community, when we spotted a very nice Kudu. He was right on the edge of what I was holding out for, but just not quite what I wanted. I looked at the tracker ... the tracker said nothing.

Later that morning, after I shot the Warthog, the tracker could not keep it in anymore. He told the ph again that there was definetily something wrong with me and that I didn’t want to shoot a Kudu. 15 minutes later we spotted this guy.  

Turns out I did want to shoot a Kudu. I just wanted a really big one.  



Eland

This was the highlight of the hunt and the main animal I was after. I wasn’t so concerned with trophy quality of the Eland as I was with the way the hunt was to be conducted.  

I wanted to track Eland with the Bushman. And track them, we did. This kind of hunt is very exciting and reminds me a lot of Buffalo hunting, except Eland seem to be able to see better than Buffalo and getting close seemed to be more difficult.

During the first few days, we would follow Eland spoor. For one reason or another, they would end up with us turning back for the truck. Usually it was because we would bump the Eland in the thick brush a few times and the Eland were running and the tracker did not think it was possible to catch the herd in a reasonable amount of time.

On the third day I had a very brief opportunity at a very big Bull, but it just wasn’t in the cards that day, an image that I will not soon forget.

On day 5, we ran across some Eland, late in the day.

When we spotted them they ran, however we caught up to them within 15 minutes. They were all calm and had resumed grazing. We carefully stalked up to the herd.

At one point the herd came back on us and grazed within 40 yards of us. I could hear them, but I could not see them as all of us were trying to stay as low as possible.

After they moved off, we got up and stalked the closer to the Bull we wanted. The sun had set, but it was still light enough to shoot.

The sticks went up and I rested the gun on it. The Eland had seen us and were all at attention now. I squeezed a round as the big Bull turned. I knew at the shot that it was a bad shot. I told Clive that I had hit him high and far back.

They ran, and we ran as fast as we could to try to catch them to put in another round before it got too dark.

After a short run, we came to a road. The trackers stopped and were discussing something. Clive turned and said, "We will leave them for tonight, and take up the track tomorrow morning."

They called for the truck and it arrived within fifteen minutes. As we got in, I asked Clive, "Aren't they going to mark this spot in the road?"

No, they know where it is.

Keep in mind, this all looks the same to me. Miles of straight roads with no unique features to distinguish this point from any other point that I could tell. But then again, I am not a Bushman!

We got in and drove back to camp.

That night I saw lightning in the direction we had come from. "I hope it doesn't rain and erase the track."

Guess what. Yep, it rained. When we got back to the track the next morning, all I could make out was a depression in the sand where an animals may have stepped at sometime. My heart sank, knowing there was no way you can follow a track that has been washed away by the rain.

We grabbed a few bottles of water and I looked at my watch. 7:50 am.

We set out walking about as fast as is comfortable. It appeared to me that the trackers were just going to walk in a straight line and see if they found anything. I was quite disappointed in my shooting and saw no need to take a walk when there was no visible sign.

The trackers would occasionally look a the ground, but most of their attention was focused on the horizon. I felt as though we were walking just to show that we had tried to find the Eland, just to put forth an effort and say we tried.

45 minutes into the walk, we pass through some brush. The ph lifted the branch and pointed out the blood on the bottom of the branch that the rain had not washed away.

I could not believe it. I have hunted all over Africa, and had some of the best trackers, and I was still amazed that these guys were following a track that, by most accounts, did not exist. To say I was impressed is an understatement.

We walked on, as fast as was reasonable, not saying anything, just following the trackers. We walked so far, that we walked out of the area that had gotten rain and into dry ground. When we hit the dry ground, I could then see the blood trail.

At 11:35, we caught up to him standing under a small tree. I put in the final shot.

I was disappointed that I had wounded him, but I was extremely happy that we had found him. I can not say enough about these trackers. Their ability is incredible. 



Other Game Seen

There are quite a few birds in this area. Plenty of guinea fowl and a good number of Sand Grouse and Dove. Here are a few pictures of Sand Grouse coming to water.









Not a Sand Grouse, but a pretty Ibis (?) and a decent photo.







A Kudu that I passed early in the hunt. He was kind enough to pose for a couple good photos before he ran off.





Another Kudu passed on ...







A very nice Wildebeest ...







Brown Hyena Photos added (these were taken with a game camera, I have cropped them to fit.) There was a dead Donkey that Clive set a camera on, these are just a select few of the photos. There where hundreds of Vulture pictures (feeding until 9:30 at night!) tons of Jackals, Maribou Storks, Porcupines etc.