I hope this story written in the prime of bird season finds readers doing things other than working to pay the bills and taking care of a new born child. At late these are the things I have been doing, long gone for a while are the days of freedom and adventure free to go as the wind blows on whatever journey landed at my feet. Here goes the story of my first African Safari…..
Every journey has a making of its own. This one no different than any other except instead of being conjured at the helm of the internet and boredom a friend had told me he promised me a good time if I wouldd be so inclined to bid on a 10 day African safari. To my surprise being that I had just finished a trip to Argentina, my wife told me go for it. Never thought I would see that place until I was 2/3 dead as the rest of the group with SCI, but $2250 dollars later I was off to Africa in a year with a friend who split the package with me since it was for two hunters. 10 days, 2 hunters, all daily fee’s included, 2 animals per hunter, and whatever else you wished to shoot per trophy fee listing. All 100% donated by Limcroma Safaris.
For the next year I mapped my way to pay for this grand adventure, made ready my things, and dreamed about what everyone told me was to come. All looked good until the final weeks leading up to the trip, my custom rifle I had built years early for when I would finally take that trip to Africa sometime after I retired had its stock swell and started slam firing on me. A back up was quickly thrown together as we just couldn’t get it fixed in time. Our timing was also by coincidence immediately following the Cecil the lion incident, which as you can imagine drew ire from those outside the hunting community.
I could tell you in detail what I did everyday, but I don’t think there’s enough time for those embellishments here. You’ll have to read my hunt journal to see that one. I can tell you I shot almost everything I wanted to, I had to lay off and leave something to return to one day. Even though almost all hunting was done exclusively on game ranches, everyday was an adventure. I can’t wait to get back to Africa. I successfully took two good warthogs, a Kudu bull that had killed another bull in a fight the night before, an impala, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, baboon, and exceptional Bushbuck.
Special thanks to Steve Young for twisting my ear to buy the hunt, LaVon Kahele for being duped into splitting it with me, Dale Hayama and Martha Kiyabu of Young Guns for dealing with me the entire trip. Thank you Hannes Els of Limcroma Safari for his year to year generosity, and my guide Kenny Swemmer.
May your lives be filled with endless funds to pay for countless adventures abroad, Grant