By Jerry Long, September 13, 2010
In Part 3, Travel Day3 of the African Archery Safari series I finally arrive at Dries Visser Safaris and get ready to hunt in the Republic of South Africa. The entries will likely contain more detail than some desire, but in keeping with dv’s Mostly Archery mission, I want to help you be more successful and I think the extra details will.
August 15th, 2010 – Travel Day 3
The next morning a breakfast buffet was served. There was also a choice of breakfasts. I’m not sure how the cost worked out or what was included (turned out that both were included in the cost of the stay), but I chose the English breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs to order, toast and something else I can’t remember. It was good. The sausage was differently flavored and had little fat. I liked it. I grazed some fruit off the salad bar putting it in a cereal bowl and pouring my juice into a fruit goblet (hey, I was raised in rural Kansas). My host noticed, took pity on me, and swapped the juice into a glass for me – not that I am couth enough to care. There were nice little doily type things with beads around the edges that went over the tops of the juice and milk pitchers to keep out insects. I thought that was quite clever.
After nearly getting my fill of coffee (I operate off a minimum .08 blood/coffee content) I asked about possibly using the internet to e-mail Mrs. dustyvarmint. My original intent was to call her from the airport the previous evening, but Gracy Travel had us out of there quite quickly. Then, I had planned to call or e-mail from the guest house, but when we arrived we were told neither would be available until the following morning. The internet turned out to be excruciatingly slow and I could not get either of our e-mail accounts to work. So, I wandered about the grounds enjoying the early morning African sun, returned to my room to read about the French Revolution and await the PH.
Mariana Visser had told me that my PH, Kerneels Viljoen (pronounced “vulhune”), would pick me up at the guest house. At first glance it was hard to believe that the young man approaching me wearing a black Billabong hoody could be my PH. He introduced himself as such and grabbed my bags as I headed to the office to check out.
On the way out I met who I believe I heard to be Sasha, Kerneel’s friend. There was an errand to run in Johannesburg, before hitting the road so I got to glimpse a nice South African mall. We had coffee while we waited for the store to open. I had a choice of “filter” coffee or coffee (instant). I chose filter as Kerneels did also. Once business was finished we were on our way.
Kerneels liked to drive in the 120 kph range which is about 72 mph. That was ok with me. Seat belts seemed optional, but I chose to wear mine. We saw bands of “blue ball” monkeys crossing the road. I didn’t ask them why they were crossing the road. The countryside was arid, but picturesque.
Since one of the selling points of Dries Visser Safaris was that the PHs were bowhunters themselves I asked Kerneels if he bowhunted when it fit appropriately into our conversation. He said that he did and told me the bow he owned, a Mathews. I believe he said he had been a PH for approximately five years and had bowhunted for about the same. He proclaimed to be in his last year of school to become a primary school teacher. That, to me, put him in the 23-25 year old range. Always the skeptic I hadn’t reached my comfort level yet, but was still holding out hope based on DV Safari’s reputation.
Once near Thabazimbi, Kerneels pointed out some wart hogs. We stopped by his house as he’d forgotten a few things and then we decided to get lunch at the Spur Steak Ranch, a popular South African chain. Kind of like a cross between Dairy Queen and Applebees, maybe. Not sure what to safely eat I ordered cautiously, but everything seems to have turned out well.
We also picked up Dingaan, Kerneel’s tracker, there. We dropped off Sasha and headed north to DV Safaris. In just 35 klicks we would be at camp. The road turned from pavement to gray gravel to red dirt. We saw a few animals here and there, but not a lot.
Finally, we arrived at the famous brick gate to Dries Visser Safaris. RSA still has and uses very beautiful rustic, red glazed brick. A few more impala later and we were at camp. I met Duane, the chef and head of housekeeping, was assigned a chalet and settled in. There was a nice letter adorned with some raffia and a large porcupine quill welcoming me as well as a Dries Visser Safari’s camo cap embroidered with my name. From someone who is horrible with names that is pretty clever if you ask me.
The beautiful red brick of the Dries Visser Safari’s gate.
The bedroom area of the chalet.
The toilet and shower.
A camouflage hat with embroidered name and welcome letter.
I had the left half of the chalet.
Outside the main lodge.
The pool at the main lodge.
Kerneel’s came to get me to see if I could shoot and I indeed sent the field tipped and broadhead tipped arrows into the small orange dot at 20 yards which is as far as he felt necessary. Oh, if only every shot on a live target landed so well… Later I went out on my own and did some 40 and 50 yard shooting and found I was hitting 4-6” high. It definitely had to be form/technique so I filed that away for future reference.
The archery range.
I tried calling home. What an ordeal that initially was. Duane couldn’t remember how to dial and I worked up a sweat trying. I’d brought directions, but they didn’t seem to work. Finally Mariana saved me and I got through. After a few quick words with Mrs. dustyvarmint, Kerneels and I headed out for an afternoon game drive as a primer. We saw kudu cows and bulls, wart hogs that reminded me of feral hogs when they ran under fences, impala ewes and bucks, water bucks, cape buffaloes, gemsbok, zebras lying in the road, blesbok and wildebeest.
A waterbuck.
Cape buffalo.
Impala with zebra in the background.
Zebra.
A kudu.
A warthog, or vlakvark in Afrikaans.
I saw no mosquitoes (generally a malaria concern although we were in a malaria free zone) and believe I may have seen two during my entire visit since this was their winter. The afternoon warmed up nicely. I met Dries Visser, Jr, once again. He’d stayed at my house last year during a trip to the states. Dries brings a certain good natured, uplifting, life to where ever he is. PHs Stian and Nico introduced themselves. Every PH I met at DV Safaris went out of his way to treat me warmly and make my visit and hunt an enjoyable one. I also met Travis and Kyle, two bowhunters from Texas, and Brad, who currently calls my native Kansas home, but is living and working in RSA. I was impressed by Travis and Kyle’s bowhunting skills. They were truly accomplished and prolific bowhunters. We watched video of the day’s shots including a giant of a waterbuck taken by Travis.
I wandered about the main lodge which consisted of a large dining hall on one end and seating area with bar on the other. As you’d expect it is adorned with many outstanding trophies. We had dinner prepared by Duane which consisted of squash, rice, veggie stir-fry, an unknown meat (good – like ham), tuna salad and a good cake/custard kind of dessert. Meeting and breakfast times were determined. Brad and I learned we were heading to a different camp the next morning for three days to target some of the animals on our lists. I headed out to get packed, once again, and turn in.
Many of the “little” antelope, duikers, on the left.
A bushpig, an nyala, zebra, bushbuck and aardvark.
Cape buffalo, sable, eland and gemsbok.
The bar at the lodge.
The main dining area in the lodge.
Ok, that’s it for Part 3, Travel Day 3. Please join me next week as the journal continues with my first day of hunting.
happy hunting, dv
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