2015 San Angelo SCI Chapter Donated Hunt underway.

Apart from various local philanthropic initiatives, Blaauwkrantz Safaris also voluntarily donates to initiatives further afield. Donating to organisations like Safari Club International,Dallas Safari Club and various Chapters are in the interests of serving and protecting the rights of people to enjoy freedoms like being able to hunt and own firearms. These rights are continually being eroded by people who are opposed to individual freedoms and rights, and we are appreciative of organisations such as these that protect these liberties. They also play an integral part in marketing our outdoor industries. We currently have Mr Nolan Venable from Texas who bought our San Angelo Chapter Donated hunt in January. He is having a great hunt so far,enjoying the fantastic conditions to have taken bushbuck, steenbok and impressive kudu on his first day yesterday. I suspect he will have a great hunt further, as the conditions are almost paradise-like here with game being plentiful and abundant on our private property, which is flourishing thanks to our private conservation efforts we take so much pride in. Long live individual rights, and organisations that are helping to protect these.

Blaauwkrantz Bushpig update

2015 got off to a sqealing start with no fewer than six trophy bushpigs successfully harvested already.What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that this is a 100% success rate with all hunting clients that set out for these elusive creatures taking them. Early Janauary I guided Mr Christopher Sundtman on a short four day hunt and bushpig was on his list,he not only got his pig but several other impressive trohies too. In march we had Mr Benyi Boyd and his family from Panama here,his son Ben shot a bushpig and Benyi himself hunting two on this trip.In 2011 Benyi visited us twice and shot 6 bushpigs on those two safaris.Benyi Is the official Blaauwkrantz Bushpig King with now fewer than 8 of these anaimals under his belt. Congratulations Benyi! In early April Mr Dennis Hilling from Canada made an excellent shot in the waxing moon to shoot a very large bushpig.The sow weighed 185 lbs! I also managed to shoot a goat killing bushpig that was causing some problems amongst our domestic goats at a certain place.Bushpigs can be very destructive if they want to!Yet experience has taught me to effectively target these individuals.
The season has just begun in earnst, so hopefully there will more updates on bushpig hunting to follow! Good hunting.

"Tail-gaitin" with Ole Bardy

Each year after our Dallas Safari Club show, Bardy Helwig or Ole Bardy as we have become to affectionately know him over the years shows us some Texas hospitality and the tradional "tail-gate" party starts it off. After this we are treated to some of Dallas and Fort Worth's fine culinary attractions.Marbled rib-eye steak or delicios Mexican is a favourite.
We always attempt to reciprocate this kind hospitality not only with Ole Bardy and his family but with all our friends we have made over many decades of associations in foreign lands.

Ole Bardy, yours truly, Francois, Drew and Jan.

Trophy room visits in Texas

We always try to take some time and visit our clients when we travel to the USA for our annual marketing season in Januray and February.
We attend the Dallas Safari Club show, the Safari Club International in Las Vegas and the Mule Deer Foundation in Salt Lake City show each year.
In between these shows we always try to fit in a visit to some clients. Apart from enjoying the fantastic,warm hospitality our Americans hunters offer, viewing their trophy rooms is always a treat. Seeing the animals displayed is a great way to remember the hunt and to honour the species. This past January and February we visited Mr + Mrs Karl Evan's (2015 DSC President), Mr Doug and Debbie Gentry and Mr Randy and Linda Bell's trophy rooms, all in Texas. What a honour and pleasure.

WRT to last post..

Mr Sundtmans Kudu taken before 5am in January...

More summer hunting

Adding to my previuos post,here is a picture of Mr Sundtman's excellent kudu taken at 4:50am on the 7th January 2015. It was barely daylight when we stalked this bull making his way back to the thickets in the Blaauwkrantz hills. The rest of the day turned out to be very hot (100 degrees Fahrenheit), but the animals are very active in the evenings near drinking points and open areas with acacia thorn trees in bloom, a favourite food of theirs at this time of the year. The late afternoons also become a good time to search for these big bulls.

Hunting Blaauwkrantz in the summer months with Blaauwkrantz Safaris

Traditionally our hunting months have been concentrated around Fall and Winter.The rut for most of the game coincides with late summer,fall up until mid June.(Southern hemisphere seasons are inverse to those in the Northern Hemisphere)

Before the rut starts in late summer which is in March,the wildlife group themselves in the breeding herds and bachelor males who congregate together and act like any group of bachelor men would....cruising around together and making themselves very visible.Now for predators and hunters this is a great time to surprise these show offs as they are fixated on each other most of the time.Sparring and full blown fights often pass their time as they wonder around until the first of the female antelope come on heat.

Most hunters often believe that hunting the rut is a good time to quarry for trophies,which is true,but I believe that searching for these bachelor groups makes things so much better: the bulls are all together.The heat can be an issue in the summer which is between November and March but this is avoided by hunting early morning and late afternoons when the animals are most active too.Days are much longer during these months, with up to five hours more daylight.Midday are spent at the lodge cooling down around the pool or having a siesta.


The other advantage of hunting the summer months is that there are relatively few other hunters around which is often as bonus for clients who prefer to enjoy some more exclusivity at the lodge, although the 90 000 acre Blaauwkrantz is large enough toe easily accomodate up to 5 hunting parties (PH's hunting 1x1 or 2x1). Below are some photos of a hunt that I did with Mr Christopher Sundman from Sweden in early January,probably the hottest time of the year.He had an awesome hunt taking a fantastic kudu and the Hogslam amongst other great trophies So, in future it is worth while considering the summer months to hunt with Blaauwkrantz Safaris. Good hunting.