Donald Jackson was a resident of Amarillo from 1979 through 2007 and was employed at Pantex. Jackson said when he moved away, he left a piece of his heart here, as well as many good friends. Lately, he has been able to make three African safaris, and here he shares a firsthand account of his first trip for his community back in Amarillo. Anticipating his third visit, he said the De Meyers and their staff are like family now, and he is sure of a wonderful adventure when in their care. Here is his account of these hunting adventures, presented in a three-part series.
For anyone who is a serious hunter, the ultimate dream is a hunt in Africa. For most of us, this remains a dream, and I always thought that it would be that way for me. After all, Africa was too far away and a trip there would involve guides, servants and fees, taxes and bribes, making it much too expensive for someone who always carried a lunch box to work and had to watch his expenses. I was wrong on all counts!
At the Ducks Unlimited Banquet in 2018, I was the high bidder on a trip for four to South Africa, sponsored by Kuche Hunting Safairs. Two of our friends agreed to go with us, so the party was set. We had three years to take the trip, so we planned to go last year. Due to Covid, we delayed until 2021.
We flew there on Qatar Airways flights from Atlanta to Qatar to Johannesburg, South Africa. This was a two-day journey, and we got very tired of sitting in the airplane, but Qatar does everything they can to make it a pleasant trip. You have a choice of entrees at every meal, and their food is tasty and well prepared. Unlimited drinks are included in the price of the tickets, and the stewardesses were always attentive to all of their passengers. The entertainment screen in front of each passenger had movies, TV programs, informative channels like E! and National Geographic, as well as route maps and external cameras that gave you the pilot’s view.
We arrived in Johannesburg at 4 a.m. and after collecting our bags went to the police station to collect our rifles. I have never met a friendlier, more helpful group than those policeman and policewomen. Our outfitter, Koos de Meyer of Kuche Hunting Safaris, was on the way to meet us, but due to the curfew was not able to be there when we arrived. The police called him to get his time of arrival and then assisted us in filling out the paperwork for importing our rifles into South Africa. By the time Koos arrived, they had everything processed and had handed us our permits.
Koos told us quite a bit about the state of the animals in South Africa. We have been told that elephants are endangered and near extinction. This is true only in the northern part of Africa. In the Southern portion of the continent, the elephant population has boomed under the protection of the government and the ranchers. There are at least 400 more elephants in Kruger National Park than the ecology can support. As elephants are very destructive feeders, they can quickly deplete the landscape, rendering it unable to support them or any other animals. Because the ranchers had also waged war against lions, the giraffe population, to use one example, has grown so large that they exceed the carrying capacity of the land in many places. It has become necessary to hunt the animals to keep them from overgrazing the land and all starving together. Plus, the natives are fed from the meat that hunters harvest. And the rancher makes enough money to stay in business.
Until about 50 years ago, the ranchers viewed the wild animals as competitors for the available forage, and many were shot just to get rid of them so that the cattle would have more room and feed. Then the safari industry started to bring in tourists with foreign currency, and the ranchers realized that the animals were more valuable than the cattle. Since then, the wildlife have flourished because they can be hunted, thus have value and the ranchers encourage then rather than try to exterminate them. The government figures indicate that the wild animal population has almost doubled in just the last 20 years. I understand that the preservationist organizations need to make us think we are saving the very last animals so that we will send them money, but when it comes to the animals’ plight I will take the word of the men who are living with the animals every day.
Another interesting part of our drive to the compound was seeing all of the businesses along the way. They have KFC there, also Taco Bell! Who would have guessed? We made a rest stop at a convenience store, and learned just how serious they are about fighting Covid. A gentleman in uniform was at the front door with an AK-47, making sure that everyone was wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer. I felt that he would cheerfully use it on anyone who did not comply.
We loaded all of our luggage into the back of Koos’ truck and climbed in. He began the 4 1/2 hour drive to his lodge. We had to descend through the mountains that Johannesburg is in to the flat plain that makes up the Northern part of South Africa. The country reminds me very much of West Texas, with different vegetation.
The main lodge is located near the village of Steenbokpan, in the portion of Limpopo province that is near Botswana. It is very flat, devoid of hills and valleys but is truly beautiful. Its annual rainfall is only about 21 inches, but it is covered with sweetgrass, which is high in nutrients and feeding value for game.
The Shepherd’s Tree, Boscia albitrunca, is found there in abundance. It is a protected tree and a very distinct element of the bushveld flora. The sky is a most beautiful deep blue and the sunsets a magnificent display of reds and salmon pink.
We arrived at the lodge about 1:00. Lunch was available, but I do not recall eating that day, I was too excited. The lodge is sited just off the road and is complete with everything that you could wish. The rooms are like motel suites, there is a swimming pool, a fire pit and a lounge. Honestly, I was too intent on meeting the camp staff and our Professional Hunters to pay much attention.
All during our stay we were pampered in every way, and the pampering started immediately. Two ladies took care of cleaning the rooms daily, putting fresh linens on the beds daily and washing and ironing our clothes daily (they have a solar clothes dryer, just like my grandmother used to have).
Our chef was named Roberto, and he could have cooked in any gourmet restaurant anywhere. He always prepared every meal, from Breakfast to Dinner, and did it up right. We had steak from a different animal every night. Kudu, Sable, Waterbuck, Eland, Impala and Zebra were on the menu, with chicken for those adverse to eating wild game. The wild game was delicious! As were the salads, various vegetables and deserts that accompanied it.
Part two will begin with the first morning where Jackson’s hunt began in earnest.
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