Grab your binocs, spotting scope, back pack, and let’s get scouting!
At the beginning of each season, once we’ve returned from our international marketing trip, we grab our gear and head out into our areas. While our game/areas management principles are sound, and have proven themselves over the course of the past 30 years, we still like to find an excuse to JUST GET OUT THERE!
Often we head out into established areas, and visit some of our favorite spots where we may have seen or left quota last season that could be ready this year or in the future. We like to add at least 1-2 new areas each season, allowing us to increase our 3 million+ acreage we have access to each season. By increasing and maintaining our areas it allows us to stay ahead of our competitors, ensuring you are treated to the very best quality on your safari.
This past week was just that week! An excited team consisting of Carl van Zyl, Greg Hayes, and Mike Currie headed out at 5am Friday morning. Our first two days were spent on the coast, scouting familiar territory and a fantastic new 11000 acre addition to our coastal areas.
A record-breaking wet season had done more than provide the perfect foundation for a prosperous summer, the areas, abundance of animals, and general condition of the game was spectacular.
From the coast we headed north first thing Monday morning, our journey lead us up the escarpment and into the Karoo. The intermediate area between the moister coastal area and the top of the escarpment before dropping over into the Karoo, had not experienced the same level of rain as the coast, making for dryer times, a slight worry with the approaching winter 2 1/2 months away. While most game species handle the drier conditions fairly well, it does affect your older animals, invariably your trophy animals – we can only hope for some much-needed rain before the onset of winter.
Dropping over the escarpment and into the Karoo was like déjà vu. On last year’s scouting trip we found a breath-taking Karoo awaiting us. After good summer rains and a great 2012, the Karoo has once again proven why it’s one of the best hunting areas in Africa. At a glance one would consider it a barren land, dry in nature, with hot summers and cold winters. But if you slow down, spend some time and put in the hours glassing, you’ll be amazed at how much there truly is.
The game has once again benefited from the magic little Karoo bush – the secret to the Karoo’s never-ending food source. With the added bonus of an above average grass growth, one would expect the game to make it thought the winter with ease.
From the plains of the Karoo we headed up into the mountains and climbed to 6000 feet above sea level. The mountains are usually fairly moist during the summer months, this summer proved no different. We spotted a fair number of Vaal Rhebuck, Black Wildebeest, and Mountain Reedbuck.
With the Black Wildebeest providing the best show of all! Crazy clowns of Africa!
By the end of the week we had all realized how much we had missed the forests, mountains, and plains – it reminded us just how fortunate we really are to follow our passions and hunt professionally as a career. It’s not every day that your office comes with a view like ours…
Breath taking….
To those who are yet to secure their next hunt with John X Safaris, here’s a quick reminder of our remaining 2013 Show Schedule. If you or any of your friends are interested in meeting with us, please drop us a line, we’d be glad to see you in Europe.
SPAIN – February/March 2013
CINEGETICA Hunting Convention – Madrid, Spain: 28 February-3 March 2013
We look forward to being of assistance on hunting@johnxsafaris.co.za .
For more information on our hunts and current updates about John X Safaris; follow us on Twitter, connect with us on Facebook and visit our website!