Nelson’s slot – About fun, laughter, pranks and "some" hunting along the way…

If you have ever visited John X Safaris at SCI’s National Convention over the past ten to fifteen years then you may have had the pleasure to meet Brett Nelson. He’s the quiet guy with the big smile, always there, but never wanting to be in the way, while we tend to the many friends who stop by to say hi or book their next adventure. He’s the kind of guy every succesful team needs. Nothing is too much to ask and the word “no” is not part of his vocabulary. He’s that guy you call.. when you only have one call.

He has become such an integral part of our family that he has his very own slot on our calendar each year. During the early season, towards the end of March, when you could just about assure him the summer rains had come and the areas have been undisturbed since the end of the previous season. It’s been like that for as long as we can remember.
Brett is an avid hunter who hates traveling alone. His enjoyment of sharing his piece of paradise with fellow hunters is what gives him great pleasure, while personally after eleven safaris to the East Cape, it would be fair to say the hunting is no longer his number one priority. He’s all about the camaraderie, the fun and laughter along the way, and the experiences with the many friends he has brought along on safari over the years. This year proved to be no exception with a crew made up of old friends returning on their second safari, as well as a few first timers.
Todd Ingstad was back on his second hunt to John X Safaris, teaming up with PH, Martin Neuper, making for a formidable team. Plains game would be the oder of the day, while Todd took his opportunities on a number of fantastic animals.

His Cape Eland would ensure the amazing start we have enjoyed on this specie for 2018 would continue on in style. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen or hunted bulls like this. Todd quite literally made a “pig” of himself with his epic Cape Eland.

This is not your everyday kind of bull. For the Eland connoisseur it will leave you in awe, grasping for both words and air, while at the same time trying to fathom the sheer enormity of this animal. A dream trophy…

For Luther Dietrich it would be a return to his happy hunting grounds. A certain 10″ Vaal Rhebuck on a previous safari with PH, Carl van Zyl, had built a close bond between these two which has taken them on numerous safaris throughout Africa, with the most recent being a Lord Derby Eland in Cameroon.

This year there were many highlights, including an Impala that had us in jitters and a Sable that changed our plans without us even realizing it. It’s not hard to see why we couldn’t pass it up. Then there was the amazing Bushbuck hunt up in the forests of the high ground, and finally…we got our Ostrich. The “bird hunting” just about gave us the slip after a serious run-around for a number of days.

Luther also always adds a fun twist to any safari, this year, adding a Aoudad to his hunt. Most will be amazed to learn there are a number of Aoudad strongholds in the East Cape, most notably being a free-ranging herd of +-500 animals in the Stormberg Mountain range of the East Cape.

The sheep are spread out in groups all over the mountains and it is seldom that one will not see as many as 300 in a morning. They’re everywhere, but hunting them is a major challenge in an outer worldly kind of terrain. Huge rocky outcrops rise up above the lush green valley floors below with some rock ledges extending over a couple of miles without a break in the rock. Professional Hunters, Carl van Zyl and Ed Wilson, did their best to capture both the terrain and scenery as best they could via their PhoneSkope’s, as to give you an idea of the kind of hunt it is. The footage is the best we could muster up between us while trying to hunt these weary mountain dwellers. It’s an experience like few out there…

While Luther was making the most of the mountains, first timers Dan and Kathy Cotter, were embarking on their first hunt to Africa. Dan and PH, Rusty Coetzer, hunted hard from our southern and northern areas, while Kathy enjoyed a day visiting Addo Elephant Park with Trish. It’s been a long time since the ladies have seen so much on a single outing, making for a memorable trip.

For Dan and Rusty it would be early mornings and late evenings as they toiled hard to achieve their goals. Dan’s Warthog most certainly proved to be one of his and our favorites.

As for first timer Jack Cripe or fondly known as the “instigator”, there wouldn’t be much that could stand in the way of this man and fun. Jack epitomized someone who had decided he’d be having the time of his life before he even arrived. It’s rewarding guiding someone in that kind of mood, which intern gave PH, Ross “Stix” Hoole, the opportunity to provide an experience hard to plan, let alone know where next the journey may take one.

It provided Jack with a superb harvest of trophies combined with rewards from sun-up to late in the night each evening. It provided surprises along the way, most notably one of the trophies of the safari.

A beautiful Nyala with width, colour and magnificent length.

Jack’s old friend, Scott Fontaine, who had joined us last on safari during 2013, teamed up once again with his PH and partner in crime, Greg Hayes. Scotty and Grego could be referred to as the “naughty kids” of the group, always getting up to mischief with untold amounts of fun along the way! They hunted hard, but they played even harder, in between racking up a superb bag of trophies.

And for the man who put this all together, who gave us the opportunity to share ten wonderful days on safari, the hunting gods came smiling as he took on a few more than usual. Together with PH, Ed Wilson, Brett hunted a superb Scimitar Horned Oryx, an old dark Giraffe bull, Vita-Darted a White Rhino and brought down the largest bird in the world, which Ed kindly reminded us cannot fly and for that reason did not count. No ways Wilson. Anything at 400 yards counts!

BUT the cherry on the cake was Brett’s Bushpig. Finally, after having passed up on numerous opportunities over the years, always giving his fellow hunters the first chance at pigs, he committed to the process and Clayton’s unrelenting efforts and got his boar.

And what a pig it turned out to be!

As we said, there was “some” hunting done by a fun-loving bunch of pranksters who left us grinning from ear to ear with stomach muscles in tatters from all the laughter along the way. They filled their tags with distinction and gave it horns from sun-up to well after midnight each evening. They lived, laughed and hunted like there was no tomorrow.

And we can’t wait to do it all again come March 2019!
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