Craig Boddington on John X Safaris
Carl van Zyl’s dad, Rick van Zyl, was one of the first professional hunters licensed in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Everyone wants to know who “John X” is. As Carl told me, in 1983 they had a short window to register their safari company and needed a name. At the time, the family was located out in the Great Karoo. Their small ranch called Merriman was named after John Xavier Merriman, last premier of the Cape Colony which, in 1910 became part of what was then the Union of South Africa. John X Safaris was an obvious choice and aptly John X Safaris was born on a dusty plain in the Great Karoo.
Rick van Zyl is retired from hunting, John X Safaris long since headed up by Carl van Zyl. Carl grew up in the safari business, and I’ve known him since he was a very young PH. Well, I still think of him as young, but note that as I get older, my definition of “young” has expanded. Today, Carl van Zyl is a well-seasoned veteran PH and outfitter. Together with his family, an excellent team of experienced PHs, and an amazing staff, John X Safaris offers the finest of South African hunting experience, personally tailored to the client’s needs.
Since 2016, John X Safaris has headquartered at Woodlands Safari Estate in the scenic and game-rich Bedford area. There, “camp” is a sprawling and much upgraded colonial manor dating back to 1898. This home property offers excellent buffalo, kudu, sable, and most of South Africa’s common species. From there, depending on game sought and experience desired, your safari can branch out into the big sky country of the Great Karoo, with breathtaking vistas, and home to big herds of desert antelopes. Or to the big mountains of the north, excellent for vaal rhebok, mountain reedbuck, klipspringer…and aoudad. Or to wild canyon country along the Transkei border, some of the finest kudu country I have ever seen.
Years ago, the first time I hunted with Carl, it was younger daughter’s Caroline’s first safari. We spent a few days hunting thick thornbush near the Addo Elephant Park, then out to the Great Karoo, totally different vegetation and topography, both marvelous and perfect experiences.
Much more recently, post-Covid, I joined buddy John Stucker and five of his friends for a seven-day hunt in June with John X. Stucker was on the trail of the Tiny Ten, so he started the safari out in the Great Karoo, took vaal rhebok and klipspringer, and a huge Cape grysbok. Most of the group were on their first safari, so we all wanted kudus. To be specific, six kudus. In June, the rut was on but that’s a lot of kudus. Carl started us in that big country near the Transkei, a huge, rugged, free-range conservancy. His plan: Hunt kudu for a few days, then complete the hunt at the Woodlands base camp. I thought he’d gone nuts. In today’s Africa, six kudus in just a few days?
I kept my mouth shut and went with the flow. A great operator like Carl knows his country, its timing, and how to make a plan. Good thing. Delayed by a cancelled flight, I got in a day late, joined the group. Nothing in the skinning shed. Next morning, embarrassingly and unintentionally, I shot the first kudu, awesome bull with a long shot, thanks mostly to Carl’s “camp rifles” from Gunwerks. Two more bulls down that morning, two in the afternoon, our sixth and last bull the following morning. Six kudu bulls down, all mature and excellent, in an amazing 24 hours. If I hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have believed it.
The kudu business transacted, we packed up and went to the main camp at Woodlands. Stucker joined us there, and we had a typical and productive East Cape safari. Nobody wanted a big bag, but I think everyone got everything they wanted and more. In the amazing and eclectic camp bag: bushbuck, common duiker, impala, gemsbok, nyala, sable, springbok, warthog, wildebeest, zebra. I wasn’t looking for anything else, but I shot my best photos of a bull roan. We had a great time, and with those pesky kudus out of the way, a wonderfully carefree, no-pressure conclusion to a great John X safari.
Good Hunting,
Contact us today for more information on our hunts and feel free to mail Carl directly on johnxsafarishunts@gmail.com with your specific safari requests or quotes. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing a campfire in Africa.
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