Dear friends,

Swapping their safari gear for something a lot more colourful, PH Clive Curtis and tracker Jack took part in an exhillirating parachute jump over Zululand in support of Project Rhino!

Skydive for Rhinos is a fundraising initiative of Project Rhino that started in 2012 and has become a wonderful conservation awareness campaign to stop wildlife crime and to save our Rhinos. This year the Skydive for Rhinos came to Zululand, home to the heart of KwaZulu-Natal’s White and Black Rhino populations. 96 Passionate wildlife enthusiasts jumped out of a plane over Hluhluwe Airstrip from Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 August! The campaign aimed to increase awareness about the Rhino poaching crisis in our country and raise funds for urgently needed anti-poaching initiatives and equipment. With 316 rhinos killed by poachers this year alone, the situation is critical and Project Rhino has committed that 100% of all funds raised will go towards Rhino protection. The initiative raised over R500,000! Funds will be put towards the Anti-Poaching Horse Unit, K9 Unit, Aerial Patrol Unit and Ranger training and more.

CVS made a contribution towards the cause and we would like to acknowledge and thank Roger and Steve & Shelly who sponsored Clive and Jack’s jumps.

Well done Clive and Jack! Truly a brave and most noteworthy accomplishment – particularly for Jack who had never even been in a plane let alone jumped out of one! CVS is very proud of you both!

Click on the following links Clive Jumps for Rhinos  &  Jack Jumps for Rhinos to view the fantastic video clips of each of their jumps!

Please contact the CVS office should you wish to know more about how you can help fight the battle agains Rhino poaching.

BY HANS VERMAAK

Trey and his family arrived in the Kalahari for their first safari in Africa in June 2018. Clive and I were booked as the PHs and we were anxious to get cracking with the hunt. Trey was after Buffalo and his children had a variety of plains game on the menu. Buffalo hunting is addictive, and I doubt there is a PH in Africa who doesn’t get excited at the prospect of pursuing this formidable beast.

My favourite destination to hunt Cape Buffalo in South Africa is our Kalahari Concession for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the area is huge, the Buffalo are wild and live a totally natural existence amongst lions and other predators and the bull groups that we pursue are alert and totally cunning! Bulls come and go from the breeding herds and frequently form bachelor groups ranging from 2 to 15 animals. Sometimes we encounter ancient bulls, known as “dagga boys” (which means mud boys because they love to wallow and they’re frequently caked in hard dried mud) that live secretive lives way below the radar, they’re often alone or they may have a buddy or two in tow for company.

We prefer to pursue bull groups because this is where the older bulls are, away from the hustle and bustle and chaos of the breeding herds. The Kalahari Concession always provides our clients with a challenging and rewarding Buffalo hunt but this time the Buffalo were at the top of their game. We didn’t know it on day one, but we were going to have our work cut out for us and the marathon was just about to begin.

To go into detail about the events that took place each day would make this story too long, so I’ve decided to touch on some of the highlights which took place over the next six days. Early on the first morning we saw four Buffalo bulls off in the distance. My Leica 10x40s quickly revealed that one of the bulls was a thumper of a trophy – wide with deep curls and a heavy boss to boot. I motioned to Trey that it was time to get going. We had perfect cover, the breeze was in our faces, and the Buffalo had sauntered off relaxed and undisturbed. What could go wrong?

Soon we arrived at the location where we had last seen the Buffalo. Their tracks indicated that they were grazing in a north-easterly direction. We got into line and onto the spoor with my tracker Robbie in the lead. The dung was still steaming hot and the large dinner plate sized tracks were as clear as could be in the soft, sparsely covered sand. Everything was perfect and I was already picturing the stunning photo we were going to get in the soft morning light.

Soon we caught sight of the bulls, the top of their backs moving slowly through the brush as they grazed, heads down, totally unaware of our presence. We were closing in when suddenly the back of my neck felt cool as the breeze changed direction. Ahead of us the bulls exploded into a full-blown gallop. We could here them crashing through the brush, totally ignoring bushes that we would have to circle around! The heavy pounding of their hooves raised a cloud of dust as they tore away from the terrifying human scent the wind had taken to them. In a flash they were out of sight and the dust trail they left drifted away in the breeze. The strong fresh scent of Buffalo was all around us, but I knew that after their swift and determined departure they were going to put some serious distance between us. As we started off on the tracks the breeze returned to normal, coming straight out of the north-east into our faces. We were back in business.

The tracks headed north towards a waterhole near our camp and I was certain that we would soon catch up with our quarry. After a few hours we passed the waterhole near camp and to my dismay they hadn’t stopped to quench their thirst despite the temperature rising. We tracked the bulls for the rest of the day, bumping into them on two more occasions, each time the wind deceiving us just as we were closing in. Crazy how the Buffalo would buttonhook allowing us to walk directly into the wind, and would blow us out. Notwithstanding the ever changing winds, the weather was perfection!

At sunset we enjoyed an ice-cold beer and headed back to camp where a warm campfire greeted us along with exciting stories of successful hunts from Trey’s son & daughter.

The next 5 days played out with us trailing the same Buffalo all day from dawn till dusk, stopping briefly in the shade of tree on some days for a quick bite of lunch. We set our sights on the four Buffalo we followed on the first morning. The more they eluded us the more determined we became to succeed. The wind, or lack of it, played into the Buffalo’s hands every day. The miles and miles we covered in huge blocks with no reference points or roads resulted in us putting my GPS to full use daily.

My wife Sarah came along on the safari and became the driver because I eventually had all the trackers in the field with me. It is a miracle how Sarah was able to follow my instructions and find us far from where we had left them at the end of each day. The Kalahari normally has a steady breeze but during Trey’s safari it barely existed at all. Each day the breeze would seesaw back and forth making an already challenging task virtually impossible. In the early mornings the breeze held steadier but because the Buffalo knew they were being pursued they started covering longer distances resulting in us getting nearer to them late in the day when the already testy wind became even more unpredictable. We soldiered on, thriving on the thrill of the hunt and the chase and the beautiful challenge that lay before us.

Soon we were able to tell when this group of bulls was preparing to lie up. They would be walking into the wind to the north (miles ahead of us) and their tracks would start circling to the west and then turn sharply to the south and then the east. In other words, they would circle around and land up bedding down behind us as we followed their tracks. The first few times they caught us hands down but it didn’t take us long to spot the signs and counter their clever trick. As soon as we realized they were circling and searching for deep shade we would leave the tracks, cut back and try to estimate where they would be bedded down.

We managed to get right onto them several times (literally 25 yards and on one occasion even closer) as they slept spread out, all facing different directions. The first problem we had was identifying the bull we wanted in the thick black thorn, the second problem was finding a clear shooting lane. The most notable challenge of all was the unpredictability of the breeze, which constantly gave us away, resulting in sleeping Buffalo becoming racehorses in a split second. It’s incredible to watch a Buffalo, which is dead to the world, go from zero to a hundred in a flash. The speed and agility of this animal is astounding to put it lightly. They are not graceful beasts but they’re certainly not lumbering chunks of hide and horn. Buffalo are fleet of foot and must not be underestimated.

With one day left on the safari Trey called it quits on the Buffalo so that he could spend some time with his fabulous wife who had accompanied us on some of the tracking marathons but had spent a lot of time waiting for us for hours on end in the truck. Trey also wanted to hunt a few plains game species and take in some scenery from the vehicle because all we had done for 5 days was walk. Trey hunted hard, we covered 48 miles spending entire days on our feet, sometimes crawling or being hunched over. Our trackers Sipho and Robbie tracked like magicians and we persevered for days on end. It was fantastic!

We saw amazing sights; we walked into White and Black Rhino at very close quarters in extremely thick cover. We enjoyed the solitude of being alone in the wild, far from hunting tracks, with Buffalo just ahead of us. On occasions we walked right up to Gemsbok, Wildebeest, Warthog and other species, spooking them when they spotted us at very close range. During the safari when we did drive from A to B we enjoyed wonderful sightings of Lion, Cheetah, Rhino and other game.

The safari came to a grand end. On the last day, we shot a Sable at 9:00am, followed by a Kudu at 11:30am and then a Gemsbok at 5:35pm. We had no time for multiple shots or wounding, we had to “put ‘em” on the ground.

Our final evening was warmer, beautiful in every way as the sun began to close on the horizon. We road home on the back of the land cruiser sipping chilled white wine whilst we savoured the soft glow of the sun as it slowly melted away.

Every evening after our failed Buffalo hunts I would say the following to Trey “the best thing about not getting a Buffalo is waking up in the morning knowing that you’re Buffalo hunting again”. This statement rang very true because Trey returned home and immediately booked a Buffalo hunt with us for May 2019……… but this is a story for another day.

My Father always told me that “you do not have to have killed to have hunted”. How true this is!

Early 2017 proved a pivotal point in my hunting career. I was part of something I’d previously thought unimaginable, to the point that a considered response to the question, “How would you like to do a white rhino hunt—a proper walk and stalk with your Double, on the largest concession in South Africa?” had never entered my thought process. Surprisingly I didn’t laugh, choke, or chortle, but asked the standard questions for which Clive was prepared. “And Oh, could I have an answer within 24 hours?” Yes, it would be expensive, but backed 1000% by my beautiful wife, within a day Michelle and I and our dear friend, Laura, were making plans for the Magical Kalahari.

Magical falls tremendously short of a fitting description, yet the English language offers none better to describe this place that feels so foreign yet so inviting and so at home to the wandering hunter. The game, the grounds, the hospitality, the smell and taste, and the feeling in your gut that tells you you’re home, you’re among friends, and danger awaits was a recipe that created a sense of relaxed urgency unrivaled in my travels to date.

We met old friends for the very first time the moment Kathy and Russell greeted us upon our arrival. Life for the next ten days was splendid due wholly to their untiring effort and devotion directed at keeping their house guests cozy and comfortable — and what a job they accomplished! I like to think us Southerners easy anyway, but Kathy gives new meaning to the word charm.

Day One on the truck opened an entirely new world of opportunity to me as our trackers, Patches and Muzi, led us on track after track bringing us to within range of the Double on not one or two, but three different White Rhinos. As is hunting, opportunity doesn’t always bring an end to your hunt and we headed back for the fire full of spent energy and high expectations.

The following day proved more of the same: opportunities, close encounters, countless miles covered both on the truck and on foot. Rhinos, huge prehistoric-like creatures can appear and disappear at will leaving nothing but a faint depression in the sand where only a moment ago they stood. At times I could easily track them, more times than not I would have easily been lost. Patches, the all-seeing, all-sensing tracker extraordinaire, misses not a single turned grain of sand. I have witnessed trackers that would awe even the staunchest nonbeliever and I place Patches in a class alone.

As the suns continued to set with no shot fired, the morning truck rides grew ever quieter with determination — day six nearly silent, but the hush was broken just before noon as the report of my Double echoed resoundingly through the scrub relaying to Michelle and Laura that our quest was complete. Removing our Courtneys and covering the last 30 yards in stockinged feet, Clive and I communicated via hand signals only. As previously determined, a tap on my shoulder would mean we were on a glorious old male past his breeding prime and the decision to squeeze the trigger would rest solely with me.

Aim points and angles had been discussed each night at the fire. With the Rhino standing broadside at fifteen yards, the 500 grain solid drove deeply into the massive bull two inches above the fold on the right shoulder. As if by script the enormous head dropped and the ancient warrior bounded. By instinct alone the barrels swung left to right like those of a .28 gauge following a rising covey. In slow motion the ivory bead, on an almost horizontal arc, went from shoulder through massive neck, passed the ear and there, just before following all the way through the gargantuan head, lead the bullet to the precise spot. Intensely focused, peripherals a blur, the second 500 grain solid from my .470 NE found the brain and the previously unimaginable had happened one and a half lengths from where he pushed off.

I watched as he skidded to a stop chin first in the shaded orange grains of the Kalahari. In an instant, the rush and commotion, explosion of adrenalin, and flight and report were wiped away, replaced by revere and relevance, awe and introspect. Seconds ticked by, then minutes. Hugs, handshakes and back slaps, though heartfelt, seemed small in the weight of reality. Only after we sat and knelt in the sand with him for a while, expressing our appreciation for his life and his being to near exhaustion did the moment come back into full focus. To say I am changed would be to say the Kalahari is vast.

Our safari, far from over, continued with such an air of relaxation and playfulness that I almost felt as if we had embarked on an entirely different journey. A tented spike camp, several extraordinary plains game, and Michelle’s first ever African trophy—a great Red Hartebeest—along with Lion, Hyena and Cheetah sightings helped to round out our monumental experience. My only wish is the ability to impart the emotion in even greater detail.

Scruff, Clive and all the crew, from me to you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Brooks

Dear Friends

We have the very best hunting areas in SA for the elusive Nyala and its mysterious cousin, the Cape Bushbuck. The Nyala occurs naturally in the southern and eastern regions of Southern Africa, in Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The most prolific populations by far are found in South Africa, primarily in the eastern regions of Kwa Zulu Natal province. Nyala have been introduced to a number of regions in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana which is not their natural habitat, thus the quality of the animals and the hunting experience is not what it should be. The word Nyala is a Zulu term for “the sly or shifty one”, which is perfectly fitting to this species, especially with regard to big old bulls which normally live solitary lives until they encounter a cow ready to breed. Nyala are striking animals at a glance, however upon closer inspection their beauty is astounding which is why many hunters opt to have their prized animal full mounted. The Nyala is part of the prized spiral horned family, which includes Kudu, Bongo, Sitatunga, eland and bushbuck. This year and in previous years we have taken some truly spectacular Nyala in our premier Kwa Zulu Natal areas.

 

Kwa Zulu Natal is also home to exceptional Cape Bushbuck. We hunt this extremely shy and cunning spiral horn antelope in the Umkomaas Valley and in the Natal Midlands where we have excellent hunting very close to our office HQ. The bushbuck is well known for its aggressiveness, and many hounds like Jack Russell’s and Fox Terriers have suffered the wrath of a wounded Bushbuck with fatal consequences. The Cape Bushbuck is especially wary and secretive, taking one slow step at a time, sometimes standing dead still for painstakingly long periods. Bagging a Cape Bushbuck is definitely an awesome accomplishment and the trackers excitement is testament to this. The SCI record book still has many CVS entries in the top 20 listings.

Our Kwa Zulu Natal areas offer a wide variety of species in addition to Bushbuck and Nyala. Around the CVS HQ (my home) we hunt Vaal Rhebok, Mountain and Common Reedbuck, Waterbuck, Bushpig, Nyala, excellent Bushbuck, Gray Duiker, Black Wildebeest, Blesbok and a variety of other species. The Umkomaas valley is a Nyala and Bushbuck paradise along with Kudu, Hartebeest, Springbok, Waterbuck and many more species. Our Zululand area on the East Coast is phenomenal for Nyala hunting and this is also where we hunt for the rare pygmy species – Red Duiker and Livingstone’s Suni. Zululand is also where we have taken some of our very biggest Leopard, excellent Common reedbuck, Bushpig, Warthog, Spotted Hyena, Crocodile, Hippo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Kudu and other species.

Please don’t hestitate to contact us regarding the awesome safari options in Kwa Zulu Natal. We will be at DSC – booth number 3212. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New year.

Wishing you all happy hunting.

With best personal regards,

Hans Vermaak and the CVS Team

Dear friends,

Concerned professional hunters who rejected the hunting of Captive Bred predators and the recent constitution adopted by PHASA, met today (6 December 2017) in Johannesburg and founded a new professional hunting association to be known as

“Custodians of Professional Hunting and Conservation South Africa”

Our mission statement:

1. To promote ethical and responsible professional hunting
2. To demonstrate and enhance conservation and ecologically sustainable development through the responsible use of natural resources in order to ensure that South Africa’s biodiversity and conservation heritage is protected for the benefit of present and future generations
3. To enhance and promote professional hunting’s contribution to the livelihoods and socio-economic development of all South Africans.

A new constitution was agreed upon and will be released shortly. Membership applications and relevant details will be made public in due course.

A committee was duly elected:

Chairman: Stewart Dorrington

Committee Members: Johan van den Berg, Paul Stones, Hans Vermaak, Matthew Greeff, Howard Knott, Mark de Wet, Hermann Meyeridricks.

The launch of “Custodians of Professional Hunting and Conservation South Africa” (CPHCSA) breathes new life into professional hunting and conservation in South Africa.

With best personal regards,
Hans and the CVS Team