South Africa has the weirdest bugs. There is a huge green fly/bee/dragon fly buzzing around my head. And thats far from the weirdest.
There are pomegranates hanging from bushes a few feet away. It's so quiet, except for birds and bees. Butterflies of every size and color flutter everywhere, landing breifly on flowers just as varied.
We are sitting under a thatch-roof building, chilling on a field lunch break after a morning of stalking Impalas and watching ths skinning of a Zebra.
(It was alive an hour ago.)
I asked our tracker if he was ever sad when animals died. He laughed and said no. How could he? It is their life. Their food. Their income.
The PH guide John comes and jokes with Brittany, "Youre sleeping? Really? There's Gemsbuck in the road. Let's go." She questions his integrity just a second before she pulls her boots on and jumps up, eager to find her dream animal. I was lucky enough to get one yesterday. It was the most thrilling hunt. We saw them from the truck, and hopped off, quietly trailing them for an hour or so. We would see them, pose for a shot before they trotted off again through the thickest brush, every single bush full of thorns trying to rip us apart.
We lost sight of them and got back in the truck to try to catch a glimpse of them. The sun was going down, but we weren't done yet. We drove in their direction and saw them beneath a tree downhill a bit. Stephan jumped up on the seats in the truck bed and demands, "Use my shoulder as a rest. Shoot it."
I jumped up, centered it in the cross hairs, and fifteen seconds later, we heard the beast hit the ground. We hit high five and he hugged me.
It took another fifteen minutes to get through the thorns to see her. We wondered how we would get her out, but the locals brought a big loader and drove right over the thorns. It took four men to load her, two more to get her in the truck. She's big.
It's just part of this adventure that makes it thrilling.
The Lodge is fantastic. There are four groups from all over the US, plus the local guides, skinners, and trackers. We eat three meals a day together, and split into our little hunting groups in between. At night, we sit around a camp fire telling stories and sharing wisdoms.
It's a little slice of hunter heaven.
Every morning and afternoon we drive, track, and admire the animals.
Day one I got a perfect shot on a Blesbuck. It was absolutely delicious.
Every day we also get nap time when the sun is too hot and animals don't move. Yes please.
Much like the hunting culture in the USA, these people love their wildlife and do their best to ensure the quality of the genetics. Stephan, who does most of the animal spotting, told us about Kenya and how hunting has stopped, but due to the huge inbreeding now, the animals are becoming weak and unhealthy. The animals in SA are strong and healthy, and plentiful, thanks to a consistant change of dominant animals that are taken for food.
The local hunting guides also care for and feed the wild animals in times of drought. Currently a season of plentiful food and water, the animals are fat and healthy. All of the meat, bones, hide, and internal organs of the harvested animals are used, every bit.
The company I am here with runs an organization (Wild Wildabeest Childrens' Foundation - check it out!) where they support a school of 110 kids, providing meals of meat and other food to kids who otherwise often survive off of rice crackers - little nutritional value, but something to fill their stomachs. Two or three days a week, they don't eat at all. Although I won't be able to help in the school on this trip, the owner told me, "The kids gobble their heaping plates with tears in their eyes and huge smiles on their faces."
Helping wildlife, helping people, doing what I love, and experiencing new cultures. I'm so blessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment