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Adansonia Trip Report
August 2006
Adansonia Safaris is owned and operated by Mof and Minnie Venter. My wife
purchased the 10 day trip for two at the Lowcountry SCI fundraiser auction.
After doing some additional background and reference checks on Mof’s operation,
it became apparent we were in for a great safari. After talking about it so
much six friends who couldn’t stand it decided to join us. One non-hunting wife
tagged along. She had the time of her life.
Mof’s staff catered to four bowhunters and four rifle hunters as if they did
it every day of the year. From the time we got to Johannesburg to the time we
were dropped off. We were absolutely taken care of in professional fashion.
Derrick and Louis,
two of the PHs meet us at the airport. Mike and Karen are getting ready for the
trip of their lives.
Archers Will and Victor wait patiently for the rifle hunters to get cleared.
This was our destination in Ellisras
Each Chalet had a bathroom and shower. They were quite comfortable.
The dining hall provided great meals and was very comfortable. We had some of
our animals every night.
This is the inside of a typical archery blind at Adansonia.
These blinds produced this excellent duiker at 15yds. This is my first African
animal.
I also got this Impala at 32 yards. This was the longest bowshot of the
Safari.
It gets cold in August in South Africa. My PH Louis is bundled up.
This is inside an old defunct rifle blind we converted for bow use one
day. He’s reading “The Deerhunter”. We’re settling in for a long day. It was
an impossible shifty wind day. We almost gave up. I made the decision to tough
it out. There was so much Kudu sign in the area. Maybe a miracle would
happen. I’d always wonder if we left. This was the only time I didn’t follow
Louis advice. I just had a feeling.
This particular ranch receives heavy rifle hunting pressure. This tends to
make getting a bowshot at game quite a difficult proposition. With only thirty
minutes left of shooting light we were rewarded. The bull came in to twelve
yards from our blind side! Louis simply pointed and turned on the video
camera. No words were exchanged. I had no time to stand and shoot. I drew and
shot from a sitting position in a chair with armrests! My shot was heading
perfectly for the leg on the opposite side of the Kudu but the broadhead
encountered a heavy rib bone. Because the shot angle was quartering away this
actually caused the arrow to change direction as it penetrated. The video shows
this clearly. You can actually see the arrow change direction when it strikes
the animal. This turned what should have been a perfect heart/lung shot into a
liver shot. Still very lethal, but not as quickly fatal as an arrow through the
vitals. I will think about quartering shots on heavy boned animals differently
in the future. We recovered the Kudu first thing the following morning. My
sleepless nighttime prayers were answered. We found him quickly and by the
grace of God he was untouched by jackals.
After eight days of not even catching a glimpse of a Gemsbuck at a
waterhole. I decided it was time to borrow a rifle and try and find one. Louis
was very considerate of my limited abilities. He also proved extremely adept at
finding Gemsbuck. We saw several shooters but couldn’t quite get the right shot
opportunity. There were several almost and not quite right opportunities.
Louis assured me there was no reason to rush a shot as we would get other
opportunities. Since, it was obvious to me, he could produce, I followed his
advice and held my trigger finger. We were calling it a day and heading back.
When as Africa apparently sometimes does, decided to give me this outstanding
Bull. It happened so fast. Much like the Kudu. There was no back and forth
conversation. Louis simply said, “The middle one! Shoot!” My shot was where I
aimed, unfortunately on a gemsbuck this is 4 inches too high. My mistake, note
to self, shoot african animals below the midline. I knew this, but making
myself do it in a heated moment is another thing entirely. Many years of
shooting deer, in the midline is a hard habit to break. The first shot spined
the bull and at Louis’ insistence I shot him again for insurance. A shot in the
midline often only stuns a gemsbuck. Frequently, they regain their feet and are
lost when this happens. My first shot actually centered the spine. Most of the
time a midline shot only grazes the top of the spine. I was being watched over
on this hunt!
I only took four animals. Not too shabby considering what I’ve been
through. Three years ago my doctors would have predicted there was absolutely
no way. Three platinum coils in my head. Extensive rehab of a paralyzed right
arm and leg. Rebuilding strength in two dislocated shoulders. Just to name a
few of the obstacles to over come. Louis did a great job with me. I probably
wasn’t his easiest client but I think he enjoyed it as much as I did.
The eight of us took over 60 animals in 10 days of hunting. Will managed to
get seventeen with his bow. His biggest blesbok and african wildcat should both
make SCI top 10. He measures for SCI and tells me all of my trophies will make
book. Mof has excellent trophy quality and an excellent operation. All the
ranches were positively polluted with Warthogs. If you like pigs this is
heaven! Mof also has access to some great bushbucks, which unfortunately I was
not up to chasing. But a couple of nice ones were harvested while I was there.
Something to shoot for, in the future for me. A waterbuck and zebra would also
be on the wish list.
Some way some how God willing. I’m going back. And based on this past
experience, I would go right back to Mof’s.
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