Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Back to theTuli Block Botswana Jun 2020 and Aug 2020

Know a number of guys are either at DSC this weekend or going to SCI in Feb. Just to give all of you a little look at what the "celebrity" operators Jeff Rand and Johan Calitz are offering in Bots for 2020, here are links to their price lists.

Jeff Rand Bots 2020

Johan Colitz Bots 2020

Not sure how they are pricing, elephant, buffalo and leopard or even the areas since the govt hasn't released tenders for any areas or quota for all three yet. I'm guessing they are just guessing and using the disclaimers in both that prices and areas are subject to change due to various "government" excuse reasons. Leaving the DG part out, just take a look at what they are charging for PG and all the other "extras".


For those that are actually interested in going with us in either Jun or Aug, airline ticket prices start to rise rather quickly after the DSC/SCI conventions. The earlier we can book the better. Next reason, in addition to price increases, seating my become limited as well. With most airlines, Delta included, only offering one flight a day across, once seats are full, they are full. It may mean that our small group, we may have to slide one day earlier or later over or back to all make the same flights.

Package #3 sounds interesting. Are cull animals mainly females? Could one do such a hunt just for non trophy males?

Labman:

No, culls are both. On both trips there last year most (50%+) of the impala culls were rams with just a few ewes and the blue w/b were mostly (50%+) cows.

My wife and I did pkg #3 on our trip in Aug. I let her do most of the shooting since I'd already been there once. As many animals as there are on the property and this was a true walk and stalk hunting and not just riding in the back of the bakkie all day or sitting at a waterhole (not legal under Bots game laws), taking that many in just 6-days is still challenging. The story I mentioned about her taking 3 impala the first morning not the norm for the trip. Has NOTHING to do with her hunting or shooting skills, she's routinely taken dozens of 250yd headshots on gemsbok, blue w/b and red h/b. It's this is true hunting and we got busted more times than not due to the number of game. We'd see a herd, start the stalk thru the bush and get busted by another herd we didn't see, or giraffe or birds or monkeys or baboons etc.

If you want to add a few trophy species to pkg #3, I'd highly suggest you add a couple of extra days too. This will give you more time to really look over the herds and pass up a few and be very selective about what you do take. And as I've mentioned, when shooting culls, they are quickly field dressed, position marked on GPS and you keep hunting till noon or dark. When take a "trophy" the hunt pretty much stops until the animal gets back to the skinning shed to ensure the skins get properly taken care of quickly. The property is so large that you could loose a couple of hours going back to the skinning shed and then back out hunting again. Since pkg #3 is done as a 2x1, this means both hunters stop for either ones trophy animal. IF you and a friend decide to go and do #3, make sure you both understand this and discuss if either of you want to add extra trophy species and extra days.

Still room for two more in Jun and Aug but you'll have to add extra days. Since Bob and I are each doing 1x1 in Jun, IF someone is interested in #3 but no one to go with to take the other 1/2, I'll fill that with you as long as you add the extra days. I can't do that for the Aug trip since the first gentleman to commit wants pkg #4 and I've committed to taking one of the four spots for that one to help make sure he goes. Just need two more to sign on to pkg #4 for Aug. IF someone is even remotely interested in #3 and adding some trophies, I strongly suggest you "run the numbers" and you too might find pkk #4 is a hell of a good deal.

Quick Update:

A gentleman who hunted with Gerhard last Aug also, David, had such a good time, he saw Gerhard at the Houston SCI show and will be joining the Aug 2020 trip. So, here are the open spots.

June 16-25 - Ten full hunting days. We start travel over on 13 Jun, arrive J’berg 14 Jun and arrive in camp mid afternoon on the 15th. Start travel back on 26 Jun and you should be home on 27 Jun.

Slot 1 – Confirmed (me)
Slot 2 – Confirmed (Bob)
Slot 3 –
Slot 4 –
Slot 5 – Optional

Aug 15-25 – Ten full hunting days. We start travel over on 12 Aug, arrive J’berg 13 Aug and arrive in camp mid afternoon 14 Aug. Start travel back on 25 Aug and you should be home on 26 Aug.

Slot 1 – Confirmed (me)
Slot 2 – Committed - Kevin
Slot 3 – Committed - David
Slot 4 –Interested but not yet 100% committed (hunter/observer)
Slot 5 – Optional

If these dates don't work for you, you are more than welcome to contact Gerhard directly via email, gmkochbotyahoo.com or via Whatsapp Messaging service +267 75 414 214. He will be at our home here in Tampa 5 & 6 Feb. PM me and I'll give you my cell number and you can call and talk to him directly.

Here is a quick update on open spots for the trips.

June 16-25 - Ten full hunting days. We start travel over on 13 Jun, arrive J’berg 14 Jun and arrive in camp mid afternoon on the 15th. Start travel back on 26 Jun and you should be home on 27 Jun.

Slot 1 – Confirmed (me)
Slot 2 – Confirmed (Bob)
Slot 3 – Confirmed (A.D.)
Slot 4 –
Slot 5 – Optional

Aug 15-25 – Ten full hunting days. We start travel over on 12 Aug, arrive J’berg 13 Aug and arrive in camp mid afternoon 14 Aug. Start travel back on 25 Aug and you should be home on 26 Aug.

Slot 1 – Confirmed (me)
Slot 2 – Committed - Kevin
Slot 3 – Committed - David
Slot 4 –Interested but not yet 100% committed (hunter/observer)
Slot 5 – Optional

Gerhard also has the prime PG "dark of the moon" dates open in July. Contact him directly for dates. I'll still help with your airline planning and paperwork if you can't make either of the trips above and book separately/directly with him.

Which hunt is the June slot #4? meaning: which game animals would that person be choosing?

You have a couple of options:

1. You could take 1/2 of pkg #3 meaning 5 cull impala and 5 cull blue w/b and add extra days to make the 10 full hunting days at the 2x1 rate and either extra individual culls or trophy species as you desire.

2. Since you would make the 4th going in the group, you do pkg #2 or #4 and just have to add the couple of extra days at the 1x1 rate to make the 10 full hunting days and add culls or trophies as you wish.

3. If you have someone else coming with you to hunt, then you and your hunting partner could split pkg #1 and add extra days needed at the 2x1 rate and add extra culls or trophies as each of you desire.

4. You could contact Gerhard directly and ask him to put a custom package together for you on either a 1x1 or 2x1 (if you have someone else interested in going with you). Just tell him your interested in making the Jun trip with me, tell him the species your interested in, number of culls or trophies of each and let him work up a price for you.

David, who's confirmed on the Aug trip, came in the day my wife and I flew out last Aug. He loved it so much he's going back with us in Aug again. In Aug, we are all doing pkg #4 with all of us adding a few days (1x1) to extend it to 10 FULL hunting days and a few of us exchanging trophies for more culls.

PM me if you'd like to call and discuss options or greater detail.

I'm the David who will be joining the August hunt. I met Gerhard at the Houston Safari Club show last year, and was introduced by a friend who had hunted at Gerhard's other location. He shot an Eland that won him Archery Trophy of the Year for African Game at the HSC convention. Very impressive animal.

The trophies I was able to take were 2 zebra, 1 each eland, waterbuck, and bushbuck. I also killed 8 each cull impala and blue wildebeest. I scheduled a 9 day hunt, but had some luggage issues with South African Express, so lost over a day due to that. The size of the hunting area is immense, with diverse terrain due to the 15 miles or so that it borders the Limpopo river. No domestic animals on the place, but it's loaded with a great variety of game. Gerhard also has access to other areas, including one an hour away where I got my bushbuck, and an area next door that is so overpopulated with animals that they had to feed them hay to keep them alive last year. I was amazed at how many giraffe Gerhard has.

I've been to Africa 6 times, and have stayed in tented camps and 5-star lodges. The accommodations in Botswana were clean and comfortable, but more of a camp than a lodge. Maggie fixed excellent food, much of it being bush meat cooked on open fire. I ate wildebeest tongue, burgers, backstrap, even the tail. Dining was outdoors, with a fire in the firepit, and great wine every night. Lunches were also in camp, followed by a nice nap in a real bed. No internet, big screen TV, fancy bar, etc. But if you're there to hunt, you'll be very happy.

My main hunting partner is over 80 years old and unwilling to travel such long distances to hunt, so I'm looking forward to meeting up with the group and making new friends. My plan for this year is to take only cull animals.

Just a quick update:

Aug 15-25 – Ten full hunting days. We start travel over on 12 Aug, arrive J’berg 13 Aug and arrive in camp mid afternoon 14 Aug. Start travel back on 25 Aug and you should be home on 26 Aug.

Slot 1 – Confirmed (me)
Slot 2 – Committed - Kevin
Slot 3 – Committed - David
Slot 4 –
Slot 5 – Optional

The gentleman and his wife who were interested in the fourth spot have decided not to make this trip. They have their anniversary in Oct and have decided to go to RSA for their anniversary trip then. Happy anniversary to you both. Turns out they will be hunting just 100 miles or so NW of us but on the RSA side. I'm sure you'll have a great time there as well. Their hope is to join in one of these trips next year. So, still room for one or two more for Aug and still one more for Jun.

Have been asked if these trips are still "on" and the answer is "yes". In fact, booked two r/t ticket for myself and A.D. last week on Qatar Air. Miami to Doha, with a 15 hr layover there and $25 for the overnight there in a 4-star hotel then the direct flight from Doha to J'berg with just a 1hr fuel stop there and same plane into Gabby. Arrive at 5pm and will be "in camp" that evening in time for sundowners and dinner. $1850.00 total for both tickets with upgraded "comfort" seating. Just have to buy two r/t tickets from Tampa to Miami - less than $200.00 total.

Bags and rifles will be checked all the way to Gabby and don't have to mess with J'berg or SAPS at all. We, bags/rifles, stay on the plane during the fuel stop.

Worst case scenario is IF the airline cancels the flights then the airline will ether reschedule or refund 100%. Gerhard will just let us reschedule dates with him accordingly.

I personally believe the COVID-19 is way over hyped and will pretty much run it's course by the end of May or sooner.

Sounds good M3, interested to see what you think of that route.

Today is Day 154 for me, tomorrow 153, etc etc. Excited? Who me?? Naaaaahhhh.....

Kevin

A quick update on this year's trip plans.

Two of the three of us on the June trip had airline tickets purchased (Qatar Air) and the third was waiting to purchase on Delta. Then the WuFlu hit. A few weeks ago, Qatar Air emailed and said all International flights were cancelled for the foreseeable future and gave us the option of rescheduling for later within the next 12-months or a full refund. We had up to the day before our scheduled departure to decide.

Been patiently waiting and watching the news and keeping in daily touch with my friends in Botswana. While it's looking like things might be opening up a little INTERNALLY in the country around the end of this month and LOTS of other key pieces involving two other countries we'd have to transit thru, Qatar and RSA. The three of us kicked it around and talked to Gerhard and it was with a heavy heart we decided to CNX the Jun trip. However, the Aug trip is still on!

Bob decided he could adjust his schedule but AD could not take anymore time off. Will now be four of us going in Aug and could likely take one more if anyone might be interested.

One of the "Aug Four" already has his ticket, Bob, Kevin and I will probably see what is available on Delta from ATL to J'berg (JNB), overnight there at the City Lodge Hotel right in the airport terminal complex and out the next morning on Air Botswana. Maybe book tickets around the end of Jun first part of Jul.

I would love to go on one of these with you guys. Just a lot of money for a young buck like me. #FUTURE GOALS

W/4 - would love to have you be able to make a trip. I plan to keep doing these every year. I'll be putting together at least one trip to my friend's place in Namibia for myself and two others that would like to come and at least one trip of four others that would like to go to Botswana. Gerhard has a friend with a place on the western side of Botswana that I would like to hunt next too, so maybe two trips to Bots next year. If I get more than 2x for Namibia or 4x for Botswana, I'll just make another trip!

One of my small regrets is that I didn't get to Africa sooner in my life. Like a lot of people, I read ALL the books and watched ALL the movies etc. I just presumed that an actual hunting safari was MUCH more expensive and than it currently is. While yes, you CAN spend huge amounts of money on "full bag, Big 5" or "Dangerous 7" out of old style tented camps (the sky $$$ is the limit), there are also 7-10day multi planes game species hunts that can be had for similar prices of some guided US/Canada deer, elk, bear and moose hunts. Only difference is you still can't drive to Africa or bring the meat home.

Another small regret is how fast it all is changing, some for the better and some.....not so much. Just in the last 15yrs and getting back a couple of times a year I can see it. Just in the last year for example, the paved road was completed from Gaborone passing by Gerhard's main gate. The amount of new housing developments and shopping malls all around the Namibian capital of Windhoek and the main tourism/vacation cities along the coast is staggering. The huge influx of Chinese all over Africa (generally turning out to be a bad thing even before the WuFlu).

If some guys actually start putting pencil to paper and figure out what the cost of buying into a hunting club lease, planting/maintaining food plots, ATVs etc., a lot of times they could actually afford a trip to the "dark continent". Sure, there are advantages to hunting in the US too, no question, but once you make a trip to Africa.................

M3 you are right. Unfortunately, I don’t even do any guided hunts here in the US. I just guide myself and pack my stuff out all myself. There is a local guy here in Wynnewood, OK that goes to Africa all the time. There’s also a Cuban guy here locally that is a guide over there. I cannot remember his name to save my life. I don’t care to kill a dangerous seven and stuff. Just the good ole plains animals is fine with me.

Based on some news from Gerhard about restrictions slowly being lifted in BOTs and that the general feeling is the country will be open to International travelers before then end of July, we went ahead and booked our flights for the Aug trip yesterday.

We decided to go via Qatar Airways as they were so good about giving a total refund for the CNX's June tickets for one. And, since the all legs from Chicago to Doha to J'berg and into Gabby were on the same Qatar Air ticket, IF something goes south or BOTs isn't open as hoped, then they will refund the again. Lastly, r/t from Chicago all the way to Gabby with upgraded seats were less than $1K. Just have to wait and get tickets for us from Tampa to Chicago and Keven from Detroit to Chicago. Those will be under $200 ea r/t. Will wait a few weeks on those, till maybe late July.

So, we've got four going and I'll hold the elevator for one more that might want to go.

This was a quote from one of the directors of DSC, from another forum.......

Got an email notification that Qatar has suspended all flights from Houston, Philadelphia and Chicago until after December 31. Changed our flight late July out of DFW, too.

JG - that's odd. Just logged onto the Qatar Air website. All reservations are still confirmed. Just got off the phone with Qatar Air's call center and all of these flights from Chicago are still on. The call center said the ORD, DFW and PHL were going to stay open "through at least 31 Dec".
Now one of us going was originally flying out of Houston and THAT got CNX'd on him and he had to rebook out of DFW.

That's not to say with all the rapid changes happening and everyone scrambling, things won't change tomorrow or next week etc. But, as for now....still green light.

Still 90-days out and just time to practice the ol TIA. If the flights go, great. If not, tickets will be refunded, deposits paid for the hunt will either be refunded or rolled to next year. Only thing lost is a trip this year, but nothing really financially.