Mixed Bird Shooting Packages - WSX

WWW.BIRDHUNTERSAFRICA.COM WWW.SESAFARIS.COM WWW.GAMEHUNTERSAFRICA.COM GLEN HALDANE: +27 83 860 7076 – ROBBIE STRETTON: +27 82 578 2334 – JAMES QUIN: +27 83 441 5536 DYLAN HOLMES: +27 82 805 7017 – MURRAY DANCKWERTS: +27 83 651 9711 – MARK HALDANE: +27 82 807 5110 GRANT STRETTON: +27 82 858 0580 – JOSH HARRIS: +27 64 843 0266 – ADMIN@BSGSAFARIS.COM Mixed Bird Shooting Package

About Bird Hunters Africa

Bird Hunters Africa prides itself on a wide variety of the finest bird shooting in Southern Africa, offering the discerning hunter champagne shooting. Southern Africa is a haven for wild bird shooting and part of Bird Hunters Africa’s uniqueness, is the multiple of bird shooting areas that we offer, giving the sport hunter a diversity of choice that is both exciting and varied, and taking place over a variety of habitats where no day is alike. This, together with specialist professional shooting guides and dog handlers makes for an experience of a life time for a bespoke bird shooting safari tailored to the individual’s needs.

On your safari you will experience unequalled bird shooting that may include walk up Greywing Partridge, Francolin and Spurfowl shooting over well trained English Pointers, to the thrilling anticipation of driven Guineafowl, as well as flighted Duck and Geese and finally hot barrel Dove and Pigeons shooting

Our Bird Guide Professional Hunters have a vast amount of experience and knowledge in guiding bird-hunts in South Africa. We pride ourselves on the high standard of our dogs, which include past and present Field Trial Champions. Upland game birds are hunted over well trained English Pointers, while Labradors are used for retrieving downed birds. A true classic wing shooting adventure awaits you.

Guinea Fowl and Francolin Shooting

Flocks of Guineafowl offer an entertaining and testing midday’s shoot. Once troops have been located, these unpredictable birds are at first driven over the guns by beaters, providing challenging shooting and are then walked up and shot over English Pointers, with labs doing the honors of retrieving downed guineas out of the thick grass.

On a midday Guineafowl shoot, guns can expect at least 3 or 4 troops to be encountered with at least a box of cartridges being expelled. The combination of Francolin and Guinea Fowl makes for sport like no other.

For those who enjoy a brisk walk in the morning, Francolin and Spurfowl offer some great sport. We use two English Pointers at a time, which work the surrounds of harvested corn, peanuts and soya fields. Francolin and Spurfowl have increased dramatically in these agricultural areas, as this habit lends itself to perfect upland game bird conditions. This consists of adequate grass and thorn cover around the cultivated fields, offering the birds perfect breeding and roosting habitat, with the adjacent cultivated fields giving an endless supply of food.

Swainson’s Spurfowl are the most abundant, with the faster and more compact Natal Spurfowl in smaller numbers, as well as the rare Red Billed Spurfowl occurring in our Sandgrouse areas. Spurfowl and Francolin season is May, June, July and August.

The Accommodation – Bloemhof Lodge

Bloemhof Lodge – is an upmarket lodge situated in the heart of the Free State Province. Here you will be staying in luxurious chalets All rooms are en-suite and delicious African flavoured meals are served either in the boma or interior lounge The appreciation of comfortable luxury is enhanced by the friendly staff that will see to your every need

Bloemhoff Lodge is situated on a game ranch. This area is home to large numbers of game. After a good day’s shooting, enjoy a relaxing sundowner at the boma fire pit, with wildlife coming in to drink at the watering hole a stone’s throw away. All this is complimented by the breath taking sunsets and clear star studded night skies with the sounds of the African bush reminding you of where you are.

Duck & Goose Shooting

South Africa boasts the largest goose in the world, the Spurwing, with ganders often exceeding the 20lb mark, making them a remarkable bird to shoot. Together with the cunning smaller Egyptian Goose, they are shot out of dry land pit blinds or standing blinds, over decoys, either first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening. Our Goose season is May, June, July and August.

Our duck shooting takes place in the evening from grass blinds at the edge of ponds and marshes. Decoys are used to attract the ducks in, normally ending with a wild flurry just before sunset. Yellow-bill Duck, Shell Duck, Cape Shoveller and Red-bill Teal are the main species downed and are retrieved by enthusiastic Labradors. Expect to shoot at least two boxes of cartridges per gun and have 150 odd duck decoy in with a bag of at least 20 birds.

Our Duck and Goose Shooting can take place from either Bloemhof Lodge or Trdenham Boutique Hotel and even Buffels Fontein Lodge. The shooting at each area is equally as thrilling however the methods can be different.

As a general rule, in the Free State (Bloemhof & Tredenham, we will flight the Ducks and Shoot them on a ‘Flight Line’ around 150-200 yards away from the water. We will almost always decoy the Geese. Whereas on the Stormberg (Buffels Fontein Lodge) we will generally flight all our wildfowl into a ‘pond’ or ‘dam’ as they come into our decoys

Rock Pigeon Shooting in the Free State

Bloemfontein - the Capital City of the Free State Province is situated in the centre of South Africa and is easily accessible by road or air as it lies on the main road and air links between north and south, east and west. Bloemfontein is fondly known as the “City of roses” and more than 4 000 rose trees have been planted in the rose garden at King’s Park, which was opened in 1925 by the Prince of Wales, Eduard VIII. There is little stress and less haste in this peaceful country town which has an atmosphere that one feels is based on an appreciation of family values, where quality of life is of prime importance.

The back bone of this area is the huge agricultural industry where cropping of corn and sunflower is the largest in the country Due to this factor, the abundance of food has created a unique environment for pigeons and doves to thrive way above their natural population, making Bloemfontein the "pigeon capital" of South Africa.

Rock Pigeon Shooting in the Free State

Millions of pigeons and doves commute, twice daily, between the city and the ripening sunflower fields in the surrounding district. It is here where sportsmen ambush from blinds, these humbling game birds under their flight paths.

First the incoming flight to the fields and thereafter the outgoing flight from the fields back to their roosts. Here the seasoned wingshooter’s shooting talents will be tested to the ultimate, while novice shooters will have ample opportunities to hone their shotgun skills and improve their shooting ability.

The experience is second to none and certainly one that wingshooters come back to South Africa for time and time again. Come and test your skills on this tricky little game bird that is commonly referred to as the ‘African Grouse’.

In the Field

Flighting Pigeons and Doves - Normally shot in the mornings and afternoon coming in to feed around harvested sunflower fields. Our Pigeons and Doves offer serious hot barrel shooting, with birds coming at a fast pace with singles, pairs and flocks coming to the field with regularity. High, low and every angle with a zigzagging flight just to confuse things, seldom is there a moment when a dove or pigeon is not in sight over your barrels

Rock Pigeons are rated by world shooters as the most sporting birds on the planet and their ability to change direction in mid-flight makes them an extremely worthy quarry testing the abilities of most respected guns.

Doves consist of about 40% of the total bag and constitute Cape Turtle Doves and Laughing Doves, as well as the large Red Eyed Dove. Doves and Pigeons are considered an agricultural pest and there is no bag limit or season, however their numbers peak in March, April and May.

Nonetheless the hunting quality is sustained throughout the bird shooting season of June, July, August and September

The Accommodation – Tredenham Boutique Hotel

The Tredenham Boutique Hotel – is situated in the calm setting of the secure estate of the Tredenham Valley, on the outskirts of Bloemfontein. Renowned for their warm hospitality, exceptional service and gourmet cuisine

The Tredenham Boutique Hotel offer spacious and luxurious accommodation. You will find their food exceptional and generous, with the norm being a 5-course meal in the evenings of traditional South African fair with an international flair, served with the best of South African wines from the fairest Cape.

The Accommodation – De Oude Kraal Country Estate

The Oude Kraal Lodge - is a historical farm lodge, situated about 20 miles out of Bloemfontein where you will find genuine South African hospitality on this fifth generation 1885 Free State sheep farm. Here, creatively furnished luxury accommodation, gourmet meals and spar is the order of the day.

You will take delight in the unique creativity of each luxury en-suit room, with fireplace and patio. You will find their food exceptional and generous, with the norm being a 5-course meal in the evenings of traditional South African cuisine of exceptional quality. The Oude Kraal pride themselves on their fine dining cuisine.

Greywing Partridge Shooting

The Greywing Partridge are considered by many to be one of the finest upland game birds and often referred in the same sentence as the “The Scottish Red Grouse” when compared to the quality of shooting, occur at an elevation of above 5000 feet in rugged breathtaking terrain. A lot of hard walking and well trained English Pointers are required to shoot Greywing and can sometimes be in windy and cold conditions, so a state of good fitness, good health and a pair of good boots is a pre-requisite.

Living in coveys from six to eighteen, these fast-flying birds flush swiftly afore well trained English Pointers and use the wind and terrain to their full advantage, offering the discerning hunter very challenging shooting Most shoots are for the duration of the morning, where a shooting party can expect to see in the region of 60 birds and bag about 15 depending on their shooting ability.

Snipe Shooting

Snipe occur in the wetlands and marsh areas of inland South Africa. As they are an InterAfrican migratory bird and are very sensitive to rainfall, they only occur in shootable numbers in wet years. When our areas receive adequate rainfall, which is normally every second year, they make an extremely testing quarry and are probably our most challenging bird We use Labradors and beaters to flush them out of the marshes, as they do sit very tight and when they flush, they get up at your feet and zig zag away at an alarming rate A very challenging bird indeed.

All in all, these various disciplines of bird shooting offer a fabulous and varied challenge, combined with top class accommodation and mouthwatering cuisine makes for a superb shoot for the discerning bird shooter.

The Accommodation – Buffels Fontein Lodge

Buffels Fontein Lodge is a luxurious colonial style lodge set in the Stormberg Mountains. Steeped in history, it was once a post office and inn for weary travellers to rest their oxen and horses between the diamond and gold mines in the north and the docks in the south.

Buffels Fontein Lodge is owned and run by sixth generation Robbie and Angela Stretton, as well as their grown children Grant and Diana. After a solid days shooting in the mountains, Buffels Fontein Lodge can be a welcome sight for the weary and cold hunter, where fond memories of the day’s shooting can be re-lived around the large stone fireplace in the entertainment room. Hosting, fine wine and dining is the order of the day. All this provides the necessary ingredients to a good evening’s entertainment. Although one still gets the sense of history and tradition at Buffels Fontein Lodge it has every modern convenience, including electricity and wireless connection.

Proposed Itinerary

Day 1 -

Arrive Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport where you will be met by a Bird Hunters Africa representative who will guide you through and help you clear customs and transfer to Bloemhof Lodge in the Free State.

Unpack, refresh, and settle in, a hearty meal will be served. On time of arrival, shooting will normally start the following day. This area is famous for shooting walked up upland game birds over pointers and driven guineafowl shooting in the greater Bloemhof area. It is an intense agriculture area; the cultivated fields are used to the best advantage for some of the finest driven and walked-up upland game bird shooting available anywhere. Here the upland game birds consist of Guineafowl, Swainson’s Spurfowl and Orange River Francolin. Also available in this area is superb goose and duck shooting. This either takes place in the early mornings or late evenings.

Day 2 -

Early start for breakfast and then upland gamebird shooting, consisting of a combination of walked up and driven shooting, for the best part of the day. A well-earned field lunch will be spent in the shade of some thorn trees enjoying some traditionally prepared South African cuisine. Back to the Lodge for dinner.

Day 3 -

Day 4 -

Repeat of the previous day’s shooting with the addition of duck and goose shooting if the conditions are favourable.

Depart Bloemhof early and drive to Bloemfontein. This is approximately a one-hour drive. Mid-morning to late evening high volume dove and pigeon shooting on flight lines into sunflower and corn fields. Rock Pigeons are the main quarry and are extremely challenging, Red Eyed Dove and the smaller Turtle Dove are also part of the bag. A packed field lunch will be enjoyed in the field. Return that evening to The Tredenham Boutique Lodge late evening for dinner.

Day 5 -

Breakfast around 6:30am before heading out to the fields for a full day of Rock Pigeon and Dove Shooting. Drinks and lunch will be served in the field by our chef. Sundowners, then return to the hotel for dinner.

Proposed Itinerary – continued

Day 6 - Early rise and a light breakfast. Either another day of pigeon shooting or depart for the Stormberg. Three-hour drive to Buffels Fontein lodge. Expect a hearty brunch upon arrival. Brunch will be followed by a good mid-day walk in the Stormberg mountains for some rough walked up Greywing Partridge shooting over English pointers. Late afternoon to evening duck shooting from blinds on the edge of ponds. Ducks are baited and shot over decoys. Yellow Billed Duck are the main quarry with Red Billed Teal and a few Cape Shoveller are also part of the bag. After a few sundowners return to Buffels Fontein Lodge late evening for dinner

Day 7 -

Full English breakfast +- 7 30 Travel to hunting area In the field by 8 30 to 900. Greywing Partridge shooting until midday for a break and a packed field lunch. May hunt Greywing or Snipe in the afternoon and or evening duck shooting. Dinner at Lodge.

Day 8 -

Depart and drive 3 hours to East London Airport to catch a pre-booked flight to JHB International Airport for your flight home

Package Price

7 Days Shooting & 8 Nights All Inclusive $6,900

Guinea Fowl and Upland Game Bird Shooting

Rock Pigeon & Dove Shooting

Flighted Duck & Goose Shooting

Walked Up Greywing Shooting

Walked Up Snipe Shooting

Package Price Includes:

• The full time service of a licensed Professional Hunter and complete field and lodge staff and services.

• Full board and lodging of three meals a day including laundry

• All ground transport during the safari with fully kitted hunting vehicles.

• All birds shot and cleaning of birds.

• Gun dogs, decoys and blinds.

Package Price Excludes:

• Ammunition. (Shotgun Ammo @ $20 per box)

• Hire of rifles and shotguns. ($50 per day)

• Charter flight

• Gratuities.

Terms & Conditions

• The tariffs are based on current prices and are subject to change.

• Bookings will be secured on payment of 50% of the total amount Balance due 60 days prior to arrival Other costs incurred are payable on the last day of the safari

• All deposits will not be refunded unless the safari can be rebooked.

• No refunds are allowed for late arrivals or early departures.

• All payments must be made via direct bank transfer or cash.

• You will be required to sign an indemnity form before the commencement of the safari.

International & Local Flight Information

You will need to take an international flight from the United Kingdom/Europe/USA to Johannesburg and then take an additional local flight from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein. Bird Hunters Africa can book this for you or alternatively you can arrange this yourself. Alternatively, we can arrange a ground shuttle. Upon arrival in South Africa at OR Tambo International Airport, once you have clear customs, you will then need to walk a short distance to the domestic departures to catch a pre-booked local flight to Bloemfontein Airport Bird Hunters Africa will have a representative to meet you upon arrival and will guide you through customs and all the way to domestic departures to catch your local flight.

The flight from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein is approximately 45 minutes. Please make sure that you book on SAF Air, as they are the only local carrier that transports firearms. Upon arrival in Bloemfontein Airport, your Professional Hunter will meet you and transfer you to The Tredenham Boutique Hotel. Alternatively, you can take a pre booked mini bus from OR Tambo International Airport for your drive to Bloemfontein. This is approximately an easy 4 hour drive. If you choose this option, we will book it for you.

Gun Clearance, Guns & Ammunition

If you choose to bring your own shotgun, you will be required to have a Temporary Import Permit upon your arrival in South Africa at customs for gun clearance. The Temporary Import Permits application will be sent to you well in advance for you to fill in and return to us. Bird Hunters Africa will have a representative to meet you upon arrival and guide you through the process of clearing your gun. This is well worth the extra cost and saves time and hassle

If you would rather hire a shotgun from us, we do have a variety of 12g shotguns available. We will provide you with shot gun ammunition.

Packing List

The pigeon season is March to August. There are varying temperatures during this time as it spans from late summer through autumn to winter. Typically, you can expect the nights to be cool and a light frost in the morning as winter sets in. The days warm up rapidly in late summer, sometimes reaching mid 80s, however as the winter sets in the days are cooler with day temperatures fluctuating between 40 to the mid 60’s by mid-day. This is predominately our dry season and we seldom have any rain except in March and later August. Laundry is done on a regular basis, so there is no need to over pack.

• 1 or 2 pairs good quality walking boots or running shoes (worn in)

• 3 pairs good quality socks

• 2 pairs long hunting pants (Dark Khaki or Olive Green)

• 2 pairs short hunting pants (early hunts – April and May in SA)