We got to Port Elizabeth a few days ago where we were met by Russ Lovemore, who took us about an hour out to his place in the evening. We we went out hunting that night. He had permits for me for aardvark and aardwolf and bat-eared fox, so we went out that night and just had an absolutely way cool evening. I actually got an aardvark. Coolest animal you've ever seen; huge big fat tail probably 100 or 120 pounds. Neatest thing, totally a nocturnal animal and lives in big holes in the ground. I also got an aardwolf which is the smallest of the hyena species and also got a genet cat that night!
The next morning we went out hunting for kudu and bushbuck, but no luck. And Eva was hunting too this time, all free range and no high fences. Went out that evening again. Eva came with and this time we called in a bat-eared fox. So I got a bat-eared fox. So the animal we didn't get was a black-backed jackal.
The next morning we were there we went out and Eva was looking for a warthog, and we saw a bushbuck running by being chased by a black-backed jackal, so Eva gave me the muzzleloader, and I shot it on the run at about 85 yards, so it was a really great hunt for predators and really unusual animals.
We continued hunting and only had a couple hours left before we had to leave. We spotted a huge warthog. Eva sneaked up and shot her first big game animal. It was 76 yards, muzzleloader, perfect shot right through the heart.
It was so cool. Eva got big tears in her eyes and she was saying that was so cool and so much fun, so I think we have another hunter on our hands here.
We had to leave and Russ drove us to where we met with Steven Tam and now we are at the Tam Safaris ranch where I'll be hunting for black rhino with my Alpine bow. We'll be darting it with a syringe and drug like we did with the white rhino ... vet has to be there and game manager .... jet lagged trying to recover ...
Running a day behind now that I totally screwed up our actual departure date for our trip to South Africa and Uganda. I say "our" because Louise and Eva are with me on this trip, so I'm sure that they'll never let me forget about my little logistical snafu ... I try to tell them that when you're hunting internationally things like this happen, but, well, they're not buying it.
Anyway, we got all squared away again thanks to Kathi Klines at Wild Travel in Chicago. Even though I was a full day late for my flights, she got us all re-booked all the way to Port Elizabeth, South Africa where we'll meet up with our good friend and outfitter Russ Lovemore. We'll hunt a variety of game with Russ, and Eva will be hunting on camera for the first time for the TV show, so I'm looking forward to it.
Also in South Africa I'll be hunting again with Tam Safaris, this time for a black rhino which I hope to dart with an arrow from my Alpine bow. Did the hunt with them last year for white rhino and it was spectacular.
Then to Uganda with the professional Corey Knowlton where we'll be hunting Sesse Island sitatunga. Hunting this species was closed for 40 years and just re-opened. Only six have been taken by sport hunters before it was officially closed back in the 60's. I've got some of my new Stealth Cam SNIPER IR's coming over with Corey so that we can run surveillance at some of the machans that have been erected, to see which stands have the most action.
Can't wait! Stay tuned. I'll try not to miss my flights ...
We drove after we got that brocket deer, got going about 2 p.m. and got into the town about 11 hours later at 1 a.m. Slept for about four hours and got up this morning. From the town we drove for about four hours into the jungle near Campeche. Another beautiful camp. Really heavy forest jungle. There's a creek right beside us with alligators and fish, and we saw a great big turtle. Nice screened-in tents because there are lots of bugs around.
We are now hunting for Yucatan gray-brown brocket deer, white-lipped peccary and the great curassow bird and the oscillated turkey.
When we were hunting earlier today I saw one of the most unbelievable things I've ever seen. Saw a huge tapier ... there were two of them. One was in the water ... about 600-pound animal. We were standing there in shock and another one walked in from the side, walked into the water. These are rare animals, long nose, kind of like a trunk, like a small elephant. We got it all on film, cool-looking animal. Then I caught a two-foot lizard in the jungle. I had to run after it and dive to catch it.
Tomorrow morning we're getting up and spending most of the day for white-lipped peccary which I will hunt with my new Alpine Signature bow. These animals can travel in herds of 60, 70, 80 animals. They've built a machan above the ground for us to sit on and wait for them.
The Next Day ... Got a white-lipped peccary, the footage is just OK ... I had to make a difficult shot through thick jungle ... about a 30-yard shot. This Alpine bow is excellent, and the peccary is a big one, it weighs about 80 pounds I'd guess. I can't imagine too many of these have been taken with a bow and arrow. (Editor's note: The SCI record book lists two entries, one scoring 15 2/16 and the other scoring 15 1/16.)
The Next Day ... Good day today. I got two of the curassow's ... a female and a male. Beautiful. The males are pitch black with big yellow ball on top of the beek. I saw two snakes today; one was so fast I saw it chase and catch a frog. And lots of sign of jaguar. Amazing place, really enjoying it. Tough for the brocket deer. No one has seen one yet. We've got two more days of hunting for brocket deer and then we'll be coming home. This pandemic thing is a little disconcerting because there are no flights are traveling inside Mexico. Hopefully my international flight will get me home.
Tough day today ... we got up at 4 o'clock and did our whole thing ... walked back into the same area as yesterday, sent the dogs in, but nothing, not a peep. We waited there for four hours, Bran and I, waiting in our little shooting lane for a brocket deer to run by in the jungle, but it didn't. The dogs never picked up a scent, nothing.
Corey Knowlton went out today, but he didn't go for brocket deer, he went for the great curassow and the crested guan birds. He got both of them, and they are absolutely spectacular. They are beautiful big birds, not as big as a turkey, but like a slender turkey ... beautiful colors.
We went back out this evening, but zero, nothing. We saw a bunch of spider monkeys, which was cool. We're eating Corey's birds tonight, can't wait.
The Next Day ... Got up at 4 this morning. We heard howler monkeys. I'd never heard them before, amazing, kind of scary.
Nothing happened with the brocket deer hunting. Slow day. We're working hard, but these might be the most challenging of all of the North American animals ...
The Next Day ... A lot better luck this morning. The dogs were on a brocket deer most of the time, but I just couldn't ever get in front of them. We got within 200 yards once, but I never did see a deer. But at least two of the guys in the bush saw the brocket deer.
Then this evening same thing. We were just out of position. Bad luck. So, we will go after the red brocket deer one last time tomorrow morning, then we're done. This is definitely the hardest animal in North America. I can't say that I've never seen one, though, because in the village there is someone who had one as sort of a pet, but tied up . Beautiful animals, red, red, red, kind of like a big forest duiker. So, tomorrow we're headed to a new area. Greg Bond is here hunting with me, and he hasn't gotten one either, nor has he seen one. The next area we'll be hunting for white-lipped peccary and grey-brown brocket deer.
The Next Day ... We're done with this area ... we have a 10-hour drive to our next hunting area and then we are staying in a hotel tonight, so I can get an actual shower and pull the ticks off of me. We had quite a boat ride getting out this morning because we were headed upriver. The same trip that took us 1 hour going downriver took us 2 1/2 hours going back up river because we were loaded pretty heavy.
This morning we had one last-ditch attempt. Greg set up in one area, and I set up in another. And I had one of the red brocket deer sneaking by me. It was in the jungle, so here if it's a red brocket you shoot it. Mine was a female. It was fully mature, and I'm proud as heck of it. The guys were thrilled. So, basically in nine man days of hunting, that was the only one we had a crack at that we even saw. Tough hunting. I'm going to keep trying to get a male someday, but you take your chances when they come through the bushes, it's 50-50.
Went out this morning ... we got up at 4 a.m. We went out last night after pacas for a subsistence hunt with the local villagers. Legally we can hunt paca, but as sport hunters we are not allowed to hunt at night, but the local villagers down here can hunt at night, that's how they hunt them. Paca is about a 30-pound rodent like a capybara, but they have a spotted hide. We went out til about midnight with the villagers, but they didn't get any. The pacas were around; you could smell them and hear them, but couldn't see them.
So this morning we got up at 4 a.m. went upriver in the dark until we got to the little local village and then pulled in with the boats and then hiked about 25 minutes into the mountains and jungle. They let the dogs lose right at first light. The first stand we took, the dogs came by us about three times closest was about 100 yards, but they were on a jaguar so they pulled the dogs off of him because they didn't want the dogs to get killed. We moved again set up and got onto a brocket deer. The little son of a guns ... it was in a little jungle glade. Grass moving is all I saw. They are tiny little animals. The grass was only knee-deep, and I never even saw the brocket deer, never got a shot.
So then we had to run all the way back to the river because it was headed back to the river. That's how they get away from the dogs; they dive into the river and swim across to the other side. We got down to the river a little too late. I ran the whole way back ... more running than I've done in years.
By that time we were bagged. We came back, had lunch, I went swimming, it was absolutely beautiful. Shot my Alpine bow, shooting 1-inch groups at 20 yards. I can't wait to go after a white-lipped peccary. That will be the one I'll go after with a bow. We also saw a crested guan today which is one of the birds we're after, but I didn't get a shot at it. Having fun, cool hunt. Absolutely beautiful camp on limestone bluffs above the river.
