Hello to all our dear friends from the USA
Christmas has come and gone and my good intentions of writing to you all before the time, were not realized, for which I humbly apologize.
Allow me now though, to say that we wish each and every one of you and all those you love, the happiest of years in 2009. We hope that your Christmas time was happy and that at least some of your dreams for the past year came true!
Our own year started off with an almighty bang! Our trip to the States and the start of a new building project, moving house and acquainting ourselves with much larger and unfamiliar hunting areas, was quite a challenge. Phil had his time cut out running around getting blinds ready in time and helping me check out the building process.
As usual we were treated with nothing less than genuine hospitality during our stay in the US and Mike Gold, the Grand Prize must go to you. The trouble you went to surpassed our wildest expectations. Phil’s dream of catching a sturgeon can now be added to his list of “done thats” and Mike and his Dad, Howard and Mum, Kathy were phenomenal in their generosity. Thanks is simply not enough!
Thanks too, must go to Rob and Sue for always helping us out with our booth in Denver and for being such fun to have around and saying such great things about us to unsuspecting visitors to the Sports Show there! Bill and Scarlet Pfeifer have become our Denver stalwarts, and we say thanks to you both for opening your gorgeous home to us to rest and recuperate after the fun and work of Sacramento. Charles and Deb Place, thanks again for the wonderful dinner and good conversation….we hope to see you again?
In Harrisburg, PA, we always have many trusty friends to call on and without you all, the agonizing 9-day show would be intolerable. Thanks to Mike Bethel and Jim Hetrick for always helping us out in the booth and for the loan of your mounts. Dave and Tara Dunn, your continued support and your allowing us to camp out in your spare room every year, the delicious meals, snacks and cakes and your faith in our abilities are never taken for granted. God bless you and your lovely children. Chuck Shively, who would have expected that you would drive your magnificent buffalo mount all the way from Baltimore for us to use in the booth, then take him all the way home again! Each and every one of you, your friendship means so much to us. Terry Mc Henry, how lucky could we be to have a “client on call” just around the corner from our booth! Thanks so much for sending clients our way and for the loan of your mounts and photo albums. We hope to make it up to you when you visit us again in ’09. Gary Ramus, your sustained interest and energetic help, along with your delightful boys, is always a pleasure to have around at the show. Thanks for everything!
This time around we had no time for trips after the shows, and Mike Fetterolf, we are so sorry that we keep having to put off another visit to your beautiful home and family. We promise to make it back there some day!
The season itself started early this year, with a visit from Pat McQuillan in March. Pat was in South Africa delivering a medical paper at a convention in Cape Town, and spent some very enjoyable time hunting with us afterwards. Our new lodge was not yet complete by then, and we had to put Pat up in a neighbouring lodge. Pat and Phil did so well on their stalks together, that on 2 occasions Phil had to whistle to get the attention of both his kudu and black wildebeest! Pat is hoping to return with a friend one day and we look forward to showing him our beautiful new facilities then.
Jim Hetrick, your 3rd visit was short but sweet, and it’s always fun to have you around. By now you feel like family! I hope that the helicopter ride hasn’t scared you away forever! Next time bring Susan again and look after your tickets…please! The mutual passion we have for our pets makes our relationship more special still!
In May we had to pleasure of hosting a video shoot with Chris Dorsey and cameraman Jeff McMichael, for World of Beretta. It was great to have Jeff back again and a privilege to meet Chris with his wonderful manners and wealth of hunting stories. Chris hunted hard for 2 nyala and a bushbuck in 3 days, and this, while the early season bush was still quite thick and allowing for Jeff to get the right camera angles too! Quite a feat, both of you!
Stan and Beverly Hunt were our first visitors in late May, to our new camp “Bloemtuin Lodge”, which they loved. Stan and his son Tom had been with us on a previous occasion and he was suitably impressed with our upgraded digs. It was great fun to have Bev around and I enjoyed spoiling her, as she spends a lot of time looking after other people back home! Stan and Phil spent many hours stalking his Eland and finally took him at 25 yards through a tiny gap in the bush! Thanks for the great fillets, Stanley!
Dennis and Janet Colmerauer were first-time visitors to our part of Africa, but had been on many hunts further to the north of us before. Dennis’ wish list was therefore quite specific and we are pleased to say that through sheer perseverance and thanks to Flippie’s help, he got both an ancient old Blue Wildebeest bull, and a gorgeous bush pig to add to his list. Janet, you were such a sport and thanks to you both for the kind gift of the Ice Cream Maker, which I am using more and more during our hot and steamy summer. Enjoy your retirement!
Bill Robie, you came out of the blue when we were not expecting to fill a gaping hole in the season! The fact that we could not get hold of you beforehand to confirm your flight details because you were on a fishing trip in Alaska, testifies to your adventurous spirit, and we hope that you had a good trip to New Zealand soon after leaving us! Don’t drool, the rest of you! Your kudu was a real coup, and it was fun to hear your stories at dinner-time!
Dave Dunn, our helpful friend from Lancaster, PA came on his 2nd visit, this time with his father-in-law Gene. It was a real pleasure to have you both around, and thanks to Dave’s selflessness, Gene attained a life-long dream of going on an African Safari! Dave and Tara are bringing some special friends to visit this coming June, which will be a blast.
Now here’s a guy we just can’t get rid of… he keeps coming back like a rash, and we love him for it! Mike Bethel, your friendship and ability to sell us to other gun enthusiasts is astonishing. Please keep it up! Your gang this year were an interesting mix, and certainly some of the best-behaved bunch we have had in camp in a long time! Elam Steiner, Galen Shank, Rich Shue and Galen Simmons, you relaxed attitudes and appreciation of the food and service are appreciated in turn! The following incidents are memorable: Elam’s head shot on his Blesbuck, Rich’s chance to see Nelson in action and his concern and kindness to everyone around him, Galen Shank’s great Blesbuck shot, Galen Simmons’ Kudu, that brought Nelson into the fray again and Mike’s 2 zebra, shot within 5 minutes of each other! Mike, we look forward to your next group in June of ‘09! Thanks for believing in us!
Randy Bacon and Rich Pinalto, the highlight of your trip in August, has to be the time you were surrounded by buffalo while sitting in the blind! When we first met you in Denver, we just knew that you would be great guests to have in camp, and our instincts were not far wrong! Sorry that you did not strike oil this time around, but you did so well on your other species. We look forward to having you again. Sorry we couldn’t find you a good-looking South African girl to take home with you, Rich!
Our dear friend Chuck Shively, finally convinced his other half, Karen, to join him on this trip and no regrets all round! Karen and Chuck are the sort of people that you wish were your next-door neighbours and we very much enjoyed the debates at dinner table and can’t wait to have them back with their boys next time they come. Gus and Karen hit it off instantly and within weeks of their departure, Gus received a heated doggy blanket in the mail! Chuck, you take every situation thrown your way in your stride and the successful tracking of your beautiful Waterbuck and Zebra is the proof of this!
We met Roy Whitmore and Sam Mondrosch at the Harrisburg Show thanks to Terry McHenry, and could tell from the start that they would fit right in! We even managed to persuade picky eater Roy, to at least TASTE some venison, an incident the tough ex-cop actually survived! Phil remembers the beautiful setting while hunting Sam’s Red Hartebeest and the excellent walk and stalk to bag Roy’s Kudu! We look forward to having you guys back with your families. No Pizza Huts nearby though Roy!
After interrogating nearly all our past clients (only kidding!) Craig and Serena Davis finally decided to risk coming to us from California. Craig had had a rather disappointing hunt prior to coming to Bosbok and wanted to make absolutely sure of his next choice, so we were anxious that things should go according to plan. Ten out of ten to Craig, Serena and Phil for making it all pan out. As a team they put enormous effort into every hunt, but funnily enough, the one Phil remembers most fondly is when the giraffe bull was standing 10 yards BEHIND the blind they were sitting in, resulting in their not being able to do a thing about it! Bittersweet memories! Serena, you are so true to your name and like Janet Colmerauer, your husband is lucky to have such a dedicated hunting companion. Enjoy your precious puppy, bought as a result of meeting the Munnik Boerbul!
Mike Gold and his wonderful parents decided to book a whole 30 days at the end of the season, in October, when everyone else had been and gone. Something they brought along, (besides about 5 pounds of barbecue sauce and 7 pounds of candy from Kathy!) caused the belly laugh of the season: his name was Wally and he was a decoy of a Black Wildebeest, made by Mike and his dad, Howard. Wally was too cute for words and was made to use on our highveld concession. The sight of Wally caused a lot of hilarity and much curiosity from various animals, human and otherwise. Mike’s appreciation of the small things in nature is remarkable and his knowledge of waterbirds in the USA astounding. Kathy, your kindness and generosity is legendary and our staff will remember you forever. Howard the peace-keeper and cook! Thanks for your help in the kitchen and great sense of humour! We love you guys.
At the outset of writing this letter I had no intention rambling on so much, so I hope I haven’t caused any of you to loose too many brain cells.
Please know that all of you are very special to us and we would not have the pleasure and privilege of being in this industry were it not for you.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
Soon, all the season’s photographs will be on our brand new web page……will keep you posted!!
