During late July and into August we welcomed back the Jordan family from Montana for another unforgettable South African hunting safari. It is always a special time having this wonderful family in camp and this year was made even more memorable with Cheyanna joining the adventure for her very first African hunting experience.
Over the course of the three-week safari, the girls managed to hunt all the animals on their wish lists while enjoying every aspect of life in the African bush. From challenging stalks in thick cover to long-range shots across open country, this safari delivered excitement from start to finish.
Cheyanna wasted no time making memories on her very first morning out in Africa. She started things off perfectly with a clean shot on a beautiful Impala ram before following it up with a hard-earned Blesbuck trophy ram that was well past his breeding years. Two fantastic first African trophies on day one made for an unforgettable introduction to hunting in South Africa.
Stella had her heart set on an Eland bull and fortunately we managed to get onto a good bull early in the safari. The hunt quickly turned into an intense stalk through thick bushveld terrain, testing both patience and nerves. Eventually the opportunity presented itself and Stella made a perfect shot at just over 150 metres. Watching such a magnificent animal go down after a well-executed stalk was a special moment for everyone involved.
What made the experience even more meaningful was that Mom, Teresa, was able to share every moment alongside Stella while Robert, Robe and Claira watched the entire hunt unfold from a nearby high point. Moments like these are what make family safaris in Africa so rewarding.
Claira also enjoyed outstanding success during the trip, taking an exceptional Red Hartebeest bull with a superb 350-metre heart shot. It was a calm and confident piece of shooting on a truly impressive bull.
One of the most action-packed hunts of the safari came when Robert went after a Bushpig boar with Dave’s famous pack of hog hounds, better known around camp as “The Hounds of Justice”. The chase took the team through valleys, rivers and thick cover before Robert finally caught up with a good boar. Even with all his years of hunting experience, the adrenaline after this hunt was written all over his face. Bushpig hunting with hounds is something incredibly difficult to describe properly — it is simply something that needs to be experienced firsthand.
We also managed to put the girls to work helping control our resident Baboon population, which has become quite a pest around the area over the last few months. By the end of the safari, the tally stood at close to 15 Baboons taken between the team.
From Kudu bulls and Golden Wildebeest to Eland and everything in between, the Jordan family experienced an incredible variety of hunting throughout the safari. We even travelled into the barren beauty of the Karoo where Stella successfully hunted a truly unique and very rare 4-horned Sheep.
This safari was about far more than trophies alone. It was about family, shared experiences and making lifelong memories together in the African bush. A huge thank you goes to Mornay, Seuntjie and Chris for doing a sterling job guiding throughout the trip, while Sam once again proved to be an absolute star behind the scenes keeping everything running smoothly.
We truly would not be able to do what we do without families like the Jordans. Thank you all for another incredible safari and for the many laughs and memories shared around camp.
Till we meet again, Team Jordan!
