- Report by:
- PH Nigel Theisen
- Clients:
- Sanson Family; David, Lori, Trent and Connor
- Area:
- Lake Natron South, Masaailand
- Date:
- 10 July 2007
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The Sanson family arrived in the Lake Natron South area on the 5th July, after spending a restfully 2 days on a photographic safaris in the national parks of Tanzania. After a quick lunch, we headed out to check if the flight form the USA had not ruffled up the rifles too much and so sounded the first shots of the hunting season for 2007.
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Connor Sanson, was the avid hunter keen to start the afternoon, we took a slow drive along some bumpy roads, passing up a few nice Grants and Tommies, with the hope that Connor would be rewarded with a better specimen, the day ended then with nothing in the bag, but a promising feeling of what was still to come.
The next morning we headed out along the road towards Kitumbeine Mountain, once again Grants were plentiful, but not quite right yet, after a quick lunch in the Kitumbeine camp, we began the road back to Kiserian Camp. )
Connor was rewarded for his patience. After a slow stalk followed by a quick kill. The Grants, an impressive specimen in any man’s book, never mind a man of only 12 yrs. He has set a high standard for any hunter to follow, in the coming season. Congratulations!!!
The following morning was to prove rewarding again, after an eventful morning of mixed sightings, a herd of 4 Wildebeest Bulls caught young Connor’s eye and one in particular. An improvised hunt using a Maasai herd boy and a herd of cattle were needed to bring the wildebeest within range. As he had clearly been around the block, and had out smarted many a hunter, but not young Connor. )
Dropping the impressive old bull brought smiles to every bodies faces, Not sure though who had the biggest smile, mom Lori and dad David or the beaming Connor, even big brother Trent had to give him a pat on the back. And so ended another days hunting.
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The dinner was provided by the Grant’s gazelle taken the previous day in the form of Grant’s Cordon Bleu, tasty, very tasty.
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It was Daves turn next. After a long drive to the plains in front of Kitumbeine in search of a good Tommie we were headed back to Kiserian when Dave collected his first African animal…… A Kirks Dik-dik!
There is something to be said about starting at the bottom and working your way up. The next afternoon after a short stalk Dave collected a good Tommie using his trusty little 30-06.
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Dave became determined to hunt something larger, so we decided to turn our attention to zebra. We had passed up numerous opportunities and of course now that we wanted one it became difficult! Instead of a zebra Dave ended up taking a Steen buck on the evening of the sixth day.
Eventually on the afternoon of the last hunting day in Lake Natron South Dave took a large stallion. Up until this time our zebra stalks had been compromised by Grants gazelle, ostriches, giraffe and eland.