Please note that WE HAVE MOVED from our usual corner booth in game call hall to BOOTH 6429 in Main Outfitters Hall

Come and visit us to check all our show specials!

First time in Canada for Grand Safari with well known Canadian professionnal hunter and Outfitter Michel Langlois from Grand Chelem Aventure.

Come and visit us on our booth 719 to discover all our different safari options.

Good to hear that you enjoyed the Extreme Outer Limits African episodes done with us in South Africa.

We’ll soon have the great pleasure to see some of you over in South Africa, for all the others, let’s stay in touch until next year, same time same place!

Come and check our 2012 brochure, we’ll be here the whole week-end.

Yankee Sportsman’s Classic
20th Annual  January 20 – 22 2012 – Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Jct., VT – Booth # 213

Le Salon National de la Pourvoirie
26 − 29 Jan 2012 – Montréal, CANADA  - Booth # 719

Eastern Sports & Outdoor show
4-12 Feb 2012 – Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex – Harrisburg, PA – Booth # 6429

The Springfield Sportsmen’s show
23-26 Feb 2012 – Big E West Springfield, MA – Booth # 213

GRAND SAFARI is on US TV!

That was Jürgen’s first time, wouldn’t miss that tradition for nothing hey …

Harvesting a rhino in South Africa contributes greatly to protect the whole rhino population in the country.

That old cow with this great trophy gave us a very challenging hunt this weekend. She has always been wilder than any other rhinos since arriving on our concession about 8 years ago. A few times in the past, she would have liked to modify the shape of my Toyota while protecting her offspring! Hunting springbok on her territory was sometimes a bit … sporty should I say. We all knew her short sense of humor, and when we decided she was part of our game management plan, and needed to go, who ever was gonna harvest her would not only get a great trophy but most probably a very interesting hunt.
An Eastern Europe hunter that we will call Vladimir for our story, was up for the challenge. Usually, we would see that rhino every second day without looking for her, but it is only on day 3, after driving around for about 230 km, that we found her with a young bull … less than 3 km away from the lodge! It is now 18:30 and we only have about 30 minutes of good light left for the day. We quickly get within 30 meters of the beast when the curiosity of an other big female pushed her to come and snig us a bit closer. At 10 meters away, I had no options but to throw a stone on her nose, making her run away in a cloud of dust following her very young calf. Our big female and the young bull followed, stopping frequently to find out where we were. We run from tree to tree to get close again quickly, time is against us. Rhinos can’t see well but they can hear and smell remarquably well. She runs in a circle into the wind to find us, when she does, she runs in the opposite direction. When she sees movement in her comfort zone, she charges towards it. We also have to run in a circle to stay away from her wind. It is like a ballet amongst the acacia tress there. The size of Vladimir’s eyes then tells me a lot about the situation he is experiencing right now. No time to explain everything, especially with that language barrier, the translator will have some catching up to do later …

Last try, same scenario and they finally run away into the darkness…

We decide to have an early start at 05:00 the next day. We had a bit of rain last night, and we are trying to establish the direction given by the last tracks. There is a fair amount of rhinos on this concession, and it takes time to go through all the close by waterhole to find her again. I give radio to my 3 trackers and send them on to the top of the hills while we will drive around them. Owen calls, he found her on the foot of the hill. We leave the 4×4 in the distance and approach on foot. Soon I can see the long and shiny horn in the morning light, she is still with the young bull, pretty relaxed. Wind is good, soil is soft from the rain, we have to come right this time… but all of a sudden she lifts her head towards us and runs the other way amongst the acacia trees. Thorns on her skin are making pretty much the same noise as on my vehicle! I take the spoor followed by Vladimir and we soon find them in thick brush. They will run a few times, we would catch them up, pretty much the same as yesterday late afternoon, but this time in quite thick cover. Vladimir is starting to like this kind of rhino hunting …. and then we lose them. No more tracks, gone … Call the trackers and we all walk up and down looking for clues. Owen calls on the radio. He found 2 tracks going through a little stream towards the “2 dam” little valley. It is a lot more open there and I decide to climb the nearest hill to overlook the whole area. If they are still in there, we’ll see them. 20 minutes later glassing everyway we can, still no rhino… impossible, they have to be here somewhere. I sent the 3 trackers beating all those little bushes with not much hope to find the beasts, and guess what, 3 of them fly out of the last bush above the second dam. It is a big male, and our big female and the young bull. And they run and they run, luckily tracker Smiley was still on top of a big hill and he can follow them in his binoculars.

We have to start from scratch again, who said rhino hunting was just a formality?

3 hours and 15 km away, we think we know where they should be hiding, after going through quite a few options along the way. We are now going through the plains where we are all convinced to find our trophy rhino. Can’t find her, so I decided to speed up the process by getting on top of the big hill where we could glass the whole area at once. I am now speeding up a bit to get to that bad very steep road when someone is knocking on the roof saying “Stop Stop Stop!!). This is what I have been waiting for … it is Gazi, he saw the big female and the young bull 200 meters away, hiding on the edge of acacia bushes. A quick look and YES, this is the one. Don’t even need binoculars at that distance, her horn is so long that it cannot be mistaken with an other rhino. I grab my rifle, Vladimir is already walking behind me, ready as ever… 200 meters, 150 … we get to about 80m in not such a good wind. I am worried the wind could swing and they would run away again. Quick look at Vladimir with my thumb up asking for approval, he head goes up and down for a yes, I secure the shooting sticks in the ground, Vladimir adjusts the Sako .375 H&H Magnum and squeezes the trigger. The 300 gr solid bullet reaches its target, the beast jumped and ran straight, typical reaction for a heart shot.

We start walking around to get closer in a good wind, soon I spot the young bull, stocked in a bush looking back from where the shot went. I can now also see the big rhino lying down, it was indeed a heart shot… Owen and Gazi are now back with us, we wait a bit longer and decide to go and get our rhino. 15 minutes and a few dozen stones later, we manage to chase that young bull away after a few milk charges… we would have had action all the way to the end during this rhino hunt!

Emotion takes over the adrenalin rush, the trophy is superb, Vladimir’ has just achieved one of his wildest dreams, harvesting a rhino on foot.

We’ve hunted everything together, so many stories to share. This bush roamer, always in a good mood, will leave a big empty space in my life. Domino follows me every way this morning. So long Xolilé, you’re “up to date” to move to the “yellow side” my friend…

Grand Safari respects the contribution of those who serve in the military, and offers terms and conditions tailored to their unique needs:

• Flexible Schedule: Arranging a safari in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) is feasible on 48 hours notice, for most of the common species we hunt. Your safari in RSA or in Zimbabwe can be delayed by as much as a month on short notice, or rescheduled entirely, if the dates of your leave have changed. We will hold the reserved quota (specialty animals in RSA, all animals in Zimbabwe) for that one month time, or start planning from scratch without loss of your deposit. Safaris in Tanzania and Mozambique are also available, but with fewer options for rescheduling.
• Arms and Ammunition: With active military ID, your rifle rental and ammunition for hunting are FREE. Our local shops have bow hunting equipment in stock for purchase, and can special order (with 3 months notice) the archery equipment of your choice.
• Clothing: For travel and hunting in the Republic of South Africa, Mozambique, and Tanzania, your ABU, ACU, or BDU uniform is ideal. Three sets of clothing (one worn, two packed) is preferred, since daily laundry service is included in our price. Depending on the time of year, the addition of a rain jacket, fleece vest, insulating hat, and gloves are recommended. Zimbabwe does not allow camouflage, either commercial or military. Transit passengers in the Johannesburg airport can purchase all necessary clothing and boots.
• Trophies: Your un-mounted skins, horns, and skulls can be shipped immediately, or held in RSA for up to a year. Delivery of finished mounts prepared by a taxidermist in RSA can follow a normal one year schedule, or can be held an additional year after full payment. RSA taxidermy prices, instructions, and payment can all be arranged by e-mail and bank wire transfer.
• Calendar: We hunt 12 months out of the year. Frost is possible in June and July, with shirt-sleeve weather by afternoon. The pool and ocean beach are available September through April. Weather is hot and wet December through February.
• Total Life Support: All our hunting safaris include airport transfers, three meals a day, private bathroom, linens on the bed, and free wine and beer.
• Groups: We can accommodate individuals and groups of up to twelve (12) clients. Professional Hunters can guide one client (1×1) or two clients (2×1), plus non-hunting observers. To keep your group in one lodge, please book 3 to 6 months in advance.
• Airlines: Delta and South African Airways are the preferred carriers for travel between North America and Africa. Air France and South African Airways are the preferred carriers for travel between Europe and Africa. Emirates is the preferred carrier between the Middle East and Africa.
• Extra Activities: Salt water fishing, fresh water fishing, skydiving, winery tours, rental cars, photo safaris, sightseeing, and nightclubs can all be arranged.
• Licenses and Tags: There are no licenses or tags: you pay for what you shoot and you pay for package animals (if you purchase a package). A hunter’s safety card is NOT required. Hunter orange is NOT required, since hunting groups use distance and exclusive properties for safety.
• Experience: Expert hunters will have the time of their life. Our Professional hunters can also guide clients with little or no experience. The average rifle shot is 150 yards. Offhand 50 yard shots into 6 inch groups combined with 200 yard shots from a field rest into 6 inch groups will produce trophies (at least half for the record book) at the rate of one per day of hunting. The average bow shot is 25 yards (from a blind or from a leopard crawl with knee pads and gloves).
• Payment: Wire transfers to South Africa and personal checks mailed to the US (we use Bank of America) are best for deposits. Final payments can be made before arrival in the same manner, or by cash and travelers checks. Once you leave the airport, your US bank card works in the ATMs in RSA (subject to daily limit).
• Hospitality: We hunt in friendly countries that like Americans. The environment is safe, and the locals will welcome you.

Join us for your next leave. African safari offers memories that will last a lifetime, and recreation at a world class standard.

Extra-ordinary elephant safari…
… Izak arrives in Harare with a friend and his challenge is to try to get 3 big elephant bulls in 14 days. Cessna pilot Giles welcomes them and takes them to his C206 for a short flight to Gona ReZhou National park where pro hunter Lloyd and his team will take over.
The 35 minutes drive between the landing strip and Lloyd’s camp are spent discussing the great elephant movement that occurs in the area at this time of the year. Amarula trees are dropping their fruits and elephant just cannot resist them. Water is also abundant right now on the 250 000 ha concession, this is the BEST time to find those big tuskers that Izak is looking for.
Day 1, 06:00 AM, our team leaves camp in search of Izak’s first big tusker. Only 20 min later, some large and worn elephant tracks are crossing the road. Lloyd has a big smile on his face, he knows that area and its potential so well. It will only take 35 minutes to find that big bull, his tusks are shining in the beautiful morning light. Adrenaline rushes right up, this is a shooter … 50 meters … 30, then only 25 … the barrel of the .416 Rigby is raising slowly, shot goes off and the giant bites the dust. Izak is only 2 hours into his safari, and he has just taken a very nice elephant bull.
Two days later, Lloyd decides to go back to the tracks found the day before. It was too late to follow them the day before since most of the day was spent following 2 bulls that finally did not exceed 40 lbs. It is 10:00 AM when our hunters get ready for what could be a long walk. The tracks lead our hunters to a big marula tree. The ground is covered with fruits. This is one of the numerous big marula trees of the concession, a big asset when it comes to elephant hunting. They just cannot leave these fruits alone. From that tree, the tracks are going west, into the wind. One hour and 45 minutes later, they have a visual on the bull from behind. Tusks are huge … possibly way over 85 lbs says Lloyd. Izak’s dream is coming together, years of hunting to come across such a scene. The wind is turning all the time and stalking him is very tricky. Suddenly the bull turns left and runs. He will never look back, never stop and will never be seen again. The big tuskers are not big for no reason…
Getting back to camp, Lloyd finds a good track on top of the car tire’s track. This is real fresh, well worth trying to follow. Akani, a Shona tracker hunting with Lloyd for decades, take our hunters straight to a big marula tree close by, without even following the spoors. The big bull is here, under the tree, picking up fruits. Wind is good this time, Izak can get within 40 meters before lifting up the .416 Rigby … the solid will go right through the brain, the giant will be dead before touching the ground. Beautiful ivory on him, possibly over 60 lbs.
The next day, Lloyd suggests getting back to that area where that huge elephant bull was last seen running away the day before. They will find lots of elephants in this area, walking the whole day amongst some breeding herds. A few young bulls, but not the one they were hoping to find.
It is 06:00 AM three days later when the 4×4 leaves camp for that road bordering the national park for 33 km. While driving North on that dirt road, Izak spots 2 elephants crossing the road a few hundred meters in front of them. The wind is very unstable and often turns from North to South. Lloyd stops the car immediately and after a 2 hour detour walking in the forest, Izak’s .416 Rigby talks again. This is probably the best bull of all so far bearing long, very long ivory. The depth of the nerve inside the tusks will greatly determine the weight, but it could be a 70 to 75 lbs pounder … awesome!
Our hunters see elephants every day. They have already followed 6 bulls in 7 days and have managed to harvest 3 big tuskers so far. This is really exceptional! But they are in for more surprise … good surprises!
Day 10, Izak has already achieved what he came for and couldn’t be happier. If we come across another big one, it’s yours” says Izak to his friend. Sounds like we are doing some springbok hunting in the Eastern Cape of South Africa…
We bumped into a breeding herd and young bulls on the morning, no shooters. Late afternoon, Lloyd finds that big track on the road. This is an old big track of an old elephant bull. Not too fresh, probably from last night but at this time of the year, the elephants normally don’t cover too much ground each day since they have what they are looking for. Akani takes over and starts tracking the bull.  It will get dark soon and they will have to carry on early tomorrow morning.
Crack of dawn, Akani followed by Lloyd, Izak and his friend André are already on the spoor when they hear a branch cracking. It can’t be too far, 1.5 km at the most. The wind is wrong so they decide to make a big detour to get to the area where the noise was coming from. 45 minutes later, the back of an elephant is in sight. The head is covered by a fallen tree. Not much cover to get closer, they will have to wait for that elephant to move in order to judge the size of his tusks. One thing is for sure, it is a bull, and rather a big bodied one. It will take almost an hour to finally see those shinny tusks in the morning light. This is a big one and André has taken over the .416 Rigby. Akani slowly get the shooting sticks into position, last recommendations from Lloyd and André slowly get into position. Adrenaline is pumping and the only possible shot is a broadside brain shot at 45 meters … click … no bang! … André does not have Izak’s experience and just did not load his gun when they started to walk behind that bull. Izak will very gently take his gun back to load it quietly. It is uncertain that the elephant bull heard or saw anything, but he took a few steps towards the hunter and pushed a tree over, possibly just to reassure who ever would be watching him how strong and powerful he is. Akani adjust the tripod, André gets into position again and squeezes the trigger. Perfect brain shot, very impressive to see a big elephant bull hitting the ground only 24 meters away…

It is on day number 13 that Izak will take the last elephant bull of the safari. 5 big tuskers in 13 days, all of them between 53 and 73 lbs, making it an average per bull of about 60 lbs!
The area is also very good for those big “low veldt” leopards (4 out of 4 in 2010), as well as big buffalo bulls (8 on quota, smallest in 2010 measuring 41”).

2012 and 2013 bookings are open on first come first serve basis. Do not hesitate to contact us early if interested on big tuskers, leopards and buffaloes.