Trad Gang

Main Boards => The Dark Continent => Topic started by: Jeff Sample on June 05, 2009, 02:26:00 PM

Title: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Jeff Sample on June 05, 2009, 02:26:00 PM

In a few days, TradGanger Richard "Pip" Pippenger - a.k.a Trad Lad - will be leaving for his LONG awaited first trip to Africa and Melorani Safaris. Let's all wish Pip the best of luck for a great hunt! Like all of you, I'll be waiting for a thorough story afterwards, with plenty of pics!  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: on June 05, 2009, 05:19:00 PM

Good Luck, Pip! I will be leaving on my first African adventure in a couple weeks also. I hope to flood this site and others with cool pics when I get home.

Knock 'em dead, Pip,

Bisch

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Guru on June 05, 2009, 08:19:00 PM

:thumbsup:     :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Trad Lad on June 06, 2009, 06:46:00 AM

Thanks Guys,
I appreciate the good wishes. It'hard to believe it is just two wake up and go. Yes it's been a long wait.
Jeff, thanks for all the help, hints and words of encouragement. I will be taking all of your writings with me as reminders and probably talking to you some every day in the hide. If I do half as well as you I will be successful, but I will most certainly have a wonderful time.
Bisch, It was great talking to you along the way also, good luck at Ledadji Safaris and will be expecting pictures and great stories.
Thanks to all and good luck to all who have been counting down the last few months with me.
 
  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: tradtusker on June 09, 2009, 08:41:00 AM

good luck Pip have a great one!
look forward to hearing about it when you get back

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: 2ndxarnd on June 11, 2009, 10:08:00 PM

Shoot straight Pop. See you when you get back. RpJR (2ndxarnd)

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Bryan Burkhardt on June 13, 2009, 12:56:00 PM

I received news today that Pip has a kudu and a warthog down...can't wait to hear the details when he gets back.

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Jeff Sample on June 15, 2009, 10:15:00 AM

Bryan,

Thanks for the update! Looks like he's not wasting any time! Any word on whether Ted has his sable yet?

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: IndianaBowman on June 15, 2009, 01:31:00 PM

Awesome news for Pip! Best of luck Pip! Melorani is a wonderful place to visit. Stu and Bronwyn are top notch.

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Bryan Burkhardt on June 21, 2009, 10:59:00 PM

I know that Pip shot a nice wildebeest and Ted shot a zebra...haven't heard anything else.

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Jeff Sample on June 22, 2009, 09:32:00 AM

Won't be long now!

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Trad Lad on June 24, 2009, 08:50:00 AM

I have returned, safe sound and dragging. When my head hit the pillow last night I was 37 hours without sleep. I will try to write tonight depending on how things go at work.
Thanks again to all who helped me with information. I will tell you this for those that have been there and you will kind of know what we faced. In ten days I NEVER saw any dust. Think about that.

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Jeff Sample on June 24, 2009, 02:10:00 PM

I did, and I have no idea what you're talking about. At least tell us what ya got. We've all been waiting!  :bigsmyl:

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Jeff Sample on June 24, 2009, 02:22:00 PM

You get a lot of rain?

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Trad Lad on June 24, 2009, 07:51:00 PM

Ok,I'll give you the jist of it. It rained for four days before we got there and the morning of the first day. When we drove back the long red dirt road after we got off the Platinum Highway to the gate, we were driving in mud. There was standing water every where,that never went away. It changed the entire dynamic of the movement of the animals. Sounds like I was disappointed but I wasn't. We still saw animals but not in the quantity that perhaps others did in dry conditions. It was still well worthy of my bucket list. It is the only opportunity I will have to hunt Africa and I cherished every minute of it. I had great company, a fantistic concession, and made new and wonderful friends in Stewert, Bronwyn, Richard and Roscoe Dorrington and the new PH, Huibert (Bert) Meyer in his first year was great, solid.
Net result is I harvested a nice Kudu, a Warthog, and a Wildebeest, and I am very proud of them all. I also wanted an Impala which I made two bad shots and lost two Impala. I never grasped how quick they reacted to the string. As far as my Zebra and Gemsbok, the only shot oppurtunities I had were on pregnant females and I did not want to shoot pregnant females, nor did Stewert want me to. My hunting partner Ted was focused on a trophy Sable and tho there were several there in the forty plus inch catagory, he was never given the good shot to close the deal. He did however harvest a beautiful Zebra stallion.
I will try to supply photos in the next couple days and tell a little more of my journey. I will end tonight by saying if you have ever wanted to hunt Africa, try hard to make it happen, you will remember the experience for ever.

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: dino on June 25, 2009, 08:17:00 PM

Awsome Pip! Congrats on the trophies.  Missed you at Compton but you have a great excuse.  Got any pics?? dino

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Benny Nganabbarru on June 26, 2009, 05:42:00 AM

Congrats! Looking forward to the read and photos!

Title: Re: Good Luck Pip!
Post by: Trad Lad on June 26, 2009, 07:40:00 AM

Thanks Guys,
I started a new thread, "Tradlad is back". Please go there.