Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Two Botswana Tuli Block Offers for 2023.

Been swamped with life the past few months and just now getting caught up.

A number of changes for my friends in Botswana this year. First, my friend Gerhard Koch of Koch Safaris, who was the PH and General Manager of the Saas Post Game Farm in the south end of the Tuli block, was offered a seriously good position as the Head PH and GM of a multi-million acre dangerous game concession on the northern boarder between Botswana and the Namibian Caprivi Stirp. Serious step up for him and I'm very, very happy for him. With Gerhard no longer running Saas Post as of last year, the land owner has turned it over to one of his son's to run. Unfortunately, he's using it as a private hunting lodge for just he and his friends now and not open to other hunters. This started the middle of last year (2022).

Seeing the writing on the wall and an open opportunity for two neighboring game farms and two long time friends of Gerhard's and more recently mine, Kevin Nell, owner of Darnaway Game Farm and Wim Biemond, owner of Basslinghall Game Farm. This past Aug (2022) I was there and between helping Gerhard for a couple of days on an elephant hunt, I spent 10-days hunting again with Kevin and Wim on there respective properties. I've hunted with them and on their properties multiple times before. Here is a link to the Aug 2022 Hunt Report

Knowing that Gerhard was leaving Saas Post and seeing the opportunity for Kevin and Wim to fill the void of Saas Post closing, we started "making a plan" to get their properties opened up to internarial trophy and game management hunters. Prior to this, Kevin and Wim were just catering to local Botswana and RSA biltong/meat hunters. They both offered "self-catering" lodging facilities and basic game prep and cold meat storage. For those who may not be familiar with what "self-catering" means, here what it is. The clients are provided shelter, beds, cooking pots/pans, toilet/shower facilities. The clients are responsible for bring their own bed linins, towels, toiletries, food and drink. They do there own cooking, cleaning and game dressing/butchering. In Kevin's case, he has a small complex of elevated chalets on the bank of the Limpopo river. Wim has a small 2BR cabin next to his main homestead. Hunters or small hunting parties would just come for a weekend, take a few head and be gone. Either Kevin or Wim or one of their workers accompany the hunters to make sure they only take management/meet animals and not just going around shooting/wounding animals arbitrarily. What this has resulted in over the years are very serious quality trophy animals. Why? Because the biltong/meet hunters aren't willing to pay trophy quality fees just to get meat. So.....this gives you a bit of background on how this is getting started.

Where are they located?



Above is a general map of Botswana. The capital city is Gaborone. This is where you'll fly into. The area in red on the eastern boarder with RSA is the old Saas Post farm. It is about a 2 1/2 hr. drive from the airport on all blacktop road to the farm gates. Darnaway Farm is on the northern boarder of Sass Post and Bassinghall Farm is on the northern boarder of Darnaway. The map below shows the approximate property boarders and sizes.



Kevin and Wim have been busy getting everything in order to start formally taking international hunters. Part of this is making sure they properly transition from "self-catering" to traditionally safari "fully catered". Meaning, full lodging, meals, daily laundry service, daily maid service, all food and drinks (beer, soft and hard), all inclusive and no hidden costs. While "technically" RSA biltong hunters are "international", it's not considered the same as hunters from the Americas or Europe. I just got there final price lists late last week and I'm posting below. One thing you'll notice is their daily rates and cull/management species rates are the same. They do have different trophy fees in some cases based on availability either on their farms or possibly additional neighboring farms. The point being that you can "book" with either one and be able to hunt both farms on the same trip and hunt with both Kevin and Wim.

Here are their respective prices:



As always, I am NOT a booking agent. Yes, I am listed as their "US Contact" because I help answer any and all questions I can and also help a booked client make travel arrangements and do the paperwork for rifle import permits etc. BY ALL MEANS, you are more than welcome to contact them directly as well. I DO NOT handle any money. You deal directly with them.

I am going back again this year at the end of August for 14-full days of hunting. Tentatively departing on or about 21 or 22 Aug, three calendar days of travel there (overnight flight to Jberg, overnight there and into Bots the 3rd day and be on the property before lunch) and start the first full hunting day the next morning. After 14 full days, we'll fly home and that will take two calendar days as well (overnight flight from Jberg to the US) so, figure 20 or 21 days total.

As of today, I have two confirmed first time Africa hunters going and have room for one more. Two will stay at Kevin's and two of us will stay at Wim's. We'll swap properties and PH's every day or two so you can mix it up. I am personally only going to shoot management/culls again. The two guys going with are planning some management and some trophies too.

If you want to make the trip alone or with a friend, by all means, please do. Again feel fee to contact them directly for available dates. if you book I will do everything I can to assist with travel plans and arrangements and documents you'll need. This is there first season for international hunters. There maybe a hiccup or two along the way but, they are very good people and will bust their coconuts to show you the best time they can while you're there.

Michael

Quick update.....

The last, 4th spot, for this year's trip is confirmed and our group is full.

This still means if anyone else is considering going this year, they are still more than welcome to contact Kevin or Wim and make a trip on their own.

We've booked on Delta from Tampa to Jberg, overnighting in the City Lodge Hotel there in the terminal complex and into Gaborone the next day (3rd travel day) on SA Airlink. We should be "in camp" early afternoon.

If anyone does decide to make the trip, I'll be more than happy to help you sort out the travel plans and help with the gun permits in Jberg for the transit and also the temp import permits for Bots.