Our recent hunting trip to Pongola was meant to be a memorable family getaway, with plans for me to hunt a giraffe and our children to bag some warthogs. But as is often the case with the best-laid plans, things didn’t go quite as expected. A permit issue meant my giraffe hunt had to be postponed, and my husband Pierre suffered a back injury after an unfortunate fall from the bakkie. Additionally, our son Slade, recovering from a rugby injury, was unable to join in on the hunt.

Despite these setbacks, our other two children had an unforgettable experience. Logan, in particular, made up for Slade’s absence by taking down seven warthogs – each with impressive tusks – and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

Our daughter, Zaskia, had been on many hunting trips with us, but had never hunted herself. On this trip, however, she decided it was time to start. With the help of our PH, Pieter Hendrico of Hezekial Safaris, Zaskia practiced with a .243 rifle at the shooting range. After showing impressive accuracy, we set off in search of warthogs, though luck wasn’t on our side that day.

In addition to hunting, we also had the opportunity to do some tiger fishing on the scenic Jozini Dam. Slade, despite his shoulder injury, managed to land a nice tigerfish, and Zaskia caught one too, with some assistance from Pieter.

On our final day, after a lengthy search for warthogs and a glimpse of impala that were too far to shoot, we added nyala to our hunting list. Zaskia finally had her moment with a beautiful nyala bull about 80 meters away. With guidance from Pieter, she took a perfect headshot, and the bull dropped on the spot. It was a magnificent specimen, with 28.5-inch horns, well above the Rowland Ward minimum.

Zaskia, thrilled with her first successful plains game hunt, gave thanks for the animal and made sure the nyala would be prepared for a shoulder mount to display proudly in her room.

Afterward, we gathered around the campfire, sharing stories of the day’s adventures, and even followed the old hunting tradition of eating a piece of raw liver – a moment of pride and bonding for Zaskia and her brothers.

The weekend ended too soon, but the memories of our time in Pongola will last a lifetime, filled with personal milestones and family experiences that made it truly special.

For the full article, read the original story on Game & Hunt magazine here.

This Mozambican adventure will forever be etched in my memory, an experience of excitement, precision, and respect for one of Africa’s most formidable creatures.

Author: Tamlyn van Wyk