Kukuzans - A Shining Star on the Dark Continent
Story & Pictures By Marty Fischer
Host of the Shotgun Journal TV show
 For more than a century, sportsmen and hunters have ventured to Africa, "The Dark Continent", in search of the wide variety of plains game and dangerous game animals found there. The cost of such exotic excursions often limited them to only the wealthiest of hunters. But that was then, and this is now.
Over the years, game hunters often carried shotguns to harvest many of the bird species found in their hunting area as a meat supplement for the camp. They found many of the species, such as francolin, sand grouse and guinea fowl, to be excellent on the table. When they returned from their safaris, many hunters not only told stories of the huge numbers of game animals they encountered, they also spoke in awe of the thousands and thousands of game bird species they saw.
In recent years, things have changed in Africa, as outfitters have finally realized the value of the wingshooting opportunities that exist on the continent. And no where is the shooting better than in the country of South Africa.
 As one of the hosts of the popular Shotgun Journal television series seen on the Outdoor Life Network, I can tell you that the show is always looking for new and exciting wingshooting opportunities around the world. A chance meeting at the Safari Club International show in Reno with African outfitter, Krys Wessels of Kukuzan Safaris near Bethlehem, South Africa put the wheels in motion for a wingshooting safari of a lifetime.
Our hunt was scheduled for early April, which is equivalent to September i n North America. We flew from Atlanta direct to Johannesburg, South Africa. To our surprise, getting guns into South Africa is quite simple. We filled out a form at the police station in baggage service at the airport, and there was no fee charged. One caveat however. Each hunter is allowed only one gun per gauge, so I would consider taking a 12 and a 20. Ammo is readily available through the outfitter at very reasonable prices.
 The ride from Johannesburg to Kukuzans lodge took about three hours, but the beauty of the South African countryside make the trip seem shorter. Surprisingly the area looked much like parts of the American mountain west. There were mountains, valleys, rivers, streams and lots of agriculture.
 Upon arriving at the compound that housed the lodge, we were assigned a private chalet to serve as our individual quarters for our stay in the region. Each chalet was well appointed with a living room and fireplace, comfortable beds and lavish bathroom. An expansive lanai or porch off the living room proved to be excellent for relaxing and viewing of a wide variety of birds and the occasional plains game animal that might pass by.
 Meals and fellowship in the main lodge, which serves as the social and dining headquarters at Kukuzans were simply spectacular. Every meal prepared by Kukuzans' trained culinary staff uipfeatured a gourmet flair, and the  expansive wine collection at Kukuzans was the best I've ever seen at a hunting lodge. South Africa is well known for the quality of its wines, and the selection at Kukuzans features many of the country's finest vintages. There is a large bar and seating area in the main lodge, and the preserved collection of game and bird species found in the region was truly spectacular.
But as nice as the meals and accommodations were, we were in South Africa to hunt. Specifically we were going to hunt ducks and geese, rock pigeon, francolin and guinea fowl. These species were found in different areas of the region, so our schedule called for us to hunt a different species each day.
 We traveled south for our first hunt, which was for the fast flying and elusive rock pigeon. It is estimated that these birds number in the millions in the rich agricultural region about an hour from the Kukuzans lodge. The rock pigeon is appropriately named because it favors the rocky cliffs of the mountainous areas of the country.
Our rock pigeon hunt took place in an expansive sunflower field that had  yet to be harvested. The birds had roosted on rocky cliffs a couple of miles from this field and were literally attacking the field in flocks of 15 to 30 birds. They would come in low across the tops of the sunflower pods in order to land on a pod and pluck the seeds from the pod with their beaks.
The rock pigeon proved to be one of the most challenging birds I've ever had the pleasure of hunting. They are incredibly acrobatic in flight, and they seem to have the uncanny ability to change direction 90 degrees without losing speed. And since they are capable of speeds greater than most other pigeon species, they are truly one of the world's premier gamebirds.
 The shoot lasted until around five o'clock in the afternoon. We took a break for a fabulous lunch of grilled meats, vegetables and home made breads, which was prepared in the field, but for the most part, the shooting proved to pretty much non-stop. Without question, the rock pigeon proved to be one of the most challenging birds I've ever hunted.
The duck and goose hunting in South Africa is somewhat different from what we might experience in America . Most of the shooting is of the pass shooting variety, which is totally different from the calling and decoying techniques used in the states.
 Our goose hunting experiences took place mainly in the afternoon around roost ponds. There are two main goose species found in South Africa - the Egyptian goose and the spur wing goose. And the two species are as different as night and day.
The Egyptian goose is a very handsome bird, which frankly looks like a very large American widgeon in flight. It has a large white wing patch, which is highly visible on the birds in flight. These birds are slightly larger than a mature snow goose and make a very distinctive sound when coming in to their chosen landing area.
The birds start moving an hour or so before sunset, which gives hunters ample time for an exciting hunt. Shooting is legal until dark, and the bird numbers increase as the sun gets below the horizon.
The spur wing goose is a large and rather gaudy creature that gets its name from the bony spur found on top to its wings. These birds typically weigh 15 to 18 pounds, but can weigh as much as 25 pounds.
These geese are found in the same areas as the Egyptian goose, but our hunting for them took place in a harvested corn field. It is important to properly scout an area for goose sign, and set up in that area with hopes that the geese return.
All of these geese are migratory, and we were hunting early in the migration. We did, however, find geese in large numbers each day we hunted them, and found the pass shooting to be quite a challenge.
 The duck hunting was similar to the geese, as most of the shooting is of the passing variety. Our hunts took place on either small ponds or feeder creeks where the birds would trade back and forth from pond to pond for hours.
The main specie of duck found when we were at Kukuzans was the yellow- billed duck. This handsome bird looks in size and color much like a cross between a black duck and a hen mallard. It has a brilliant blue/green wing speculum and an intensely yellow bill . The bird makes a sound much like a hen mallard, and with a bit of practice, a hunter could easily mimic them on a mallard call.
Other ducks found in large numbers in the area are the red- billed teal, red shoveler and the beautiful South African shelduck.
 One of the highlights of the trip was the hunt for the elusive guinea fowl. We hunted these birds much like you would push and block for pheasants in the states. The guinea fowl can best be described as a handsome bird with an ugly face. We were hunting the helmeted guinea fowl species in South Africa , which are found in agricultural and pastured areas in flocks of a dozen or more.
The guinea fowl possesses tremendous eyesight, so it's very difficult to get close to a flock. As a result, most of the hunting for them is with the push and block method. For a full day, we moved from grain field to grain field and set up in a line of guns on one end and the beaters or pushers on the other. As the beaters moved closer to the guns the birds started leaving the field by the hundreds. Needless to say, the shooting was fast and furious.
I found the helmeted guinea fowl to be quite a challenging bird. He's bigger than a rooster pheasant and can fly about the same speed. He doesn't have the long tail, so he is deceptively fast. By the way, guinea fowl are quite tasty when properly prepared for the table.
The last of the birds we hunted in South Africa was the francolin. While there we hunted two francolin species, the Swainson's and the gray. We hunted these birds over pointers, and found them to be quite elusive. A really good day on francolin is six to eight birds per gun, but when you get them, you've really got prize.
The francolin species are categorized as spur fowl, which means that they are in the grouse family. The Swainson's variety was about the size of a ruffed grouse, and had a distinctive orange neck and long, sharp spurs on the legs of the male. The gray francolin was a bit smaller, and a bit less prominent in our hunting area.
The birds were not found in large flocks, but flushes of four to six were common on the Swainson's variety. We found the gray francolin in singles and pairs. Both species were terrific on the table, as most grouse related species are.
In addition to the bird hunting, we arranged a photo safari at one of the large game reserves bordering the four plus million acre Kruger National Park . There we were able to get up close and personal with countless African species, including all of the big five dangerous game. All of the animals were totally wild, as there were no fences for thousands of square miles.
 The Kukuzans experience is one that I'll never forget. The food, lodging, hospitality and hunting were among the finest I've ever experienced in more than 20 years of international hunting experience. Not only would I highly recommend Kukuzans to any wingshooting enthusiast, I am looking forward to a return trip in the near future.
South Africa proved to be a modern and very friendly country. So when planning your next trip of a lifetime, a wingshooting safari with Kukuzans Safaris should be at the top of your wish list. |
