Local Hunters Experienced African Safari
Kittanning Native Tom Kunst shot his approximately-350 pound lion the first day of an African game safari at the beginning of August near the Botswana border.
by Jonathan Weaver
Two Kittanning-native hunters went on their own hunting adventure overseas during the summer.
Tom Kunst and Ed Bearer – the latter still living in Kittanning Borough – went on a Lions and Plains Game Safari July 31-August 8 in South Africa.
The good friends “as long as I can remember,” according to Bearer, explained the pair weren’t supposed to attend for another year.
“We were talking about going this summer – Summer of 2014 – so I thought ‘That’s great – now I’ll have time to plan,’ but they had a last-minute cancellation so we bumped it up a year and knew about 4-6 months in advance,” Bearer said. “We decided ‘Let’s do it.’”
Their first stop required nearly 40 hours of travel time – beginning in Pittsburgh – to the Botswana border – seven hours north of the main hunting lodge in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa. Kunst had a permit for lion, and explained the strategy was to drive the sand-covered dirt roads until finding lion tracks and then to track the lion on foot using two of the local native trackers.
The two trackers spotted the lioness in thick brush shortly after tracking on foot. However after pursuit for about 300 yards, the lion became agitated and was ready to charge. Kunst had to use two Ultra mag shots in the shoulders before two follow-up shots at close range to finish the deal.
The lion was estimated to be 9-10 years old and weighted between 350 and 400 pounds.
After the lion hunt, the pair traveled back to the border. On the second day, Kunst shot a warthog and then on the third day, shot a gemsbok – a large antelope – and a wildebeest from 300-plus yards.
That same day, Bearer had his first kill with his own gemsbok and a blesbok – another breed of antelope.
Leechburg Area School District Teacher Ed Bearer was proud of killing a spiral-horned kudu – a woodland antelope referred to as the ‘grey ghost of Africa’ because of its ability to blend in to surroundings.
At a water hole the fourth day, each shot impalas – Bearer with two and Kunst with one.
Neither hunter had any luck the fifth day. On the sixth, Bearer shot a spiral-horned kudu and Kunst a springbok.
Bearer – a 5th grade teacher at David Leech Elementary in the Leechburg Area School District- finished his safari package the seventh day by tagging a large wildebeest and a springbok while Tom was able to shoot his own kudu.
With all the tags filled, the eighth and final day was spent doing some wing shooting for Sand Grouse and doves.
In total, the Safari produced a pair of Kudus, Wildebeests, Gemsboks, Impalas and Springboks for both – plus Tom’s Lion Warthog and Ed’s Blesbok.
“It was a pretty intense hunt,” Bearer said.
Both men ate meat from several of the animals, with Bearer most enjoying the impala.
Several of the animals were mounted in South Africa, but Bearer is unsure what they will do with them. It could take up to a year before they arrive in the United States when they decide.
Bearer already has some mounts at his campsite in Benezette (Elk County), Pa.
The trip cost $6,400, with a third of that going toward airfare. Weapons had to be secured through the Department of Homeland Security and the airlines before transport – which is something Bearer said was discouraging enough that he might consider renting guns next time.
Both are already talking about returning to South Africa. Though Kunst wants to go next year, Bearer imagines returning in 3-5 years.
“We had a good time – I’d recommend it,” Bearer said.
He said he didn’t teach his students about the hunt and that they won’t learn about world geography this school year.
The men will next hunt together with muzzleloaders after Christmas.
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Article source: http://www.kittanningpaper.com/2013/09/20/local-hunters-experienced-african-safari/40294