Posted: 11/5/03

Hunt of a lifetime for Scandia fire chief

Joe Drennan
Sports Editor

Scandia fire chief Steve Spenceís African safari this past August was the hunting trip he had always told his son Eric he would take him on.

ìThis was the hunt I was going to take him on ever since he was young,î Spence said. ìI always loved to hunt and ever since he was young I told him this was the father son trip I was going to take him on.î

Spence traveled to the Eastern Cape, with the nearest town being Port Elizabeth in Republic of South Africa. With his son Eric, wife Elizabeth, and daughter-in-law Amie, Spence spent 10 days in Africa hunting. Planning such a trip is not something that can be done by calling a travel agency. Spence says he did a lot of research on the internet and talked to people to find out where he should go to hunt, and what he should hunt. After some time, Spence contacted Kabra Adventures out of Balsa Lake WI. Kabra Adventures paired Spence and his family with Brian Seeded, a professional hunter in the area. (Hunting guides are called professional hunters in South Africa.)

With about 30 different species of animals to hunt, Spence said it was a hunterís paradise, and a paradise it was as Steve, Eric, and Amie shot 20 animals combined.

ìEric and I each got an eastern cape kudu, a gemsbok, a blue wildebeest, Eric took a black wildebeest as well, we both shot an impala, a blue buck, and a common spring buck,î Spence said. ìI got a spring buck, a duiker, and a steenbok, and Amie shot a common spring buck as well. Everything we did was spot and stalk too.î

Spence used a 300 Winchester Short Magnum model gun on his trip, and his son shot standard Winchester Short Magnum. ìThe short magnums are a fairly new caliber configuration,î Spence said. ìOf the 11 I shot, 10 were one shot kills with the gun. African game are known for its toughness and thick hides so I was pretty impressed with the cartridges.î

One of the things Spence and his son found interesting was that a lot of the local ranchers collect bullets and cartridge shells. At first Spence didnít understand the custom, but he said he soon caught on and started giving his used cartridges away from his 300 Winchester Short Magnum. After hearing of Spenceís many one shot kills, the locals became very interested in the 300 cartridges.

While the men hunted, the women kept busy by shopping in the local villages and taking day trips to game preserves. The ladies also brought pens, crayons and candy to the local school. The school kids were so appreciative of the gift that they filed out of the school to pose for pictures.

Cultural differences

Anyone who travels to another country is bound to run into cultural differences that they find either intriguing or annoying. The only annoying part of this trip was the 22-hour flight.

ìThe scenery was interesting,î Spence said. ìThe different varieties of trees and plants, and the abundant of animal species, and then experiencing the culture and customs of the area were amazing.î

Spence and his family stayed on the outskirts of the village, but he said it looked like the pictures you see on TV. With unemployment high, Spence compared it to America 150 years ago in that people work odd jobs here and there or seasonal work. Few people had full time jobs.

Going back

Having enjoyed his trip so much, Spence is already planning a return trip sometime in 2005.

ìYou get spoiled by the amount of animals you see,î Spence said. ìYou can go hunting in a Canadian province and spend a week looking for one animal. ìItís a hunters paradise out there.î

Spence said he could spend a week in Canada hunting one animal, but in Africa the animals were everywhere.

ìIt really spoils you for other hunting,î Spence said. ìMaybe I wonít be getting up at the crack of dawn this hunting seasons as I have in past season as I anticipate my return trip to Africa.î

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