How do we find game in Kruger

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BunnyHugger

How do we find game in Kruger

Post by BunnyHugger »

My trips to KNP are not as frequent as I would like so I usually book for a stay of between 4 and 9 days. The trip usually entails starting down south and then migrating northwards, and is usually two days at one camp.

Day 1 is always tiring leaving home at around 01h30 so I can be at the gates around opening time. We then head off on a longish drive to our first night stopover, pitch camp, and then have a siesta followed by a game drive in the late afternoon. Early night and then a reasonably slow day staying closer to camp on day two. Day three is usually a trek from one camp to another, striking camp, packing, and then setting up on the other side.

Sometimes we have been lucky and seen a lot of game, and others, we drive around for hours seeing very little. Some of the trip reports (Bushcraft, JustN@ture and one or two others) inspired me to ask this question.

BC dude, you had some spectacular sightings. How did you do it? Is there some kind of secret recipe or is it just a luck of the draw thing?

I have decided that my next trip will be one spent in relative inactivity, or put another way, spend 3 or 4 days in one camp, and spend hours sitting around a water hole instead of driving around hoping to see something interesting around the next bend.

What works for you and what doesn't?


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Bushcraft
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Re: How do we find game in Kruger

Post by Bushcraft »

Research

No just lucky

We leave about 15 minutes after the gates open as I hate getting caught in a crowd and I find that any animal that may have left the road area during that rush often returns.

We are back in camp by 10am and go out again at about 4pm.

My last 10 trips have been with my brother and his family, so 2 cars 50m apart and 9 or 10 people looking, so if someone misses something another spots it.(This is the main reason for our "luck" IMO).


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Peter Betts
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Re: How do we find game in Kruger

Post by Peter Betts »

I disagree with BH about camping for 2 days and then moving on...setting up for the next 2 day stint because in effect thats all you are doing ...banging in pegs instead of game viewing. Far rather say this year we are doing the central/north area as an example...8 days at Tzendze and then move to Balule for another week and work the area. The next year do the far north and the following year the deep South and Central etc etc.
BC you actually miss out IMO going in a convoy. I imported a legal pair of handheld radios from B&H and our Aug trip friends have the one and we the other...We arrange to meet at say Nwanedzi for breakfast. I always leave at gate opening and our camps like Balule/Tzendze/Sirheni/even Shingwedzi I am usually first or most often the only car leaving at gate opening...got to get the golden photographic light...no compromise..Its going to be interesting to see how this works at Satara for 8 days in Aug Those radios have a range of 35 Miles in flat country = Kruger = about 70kms I always leave first say from Balule to Nwanedsi and prearrange meet at Nwanedsi at say 10h00 = 4 hrs game drive. I then take the tar road south to Satara (Buy ice/wood/beers etc for the next day or so at Balule) and do the S100. My wife then usually follows in their car leaving ata 'more civilised' hour later ..or I take a quick drive to Bangu at dawn and back at 07h30 and off we go..They normally go S90 and us tar road S100 and if we see something good we can radio them and cover ALL bases and decisions can be made


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Bushcraft
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Re: How do we find game in Kruger

Post by Bushcraft »

Hey Peter, looking at the camps that you mentioned I would also be at the gate first, but I was referring to Skukuza, Satara, Lower Sabie, etc in school holidays (the only time I can go) where the queue is never less than 15 cars and many mornings I have been stuck with 20 cars in front of me and 20 behind me trying to overtake, so I spend the first 5km trying to dodge traffic instead of looking for game and after those 5km I want to kill someone, which stuffs my day up.

Leaving 15 minutes later one avoids all the chaos and I have had many leopard sightings this way as a leopard that was on the road ducks off when the first few cars of the early gang arrive, but comes back onto the road 15 minutes later.

I also find that in the winter months it’s still dark for the first 15 minutes after gate opening and therefore not brilliant for pics.

My brother and I also use the radios.

I suppose different things work for different folks and I have tried all times, but this works the best for us in the months of March to October. I have never been to KNP from November to February (That’s the beach bum time in KZN)


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Richprins
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Re: How do we find game in Kruger

Post by Richprins »

Seriously, now!

There is FORTUNATELY no magic recipe for spotting game, otherwise it would become rather boring?

I think the question is more about spotting predators and kills etc.

For that it is good to get out as early as possible, but it is by no means guaranteed, and you increase your chances by 25% or so, maybe, and things can be deathly quiet and frustrating for hours?

But nice light for photography once the sun comes up!

Re. the Southern Camps, it depends on what you want...you can still get up early and duck off onto the first dirt road, or second or third, depending on your planning, and have relative peace and quiet after the rush, so to speak! There are really a lot of roads!

Personally lately I sleep late and rather go to a waterhole during the April to October Months, and vegetate and hope for game to come, and depart the water point after 13h00 or so...back to camp and then a late afternoon drive, which is exactly the same as an early morning drive re. predators becoming active.

During summer months, conditions are far more difficult, so one should bite the bullet and get up very early and drive for a couple of hours, come back and sleep the rest of the day, and go out in the evening again, as waterholes are pointless.

Radios work well, and even the biggest purist lies should he/she say they will not follow information to get to a major sighting!

But luck is the main thing, and all above "rules" get thrown out the window often!


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Bushcraft
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Re: How do we find game in Kruger

Post by Bushcraft »

ossendryver wrote:I find waking up early is a cheat code for me. EVERY time I'm out the gate first I always see more. Lions, Cheetah etc...

I also find the live sighting updates, a Kruger changing experience. Go straight to the sighting without having to waste time or petrol.

Otherwise it's just luck!!


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Bushcraft
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Re: How do we find game in Kruger

Post by Bushcraft »

I have spent many nights looking at TR’s, stats, etc trying to unlock the key for KNP. I have even read stories that one should scan the bush from left to right as the brain is used to interpreting things that way, because of the way we read. In the end it has mostly come down to “correct place, correct time”

I have kept stats for 6 years now, long before the FB “Wild Life Sightings” or the BBM setup, but in the end I’m not sure if it’s all worth it.

My personal belief:

Research, stats and knowing which road to drive for a particular animal: 40%

Timing and Luck: 60%

What’s your opinion?


iNdlovu
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Re: How do we find game in Kruger

Post by iNdlovu »

You've hit it on the head BC, plus drive slow and the more eyes looking the better. Whilst driving I prefer to cover the passenger side of the road and SO does the drivers side, just seems more comfortable that way


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Sprocky
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Re: How do we find game in Kruger

Post by Sprocky »

For me it is a must to keep your windows open. Very often you will hear things that indicate that something is there, then just be patient and keep looking.


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Dzombo
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Re: How do we find game in Kruger

Post by Dzombo »

I am not sure.
Wish I had the secret. I would bottle it and sell it at every camp shop

I think timing is 100%

The number of times I have driven a road one day, seen loads. And then the next day, driven the exact same road, and not even seen an Impala


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