DRIVEN
SHOOTING

Monday

Okavango Delta Wilderness Safari Camp
Driven & Flighted Shooting
Wake-up calls at 7am, with tea, coffee and rusks around the campfire as dawn arrives, before we set off on the short drive to our first shoot of the day. We join the team of beaters for driven Red billed and Swainson’s francolin shooting through the riverine forested edges and long grass of a series of brushy “islands” and along river courses edged with tree and patches of rank weed.

Driven francolin, there may be guinea fowl in some of the drives, provide the most marvelous “partridge style” snap shooting, as they tend to bunch up the closer they get to the gun line – and then explode in all directions as the beaters flush them. Best shot well in front, the Red billed and Swainson’s Francolins of these areas of Botswana are not only in amazing numbers (considering they are all wild wilderness area birds not associated with any form of agriculture) but provide exciting, unpredictable, sport. By mid morning, after we have had 4 – 6 drives, the day will have become too warm for the birds to remain active, so we will head back to camp. There, time for a luxurious brunch, perhaps a glass of cold white wine or an iced beer to go with it, then chat, read a book, wander around the safari area bird-watching or just relax in the large, twin bedded, Manyaras.

Tea is served at 3pm, with a fresh sandwich or slice of fruit cake, thence back to the field for the afternoon’s driven francolin and guinea fowl shooting – perhaps even showing the odd Green Pigeon or two. Depending on the density of the brush and grass we expect to have 2 or 3 drives before we move on to the evening dove. This will be for flighted desert doves, of 3 species, providing either exceptional high bird shooting from specially sited and positioned butts around a waterhole or, in some areas, the birds coming to the butts like grouse off heather moorland. The dove flights will last for about 90 minutes before sunset; the rule being that the last drive must be completed before the sun has set.

Then back to camp for sundowners, hot showers and the traditional evening around the campfire in the African veldt. Dinner and overnight Gamebirds Okavango delta safari camp. (All inclusive).

THE SAFARI CONTINUES: PLEASE CONTACT US FOR FULL DETAILS