Customer Testimonials

The Honeymoon

My wife and I stayed and hunted with Blackbeard Safaris for our Honeymoon and our first time in Africa. It was unquestionably the trip of a lifetime! The accommodations were beautiful and ample, Luke and his staff were attentive, especially to my wife who was a first time hunter, and curated an incredibly personal experience. My wife and I are self-elected foodies and all meals were delicious, but I have to call out the best-we’ve-ever-had dinner rolls which I’ve had dreams about since our trip ended. The age class and overall quality of the animals we had opportunities on at Blackbeard were superior to any animals we saw in 9 days of photographic safari in both Kruger and Okavango Delta – I was shocked. Truly a magical place. My wife and I can’t wait to come back although I think I need to build a larger trophy room first!!

-Husband

I had the most amazing time hunting in Botswana at Blackbeard Safaris. I am a first time Hunter and was nervous but Luke and Pieter walked me through the process step by step and helped me feel confident enough to hunt a warthog and gemsbok, the were huge! My husband and I were visiting as part of our honeymoon and the staff at Blackbeard went above and beyond to make it special for us. Even allowing my husband to use the unoccupied tent as his own personal bathroom. Even though a few animals are dead, the romance is still alive at Blackbeard Safaris.

-Wife

Warthog-a-saurus

20190609_183626_0000 Blackbeard Safaris is the best bow hunting safaris in all of Africa, hands down. The animals on his property are some of the highest quality, the food is authentic, and Luke’s hospitality is 5 star. I was very fortunate to harvest this prehistoric warthog one of my most desired animals to hunt. Thank you Luke for the incredible 2019 hunt, I will be back. I own huntingafrica.com I do endorse Blackbeard Safaris.

Epic Journey

Once more my Father and I embarked to Sunnyside 2 for a Botswana bowhunt with Luke in July of 2016. We had both been to this accommodating and opportune location before, with excellent results. However, this trip would turn out to be an epic “spot and stalk” journey.

The first morning all it took to get the heart pumping was a brisk walk through the bush and a glimpse of a Grey Ghost at 25 yards. A few young Kudu bulls and cows grazing through the scrub. Once again, I was back in country and on a trek through the bush. There is absolutely nothing like it. We walked for a while and ventured into a natural pan where the animals had been watering. Luke checked the tracks to see what had come and gone, and it was definitely a fortunate morning. As I had just begun to rest under the shade of a tree, an old Wildebeest bull presented himself at the back of the pan. At 45 yards, I got into position behind a tree, and waited for him to lift his head from the water. The arrow flew true. “Good shot!”, Luke whispered, as the bull thrashed around the pan. We loaded him up and hauled him back to camp. What a fabulous start to the hunt.

As the evening settled, we sipped sundowners by the fire and talked of hunts past and hunts to come. I had been dreaming of an opportunity to take a Bushbuck on the ground. Illusive and crafty they are not very easy to hunt with a bow, let alone even sneak up on. “This would definitely be a longer shot…”, I thought. That morning Luke and I descended to the riverine forest of the Limpopo River, hiking through the arboretum and stopping every moment or so to a new sound or sight. A place that time forgot, it’s like stepping into a jungle, with Hippos, Crocs and all. It had only been a few moments it seemed when Luke spotted 2 Bushbuck rams feeding in an opening. The wind was okay, but our sightline was exposed. If we moved too much closer they would have a clear view of us. I stood behind a tree stump for a moment, as Luke glassed the rams. He turned around slowly and whispered “Tyler, the bigger one, he’s at 60. Give it a shot.” As I exposed myself the ram looked right at me. At the distance, I aimed a little high and sailed the arrow over his back. The challenge proved more than my nerves could handle. Man, are they fast!

Though this was only our first stalk, I knew I had missed an exceptional opportunity. I became obsessed. Spot and stalk is what I want to be doing. Luke happily indulged me. We spent 5 more mornings and nights creeping around the dense thickets. These Bushbuck are smart. One morning Luke and I saw a monster. The ram already had us dead to rights at 100 yards through thick cover and starring us down. “Geez! He’s a horse!”, Luke said. A world record in Botswana with a Bow for sure. After many stalks, stories by the fire, and hanging meat in the locker, I’ll never forget my last afternoon in camp. I had already tagged out on 2 impala, a Wildebeest, a Waterbuck from the blinds, and spot and stalked a Wildebeest, Warthog, and a Steenbok. A very fruitful hunt in 8 days, but we weren’t finished yet. Little did I know I would get one more crack at the Bushbuck ram I had missed on the second day.

We sat on an embankment of one of the backwashes, and watched 2 females graze in a meadow at 80 yards as the sun began to set. Hoping to see the ram give us one more chance, we ventured down the banks. To my surpirse 2 rams had feed right out into an open bog. It was the same two rams! We crouched and tip toed until we had reached a good position. The wind was perfect, they hadn’t seen us and they were feeding right toward us. The smaller ram went past, but the larger ram started moving toward me. The reeds separated and there he was. He was right on top of me! It all happened so fast and he was standing there looking right at me at 30 yards. Under his breath, Luke said, “Take him!” I adjusted my sight, drew back my bow and released just as the ram spun. I heard the smack of the rage broadhead against his hide. I knew I had hit him. He bounded for about 40 yards and laid down. We waited patiently forabout 10 minutes. No sign of movement from behind the bushes. Luke said, “Tyler… you got him!” Hands instantly in the air! I was the champion on the riverbanks that day and I will never forget it. Last night, last light, who would’ve thought!?

Between my Dad and I, we’ve been on Safari in Botswana over 20 times in the past 25 years, always with a Blackbeard as our PH. Trust me when I say… it never gets old! Always eager to laugh, and show us a good time, tremendous thanks to Luke and the family, and all of the staff. All my best! I am truly looking forward to our next adventure!

Unforgettable

I was a little apprehensive about Africa hunting as I feel most are when making the decision about where to go and who to book with. This trip was years in the making with my father and brother and we couldn’t be happier with our decision to book with Luke. Aside from the hospitality of him and his staff and the accommodations (which were fantastic) the hunt was out of this world. It far surpassed my expectations as to what it would be and everyday was a different adventure. Luke and his team of trackers put in exhausting efforts to track and stalk all the game we wished to hunt as if they were hunting for themselves. I do recommend a good pair of boots and practice shooting from multiple positions prior to making the journey as this will make the days easier when the shots present themselves. All of us had an unforgettable time and talk often about heading back for another hunt very soon. This truly was the hunt of a lifetime.

-Greg

The Right PH

Like most hunters, my father, brother and I dreamed of an African hunt for many years but found it difficult to commit the time and effort necessary to actually pursue this endeavor. After what amounted to years of research and consideration, we decided to go with Luke Blackbeard of Blackbeard Safaris. Luke first spoke to each member of my family, and assured us a custom built hunt to meet our individual expectations including both species and hunting conditions. The most important thing to know about Luke is that he is a very honest PH and he will deliver exactly what he promises.

We spent a total of seven day on Safari pursuing world-class trophies and were not forced to settle for animals that did not meet our standards. Luke and his fellow guides are obviously dedicated to maintaining an ample population of magnificent game the results of our hunt far exceeded expectations. Luke and his guides went above and beyond to provide us with a tailored experience that is truly representative of an African Safari experience and also took time to get to know us and teach us local hunting strategies and tactics. Not to be overlooked, the accommodations including lodging and food were also top notch and the staff was both friendly and professional.

I cannot overstate the importance of choosing the right PH when committing to a trip of this magnitude. Luke Blackbeard is the kind of guy you can trust to provide you with the exact experience you are looking for. I will be scheduling my next trip to Africa very soon and I will absolutely be going back to Blackbeard Safari. I highly recommend that if considering an African Safari hunt you reach out to Luke and plan your dream hunt with him. You will not be disappointed and will make great friends along way. This is an absolute five-star experience that I am sure all clients would recommend without reservation.

Amazing hunt!

Hunting with Luke will forever be one of my fondest memories. His decades of professional hunting experience shine through in the field but it’s his good nature and drive to see you succeed as a hunter that sets his hunts apart from others. The game at the camp are wild and abundant and the staff couldn’t have been friendlier. From an all day spot and stalk wildebeest hunt to a relaxing evening bird hunt the excitement was non stop. There was no shortage of shot opportunities so be sure to bring plenty of arrows. I’m looking forward to my next trip!

Disclaimer: Luke is now my brother-in-law but before that he was my professional hunter and friend. He’s treated me the same from those days to this day which says a lot about his character.

-Brian