References

Tielman and Carin,

I want to thank you again for a wonderful visit in early June of this year. Still thinking of all the sites we saw while touring. The arrangements you made were perfect. The hunting was great. The 22 in. Red Hartebeest will look good in my living room. I was surprised by the number of good hartebeest I saw. Really fun to see the cheetah. Beautiful animals. My biggest prize was the 28.5 in. waterbuck I shot. You were right, when you see a really big one there is no doubt that you want to pull the string back.

The rest of the animals were "icing on the cake." Cannot wait to to come back next year.

Was this the hunt of a lifetime?

Do all men harbor the fantasy of going to Africa to hunt big game? Dan Kelley had such a plan, and it included hunting with a bow. The dream became a reality when in the summer of 2008 he and his close friend, Jeff Ladd landed in Namibia, Africa.

Their outfitter, http://www.agagia.com, features hunts with bows only. It was winter there, the dry season, so they had every reason to be optimistic. The lack of water forces almost every animal to go to watering holes which were few and far between.

Blinds had been set up offering archery shots in the ideal 15-20 yard range. Dan and Jeff settled in for 10 days of great shooting, good food and drinks. Life IS good!

The hunting gods have been known to smile on us, (well...some of us) on occasion. So, what would constitute a
hunt of a lifetime? Dan harvested seven trophies, 2 warthogs, 2 gemsboks, a kudu, a Red Hartebeest and a Blesbook. Dan is fortunate to have a home large enough to display these trophies.

There are 9 foot ceilings in the basement with a 2 story ceiling in the living room. (What do you think the odds are that he had those trophies in mind when he decided to buy his home?) Dan wanted to get a Blue Wildbeest so he borrowed a rifle and traveled to the ranch of the outfitter’s brother who has some on his property. He struck out on the Wildebeest but was elated to spot a handsome Blesbok which is pictured here.

The red hartebeest was his most memorable trophy. They are one of the fastest runners, often post sentries on high vantage places like anthills and can go without water gaining all the moisture they need from their food.

Dan and his guide had fallen asleep in the blind and were startled when they awoke to see a trophy red hartebeest a mere 15 yards away heading for the waterhole.

The hunting gods smiled that day. When asked if this was the hunt of a lifetime Dan responded with an answer that sheds a lot of light on the kind of father that he is. “I hope not. My boys are 12 and 14 and 5 years from now I want the three of us to return to Africa so they can experience the thrills that I enjoyed.” That may not be what he said, exactly, but it is obvious that he is a good father and a friend to his boys.

My trip to Agagia was a remarkable experience that I will never forget. My Dad and I went on the trip for my senior hunting trip. My Dad and I gained memories that will last a life-time. The memory that I will always keep is when I shot a stallion zebra about an hour and a half after my Dad shot a zebra of his own. 

Every day you see various animals and it’s astonishing to see them in their element even if you don’t take the shot. The hospitality that we came back to everyday was incredible. The cooking was unbelievable. I gained about 15 lbs. in the week I was there. 

At the end of each day we sat around the fire, underneath the African stars and talked about the hunt that we had that day or stories from the past. It was very relaxing. I had a wonderful time in Africa at Agagia. The food was extraordinary, the people were awesome, and the hunt was remarkable. I can’t wait to have another chance to take a trip Africa and to Agagia.

Thank you Carin and Tielman!

Carin, Tielman

I know I’m slow in getting you this e-mail. But wanted to say Thank you for the great time I had at your farm. You really do run a first class operation. I have been telling stories and showing pictures nonstop since I’ve been back. You two really make the trip feel like we have known you for years and were hunting with friends. I truly hope you have as much fun when you come here. Please stay in touch love to hear your stories.

Thank you again

P.S. Started Elk hunting so if I get one will send you pictures.

I have considered keeping this bow-hunting Mecca called Agagia a secret, but that would not be fair to other bowhunters. My trip/Safari to Agagia was the best bowhunt I have had in all my 50+ years of bowhunting. The bowhunt, food, accommodations, trophy preparation, animals, blinds, everything a bowhunter wants was addressed and I found it all to be 5 stars. I hope that one day I am fortunate enough to return to Agagia for another fabulous bowhunting Safari. John Minalga - Kenosha, WI, USA

The tour was wonderful too and Jaco was a great guide, thanks for arranging this tour for us. We climb the largest Dune in Sossusvlei, “Big Daddy”, I did not make it all the way up, but my son Brian ran up with ease. And your beach house in Swakopmund was fabulous. We felt like Kings in your Swakopmund beach house, wow, what a place. The dolphin cruise was better than I thought. I love to eat oysters out on the ocean and have some champagne with them at noon. Very nice tour. Next time I want to get up to see Etosha park.

Dear Carin and Tielman:

THANK YOU both for everything!

• Thank you for providing such a wonderful hunting experience
• Thank you for the quality and quantity of the game you have
• Thank you for comfortable and well placed hides and waterholes
• Thank you for a very cozy, clean and comfortable bungalow to stay in
• Thank you for the great meals (loved the desserts!)
• Thank you for your uncommon warmth and hospitality
• Thank you for sharing your beautiful family and friends with us
• Thank you for having Devalt and Mari look after us on our last day - they were wonderful hosts
• Thank you for the excellent care given our trophies
• Thank you for hooking us with with Jaco - our self-drive tour was perfect!
• Thank you for the use of your home in Swakopmund - luxury and comfort we never imagined! What a beautiful beach front home you have! We also enjoyed the two excellent restaurants on the pier.
• Thank you for inviting us into your home and making us fell welcome every minute of our stay.

You have a beautiful place and much to be proud of. We'd love to come back one day...

Thank you again for everything - And if Tielman ever needs an extremely satisfied customer at a sports show - just let me know.

Sincerely
Gary & Mary Shields USA

Teilman and Carin,

There have not been many times in life when I have been without words, but I must admit that my time after departing Agagia Hunting was one of those times.  I honestly did not want to come home because  I was having so much fun.  I just wanted somebody to bring me about 2 dozen more arrows and some more money.  All I can honestly say to you is, "I had an awesome time."  

I knew from the time I first made contact with ya’ll via email that I was going to have a great time and a great hunting experience.  Thank you for your special caring for my medical needs- a raised bed and dietary requirements for my diabetes really put my mind at ease.  Even with all of the great food I consumed, I lost 5 lbs. on my trip.  I drank more water than normal so I think that was a contributing factor also something I need to do more of after returning home..  Also, thanks for the Two Oceans wine.  I think before the trip was over everyone was enjoying those grapes.  

My pairing with Petra was a great match- I had a blast with him and he provided good guidance for me and took such good care of me.  You are blessed with great staff Agagia as everyone is friendly, personable, caring and professional. 

Steve took over 3 hours of video and I took over 1700 photos.  We are in the process of developing videos and photos that we will be sharing with ya’ll.  My neck surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday, August 27th.  Deb & I met with the surgeon last Friday.  I will be in “time out” for 3 weeks.  I plan to do my photography editing during that time.  Doctor said I should be able to get my medical release in 3-4 months following surgery.  That will hit just about the time of the whitetail deer rut in Mississippi, so that will be a good thing. 

I hope that my conduct was such that I would be welcomed back to Agagia.  Steve and I have talked and we would very much like to return in 2015.  Many thanks again for a very memorable adventure.

May I express my deep gratitude for a fantastic experience. My hunt far exceeded my expectations.  Harvesting and having opportunityies at all the animals I wished to hunt was unforgettable. The 56inch Kudu and the 39inch Gemsbok will be a show stopper in my trophy room. Harvesting eleven quality animals with my bow was a dream come true. Your blinds were the best. the game was plentiful.  The accomodations and food were wonderful. My PH Gustav did a great job keeping me cool under fire! His knowledge and tracking ability was impressive. He was a pleasure to hunt with. Everyone on your staff was professional and made us feel welcome. It was apparent from the moment we arrived you were going to be sure we had a great time. You were successful!  We will be back. Thank you Carin and Tielman  

Carin, Good day to you. Our stay in Namibia was wonderful. I cant say how much we enjoyed our hunt. You and Tillman were super hosts. Your generosity and caring attitude was most refreshing. We will be back. I am sending pictures please use as needed. We had a good flight back and got home safe. Hope you had a great hunt as well. Talk to you soon. Thanks again Steve

Regards

Dear Carin and Tielman,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful hospitality you extended to me on my recent hunting trip with you. Although this was my 7th trip to Africa, it was my first to Namibia and my first hunt with Agagia. I could not have been more pleased with the hunting, the super meals, the accommodations and the quality of the animals.

It was a real pleasure hunting on your 53,000 acres of free range bow only ranch. With the blinds you have set for all wind conditions, Agagia is a bow hunters dream.

If the Lord and you are willing I would like to return someday.

Best Regards,
Glenn Brown
Flint Michigan Chapter

Carin, Tielman, and all of your staff,

I am finally getting around to writing you regarding our trip to Namibia and hunting at Agagia. Thank you all for a great experience.

The trip was truly unforgettable. Even though Etosha and Swakopmund were fun, by far the high point of the trip for me was my time at Agagia. The variety of game available was amazing and hunting was incredible. 

But, the hunting is only one aspect of Agagia. The friendliness of your staff, the amazing meals, and the experience of Bush Camp all made this trip unforgettable. Just looking through the pictures that I took brings back great memories. 
The best way to describe how I feel is to say that I've been home for about a week now, and I've already started planning my next trip Agagia. I am seriously planning to be back in 2011. Please pass along my sincere thanks to all of your staff. If you do travel to South Dakota in January, I would like invite you to my house for dinner and meet my wife.

Lindsay Wollmann