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A profile on outfitter Tino Erasmus.
I can not remember which really was the first day that I held a firearm in my hands, but I remember it being when I was very young of age. My father entrusted me with a .22 by myself from age 13. I roamed the bush day and night to see what I could find.
Many of my first targets were guinea fowl, common duiker and steenbuck. I had lots of fun hunting these and they always provided a challenging hunt. My dad had a worker that has been around at the time since before my birth. He was a good tracker and accompanied me many times. This is how I picked up my skill in tracking.
It was when I was 15 that the big day came and I was allowed to go out hunting on my own with my tracker Petrus …and have a 30.06 (large rifle). I will never forget the day. My father and I were out in bush camp and had tried to hunt a kudu the previous afternoon. The next morning he did not feel well and I offered to go out to try and get a kudu for meat purposes. I was surprised when he decided to allow me this, but this was a day that I will never forget. From the fresh crisp morning air and the sun rising over the cliffs as my tracker and I broke over the edge of the cliffs scouting for kudu to the point of my first kill.
My father never did pickup a firearm to go hunting again after this. It is sad coming to think of it. But his youngest son has finally matured to where he can do most of the hunting needed. Maybe it is because I was always out hunting that my father never got a chance again. But it was a great honor for me.
From here the years just followed with hunting and more hunting. My sister got married to an avid fisherman and hunter when I was still in high school. He was in the local police force in a small village and always found new hunting grounds for us. This was the time that I probably shot the most game ever in my life.
I finished school at 18 and loved accounting too. I was going for the formal world, but by the time I turned 23 the freedom of the bush was calling on me. I had to turn back to nature where I could experience the freedom of it. I loved the animals and realized what great part hunting is in conservation. I did my professional hunters license and started T.G. Safaris which initially was my initials Tino Gordon Erasmus, it later became Trophy Game Safaris. From here I was always guided by the Lord to just have things get better and better every year of my life. I was truly blessed to make great friends in my business.
Now in 2007, my tenth year in business I look back and have a thousand stories to tell after over 22 years of hunting experience from the small duiker that was my first quarry to the mighty African elephant.
I wrote the above already in 2007 and now it is January 2009….. We have experience extreme growth in the past two years and I have really gained enormous experience in many different fields. Now with 24 years experience just in the hunting field, my goals are to bring the true African hunting experience to you through my family operation. Bringing my nephew Arno and my long-term loyal worker Tom in to the business as professional hunters and in the longer term my son Ruan.
Amanda, the team and myself count on our client's future support!
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