
Robbie and the Slots Boys are back with more South African shenanigans that we all love from their latest road trip. From the back of the trusty old rig traveling around South Africa, the boys cover the project they’re sending to the nines in honor of a friend, what they’re up to in Africa, and so much more. This trip the boys have had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
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Mike Axelrod
So there's a reason why I started Blood Origins. And that reason is simple, is that I wanted to convey the truth about hunting. It brings awareness to non hunters that it's more than just killing animals. How do I start it?
Brittany
Brittany? My name.
Mike Axelrod
Does my hair look okay? My name is Mike Axelrod. Start again. Yeah, I hated it too. Braxton, you said something in the car to me. You said that you were living on borrowed time. There's a perception around who hunters are.
Lewis
What we're supposed to be.
Mike Axelrod
And a feminist that works for a non profit, that is a hunter that has only eaten wild game for the.
Lewis
Last 20 years is likely not the thing that people think about when it.
Mike Axelrod
Comes to a hunter.
Jack
Put it on perfectly the first time, am I?
Mike Axelrod
No.
Jack
Just because. That would be a very low possibility.
Brittany
Why Londa? Lozzi, why did you send me the londolozi thing?
Jack
Lewis wants to go. I sent that to Robbie because of the logo.
Mike Axelrod
Cool logo.
Jack
It's a really cool logo. It's a leopard's face inside of a butterfly.
Brittany
I didn't see that as a butterfly, to be honest.
Jack
Okay, cool.
Mike Axelrod
Lewis, the worldwide audience of Blood Origins has been waiting for your return.
Jack
Well, when was the last time I did one of these?
Mike Axelrod
Botswana, I think.
Brittany
Tanzania.
Mike Axelrod
Tanzania.
Jack
Oh, it would have been Tanzania.
Mike Axelrod
Yep, Tanzania.
Jack
That's how the Americans say Tanzania.
Mike Axelrod
Oh, really?
Jack
Yes. Like how they say instead of. Instead of Kazakhstan, they say Kazakhstan.
Lewis
Kazakhstan.
Brittany
Kazakhstan.
Jack
Hey, we're gonna go on a hunting trip to Kazakhstan and Tanzania.
Mike Axelrod
Did you.
Jack
That's going to get some heat. That is.
Mike Axelrod
Did you? Was it you, Jack, who pointed out my American accent with the police? Woman. Yesterday or two days ago.
Brittany
Yeah. Anyone would have thought you. You were born and bred in Texas without. You spoke to her. It was pretty.
Mike Axelrod
So we got. We got pulled. We were driving from the farm where we've been staying to go into town to finish some shooting on a project around an individual who has sort of escaped poverty. So a rural cycle is now a super accomplished individual architect. We're headed back into town, and I definitely rolled through the stop street. I did not stop. I just looked left and right and rolled. And lo and behold, 100 yards down the road were eight cops in the road. And I got pulled over by a very nice young lady. Foozi or Thoosie. Inspector Thoosie.
Brittany
Mm.
Mike Axelrod
And I was like, hello, ma'am.
Brittany
Hello, ma'am. I'm sorry I didn't stop at the sign back there. Pretty sure there was a thigh slap in there somewhere. Hey, you ever seen an American license before? Hands it over. She's all giggling.
Lewis
Where's this? Memphis, Tennessee.
Brittany
Memphis, Tennessee, ma'am.
Lewis
Home of Elvis.
Brittany
You know Elvis? Yeah, you know Elvis? Oh, God.
Mike Axelrod
Oh. Where are you coming from? Mountain zebra? No, no, not mountain zebra. You know, safari place. Oh, okay. Hunting? No, not really. Hunting, filming or filming? Yeah, you should film me.
Brittany
Then you turn into Steven Spielberg. We've been. We've been filming this amazing documentary.
Mike Axelrod
Oh, man. You're gonna have to take your headset off here soon. Soon. And open the gate for us as we leave.
Brittany
We don't got the button.
Mike Axelrod
No, I left. I left the. Left the remote in place. So, yeah, we've been. What's this, Monday?
Brittany
Yes.
Mike Axelrod
Full week now.
Brittany
Is that it?
Mike Axelrod
You guys got here on Sunday, started on Monday. I got here Tuesday.
Brittany
I honestly was thinking this morning how we've been here for two weeks.
Mike Axelrod
Feel like. It feels like two weeks. All the wildebeest over there. Golden vildes with black wildebeest. You guys got to hunt yesterday.
Brittany
Yeah, we did.
Jack
We did.
Brittany
That was great. Second time on the Karoo.
Mike Axelrod
Second time and shot a second springbok. Second. And you've added.
Jack
Yeah.
Mike Axelrod
First time you shot a common springbok. Yeah, yesterday you shot a copper.
Brittany
Copper.
Mike Axelrod
Copper springbok.
Jack
So now we're halfway to a slam. Yeah, boy. Just. We're gonna do our slam, Robbie. But we're. We're just gonna. We're gonna try and get our slam through filming jobs.
Mike Axelrod
Oh, nice.
Jack
All right, so. So we're only. Jack. We're only allowed to shoot the remaining two springbok.
Brittany
What are the remaining two?
Mike Axelrod
Black and white. There are A couple of others though. He said there's a. There's a king Springbok. I think maybe a dappled springbok as well.
Jack
Oh, come on. Really?
Mike Axelrod
Yeah, I think there's.
Jack
How many Springbok do you need?
Mike Axelrod
I think six. Six or seven. I think Stephen said there's a rainbow springbok. Well, somebody did say. Somebody sent me something when I posted your thing yesterday that there's a new variation of a springbok called a pony Springbok.
Jack
Oh, there's a pony Springbok.
Mike Axelrod
I just.
Brittany
I just imagine the rainbow Springbok prancing.
Mike Axelrod
Around class is going to get Blood Origins cancelled.
Jack
Do you know that? Do you know what they should do? They should just. They should just breed a springbok that just has a bullseye exactly where you want to shoot it. Call it the bullseye Springbok.
Brittany
Do that with that.
Mike Axelrod
I think that would be a good. Keep us our reputation up.
Jack
What are you on about? I've got. I'm. I'm perfectly happy with my reputation, Robbie.
Mike Axelrod
Now your shooting was good yesterday. Sharpshooters. Both of you were sharpshooters yesterday. And then Jack had to take out a Kalkuru that was trapped.
Brittany
Humane.
Mike Axelrod
Couldn't get out. Humane dispatch between the eyes.
Lewis
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Mike Axelrod
Walks you through the paperwork.
Lewis
It's going to be a portal that tracks your progress. They can set up a trust for you if you want one. There's an easy pay system. It ships to your door. Silence Essential. Simplified process and fast approval times is making this all so easy and so painless. And you get a free tax stamp saving you 200 bucks. Now is the time to silence your firearm. Bushnell has been a longtime supporter of Blood Origins. And in keeping with the spirit of our collaboration, we've come up with an amazing idea. Bushnell is eager to help you get set up for conservation success. That's right. They want to help you. The conservation and research community is dominated by good people doing good things and investing significant time and effort for the benefit of habitat and the species. So what do you need to do? Pretty simple. Send us your conservation story and or your conservation wish. Could be managing whitetails, could be understanding your environment or species or something else related to conservation. What would you be able to do if you had a great trail camera setup? We will select the best story every other month and send you a camera bundle. Cell camera, normal SD camera, SD cards, as well as optics. Everything you need to get set up for success. I can't wait to see what you submit. You can email us@infoloodorigins.com DM US. Message us whatever you want. We are not hard to find. Good luck.
Brittany
Yeah, that was interesting.
Mike Axelrod
All the pressure was on me. All the sharpshooting. And the guy that steps up to the bat is the one who's been the worst shooter of the bunch for the last three years.
Jack
And what did I say? Robbie, it's okay if you. If you hit this one wrong, at least there's a hill it can run.
Mike Axelrod
Up again just like the last one.
Jack
Shame Colby wasn't there.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah, we did force you guys up a mountain. He'd have been like scruff until Izuhua.
Jack
Hey, please, Robbie, shoot this one.
Brittany
Hey.
Jack
Probably.
Mike Axelrod
So. Yeah, I got to. I got to hunt. And I killed A black impala yesterday. Old genetically inferior individual.
Jack
They look evil, mate.
Brittany
You shouldn't see yourself like that.
Mike Axelrod
Ah.
Jack
There'S a bit of gray self talk is the.
Brittany
I will say of the trip.
Mike Axelrod
The black Impala coat was felt much longer in terms of its hair than the first couple of impala that we've shot. Yeah.
Brittany
I felt like it was thicker.
Jack
That one's just going through its goth stage.
Mike Axelrod
That was great.
Brittany
There's a really cool coat on it.
Mike Axelrod
Really cool. Very nice.
Brittany
Like velvet.
Mike Axelrod
It was like velvet.
Jack
They do look like something that you'd just make into a headdress to start a cult, though.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah. You know, one of the.
Jack
You order your silk rope.
Mike Axelrod
Steven looked at Lewis quite quizzically when Lewis started talking about how he stroked his dog the wrong way.
Brittany
Yes.
Mike Axelrod
Yep.
Jack
That's not something that needs to be discussed.
Mike Axelrod
Oh. I thought everything was out for discussion.
Jack
In the roundup, but I don't feel. I feel like people aren't going to understand that comment.
Mike Axelrod
I don't think anybody in the moment understood the comment either. That's why Stephen was like, you stroke your dog the wrong way. Yeah.
Brittany
I mean, it's a golden. Again. It's not the golden retriever, though.
Jack
There's no right or wrong way to stroke your dog.
Mike Axelrod
All right, Joe. Nice gate. You're the gate.
Jack
All I was trying to get to was that when you. When you stroked against the hair. It's super. It's super tough here. It's like. It doesn't. It doesn't want to bend. It's spiky.
Mike Axelrod
Oh, that was the only.
Jack
Yeah. What do you. What do you think I meant by stroking my dog the wrong.
Mike Axelrod
I don't know.
Jack
It's not a euphemism.
Mike Axelrod
I don't know. You know, it's. It's very difficult to be in Lewis's brain sometimes.
Jack
What do you think it was, like, code for something, maybe. Oh, I'm just going to go to bed and stroke my dog the wrong way.
Mike Axelrod
Oh, we've just. Jackie missed it.
Brittany
Was it.
Jack
I could.
Mike Axelrod
Yes.
Brittany
It was wildly inappropriate.
Mike Axelrod
Just move that mic a little bit further away from me. Well, okay. Yeah. He's going to go to bed and stroke his dog the wrong way.
Brittany
That's really tickled him, isn't it? Gosh.
Mike Axelrod
All right.
Jack
Poor water.
Mike Axelrod
Right. We haven't lost the hard way since.
Jack
Since learning that having a poo is called honking out a dirt snake.
Mike Axelrod
Why does Jack. Jack's a little hot.
Brittany
Oh, God. I just laugh loud, that's all.
Jack
I'll Be right back. I've got to go.
Mike Axelrod
You know, if you were on tour with blood origins, 20k is with the 77, so 97ks. There's a lot of memes that go around. There's a lot of reels that get shared and a lot of laughter. And Lewis shared with us a. A call in Meme Hopper guy. You tell it. Lewis.
Jack
He called into the radio station and.
Brittany
No, the radio station.
Jack
The radio station called him. Yeah, sorry. And they were. They were like, hey, it's like Bill and Judy from Judy. Bill and Judy in the morning or something. And he was like, one of our listeners wanted us to give you a ring because you've been on a date and you haven't called her back in two weeks. And then he was like, okay. And they're like, well, did she do anything wrong? He's like, well, I just don't see a future in being with her. And that's what I'm after. Well, what did she do, you know? Well, she was kind of gross. She reached across the table halfway through dinner and just grabbed his hand and said, I'll be right back. I've got to go honk out a dirt snake. Oh, gosh. There is. It's on YouTube. So you can look it up on YouTube. Just type in honk out a dirt snake and it'll be the top one. All the other videos are weird, but, yeah, you'll. You'll find it.
Mike Axelrod
Oh, man. Well, if you can't tell, we're in a vehicle. We're driving from location that we've been at for seven days. And we're driving to go see some friends. Got a bunch of friends here in the Eastern Cape. We're going to go see Carl Fansale at John X Safaris, and we try to get a hold of Pierre Moolman, the Moolmans at Southern Africa Safaris, but they're too busy for us today. Oh, thanks, Pierre.
Jack
Hot shots.
Mike Axelrod
Yep.
Jack
I've got four kids now, Robbie. Too busy.
Mike Axelrod
I'm busy. Doing what?
Jack
Out of dirt.
Mike Axelrod
And. Yeah, we're heading back to P.E. today. Port Elizabeth is its new name.
Brittany
Are these watermelon in this room? How'd you see it?
Mike Axelrod
These look like pumpkins.
Brittany
Pumpkins. 25 rand. I think that's. They're 25 rand. They're pretty cheap. If you can get one while they're driving, you've got to pass the money through the window.
Mike Axelrod
I think real name is okay.
Jack
With the. With the.
Mike Axelrod
With the. Yeah.
Jack
I'm not even going to.
Mike Axelrod
You got it. You got it, you got it.
Jack
Yeah, I can do the click. I'm just not going to try the rest of it.
Mike Axelrod
And yeah, we head to Durban tomorrow to start another project, one that is graciously funded by the Longoria Hosma foundation and start some work on some rhino. Some rhino work. Rhino trade work for the next 18 months. Big project. Seem to do like bigger and bigger and bigger projects, huh? Same as a game, baby.
Jack
It's the way it goes.
Mike Axelrod
Yep.
Brittany
I think there's one every year that is bigger than, you know, there's one big project every year and that big project does seem to be getting larger every time. But then, you know, also addressing larger issues across a wider geographic area as well. So that, that brings with it, you know, longer and longer things.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah, for sure, for sure. This documentary, pretty good, right? We had a very well executed plan going in and had enough time. We weren't strapped for time. There's a bunch of springbok right there. Thoughts, Lewis, to this week. Past week.
Jack
Yeah, it's been good.
Brittany
I think it's been notably more enjoyable.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah.
Brittany
And I think that will translate into. Because there's nothing that crushes creativity faster than being rushed at something.
Mike Axelrod
Well, I will say this, Jack, you have not gotten frustrated this week.
Brittany
I haven't gotten frustrated this week. Isn't that.
Mike Axelrod
You have not like given me that look, hadn't had that stomp. You never. You haven't told me. Fine, we're just going to do it then. Fine, Fine, Fine, fine, fine, fine.
Brittany
I mean, there's a lot of self work that's going on in the background to do with my temper. But yeah, I feel it's been a much more relaxed shooting environment. But yeah, it's down to the planning, isn't it?
Mike Axelrod
It's down to the planning and also recognizing that we don't have to. Let's give ourselves a little bit more time instead of, you know, hey, let's stop the car right now. Let's start shooting. Come on, come on, come on. Stop. Let's go.
Brittany
Yeah, yeah.
Mike Axelrod
And then we got some bonus footage last night of rhinos. Yeah, that was amazing. How close was that black rhino last night?
Brittany
I love black rhino. I think they're class A white rhino. Little bit wimpy, if I'm honest. Like, you are massive and very strong. Stop being such a wuss. Stop running away. Every time someone turns up, you know, the black rhino not fussed.
Mike Axelrod
He was falling asleep. He literally sat down whilst the two white rhinos were like getting agitated and like, what's going on. He took a lay down nap. He was like, nah, not worried about it at all.
Brittany
Evan should aspire to be the Black Rhino in those situations.
Mike Axelrod
And then he decided to, he wanted to investigate the vehicle half a dozen times, six times. And every time he got within 10 yards. Nah, nah, 20 yards. 20. 20 yards from the vehicle. And we gave him a little like hey, heads up and yeah. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Well, if you are listening to this roundup and you want to know what we're going to be doing in where we're going next, Durban KwaZulu Natal. This rhino piece, we've got some really cool things lined up. We got some helicopter work, we've got some dehorning work, we've got some anti poaching work. Anti poaching work with dogs. We got lots of stuff coming and if you want to be in the action with us like in the here and now, just become an IG subscriber. Jack, you're an IG subscriber so you can check it out. You can see it like in the moment on ig.
Brittany
Yeah, but you never tagged me in any of the, any of the stories.
Mike Axelrod
I don't need to tag you. You just see it. Okay. Yeah. I must have missed our turn off guys. I got or another 10ks to go before otherwise we'll be landing up in Graftonit and looking and meeting Pierre Moomin.
Brittany
Oh yeah, by accident.
Mike Axelrod
What was your highlight this week from Bongani? I'll start with Jakkuz.
Brittany
Highlight this week would probably be when the kids just started warming up to us a little bit and. And that was.
Mike Axelrod
You guys were filming on Monday and Tuesday?
Brittany
Yeah, they were just at first, obviously it's a little bit out of the blue, two guys with cameras coming into your classroom and a little bit wide eyed and you know. But then they got used to us and then they warmed up and you couldn't give them a thumbs up and blow raspberries at them and they laugh and that kind of stuff and that was, that was really cool. Enjoyed that.
Mike Axelrod
Lewis.
Jack
I think it was seeing the things that Bongani was sort of pushing in pe. They were pretty cool.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah. So Bongani is an architect and a pretty accomplished architect. He's now a partner in a company. So he's not just an employee of that company. I don't know if he told you that or not, but he's a partner in that company.
Brittany
Oh, I didn't know he was a partner.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah, yeah. So he's getting dividends and returns and shares and yes, he's got two designs, he's got multiple designs, obviously implemented. But the two that we saw were really cool community based villages essentially. Like so the first we went to is an education center was educating, you know, from after school care homework to elderly sewing classes, that kind of stuff that was pretty cool. And then he built a container village that had little entrepreneurial spaces in it for seamstresses, nail ladies, jewelry people, barbershop artists to artists. Pretty cool to see. And that's where we interviewed him. And really neat to see, man. And you could see the pride in him. And obviously, you know, one of the things he said, he's like, this is the kind of stuff I want to keep doing. Yeah. It's not maybe not the biggest revenue generator and I'm sure he can get good revenue generators by building office blocks and residential areas and stuff like that, which is great. But to be able to do something for the community, you know, that he is in, you know, he didn't come out of that community obviously. He came out of these communities up here in the Eastern Cape and Stainsburg and Craddock. But you know, helping people like get out. Just like he got helped by the Larry Bell. By Larry Bell and the Amy Bell foundation, the Tam Safaris and Irvin Tam. He got helped out of his situation to become the architect. Now he's like doing things that are doing the same thing for, for the community around him.
Brittany
Yeah, I think it's a, a really interesting example of just helping one person, the right person and you know, they, they helped him get out of his situation near Cradock. And as a result there are people in Port Elizabeth who are being uplifted.
Mike Axelrod
Well, just think about the knock on effect. Right. That's the thing, that's the beautiful thing about it. Right. The hunting has hunting helped Bongani, but how many people now are indirectly benefiting from Bongani?
Brittany
Yeah, loads. I mean an entire community. He said something like 800 kids used that regularly used that community center.
Mike Axelrod
Oh, we should definitely build an infographic with it.
Brittany
800 kids, you know, directly. That's not to say that it wouldn't have happened without him. It may well have done. But he is such a unique individual because he has that perspective on what those community needs.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah.
Brittany
You know, and it's, it's a little bit of a commentary on, on where you get. I mean, how many architects, how many black architects from his economic background are there?
Mike Axelrod
Yeah.
Brittany
Not just in South Africa, but in Port Elizabeth specifically.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah.
Brittany
You know, I bet he might Be the only one.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah, that's true.
Brittany
And who else is going to give.
Mike Axelrod
That perspective that all animals out there or is that all sheep? Sheep, Sheep. Yeah, yeah, it's cool to see like you can see, you can build. Think of an infographic like he built that community center. And yes, you know, people are paying and all that stuff, I get it. But you know the businesses that are in there and the businesses that are uplifting their families and the, the people that receive revenues from that and sort of the trickle in into the community from that and I like it a lot. Really like the story.
Brittany
Yeah, I think he's a really great guy as well because when asked, you know, I asked him the question, you can, you can do anything architecturally like what is your dream to build? He didn't say something like the Empire State Building. He didn't say I want to build these gigantic, like the Gherkin in London or whatever, you know, these crazy high profile things. He said not those community projects. That is what he wants to do. Which is admirable, you know.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah, that's so good. So good. So yeah, I really enjoyed it and I really enjoy again these are the kinds of stories that, you know, may not hopefully it'll touch obviously some non hunters and some of the non hunting community. But really I think a piece like this really shows the hunting community. I don't think you've ever thought about your impact on the kind of impact that we are having as a hunting community and sort of, here's a video, here's a guy, learn about him, understand him, talk about him in your circles. When you're having a conversation at dinner and whatnot. Here's a perfect example of somebody that you had no idea existed. He had no idea, actually benefited from hunting. He doesn't hunt. Yeah, he's, you know, he's done some hunting but he's not, you know, your classic hunter. And wow, man, look at him, look at the impact that he's having today.
Brittany
Yeah, I mean as ever, lots of people cite community benefits for hunting in. But it doesn't often go further than.
Mike Axelrod
Monkey on the road. Yeah, we gotta be bloody close to our turnoff now.
Brittany
It doesn't often go further than the, the first level. Right. Like the meat drop off.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah.
Brittany
The blue bag drop off. And that is what a lot of people contribute and that is great and it's very, it's very much needed. But it's really useful in the hunter community to have specific examples provided to you that you can point to and point other People to. And say, well, no, actually this is far deeper than that first level. This goes. This goes 20 levels down from what we're used to. And it's just. It's just a really useful tool.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah, yeah. Lewis, anything to add?
Jack
No, not really.
Mike Axelrod
Doom scrolling on your phone whilst we're podcasting. Come on.
Jack
No, I was also paying attention.
Brittany
We haven't talked about the spoon.
Mike Axelrod
Oh, yeah, let's talk about the spoon situation. Funnies of the week. Let's go. Funnies of the week.
Brittany
Okay, Louis, do you want to. Do you want to tell everyone about.
Jack
Well, the first one was the spoon. Yeah. So that was before you got here, Robbie. But obviously you got told all about it. But yeah. So the first day we were filming the kids in the school and Irving was telling us about all the cooking that they do, so we thought we'd film them having food. And were you right there, Robbie?
Mike Axelrod
Hold on two seconds. What's lost us. So, Lewis, what you're saying, the. Before I got here, you guys were up here eating. You guys were filming kids and being the. The two strapping lads that you were. You were hungry?
Brittany
We were hungry. It was lunchtime.
Jack
Kind of hungry. They have lunch at like 10, 10am it's first lunchtime.
Brittany
Second lunch is 12:30.
Jack
Yeah. So Ervin basically asked if we wanted some and we said we'd try some. And then once they plated it up, we realized we didn't have any cutlery. And so the one of the dinner ladies goes to. Goes to the tub of used cutlery that had just been used by a million kids. And all of the cutlery was thrown into the same bucket she fished in. I don't even think she took them from the top. She like properly fished in there to find the two best spoons and then proceeded to wipe them on her apron, hand them to me and Jack.
Brittany
And then we'd made. We'd made.
Mike Axelrod
What did you guys. Did you guys look at each other?
Jack
Yes.
Mike Axelrod
When?
Brittany
Well, I didn't want to look at Lewis because I knew we would both crack up like. Like. Or bottle it, you know. And we'd made such a fuss because they were a bit perplexed as to why we wanted to eat some of their food. And we were like, no, we've heard it's delicious and they loved it. And so we couldn't then not.
Mike Axelrod
So how did the. How did Irvin figure out that you. Did you just. He was willfully. Tell him what about the spoons? Oh, he watched.
Brittany
He watched us do it. Like disbelieving because then it was like, right, well, here we go. And I've been ill ever since.
Mike Axelrod
Oh, you're funny, man. Yeah.
Brittany
So not doing that again.
Mike Axelrod
That's too funny. Other funnies of the week?
Brittany
Nothing on that level, I don't think.
Mike Axelrod
Pretty stock standard. You and Oven got along very well, him and he liked Lewis's banter.
Jack
Yeah.
Mike Axelrod
I don't think anything else happened. Crazy this week.
Brittany
No, not really.
Mike Axelrod
It's been a fairly quiet week.
Brittany
Fairly tame in general.
Mike Axelrod
Yeah.
Brittany
No, that's it.
Mike Axelrod
That's it. Well, next week we're gonna have another roundup of the stuff that we're doing up in Quasi Natal. Make sure you subscribe to us on Instagram. You'll find out everything that you need right then in the moment. If you want to ask any questions between now and next week in terms of, like, what we're doing, anything, any questions that you have when it comes to South Africa or anything like that, you can text us on 601-790-0607. That's 601-790-0607. Send us some text messages, ask us some questions, and we'll get the some Impala.
Jack
Send us some really weird ones as well.
Mike Axelrod
Like, weird ones so that Lewis can answer them.
Jack
Would you rather have your whole Internet history bared to the world or audibly sing something interesting?
Mike Axelrod
Like, you've thought about this a lot.
Jack
No, I think like something like Bombalayo at funerals.
Brittany
Oh. I think we need to field guesses as to Robbie's women's shoe size.
Mike Axelrod
So Robbie's woman shoe size. I don't have a woman's shoe size. Okay. Yeah, exactly.
Jack
And that was another funny, wasn't it? That reel that you sent us. Robbie, when he's like, when? So, Robbie, when I click my fingers, you'll forget that you're gay.
Mike Axelrod
Listen, we've already been canceled already once today in this. All right. Any last words, Jack?
Brittany
None.
Mike Axelrod
None.
Jack
Lewis, hasta la vista, baby.
Mike Axelrod
Ciao, ciao. Well, that's it for today. I appreciate you listening as always. Leave a review, share it with your friends, and most importantly, do what's right to convey the truth around hunting.
Blood Origins Podcast: Roundup 149 || The Slots Boys Are BACK in South Africa
Release Date: April 9, 2025
Introduction
In the 149th episode of the Blood Origins podcast, titled "The Slots Boys Are BACK in South Africa," hosts Mike Axelrod, Brittany, Jack, and Lewis delve into their recent adventures in South Africa, intertwining their hunting experiences with impactful conservation efforts. This episode not only highlights their personal achievements but also showcases the broader implications of hunting on community development and wildlife preservation.
Hunting Adventures and Personal Highlights
The episode opens with the hosts recounting their recent hunting expedition in the Karoo region of South Africa. Mike Axelrod sets the stage by expressing his passion for conveying the true essence of hunting beyond the act of taking game.
"There's a reason why I started Blood Origins. And that reason is simple, is that I wanted to convey the truth about hunting. It brings awareness to non-hunters that it's more than just killing animals."
— Mike Axelrod [01:04]
Brittany and Jack share their successful hunts, including the capture of springboks and a notable encounter with a black impala. The camaraderie among the group is evident as they discuss their shots and the unique characteristics of their prey.
"Both of you were sharpshooters yesterday."
— Mike Axelrod [07:04]
One of the highlights includes Jack's compassionate act of humanely dispatching a trapped Kalkuru, underscoring the ethical considerations the group embraces in their hunting practices.
Encounters and Experiences
The narrative progresses to a humorous and relatable incident where the group is pulled over by the South African police. Mike shares his experience of being mistaken for someone from Memphis, Tennessee, highlighting cultural exchanges and misunderstandings that occur in unfamiliar territories.
"She was like, 'Do you ever see an American license before?'... 'You know Elvis?'"
— Mike Axelrod [04:26]
Brittany and Jack contribute to the light-hearted moments, including playful banter about miscommunications and the unique slang they encounter.
Conservation Impact and Community Stories
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing the profound impact of hunting on conservation and community development. Lewis introduces Safari Specialty Importers, a partner organization that not only facilitates trophy importation but also donates a portion of their proceeds to various conservation projects.
"Safari Specialty Importers is working with us at Blood Origins and they are going to donate $100 from every shipment that they work with to conservation projects that include anti-poaching, community development, and wildlife conservation."
— Lewis [08:51]
The hosts spotlight Bongani, an accomplished architect whose work in community-driven projects exemplifies the positive ripple effects of responsible hunting. Mike elaborates on Bongani's initiatives, such as building education centers and entrepreneurial spaces that benefit hundreds of children and families.
"He got helped out of his situation to become the architect. Now he's like doing things that are doing the same thing for the community around him."
— Mike Axelrod [21:28]
Brittany emphasizes the importance of such individual stories in illustrating the deeper societal benefits of hunting, moving beyond the immediate economic contributions.
"It's really useful in the hunter community to have specific examples provided to you that you can point to and say, well, actually, this is far deeper than that first level."
— Brittany [26:24]
Future Projects and Conservation Efforts
Looking ahead, the hosts discuss upcoming projects in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, focusing on rhino conservation. They outline plans involving helicopter work, dehorning, and anti-poaching initiatives utilizing trained dogs.
"We've got some helicopter work, we've got some dehorning work, we've got some anti-poaching work. Anti poaching work with dogs. We got lots of stuff coming."
— Mike Axelrod [18:36]
These efforts underscore Blood Origins' commitment to expanding their conservation footprint and addressing critical wildlife protection challenges.
Humorous Anecdotes and Group Dynamics
Interspersed with serious discussions are moments of levity that showcase the group's dynamic and camaraderie. A notable story involves the "spoon incident" at a local school, where the hosts humorously recount their confusion over cutlery, leading to laughter and light-hearted teasing.
"You should film me. We've been filming this amazing documentary."
— Mike Axelrod [04:35]
Another memorable moment includes a listener's humorous call-in shared by the group, adding a personal and entertaining touch to the episode.
Listener Engagement and Closing Remarks
As the episode concludes, the hosts encourage listeners to engage with Blood Origins through Instagram and direct messaging, inviting questions and participation in future discussions. They also tease the next episode, promising continued updates from their Durban projects.
"If you want to be in the action with us like in the here and now, just become an IG subscriber."
— Brittany [20:01]
Mike wraps up the episode by urging listeners to convey the truth about hunting and its positive impacts on conservation.
"Do what's right to convey the truth around hunting."
— Mike Axelrod [32:08]
Conclusion
Roundup 149 of the Blood Origins podcast offers a comprehensive look into the intersection of hunting and conservation. Through engaging storytelling, personal anecdotes, and impactful community narratives, the hosts effectively communicate the multifaceted benefits of responsible hunting practices. This episode serves as an enlightening resource for both hunters and non-hunters alike, fostering a deeper understanding of the vital role hunting plays in global conservation efforts.