My hunt in South Africa

[birdshotnj]

I headed out to Africa on the night of March 29th. Took the United flight out of Newark at 9pm. Flight was great, I managed to sleep for most of it. I definitely liked the fact that it was a non-stop flight straight to Johannesburg. Landed in Joburg around 5pm the next day, and got picked up at the airport by Africa Sky. They handled all my import paperwork, so that was a big help. Other than waiting around in the airport for someone to come check my firearms, it went pretty smoothly. Spent the night at Africa Sky, which had great accommodations and very good food. Ate dinner, and went off to bed. Since I slept on the plane almost the whole time, I didn't get much sleep that night. Between that and the excitement of actually being in Africa, I couldn't wait to get to my final destination. The next day, March 31st, they dropped us back off at Joburg airport for my flight to Port Elizabeth. Quick flight, nothing really to report there. Landed in Port Elizabeth late morning, and being that it's a smaller airport, getting our luggage and firearms was really quick and easy. My PH Jason met us at the airport and we loaded everything in his truck for the drive to camp. About an hour and a half later, we arrived. It was very surreal being there. Between the animals we saw on the drive in and the scenery, it was hard to believe the trip I planned almost 3 years ago was now about to begin. We met everybody at the lodge, and immediately I felt great about my decision to hunt here. The owner Barry and his family are some of the nicest people I've ever met. Warm, hospitable, and helpful right from the get-go. I felt as though these were my old friends and I was coming back to visit, that's how amazing they were. The same went for everyone else on the staff. The cooks, cleaning ladies, office staff, all the PH's and trackers went out of their way to introduce themselves, to ask if we needed anything or had any special requests, and they were genuinely happy to see us there. My tracker's name was Zola, and he was the salt of the earth. Always smiling and always working his butt off for us. I was escorted to my room, which was a gorgeous stone villa situated on the edge of a cliff, needless to say the view was breathtaking. Inside the room was a big king size bed, a desk, large furniture with tons of storage, a gun safe, and a huge bathroom with a big shower, double vanity, and jetted tub. The food here was absolutely incredible. Every day there was a new variety of food for every meal. 5 or 6 options for breakfast and lunch, and dinner every night was an absolute feast, with more food and drinks than you could possibly imagine. Breakfast and lunch were served in the lower Boma, and dinner was served in the upper Boma, and always cooked on the Braai over burning wood. Everything was first class from beginning to end, and the company was awesome. All the clients and PH's would all stay up late very night laughing, joking, and sharing stories around the boma. The average day was a 5am wake up, breakfast in the lower boma, then start hunting around 530am or maybe a little later depending on what area you would be hunting that day. Back to the lodge around 12 for lunch and a nap, then back at it around 3pm for the evening hunt. We would get back to camp at about 7pm for dinner which was served at 8. I booked the 12 animal package but I was only staying for 7 days, which was short for so many animals, but I didn't care and felt no stress about needing to "fill a quota". I was just beyond happy and grateful to be hunting in such a beautiful country and with such an amazing outfitter. I would go on to take all 12 animals in 5 and a half days, thanks in large part to my PH Jason, who is one of the best hunters I've ever seen, and hands down the best guide I've ever hunted with. On this hunt, I was shooting my Browning Xbolt 30-06 with Barnes ttsx 180gr bullets. The performance of this bullet is unmatched in my opinion, and I've never had a single problem with them.

 

 

Day 1 Friday, March 31, 2022

 

Saw a single blesbuck walking in our directions at 800 yards out. We headed towards him and managed to close the gap and got to about 400 yards away when he bedded down. As we were assessing the best way to approach for a shot, we turned around and saw an even bigger blesbuck to our left at about 600 yards. That blesbuck spotted us and walked back in the direction he came from and over the mountain. This was good, because it allowed us to cover a lot of ground very fast as we took off after him and circled around upwind. We got to withing about 250 yards and I sent a shot right into the boiler room. He ran 80 yards and dropped. My first African animal was in the books.

 That afternoon, after a lot of walking and glassing, we spot a gorgeous old blue wildebeest. We get close and get into position. I set up on the sticks, and he walks right into my shooting lane, but I couldn't find him in my scope. He busts us and takes off. Thankfully, it was raining in the morning and with the south African dirt being like clay, he left plenty of tracks for us to follow. 4 hours and 8 miles later, he finally presents me with a shot at 200 yards. I drill him perfectly in the shoulder, and he starts bucking like a pissed off rodeo bull. He ran another 200 yards, kicking the whole way. My guide Jason told me many times that wildebeest are among the toughest and strongest of the plains game, and after this hunt, I definitely believe him.

 

Day 2 Saturday, April 1

 

Headed out this morning, it was chilly and misty raining. Covered a lot of ground all morning and saw a ton of game, but nothing that we were after. Shortly before 10am, we spot a nice old Impala ram. We walk up ahead behind some bushes and watch him feed for a bit. After a while, he made his way into a perfect shooting lane. He gave me a broadside shot at 200 yards. He only went about 20 yards and keeled over. Perfect lung shot. 

   Went out hunting this afternoon and saw a very nice warthog around 4 oclock. Stalked him across a valley and over a river and got to within 200 yards of him and his sow while they were feeding. They never saw or heard us, so I had plenty of time to take the shot. I squeeze the trigger and hear “click”. I forgot to take my damn safety off! So quickly I take off the safety and just then, he decided to take a few steps forward. I readjust myself and pull the trigger. He absolutely crumbled upon impact, goes down and starts kicking. So I empty the spent shell, and just then, he gets back up and takes off like a drunken bat outta hell. He goes down the valley and across the river from where we came, and we take off after him. Surprisingly there was not much of a blood trail, but we followed his tracks to an old anteater burrow. Couldn't see or hear much of anything, but we were certain he went in there. So we got a bunch of huge boulders and logs and Blocked up the hole, along with some adjacent holes that looked like they might've been connected to it underground. We backed out and have to head back there in the morning. The best scenario is that he tries to get out but cant, and we find him dead behind the rocks. The second best scenario is he is dead in the back of the tunnel, but that means we will spend most of the day digging him out. The third and dreaded scenario is that he somehow gets out and is gone forever.

 

 

Day 3 Sunday, April 2

 

Got a real early start in some pouring rain and headed over to where we hopefully trapped in the warthog. On our way there, we saw a bunch of impala, blesbuck, and red hartebeest. I got out of the truck and put a 400 yard stalk on them and was able to take a very nice cull impala with a head on shot to the chest at 220 yards. Got him gutted and in the truck, and we headed towards the warthog again.

We brought two of the farmhands with us to help us dig if need be. We get there, move the first rock out of the way, and there he was! The biggest warthog I've ever seen. His tusks are absolutely massive. We can't quite see his eyes, so I take out my electrical tape and tape my cell phone to the shooting sticks. I set it to video with the flash on, and stick it in the hole. The tusks never moved, but we still waited to replay the video just to be sure. The last thing anyone wants is a pissed off warthog coming at us. Sure enough, he's dead as a doornail. My shot last night hit him a couple inches further back than I would have liked, but it still felled this beast with a single shot so I cant complain. We drag him out of the hole and load him on to the truck.

We head back to camp and dropped off the two animals to the skinners and headed out hunting a little more before lunch. We spot a male ostrich with 2 females up ahead. Get into position and I'm just waiting for him to present me with a shot. He stops behind a tree, and all I could see was his neck sticking out from the top. After about 15 minutes, which felt like 15 hours watching him through my scope on the shooting sticks, he finally started moving and heading further away from us. Finally when he got to about 375 yards, he stops and is just staring around. I take a deep breath and squeeze the trigger. Smoked him! He ran about 50 yards and fell over. Ostriches are very impressive animals up close, and I'm really happy I took him. He will be on the dinner menu tomorrow night.

We go back to camp for lunch, and then went back out in the afternoon. Covered lots of ground hoping to see a kudu to no avail. At last light, we are walking along an old goat path up in the mountains and glassing a bit. We decide to move further up ahead to glass a new spot, and flush out a nice old duiker right in front of us. He headed into some thick stuff ahead of us, but neither me nor Jason every saw him come out of it. I cut to the right and my PH cut left in the hopes of getting him to move, and he did. He ran up ahead of me about 200 yards and stopped quartering away hard. I aimed and shot so fast, and it couldn't have been more perfect. He dropped right where he stood. I'm thrilled to have gotten him. A nice, mature duiker. I even managed to retrieve the bullet, as it blew through him and hit a big boulder behind him and dropped to the ground. This will definitely be a full body mount, and I'll have to incorporate that bullet somehow.

 

Day 4 Monday, April 3rd

 

Woke up early and headed to a part of the property far away. Started spotting for kudu when we saw a nice Gemsbok male about 1500 yards out. We start making a stalk on him, and a huge gemsbok comes flying out in front of us from the right side. Range him at 350 and let one fly. Hit him right in the shoulder, maybe about an inch or two lower than I would've liked. He runs a bit and stops, this time at 413 yards, I take a deep breath and let another one go. He crumbled right where he stood. It was amazing.

  Later that afternoon was extremely windy. We basically chased around springbuck all afternoon. I don't think I've ever walked so much. Eventually got a shot at one at about 250 yards and dropped it. Great day all around.

Day 5 Tuesday, April 4th

Drove back out to that same part of the property in search of more kudu. Shortly after arriving to our spot, we see 2 black springbuck rams. We put a stalk on, and got within 250 yards, where I dropped a nice ram. I was really happy to take this animal.

Spent the rest of the day trying to find a nice kudu to no avail. Saw tons of them today, just as every other day, but none were big enough or they were females.

 

Day 6 Wednesday, April 5th

We woke up extremely early and drove about 2 hours away. No sooner do we get to our spot and start glassing, and we see 3 nice kudu bulls on the far mountain. We slowly and quietly make our way over there and get to 425 yards of the biggest one. I set up on the sticks and put a great shot on him. He runs maybe 25 to 30 yards and collapses. I was thrilled to say the least. The kudu was my most sought after animal, and being that it was day 6, I was starting to realize that it may not happen this trip, which I was totally ok with after the amazing week I had thus far.

Later that day, we saw a herd of blesbuck, and found a nice female in the group. I shot her at 200 yards, she ran 100 yards and down she went. My 12th and final animal.

 

The harsh reality that my first trip to Africa had come to an end was now setting in. This was by far the best hunt I have ever been on. I spent that night smoking a big cigar and drinking lots of whiskey, and just reflecting on my week there. Stayed up late with all the guys that night telling stories, as I knew I could sleep in late the next day for the first time all week. Spent the next day just packing and getting ready for my return trip home. Got all my taxidermy squared away that afternoon, and relaxed until dinner time. I decided to do a shoulder mount on everything, except my duiker which I did full mount, and my cull impala and blesbuck which I'm having euro mounted. Kept the flatskin of my cull impala as well, and the backskin of my kudu. I will also have the ostrich leather tanned and dyed so I can make a gift for the wife out of it once I get it back. Plans for my return trip are already in the works, and I wouldn't even consider going anywhere other than Frontier Safaris to hunt with Barry, Jason and their team again. When you find paradise on earth, you stick to it. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by birdshotnj

[Buckeyes11]

Wow. What a great read. Congrats on the hunt of a lifetime! Incredible. 

[BHC]

Congratulations on your hunt

[deadonshot2]

Looks Ike an amazing trip. Congrats

[Rusty]

What an incredible experience birdshot,  congratulations! 

Love the smile on your face, I hate it when people don't smile in their pictures!   

[roy381]

That was a great read with great pics. Certainly, a hunt of a lifetime for most. Congrats and glad the trip was a great success!

[DJ0808]

Congrats on a spectacular hunt!!

[Buck154]

Congrats. Great hunt. Lot of animals

[JD48]

Great read, Great hunt, congrats

[Cj1187]

How does that work for taxidermy? I assume you have to have everything completed there, and ship it home?

[Eyesofthewoods]

Great trip and story!  Congrats!  Those wildebeest are tough indeed.  South Africa is so much more then a hunting trip as well a whole new culture to see and learn.  I haven’t been since 2010 but I took many memories with me.

[electricstart]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing 

[SPEARFISH]

Congrats.  Lots of shooting

[archer36]

Terrific. You experienced what almost everyone will experience if going on a South African Safari. Nothing but great service and lots of game. The direct flight from Newark Airport is a winner. My first trip there was a 24 hour ordeal. I don't know how you are handling your trophies but be prepared for sticker shock with shipping charges. My three trophies, unmounted, cost $1300 just for shipping.  You won't be seeing these for a few more months.

Enjoy!

PS: you made some long tough shots. I commend you on your accuracy. I hardly ever use a rifle so I limited all my shots to under 125 yds. 

Edited April 12, 2022 by archer36

[tpr1921]

Outstanding!