SOUTH AFRICA: Buffalo & Plains Game With GAME 4 AFRICA SAFARIS 2025

[Firebird]

Obviously we had experienced great success to this point. I had decimated my budget and I asked Wik to run the numbers with me just to make sure I didn’t go beyond my means. We still had days left but my only remaining wish was for bushbuck. We still had the photographer paid for a couple days and wanted to maximize our time with him.
This day was forecast to be cold, wet and windy in the morning but clearing up around noon. Early on I had suggested an ostrich hunt-I’ve seen them but we’ve never hunted one ph’s hate them for their propensity to run wide and far spooking all the other game. Wik asked several times if I was sure I wanted to hunt an ostrich and I kept on saying yes. Wik had to call his contacts to find a place where we could hunt them. Most places said they didn’t hunt them this time of year or they had filled their quotas or whatever. But one guy said we could come hunt to our hearts content. To be fair the conversation was heavily Afrikaans and I have no idea what was said, but we had a place to hunt the feathered dinosaurs. It was a longish drive through the rain. On the way Wik suggested while we were in this vicinity that we go back to mtn top for bushbuck if the weather cleared. If it did not, then he had a plan for blesbok. That story is that some of wild animals forgot that they couldnt escape a fence and had relocated to a neighbors sheep property. So going into the ostrich hunt and the blesbok hunt it was understood there would be low fences and livestock. Also to be fair, these are enormous properties, but a sheep farm is still a sheep farm. This doesn’t bother me at all-I’ve spent much of my life kicking around Nebraska and Wyoming and Idaho and Montana and Arizona and Texas and I understand fences and ranch hunting. Not a problem!
Drove to the ostrich place in the rain. I liked that guy immediately. He was funny and nice and happy to have us visit. He drove us to a block of property and indicated we could hunt to the end of the horizon. He offered we could shoot jackals and springbok and steenbok if we saw them and if we came back later in the day he could find us a bushbuck on his lucerne (alfalfa) fields. This didn’t interest me but I enjoyed his accent and he had a good sense of humor.
So we entered the gate, waved good bye to the rancher and his little brown spaniels and Wik started glassing. Wik is almost always glassing. The guy said there were several flocks of birds in here and suggested we look out of the wind. We could see a long way and could not see birds. . . So we started driving. We came to a ravine where a dry creek bed and thick brush made their home. Right in the very bottom was a lone male ostrich picking gravel from the dry creek. Wik backed us up maybe a half mile and we started the process. I started by putting on my waterproof jacket and warm hat. Then I reached for the rifle. I indicated to Simone which case and as he slid the .375 out of its soft case he smiled and said “the buffalo killer!” Well yes and no-same rifle but different scope and bullet. I loaded the 235 grain tsx into the chamber, latched the safety and we started walking in.
Over the rise in the hill the ostrich caught our movement and came alert. I tried to shoot but forgot the safety catch, then I hurried the shot off the sticks but still rocked him-and then He ran off. We all agreed it was a solid hit, but A wierd angle and I couldn’t say honestly I knew where the shot landed. We went in and could find where he had been but was definitely not there. You would think an ostrich would be easy to spot but 5 minutes later we were still drawing a blank. Finally Wik spotted it, walking slow over the rise of a hill but fully upright at 250’yards. I lined up the crosshairs and shot him again. He tried to run but didn’t have much left and sort or laid/fell down. We approached cautiously and could see his eye still blinking so I shot him again.
Having to shoot him three times marred the experience for me. The bird was wet from the rain and that made him look bedraggled and soggy. Then I lifted a wing and it was like opening the door on a beehive only these were flies. Apparently on a cold wet day, all the flies in the entire east cape seek shelter in an ostrichs’ armpit. And then in death his penis came out, wiggling like a fish. I was done with ostriches! Normally putting my hands on a hunted animal is a good experience for me. The ostrich was the opposite. Maybe a different day or maybe better shooting would have been a better overall experience, but I think I’ve shot my last Ostrich.

The meat was not damaged much and the guys cleaned the bird in such a manner that the hanging carcass was actually quite nice. There wasn’t as much meat as I hoped to see, similar to farm raised turkeys vs.wild turkeys but they even use the bones as a food source so the bird will be well used.

 

[Firebird]

I was hoping it wasn’t going to be “one of those days. . .” We drove up up and up onto mountain top. I recognized the country even in the rain. The mist was thick and I could see it wasn’t a day for bushbuck here. We were optimistic though-still early in the day, gaps showing in the clouds, using the wind screen wipers less and less. We turned away from mtn top and toward the open plains and were immediately in sheep country. Hundreds of sheep out feeding in a barren field that went on for miles. We drove some and Wik put his leicas to work. Then he kinda laughed-found them! Three blesbok rams beaded in the midst of a hoard of wooly maggots. All you could really see were horn sticks above a low rising hill. It made for a decent stalk and this time I took the 7mm-08. We got close and then, classic Wik, we got closer still. At 100 yards I stood on the sticks. We figured the mildly alarmed sheep would stand up the blessies. This happened and Wik picked the one for me to shoot. But there were sheep in front or behind or the other blesboks were in the way and mostly, he just started moving away from us. So we crept along trying to look more like sheep and less like blesbok hunters. And it worked for a long time. The grass was wet and the scope lenses got wet and the sheep grew increasing nervous. We stayed with them for decades! Then after a bit of jostling the blesboks separated from the sheep on the rise of a hill and “my” ram had its head down feeding, fully broadside 150 yards.
I’m certain I still owe Dean money because I think I offered him one million dollars to erase the footage and never speak of the miss again! The funniest part was the face I made as I looked around at the camera. Wik should have slapped me in back of the head. Instead he laughed alittle. Dean laughed alittle. I had to laugh at myself. Reviewing the footage there was no flinch or slip in the mud or stroke on my part and certainly no bullet impact on the animals. They showed how fast a terrified blesbok can really run. If you think Tsessebee are speedy, you should have seen these theee blesboks!
At least I didn’t injure one. At least it wasn’t a trophy kudu or bushbuck. But still, I’m not a guy that misses so this was a punch in my egos stomach. And now we weren’t hunting sleepy blesbok as they feed, we were hunting alarmed blesboks fully alert. We weighed our options. The tracker had watched where they went from his perch in the truck a mile or so away. Some mostly knew where they were or were going. We talked about lunch and letting them settle or going after them while we still knew where they were. I wanted to go after them. We had to drive a minute or ten to get into their new zip code. Then we duck walked up the hill, using termite mounds as cover. Standing straight up Wik could see them. He set the sticks and I got to them. The blesboks moved away purposely and when they hit a fence, they turned and walked parallel with it. I don’t think they actually knew we were there. So my guy was broadside, and when he stopped I was on him. The 150 gr Accubond long range was on target this time and he spun and ran about twenty yards I think then was done.
It was a good final stalk and an efficient kill. The ram looked to be older and I was happy. I already have one mounted so this one will become a euro which is a shame because I think he is prettier than my first one.

The shot was I think 200 yards and the bullet passed through.

The rain had quit by this point and we ate lunch as it started to clear and warm. Maybe it was going to be a nice day after all-

 

[Firebird]

Fences are fences and they mostly work which is why we still use them.
One morning as we drove somewhere we jumped a duiker. He raced down the road and when he can to a gate he turned on a dime and tried to go through it. It is large chicken wire fencing and his head went through but not the rest of him. We went back to save him from strangling. As we neared he feed himself then dove through a different spot which was just big enough for his whole body to slip through.
Another evening we saw a young bushbuck ram feeding outside the entryway to Woodvale. It was too dark for good photos. Wik opened the gate remotely and the ram went in. The next morning he was out again and feeding in the entrance! Clearly he and the duiker had special holes they were using to access the thick growth of the roadside.
Another morning we spooked a nyala ewe from the roadside edge. We tried like crazy to get her into an opened gate but she was having none of it. We lost her somewhere and for all we know, she is still living in the thick stuff on the side of the road.
On our way home after one of the hunts we saw a herd of red hartebeest in a sheep field. Wik knew they had escaped from another ph’s property and made some phone calls to the involved parties to help get them returned.

I’m taking photos with my phone off the viewer of my big camera. I apologize for the “fuzzy” appearance

 

[Firebird]

This is actual footage from the evening of my nyala. It gives some idea of the angles i was shooting at semi regularly. Wik picked up my camera and did some filming of his own and I’m glad he did!
The bushbuck evening would be no different. Everpresent Dean captured some great footage even though I often forgot he was there.
After the blesbok was cleaned and in the truck we did the lunch thing. Ham and cheese sandwiches, Boiled eggs, sweet oranges (nothing tastes better in July!) simba chips in flavors I’ve never heard of and 5 star candy bars. Washed it down with soft drinks or water. By the time lunch was picked up, the sun shone from a clear sky and it was a comfortable afternoon. Wik seemed excited to hunt bushbuck. We dodged warthogs on our way in and I was startled to see a full herd of golden wildebeest thunder into cover as we drove by.
It was nearing the golden hour for bushbuck and all the wildlife was responding to the sunshine.
Wik was hurrying to his favorite ledges where he loves to glass. On one we found zebras feeding in deep cover. Wik said they had seen lots of hunting pressure and were becoming very clever. We came to one set of rocks where earlier in the week we had enjoyed lunch. Today was serious glassing. Myself and Dean had found afew creatures of the deep moving and Wik pointed out a couple female bushbuck. And then he was doing that thing where he frantically whispers for me to come quickly. He had a ram but it was moving. I got on the sticks and followed it in the scope. When it was mostly clear Wik said to shoot it. When I have to hurry a shot I seem to struggle, but give me time to settle and breath and I become a rather effective sniper. This ram simply crumbled at the shot. He slid about twenty yards down the slope before he hung up in the brush. Had he kept going, it would have been a very tough recovery! It was another 200 yards ish shot but would take us twenty or so minutes to work our way around the canyon rim to get to him.

You can see where he slid to and the bushes that stopped him from going farther. I suspect para45 is getting ptsd seeing that canyon again.
The biggest problem we would face was the wet grass and muddy slope. Oh yeah and everything here has thorns and ticks of course. Wik told me I could wait at the top. I’m starting to think he sees me as small, weak and frail-so I must assist with the recovery!
But first pictures! Then me and Wik and Simone and Sader drag him in increments up the hill to a level spot. From here the guys will pull the stomach contents and carry him to the truck. More pictures before the sun drops off mountain top and then we let the boys have at it. Simone doesn’t like me to help. He will smile and say “this is my job.” So I slip him cigarette packs and let him do what he is really good at. Sometimes I think he is just showing off!

Such very cool little animals. I didn’t care if I killed one my first trip, now I would hunt them on every trip and make them a priority!

 

[PARA45]

Beautiful Bushbuck! Congratulations!!! PTSD? You took the words out of my mouth when I saw where your Bushbuck was. I brought memories of my hunt, and cold sweat of course. I remember Wik saying also for me to stay put while he recovers my Bushbuck. I said, nope, my hunt my animal I'm going with you. I cursed at myself for being stubborn and going down that mountain, but I had to do it.

 

[Hunt anything]

Gotta love those bushbuck!
On the property that I shot my common reedbuck and my buddy shot a fallow deer, the property owner told Wik about some fallow does that had gotten out and asked if Wik would take them out. We were then treated to the best exhibition of rifle shooting I have ever seen. We found 4 does at about three hundred yards and Wik took his .243 and killed each with as many shots, including 2 head shots, all on the run!
My common reedbuck ram was outside of the fence as well, fences just seem to be a deterrent to many animals over there. We had stopped at the gate to gather our stuff and Wik just happened to see the reedbucks horns sticking above the grass at about 1,000 yards. Unbelievable!
Did you keep any of the black feather filaments off of the ostrich? Seems they would make really good leach streamers.

 

[Tbitty]

Beautiful Bushbuck! Congratulations!!! PTSD? You took the words out of my mouth when I saw where your Bushbuck was. I brought memories of my hunt, and cold sweat of course. I remember Wik saying also for me to stay put while he recovers my Bushbuck. I said, nope, my hunt my animal I'm going with you. I cursed at myself for being stubborn and going down that mountain, but I had to do it.

That canyon has no doubt provided moments of anguish to many a hunter!

 

[Firebird]

I’ve told this story but I’ll tell it again as history has value. I met Wiks mother in 2018 and was so impressed with the way she carried herself but also how she made you feel like you were the coolest hunter that had ever been to their property. She would come to the skinning shed and praise your animals and the shot you made and brag about you at the dinner table.
One day we were hunting kudu on a guys cattle ranch and he asked about her, calling her a name in Afrikaans that I had not heard prior. Wik explained later that the word meant “neck shot” and it was a term of deep respect and endearment.
When they were newly married and had purchased a butchery, They often did cull hunts to keep the butchery busy. Shooting an animal in the neck or head ruined the least meat and preserved all of its value. Wiks mother was a brilliant lady marksman!
She has since passed away but I know the boys AND the girls they married are all good shots.

 

[Firebird]

We still had the cameraman for one more day and we didn’t want to waste any of our available time. Wik had some suggestions that benefitted both him and me. So the last hunting morning me and Dean and Wik and Simone just headed out for a drive. Wik had given me the rates on management animals and we had agreed to try and take a just a couple. They have an excess of warthogs and impalas this year and Wik is always trying to cull out old animals and was hoping for a kudu cow.
We found her first. A herd of kudu spooked
and strung out along a ridge top. Because they had already spooked we were bound to shoot from where we were. Wik set the sticks and I was solid on them and following the big cow Wik told me to watch. She stopped where Wik’s leicas said 380 yards. The little 7mm-08 went bang and the cow shuddered and ran. Wik sent the tracker one way and we went another to cover their presumed exit route. We saw a couple run through but not all the animals. Wik went to help the tracker and me and Dean stayed put. Dean translated the chatter on the radio. They have blood, but they could see animals in the bottom of the canyon but not any wounded animals. Wik met up with the tracker and they took three steps and there she was, DRT-desd right there. She had gone maybe 70 ish yards and died just over the crest of the ridge. Snapped a quick pic so I could mark the day, looked at her teeth, both of the ones she had left, pulled out her stomach and then we left her. Another truck would be by to process the meat. I was happy the 150 grain ablr had passed through at that distance and she had died rather quickly.

We moved purposefully up the road to take advantage of the perfect weather. We stopped to look at a valley with a bunch of warthogs. We just kept moving up the plateau lip looking for the right animal to “manage.”
Wik spotted an impala ram he didn’t like. It had horns that touched the top but also an obvious limp in his right front leg. My belief is that this was a young ram still forming his horns but the limp made him a candidate for culling. But it was a good size ram so maybe his genes just needed removing. Whatever the case, Wik had us build a rest with our hoodies and jackets and binos. I could have killed shooting off the sticks but with this system. Success was assured and we had time. At the shot he simply dropped and never even twitched. That was a bit longer of a shot and very steep off the lip and it was satisfying to see how well it turned out.

I don’t know why I didn’t think to keep the cape for a spare but it wasn’t important at the time and hopefully won’t be needed later either. We had quite a drive to get down to him but by now we were all in a jovial sort of lighthearted mood.
Simone tapped the roof and he and Wik discussed something in xhosan. Nyala ewe, no it’s a Duiker!
“John I know you’ve shot them before. But I really think you should take this one. It’s a mature ram.” I wanted to shoot him, duikers are an animal of opportunity and this was a nice one. We got on the sticks but the vitals were covered. We discussed and agreed I could shoot through the brush. I did and he went down hard, regained his feet and in my scope was wavering back and forth. But he was still up and I’m not dumb enough to let him escape down into the canyon, so I shot him again for insurance. He didn’t really need it but you can’t be too sure with the high strung ones. More pictures and then we Would continue our course to recover the impala.
While I had Dean, I asked Simone to tell us the story of the duiker in his native tongue and had Dean record it. I had Wik share a short story in Afrikaans on film later, it will bring me great joy to watch those
Segments later this fall.

The duiker had age on him as well, so I was especially grateful to have him. The small antelope skulls make wonderful euros, this one will have a place above My reloading bench.
This day was so warm and beautiful that we had lunch at the lodge outside on the patio. I’ve never had that happen before and it was very pleasant with Don and the Aussies all together at midday.
Come to think of it, I can’t remember ever eating duiker, but I have sent several to the butchery.

 

[Hunt anything]

The mass on that impala is impressive!

 

[Firebird]

We went back out later that day just to see what We could see but really warthog was the desired target. We got the wind and then went for a walk. We saw pigs and the other animals including a great nyala bull that posed for the camera. But the pigs were spooked by other animals and were into the thick brush. Then a little bunch of half grown pigs ran perpendicular to us and maybe 150 yards off. Ingor settled on the sticks and we waited for them to stop. They did just at the edge of the thick stuff. “Safety!” Thankfully Wik reminded me to take it off. The shot broke, we heard the bullet report as it hit the pig and then the whole scattered. There was a steady stream of blood but not before this
Little piggy got under the addo thorn and a death run down the little creek. Tracker X helped pull it through the thorn tangle. One quick pic for the record and we were finished hunting. Later at the skinning shed I would wonder how anything could run so far. So fast with its heart shot into three separate pieces!

Zoom in on those trees in the background and you will see where pigs go when in danger

 

[Letzhunt]

What a great read! I feel like I'm there. Good thing is I am actually headed to Game4Africa in April 26'. Buffalo is the main target animal.
I'm guessing it will be a bit warmer in April?
So what sticks does Wik use.

 

[Hunt anything]

What a great read! I feel like I'm there. Good thing is I am actually headed to Game4Africa in April 26'. Buffalo is the main target animal.
I'm guessing it will be a bit warmer in April?
So what sticks does Wik use.

You definitely won’t be disappointed!!!

 

[Firebird]

There is a picture in post 84. They are Rudolph sticks and available online. Near as I can tell they are the exact same as 4 stable sticks. Practice on them extensively. I’ve not been in April so I googled it-looks like warm but not unpleasant temps. Just before the rut for lots of things so I hope you have kudu and others on your wish list. Good luck!

 

[CBH Australia]

What a great read! I feel like I'm there. Good thing is I am actually headed to Game4Africa in April 26'. Buffalo is the main target animal.
I'm guessing it will be a bit warmer in April?
So what sticks does Wik use.

I hunted with G4A in January 2020. The weather was great and I expect April will be good and cooling.

The weather was like home for me and I expect April would be pleasant.

 

[PARA45]

Man, what a wonderful safari, you went all out. I’ve enjoyed this read tremendously and has brought back some wonderful memories. I hope there is more.

 

[Firebird]

When I planned this trip my wife wanted to come. So I added an extra day and she and I would spend one night at a game viewing lodge-there are many options in the area. Then my wife saw the cost for her plane ticket in comfort plus. She explained that if I was spending $5k just for her flights that she would rather use the money another way-something she would prefer over being my shadow on a hunting trip. So I gave her the money and started the trip alone. But I kept the extra day since I knew I could find plenty to do. Of course then our refrigerator had to be replaced and then my daughter required special surgery above and beyond the orthodontist and that guy is cash only. So before I got to my hunting adventure, my bank account had been picked apart. So now I had an extra day but did not have extra money for premium animals. Wik had been great stretching my budget this far.
So we carried on with the game viewing area but not the overnighter since I had no wife along anyway. I did have a couple Australians tho and they jumped at the chance to join me with loaded cameras. Just not for the night !
Wik set tous up for us at Amakhala game preserve which is relatively nearby. I have also stayed at Pumba. I can give you the pros and cons to both but my bottom line is that you should pick one and go spend a half day there. Both offer half day packages very affordable and very enjoyable. They also both provide gourmet lunches and beautiful accommodations. There are other places to go, I just haven’t been there yet!

One advantage of these places is that they have gift shops where you can fill your family gift list. Then you can pack those items into your luggage rather than your carry on for the trip home. No need to have an “out of Africa” store bag in your lap on the plane. Amakhala has a couple nice gift shops and I completed my tourist stuff there.
Here are some pics from my phone. I took many more with my big camera but having trouble getting those pics to load currently.

I did not enjoy the elephants. The matriarch seemed irritated at our prescence and the tour guide got us too close and nearly let us get surrounded by eles. I wonder if she could smell some blood or something on us. . . ? Whatever the case we heard their stomach rumbles and got to see them very close and that is what most people pay for. I would have been very happy just to film the elands and hartebeests and other plains game.
Their rhinos were pretty cool-it is mind boggling to me that in this day and age people will still kill them for their horns.

 

[Hunt anything]

I’m with you on the elephants, they are best viewed from afar unless you are hunting them. Especially the female of the species!

 

[Firebird]

Some of the issue was that the ladies sharing the tour car with us wanted to see lions and elephants so the driver was passing everything else looking for the glamor species. The ladies were great and I was happy to share the ride with them. They were polite about me wanting to stop for birds and waterbuck and less popular animals.
The guides also could have stopped farther away and let the big cameras do the work. Instead they get right between the animals legs so you can use your cell phone. This gets the animals nervous faster. Had we been alone I would have made some suggestions or requests but when you are with others you have to respect the animals AND the people. It was a very nice day, I really don’t mean to be complaining. I got lots of great pictures which was fun for me. Closest I’ve been to wild hippos-

 

[Firebird]

I did not have to declare any cash or other items at any time to customs. Was never asked to. I had wired 90% of my money ahead of time and carried a small amount is all. Gracy in my e mail warned that some passengers were being checked but I never was.
Just before you board the plane to leave Joburg, they do make everyone line up and they go through your carry ons and mostly make you throw away drinks and water bottles and that sort of thing. They have done this every time I have been there, it isn’t new, it’s not trumps fault and they aren’t shaking you down for money. . .