After some tech problems with posting pics during the week I thought I’d do a full write up of the whole week, now that’s it’s come to an end! Hope you enjoy reading the account of my first trip to Africa as much as I enjoyed living it! I can certainly thank this forum for recommending G4A!
7 Day Cape Buffalo & Plains Game Hunt Eastern Cape, South Africa
Hunt dates: 15th-21st March 2026
Arrived 14th and departed 22nd March 2026
Outfitter: @GAME 4 AFRICA SAFARIS
PH: Don Laaks -
@PHDon
Lead Tracker: “X”
Hunter: Tom -
@Muntjacer23
Rifles: Sako 85’s in .375 & in 7mm Rem Mag
Bullets: 300grn Barnes TSX in the .375
162grn Hornady Inter-lok in 7mm RM
Animals taken: Warthog, Cape Buffalo, Springbuck, Impala
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Day 1 - 14th March 2026 - Arrival Day
On day one I arrived at Port Elizabeth Airport after two flights, where I met my PH for the week, Don Laaks, along with two fellow hunters from Wyoming whom I would be sharing the lodge with. We set off for the lodge and were treated to an incredible amount of game along the drive, including a herd of 200+ Cape Buffalo, as well as spying Zebra’s and Giraffe.
Once at the lodge, we met the owners Wik and Brittany and spent the afternoon watching the field and hills adjacent to the lodge, where Warthogs, Eland, and Bushbuck appeared throughout the afternoon.
Later, we had the opportunity to check zero on the rifles we would be using during the hunt and also stopped by a bait pile that had been set up for one of the other hunters to target bush pigs at night. The day ended with a chilled evening back at the lodge, where we watched the 6 Nations rugby together and enjoyed Eland steak and discussed tomorrow’s plans.
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Day 2 - 15th of March - 1st day of hunting
The first hunting day at G4A’s Mountain Top property proved to be a tough and demanding day in the bush. Temperatures climbed to around 35°C, Most of the day was spent glassing the thick bushveld from high vantage points, scanning in hopes of locating a Dugga Boy.
Patience eventually paid off when the trackers X and Dennis spotted a Dugga Boy accompanied by an old cow through the spotting scope at roughly 700 meters. Unfortunately, closing the distance proved difficult as due to the heat the buff chose to bed down in the dense brush and we were unable to locate them despite finding its tracks again later in the day.
Although we finished the day with nothing in the salt, the sighting of a good mature bull was very encouraging. And a Kudu burger for lunch and Blesbok steak for supper were both highlights! After the second day, I was feeling a little tired, so I stopped by
here in the evening and started playing the slots. It’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun at an online casino with fast payouts!
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Day 3 - 16th of March 2026 - 2nd day of hunting
With temperatures forecast to climb into the late-30s, we decided to hunt on Game 4 Africa’s Woodvale property, on which the lodge and the range sit, this allowed us to start early before the worst of the heat set in. We headed out at 06:30. For the Buffalo I was using a Sako rifle in .375 with 300grn bullets, and Don backing me up with his CZ in .416 with which he used iron-sights.
Early in the morning we picked up a few old buffalo tracks, which gave us some hope, but they were old and unfortunately eventually led to nothing as they were well on their way to their bedding area in the real thick stuff. With little fresh sign to follow, we decided to head back to the cruiser and take a drive to an area where some buff had been spotted the previous week. We got to one of the cliff areas that offer a beautiful view and vantage point of the valley below and decided to sit under some wild pear trees and glass the area in hope of seeing a buff feeding in the dry river bed or across the valley. We never got to see a buff and the temperature was rising quickly.
Although no buffalo appeared, our patience was eventually rewarded with a different opportunity. While glassing the valley, Don’s tracker X spotted a decent Warthog feeding through the dense acacia around 190 yards. The hog was a shooter but was mostly obscured by the brush with only the tip of a single tusk showing, he decided to take a snooze so Don’s other tracker Dennis fetched the bog grip and the Sako 85 in 7mm Rem Mag. We waited patiently for over an hour hoping it would stand and present a clear shot or make its way to a watering hole in the bottom of the valley.
Not long later I glanced down in the valley to my right and spotted a truly monstrous warthog (this one completely dwarfed the one we’d seen earlier) emerge from the brush and stride purposefully out in the open towards a water trough in a clearing. I pointed it out to Don who like me was shocked at the sheer size of it as we hadn’t seen anything remotely close to his size up until this point, the trackers started to get very excited too. We watched as it drank and presented a perfect broadside shot, but I couldn’t get steady, it then began to move off again, with its back to us, the chances for a shot were slipping away, but a well-timed whistle from Don made the hog look back in our direction over its left shoulder.
This pause from the Warthog (ranged at 230yds) gave me the few seconds I needed to calm my breathing and settle crosshairs a few inches behind the shoulder and squeeze the trigger. The shot struck him perfectly through the lungs, dropping him instantly. The celebrations that followed with myself, Don and the trackers said it all — my first African animal, and one I will remember for the rest of my life. To make the moment even better, Don managed to capture the shot on film.
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Don aged him at 10 years old with an estimated live weight of 80kg!
Following a successful morning, the evening was spent glassing for Buffalo again. None were spotted unfortunately but Waterbucks and Impala were plentiful.
Day 4 - 17th of March - Third day of hunting
The morning of our third hunting day got off to a great start as we were right on the trail of a small herd of Buffalo in some thick bush not far from the lodge. We could smell them and hear them, and see one particular bull shaking a tree at 80yds. But unfortunately we weren’t able to get close enough to identify any shooter bulls before bumping the herd. And off they went into thicker cover where we could not follow. Due to the heat we knew they would bed down for a few hours, but hopefully feed out into the open this evening where we could catch them out!
Unfortunately the evening hunt produced no Buffalo sightings. But we did do a night drive and assisted by a lamp spotted over 50 Buffalo including some huge bulls and a solitary old Dugga boy! One of the American hunters even shot a porcupine at this point too!
Day 5 - 18th March 2026 - 4th day of hunting
Don kindly wrote the following report for this incredible day:
With the weather getting up to the mid 30's celcius the last three days our plan has always been to get to the areas where the buffalo are feeding in the dark and spending the night before heading for the thick valleys in the first hour of light. Yesterday morning we got in close on a group of buff in the spekboom where they were shaking some bush and gave us some reference of where they were feeding. When we got about 60 yards out I felt the wind hit my neck and within seconds one of the buff lifted his head and they retreated into the thick stuff not to be seen for the rest of the day. This morning we were up 30 minutes earlier and followed the same routine hoping to catch a herd still grazing in the field from the previous morning however this didn't happen. After approximately ten minutes we got word from one of our other trackers Elliot who was stationed on a high ridge overlooking some other fields. He had spotted a "dagga boy" feeding in a field approximately 2 miles from us. Elliot suggested we hurry as the buff seemed to be feeding on his way out the field and we got there in a good time.
Elliot saw him rolling in a mud wallow as these big boys do, note the mud on his body. We closed the gap through some thorns and were busted by some Warthog and two Impala rams that were also feeding in the field opposite us. This caused the hogs to grunt and the impalas to snort which alerted the bull. We managed to get around the thorns just in time to get Tom onto the sticks and get a shot off at 53 yards. I was nervous that the bull was going to go into the thorns so got Tom to put two more into him before he expired around 40 yards. We did the mandatory walk up and for safety put another into his chest. I'm super proud on how Tom stayed composed and made a great shot on the animal he has been dreaming of....
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Not just any old Cape Buffalo, my Cape Buffalo! One that I’m incredibly proud of!
A solitary hard bossed bull covered in mud, with the classic Cape Buffalo features of a Roman nose, worn down tips, dewlap, and hard bosses. Don aged by Dugga boy at being around 10 years old.
Taken at just 53 yds! Just how a Buff should be hunted and just the most incredible animal to take on my first trip to the Dark Continent! I couldn’t thank Don any more for his help.
To get involved in helping to skin my buffalo (like I did with my Warthog) and to then eat him 3 ways (tenderloin steak, heart, and liver) was just the icing on the cake!
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After a fantastic morning, Don and I made plans for a Springbuck hunt the following day at Mountain Top.
We also took a trip into Grahamstown where we visited Connocks Butchery which is run by the Coetzee family and is also where they sell all of their game meat.
Lauriston Taxidermy was the the next stop, also in Grahamstown. Where we looked round their extremely impressive workshop! The giant Cape Buffalo they had in there certainly caught my eye!
Then on the way back to the lodge we took a walk and got within 30 yards of some Girraffe bulls which was good fun, before arriving back at the lodge and choosing our cuts of meat from the Buffalo (backstrap, heart and liver) for dinner tomorrow!
Day 6 - 19th of March 2026 - Fifth day of hunting
Stalk report written by Don and Tom:
This morning we set our sights on Springbok, heading out to a new property near Mountain Top called Reedsdale. It provided change of scenery—wide, open ground but with patches of thick bush where any opportunity would demand a careful stalk from distance.
After some gassing of the far hills we spotted some springbuck feeding out at around 1000 yards and could see some rams together with a good black ram and some others. We made the stalk to with about 300 yards and were busted by a lechwe bull lying in some shade that we hadn't seen. He ran off and took the springbuck with him including a distinctive white ram. They ran down and across to the opposite slope and looked back at us and knowing springbuck and their tendency to always staying out of shooting range I (Don) suggested that we let them settle down and go up the valley in search of another shooter. After a short drive further up the valley we saw a herd of Sable (including one magnificent jet black bull) and a group of Oryx feeding on our right. We stopped to take a look and while glassing Don noticed some springbuck feeding out on the opposite hillside. We took a drive to close the distance and left the cruiser hidden in the thorns and worked our way to where we had seen the springbuck. In this time the Gemsbuck had fed into the direction of the springbuck and we didn't see them in the trees and once again the group busted us and ran taking the springbuck with them. Don noticed a white and a black springbuck in the group and realised it was the same group that we were on earlier. They ran to around 800 yards and once again stopped and looked back at us. Tracker "X" came up with a plan for us to get under a nearby shady bush while he back tracked to the opposite hill to get the springbuck moving back towards us in hope of getting a shot.
After about fifteen minutes "X" was in position and we noticed the springbuck spot him and change their feeding direction towards us. After about ten minutes they were well on their way and got down into the thorns where we lost sight of them heading to our right. After a few minutes we saw one coming through the acacia's and got the rifle onto them. Don glassed to try see our old ram and spotted the black ram exiting the bush into a small clearing and told me to get ready as our ram was following the black ram and that he may come out on the same path and that is exactly what happened. He stepped out at 60 yards but had a couple females directly behind so I to wait for her to be clear before letting the 7mm rem mag ring. The shot dropped him on the spot and high fives and rejoice were shared.
Before leaving the property, Don also spotted a springbuck with a badly infected leg. He humanely put her down with a clean shot, ensuring her suffering was ended. As always is the case in Africa, nothing goes to waste.
On the drive home, Don again reminded for the second time today how rare it is for an Englishman to get the better of a Springbok!!!
I hope the rugby fans amongst you get this reference!
A day of seeing new ground, seeing new species and challenging stalks, and a first I’ll carry with me forever.
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Don guessed this Ram would measure 12.5” and he was spot on! A fantastic first Springbuck Ram and the oldest and biggest in the herd!
Whilst Springbuck were the target watching the Roan, Sable and Gemsbok on this property was a highlight too!
Day 7 - 20th of March 2026 - 6th day of hunting
Report written by Don:
With the target species being Impala we took a drive into the back area of Woodvale known as "Willie" and "Glendew" to try see if we could find a good ram for Tom. We glassed a few hills and valleys and saw some impala but nothing worthy of making a stalk on. We got to the top of a cliff area near "Willie" and spotted a large herd feeding around a large dam (lake) but there was no shooter ram. We glassed back to the north and spotted some Eland including one huge bull and a bachelor group of Impala which at this time of year are gathering for the upcoming rut. We decided to take a closer look and confirmed two shooters amongst the herd of seven or eight. After a short hike through the hard bush and over a ridge we found the herd of Impala rams near the group of Eland. We sat it out hoping that the Eland would walk in the opposite direction away from us leaving the impala grazing for us to stalk within shooting range however they spotted us and trotted off taking the bachelor's with them. We stalked in their direction to were they had disappeared into a small valley and had them at 50 yards moving through the brush. I got Tom setup on the sticks but we never got a shot. A young ram spotted us and alerted the herd with a snort and they were off again to a valley in the distance. Tom and I stayed on their track while "X" went back for the cruiser. We got to the base of the hill where the rams had disappeared when "X" arrived with the cruiser and he notified us that he had seen the impala feeding over the ridge ahead of us and suggested we stalk in from there.
After a very slow stalk at close quarters through the hard chest high vegetation we got a glimpse of the impala browsing just below us at around 50 yards. We got ourselves into a good position on a little ridge and I got Tom setup once again and waited for the ram to show himself. The smaller, younger rams were in and out through the gaps and eventually our older ram showed himself. I told Tom to breathe as I could hear his excitement and told him to squeeze the shot off into the shoulder and when the shot rang the Impala dropped in his tracks and yet another great African animal was taken by Tom. A wonderful final hunt of the trip.
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Another old animal! Just what I wanted!
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At the end of the day after dinner, Don kindly awarded me with a Game 4 Africa Dugga Boy Club knife.
A very special knife awarded to those who take a Cape Buffalo bull with Game 4 Africa.
I hope to one day use it to skin my next Cape Buffalo!
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Day 8 - 21st of March 2026
The morning started with some Catfish fishing on one of the dams on the property. We used Tilapia as live-bait hooked through the back on a simple free-running inline lead rig with a long 2ft hooklink. We fished 6 rods and only had one solid take, but that one take made everything worthwhile as I landed a hard fighting 16lb 5oz African Sharptooth Catfish! My first African fish and first catfish of any kind having never successfully caught a wells catfish in the Uk. We kept him as he will be enjoyed greatly by the trackers. If I was here for longer I’d have loved to have tried eating him too!
We then headed to the range where I was lucky enough to have my first shot with Don’s CZ in .416 with a 400grn solid at 20 yards. A proper stopping gun for a charging Buff!! I also had 5 shots with his 9mm CZ P-O7 handgun!
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Day 9 - 22nd of March 2026 - Departure day
Whilst departure day came around far too quickly and it felt like it was over before it even began, I had had the most incredible first African Safari and made memories that will last a lifetime.
Don Laaks was a fantastic PH with whom I can’t wait to hunt with again! He made the week very special. And I know this trip will be the first of many trips to Africa!
