SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo 2026

I just received my checked bags and rifle from Delta, considering it was a 6 hour drive 1 way for them they were quick about it.
Rifle was totally fine so that’s all I cared about.
Here is a very primitive layout of the recovered North Forks diameter and weight retained.
Why the Blesbok lost so much I’m not sure. It was a shoulder shot but some of the others hit bone and did not react that way for example the Sable bullet was frontal chest into off shoulder which shattered the shoulder and this one was very intact.

Bullets were pass throughs on the Warthog, Nyala, and Impala so no recovery but all 3 of those animals were hit in the vitals and dropped on the spot.

Just for ease of not making some search Ammo was as follows:

35 Whelen Ruger m77 24” barrel
225g North Fork SS
CFE 223 powder ( mid range charge )
2650 fps at 40 degree F
Federal 210m primers
Norma brass
COAL 3.340”

This load shoots under an inch all day in a few of my Rugers , I’ve never tried to go higher on the charge because these velocities and groups were just nothing to complain about.

Thursday we headed out in search of what the bush would present us next, but we were still looking for an impala and warthog ( also wildebeest and kudu but this post was not chronologically inserted ).

Temps were good at least for me, everyone at camp wearing long sleeves ; except the PH and myself. The sun just felt good after a long winter in the states. We saw all kinds of impala but normally not the Bulls until we go into the bush deeper. It seemed after I shot that Oryx on Tuesday that the rest knew because we were seeing all sorts of them throughout the week. Good ones too.
We had been seeing wildebeest but absolutely no bulls at this time, making a few quick stalks on smaller herds and never seeing a bull.
The termite mounds and centipedes were something I enjoyed, just all the weird trees and scenery that we don’t get back home.
Eventually we came across 2 bull Nyala that were I wouldn’t say fighting but where banging horns and messing around, they peeled off into the bush as we close the gap, up ahead we could see something else. Upon further inspection it was what appeared to be an older Nyala than the 2 earlier so we just pursued him as I figured this was my chance.
After a stalk and setting up on sticks, and rest. Stalk and setup on sticks, and reset. We did this about 4 times as he was going away from us and we just couldn’t get him to stop and not be too far out of range to shoot, he finally turned giving me about half a second to pull off a shot before he disappeared, I got him right in the shoulder and he dropped there.
These creatures are just so beautiful, the color schemes and texture to their pelts just so awesome. ( one of my top 3 tasting critters I would soon find out ).
This was just before lunch timeframe so we took some time to soak him in and headed to camp to eat and regroup a game plan.
After lunch we went to a different location just to see what we would find at this point. I had gotten now where I had bagged a few good animals that I was no longer open to the idea of taking an Eland at this point. Though we saw an unbelievable amount of good ones.
Going on foot for the afternoon I enjoyed, the bush all being new to me and the act of stalking and listening, eventually coming to some impala a few times but never getting a shot on a bull, then being in the rut we never really saw the bull impala just standing around but we definitely could hear them all over . Starting to get dark in the bush we ventured towards the camp in that direction, at around 4:30 we crested to an open trail and some grassy opening.
Impala started jumping across this window of opening we had, the sun setting in the background to our right slightly, and suddenly a decent bull just stopped right in the center of this opening. Totally broadside and looking right at our location, 1 quick shot to the shoulder and he dropped there. We celebrated and got up to him. With just the perfect sunset behind him.
( actually making it hard to take a picture in that setting we carried him to the closest trail to get better light ). I’ll attach photos of the spot he dropped but you can see the sun made for an unclear picture as far as our rookie photographer skills.

Guys it’s been a minute since I could sit down enough to continue, massive projects on the homestead all over.
So on the final hunting day, which was day 3 of targeting blue wildebeest and accomplishing that 3rd morning, we had celebrated and in agreement thought was a great hunt. We headed back to the camp to unload and for an early lunch, eating kudu sandwiches and a cider drink.
Taking a shower and packing my rifle away, locked up my ammo and basically just ready for an easy afternoon.
The crew took advantage of the time down and cleaned the trucks and worked on some repairs. I was sitting on the covered patio writing all of this in my journal and just enjoying the day. My PH comes out at one point and he says, “ look more wary hogs”, and my instant response was “too bad there’s no boars”. As we had seen not one single boar the entire trip, just sows with piglets. I really wanted a nice wart hog as I thought how could I go to Africa and not shoot a wart hog. Though this trip was more than I could ask for and it really didn’t bother me.
Anyways the PH says “ there’s a nice boar out there you want to shoot him?”
I didn’t even have to look up, “ yea I do”, he tells me to grab my rifle and let’s get him.
So now I’m running 100 yards to my hut and to unlock and unpack everything, by the time I got back out the PH was looking through his binos and setting the sticks up, asking me “is that too far or are you comfortable shooting that far?”
I could see the boar close to the bush line and headed into the bushes, “ no I should be good”. I setup on the sticks, and just put the cross hairs behind his shoulder, letting the 35 Whelen bark, that boar dropped like hit by lighting. The rest of the herd bolting in every direction.
The PH and myself just beside ourselves, as if a cherry ontop we were able to add one more animal to the finished Hunting registry that was already packed away. Not a bad problem to have.
Afterwards we got some photos and also some photos with all the skulls from the animals harvested. Now we were finished , for certain. A few sundowners by the fire that night and a great diner, we told some stories and we relaxing as we knew tomorrow would be a journey back to Johannesburg.
I may be missing some of this story but I will check my journal when I am able to get back into the house as we have it 15’ off the ground for a foundation.
Back to work for now but I’m already ready to go back.

Not sure on my “measurements” to be honest I’ve read Kevin Roberstons books so many times and read also the trophy assessment but when I was there, the small hulls we saw looked small, the bulls I took they all look big but were plenty big for me as the hunting was more of what connected me to the environment and experience.
Another picture or two of my kudu, this was a great day we celebrated.
The confirmation with the 35 Whelen and a 225g North Fork has me convinced it’s fine for everything else I’d want to hunt in that caliber. Though I may go back and try the 250’s or 270’s just to try them.

Looks like you had a great hunt and got some great trophies. The North Fork bullets seemed to perform as advertised. I've been wanting to try some and those results are very encouraging.

You better get back to work so you can pay your taxidermy bill.

Congratulations. I'm going in July and can't wait to get there.

Mark458 said:

Looks like you had a great hunt and got some great trophies. The North Fork bullets seemed to perform as advertised. I've been wanting to try some and those results are very encouraging.

You better get back to work so you can pay your taxidermy bill.

Congratulations. I'm going in July and can't wait to get there.

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Thanks, yes it was all I could ask for plus more. Luckily the taxidermy will be coming later so I have time to catch up.
Only doing euro mounts and flat skins to keep costs down.
Good luck in July it should be good weather

I'm with you on the skull mounts and flat skins. That's what I'm going with on this hunt. Taxidermy and shipping was outpacing my hunting there for a while. I'm waiting for my springbuck slam mounts that I got last year. Having all 5 of them mounted together. Taxidermy was reasonable, now I'm hoping shipping doesn't dent the wallet to bad. At least they are smaller animals.

Mark458 said:

I'm with you on the skull mounts and flat skins. That's what I'm going with on this hunt. Taxidermy and shipping was outpacing my hunting there for a while. I'm waiting for my springbuck slam mounts that I got last year. Having all 5 of them mounted together. Taxidermy was reasonable, now I'm hoping shipping doesn't dent the wallet to bad. At least they are smaller animals.

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This was my first trip over, the “plan” was 4 animals with the ability to add more. I shot 9 total as once I was there and I was the only hunter I was really just enjoying the hunting and started to follow what Philip Glass mentioned on bringing animals home, if you bring back a bunch at once the costs are not much different between 4-6 or 6-8. Then when you go back you are not constantly trying to ship 4 animals back paying brokers fees and shipping costs every time.

You got a lot off your list on your first trip. My first trip was a bow hunt about 25 years ago and about noon on the first day I realized that I had under budgeted for my hunt and started planning my next hunt from the blind that day. It is a very addictive place as you well know.

The way you're going with taxidermy won't be too bad. It's all calculated on size and weight when it comes to shipping. Nine animals the way you're doing it will be very manageable. Start adding in shoulder mounts and pedestal mounts on buffalo, sable, roan and eland then the numbers can get out of hand really fast. I don't regret any of those taxidermy decisions, but moving forward it's skull mounts and flat skins and that will allow for more shooting.

Congrats on your hunt !

migrabill said:

Are gemsbok making a comeback in Limpopo? When I was there in June of 2024 we didn't see a single one as I was told there was a tick that had decimated their population. It was one of two animals on my list that I was not able to get. It's back on my lost for 2028, hoping they have rebounded.

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I got back to the states in the beginning of May from my trip to Cruiser Safaris in Limpopo. I've had a lot going on since my return, so I'm still working on my hunting report. In any event, we saw an abundance of Gemsbok each day when we were there.

Congratulations on your hunt. Looks like you took some fantastic trophies

crossfire3006 said:

I got back to the states in the beginning of May from my trip to Cruiser Safaris in Limpopo. I've had a lot going on since my return, so I'm still working on my hunting report. In any event, we saw an abundance of Gemsbok each day when we were there.

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Would love to read your hunting report!