SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo 2026 - My First Buffalo Hunt... Kinda

Hey all. Well, there has been a lot going on (I left the company that I have worked with for the past 20 years) so I'm just now reporting on my April hunt with RW Safari's International in Limpopo. I went with the main objective of hunting an old buffalo, with the back up plan of finishing my spiral slam with a bushbuck and eland. So, to start off, the day before my flight to Johannesburg, I decided my Sako .375 HH needed one more trip to the range. (Here is where the fun part kicks in) I neglected to check the torque on my action screws and the lead screw snapped off in the action so deep that I could not budge it. The cold hand of panic gripped me by the guts as I thought about how to bring a different rifle when my permit showed that I was bringing this one. I call Elize with Afton Lodge and she kept me from hyperventilating while she explained what to do. I had to get another 4457 with my BRNO 602 375 HH on it to her in 12 hours or less. I zipped home, grabbed the BRNO, and headed to the City County building. An hour later, I had scanned in the form to Elize. Crisis averted, Praise the Lord. The next day, the drive to ATL was nice and uneventful as was checking in with Delta. It just so happened that @Wildwillalaska was on the same flight, so it was great to shoot the bull with him in person. The flight was great, meaning long, boring, and safe. When we reached Jo'burg, Mr. X and his posse took care of us like rock stars and within an hour, we were eating some of the best food in the world (Steak, chicken, creamed spinach, and potatoes au gratin. Custard pie for desert!!) and swapping stories with other hunters over a Black Label. Our ride to Limpopo would pick us up at 07:00, so we hit the sack early and slept like kings. (I'll break this up into chunks so you guys don't get eye strain. Day 2 to follow shortly!)

Some penetarting oil, small drilled hole in the broken screw and a easy out and the sako will be back in business.

Looking forward to the rest of your report.

Elize and the entire staff at Afton are the best. I’ll never travel through J-burg without using their services and lodge.

How boring would life be without a bit of panic in our life. Keep it coming, looking forward to the rest of this report.

Day 2 and 3 - Ruan, our driver, picked us up at 07:00 sharp and we made our way due North towards Limpopo. The drive would be boring to a local for sure, but I enjoyed it. Watching the locals sell Lord only knows what on the side of the interstate and dodging occasional troops of baboons is a good relaxing morning for me. Finally, we rolled up to the entrance of Dorothy Ranch. As I was just there 11 months prior, I felt a sense of homecoming with the butterflies in my stomach. We unpacked as Rick and Klarrissa came to welcome us. Rick is a third generation "farmer" and Klarrissa is his wife and partner at the ranch. We were led to the dining hall for buffalo spaghetti (Amazing) and discussed how everyone had been as well how we saw the week playing out. The Sand River was directly below us and flowing nicely. Limpopo had epic rainfall this year and everything was green as a gourd. I thought this was great, but I could tell Rick may have another opinion. He informed us that the bush was extremely thick which makes the spot and stalk much more difficult. It didn't matter. You could have dropped a cinder block on my foot and my spirits would be undaunted. About that time, something large and dark appeared beside me and I about shot a noodle from my nostril. "That's Willy." Klarrissa informed me with a motherly affection. It was a wildebeest calf! He was standing beside me like we were old friends and nuzzled my hand. "He want's you to scratch his horns." Well, of course he does! I do this to all the baby wildebeest in my yard too! Willy was orphaned at birth and literally followed Rick home from the bush. So, I was officially back in Africa now. Everything was right with the world. We rested a bit and went for a game drive that evening. It was indeed much more lush that last year, but it didn't stop us from spotting Wildebeest, Impala, Duiker, Kudu, and Nyala. My buddy, Josh was after a wildebeest, impala, duiker, and zebra. After the game drive we were both exhausted but too amped up to sleep immediately. Cold Windhoek's seem to work pretty well for that....
After sleeping like two rocks, Josh and I met 30 minutes earlier than expected and had coffee by the fire pit. Watching the sun rise in South Africa is a spiritual thing to me and I was not going to miss it. Josh, who could sleep on a roller coaster was even bright eyed for it. After some rusks and boiled eggs, Josh set off with Rick and I set off with Lucas. Lucas is RW's primary PH and a bit of a surprise. Him being 25 years old makes one think, "Damn I'm old." and "Can he really know what he's doing?" Lucas is nothing short of amazing in the bush. I once asked him, "Do you follow their scent like a hound or something?" he grinned and said, "Yah." He and I were going to scout for buffalo sign and Josh was ready for anything that Mother Africa produced. Lucas and I crossed the swollen river and finally stopped at a dry creek bed. It looked like a scene from a safari video and I was ready for all flavors of game to bound out at our approach. Sure enough we jumped two shooter nyala bulls that somehow must have intercepted my emails about hunting other game. They were just as beautiful as I remember and maybe more. The creek bed was shaded here and there by mopani and was an experience in itself. Hornbill's flitted in and out of the branches and a warthog sow with 4 piglets hurried across as we walked. We exited the creek bed into the open and it was as if Africa opened the window for me. We were above the river and Limpopo stretched out in all directions. I had forgotten how impressive the mountains were, but I remembered quickly. We watched nyala cross the river as the sun started it's decent. Lucas shook his head and said, "Well, bad luck today Mr. Eric." I looked back at him and said, "Today was awesome, my man."
Oh yeah, Josh got a fine old impala.... More to come!

Day 4? (It all kinda runs together..)
The buffalo were there. The problem was, they were only there at night.....sigh. The rains had made water holes everywhere and they were were not visiting the pumped water fountains per their contract. I was still smiling like i was on laughing gas so it was all good to me. Rick asked a serious question, so I slapped on my game face. "Would you like to switch up today and hunt a big eland?" It took me almost 2.5 seconds to answer "Yes. Yes I would." The eland liked the "hills" he said. "We will do a bit of walking." I don't know if you've noticed but, in RSA a "Bit" means a truck load. I smiled and told myself lies about how I was in such good shape. As the Toyota approached the hills, I noticed how much bigger they were up close. They were as green as everything else and they reminded me of miniature versions of the Smokie Mountains back home. Impala ran and did aerial acrobatics as we slowed to a halt. "You're with me Mr. Eric. Josh will be going with Rick to sort out a zebra." I shouldered my BRNO and took the water that Polani, our tracker, offered me. Always take the water. I looked at he overgrown logging road that was in front of us and noticed that it was a steady 30 degree angle for, well, forever. I focused on putting my boots is Lucas's foot steps in an attempt not to sound like a runaway cement truck and we were at the top before I knew it. Lucas informed me that Polani was circling around the perimeter and had spotted a bull. How old and what size was not determined. We waited and waited. I enjoyed the expansive view and the breeze. Lucas abruptly called me over to him. Oh man.... He had put up the sticks. I rested my rifle on the cradle and snugged the butt to my shoulder without asking anything. He said, "It's a shooter. Be ready you will only have a second or two when he crosses the road." Awesome. No pressure. The sicks were steady. It felt good. I imagined a huge blue grey body trotting across the road and swallowed. "He's turned. He winded us." Lucas said. The lovely breeze I was so fond of betrayed me... "It swirled on us. Damn all wind..." my PH growled. I smiled. That was intense. As we hiked back down the road, Lucas remarked on how I was doing so much better not making noise. I'm still smiling. When we reached the Toyota he called "Windhoek, Mr. Eric? I believe we earned it." My smile widened. Sure, it was 08:30, but I was in Africa. As we drove, Rick's voice came over the radio. Josh had gotten his stallion. I was elated. He had hinted around about a zebra for the past 11 months and one was in the salt. I later found out that the 130 grain bullet from Josh's 270 WSM had clipped a branch in the bush and deflected. Instead of the shoulder, it struck just below the zebra's left eye. It led them on a chase for a mile and a half. I knew that I had better not mention how long a climb I had endured now. The stallion was a huge, muscled animal. Beautiful and striking in the green bush. I noticed that Josh wore a smile that looked oddly familiar to me..
(Part two of day 4 to come!)

Day four, part two....The White Whale
After an incredible lunch and a couple hours down time, we retuned to the bush. We were hunting together this time as we were hunting different bags. Lucas was his usual optimistic self and he announced that we were going to put something in the salt this afternoon. I like Lucas. I could feel that I was coming down with sickness that plagues all safari goers at one time or the other. The "Maybe just add one animal to my list" flu. The nyala had obviously hacked my email as they were practically falling out of trees to get my attention. Impala were plentiful and very healthy as all the game seemed to have gorged on the green stuff around me. I remained strong, I'm ashamed to report. As many of you know when the African sun decides to go down, it aint playin around. We usually started making a lot more ground about 4:30 or 5:00 to catch what we could in the pre dusk / dusk hour. As if the job site whistle had gone off, critters just started appearing. The most interesting to me was a group of five bushpigs. Lucas was floored. He told us that on only one other occasion had he spotted bushpigs in daylight and we were so lucky to have seen these. I could feel lucky, I suppose. One other thing that seemed to be having a convention of some sort was grey duiker. BACKSTORY: Last May, a duiker was definitely on my list. Josh had taken a beast that will probably make the R&W book and there were others out there. One late afternoon, in the last 30 minutes of light, we snuck to a shooting house overlooking the Sand River. The river was now dry and and was dotted with scrub and small trees. We waited all of 10 minutes and Lucas whispered, "There!" A mature duiker was trotting out of the bush on the rivers edge heading for a knot of foliage right in the middle. I got the crosshairs of the .308 I was using on him and prayed that he would stop. He did. I had him. At the report I didn't hear any laughter so I quickly surveyed the river bed. And the duiker running back the way he had came. Josh gave me a commiserating look and said, "Right under him, Bro". I was dumbfounded and humbled at the same time. As I had killed my nyala that morning, I got over it quickly. The next evening, we returned to the same roost and hoped we had stumbled onto his schedule. We had. Holy smokes, he was coming right back from the same bush like we had hit rewind and play. Lucas quickly coached me, "Let him stop and take your time with the shot. He is not on alert. Yet." This is what we did and soon after, he was standing broadside and stone still. I squeezed and the .308 barked. I looked up and there he was. Still standing broadside and looking curious how sand had gotten all over him. We repeated this sick and twisted game six (6!) more times before he decided that he was pushing his luck and hopped back into the bush. This time I was sick over it. I missed an animal seven times! I was going to hear it tonight for sure! After giving me well deserved hell for an hour or so (Ghost duiker!) Rick and Lucas both explained to me that the height of the shooting house was about 100' up the cliffs and the duiker was about 150 yards out in the river bed. The angle had thrown my perception and I was shooting underneath him again. I swore an oath I'd return and clear the slight on my family name.
Now, where were we? Duikers and luck. Well, it seemed like one followed the other today. We saw probably a dozen before we saw one that Lucas deemed a shooter. The Toyota rolled to a stop and I hopped off. Lucas whispered, "If we can get up close enough, I'll check him out. If he is good, I'll tell you to shoot." Josh brought up the rear for moral support. Either we covered ground at light speed or the duiker was tracking us. I pulled up and put the crosshairs on his shoulder and waited for the OK. He looked like a winner. Still no OK. I was starting to tremble and said, is it ok? LUCAS? the duiker made hay and was gone. I made safe and looked at my PH. He said, "Why didn't you shoot him? "I was waiting on the go ahead!" Grinning like an idiot, Josh said, "Lucas said shoot him, dude." Obviously at this point I am reconsidering my poor choice of friends and colleagues. Back to the truck. Fifteen minutes later we spot a female on the side of the road up ahead. Lucas rolled to a stop and he and I got out. Instead of stalking up to get a look, Lucas put up the sticks and instructed me to watch the female. As sure as the world, the male came into view behind her to check us out. He was long enough. I had the crosshairs on his chest. Boom. Lucas about broke my collar bone congratulating me as Josh walked up and said something about no more duiker curse. Obviously, I loved these two guys like brothers.
Next up: Earning the hunt

Great storytelling!

Earning the hunt
The next day we woke up to overcast skies. Something of an odd occurrence in Limpopo. We had decided the previous night to hunt eland on a separate concession 20 minutes away and everyone was excited. Josh was riding shotgun on this one, so it was just me on the rifle. As we pulled onto the concession, I could tell immediately that this was a different landscape. It was flatter, grassier, and more trees. So, it was even thicker is what I'm saying. We met the groundskeeper who immediately starting razzing me over what I was wearing (I liked him already) who related to us that he had reports of two bull eland fighting. He gave us some general directions and we were off. By this time, a light sprinkling of rain had started, but we didn't mind. Today had a different energy to it and we all felt it. To my surprise, we pulled to a stop after about 20 minutes. Lucas grabbed the 375 and said, "Time to go Mr. Eric. There is a bull a few hundred yards ahead. I thought, "What?? How can you see through trees??" It had gone from a sprinkle to a steady rain at this point. Lucas had us bend at the waste and walk slowly up the dirt road. The smell of earth and rain was like a bath for my senses. I felt alive again. Lucas stopped suddenly and I sprang back to reality. "Mr. Eric, we will have to bum crawl from here. He hasn't seen us, but his head is up." Dang. The infamous bum crawl. I looked down at the red gritty mud road and thought, "Well, this just got real." After ten minutes, I had sticky, sandy mud in places that you don't want it. My hands and fingers were caked with it and my rifle slid off my lap muzzle first into the mud. Yep. It's real. After 20 minutes, my hands, butt bone, and shoulders felt like you had set them on fire. What felt like eternity later, Lucas eased over behind a mopani. I just sat there catching my breath and scrubbing my hands on the wet grass. Lucas looked slowly back over his shoulder and indicated we had another 100 yards. The bull seemed to be straight ahead in the bush just before of the fork in the road. Back to the bum. We went agonizingly slow, but the fork was inching closer. I could still see nothing with hair ahead of Lucas. Finally, we made the fork. Lucas craned his neck for a minute or two and patted his left shoulder. I scooted up behind him and rested the BRNO where he had patted. "There. Can you see him?" I could see nada but leaves. Lucas was as patient as stone, bless him. He tried everything to show me this bull. Finally, he said "Look for the light spot between those two branches." I saw it and it felt like my blood turned into a slurpy. "Put it right in the middle." BOOM! SMACK! Lucas was on his feet before I recovered from recoil. I still couldn't see the bull, but I heard him. He seemed to be slipping on rocks. I racked the bolt and made safe. "I heard it hit him." I said to Lucas. He nodded that he had heard it too. The guys in the Toyota had a much better vantage point than we did (little did I know) and could actually see what was going on. The cruiser eased up, but Rick and Polani weren't smiling. My heart sank. "I hit him." I said, trying to speak my hope into existence. Rick shook his head and said, "He wasn't hit. We saw him run over to the left toward the hill. No sign of a hit. Let's go." I swallowed my disappointment as best I could and fell into step with the rest. I had heard that bullet smack him. He was in my scope. I knew it. (Later, we discovered that I had killed a tree limb with my shot!) I looked up and noticed I was 15 paces behind everyone. I hustled back up to them, but they were like walking machines. They never got winded and they seemed to gain speed with time. I brushed water out of my eyes for the 50th time and focused on my footing. The terrain was getting more rocky as we approached the hill. The hill itself looked as some titan had piled boulders up to make a seat. Old massive stones dotted the hillside around the trees. Rick and Lucas were moving erratically all of a sudden. Lucas said "Get ready!" Get ready for what?? I reached up and pulled my sling down from my shoulder. "Shoot! Shoot!" My rifle was half way to my shoulder when I saw it. twenty yards away was the largest animal I had ever seen. I remember that he looked like a prehistoric thing. It couldn't be that big. Also, he was eerily quiet as he disappeared back into the scrub. I felt a flutter of fear in my belly to know that I was walking around with something that massive. "Let's go." Rick said simply. Off we went. Well, off they went with me trying to keep up. It registered that I was tripping more often and I was loosing more and more ground. I was beat down. The adrenaline was wearing off and the aches were setting in. I felt defeated. I even told Lucas, "If you get a shot, put one in him. I'll finish him if that doesn't." I knew my mistake when I saw the look on Lucas's face. He looked like I had just said something grotesque or psychotic. Maybe both. "I cannot, Mr. Eric. He is your bull. You will take him." I felt like I could just lay down in the mud. As we approached the Toyota, Rick said matter of factly, "Eland. Everyone thinks they are easy." Those few words made such an impact on me. I didn't fail in the hunt, I made it every step of the way. "I didn't think I'd make it there for a minute, Rick." "Nah, you had it the whole time. Tomorrow, then." He said, smiling. "You're bleeding, Mr. Eric." Lucas quipped helpfully. Oh, yeah. I guess I was. Lucas joined the smile and handed me a Windhoek. It was after 09:00 after all. I sat down on the bench and took a sip of the beer. It was good. I had earned it....
Next up: My Day.