SOUTH AFRICA: Africa Is Once Again Calling My Name

Stretch · Jul 5, 2026

Day 3 started with a delicious made to order breakfast. Wendy is the lodge cook preparing meals fit for royalty. I can personally attest from my experience, you will not loose weight when you stay here. After breakfast we headed out hunting once again. We started out looking for a mature boar Warthog. Even though I have had the good fortune to shoot numerous boars on previous hunts, I can’t seem to get them out of my system. I simply love hunting Warthog. After glassing several areas we came upon a herd of Cape Buffalo. There was approximately 20 buffalo in this herd which included several old dry cows. Marius ask me a silly question “do you want to hunt a cow buffalo?” I shot a Buffalo bull a few years ago, but as many who have hunted buffalo know, one gets addicted to thrill that buffalo hunting offers. Of course my answer was a resounding yes, so a plan for a stalk was made. The tracker and Michele were to stay on a high point to keep an eye on the herd and watch the stalk, while Marius and I walked then crawled within range. During the stalk all but one ancient cow laid down. She was standing quartering away just beyond the thick grass. This grass did not allow us to see her legs or lower part off her body so I needed to estimate the trajectory of the angle to get one into her boiler room. Unfortunately, this time I did not make a perfect shot. I inadvertently aimed a bit too far back, but still raked the liver and one lung. We couldn’t see her after the shot, but from their elevated position Michele and the tracker were able to watch the old matriarch. After the shot she very slowly moved a short distance, then spun around a couple times with her head held low before disappearing next to a dense bush patch. Marius stated that she is in that bush for one of two reasons. She went in there to die or was she lying in ambush. As we approached Marius spotted her looking at us with her head up only 20 yards away. She made no attempt to get up on her feet as I was instructed to put one just below her horns directly between her eyes. After that I added one more follow-up shot and it was over. Cape buffalo are big, I mean really big animals. This female was the perfect animal to take out of the herd. Well beyond her calf rearing years. Her hips were sticking out and what teeth she had left were worn to the gums. The emotions came crashing in as I felt some remorse yet respect for this epic animal. I am proud to be a hunter.

Stretch · Jul 5, 2026

Day 4 broke with a mix of clouds and sun with heavy winds predicted for the afternoon. Today we would go after a Roan bull. As we traveled to the hunting area a dust devil spun a swirl of dust as it rotated upward. Dust devils are sometimes viewed as a supernatural entities. Often manifestations of the dead. Although I am not superstitious, I secretly wished that this was a good omen indicating that it meant a mature Roan bull was about to be the dead one. Early in the hunt as we moved to a higher elevation the trackers on the back of the truck spotted some Roan. Turns out it was 3 females accompanied by an ancient bull. A plan was made as we circled to get the wind in our face. This area had grass openings dominated by wooly bush pockets in the valleys. The stalk turned into a real hunt as the Roan fed and we were not able to visually track them. Numerous times we backtracked hoping they wouldn’t be onto us. As we traversed the thick bush we followed buffalo trails not knowing if we might bump into a cantankerous one that didn’t appreciate our presence. Suddenly I spied a female feeding towards our position. Marius moved us into the shadows where he set up the sticks in anticipation. Tense moments dominated as the females fed closer. Then the bull moved out of the thick stuff. What a sight to behold. A true “holy crap” moment. I centered the crosshairs on the point of his shoulder and squeezed off the shot. He didn’t go far as the shot was true. Approaching this animal was special. In my eyes this was one of the most majestic animals in Africa. Truly an old bull, his teeth were worn and loose. The mass on his horns was impressive. I couldn’t get my hands around the base of his horns. I could see the joy in Michele’s face as she was obviously happy for me as I reveled in delight. This was a special moment in my hunting career that will never be forgotten.

Stretch · Jul 5, 2026

Day 5 Today would be our last day. Since the start of our hunt I had informed Marius that if the opportunity presented itself I would be game to hunt Caracal. This is a sly predator that looks like a cross between a Bobcat and a Lynx, typically hunted by a pack of hounds. Caracal kill sheep and these stealthy cats raise heck with the farmer’s flocks. If a dead sheep is found the hounds will pick up the cat track to initiate the chase. The other way to hunt is for the hounds to strike scent on a track where a cat has passed. This method is touch and go and normally requires a morning with heavy dew to enhance the scent. The previous mornings had been dry since the start of our hunt, but this morning I noted that there was a light amount of moisture on the grass. Maybe, just maybe, today would be the day that it was meant to be. While we were out in the bush a call came in that the hounds struck a trail. Making our way over to the mountainous area where the chase ensued we discovered that indeed the hounds had a cat treed. The location was very steep with sheer rock walls, big boulders and thick bush interspersed with cactus. It was going to be a real challenge to get to their location. We managed to climb, crawl and fight our way to within 15 yards of the treed cat. Just as I was about to squeeze the trigger she bailed out of the tree and the chase was on once again. The hounds quickly bayed her in the boulders at the edge of the rock cliff. Once again making our way through this rough terrain was a challenge. As we got close I peered around the base of a huge boulder where I saw the cat only 15 feet away! It was shear chaos as the hounds were worrying the cat, which helped as it didn’t notice me easing around the rock. A perfect shot through the shoulders and it was over. I have to tell you that was one of the most exciting hunts a fella can experience. Adrenaline was surging as I examined this beautiful animal. You could say this was the exclamation point to an exceptional week of hunting.

Some people ask me what happens to the animals I shoot in Africa. I can assure you nothing goes to waste. The much needed protein is divided between the lodge, native employee’s and their families. The remainder is donated to schools and orphanages. I am happy to say that some of my trophies will adorn the walls of the KMG Safaris lodge. I hope to return to see the mounts to relive the memories as well as make new ones in the future.

If you’re thinking about hunting the East Cape of Africa, you owe it to yourself to spend time with @KMG Hunting Safaris. I have hunted Africa seven time with various outfitters and PH’s. Marius is among the best. I promise you, he will do his best to inspire you with a lifetime of memories. Thank you Marius.

moonrunner02 · Jul 5, 2026

Awesome stuff! I cant wait for next year!! @Stretch could you post some pics of the the terrain and cover around the areas you were hunting?

WMU05 · Jul 5, 2026

Great hunt, great animals, and a great report. Every story about a hunt with KMG seems to be top notch in every way.

Congratulations!

Stetsonham · Jul 5, 2026

Great report. Thanks for sharing

DieJager · Jul 6, 2026

Waidmannsheil! Great trophies and adventure also to be said; beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Boredrill · Jul 6, 2026

Great adventure, Thanks for sharing.

Stretch · Jul 6, 2026

moonrunner02 said:
Awesome stuff! I cant wait for next year!! @Stretch could you post some pics of the the terrain and cover around the areas you were hunting?

Thanks moonrunner02: I am happy for you. You are gonna have a an amazing adventure with @KMG Hunting Safaris. The terrain in the hunting area's varied widely. Some of it was mountainous with deep valleys and dense bush on the hillsides.. Other area's were rolling hills interspersed with brushy draws. Yet other area's were fairly open with long grass and brush pockets. I attached a few photos of the hunting area's.

moonrunner02 said:
Awesome stuff! I cant wait for next year!! @Stretch could you post some pics of the the terrain and cover around the areas you were hunting?

Stretch · Jul 6, 2026

Boredrill said:
Great adventure, Thanks for sharing.

Boredrill: Thanks, Happy to share.

Stretch · Jul 6, 2026

DieJager said:
Waidmannsheil! Great trophies and adventure also to be said; beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing!

DieJager: Appreciate the kind words. Thank you!

Stretch · Jul 6, 2026

Stetsonham said:
Great report. Thanks for sharing

Stetsonham: Thank you! My pleasure.

Stretch · Jul 6, 2026

WMU05 said:
Great hunt, great animals, and a great report. Every story about a hunt with KMG seems to be top notch in every way.

Congratulations!

WMU05: I appreciate your comments. Thank you! I told Marius that my advice would be "don't change a thing - keep doing what you're doing."

moonrunner02 · Jul 6, 2026

Perfect, thank you!!

sniper7 · Jul 6, 2026

Excellent write up! I am leaving PLZ tomorrow and hunted literally just across the road from Mountain Zebra NP this last week with my family!

Stretch · Jul 6, 2026

sniper7 said:
Excellent write up! I am leaving PLZ tomorrow and hunted literally just across the road from Mountain Zebra NP this last week with my family!

sniper7: Thank you for your kind words.
Best of luck on your adventure. Remember to slow down and take in every moment. Safe travels.

Stretch · Friday at 9:59 AM

Here is a youtube video link to my Common Reedbuck shot.

SOUTH AFRICA: Africa Is Once Again Calling My Name

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