SOUTH AFRICA: AH Group Hunt For Dangerous Game With MATTANJA HUNTING SAFARIS…

Azklmsr said:

Great Job Darrel (aka old man)

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Thank you so much. Hope we can hunt together again, maybe something bigger next time.

Thanks for adding some of your story Darrell. One thing I had set as a goal for myself this trip was to try to be with everyone as they took their buff. I didn't know how that would work out as there were days when everyone was hunting buff spread out all over the place. Thankfully it DID work out and I was able to participate in each of the buffalo that was taken. After you have hunted for awhile, it is good to remember what it's like for the first time. Trying to view that through fresh eyes is exciting and many of you know that feeling as you help your kids or a young person or someone new to hunting take their first deer...their first bird...their first fish...their first buffalo. I never tire of seeing that nervousness which builds to excitement and often emotion. I was just listening to Bobby today as he told his story to someone at work. Taking a Cape buffalo is life changing for many of us. It certainly looked that way as I observed our group of hunters on these hunts.

After my first trip to Africa in 2023 I fell in love with hunting the Tiny 10’s. To me, it was little animals, smaller calibers and less recoil plus my trophy did not take up a whole wall. That was a Win, Win, Win, Win for me! So before I left for Africa this trip I was determined to shoot a red duiker and a Klipspringer both native to Northern Limpopo where we were headed. Unfortunately, for me I spent more of my trip tracking the allusive Tiny’s without getting a connection. They were definitely more challenging than I anticipated.

I got to watch them, but either the distance was too far, it was a small male or a female, none of which I could shoot. The terrain was beautiful, climbing potato sized red rocks to the top of the Soutpansberg Mountains, to spot a Klippie 2 canyons away. The red duiker stalk was also beautiful too. They liked to hang out under pecan or macadamia nut trees. It looked like I was going to get a shot at a male red duiker who was with two females as they were headed down to a pecan field just before last light. Gys our PH said the male was a shooter after it ducked behind a bush. I was ready and was waiting for him to come out the other side. Unfortunately for me, a pack of annoying moneys started carrying on and we got the slip from the red duiker. Even though I did not get a Klippie or a red duiker this trip, I was lucky to shoot a beautiful old blue bull Bushbuck. We stumbled on this old bull while looking for Red Duikers. We spotted him under the shade of a macadamia nut tree. The PH said this was a beautiful old bull and I should shoot it so we backed up the Bakkie Jeep to get another look at the bushbuck. As soon as we did this he sat down in the shade. I got on the sticks waiting for him to get up. After what seemed like a lifetime I took a shot. Bang with my 257 Roberts Savage Lady Hunter! My PH said I took a perfect shot and he dropped. After examining my bushbuck with no molars and warn down to the gums front incisors, he told me that I picked the perfect old animal that probably would not have survived another season!
Fortunately, for me we have another trip planned to Africa next year that I will get another chance to shoot a Klipspringer. As for the red duiker, I will have to return to Northern Limpopo.



These are the red Soutpansberg Mountains and canyons where we were stalking the Klipspringers.



This is the macadamia and pecan trees where we were stalking the red duikers and found my bushbuck.



My old bushbuck bull. Shot with my Savage Lady Hunter 257 Roberts. Since I shot him on July 4th I named him Independence.

Klippies are a real challenge and not an easy target but they live in some of the most beautiful areas as your photos show. Tina put a lot of effort into it and never gave up trying. She has a lot of tenacity! I was really proud of her for taking this ancient bushbuck. Madala for sure!

Awesome trip!

Thanks for all of the compliments. We look forward to releasing the dates of next year's DG group hunt soon.

I was clearly the least experienced hunter on our DG team. As such, I was treated to a huge opportunity to collect plains game. Since I had none, my desire list was pretty wide open and I was able to collect several stunning examples thanks to my PH Dieter, our tracker Vuci, and the fantastic hunting conservatory Leadwood that Charmaine and Glen have put together. I will not forget to mention Bryans ceaseless encouragement, coaching and support. My wife Pam was always at my side with her camera. She's just phenomenal!

After getting a Bull Buff, I picked up this very nice Gemsbuck. He's over 36 inch and just stunning!


We collected a fine Wildebeest after several hours and more than a few flown stalks



Super blessed to down a truly awesome Kudu. He measured 54.5 X 55.5, which we round to being 62! LOL. He was an old old bull. Teeth ward to nothing and had seen his last rut I suspect. Dieter estimated him at well over 10 years. Glen and Charmaine both were shocked to see that he was still alive in the winter.



Some smaller antelope were harvested as well:

Couple of Impala. 1st was shot with a 243 Win at about 50 yards. Easy drop



This second and slightly larger was dropped at a measured 188 yards. Spine shot dropped him literally in his tracks! That bump on his shoulder is the offside capture of the 243 bullet. Incredible



Finally, a stunning Blesbok at 166 yards off the sticks with the 243 Win. So lovely:


An incredible experience and one that I will never ever forget. Doubt I'll ever have another safari that I can bring home so many stunning examples. Far more though, the blessings of new friends, new areas, time with my precious wife and seeing God's amazing glory poured out all around. Just incredible!

Kurt

Kurt took some excellent PG but that kudu was just the icing on the cake! Wonderful old bull taken extremely cleanly at short distance. We have video of it and he just dumped him on the spot like a sack of potatoes...or sadza in this case.

Congratulations to all!! Y’all had a hell of a trip, beautiful animals all the way around.
Especially like the bushbucks, they have a special place in my heart.

@tinktink12 , those elusive tiny tens are waiting for your return! Good luck in your quest.

Hunt anything said:

Congratulations to all!! Y’all had a hell of a trip, beautiful animals all the way around.
Especially like the bushbucks, they have a special place in my heart.

@tinktink12 , those elusive tiny tens are waiting for your return! Good luck in your quest.

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I'm beginning to think some of Tina's Tiny Ten are more difficult to hunt than the Dangerous Game or Plains Game. The terrain the Klippies inhabit is certainly some of the roughest I've walked in quite a while.

Most of the smaller Tiny antelope are shy and elusive, while possessing sharp vision and hearing. They also present a challenge even for the best Marksman, or woman in this case.

skydiver386 said:

I'm beginning to think some of Tina's Tiny Ten are more difficult to hunt than the Dangerous Game or Plains Game. The terrain the Klippies inhabit is certainly some of the roughest I've walked in quite a while.

Most of the smaller Tiny antelope are shy and elusive, while possessing sharp vision and hearing. They also present a challenge even for the best Marksman, or woman in this case.

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Agree about the klippies! When I took one look at the mountains we would be hunting them, my first thought was that I had bitten off more than I could chew. Two and a half days later of up and down those mountains I finally connected and it was a very satisfying hunt.

100% on the difficulty of T10. You can take the big 5 on 1 trip to 1 area (in the right area). It's just a matter of $ and a bit of luck on the cats. There is nowhere you can go to take all of the T10 and very few places you could take even 1/2 of them. Some areas you can take 4 or maybe 5 but that would be a wildly successful outcome. Ask anyone who has accomplished or almost accomplished both and you will hear the same story...T10 are a harder goal than big 5. The shot distances are all over the place and while you can shoot all of them with a solid in your .375, most accomplishments include a small caliber rifle, shotgun and possibly your DG rifle just because you never know where and when that T10 will show up. Many are taken incidentally to hunting something else, particularly DG. I've traveled to 3 parts of RSA and also Zim to take 7 of the 10. It will take 2 more countries to finish it. You can take the big 5 in one place.

Not gonna lie, Kurt was a killing machine on this trip! He came in with animals every time we saw him!

Kurt, Pam, Darrell, Tina and Bryan - I thoroughly enjoyed sharing camp with you all and now consider you all friends for life...which is what this sport is all about in my opinion. I'm looking forward to the next trip already!

Bobby

Azklmsr said:

Fabulous photos Tina and Darrell and it was such a privilege to get to share this hunt with all new friends for Pam and I.

That was the magic of the group hunt that Dieter and Bryan pulled together. They clearly worked to ensure we would be a good fit and made it easy, especially for this newbie, to feel very comfortable bringing my non-hunting wife! Hunt was great. Group time was even better. Facilities, owners, and staff made us feel super comfortable and at home.

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It was great getting to know you and Pam. Glad you can rest up in Hawaii from all your hunting.

Thanks to everyone that joined us on the Group Hunt, overall I think it was a big success! Everyone took their target DG Species plus more!!

I'm very excited to be offering another AH Dangerous Game Group Hunt in 2027 with @Green Chile!
The dates will be made available soon and I'll put up a post in the Deals & Offers section in the next couple of weeks with the Group Hunt offer for next year

Congratulation to all!!! Leadwood and the whole staff there are just great.

I enjoyed reading everyone's posts.

@tinktink12 keep after the tiny ones they are so rewarding to hunt.

@MATTANJA HUNTING SAFARIS @Green Chile Qudo's to you both for setting up the hunt and getting first timers and first time DG hunters into the bush.

As we wrap up this hunt report, I wanted to share a few thoughts about why we do things like this. There is an end goal...there is a purpose to it. We have brought together people who didn't know each other and put them into a camp where we are hunting DG. Each night they gathered back together to tell stories of the day and cheer each other on towards success. Each person coming back into camp was eagerly met to say, how did it go? We heard you have a great story to tell. Come sit by the fire and tell your story...and in the case of the PHs, sometimes they are so cold they stand IN the fire. Crazy fools that have become our friends.

Friendships have been formed with clients and PHs that will continue for many years, long after this hunt is done and the taxidermy is hung on the wall. We celebrated America's birthday along with our African friends who love America. We got to watch with some measure of awe AND confusion, these trackers that do amazing things beyond belief. We fell in love with the wildlife and scenery.

We got to spend our valuable vacation time with real professionals who love sharing Africa with us...not just in hunting but with just as much enthusiasm to fish with us down at the lake full of crocs. We do this to celebrate life and death together...and we are the better for it.

I'm already working plans with Dieter for next year. That was a fantastic experience by any measure!

To AZDAVE, Phoenix Phil, Green Chile, and host of others that helped me with suggestions on my 375, thank you all. In the end I took 2 loads:

1) 300 Gr B TSX loaded with Superformance at around 2600 fps MV. Did excellent on the buff, and I used it on the Gemsbuck. Though blew right though the antelope, he only ran a very short distance. He was dead on his feet. On the buff, Josey our expert skinner recovered the bullet that broke both shoulders and it weighed right at 199 gr.
2) 250 Gr B TTSX loaded on top of CFE223 at around 2850. This load was a total HAMMER on antelope from Wildebeest up through the huge and ancient Kudu. That shot was recovered and the bullet was 175 gr. In fairness, it was a measured 33 yards and it walloped that Kudu's shoulder HARD. It completely pole axed a zebra. Would have liked to try an Eland.

We did a resight after the Gemsbuck for the lighter bullet. 3 shots to get happy.

For the Lil guys I used my lovely wife Pam's 243 Win with 95 gr on top of Superformance for 3150 MV. We received no arguments from the Blesbok or Impalas. In fairness, even on the longer shots, Dieter did all the work setting me up for easily executed shots. There is a Nyala bull running around the ranch that I can't get out of my head. I believe he and the 243 will need to become more familiar. 2027?

Thanks again to Dieter at Mattanja (I believe that means Blessed By God), Bryan (AKA Green Chile) and the owners and Staff at Leadwood Conservancy, and my beautiful wife Pam for your patience with this newbie. 5 or 6 more Safaris and I'll know what I'm doing.

Darrel, Elephant?
Bobby, Buff with a bow?

Kurt

We're glad you enjoyed reading about the success of the DG group hunt for AH members. We were using this hunt to test some ideas and now we are ready to announce the dates for next year's DG group hunt...May 1-10, 2027. The areas will be the same...the PHs will be the same...I will be there. Space is limited to keep the quality experience high. Full details will be offered soon. I will say at the beginning of this hunt, I had received strong interest in the 2nd hunt that was more than double our capacity. If you have serious interest, contact me or Dieter.

skydiver386 said:

On my Buffalo hunt

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On my Buffalo hunt…..shooting a 450 Rigby….
Darrell was able to recover the 450 gr Barnes X that passed through the buffalo’s shoulder and stopped just beneath the skin on the opposite side.



It mushroomed perfectly into 4 equal pedals
And expanded to over 2x the original size.