Oil & Dirt
AH veteran
What an awesome hunt!! I’ll try to fit this all in one post. @THAT'S AFRICA SAFARI posted a hunt offer here for elephant bull and buffalo. We messaged back and and found dates that would work, leaving 7/22 and coming back 8/4. Communication with Valie and team was great.
I flew out of Pittsburgh to Newark then on to Jo’burg where I was met by Gilbert with Africa Sky. Rifles cleared easily and on to the guest house for a quick dinner and overnight before traveling on.
I then flew to Kruger International where I was met by Valie, PH Hannes, and cameraman Marius from Spotted Studios. We then drove into Mozambique. We arrived just before sunset. We made a quick drive seeing a really nice buffalo and some elephants that evening.
The next morning we woke up and headed out to shoot the rifles. I took a Winchester model 70 in .458 win mag and a scoped Fierce 375 H&H for crocodile/plains game. Both will shoot softs and solids to the same point of aim. 458 shot just as it always does. 375 oddly was shooting 2” right. We made adjustment shot a few bullseyes and started hunting.
We made stalks on two elephant bulls early this day. One a singular bull, the other in a small group. Both exciting stalks but just not quite big enough.
At near sunset we saw a group of 3 bulls as we moved in to get a closer look one bull looked really good. As we tried to get a look at him the group separated and the 2 smaller bulls flanked us and fed to about 15 yards from us. This put us in between the single bull and 2 others. They eventually moved on but not before alerting the big bull that we were still making a call as to whether we were going to shoot. The single bull then decided to walk into us and the shot was made. We took a few photos in the last light that we had and went back the next day for more photos and recovery.
This changes hunting for me. Growing up I never dreamed I’d hunt Africa, let alone an elephant. Then once it was achievable, I thought I’d hunt one elephant and be done. There are still some animals I’d like to hunt and want to complete my dangerous 7 but I certainly won’t be one elephant and done!
We then turned our focus to buffalo. We saw an abundance of buffalo but were really looking for an old bull away from the herds. A couple of days later as we were leaving camp for the morning the camp manager said he saw an old solitary bull. We ended up finding the bull relatively close to camp. A quick stalk and we had our bull.
My prior buffalo was no drama. This one though, just kept taking lead. I shot him once from our original position and hit him just behind the shoulder. We followed him about 20 yards and I got one more round directly on his shoulder. As he ran again and I was able to give him one more in his hind quarter. After another 10 yards we found him bedded down. I gave him 2 more on the shoulder and he was done. I was shooting 500 grain trophy bonded bear claws. We recovered 2 perfectly mushroomed bullets. Very happy with their performance.
Now we’re going to focus on crocodile. The next day as we’re going to bait we spot a big bushbuck. Over 16”. We crawl into position but have no shot and he’s bedded down. He must have winded us, as he got up and bounded off all in one movement. I let go with 375 but never touched a hair on him. My first Africa miss.
That evening we hear of a large croc. We follow up but run out of daylight. The next morning we go back see the croc but can’t get a shot. Finally after lunch he messed up and we got a shot. One brain shot and an insurance shot in the neck. Now this thing suffered no ground shrinkage. A show’er and a grower! We measured him at 13’ 6”. We were able to weigh him on a farm scale at 951lbs.
Now we’re hunting out the rest of the trip with whatever the bush will give us. We saw a ~55” kudu bull, some very nice nyala that just couldn’t get shots on, a daytime bushpig and eventually took an old warrior of a water buck.
I can’t say enough about this hunt! The people, the animals, the plans; a true first class operation.
I also had major concerns with having a hunt filmed. Valie and a safari filming veteran gave me some really good advice and talked me into having it filmed. Marius always had the shot but was never in the way. I can’t imagine not having a hunt filmed now.
As for the video, Marius is still working on it but I think those interested will be able to view it on an upcoming episode of Safari Classics. I’ll update this once that is nailed down
I flew out of Pittsburgh to Newark then on to Jo’burg where I was met by Gilbert with Africa Sky. Rifles cleared easily and on to the guest house for a quick dinner and overnight before traveling on.
I then flew to Kruger International where I was met by Valie, PH Hannes, and cameraman Marius from Spotted Studios. We then drove into Mozambique. We arrived just before sunset. We made a quick drive seeing a really nice buffalo and some elephants that evening.
The next morning we woke up and headed out to shoot the rifles. I took a Winchester model 70 in .458 win mag and a scoped Fierce 375 H&H for crocodile/plains game. Both will shoot softs and solids to the same point of aim. 458 shot just as it always does. 375 oddly was shooting 2” right. We made adjustment shot a few bullseyes and started hunting.
We made stalks on two elephant bulls early this day. One a singular bull, the other in a small group. Both exciting stalks but just not quite big enough.
At near sunset we saw a group of 3 bulls as we moved in to get a closer look one bull looked really good. As we tried to get a look at him the group separated and the 2 smaller bulls flanked us and fed to about 15 yards from us. This put us in between the single bull and 2 others. They eventually moved on but not before alerting the big bull that we were still making a call as to whether we were going to shoot. The single bull then decided to walk into us and the shot was made. We took a few photos in the last light that we had and went back the next day for more photos and recovery.
This changes hunting for me. Growing up I never dreamed I’d hunt Africa, let alone an elephant. Then once it was achievable, I thought I’d hunt one elephant and be done. There are still some animals I’d like to hunt and want to complete my dangerous 7 but I certainly won’t be one elephant and done!
We then turned our focus to buffalo. We saw an abundance of buffalo but were really looking for an old bull away from the herds. A couple of days later as we were leaving camp for the morning the camp manager said he saw an old solitary bull. We ended up finding the bull relatively close to camp. A quick stalk and we had our bull.
My prior buffalo was no drama. This one though, just kept taking lead. I shot him once from our original position and hit him just behind the shoulder. We followed him about 20 yards and I got one more round directly on his shoulder. As he ran again and I was able to give him one more in his hind quarter. After another 10 yards we found him bedded down. I gave him 2 more on the shoulder and he was done. I was shooting 500 grain trophy bonded bear claws. We recovered 2 perfectly mushroomed bullets. Very happy with their performance.
Now we’re going to focus on crocodile. The next day as we’re going to bait we spot a big bushbuck. Over 16”. We crawl into position but have no shot and he’s bedded down. He must have winded us, as he got up and bounded off all in one movement. I let go with 375 but never touched a hair on him. My first Africa miss.
That evening we hear of a large croc. We follow up but run out of daylight. The next morning we go back see the croc but can’t get a shot. Finally after lunch he messed up and we got a shot. One brain shot and an insurance shot in the neck. Now this thing suffered no ground shrinkage. A show’er and a grower! We measured him at 13’ 6”. We were able to weigh him on a farm scale at 951lbs.
Now we’re hunting out the rest of the trip with whatever the bush will give us. We saw a ~55” kudu bull, some very nice nyala that just couldn’t get shots on, a daytime bushpig and eventually took an old warrior of a water buck.
I can’t say enough about this hunt! The people, the animals, the plans; a true first class operation.
I also had major concerns with having a hunt filmed. Valie and a safari filming veteran gave me some really good advice and talked me into having it filmed. Marius always had the shot but was never in the way. I can’t imagine not having a hunt filmed now.
As for the video, Marius is still working on it but I think those interested will be able to view it on an upcoming episode of Safari Classics. I’ll update this once that is nailed down
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