SOUTH AFRICA: Afriholic At Limcroma

Flew from Houston on August 19th to Doha then th Joberg arriving on Aug 21st at 530 am. After clearing rifles it was time to head to Limcromas Sable valley lodge. Arrived to a warm welcome and a good meal then headed out to go shoot rifles to make sure the arrived in tact. Shooting my dad's 3006 rifle I inherited when he passed away and a winchester model 70 375. The 3006 is a sears model 53 that was built off the winchester patent. Everything survived dead on and it was off to look for bushbuck and warthogs.warthog. nothing to get excited about, so back to camp for some much needed rest.

I can identify with word afriholic.

Wish you luck over there,
Keep us posted!

Day 1. The wreckoning.

My wife decided to sleep in as we were going after bushbuck which was going to be a lot of stalking. My ph Ivan says bring both rifles and use the 375 for bushbuck and 06 for whatever else. We pull up to the property gate, go through and while Steven the tracker is closing the gate, Ivan says bushbuck get your gun. Grab the 375 and we start stalking. The bushbuck runs a little and stops to look. He is screened by brush. Ivan says put it on his shoulder and shoot. He takes off stumbling to the left and we go after him. Find blood and bone and track him about 150 yds and he is standing facing away. Put one through his rear and he dropped. Walk up and he is still trying to get up so we back off and give him a few minutes and move. Ivan and Steven are talking up a storm and are saying what a big buck this is. I have been to Africa 4 times with bushbuck on the list and haven't connected and 5 minutes the first day and the best bushbuck that Limcroma has taken this year is down.

After the pictures are taken, the plan is to walk along the river looking for a big warthog or impala while Steven cleans the bushbuck. We drive down to a area and get ready to start stalking. As we're getting ready we look down the road at a nice warthog. Set up and shoot under him. After verification of a miss we take off stalking, while Steven goes to clean the bushbuck. 200 yards in to the stalk we spot a big ram impala. Sticks up, impala down.

Call Steven to come get us, take pictures and take off heading to go clean impala. 5 minutes into the drive a nice wart hog comes out on the road and takes off running straight away. Grab the rifles and aim straight down his back and a foot over his head and shoot. He starts swerving and stumbling and runs into the grass. 100 yards later and he is laid under a tree dead. Pictures taken and back to camp. After skinning everything it was 1130. We started hunting at 730. Unbelievable first morning.

randallhebert said:

Flew from Houston on August 19th to Doha then th Joberg arriving on Aug 21st at 530 am. After clearing rifles it was time to head to Limcromas Sable valley lodge. Arrived to a warm welcome and a good meal then headed out to go shoot rifles to make sure the arrived in tact. Shooting my dad's 3006 rifle I inherited when he passed away and a winchester model 70 375. The 3006 is a sears model 53 that was built off the winchester patent. Everything survived dead on and it was off to look for bushbuck and warthogs.warthog. nothing to get excited about, so back to camp for some much needed rest.

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Looking forward to your reports. Will be at Sable Valley next June

Awesome lodge and great staff. They have added several large properties.

Looking at a beautiful golden wildebeest trying to make up my mind if I should bring him home.

Great animals so far, love the bushbuck, I can’t get enough of them.

I wonder if that’s the same bushbuck I saw twice while I was there at the beginning of August. I got my impala not far from where you got yours, neat area to hunt in. Congrats.

Congratulations on a nice bushbuck!

Super Bushbuck, all of your animals look great!

Great animals. Will be staying at Three Rivers lodge in 27.

Day 2.
Decided to go look for a old blesbok on one of the farms that is not going to make it much longer. We get to the farm and look for about a hour before we found the old ram. First shot he hunched up and started walking towards us. I reload and get ready to shoot again. He stops behind a tree and I try to get one through but hit a twig that deflects the bullet to the ground and the dust flies. Reload half step to the left and he drops at the shot.

Well hell. Day and a half in and my wish list is almost complete. Cow buffalo is last on list, but weather is just not right. Riding around we start seeing signs of black mamba crossing the road and then actually drive up on one crawling up a tree. We stop and drops back in the grass and is gone before we can shoot it. Ride around and come up on a massive warthog and the hunt is on. We see him everyday but can't get a shot. Sit a couple of water holes but can't get a good pattern on him.this takes up days 3,4,and half of day 5. Around 3 pm the wind finally settled down to a steady direction and Ivan decides it's right to go hunt buffalo. We arrive at the property and start riding the roads looking for sign. Find the tracks of a single cow and start making a game plan.
Where she went in the brush was a area that the bulls liked to bed in so we walked around to the opposite side to see if we could catch her going to water and not disturb the bulls. Cause if we would have walked up on them, they would have been in our pockets before you knew it.
As we ease down the track, we start seeing ox peckers flying up and down. We head toward the area and see the cow coming towards us at a steady pace. Ivan sets up the sticks and tells me to wait until he stops her in the opening. She steps into the opening and Ivan bellows like a calf. She stops slightly quartering to me at 50 yds. Put it on the point of her shoulder and squeeze the trigger. She hunches up and then her nose hits the ground. I'm already reloading as Ivan says reload, shoot her again. I get back on her as she rolls on her side and gives a small bellow. Ivan tells me not to shoot again. We wait a few minute to top off and then head towards her. She is down. One shot from my .375 H & H with 300 grain TSX and she's toast. The bull i shot 4 yrs ago with the same setup was the same. 1 shot 70 yds. Dead buff. That 300 TSX is bad juju on buffalo. We get her set up for pictures then load her up and head to the shed. We get a chance to drink some beer and visit with Limcroma owner Hannes while they skin her then head to camp.