SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape With Hotfire Safaris

I just finished my first safari in Africa, and was completely happy to do it with Hotfire Safaris!!! Patrick and Ryan were fantastic!!! I couldn’t recommend them more!!! My friend and I did an 8 day plains game and ended up shooting a cow buffalo.

Accommodations were great and the food was good!!! The staff was completely accommodating and incredibly friendly and easy to work with!!! I heard wildebeest feeding outside my tent one morning.

I shot my package which included Kudu, Impala, Mountain Reedbuck, Springbok, and Blue Wildebeest. I added a cull Impala, Nyala, and cow Buffalo which only cost $2500. The Nyala was also $2500.

I took my Remington Model 700LH Custom KS Mountain Rifle chambered in 338 Win Mag. It performed incredibly!!! All plains game were one shot kills. I was shooting Buffalo Bore’s 210gr TTSX load. The average range of shots were around 150-200 yards.

For the Buffalo, I used one of the PH’s 375 H&H with an Sig Sauer 3.5?-12x scope. That was a 200 yard shot from an elevated position. I was shooting 300gr Swift A-Frames. That was a one shot kill also (totally lucky I believe)!?!? I put the bullet on the shoulder (as instructed by my PH), and the Buffalo ran 50 yards and bellowed. She was feet up when we got to her.

We also had a wing shooting day where we shot a ton of birds. We shot Egyptian geese, Yellow bills, and doves. Shot eight boxes of shells…

Thanks for posting. Very nice batch of trophies there - good shooting. Especially nice Impala and quality Kudu and Nyala

We were impressed with the crew at Hotfire, and they were on our short list, back when we planned our first African trip - don't remember exactly why, but we opted to hunt Namibia, with full intentions of hunting with Hotfire on the 2nd or 3rd trip - somehow that never happened. Nyala was my biggest want in Africa at that time

Looks like a great hunt!

Great Hunt! The Kudu and Nyala are awesome.

Awesome thanks for sharing

dhoover said:

Great Hunt! The Kudu and Nyala are awesome.

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Thank you!!! Both were at the end of their life spans. So they were taken at the correct time!!!

Nice batch. Good cow and a good price too. I shot nearly identical nyala this trip, my 2nd bull, with the intention of having a backskin tanned. First one was bald on its spine. Sadly, the hide on this one was worse. What do you plan on doing with your trophies? I just brought back six skulls from 2023 that were "culls" but actually very fine trophies. Hunters & Collectors in Port Elizabeth did the work and very well done. My second batch from them. Everything is properly cleaned and bleached. ALL horns are detached and skulls immaculate. Kevin has even found a way to detach black wildebeest horns! I asked him how and he smiled: "Trade secret, eh?" Yes. Avoid Karoo Taxidermy if you're having skulls done. What a mess they made of my first two shipments. Kevin charges a bit more and he's not fast but the end product is worth it. Nicole is his support person and always Johnny on the spot communicating. Karoo not so much! It was a nightmare dealing with them.

My nyala had one tooth left in front, eland bull was essentially a walking cadavre, and warthog had no teeth but tusks. Did them a favor putting them down. By the time I left PH was calling me the "Grim Reaper." I also culled a cow buffalo (2nd cow) and an old dry cow giraffe. Good deals can be had late in the season for culling but often don't come up till the last minute. I was there exactly the same dates last time and the three animals taken out of circulation were not substandard: 37" bull gemsbuck, 14" Cape springbuck, and the best of three impala on my wall. I only paid full trophy fee for impala and they are peanuts.

Congratulations on a successful safari, well done and thanks for posting.

Congrats and thanks for sharing!