SOUTH AFRICA: East Cape: KMG Hunting Safaris 10 Day Road Hunt

Outfitter: @KMG Hunting Safaris
PH/Owner: Marius Goosen
Tracker: AK for the entire trip and assist by Maboi for a couple days
Tracking dog: Ziggy
July 23 - August 2

Will post this over a few days and include a few pictures and some typos and poor grammar. Trip is a great success with 13 animals taken for my son and I with a couple of rain days and for some foreshadowing, day 7 is a crazy day that will be hard to repeat.

Got the itch for an East Cape adventure last year to hunt some of the native species on their home ground in the mountains of the East Cape. Talked my son into joining in for his first trip, did not take a lot of convincing. Hunted three different areas for multiple species over the 10 days. Only lost a day total hunt time for travel between locations. The trip and logistics were set up by Marius and worked to a tee, we set allotted time at each location and if some animals were not taken we would keep our feet moving and on to the next stop.

Flew Delta, cattle class, form Houston to ATL to JBRG and overnighted at City Lodge. Air Link to Pt. Elizabeth the next morning.

Marius picked us up about noon in Pt. Elizabeth and we were off to the first stop for free range Klipspringer. We traveled north into the Winterhoek mountain range to hunt the “rock hoppers”. Arrived at the first lodge in the mountains and I was surprised at the steep and rugged terrain and how green the thick vegetation was for that time of year. Unload, change clothes off to the range. We used Marius custom Ruger in 300 Win, Nightforce optics and great trigger that will shoot as good as you can.

Landowner met us to show us some areas to glass but he said the klipspringer are more active in the morning. The off road four wheeling was almost worth the price of admission and I will say that the Toyota is an amazing vehicle. We glassed several spots but no klipspringer that afternoon but the views and being back in country was a great feeling.


Crazy thunderstorms move through that night and I wonder if we can get out in the morning.
Wake up misting rain and fog but eat breakfast and out into the darkness. Mist letting up and clouds starting to lift. To dark to glass but Marius and his thermal is spotting game on the drive in. Landowner is taking us to an area known to have some klipspringer living in the area. After some glassing we spot a couple of males and decide to start the climb.

After a long climb, boots full of water, heart beating and heavy breathing Marius and I area within range of the ram. Gun is set, bipod out, scope dialed, will be a prone shot at a steep incline. As I ease up behind the gun I bump it off target from slipping on the wet ground, get reset, confirm animal and miss. My heart sank, my gears start turning, mind is racing and the doubt sets in. After a discussion on what went wrong we start to back track and pick up another ram across the valley on an opposite hillside. We move around get set up, it is a long shot, small target I keep thinking about the previous miss and pull the shot. I am thinking Marius is wondering what he has gotten into with my poor display of shooting, it does improve but this first outing was a disaster to say the least. Marius and I talk about it and decide to hike back to the truck to take a break. At the truck, the three others have spotted the original ram back in an opening with a female. In the truck for a short drive around the mountain, back out for another hike, get set up, scope dialed. I ask how far, answer was “it does not matter”, I need to settle down let the gun work. Shot off and klipspringer drops. What a relief and all the mishaps are now part of a crazy story that had a successful ending. My phone logged that we walked over 20k steps and 150 flights of stairs that morning. Walking 6-8 miles a day at home has helped a lot for this hunt but with no elevation it is still a bit of a challenge in this country for an old guy.

Pictures taken, back to camp, quick bite, shower, pack and off to the next area for Vaal Rhebuck and black wildebeest.

Headed to the second location for the Vaal and Black Wildebeest, drive until the early evening arrive about 7:30 have a meal, put our boots by the fire to dry out and turn in for an early morning to drive into the Stormberg mountains.

Driving between locations was enjoyable to see the change in the environment and terrain. Also, to learn about the history of the area, local industries and stories about other hunts and adventures.
Wake early, walk to breakfast and frost on the ground so get another layer of clothes.
Load up make the drive to the hunting area high in the mountains, still steep but not as rocky as the previous area and above the tree line. Pick up the ranch hand to help us navigate the two tracks on this large property.
We start glassing but it takes my eyes a bit to learn what to look for to pick these Val’s out. Marius is spotting some females a few mountain reedbucks but nothing worth a stalk. Glassing and more glassing and we pick up some movement at least a mile off, just shapes but 2 animals on a ridge line. Marius puts the spotting scope on them and a good ram is there, now how do we get to him without him spooking out is the question. The ranch hand helps to navigate a long way around, several miles to stay out of direct sight and hopefully get the wind in our favor. We make it around, unload and start up the ridge but it is so quiet that even our pant leg touching in stride seems to make a noise. Marius is in front, stopping looking over the rise as we climb higher. As we get to the top we hear the hooves hitting the rocks as we have been busted. From this ridge top in drops off very steep, we feel the did not smell or see us just heard us coming so maybe they did not run for a mile. Marius crawls to the edge for a peek and sure enough the ram and female are standing looking back wondering what was up there. Marius motions, I crawl up next to him, ease into the gun, get settled and fire, hear the thud and the Vaal is hit and going down.


We take care of the Vaal, do some glassing for mountain reedbuck but not seeing any good rams so decide to keep our feet moving and back to the camp to chase the black wildebeest for a late afternoon hunt. Again driving through the Stormbergs was very interesting and seeing the groups of springboks, blessbok and all the waterfowl in all the ponds and lakes.

Make it back to the main camp for this part of the hunt. This is a high fence property but well over 32 square miles in size and offers all the terrain you legs can handle. Eat lunch in the truck, hit the gate, drop off the Vaal, drop off some clothes back for an early afternoon drive. Black Wildebeest are spotted but out in the wide open pasture as usual. My son is up to bat, make a plan, we do a short stalk and wind gets us and wildebeest move off. I agree to wait at the truck to cause less movement and Marius and Zach take off on a walk. I sit back and glass up warthogs, zebra, springboks and wait, after about 4 hours Marius comes back in sight, wildebeest down. Story was they got pinned down by multiple animals, wildebeest keep moving then laid down, had a long crawl and both ended up with bloody knees but Zach was happy to have them. Get to the wildebeest and see the perfect shot and big smile and Zach on the board.



Get the wildebeest loaded start to head in, maybe mile and a half Marius spots a nice springbok. They take off, I sit back at the truck with Ziggy as she is ready to go. Watch it unfold, Marius spots, Zach on the sticks, getting to last light and shot off. Thumbs are up springbok success. Really nice old ram, as usual things can happen fast but what a great day.
Back to the skinning shed, dinner and a good nights sleep.

Mr Marius has a way of finding climbs to get one's heart rate up. But worth every step in the end.

Day 3 breaks, cold and crisp. Great breakfast, goal for the day waterbuck and black wildebeest for my list. Load up, start the drive, seems all the animals are out to get sun and warm up but waterbuck are not cooperating. We see kudu, gemsbok, impala, springbok, warthogs, lechwe. After a good while we spot a young bull and some females and around the corner way at the top of the mountain we spot a big bull just under the rim rock. No way to approach from below, make a plan to drive up the mountain get on the top work over and hunt from on top. After a long drive around to the road up we start the climb. Another Toyota test and off road experience.


About three quarters up the mountain there is a slight tap on the roof. Marius and AK are whispering about something on the cliff side. Marius looks over and tells me to get out, be quiet and stay low. There is a big bull and a couple cows standing on a shelf in the shade a couple hundred yards away. Marius is spotting as I slide up behind the rifle. Bull is hard quartering to us, place the cross hairs at base of neck and shoulder, squeeze off the shot, bull stumbles down hill and collapses within 40 yards, I am just glad it did not go to the bottom of the mountain.

Now the trick is getting this big bull back to the road, out comes the 55 gallon sled. Field dress the bull, load up in the sled, tie him down and the pushing and pulling starts. Biggest risk is getting on the wrong side and going on a down hill sled ride with the bull, but everyone stayed up top though there were a couple of close calls.

Excellent write up and some beautiful animals for you and your son. Congrats!

Congrats and thanks for sharing!

2nd half day 3. From high up on the mountain we can see two groups of black wildebeest a couple miles off in a large open pasture as usual. Drop off the waterbuck, make a big loop around to get a better view and glass the terrain for the wildebeest. It is not good so we go get some lunch and wait till about 130 to make a play on them.
After lunch the bulls had split apart from the main herd so we put together a plan but may have to crawl for 100 yards or so to gain some distance. We start from over 1000 yards out, get to about 700 and start the crawl. Marius still has sure knees from the day before and the small rock and dry grass made quick work of hands and knees. The 100 yard crawl turned into 3-400 yards. During this stalk the bulls laid down and with a little roll in the terrain we gained some additional ground. We just had to stop glass and wait sometimes for animals to turn or lay back down so got to stretch out and stretch our backs. This stalk was almost 4 hours so the break was welcomed.


My son took this from up on a hill from where we started, he said his phone was on 25x, red box is the three of us moving in slowly.



Marius decides we are close enough for a shot, range is taken, scope dialed, rifle on the tripod, just waiting for the bulls to stand, after a good bit the bull we want stands, safety off but he is looking dead away. We wait and wait, finally I decided to put the rifle back on safe and between looking down for that and back up 5 other bulls stand up and I don’t know which one we want. Scramble to glass the right bull but it gets sorted, bull turns, shot off and a hit. Bull does not flinch much but does not run either, after a couple minutes bull trumps over but needs one more to finish. We all deserve a beer after that. Another great day in the cape.

You’re haveing a great hunt! Congrats on animals so far! Waiting on next chapter!

Day 4.
Pack up leave the Stormbergs and head to East London to the home base for Marius. Few hour drive has us out side of East London to the final camp. This will be all free range hunting for impala, duiker, blesbok, caracal, bushpig, bushbuck or others as things happen. Interesting driving south the change in vegetation and terrain. This area has all your legs want and is steep, thick and rocky terrain.

Get a room, unpack, get a lunch and decide to take an afternoon drive and see what we see. Pull onto the property and gentle rolling hills with thick valleys and improved pasture with some cattle scattered in the area. All fence is low typical cattle fence. We spot impala way off and some blesbok but a duiker makes its way out of the bush. We drive around Zach and Marius take off, I stay at the truck standing in the bed watching things unfold. Turn around look down in the valley behind us and two big bush bucks walkout for a couple minutes and back in the thick cover. Stalk does not work out on the duiker so we head out to a property with some bush pig activity, exam the bait decide where to set up.

Back to the lodge, quick dinner, back to get set up for bush pig. Sun sets and everything seems good till the wind turns. Marius and I agree to pull out and not stink this bait up and hunt it later.

Get a shower, turn in and see what happens tomorrow but looks like weather is headed our way.

Day 5
Weather delay lots of rain. Kind of nice to have a break to rest up from the previous days. Watch some videos, eat, nap, enjoy each others company.

Day 6
Rain today no ball game. Marius took us into East London for a bacon grilled cheese sandwich, very good, and some classic, old school milk shakes and was a good way to spend the wash out day but day 7 appears the weather will break mid morning.

Day 7.
Wake up to heavy mist and fog, but reports are saying it will break early morning. This picture is from the base camp, quite the view from the lodge.

We make it out to the area we hunted previously but glassing is out due to mist and fog but Marius is picking up animals on the thermal so we wait and the mist stops and sky is starting to open up. First task is bushbuck before they retreat into the thick valley bottom. We spot some impala, warthogs, waterbuck and spot a bushbuck and drive around to gain some ground and start the stalk. With the high grass and roll of the land we lose them and get back to the truck. AK stayed back and was glassing and picked up a bushbuck way off mixed in some cattle. First look thought it was a calf, to far for binos but Marius gets the spotting scope and mature ram. Discuss best route and drivable trails after the rain and start moving. Get in the area, cycle a round in the rifle, mount to the tripod and start stalking in. We get to the cattle and can see their backs but hope they don’t spook. We keep moving in and more, grass is high and them we spot the bushbuck, head down still grazing. I think the cows are actually help with the movement and noise and they are staying calm. We have to move around and make sure the cows are clear and get the open lane, shot fired, bushbuck drops on the spot. We hold back give him a minute, the cows go to inspect but appears to be done. Nice old warrior. Cape bushbuck hunt is done.


Load up the bushbuck but only about 10 am so still glassing, Marius wants to check a nearby valley for duiker, he said they are always in this area because of the vegetation and open pasture. We drive in, glassing from the truck a female walks 75 yards in front of the vehicle. That’s a good sign, slide out start glassing and Marius picks up a ram across the valley, plan is set, Marius and Zach take off and AK and I stay back to glass and direct if needed by radio if duiker moves.

AK and I sit back and watch the whole event unfold. Zach up on the sticks, he is having a tough time picking the duiker out of the grass, finally the duiker moves to a good position, shot off and duiker down. Drive around to meet them, congratulate Zach and Marius, take some pictures load up and head back to the main lodge to drop off the two trophies all by 11. The animals are out in full force being rained on for two days but makes getting around a challenge.


Back at the lodge, have some lunch, talk about the awesome morning and what is next. Marius wants to hold for a bit at the lodge as two sets of dogs are out to see if they jump a caracal. If nothing by 2 we will go back out. After the rain with wet ground the dogs can scent track better and conditions are good.

About 1:30, just started sleeping, a knock at the door, Marius is there telling me got to go, dogs are on a cat. We jump in the truck, 20 minute run to the sheep farm. Get to the other truck from the hounds man and we can hear the dogs way up the hill, the bush is like a wall, find an old cattle trail and start climbing up. It is tough going, trying to bend over to get under limbs and breathe heavy don’t work together. Almost to the dogs and the cat leaves the tree and starts fighting the dogs. Quite the chaotic scene, hounds man is beating the cat the dogs but the cat returns up a tree. Get a couple 22 rounds in the cat it bails out again now trying to keep the dogs from tearing it apart, finally get the cat and that crazy time is over but quite the rush. Now I feel all the thorns that got me on the way up but it was worth it. What a day we have had.

Get back, drop off the cat. Make a run to the bush pig bait, check the wind, move across a creek, opposite side from previous set up, chairs out. Back to main lodge, 30 minutes to eat, shower, fresh clothes and back to the bait before dark. Back to the bait, get in the chairs, night vision on the scope, 308 for this event. Sun just setting things are looking good, about 6:00. Little lite shower moves across for about 15 minutes and sky clears. Stars are out and full moon, just by luck we set up in the shade from the full moon on this fence line so we are full stealth mode. About 7:45 we hear something go under a fence in the creek below, about 8:00 we hear them at the bait, Marius looks with the thermal and we have 4, boar, sow, 2 young ones. The boar stays at the end of the dead cow and all I can see is his back but set up is perfect and the pigs have no idea. After a few minutes the pigs start pushing and shoving, change positions boar moves right. I am watching through the green background of the night vision and Marius is updating positions. Boar clears, finger on the trigger, shot off, boar drops. I can’t believe it all worked perfectly, another round racked just in case, we sit in silence for a few minutes. Marius goes down pistol in hand, Zach and I hold back as a wounded pig in the dark, 3 people can be quite the jackpot. Zach and I work down and what a beast. Well over 200 lbs of bush pig, the poor man’s leopard has completed a grand day.

Bushbuck, duiker, caracal and bush pig…..don’t think we will ever top that day. I think Zach is hooked on this Africa thing and already planning on how to get back.

Awesome hunt report so far, great animals!

Congratulations, great report so far. Wife and I are booked with KMG next year.

A very unique bushbuck! Congrats on a successful adventure. Lots of nice animals, if it was me, I would lifesize that bush buck ram!

kdenn said:

Congratulations, great report so far. Wife and I are booked with KMG next year.

Click to expand...

You made a good choice.

Day 8.
Up early, breakfast, discussing the day and things left on Zach’s list, I am done being behind the trigger. Marius gets a call and the other hound pack got on a cat basically next door, ranch over. Zach said he is game so we are off. Get to the gate and the pasture is really soft from the rain but we make our way to the dogs. Get out jump fence, at this is down hill but very thick cover, get to the dogs cat is hard to find up a big tree in a mess of vines. Zach gets a shot in him with the 22 and a follow up hit. The cat decides to leave the tree and hits the ground with dogs and cat going at each other. Finally get the situation sorted and cat is done. These caracal cats are some wild hunts but very fun.


We 4WD mud our way out of the pasture and get back to the lodge for lunch and decide to chase blesbok in the afternoon in the same area we had been hunting for the other plains game.
Get to the area and start glassing, find the blesbok quite a ways off but no real good way to drive to cut distance. We make a long walk, use the creek bottoms and get to about 800 yards. Take a trail through some eucalyptus trees and find an opening to maybe get a shot through. I hang back to keep the movement down, wind is good but the blesbok are laying down looking in all directions. Zach and Marius move and set up several times to find a good lane to the one they are after. Zach gets an opening and the blesbok provides a shot, shot off but I have no view but thumbs up. Nice shot no tracking required. Nice way to spend an afternoon and get done just in time for dinner.

Day 9
Final hunt. Zach has an impala left on his list. We have seen groups everyday just need to find a good one and avoid all the eyes. Load up back to the free range area we have been hunting. Glass up some kudu, impala but keep looking. Spot a good ram and take off on a walk. Make a big loop, get the wind right, tuck opposite side in a thick valley bottom a shoot across. Finally get a lane and good shot, impala down no tracking. Nice way to spend the morning.

We took an afternoon drive to another property Marius hunts to do some scouting and check the roads after all the rain. Free range area on the Kei river. Glad we did not hunt this area because it is steep mountain hunting. Beautiful area but very rugged. On the drive we spot nyala, kudu, baboons, warthogs, impala just driving and glassing. Get your legs in shape for this place.
This was a great trip and Marius operates a great company and one could not ask for more for an outfitter to deliver. The East Cape area was impressive in terrain and variety of animals available and the multiple biospheres you can be in within a couple hours drive. We will be back in the future for another go in the East Cape.

Great hunt, nice pics, congrats !

Nice hunt. Congratulations.