SOUTH AFRICA: Back-to-back East Cape Hunts With LJ SAFARIS

Finding time for a safari this year was tricky, between work pressures and other hunting commitments, but I was determined to get back to South Africa for a hunt. After some planning with my friend Juan Stander of @LJ SAFARIS, we decided that, in order to hunt all the animals I was after in a free-range setting, within my available time-frame, I would book two 5-day hunts, one in April and one in September. With my September hunt coming up in about three weeks, I thought now was the time to get started on my April hunt report.

I arrived in Port Elizabeth, and met up with Juan and Lauren, before driving about four hours north to their Karoo Concession. I have hunted this area before, and it is beautiful. The terrain is varied, from riverine valleys and green open plains to rugged mountains and rocky plateaus. The game was as plentiful as ever, with excellent trophy quality available for eland, springbok, lechwe, gemsbok, East Cape kudu, black and blue wildebeest, waterbuck, mountain reedbuck and much more. Having hunted those species before, my focus for this part of our hunt was specific. I wanted to hunt a Cape mountain zebra, a klipspringer, and a big blue wildebeest, as well as a genet and another porcupine for mounting.

The first day was spent in search of zebra. I have hunted both Burchell's and Hartmann's zebra in Namibia, but I have always been fascinated by the Cape mountain subspecies, with its small endemic range, striking colouration, and the conservation success story that underpins the recovery of the population.

We set out early, scanning the plains below the mountains for zebra who had come down off the hillside to enjoy the morning sun, before deciding to hike up into the hills.

We saw several dozen zebra that day - the concession abounds with them. We took our time to study them, deliberately seeking out mature lone males, as opposed to herd stallions, in hopes of finding an old male, past his breeding prime. A couple of zebras warranted a closer look, before we eventually picked out an especially large stallion, feeding alone on the side of a large escarpment. Confident that he was an older animal, we decided to try and close the distance. It would be a challenging stalk, uphill and with little cover, but we set off, circling behind the stallion to stay out of sight and downwind.

After following him for a few hundred yards, we set eyes on him again, feeding beneath a large acacia. We slowly closed the gap to 405 metres, further progress halted by the topography. After non-verbal confirmation that I was comfortable with the shot, we set up the sticks and, once a broadside shot was offered, one 180grain bullet from the 300 Win-Mag ended a memorable stalk on a high note.

The Cape mountain zebra is a stunning animal, smaller than other subspecies, but no less impressive, boasting a bright orange muzzle, marbled ears, a beautiful mane and a coat of solid stripes, without shadows. Our stallion was both very large and very old, with torn ears, facial scars, a large dewlap, and worn teeth, the perfect animal to harvest.




Hunting cape zebra in the mountains can be far from straightforward. They are so well adapted to this hilly, rocky terrain, which they traverse with great ease, and so getting an opportunity can take some work. Selecting the right animal from a conservation perspective requires patience and expertise, and cannot be rushed.



This marked a fantastic first morning of the hunt. On the way back to camp, I managed to resist the temptation to have a closer look at a number of animals which would have comfortably qualified for Rowland Ward, including a very large lechwe, black wildebeest, and gemsbok, but for me (in most cases) one specimen on the wall is enough. Back at the lodge, we enjoyed lunch before making plans for blue wildebeest, klipspringer, and some night hunting.

I have always had a strange relationship with blue wildebeest. In my teens, I hunted several in Namibia, mostly cull animals with a couple of decent bulls in and amongst them. I have hunted them on foot and from blinds, I have stalked them for miles, and had them walk right up to me. I did shoot one beautiful bull several years ago in southern Namibia, but for various reasons, I never mounted the animals from that hunt, and so, whilst I have several European mounts, a blue wildebeest shoulder mount remains conspicuously absent from my trophy room.

So for me, the blue wildebeest has always been one of those animals which I would stop to look at, but never look at too closely, unless something very special stood out. I wanted to take a very big bull at some stage, but not enough to take time away from pursuing some of the other species I have been fortunate enough to hunt.

Juan had mentioned in passing that he had been seeing some really nice bulls, and I said that, if we had time, we could have a look at them. With klipspringer hunting planned nearby for the next two days, we found ourselves with a few hours spare that first afternoon, and so we went out to have a look. We looked at many mature bulls, mostly in the 27-28 inch range. Very nice bulls without doubt, but nothing which I could really get excited about. Juan knows that I am specific about the animals I hunt, and he never pushes, or forces the issue.

At about 4pm, we came across a herd of wildebeest feeding on a shallow slope, surrounded by bright green grass and verdant shrubbery, a sign of the great rain which the East Cape had enjoyed that year. Milling between around fifteen cows was a bull which caught my eye immediately. Even at 500m, I could see that he had everything I wanted in a trophy blue - heavy bosses which sloped with age, wide-set horns which extended well beyond the ears and carried thickness throughout, and long, even tips. This was an old bull, dark in the face and body, and we started our approach.

At 320 metres, the sticks went up, and the shot went off, and the bull fell within 20 yards. By far and away, he is the most beautiful, and largest, of the blue wildebeest I have hunted. In that moment, the decision to pass on the ten-or-so shootable bulls we had seen that afternoon was more than vindicated.




With 14.25 inch bases, an overall spread of 29 inches, and a total SCI score of 81 3/8, this bull qualified for SCI gold and Rowland Ward, and will stick with me as a lesson in patience and discipline. That willingness to pass on nice animals in pursuit of special trophies is how Juan and I have managed to achieve the trophy quality that we have together over the years, without setting foot in small camps.

That patience was tested further later on in the hunt, but that is another story.

After placing the ceremonial grass in the wildebeest's mouth, and calling in the vehicle to load it, we heard the calls of jackals as the sun started to set. We spotted them on the opposite hillside, but my attempt at a 600m shot fell just short. Setting that aside, we went back to the lodge for dinner, before getting ready for a night hunt. It was far from an ideal night for lamping, with low temperatures and gusting winds, but we decided to try.

Genet was our primary target, but after about twenty minutes, we came across a beautiful aardwolf, which walked right up to the vehicle. The aardwolf is my favourite of South Africa's nocturnal species, but sadly, no permits were available for this unique animal, so we will try again for that next year.



I love night hunting, not so much the hunting part, but more the opportunity to see nature in a different light (or lack of light). Herding animals bedded down, solitary creatures quietly crossing our path, and the occasional glint of green in the lamp-light.

We did not see much that evening, but we did come across porcupines with some regularity. I have hunted them before, and I wanted a large specimen for a full mount. After about an hour and a half, we came across a big solitary porcupine, feeding through an alfalfa plantation. It was a difficult shot due to the cover and the crop-protection fence that stood between us, but by standing up on the back seat and shooting the .22 freehand over the fence, I was able to connect.



It was an especially large porcupine, with a large crest of bristly hair on its head and neck, and an array of sharp spines covering its hind quarters. Their Afrikaans name translates to 'iron pig', and you can see why after handling them. Our tracker for the hunt was quick to claim it, telling me of a local recipe for porcupine where it is boiled in lemon water and then fried in fish oil. In Africa, nothing is wasted.

The next morning we woke up well before sunrise, driving about an hour and a half, away from the hunting farms and game-proof fences, into farming country. Here the landscape was typified by steep rocky mountains, with limited road coverage. Juan spoke highly of this area and its population of klipspringer, vaal rhebok, and mountain reedbuck.

The sun was shining, and the sky was clear and blue. It was warm, and there was no wind whatsoever, even once we reached higher ground. It was a perfect day to hunt klipspringer. These animals are perfectly camouflaged against the rocky terrain, capable of covering ground with speed and agility, concealing themselves within the landscape, and spotting threats from great distance. It is considered one of the hardest of South Africa's pygmy antelope to hunt, and with good reason. Juan has had success hunting them in this area before, but we set aside two days in order to find a mature, quality ram.



After starting our climb, klipspringer began appearing quickly. We saw several pairs, and took our time to study the rams carefully through the spotting scope. Most were either too young, or around that 3-inch mark, nice rams, but not quite what we were looking for.

We crossed paths with one of the local farm staff, and when he heard we were after klipspringer, he was quick to tell us about a big ram which he was seeing regularly whilst on his rounds, always with a female, and always in the same area. We headed in that direction, and sure enough, the ram was bedded down with his ewe, about 500m up the rocky cliffside. He was relaxed and in a good position for us to approach from below.



What followed was a short but arduous stalk, carefully traversing the uneven, uphill terrain, and avoiding the loose rocks which could give away our position. We made it to a bank of natural rock, large enough to conceal us whilst we watched the ram through the spotting scope. We estimated his horns at 3.5-4 inches, and could tell he was mature, and so we decided to take the shot, off the bipod, at 330m.



He was a very nice ram indeed, with horns just under four inches in length, and displaying secondary growth at the bases. Their hollow fur, distinct facial features, and delicate anatomy showcase just how well they are adapted to their habitat. A special trophy, my sixth of South Africa's tiny antelope, and one I was delighted to take in such a beautiful setting. What we had expected to take two days, ended up taking about three hours.

With the klipspringer hunt wrapped up earlier than expected, we spent that afternoon looking through herds of springbok, trying to pick out a big ram. We saw several, including one which would likely have measured over 14 inches, but the wind had picked up and we were unable to get close enough for a shot.

We called an end to the hunt early, had an early dinner, and set out again after dark, looking once more for genet. This time, conditions were ideal, with much calmer winds and warmer temperatures which made our time on the back of the vehicle much more tolerable. We drove the riverbeds and areas of thicker cover, scanning the treetops for a flash of green light, but seeing only birdlife, springhares, and the occasional porcupine.

We gave up on that area and drove out onto the open plains, where we hoped genets might be drawn into the handful of trees that dotted the landscape. At about 11pm, we found what we were looking for, two faint green dots about halfway up an acacia tree. I found the genet in the scope as it climbed upwards through the leaves and branches. It never stopped, but as it passed through a bare patch between branches, I was able to thread a shot through the foliage with the .22.

I have always wanted a genet, I think they are beautiful, tenacious creatures. We have tried our luck several times on previous hunts, and we were fortunate that this one turned out to be a large male of the small-spotted variety. I will repeat that hunt one day, hoping for a large-spotted genet.

Congratulations on a great hunt. My son and I will be hunting with LJ Safaris next April. Our first time to the Easter Cape. We hunted a few years ago in Limpopo. Good luck on your September hunt.

My large spotted took a couple safaris. Congratz on the klippy and the genet

MikeCLT said:

Congratulations on a great hunt. My son and I will be hunting with LJ Safaris next April. Our first time to the Easter Cape. We hunted a few years ago in Limpopo. Good luck on your September hunt.

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I'm sure you will have a great time there - happy hunting!

AZDAVE said:

My large spotted took a couple safaris. Congratz on the klippy and the genet

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Thanks @AZDAVE - I need to find a civet, honey badger and serval at some point, so that might the time for it!

Haven’t done any night hunting but if I ever do genet and porcupine will be on the list. Congratulations!

@ranger92xi I was able to get my Civet, porcupine, and Serval on the same hunt (along with small spotted genet). My wife had shot a HB on a previous hunt so I didn't take one of the 3 I observed.

I'll try and do that alongside a Limpopo Bushbuck, I still need one of them as well

After a bit of sleep and a late start the next morning, we travelled south to look for common reedbuck further towards the coast. I have always wanted to hunt one, and I have seen a few over the years, but nothing big enough to take. With species like that, once I've shot one, I won't shoot another, and so I would rather wait until the right one presents itself. Juan and I spent a day looking at reedbuck, seeing several in the 10-12 inch range, and spend a while studying one particular ram. He had nice length (I would estimate 13 inches), but his horns were thin, and his neck and body still slight, a nice ram, but not the fully mature specimen we were looking for. We made the difficult decision to exercise that discipline and patience I wrote about earlier, and walk away without one. Sometimes not pulling the trigger can be equally satisfying. We will try again somewhere new next month.

The final day of the hunt was spent at Juan's property near Grahamstown, where I hunted a couple of warthogs, and plans were made for September. Common reedbuck would be our priority, alongside a black impala, and one or two other trophies, which we will talk about as and when we come across them.

The five month wait between safaris was punctuated by a week in Alberta, Canada, where I was able to harvest two beautiful black bears, which is not something too many of us European hunters get to do, alongside a few days of fishing and sightseeing around Slave Lake and Banff National Park. Now we wait until next month...

Interesting hunt, congrats !

@ranger92xi , I had to take a double take on that last picture, 2 black bear from the EC, then I went back and read the post. Classic shoot ready aim.
Good luck in September, I shot a fine reedbuck in the EC near Stutterheim, old battered and worn down.

Thanks @Nyati

Hunt anything said:

@ranger92xi , I had to take a double take on that last picture, 2 black bear from the EC, then I went back and read the post. Classic shoot ready aim.
Good luck in September, I shot a fine reedbuck in the EC near Stutterheim, old battered and worn down.

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Ha! I thought I'd throw in a curveball! Thanks, I'm hoping it'll be another fun trip!

Cool hunt, good luck on the next.

I'm on my way home after another successful hunt with LJ Safaris. Despite bad weather, heavy rain in parts, and a short time-frame, we had another extremely successful hunt.

Our first afternoon was spent looking for common reedbuck. As mentioned previously, we had passed on a few decent rams on our previous hunt in search of something special. On arriving at the property, we immediately started seeing reedbuck, young rams and females. We crossed paths with two nice rams, probably 12-12.5 inches or so, but both still in their prime and holding females, so we decided to leave them and see what else we could find.

After another hour or so, we saw, in my opinion, the perfect ram to take. He was still big in the body but starting to show signs of age, and his horns, whilst very long, were typified more by their great mass, which carried all the way to the broomed tips. Base circumference is not considered when scoring reedbuck, due to the pulp at the bases of their horns, and I believe scoring methods should be amended to incorporate thickness in some way, to reward age and maturity.

We were able to close the distance to about 150 metres, and after the shot, we took some time to admire this beautiful ram. His teeth were fully worn down, his mass exceptional, and whilst we will not know the exact horn length until after the skull is boiled, he has at least 12.5 inches of exposed hard horn, with at least another inch beneath the 3 inches of semi-hard pulp. An exceptional ram, the product of great herd management and selective hunting, and an animal I am glad I waited for.

Early the next morning, we were greeted with cold winds, drizzling rain, and waterlogged ground, far from ideal conditions. The day that followed is one I will remember. Every now and then there is an animal that makes an impression, for a number of reasons, and for me it was a black impala I first encountered three years ago.

At the time, I was hunting bushbuck and nyala with Juan on his property, and I saw this particular ram feeding alone out in the open, about 200 metres away. Juan estimated that he was six years old at the time, and by no means the largest black impala on the property, but a pretty antelope. We had no intention of shooting him, but we spent some time watching him while we waited for other antelope to show themselves.

A year later, in 2025, I was hunting kudu with Juan, and I saw this ram again on the first day, again standing alone. Thicker and heavier now, with a jet black body and a bulging neck, that ram was in his prime. I would see once or twice more during that hunt, always in a different place, and always on his own. Over the months, Juan would occasionally send me a photo of him as and when he saw him.

In April 2026, I saw him again, this time hidden in thick bush, keeping away from the other rutting rams. By now, he was clearly an old ram, evident in his body and condition. At about 18 inches, he is not a trophy ram per se, but nevertheless a beautiful animal. Juan had a number of hunters coming that year who might be tempted to hunt black impala. There are a few on that property, including a much bigger ram, and I said to Juan that, if he survives until September, I'd consider hunting him. That ram proceeded to elude three hunters, one hunter missed him, and another spooked him on approach. In his old age, he had grown wary.

That morning, I saw the ram again, lying down in between the acacia. I know it is the same ram, his horns are unmistakable, but he looked different. His black coat had turned grey, his neck was more slender, and his body thinner. Age catches up to us all. Bedded down and facing us at 300m, I took the shot, which hit slightly right, causing him to run into the thick bush. Some help from the tracking dog and a finishing shot brought this impala's long life to an end.

As I placed grass in his mouth, all that remained was one worn tooth. His horns had over two inches of thick secondary growth. The skin sagged around his neck, and his dark face contrasted against his now pale body. I had known this ram for a few years, and I had seen his rise and decline. At at least nine years old, possibly older, he had reached the very end of his life, and shooting him saved him from further decline. I would occasionally check the open plains during the following days, half-expecting to still see him walking around.