Hyde Hunter
AH elite
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2019
- Messages
- 1,336
- Reaction score
- 1,751
- Location
- Stickney,SD
- Media
- 12
- Member of
- life member NRA,CowBoy Fast Draw
First trip with Henry Griffiths Safaris, decided to take up Henry's cull package and added a cow buffalo to it. Started off like a normal flight on Delta until I got to Joburg and found that the baggage handlers in Atlanta did not bother to load my rifle case, so met up with Henry at Afton House and had to stay another night while my case was finally shipped the next day so hung out with Henry while he made a delivery to Highveld Taxidermy and stopped at the Safari Store, what a selection of Rigby Rifles they had.
The next day we drove almost 6 hours to Wild Goose lodge and settled in. The lodge has 2 bedrooms and 2 tented rooms which are very nice with a chance to see a Rhino and Buffalo outside the doors. Then a trip to the range to check the Sauer 9.3-62 and CZ550 in 458 win mag. The Sauer was spot on and off bags the 458 was low and right, but a change to the sticks and 2 shots almost touching at 50 yards at the orange dot and ready to go. So we went for a drive to see what might happen and found a large herd of Blue Wildebeest and after a little moving around we got on one and the 215 gr CEB took her right down, we loaded her up and off to the skinning shed to process, this is a cull hunt and Henry said they really need to remove about 100 cows from the herd. The next morning we went for a walk to go look for a cow buffalo and cut tracks leading from the water source and after about a mile caught up with a herd of about 15-20 animals, a couple of the bulls were great hard boss animals with very nice spread. We were finally able to pick out an old cow and after moving around in the bush I was able to get the rifle across a tree branch and send a 420 gr CEB Safari Raptor .458 Win Mag into her shoulder at about 50 yards and she spun and went about 20 feet and was down for the count. We had to wait about 25 minutes for the pick up truck to show up and push the herd off as they did not want to leave her and looked as a couple of bulls wanted to push us away, she was a very old cow and from the looks would not have made it more than a few months. The Raptor destroyed he heart and the exited the off side fantastic bullet performance. Later in the day we went looking for Blesbok, this property has a ton of them and after a short stalk were able to get within about 225 yards and put one down with the 9.3 and 215 gr Raptors. At this point I have to say I love this bullet BUT, CEB has decided to stop production as they do not sell enough to keep in stock and will only now run them if you order 500 at a time which is way to many for me, would love to get a few hunters together and make a group buy.
The next morning looks like rain but we went for a walk out on the plains and spotted a group of Wildebeest and was able to make a shot at 150 yards and had to take a going away shot to finish her off. This bullet was only one of two we found and it was found under the shin in the chest area. For the first time we spotted some small Warthogs and was able to make a 100 yard shot and put her down. A little while we spotted another Blesbok and the shot was at about 140 yards and down she went. We finished off the morning with a nice Impala at 110 yards and called it a day with heavy rain coming with lightening.
Time to go looking for Buffalo and spotted a group of about a dozen 9 bulls around 40-44 inches very nice looking and 3 cows but we could not get a shot and off they went. we kept going and ran into a few Warthogs at about 50 yards and as the first one cleared to brush sent an and dropped her. other Raptor on it's way. Glad I took the animal because when we got up to her we found she had a snare around her head and below her eye that had been there long enough for the skin to grow over the wire poor animal.
The next day after a good rain the night before, we went for a walk and spotted a group of Wildebeest and was able to get set up on the sticks and made a shot at 277 yards and dropped her with a spine shot just behind the head, I do not know how that happened as I was going for a high shoulder shot but it worked. Well with 4 days tog my cull package was done, so asked Henry to see what the property owner would do for a couple more Wildebeest and a couple more Cow Buffalo. The next morning the owner came through and off we went to find another Wildebeest and a couple buffalo.
To be continued:
The next day we drove almost 6 hours to Wild Goose lodge and settled in. The lodge has 2 bedrooms and 2 tented rooms which are very nice with a chance to see a Rhino and Buffalo outside the doors. Then a trip to the range to check the Sauer 9.3-62 and CZ550 in 458 win mag. The Sauer was spot on and off bags the 458 was low and right, but a change to the sticks and 2 shots almost touching at 50 yards at the orange dot and ready to go. So we went for a drive to see what might happen and found a large herd of Blue Wildebeest and after a little moving around we got on one and the 215 gr CEB took her right down, we loaded her up and off to the skinning shed to process, this is a cull hunt and Henry said they really need to remove about 100 cows from the herd. The next morning we went for a walk to go look for a cow buffalo and cut tracks leading from the water source and after about a mile caught up with a herd of about 15-20 animals, a couple of the bulls were great hard boss animals with very nice spread. We were finally able to pick out an old cow and after moving around in the bush I was able to get the rifle across a tree branch and send a 420 gr CEB Safari Raptor .458 Win Mag into her shoulder at about 50 yards and she spun and went about 20 feet and was down for the count. We had to wait about 25 minutes for the pick up truck to show up and push the herd off as they did not want to leave her and looked as a couple of bulls wanted to push us away, she was a very old cow and from the looks would not have made it more than a few months. The Raptor destroyed he heart and the exited the off side fantastic bullet performance. Later in the day we went looking for Blesbok, this property has a ton of them and after a short stalk were able to get within about 225 yards and put one down with the 9.3 and 215 gr Raptors. At this point I have to say I love this bullet BUT, CEB has decided to stop production as they do not sell enough to keep in stock and will only now run them if you order 500 at a time which is way to many for me, would love to get a few hunters together and make a group buy.
The next morning looks like rain but we went for a walk out on the plains and spotted a group of Wildebeest and was able to make a shot at 150 yards and had to take a going away shot to finish her off. This bullet was only one of two we found and it was found under the shin in the chest area. For the first time we spotted some small Warthogs and was able to make a 100 yard shot and put her down. A little while we spotted another Blesbok and the shot was at about 140 yards and down she went. We finished off the morning with a nice Impala at 110 yards and called it a day with heavy rain coming with lightening.
Time to go looking for Buffalo and spotted a group of about a dozen 9 bulls around 40-44 inches very nice looking and 3 cows but we could not get a shot and off they went. we kept going and ran into a few Warthogs at about 50 yards and as the first one cleared to brush sent an and dropped her. other Raptor on it's way. Glad I took the animal because when we got up to her we found she had a snare around her head and below her eye that had been there long enough for the skin to grow over the wire poor animal.
The next day after a good rain the night before, we went for a walk and spotted a group of Wildebeest and was able to get set up on the sticks and made a shot at 277 yards and dropped her with a spine shot just behind the head, I do not know how that happened as I was going for a high shoulder shot but it worked. Well with 4 days tog my cull package was done, so asked Henry to see what the property owner would do for a couple more Wildebeest and a couple more Cow Buffalo. The next morning the owner came through and off we went to find another Wildebeest and a couple buffalo.
To be continued:
