SOUTH AFRICA: Buffalo, Plains Game & Friends With Somerby Safaris

[booker]

Shelanti Game Reserve had generated some fabulous hunts and produced some amazing memories for the four of us. But there are more adventures to be had before we go home and they are going to be had just a little bit further down the road.

This was my third trip to Africa to date and in typical Jared fashion we decided to change the itinerary well substantially. The guys after a few drinks decided that Bushbuck and Dove needed to be added to the menu before we left. And well I had to agree with them that the idea did sound marvelous. So, after a morning hunt we packed our gear and headed south a bit to Jabula Game Reserve here we would focus on getting the guys a Bushbuck and if possible me a Zebra.

Well, that very night we succeeded in the Bushbuck potion of the check list with both Skrocki and Brad taking outstanding trophies Brad with an OLD guy and Skrocki taking a mature but younger male. Both Bushbuck were great representations of the bred. Brads was worn down and the coat was dull and light gray while Skrocki’s was equipped with nicely curled horns with ivory caps and a dark brown coat. Both trophy’s anyone would love to take home. The following day Caden and myself got to work to finish our hunting list, and wouldn’t you know it we both got it done with Caden taking a Black Impala and me putting down the before mentioned Zebra.

With only 2 days left, sad I know…. we headed back to Sherwood Lodge. From here we would take on the Stone and Ringneck Doves of South Africa. Early the next morning we headed around to the West side of Joberg where a farmer had an obvious dove problem. Forget Argentina this place was just as fun and rich in targets. After shooting 5 cases of shells and laying down a crowd pleasing 251 birds, we decided to call it a day.

The bird hunting done it was time to head back to the warm showers and soft beds of Sherwood Lodge as we needed to prepare for the trip back home. This is the part of the trip many people become a bit depressed and downhearted, but not for me. This is the part of the trip I get to look back and ponder on the good times had along with the tribulations. Put them all together and get an experience that has a value that always far outweighs and outlast the dollar cost to my bank account.

 

[Angelo_orygun]

Great report!

That shower picture…

 

[booker]

Great report!

That shower picture…

Well that was a reenactment of a shitty night on our 2019 trip. Andre kept feeding me brandy and cokes and these damn coffee liquor shots at the club and I was stupid enough to take them. Long story short I spent the night in that very shower naked and puking till I was drug out in the morning.

 

[booker]

As I now sit here in the Delta Lounge at Atlanta and after just saying goodbye to the guys each of whom are heading off to their respective gates for the last leg of their adventures. I can’t help but smile. I can’t help but smile when I look back at the last 2 weeks. The best of friends making new memories and laughing about the old. Reminiscing of the good time had and of course some of the bad. But most importantly doing it together in a beautiful country with some of the most beautiful people I know. My mind and soul have been reset, and are both ready to take on the day to day of normal life. Till the next time my friends, till the next time…

The rest of the pictures are photos of some of the beast taken by the group.

Note: the Kudu laying alone on its side was a sick wounded Kudu the anti-poaching crew found barely alive. Skrocki did the beast a favor and dispatched him.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Love that Unicorn.

 

[meigsbucks]

Sounds like a lot of fun… except the night in the shower. Congratulations on getting your buff.

 

[booker]

Love that Unicorn.

That guy was OLD his teeth were falling out. According to the ranch manager that bull was over 15 years old.

 

[Rare Breed]

For those who have not hunted these big black weaponized creatures. It is a test of your stamina, your persistence, your wits and of course your courage. So to not waste any of our time we set out that afternoon to test those very principles. Over the next 4 days we tried a little bit of everything in the attempt to punch a .375 H&H sized hole into the boiler room of a Buffalo. We hit water holes; drug roads even took to the vantage points to locate these beasts. It took us every bit of 4 days of busted stalks and not to mention many miles on foot to finally get a shot opportunity on a bull that hit all my qualification. We spent the morning of day 4 driving checking water holes for tracks in an area we had not visited before. As we drove around the corner to the second tank boom, we had a group of 3 boys hanging by the water cooler and one of them definitely required a second look. Of course, they busted and headed for the hills. We dismounted the truck gathered the gear and went off in hopes of closing the deal. We did in fact get a second look and even a third but these guys were so flighty, we were just pushing them so we decided to pull out before we lost them for good. We headed back to the lodge for some lunch and to discuss picking up the track from the last point we seen them before disappearing into the brush. With lunch complete we headed back to the very spot we lost the 3 boys.

That afternoon Andre put on a tracking seminar that left us in awe. Andre kept us moving forward and sometimes back with the rest of us diligently glassing and watching in hopes of seeing the boys we lost during the mornings hunt. They had covered a couple miles in the hours we spent back at the lodge and seemed to be heading back to the water we busted them off of earlier that day. With the sun quickly heading for the other side of the planet Skrocki and Madelene started talking about maybe it was getting a little late to be trapsing through the bush in an area with well Buffalo! As if the fates were listening in Andre stopped us and motioned for us to hit the dirt. Just to the left of us a tree began to shake and beneath that tree was the Buffalo we were after. As these types of hunts typically go. You spend hours and sometimes days of mind numbing nothing, then BOOM!! A few quick minutes of adrenal pumping excitement and fun. Wouldn’t you know it, this very hunt was quickly turning out to be one of those very hunts. We worked carefully yet quickly up to a small bit of scrub brush, Andre waved me up to glass the guys and to verify that this was the bull I wanted to take a shot at. I told him with a shaky voice “you bet your ass it is”. Right about that time whether it was the wind or they just caught sight of us they all turned to face our group. So, there we were four hunters staring down over three tons of bad attitude that could ruin our good day really quickly. With no time to set up sticks Andre directed me to shoot off his shoulder. Without a moment of hesitation, I set the rifle over onto his right shoulder and zeroed in on the Buffalos chest. This shot only being 80 yards, the stability of the sticks was not needed. Now with a gentle pull of the trigger 300 grains of Buffalo medicine headed for his pump station. As it turned out the dose was the correct one. The Buffalo buckled to his knees, after a short recovery he headed towards a small bunch of trees looking for cover. Although his idea was sound it was fruitless, he stumbled only after about 40 yards of sprinting and wadded up just in front of his target. With the collapse and the following plume of dust we took off to get a better look at the situation. After a quick reload we snuck within sight of the downed Buffalo he was down but was still breathing. Two more insurance shots followed and the quest was complete. My hunt team consisting of Andre, Madelene and Skrocki all playing their parts beautifully helped me successfully fill my tag and my desire to hunt the Hooved Horror.

MORE TO COME....

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Great bull! Congratulations!