SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Buffalo In The Limpopo With KMG Hunting Safaris!

[Vanguard2279]

After my usual amount of procrastination, I'm finally ready to start my report. I'll try not to bore any of you with this tale filled with long flights, long layovers, frustrations, danger and success. And alcohol and laughter. Never forget that.

The Hunters: Vanguard2279 and his best friend, Mani (norfolk shooter).

The Rifles: This will become complicated as you'll soon see.
Ruger M77 Guide Gun in .416 Ruger with a Leupold VX-6 1-6 scope and 410-grain Woodleigh Weldcores.
Forbes M24B with a Leupold 3-9x40 scope and .30-06 and factory Federal 175-grain Terminal Ascent.

PROLOGUE
Marius Goosen of @KMG Hunting Safaris offered a forex-based deal sometime in early 2021. Mani and I jumped on it for a Cape Buffalo buddy hunt in 2022. We had a wonderful time hanging out with Marius and his beautiful & charming wife (Kim) at DSC. We were going to be hunting in the Limpopo between Alldays and Mussina. Marius had hunted the area before and cautioned us that it was going to be hard. Mani and I were more than ready for that.
Tickets were purchased in January with the help of Travel Express and were Premium Plus with my usual aisle seat.

THE JOURNEY
The day prior to leaving, United cancelled that day's EWR-JNB flight over fuel concerns. I checked in at the United counter and was assured that the flight was still good. The last three times I have flown United out of Vegas, the counter agent has demanded an Import permit. I won't bore you with the details of these encounters, but they don't need one. However, nobody has time to spend arguing with anyone who controls whether your firearms get on the plane. Amazingly, they didn't ask this time and did not hit me for oversized luggage with my Pelican Gun Vault.

I boarded my flight to Newark. Now, all I have to do is sit back and relax. The flight to Newark was okay. I'm sure the flight to JNB will be long, but I will survive. I then look forward to clearing my firearms with the assistance of Mr. X from Afton Safari Lodge. I had pre-arranged my room and for the steak dinner. I'll fall into bed after a shower, wake up refreshed and catch a ride back to the airport to meet Mani and Marius. Then we will travel to the farm, zero our rifles and start what promises to be an amazing hunt.

You know that shit didn't happen that way, right?

I land in EWR and turned on my phone. I immediately receive a text from United that essentially says "We cancelled your flight to JNB. Click this link and we'll see what we can do for you". I immediately contact Travel Agent/Crisis Manager Supreme Jenn @TRAVEL EXPRESS and let her know what is happening. She reroutes me through Frankfurt while I'm still on the plane. I forward my 4457 and Invitation Letter which she uses to advise Lufthansa of me transiting with firearms. Usually, this can be a complicated process.

I make it to my gate for my next flight. I'm tracking my bags and can see that my rifles have been loaded, but not my suitcase. I immediately let the flight staff know and one gentleman started working on the problem. At the end of the flight, he advises me that a lot of people looked at his email, but nobody responded to it. Being a positive person, I'm sure that it will only be a delay of a day.

After arrival at FRA, I go to the United baggage office and ask the lady to follow up on my suitcase. She seems somewhat unconcerned and told me to file a lost baggage claim at JNB. I then go to the Police office in the immediate area to see if there needs to be an inspection of my firearms. The guys in the office advised that unless I was picking up my rifles, there was no reason to see them. This was much different than I thought transiting Frankfurt would be and kind of a relief. The downside: I spent 12 hours waiting for my flight to JNB and didn't think to pay for lounge access. I won't forget again. I advised Afton that I would not be staying the night as my flight would arrive the morning after my original itinerary.

I pack on the heavy side. I don't take unnecessary things on safari, but I have everything that I think I might need. In my carry-on backpack, I always have my device chargers, my Kindle, medication, Copenhagen and my binoculars. I texted my daughter and told her that if I didn't have Copenhagen, I would probably be in jail such was my irritation over my delayed suitcase.

The flight FRA-JNB was great Lufthansa's concept of Premium Plus made me think that this route would be great for the future. I arrived at JNB and was met by an airport porter for Afton's VIP Meet & Greet. I hadn't requested it, but it was helpful. We went to the Lufthansa baggage counter and made my claim.

I next met with Mr. X and cleared my rifles which was smooth. I got coffee and waited for Mani and Marius. Mr. X began trying to chase down my bag. Eventually, Mani, his PH (Paul) and Marius arrived. It was great to see Mani as the last time we had hung out was at DSC. I had kept Marius in the loop as to what was happening. We made the decision that we would proceed to the lodge with a stop at the Safari Outdoor to pick up hunting clothes. I was assured by Swissport staff and Lufthansa that my suitcase would be delivered to the lodge shortly after it arrived.

I had carried an extra pair of underwear and socks in my backpack. In retrospect, that was a great idea. At Safari Outdoor, I purchased a shirt, pants, boots and socks. Marius provided me with a KMG shirt and hat. They had just sold their last box of .416 Ruger, but I did pick up a box of 180-grain Remington .30-06. To be frank, Marius had told me that he could source .416 Ruger while I was in Frankfurt and I had passed, foolishly believing that the bag issue was temporary.

Our arrival at the lodge was later than we planned so we enjoyed a nice dinner and a fire and then went to bed. I had my own cabin with a great bed and my own bathroom.

The next morning, a small group of Waterbuck cows were grazing just below my cabin. Breakfast has hearty and good and we headed to the range to zero rifles. Marius loaned me a CZ 550 .375 H&H and Mani gave me several 300-grain Accubonds and a couple Solids. Our intention was to target a large bull that Marius had seen previously, but had not been able to connect with. We found what we believed to be his tracks and started following. He managed to always stay ahead of us. Eventually, the wind swirled and he was gone with the sound of thundering hooves and crashing brush. I would imagine that anyone who has hunted Cape Buffalo in very thick country has similar stories.

The ground we tracked the Buffalo on ranged from sand to rocky. Marius had warned us how hard this could be and he was correct. Each day was a repeat of the previous. We would follow fresh tracks, often hear the Buffalo ahead of us and then they would be gone. It would be several days of hard hunting before we actually had a bull in the scope.

One thing that I should mention is that the farm was infested with Crocodiles. Marius had told me about a hunt a few weeks prior where they had received four inches of rain in a single evening. Much of the area we were now traversing was under water. Fortunately, the water had receded, but the brush was still full and green. Every puddle seemed to have a Croc in it. Even if it didn't, you still treated it like it might.

 

[Vanguard2279]

In the later afternoon of Day Three, we ran into Mani, Paul and their crew. Mani at first told us that the farm owners' nephew, Niku, had been injured and he needed help getting him out of a dry riverbed. For those who don't know, Mani is not a great liar. However, we played along and followed him down the riverbank. Before us lay a really impressive Cape Buffalo bull that Mani had knocked down with his Edwardian-era Francotte .375 and Accubonds. We all celebrated his success and got ready for the arduous job of getting that beast out of the riverbed. Fortunately, that job was handled with Backhoe.

 

[TucsonFX4]

Love it! I couldn’t stop reading

 

[Mekaniks]

Congratulations @Vanguard2279 and @norfolk shooter. Can’t wIt for the rest of the story!!

 

[Vanguard2279]

One point I need to make about the Buffalo on this farm. There is no segregated "Bull only" herd. There are mixed herds, bachelor bulls and the occasional Daggaboy mixed in. Much criticism has been launched at South Africa and it's dangerous game hunts. Ain't nobody got time for egotistical arguments over what is better or what experience is more of an "experience". This was hard hunting and I'm very glad that I had Sir Marius as my PH/Outfitter. He was diligent and single-minded in his pursuit of game. On this biosphere, we needed that.

(Courtesy of Rhinehart500)

Even though I took a notebook with me, I failed to keep notes. In the afternoon of day 5, we drove past a bull just off the edge the dirt road. We travelled past that area and then Marius, Thomas (our tracker) and I dismounted and began a stalk. At one point, Marius told me to take off my shoes. I momentarily thought he had misspoken, but then I realized he was serious. The terrain was particularly gravelly and quiet approach was not possible. I told him later that my total barefoot walking experience in the last 30 years had been from my bed to the bathroom and back.

We managed to stalk to within twenty yards of the bull. My position and the brush made it difficult for me to tell where his nose ended and chest began despite zooming in and out with the scope. Marius pulled us out as the front of the boss was still soft. We had time, but not having put down a bull by day 6 of an eight day hunt can cause a bit of stress. It's here that I should point out that I was not overly worried. I've eaten tag soup in the past and can deal with it. As long as I've hunted hard and the PH has done his best, I'm fine. It's HUNTING. Despite what the Anti's claim, this isn't easy or taken for granted that one will be successful.

 

[Vanguard2279]

DAY SIX

We had seen a beautiful older bull with bosses that had fused together in the middle and we were determined to get an opportunity at him. We started out early in an area of the farm that he spent time in with another younger but pretty good bull near a mostly dry riverbed. At this point, Mani and Paul are actively assisting my hunt. We're set up in a good spot where we believe the bulls will have to cross to our front. Thomas and a couple other trackers are bumping the bulls.

Out of nowhere, the old bull and his askari come by, but out of range. He is (in my eyes) magnificent! His partner is pretty good too. We relocate and attempt to catch up to him. As tracking bulls in the mopani so often goes, we kept bumping him. Old bulls don't get old by being dumb or having an abundance of patience. Soon, he grew tired of our bullshit and ran through a fence. No, it wasn't particularly a tough fence but I was impressed by his antisocial attitude.

This was a frustrating moment for all of us. However, we knew he would come back.
Stay tuned. I'll finish this beast when I get home.

 

[Pheroze]

Great story telling, and I am looking forward to the next installment!

 

[Vanguard2279]

I've been remiss about a few things. I departed Vegas on 04/25 with arrival scheduled for 04/26 and meeting Marius and Mani on 04/27.

I also want to take a moment cover a second barefoot stalk that we made. We ran into a mixed herd. Marius, Thomas and I are off the truck and Marius advises that we need to go barefoot. To be clear, I'm going to carry a second pair of old thick socks with me in the future. We walked a distance to me that seemed like miles barefoot and finally closed with the herd. They were strung out in their travel formation and we had only a brief view of a bull as they moved into thicker brush that I was sure was covered with cactus and thorns. I'm actually pretty proud of myself for going as far as we did. However, as we waited for the truck, I took a few tentative steps and realized that I wouldn't be walking barefoot any more on this hunt. I had to borrow tweezers when we got back to the lodge.

In case anyone is wondering, no my suitcase hasn't arrived. I'm checking it daily on the Lufthansa app where it says it has gone EWR-AMS-FRA and even received an email that it would be arriving at JNB on 04/29/2022. It was the subject of many jokes during the hunt. I bought some really great UnderArmor boots at Safari Outdoor that I like a lot more than the Merrell's that I packed in my AWOL suitcase. One morning was kind of chilly and all of my compatriots are wearing jackets. "Nate, do you have a coat?" "Yeah. It's in my suitcase". "Is this going to be a formal dinner because my dinner jacket is in my suitcase". You get the idea.

 

[Andrew62]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this out and share with the rest of us. I too made the mistake of not taking clothes in a backpack on my first safari, my bag arrived 9 days later, I never made that mistake again!! Once I landed in the rain forest for a bongo hunt, I saw my bag come off of the charter plane, got to camp, my bag wasn't there, someone put it back on the charter plane. Thankfully, all I needed was ammo and a book to read, everything else was in my backpack!! Thanks again for a great and detailed story!! Loved it!!!

 

[Vanguard2279]

I'm not stressing over not connecting with a bull. This hunt is what I was hoping it to be. Marius had told us about a previous hunt on this farm and how they didn't see Buffalo for several days. His words to us about not passing up a great bull because we think we might see a better one over the next few days was wise advice.

I think it was still Day Six when one of the farm owners did a drive-by photo snapping of an older white-faced bull with a worn down horn. We immediately started working the area. Remember what I said about old bulls getting old because they are smart? This guy popped smoke and DISAPPEARED. The fieldcraft of some of the bulls to circle back to their own trails was impressive. If we were lucky enough to take a bull, we earned it. I was endlessly impressed by the tracking abilities of Thomas and Vusi.

I should also mention how beautiful the area around the lodge was. It was perched on a hill with a river and pond below. Daily, we saw Crocodile and Hippo.

 

[Vanguard2279]

DAY SEVEN:

Through use of ISR (Intelligence/Surveillance/Reconnaissance), we are pretty sure the old bull has gone back to his favorite area. We come up with a plan. We set up on a spot on the riverbed. Trackers purposely bump the herd and we wait. There is a whole in the fence that the bulls use to go to other parts of the farm. We patched the hole that the old guy made the day before. From prior experience, we know that the fence is little actually deterrence to these buffalo and the mopani is thick enough to make digging them out almost impossible.

We had a feeling that whatever was going to transpire was going to be close. I felt comfort in the fact that Marius would be running his .500 NE, but I really did not want a situation where he had to shoot. Paul passed me the CZ 550 .458 Lott that he was carrying. This was loaded with 500-grain Barnes TSX. I loaded the magazine where the first two would be TSX and the third would be a Solid (Federal, I believe).

At one point, we had to move as we thought the buffalo were headed to their exit through the brush. That was a wild ride. However, we learned that the bulls were still with the herd so we raced back. It's times like this that I appreciated those photos of a hunter staring at herd of Buffalo in the tall grass and they stare back at him because they aren't sure what he is. Unfortunately, these bulls have been hunted and are crafty.

I'm on the sticks and not my beloved 4stable Sticks. I have talked before about how terribly I have done off those in past. Today, I'm steady. I don't really have a choice. I need to make a good first hit. I never want to screw up a shot where my PH has to go full Mark Sullivan.

Two bulls approach from left to right at about 60 yards. Marius glasses them quickly and advises that the front one is the better bull. I fire and hear the impact. The bulls immediately take off to their left and away from us. I reload quickly and start positioning for a second shot as I don't know how well he's hit. The shot felt good.

One bull runs up an embankment into the trees. The bull that I hit begins to go up and collapses backwards. We close the distance. Now, we are about 30 yards with the collapsed bull's back to us. Marius advises me to put one in the spine. I mount the sticks and hit him. Marius tells me to hit him again in case I was off the spine a little. I put the Solid through the same hole. It was the spine. Later, this would momentarily perplex me as there were two bullet holes close together on the other side of the bull. One was the entrance the other below it was the Solid exiting.

I apologize for the blood. It's not meant to be gratuitous. This is just the reality of how he fell.

 

[Pheroze]

I am glad you got your bull!

 

[Vanguard2279]

Now, we have to maneuver around him and get into position above him on the slope. As we ascending, I slipped on a rock and fell. I am thankful that I remember to put my safety on and I keep my finger off the trigger. However, the event could have been more tragic than embarrassing if I hadn't. We got above the bull and Marius began moving towards the bull to check for life. My friend Mani and I covered the bull with the ability to lay down some heat if he twitched. Marius bounced a rock (or two) off of him with no movement. He was done. Without going into detail, a demon that had bothered me since 2019 was exorcised. I was very happy with this bull. It wasn't the old daggaboy who had blown through the fence. We were looking for a respectable, fully mature bull and we found him.

Forgive me if I'm not up on heavy machinery, but the guy working on the farm with a backhoe came over and used his front loader to get the bull out of the slight crevasse. It involved moving a couple boulders.

After he was moved, Marius was able to see the entry wound and advised me that my first shot was through his heart. I of course responded "That's what I thought. I meant to do that".

I'm going to make dinner quickly. I shouldn't eat this late, but I've really wanted to avoid those of you reading this being left hanging. I'll be back.

 

[Red Leg]

Well done to both of you. And well told. Thanks!

 

[booker]

Outstanding hunting report and great bulls CONGRATULATIONS.

 

[Vanguard2279]

We find a nice level piece of riverbed and have the bull lowered. Marius wanted to get a couple pictures a certain way and I wanted to take a very specific photo.

We loaded the bull and spirited him back to the lodge and the skinning shed. I'm definitely going for a shoulder mount and having the backskin turned into leather.

We had been dining on Mani's bull for a couple days. The Buffalo Stew for lunch one day was fantastic. To be frank, all of the meals were really good. I had always wanted a ribeye from a buffalo. On my hunt in 2019, they cooked the tenderloin. Kind of reminded me of the "Tacos" scene in "Born In East LA". The lady owner of the property approached me and told me that she had instructed her butcher to cut ribeyes as the dinner for the last night. Getting ahead of myself, but they were great.

 

[Vanguard2279]

After we returned to the lodge for the day, I missed a call on my cell. I immediately redialed and was greeted by an Officer Vonk of the Amsterdam Airport Police. Very good English. He mentioned that there were restrictions on flying through Amsterdam with munitions and asked if I had pre-arranged doing so. I asked him if I could start at the beginning to which he responded "Please". I related the story of my adventures and reroutes.
"When did you transit Amsterdam?"
"I never went through Amsterdam".
"Why is your suitcase here?"
"That's a good question".
Apparently, United sent my bag to AMS with the idea that it would travel to JNB. KLM went on strike and my bag stayed. Finally, somebody who had actually seen my suitcase. He asked for the combination to one of my locks so they could secure my case. I gave it to him. He told me that it would get to me eventually, but he was not sure when.

I don't remember when we did it, but we zeroed my .30-06 with the Remington Core-Lokt ammo and prepared to hunt a Limpopo Bushbuck on our last day. There was one that we had gotten glimpses of a couple times and Marius had seen him previously. By all accounts, he was impressive.

We spent the day afield, but were not able to connect. It wasn't a lack of skill or trying.
This not the Bushbuck, but a young one we saw casually feeding. One day, he'll be a monster,....if he doesn't get snatched by a Crocodile first.

 

[cls]

Well done all around, congratulations on a couple great bulls. Thanks for the enjoyable report.

 

[Vanguard2279]

And then, it was time to go home. Our shuttle picked us up at a gas station and we began the journey back to JNB. On the way, I received a text from United that there were severe thunderstorms at Newark and that my flight may be cancelled. I immediately checked availability at City Lodge and came up with a plan. My suitcase was going to land at 2120 that night and I vowed that I would walk over from City Lodge and claim it. A small victory, to be sure.

 

[Vanguard2279]

Upon arrival at JNB, we went for a Covid test so I could fly home. $14 and ten minutes and I was on my way. I was happy to see just how available testing was. I checked in a roller duffel (a gift from the farm owners) with my meager belongings and dropped off my rifles without incident.

The pizza place in the secure area was still closed! I'm still irritated. It was open outside the secure area, but closed within. Regardless, Mani and I ate at Jackson's just like Doc and I did last year. I really hope that changes when I'm returning from my hunt with Dave Freeburn in October.

I hit Out of Africa Kids and picked up stuffed animals for my granddaughters' menagerie. I'll be glad to see them. After the mass casualty event in Uvalde, I really want to hug my daughter and granddaughters.

I hugged my friend and told him I'd see him at DSC. It never fails to amaze me how people that have never met him come up and ask if he's norfolk shooter. A guy turned to me and asked if I was on AH. "I am, but I'm a nobody". Of course, it's hard to miss the guy wearing English country gentleman casual with neon pants.

United's premium Plus is no comparison to Lufthansa. it was okay. I didn't die.

Arrival at Newark was fine and the process of getting through Customs was easier than it is in Atlanta. I do marvel at this: In Newark and DC, CBP insists that a porter transport my weapons to the ticket counter. When I've flown SAA, I pick up my rifles at Baggage Claim and go on my way freely to the ticket counter. Every airport is different.

I had seen a guy and his dad at JNB, but I talked to them in Newark. It turned out to be 45bthompson and his father. They had been trapped in SA since 04/27 because of the flight cancellations. However, they chose to drive on and went on two additional safaris including one with a friend, Johan vanWyk of Executive Hunts Africa. I was happy for them that they were finally making it home. Cool guys. I'm glad they made it home.

I arrived in Vegas and Doc picked me up. I immediately went to the kennel and picked up my Goldens. My dogsitter was running a Ragnar relay with my daughter and wasn't available. I hated leaving them that long, but I knew they would be cared for and be safe.

Things I would change? I wish I had Marius get the .416 Ruger he had access to. Both rifles I carried on the buffalo hunt were fine, but I really prefer using my own stuff. They are what I've trained on, loaded for and know well. I wish losing my suitcase hadn't bothered me so much. After a few days, I realized it wasn't catching up to me. Having two outfits and getting by really makes you reassess how you pack. I will never be like Mani. He stuffs clothes in his rifle case and has a carry-on bag. Boom! Done!

I wore a pair of 5.11 pants on the flight over that were suitable to hunt in. I'm going to a vacuum pack bag and pack a t-shirt, underwear and boot socks.

I am endlessly thankful for Jenn @TRAVEL EXPRESS. I urge everyone to use a travel agent in these uncertain times. If I found myself trapped by United, she would have found a way for me to get out and home. Yes, it costs a little more, but it's worth it.

We've argued on this website about losing one's ammo and what to do about it, if carrying a rifle with easily accessed ammo is a good idea. I've always worried about it. In truth, it was a series of freak accidents that led to this. And who knew KLM would go on strike at just the moment my suitcase arrives?

Mani is having a .500 Jeffery built. It will be a fabulous rifle. If anyone in the US is parting with some .500J brass in the future, message me. Now, I just need to convince him to hunt with me again. I'd love to hunt buffalo with Marius and Mani in 2024.

This was my seventh African hunt. You learn things with each one. I have enjoyed all of them for one reason or another. As my experience grew, I understood more about what I want and how I want to do it. I whole-heartedly recommend KMG Safaris and Marius Goosen to anyone that is looking for a quality dangerous game or Plains game hunt.