Mark Berndt

AH member
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Messages
28
Reaction score
77
Location
Georgia, USA
Media
17
Hunting reports
Africa
1
Member of
NRA, SCI, FV Gun Club
Hunted
South Africa, Georgia, Colorado.
I made my first South African Safari in May 2016 and took 7 animals. I had studied the Perfect Shot 2 pictures for proper shot placement. I had a great time but that sparked my interest in Cape Buffalo. I had told JD Safaris that I may be interested in a Cape Buffalo hunt in 2017. JD said it would be good to prepared for a cancellation hunt. I prepared. I purchased a Vanguard DG .375 H&H, Leupold 1-6X Scope and loaded some 350 gr North Fork bullets and I practiced over sticks - a lot. I think it was Oct 2016 when JD contacted me about a buffalo hunt but I would need to go before the end of the year. After a brief conversation with my wife, she said I need to go.

After I arrived at Johannesburg airport my PH picked me up and on the way to the farm he got a call about a problem hippo and asked if I was interested. I eventually said yes.

I harvested a Hippo, 2 Cape Buffalos, a Giraffe and a Nyala. What a great hunt. My hunt was booked by JD Safaris, the PH was Clint Mattheus of Clint Hunting Safaris and the PH at the farm I hunted was Hannes and Brendan Nel of Boschnel Safaris.

Videos were shot of my hunts and posted on YouTube.

Buffalo Hunt:

Hippo Hunt:

Giraffe Hunt:

Nyala Hunt:



Cape Buffalo Bull.JPG
Cape Buffalos.JPG
Giraffe.JPG
Hippo.JPG
Nyala.JPG
 
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You really had an adventure there sir! Congrats!
 
Congrats and thanks for sharing!
 
Very nice trophies. How big was the buffalo?
 
Great stuff, congrats sir
 
Very nice trophies. How big was the buffalo?
I haven't got it back yet. I am looking forward to having it measured. Hopefully I will have it back in 2 months.
 
Jeez I'm glad I wasn't first cause I'm not sure what to say. I do have questions. Was the north fork 350 solid a flat head? It certainly smoked the buff second why did everyone wait so long on hippo?
 
Jeez I'm glad I wasn't first cause I'm not sure what to say. I do have questions. Was the north fork 350 solid a flat head? It certainly smoked the buff second why did everyone wait so long on hippo?
The camera zoomed in on the hippo so I was watching it from 150 yds away. My PH and the Kruger official wanted me to take a closer shot but the hippo was in an open field. We couldn't get closer till dusk. The video camera gathers more light than my eyes did. At dusk we slowly moved closer to 70 yds. The PH asked that shoot it in the brain but I couldn't see it ears as I don't see as well as I used to at low light. He then asked me to shoot a solid in the shoulder and a soft into the vitals. Never having seen a hippo before, it's legs were hidden by the tall grass and I had a hard time identifying its shoulder. The hippo finally got to some shorter grass and I could tell where to shoot. My PH said I was his first client to bring down a hippo with a shoulder shot. The solid was a North Fork .375-350 FPS and the soft was a North Fork .375-350 SS. I loaded the solid with one less grain of powder than the soft and they shot the same point of aim. I shot the Cape Buffalo with the same .375-350 SS bullet. Below are the only 2 bullets (.375-350 SS) recovered and they were from the Cape Buffalo Cow. I was most impressed with the NF bullet performance.
Cow Buff NF bullets4.JPG
 
Great trophies! Well done and congrats
 
Awesome trophies. Congratulations!
 
I haven't got it back yet. I am looking forward to having it measured. Hopefully I will have it back in 2 months.
Surprised your PH didn't give you some idea on the size. I only ask as I leave in a little more than two months for my buffalo and PG hunt. I'm trying to get a better idea on size from photos. I initially was to hunt hippo also but changed my mind for different reasons. Any event congratulations on some fine trophies. By the way I too am shooting Northfork solids combined with Swift A frames in my 375 Ruger.
 
Surprised your PH didn't give you some idea on the size. I only ask as I leave in a little more than two months for my buffalo and PG hunt. I'm trying to get a better idea on size from photos. I initially was to hunt hippo also but changed my mind for different reasons. Any event congratulations on some fine trophies. By the way I too am shooting Northfork solids combined with Swift A frames in my 375 Ruger.
I sent my taxidermist in SA a message and asked him to measure it, I'll let you know what he says.
 
I sent my taxidermist in SA a message and asked him to measure it, I'll let you know what he says.
FANTASTIC. I have my guess I want to see how close I am. Which taxidermist you using there?
 
@Mark Berndt, how was your experience with Relive, as far as ease to work/communicate with, quality of work, etc?
 
..........
I am amazed by how many Safari outfitters and taxidermist there are in South Africa.

It is a very well developed market place.
 
The camera zoomed in on the hippo so I was watching it from 150 yds away. My PH and the Kruger official wanted me to take a closer shot but the hippo was in an open field. We couldn't get closer till dusk. The video camera gathers more light than my eyes did. At dusk we slowly moved closer to 70 yds. The PH asked that shoot it in the brain but I couldn't see it ears as I don't see as well as I used to at low light. He then asked me to shoot a solid in the shoulder and a soft into the vitals. Never having seen a hippo before, it's legs were hidden by the tall grass and I had a hard time identifying its shoulder. The hippo finally got to some shorter grass and I could tell where to shoot. .............

This is really instructive. It is easy to judge shot placement in a book with a clear photo of the animal.
Determining aiming point in low light and long grass! That's another story.

Congratulations.
 
@Mark Berndt, how was your experience with Relive, as far as ease to work/communicate with, quality of work, etc?
I had very good email communication with Paul Smith at Relive. He sent me prices and I decided what kind of mounts I wanted and which way I wanted the heads turned. He always answered my emails in a timely manner. I checked mounting prices in the states and they were much more than double what it costs to have them mounted in SA. I like them very much. The zebra hide slowed everything down. I also had 2 zebra leg lamps done. I did have to change the light sockets and I added cedar planks at the bottom, lamp shades, lamp harps and African stone lamp finials. Here are the pics.

20170531_124442.jpg
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