SOUTH AFRICA: Dugga Boy In The Salt Cutting Edge Bullets Get An A

Panielsen

AH enthusiast
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
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Odessa, TX
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15
Hunting reports
Africa
1
Member of
Dallas Safari Club, NRA, SCI
Hunted
United States, Limpopo South Africa
Well we are back from S.A. with a lifetime of memories and full of pride. We arrived in Johannesburgh with no clue what we were doing. My 4457 forms were not stamped in the USA as Houston Hobby Airport does not have customs, and in Atlanta they would sign them without seeing them. Lesson learned as I almost didn't get to keep my rifles in Africa. Thankfully the police accepted what US cash I had left in my pocket and I was on my way to Phalaborwa in Limpopo, South Africa!

I met my PH "Joe" at the airport and he took us first to the grocery store to complete his camp supply shopping. My wife took more pictures in there than she had the whole trip to this point! While shopping, I had a chance to talk to my PH about the buff I wanted. I told him I did NOT want a huge young bull, but rather an old warrior with big boss' and worn horns. He smiled and said he likes hunters like that as he feels they make the best trophies. Little did I know that my PH was psychic and would find the bull I had in my head!

The following morning we went out to check the .458 at the range. We shot from 50 meters and I was dead on. My PH was happy with the work I put in on the range and loading bench. He was just as anxious to see what the Raptor bullets would do as I was since he had never even heard of them. I told him I would put the Raptor on top, then solids below just in case the Raptors were dud's. He agreed. We went out that afternoon from the range and look for buff. We found track of a big old bull not far from our camp on the Elephant river. We followed the track for a couple of hours, then our trackers lost the spoor. So, off to enjoy a fire and sundowners!

The next morning before sun up, joe was waiting at breakfast with his .450 Ackley and a hot cup of coffee. After a quit breakfast, we loaded up into the Toyota, and went looking for spoor. After about two hours of driving around we found the spoor of two large buff, one being very old. My PH decided to give a portable radio to the trackers and sent them on the spoor since we were afraid they would be off our concession very soon along the river. We mounted up and drove several miles in the direction of the track and awaited word from the trackers. While we waited, my wife found lots of rocks to bring home and we talked guns and cartridges in the shade. Finally the radio crackled and it was the trackers. They followed the spoor close to our river camp and they felt they would pass our camp and then our concession within the next hour, so we loaded up to meet them.

We arrived by the river where the trackers were waiting. My PH asked them what they thought we had, and they said it was definitely the old bull and a younger one that was also large. We loaded up the rifles again and set off on the track along the rivers edge. While we were walking the crocs, only feet away from us, would splash back into the river. The grass and reeds were now over our heads and I began to smell the cattle smell of our animals. Elephant were in the bush on our right and I will never get used to how large they are. Across the river is Kruger, and we saw a bachelor herd on that side just watching us, knowing they were safe yet taunting us from the safety of the park. We pushed on until the tracker froze and pointed. My PH lifted his glasses, so I lifted mine. All I saw was the back of a big buff, but he saw the horns. He softly whispered that this was a old buff with huge boss', but wasn't real wide. He asked if I wanted him, but since I didn't see the horns myself I asked my PH if it was his tag would HE take him. He smiled and said hell yeah, he is a really old big bossed bull. I told him we would take him then. As we worked our way through the tall grass and reeds, I felt my blood pressure rise as I STILL couldn't see the buff! Finally my PH stopped and said in a whisper, "he is not 10 yards in front of us!" I still couldn't see him! He put the sticks up and I slid my Winchester through the reeds. He whispered, "in the river, hit him 4 inches to the left of his ear on the shoulder." I looked through the scope and the biggest, ugliest, meanest looking bovine I had ever seen was staring right through me into my soul! I felt like he knew every sin I had ever committed and was there to collect on them from the way he looked at me. I calmed my breathing, placed the crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed. I never heard or felt the rifle go off, as water spouted from behind him, his front legs came up and he took off like a sea monster from the river, but what was worse, so did two others we didn't see and the brush all around us came alive with buffalo all up and running now right past us! It was a bachelor herd, and I just whacked the leader! My PH yelled whack him again, I was ready with the rifle, but wasn't sure which was mine at that point, so I yelled back "is that him running away?" He said "Don't shoot now, I lost him" then took off running after the herd. I followed then he stopped and said hit him on the shoulder! I wasn't 15 yards from my buff who was down, but couldn't see him right away. I found him and put a Hornady solid through his shoulder. The my PH started waving is arms yelling, throwing elephant dung and more yelling. I looked on top of the hill and the bulls were coming back at us every time mine bellowed. I didn't know what to do except be ready. Finally after a few minutes of this, the left. My PH and I approached my old bull. I have never shook so much in my life staring in disbelief. This was EXACTLY the bull I had in my head when I had that conversation with my PH in the store.

We looked him over and found the Raptor shank passed through leaving a 3" exit wound. The peddles also penetrated the far side of the buff, one exiting the neck! Joe said he would very much like a box of those Raptors. I told him I would send him a box.

More to come as the family is waiting on me for me to go eat!

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WoooHooo! Hell of a buff. Heartiest congrats.
 
Well done!!!

Congrats!
 
Very nice!
 
Great bull, congrats !
 
very good bull.
 
Love it, 10 yards and you had not seen him. Goes to show that Black hair is the new camo.

Congratulations on a very nice Bull.

Glad to see you have a bonafide rock collector in your house as well.
 
Congratulations Sir, very well done. Well worth the wait was it not?
 
Very nice congrats sir.
 
Love hard heavy bosses.

Congratulations and thanks for the report.
 
Congrats, nice cape buffalo!
 
Congrats on a great buffalo hunt. Well done. Bruce
 
GREAT hunt and some serious adrenaline running there!!
 
So we go through the photo session afterward and loaded the buff on the Toyota, which shocked me as he looked as big as the truck! Then I asked if I could leave my grand fathers hunting cap where my buff fell. He was a big game hunter who hunted moose his whole life, but never made it to Africa. My PH allowed me so I hung his hat in the tree that my buff fell under. Now we were off to the skinning shed. The whole way over there I talked my PH's head off about AH.com and telling him I promised a report on how the bullets did. We skinned the buff out and the Raptor made an impressive exit wound on the far side. The peddles mostly all had their own exit wounds, though they were tiny. The skin was not trashed by all the wounds which in my opinion was a big plus. The internals were shredded such as lungs, liver, etc and it appeared as though the Raptor didn't lose it's peddles until inside the chest cavity creating tremendous damage. The solid of course had a nice neat .458 hole all the way through so it was easy determine pathways of both bullets. The raptor penetrating his leg bone and out the rib cage did exactly as advertise. My PH was very impressed as were the other PH's when they looked at my trophies later in the hunt. So now I am up to 4 boxes requested by the safari PH staff including the owner, and I was not allowed to leave with any Raptors in my possession as the owner also shoots a .458 Win. Mag. on dangerous game.

The following morning we went across the river to Kruger for the day. The amount of game was astounding! The dugga boys in Kruger were so old and many were missing one or both horns. The young bulls both in Kruger and on the concession we hunted were amazing in spread and boss'. Who ever hunts there in the next few years is sure to get a wonderful trophy. I don't remember if I put out my bulls dimensions, so due to pride, I'll tell you again. He has 15" boss' and 35" spread. The boss' are what I am most proud of!

The morning after Kruger we loaded up and drove 3 hours North to "Main Camp". There we stayed in the Buffalo lodge and it was absolutely amazing! We ate Kudu, my Steenbok, and my Impala all week long and even some of my buff! All was absolutely mouth watering, and meat in which I could get here in the States. Cape to Cairo was my outfitter and I give them an A+++ rating. Every need or desire was met on this safari and it was priced very affordably.

Well now I had a lot of time and filled it with more animals. My wife wanted a zebra, and little did I know how damn hard that would be... We were taken to a meat camp daily to hunt the zebra. Now I don't know if any of you hunted one and had as hard as a time as I did, but brother, that is hard hunting! Nat Geo is a liar, as I spent two days sweating, bleeding from thorns, twisting ankles, and only getting two 200+ yards shots, missing both as the .458 hasn't ever even tried that before! I wasn't expecting to add animals, I know should have listened to you guys, and the damn wildebeasts busted us everytime we got within Christian shooting ranges. There is nothing more demoralizing then walking through thorns and thick jess for hours just to hear the hoof beats leaving you and never even get a look. Finally my old out of shape self told my young PH, I was done with those damn zebra this trip. On the way out and back to main camp we came across an amazing 4.5" Steenbok! I got off the truck and stalked him a short way then whacked him. The Raptor once again was amazing! I didn't destroy the little guy at all! The peddles were shed and the shank made about a 3" hole on the opposite side. Once again, my PH told me he would really like me to send him some, lol.

The net day we were off and I shot an amazing Impala ram on a dried river bed not even 2 hours into that days hunt. Took him to the skinning shed, and went back out intending to get a baboon. Well, and even larger Impala came along so I took him as well. That guy measured 25.5"!!! So now I had 4 animals in the salt and my wife aand wallet said no more. That left only 1 day which we filled with shooting at the range, loved the .450 Akley, and swimming. The staff made me drinks that made the heat dye off immediately and we feasted on my game. Then back the following day.

As my first huntreport, I know I have missed a ton of info, but I hope you enjoyed and enjoy the pics. This was a long time coming and a dream come true. If you haven't yet bagged your buff, stay the course as it is so worth the wait! I am having my buff's back skin made into a culling belt, knife sheath, and rifle sling. That way my first buff will always be with me on future safari's. That is how special it is folks!
 

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Thanks for sharing your tale with us.
Congratulations.
 
My pleasure Brickburn! I was happy to FINALLY make my own report from Africa! Not that I haven't enjoyed reading those by others, just that it means I actually did it myself, LOl!!!
 
Awesome!!!!! Thank you for the story and what a spectacular old bull. Congrats!
 
Congratulations on your Buff
 

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