SOUTH AFRICA: Last Minute Cape Buffalo Hunt With Africa Maximum Safaris

[Samb]

Thank you for the fantastic write up . I most enjoyed the story and the photos.

 

[TERMINATOR]

Thank you for the fantastic write up . I most enjoyed the story and the photos.

Thank you. I will share your feedback with my wife who took all the photos.

Good luck in all your hunting

 

[WyoBull]

Well I guess I should wrap this up....

Days 5 & 6

So I spent the last two days out in the bush looking for a shooter warthog. It was not to be. The only one I saw all week was the one that won the race to the fence and got to the neighbor property. We kept looking for him but no luck. And we keep looking for the Trespasser Warthog (or Ghost Warthog as Arrie referred to him) also with no luck.

On day 5 we went to a area way back on the farm that we had not been before because the workers said that they always saw Reedbuck there, so we went for a look.

This farm really isn't managed for Reedbuck. They were on the property when the owner bought it and they continue to live there, but there were not many of them. But it was a chance to tick one more animal off my list.

We went back to an area with a small lake and an abandoned house and glassed the area around the lake. Sure enough we started seeing Reedbuck. First a female with young one...then a young male...then we saw a Adult Male who was kind of following a female around.

Arrie said he wasn't a real good one, but he was an adult male. At this point I was getting itchy to hunt something else and it would allow me to add "Common Reedbuck" to my list of animals collected in Africa so I said "Let's Go". Arrie grabbed the shooting sticks and I put a round in the chamber of my 30-06, made sure it was on "Safe" and we took off towards the Reedbuck who was about 400 away across a grassy plain and slowly meandering away from us.

We found a shallow depression that pretty much lead in the direction of the Reedbuck and allowed most of our body to be below line sight of the Reedbuck and hustled quickly down the low spot to cut the distance down. We could see the Reedbuck and since he was walking away from us and not looking back, we were able to move as quick as my broken old body would go. We closed the distance considerable and when we saw a small tree up head, got as close to that as possible, then popped up out of the ravine and moved to the tree.

We got to the tree and we were now 150 yards away next to the tree but the Reedbuck had caught our motion when we came out of the ravine. He was acting nervous but had not yet bolted. But he sure looked like he would at any second. Arrie quickly slapped the shooting sticks in place and I got on them and found the Reedbuck in the scope. He was broadside but looking right at us. I lined up on his shoulder and fired. The gun went "bang" but the Reedbuck did not flinch. Somehow I missed what should have been a chip shot (broadside at 150).

I had no idea where the bullet went, probably over him but with nothing but empty grassland behind him there was no way for us to know. It didn't matter where that shot went because it was point blank range with me sighted in for 200 so obviously I had wobbled off the target in my rush to shoot him before he bolted. Luckily the Reedbuck was not spooked terribly....he moved off a few yards, but stopped and looked back at us. Only now he was facing straight at us.

I mentally wiped away my being pissed at myself for missing that shot and refocused on the Reedbuck who was now at 160 yards but looking at me head on. I calmed myself thinking "Take your time...if he runs he runs" and got steady, took my breath and let 1/2 out, and caressed the trigger.

This time when the gun roared he dropped in a heap in his tracks, kicked a couple times and was still. Arrie joked about me missing the broadside shot at 150 yards but making the harder head-on shot at 160 yards. All I could do was shrug my shoulders and laugh because I had no explanation

The 2nd shot hit him square in the chest right where the neck met the chest and ended up almost coming out his a$$, a perfect shot.

We took some pics a loaded him up. In hindsight I probably should have passed on him because he wasn't real big but he might have been the best we could find on that property. Oh well, I got to have a fun stalk and will do a European Mount on him and can add "Common Reedbuck" to the list of animals I had collected. Now I need to upgrade on him on a future hunt. Pretty sure Marius @KMG Hunting Safaris can help me out with that next summer.

So that his how my hunt ended. 1 real nice Cape Buffalo, one "Dugga Duiker" and one below average Common Reedbuck. The other thing I got was the the enjoyment of spending 6 days in beautiful country loaded with animals with a real nice PH that is now another friend of mine in RSA. More memories of a lifetime of hunting for this ancient hunter and my wife who gave her camera a workout....and that is the best trophy of all!

I gave my summary of Africa Maximum Safaris above and have zero regrets about my "Last Minute Cape Buffalo Hunt" with them. Once again I tip my hat to Jacques Senekal at AMS, my great PH Arrie Classe and to John Martins at Discount African Hunts for finding this hunt for me.

Now July of 2024 can't get here soon enough so I can be back in the African bush and do yet another hunt report with my group of friends and family in camp.

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@TERMINATOR we just got back here to Wyoming last night after hunting with Jacques at Africa Maximum Safaris for the past 10 days. Took a great old warrior Dagga Boy with 18 inch bosses and a Crocodile just shy of 13’.
Will do a proper write up later with photos but it was also our first time at Africa Maximum Safaris.

 

[TERMINATOR]

Excellent. Thank you for the write up.

Glad you enjoyed it.

@TERMINATOR we just got back here to Wyoming last night after hunting with Jacques at Africa Maximum Safaris for the past 10 days. Took a great old warrior Dagga Boy with 18 inch bosses and a Crocodile just shy of 13’.
Will do a proper write up later with photos but it was also our first time at Africa Maximum Safaris.

Awesome

Can’t wait to read it!

 

[USN]

Thanks, enjoyed this very much

 

[Gunner4blue]

Great write up and pics! I'm heading there to Africa Maximum in about a month for a buffalo hunt and am now even more excited about the trip. I'm taking a .375H&H and a .30-06 also going through riflepermits.com. I'm a first timer to Africa and hope all goes a well as your trip. Thanks to WYOBULL too. Will look forward to your write up as well!

Thank you. I will share your feedback with my wife who took all the photos.

Good luck in all your hunting

 

[TERMINATOR]

Great write up and pics! I'm heading there to Africa Maximum in about a month for a buffalo hunt and am now even more excited about the trip. I'm taking a .375H&H and a .30-06 also going through riflepermits.com. I'm a first timer to Africa and hope all goes a well as your trip. Thanks to WYOBULL too. Will look forward to your write up as well!

Pretty sure AMS will do their part, you just gotta shoot straight!

Good luck with your hunt!

 

[Sika98k]

Can you pm your contact info for Scotland? I'm trying yo put together a last minute hunt for this year. Thanks

If you want to hunt Scotland have a look at The Stalking Directory forum. U.K. based and in the classified section there are stalkers advertising.

 

[Gunner4blue]

Pretty sure AMS will do their part, you just gotta shoot straight!

Good luck with your hunt!

Thanks! Good to hear.
I am a pretty straight shooter.

 

[PARA45]

@TERMINATOR, I'm sure I am not the only one here who would like to hear how using John Martins at Discount African Hunts works. Do you get on a waiting list, or do you tell him what you are looking for? Are there any extra fees by using Discount African Hunts? How big of a discount was it from the regular hunts? I tried to PM to ask you these questions privately, but your profile is private. Any information you can share is greatly appreciated.

 

[TERMINATOR]

@TERMINATOR, I'm sure I am not the only one here who would like to hear how using John Martins at Discount African Hunts works. Do you get on a waiting list, or do you tell him what you are looking for? Are there any extra fees by using Discount African Hunts? How big of a discount was it from the regular hunts? I tried to PM to ask you these questions privately, but your profile is private. Any information you can share is greatly appreciated.

1) Go to his Website - He has hunts listed - Be aware that many of his listed hunts are out of date and should be cleaned up/removed but you just focus on the ones listed for the current year(s)

2) Get on his email blast list. He will blast special opportunities and first commit = first served

That’s all there is to it

 

[rgajr]

@TERMINATOR we just got back here to Wyoming last night after hunting with Jacques at Africa Maximum Safaris for the past 10 days. Took a great old warrior Dagga Boy with 18 inch bosses and a Crocodile just shy of 13’.
Will do a proper write up later with photos but it was also our first time at Africa Maximum Safaris.

Look forward to your hunt report. We are booked to hunt Cape Buffalo with AMS next June

 

[rgajr]

Thanks for the hunt report. Sounds like a great time with AMS

 

[rgajr]

L

Great write up and pics! I'm heading there to Africa Maximum in about a month for a buffalo hunt and am now even more excited about the trip. I'm taking a .375H&H and a .30-06 also going through riflepermits.com. I'm a first timer to Africa and hope all goes a well as your trip. Thanks to WYOBULL too. Will look forward to your write up as well!

Look forward to hearing about your trip. We'll hunt with AMS next year.