Just returned from 9 days with Magnus Crossberg of Ranchero Safari. My first safari and target species were Buffalo, Kudu and Sable. First thanks to all the members and moderators for the great guidance. This helped with my preparation, travel and hunt. I’ll put up something on lessons learned in the Safari planning section.
Magnus and the crew of Ranchero are top notch. Logistics, communication, quality of camp-food-staff-game was all excellent. Highly recommended!
Highlight of my hunt was day 2. We were tracking 3 buffalo in a dry river bed when I looked behind me and saw the tops of a Sables antlers in the reeds. I whispered to Magnus, he threw up the sticks, a gold medal Sable steps out at 150 yards facing us at a slight quarter angle. My two months of 2x weekly sessions off sticks pays off. My 375 h&h barks, the sable spins and drops. My Barnes 300g TSX is perfectly placed. After a short ceremony and pics we decided to keep tracking the Buff.
Jan, our tracker, heads down around the corner to check a crossroad to see which direction the Buffalo went after my shot. Magnus and I head down the riverbed a few minutes later to meet up with Jan. As we near the end of the river bed we hear a grunt and catch movement to our right. A single Buffalo stands up from thick cover not 12 yards away. I immediately put a round through his shoulder and he drops. Almost instantly he stands back up and turns to charge. My rifle is still shouldered and is reloaded, I put another Barnes between his eyes. He drops like a ton of black death. Seconds later he stands again, wobbly. I put another in his chest this time and he goes down. I move to him and put another in him for insurance. Later we see that my head shot went under the brain. Knocked him senseless and stopped the charge nonetheless!
What a hunt!
We chase Kudu for 4 more days. I’m selective as I have time. Pays off with a 55” bull.
Afterwards we spent 3 days in Kruger which was spectacular. I highly recommend this add on.
Magnus and the crew of Ranchero are top notch. Logistics, communication, quality of camp-food-staff-game was all excellent. Highly recommended!
Highlight of my hunt was day 2. We were tracking 3 buffalo in a dry river bed when I looked behind me and saw the tops of a Sables antlers in the reeds. I whispered to Magnus, he threw up the sticks, a gold medal Sable steps out at 150 yards facing us at a slight quarter angle. My two months of 2x weekly sessions off sticks pays off. My 375 h&h barks, the sable spins and drops. My Barnes 300g TSX is perfectly placed. After a short ceremony and pics we decided to keep tracking the Buff.
Jan, our tracker, heads down around the corner to check a crossroad to see which direction the Buffalo went after my shot. Magnus and I head down the riverbed a few minutes later to meet up with Jan. As we near the end of the river bed we hear a grunt and catch movement to our right. A single Buffalo stands up from thick cover not 12 yards away. I immediately put a round through his shoulder and he drops. Almost instantly he stands back up and turns to charge. My rifle is still shouldered and is reloaded, I put another Barnes between his eyes. He drops like a ton of black death. Seconds later he stands again, wobbly. I put another in his chest this time and he goes down. I move to him and put another in him for insurance. Later we see that my head shot went under the brain. Knocked him senseless and stopped the charge nonetheless!
What a hunt!
We chase Kudu for 4 more days. I’m selective as I have time. Pays off with a 55” bull.
Afterwards we spent 3 days in Kruger which was spectacular. I highly recommend this add on.
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