Just wrapped up another trip to the Dark Continent with my wife, hunting with our great friend Petrus Human at Modirwe Safaris. To say we had a great trip may be an understatement.
I had to do some convincing to get my wife to make a return trip just a year later, but after enough persuasion we locked in the plans—and we’re both ecstatic we did. We took the direct flight out of Atlanta again on Sunday, July 19th. Smooth sailing the whole way. We arrived in Johannesburg Monday night, overnighted at AfricaSky (highly, highly recommend), and Petrus picked us up early Tuesday morning.
Coming into the trip I told Petrus that while we had a few must-hit animals, I really wanted to hunt whatever Africa presented—with the goal being quality old bulls and less concern about measurements. We took the ride in slow, had a fantastic lunch at the Vaalwater Hotel, sighted in the rifles, and then took a quick afternoon drive to enjoy an African sunset.
Day 1: First full day of hunting started with a bang early. My wife jumped right in and shot an impala looking for some early morning sun. After a good walk and track we caught up with him and loaded him up. On the last trip, impala was the one animal we never could seem to connect on for her, so getting that one off the list early was nice. We rode around a bit more, then broke for lunch and some rest before the afternoon.
The afternoon was spent chasing kudu around the farm. They lived up to their “Grey Ghost” reputation—there one minute, gone the next. A few good stalks came up empty, but it was another fun afternoon of laughs. We headed back to camp for a nice fire and a plate of eland lasagna, then called it a night.
Day 2: Pretty quiet day overall. We spent more time chasing the kudu and had a couple of close calls with a group of gemsbok bulls, but the wind never quite cooperated. As they say, a bad day hunting the bush is still better than a good day at work. Another good fire, good company, and a tremendous meal wrapped up the day.
Day 3: After a quick breakfast, we headed down to the Matlabas River to chase waterbuck, nyala, bushbuck, and whatever else might present a shot. It was very cool early, which seemed to slow animal movement considerably. We covered a lot of ground, passed on a couple of kudu that weren’t quite as old as what we were looking for, and kept hunting.
Just before calling it for lunch we ran into a really old waterbuck that fit the bill perfectly. After some maneuvering, a short stalk, and a well-placed shot from the Bergara .308, it was all over but the loading. After photos and loading we grabbed lunch and headed for a waterhole. The wind played spoiler again, but we still had encounters with zebra, roan, a couple of warthogs, and a large troop of monkeys.
We switched back to spot-and-stalk after an earlier nyala encounter had gone sideways, but He was deep in cover. We saw plenty of good sables, more kudu, and some young nyala, but nothing worth firing on. Cold beer and a fire back at camp, followed by another wonderful dinner and storytelling, wrapped another great day in the bush.
Day 4: Another quick breakfast and back to the Matlabas. The action started early and it was an “all-day” kind of day. One of the trackers had mentioned seeing a really nice nyala in the river bottom the last time he was there, so we cruised through the flats. Sure enough, we caught a glimpse of him heading the opposite direction. We made a quick change, got an opportunity, and the Bergara .308 made quick work of him again. A short 15–20-yard track and the high-fives started.
After some fun in the mud getting the truck to him, we dropped him at the skinning shed and got back after it. My wife was back behind the gun. We rode a bit and came across a heavy gemsbok bull. Our PH for the day, Dion, quickly said it was a really good one. It took less than a second to convince my wife. Some maneuvering, a short waiting game for a good shot angle, and about ten minutes later we had a gemsbok down. Short track, loaded him up, and headed back to the shed.
My wife had mentioned she’d love to shoot a sable if the opportunity presented. We had seen a few, but nothing that really stood out—until we rounded a corner heading back and a beautiful big bull was standing in the road. Dion took a quick look, confirmed it was a really good one, and she made a perfect shot that dropped him in his tracks. That wrapped a busy morning.
Dion isn’t much for slowing down, so after a long lunch he asked if we wanted to check one of Petrus’ other properties known for good kudu. A couple of stalks turned south because of the wind and thick brush, and what we thought was going to be a quiet ride suddenly got exciting when we caught a very old bull slipping across an open field. Once again my wife made a great shot. Nothing beats a sunset kudu picture in Africa. After photos, hugs, and loading him up, we headed back to camp. We met our new Spanish camp mates around the fire, had a few drinks and dinner, and called it a night.
Day 5: After a day like yesterday, we got to take it a little slower. We still had a few animals left on the list/budget, but we could be more relaxed and picky. We spent the morning back around the Matlabas looking for bushbuck or eland. No luck on either, but we spotted another really great impala—and I can never pass up a good impala. A few minutes later he was in the dirt.
Lunch, a longer midday nap, then back out after eland. The wind had picked up and everything in the country seemed on high alert. A few unsuccessful stalks later we headed back to camp. Good fire, impala/eland/kudu filets over the coals, drinks, and stories with the Spaniards about their daily buffalo chase rounded out the day.
Day 6: Slower morning start—we were still well ahead of plan. After a light breakfast we headed to a new farm. One of the trackers mentioned that if we came across a black impala ram we should take him; he was the last one in camp and they wanted him before the dry months set in. That was right up my wife’s alley. We spotted him early, but the sun, some badly positioned sable, and the wind prolonged things. Eventually she got her opportunity and made the most of it—good shot, no tracking needed.
With no hard target left we just sat back and took in the wildlife, which felt great. We spotted some nice wildebeest and a very good gemsbok, then came across a group of eland bulls that really got Petrus and me excited. Of course they outsmarted us for the next two hours. After lunch we went back after the big boys, but they proved extremely elusive—quick glimpses through thickets or just the view of their backends as they trotted away. Cold beer and dinner around the fire closed the day.
Day 7: Quick breakfast and back after those big eland bulls. Petrus has been doing this for 30 years, so when he gets excited about an animal I feel pretty good about chasing it. Eland wasn’t on my original list (I took a really good one with him on my first trip), but these bulls had me interested enough to go again.
We spent the better part of the morning chasing a large group and thought our bulls might have joined the herd, but after a couple of hours we found the group and our bulls weren’t in it. We decided to drive the opposite side of the property where we’d seen them the day before. Luck was with us—we surprised them coming around a corner and an old bull stood long enough for a shot. Eland loaded, we headed back to camp to unload, grab lunch, and celebrate a buffalo taken by our Spanish friends.
After admiring the buffalo, swapping stories, and a good lunch, we stayed close to camp for the afternoon. We ran into a warthog for my wife and a very good steenbok that I couldn’t pass up. Another successful day, good dinner, and cold drinks around the fire.
Days 8 & 9: Both were pretty quiet. We spent time on the Matlabas again looking for bushbuck, then on Thursday headed to the Limpopo River. We passed on a few decent opportunities and a couple of very good bushbucks slipped by without giving us a shot. Even with the lack of luck, just being in that environment around the Limpopo is something you can’t match anywhere else.
After lunch on Day 9 we headed into town to look at taxidermy options and essentially wrapped up the 2026 hunt. Clean up, pack up, dinner, and head home was all that remained.
I cannot say enough about how enjoyable the trip was with Petrus and the crew at Modirwe. Everything was top-notch—the hunting was incredible and the company was even better. From start to finish we were on great animals, had fantastic food, and never wanted for anything. I would not hesitate to reach out to Petrus and the team if you’re looking for an awesome trip on the Limpopo with a true relaxed, South African feel.
I had to do some convincing to get my wife to make a return trip just a year later, but after enough persuasion we locked in the plans—and we’re both ecstatic we did. We took the direct flight out of Atlanta again on Sunday, July 19th. Smooth sailing the whole way. We arrived in Johannesburg Monday night, overnighted at AfricaSky (highly, highly recommend), and Petrus picked us up early Tuesday morning.
Coming into the trip I told Petrus that while we had a few must-hit animals, I really wanted to hunt whatever Africa presented—with the goal being quality old bulls and less concern about measurements. We took the ride in slow, had a fantastic lunch at the Vaalwater Hotel, sighted in the rifles, and then took a quick afternoon drive to enjoy an African sunset.
Day 1: First full day of hunting started with a bang early. My wife jumped right in and shot an impala looking for some early morning sun. After a good walk and track we caught up with him and loaded him up. On the last trip, impala was the one animal we never could seem to connect on for her, so getting that one off the list early was nice. We rode around a bit more, then broke for lunch and some rest before the afternoon.
The afternoon was spent chasing kudu around the farm. They lived up to their “Grey Ghost” reputation—there one minute, gone the next. A few good stalks came up empty, but it was another fun afternoon of laughs. We headed back to camp for a nice fire and a plate of eland lasagna, then called it a night.
Day 2: Pretty quiet day overall. We spent more time chasing the kudu and had a couple of close calls with a group of gemsbok bulls, but the wind never quite cooperated. As they say, a bad day hunting the bush is still better than a good day at work. Another good fire, good company, and a tremendous meal wrapped up the day.
Day 3: After a quick breakfast, we headed down to the Matlabas River to chase waterbuck, nyala, bushbuck, and whatever else might present a shot. It was very cool early, which seemed to slow animal movement considerably. We covered a lot of ground, passed on a couple of kudu that weren’t quite as old as what we were looking for, and kept hunting.
Just before calling it for lunch we ran into a really old waterbuck that fit the bill perfectly. After some maneuvering, a short stalk, and a well-placed shot from the Bergara .308, it was all over but the loading. After photos and loading we grabbed lunch and headed for a waterhole. The wind played spoiler again, but we still had encounters with zebra, roan, a couple of warthogs, and a large troop of monkeys.
We switched back to spot-and-stalk after an earlier nyala encounter had gone sideways, but He was deep in cover. We saw plenty of good sables, more kudu, and some young nyala, but nothing worth firing on. Cold beer and a fire back at camp, followed by another wonderful dinner and storytelling, wrapped another great day in the bush.
Day 4: Another quick breakfast and back to the Matlabas. The action started early and it was an “all-day” kind of day. One of the trackers had mentioned seeing a really nice nyala in the river bottom the last time he was there, so we cruised through the flats. Sure enough, we caught a glimpse of him heading the opposite direction. We made a quick change, got an opportunity, and the Bergara .308 made quick work of him again. A short 15–20-yard track and the high-fives started.
After some fun in the mud getting the truck to him, we dropped him at the skinning shed and got back after it. My wife was back behind the gun. We rode a bit and came across a heavy gemsbok bull. Our PH for the day, Dion, quickly said it was a really good one. It took less than a second to convince my wife. Some maneuvering, a short waiting game for a good shot angle, and about ten minutes later we had a gemsbok down. Short track, loaded him up, and headed back to the shed.
My wife had mentioned she’d love to shoot a sable if the opportunity presented. We had seen a few, but nothing that really stood out—until we rounded a corner heading back and a beautiful big bull was standing in the road. Dion took a quick look, confirmed it was a really good one, and she made a perfect shot that dropped him in his tracks. That wrapped a busy morning.
Dion isn’t much for slowing down, so after a long lunch he asked if we wanted to check one of Petrus’ other properties known for good kudu. A couple of stalks turned south because of the wind and thick brush, and what we thought was going to be a quiet ride suddenly got exciting when we caught a very old bull slipping across an open field. Once again my wife made a great shot. Nothing beats a sunset kudu picture in Africa. After photos, hugs, and loading him up, we headed back to camp. We met our new Spanish camp mates around the fire, had a few drinks and dinner, and called it a night.
Day 5: After a day like yesterday, we got to take it a little slower. We still had a few animals left on the list/budget, but we could be more relaxed and picky. We spent the morning back around the Matlabas looking for bushbuck or eland. No luck on either, but we spotted another really great impala—and I can never pass up a good impala. A few minutes later he was in the dirt.
Lunch, a longer midday nap, then back out after eland. The wind had picked up and everything in the country seemed on high alert. A few unsuccessful stalks later we headed back to camp. Good fire, impala/eland/kudu filets over the coals, drinks, and stories with the Spaniards about their daily buffalo chase rounded out the day.
Day 6: Slower morning start—we were still well ahead of plan. After a light breakfast we headed to a new farm. One of the trackers mentioned that if we came across a black impala ram we should take him; he was the last one in camp and they wanted him before the dry months set in. That was right up my wife’s alley. We spotted him early, but the sun, some badly positioned sable, and the wind prolonged things. Eventually she got her opportunity and made the most of it—good shot, no tracking needed.
With no hard target left we just sat back and took in the wildlife, which felt great. We spotted some nice wildebeest and a very good gemsbok, then came across a group of eland bulls that really got Petrus and me excited. Of course they outsmarted us for the next two hours. After lunch we went back after the big boys, but they proved extremely elusive—quick glimpses through thickets or just the view of their backends as they trotted away. Cold beer and dinner around the fire closed the day.
Day 7: Quick breakfast and back after those big eland bulls. Petrus has been doing this for 30 years, so when he gets excited about an animal I feel pretty good about chasing it. Eland wasn’t on my original list (I took a really good one with him on my first trip), but these bulls had me interested enough to go again.
We spent the better part of the morning chasing a large group and thought our bulls might have joined the herd, but after a couple of hours we found the group and our bulls weren’t in it. We decided to drive the opposite side of the property where we’d seen them the day before. Luck was with us—we surprised them coming around a corner and an old bull stood long enough for a shot. Eland loaded, we headed back to camp to unload, grab lunch, and celebrate a buffalo taken by our Spanish friends.
After admiring the buffalo, swapping stories, and a good lunch, we stayed close to camp for the afternoon. We ran into a warthog for my wife and a very good steenbok that I couldn’t pass up. Another successful day, good dinner, and cold drinks around the fire.
Days 8 & 9: Both were pretty quiet. We spent time on the Matlabas again looking for bushbuck, then on Thursday headed to the Limpopo River. We passed on a few decent opportunities and a couple of very good bushbucks slipped by without giving us a shot. Even with the lack of luck, just being in that environment around the Limpopo is something you can’t match anywhere else.
After lunch on Day 9 we headed into town to look at taxidermy options and essentially wrapped up the 2026 hunt. Clean up, pack up, dinner, and head home was all that remained.
I cannot say enough about how enjoyable the trip was with Petrus and the crew at Modirwe. Everything was top-notch—the hunting was incredible and the company was even better. From start to finish we were on great animals, had fantastic food, and never wanted for anything. I would not hesitate to reach out to Petrus and the team if you’re looking for an awesome trip on the Limpopo with a true relaxed, South African feel.
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