SOUTH AFRICA: Recent Hunt With Kuche Safaris

[Ruraldoc]

I suppose that I should discuss the details of my free safari. I was provided with transportation in Africa,food and 5 days lodging as well as impala,blesbuck and wart hog as part of the package. Addtional days and animals are available for additional cost. But you really could just take the three animals and be done. Koos makes his living off of additional animals and a taxidermy company that he owns. You do not have to pay for either. I suspect most hunters take additional animals and many use his taxidermy services but there is no pressure to do so.

 

[Ruraldoc]

Dinner that night was wonderful,the dining hall is brand new and has seating for around 24 people.We had eland steaks with many side items. The food was excelent and the lodging was clean and comfortable.

Everynight PHs as well as their families would join the hunters for dinner. Koos and his wife were in camp every night that I was there. The first couple of nights,there were only a handful of other hunters but there were a dozen or more some nights

Koos runs a big operation and hunts dozens of properties. From the time you leave camp at breakfast until you return after dark,the only people you will see are your PH and your tracker. There is simply no crowded feeling to the hunting at all.These are large properties with lots of animals including immature males.females and young. Also the counrty is bushveld. Visibility is limited to less than 100 yards in most places. The animals are wild and spooky. If they wind you or see.they vanish into the vast bush.

 

[Ruraldoc]

Some accuse South African outfitters of running put and take operations. I don't see how it would work where we hunted.
The smallest place I remember hunting was 12000 acres. Any animal released into these vast thickets could take months to see again. Everywhere that I hunted had the feel of self sustaining herds of animals. Spooky,wild,hunted animals.

All I can tell you is if you want a tent camp in the wilderness, Koos has those kind of places in Zimbabwe. But the vast rural country we hunted was wild enough to have a lot of leopards as well as hyeneas and other predators. Elephants,hippos and crocs abound in the Limpopo river and just across the river in nearby Botswana.

I simply had a blast.

More to come.

 

[Ruraldoc]

Like most first time hunters in Africa,Kudu was high on my list. I saw one on the way to the lodge the first day and wanted one badly. Koos knew that my top two animals were Kudu and Cape Buffalo. They just mean Africa to me. Perfect symbols of the dark continent. We drove about 20 miles from the Lodge one morning to a large cattle ranch where Koos runs Beefmaster cattle. This place had plenty of Kudu. Wild,spooky Kudu that vanished into the bush when they saw or smelled you. I saw dozens of kudu cows with calves as well as good numbers of immature bulls. That morning while looking for a big bull,I got a chance at a Warthog. He was a very old male in poor phyisical condition in his last winter.

I took him with a single shot from the 308. Quartering away the 165 grain Trophy Bonded Tipped bullet put him down and exited. I had excelent luck with that bullet and reccomend it highly. I only recovered one during the hunt and it was in the big Waterbuck who was quartering away. It looks like an advertisment for the perfect bonded bullet.

We finally located a good kudu bull,but he gave us the slip,and when we found him hours later,he did the same. I was about to doubt our chances when we spotted a fine bull at suset. He spotted us too and was moving off into the bush,when I shot him just behind the shoulder with a 400 grain Swift Aframe from the 416. He ran about 100 yards but a large exit wound and a heavy blood trail quickly led us to him.

I asked my PH if he was a good bull,and he just said " No sir,he is magnificent''. I was both elated and relieved,he was what I came to africa hoping to find. I didn't bring a tape to Africa and intentionally did not measure anything. They are all great trophies and memories for me.

 

[Ruraldoc]

My cape buffalo experience also exceded my expectations. The property that Koos wanted us to hunt buffalo was about two hours from the main lodge,it was the only property hunted that was over 30 minutes from camp. We left camp at 4:30 in the morming and drove into some beautiful country. We were hunting where the bushveld and the highveld come together,plains meeting mountains. It was close to a famous South African golf course with a 19th hole on a mountain where a helicopter ride takes you to the tee.

The views of rocky escarpments and open plains mixed with bush country were stunning. While we were riding around in the bush,we rode up on a group of buffalo. We were glassing them from about 75 yards from the back of the truck when they became agitated and started moving toward us.

At about 40 yards,one of the bulls decided to charge the vehicle at a full run. I was sitting in the back of a Ford Ranger and my eyes were at the level of the bulls eyes. Both the tracker who was driving and the PH were on the other side of the truck and the bull was coming rapidly.Having no intention of sharing my seat with the bull, I raised my rifle,flicked off the safety and aimed between his eyes and started putting pressure on the trigger..

More to come

 

[Ruraldoc]

Just as the Bull was closing on us, and the trigger was about to break,I heard the PH screaming to Tracker, Drive Brown,Drive!!!!!
The tires spun in the sand and the truck lurched forward,the triangle in my Trijicon scope came off the bull's head and I instinctively eased on the trigger.

The Bull's horns missed me by maybe two yards as the truck sped away. I would have already shot him but would have missed my mark because my reticle moved with the truck.

The adenaline started to flow when it was over,we rouned the bend and the Buffalo did not follow. We waited about 20 minutes and got out of the truck to find their tracks and follow them. When we walked back to where we had seen them,they were gone and we started to track them. My PH knowing the seriuosness of the situation looked at me and said " From this momnent on be ready and listen to me with every fiber of your being ,".

Tracking the group of buffalo on foot that included a bull that had already charged us in an unwounded,unprovoked charge was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. We spent hours looking for them and could not catch up to them. Ocasionally we would get glimpses of cows,calves and bulls with soft bosses but the three old bulls we had seen in the group could not be located.

But we kept at it,all day.

Until we found them right at sunset.

More to come

 

[Ruraldoc]

We found the buffalo more or less in another big mixed group,this time one of the old dagga bows was hanging around. The wind was right and the range finder said he was 118 yards,quartering very slighly away.

I turned the Trijicon from 1x where it had been all day to 6x and placed the tip of the green triangle between his front legs and half way up the shoulder. I had to wait for 5 minutes that seemed like an hour for the other buffalo to move so the shot was absolutely clear.

Finally I told the PH that he was clear in a whisper. He whispered back" Shoot when you are sure".

This time I squeezed the trigger until it broke,and the bull ran to the right on three legs following the other Buffalo.

More to come

 

[Nyati]

Congrats and thanks for sharing !

 

[Ruraldoc]

A couple of hours before we found the old bull,Pete(my PH) and Brown(my Tracker) had been joined by Arnu another PH who managed the property we were hunting.

Arnu is in his late 20s and Pete was in his early 30s. Arnu carried a Merkel 470 Double and Pete had a 602 Brno in 460 Weatherby. The three of us spread out about 5 yards apart with me in the middle with my 416. We went to where the buffalo stood at the shot and there was no blood. Arnu said we need to wait about 30 minutes but by then it would be getting dark.

Pete had seen me make 4 one shot kills so far,two with the 308 and two with the 416 including the kudu and my zebra. He asked me exactly where the crosshair was when the trigger broke and I told him.

Arnu wanted to wait but my Ph,Pete looked at me and said let's go now. I followed his lead and so did Arnu. We went over the rise the buffalo had dissapered behind. What we saw was an absolute scrum of fighting bulls and dust at 40 yards. The bulls were trying to get my bull up and were pushing each other around in a fight to detemine who was now the boss.

As we advanced toward them,they all saw us,for one terrified moment I thought the bull who had charged me earlier or one or more of them might come for us. But they all turned and ran. My bull one laying motionless on the ground,I was ready to shoot him again but Pete said wait a second.

We approached him and he was stone dead. The 400 grain Swift A frame had gone through both lungs and the great vessels on top of the heart. It had stopped without exiting in the offside shoulder breaking it.

A major feeling of relief poured over me. What I have neglected to tell you was that a couple of hours before finding the old bull,I had taken the aformentioned zebra with the 416.

It was quite an effort getting a cape buffalo and a zebra stallion in the back of a Ford Ranger.

Driving around 100 miles back to camp,that was one full compact pickup truck. That made 5 shots and five animals so far.

Did I mention it was a great day?

 

[jbirdwell]

Looks like a great hunt. Congrats

 

[Ruraldoc]

After the buffalo hunt,we went to Pete's family property. This was 30000 acres of bushveld country that's only about 20 minutes from the Kuche Limpopo lodge. We hunted over water holes,stalking them from downwind and sitting them at last light. I saw a lot of animals doing this and foolishly passed the eland bull of a life time because he wasn't on my list. He was a huge old blue bull with enormous horns. Pete said I could hunt Eland on a dozen safaris and not see a finer bull. Brown was stunned that I didn't shoot him. It is my one regret of the whole hunt. Well there is also a very fine gemsbuck that I foolisly passed on early in the hunt as well.

But If I had taken either of those I would not have continued to hunt after I got a very old scarred impala on the 5th day around midday at a water hole. The remander of the 5th day was spent looking for another big gemsbuck. I saw a big female but let her go since I really hoped to find a male.

 

[USN]

Very nice work, congrats

 

[Ruraldoc]

Which brings us to the big Waterbuck,I was actually looking for a gemsbuck or perhaps a common duiker when he appeared on the next to last day. I knew he was a big one from the look on the PH's face as we sat at the waterhole where we had slipped up on and seen a lot of animals earlier.
I had both the 416 and the 308 and I reached for the 308. We were able to video the bushbuck as well as the impala since both were taken from blinds at water holes.

The waterbuck was bigger in body than I thought,maybe 450 pounds according to Pete. The 308 put it down with a slight quartering away shot. The only 165 grain Trophy Bonded Bullet that I was able to recover was under the hide on the far side. I'll try to post a picture of it later.

 

[Ruraldoc]

165 grain trophy bonded tip bullet recovered from the big waterbuck.

 

[Daisy]

A couple of hours before we found the old bull,Pete(my PH) and Brown(my Tracker) had been joined by Arnu another PH who managed the property we were hunting.

Arnu is in his late 20s and Pete was in his early 30s. Arnu carried a Merkel 470 Double and Pete had a 602 Brno in 460 Weatherby. The three of us spread out about 5 yards apart with me in the middle with my 416. We went to where the buffalo stood at the shot and there was no blood. Arnu said we need to wait about 30 minutes but by then it would be getting dark.

Pete had seen me make 4 one shot kills so far,two with the 308 and two with the 416 including the kudu and my zebra. He asked me exactly where the crosshair was when the trigger broke and I told him.

Arnu wanted to wait but my Ph,Pete looked at me and said let's go now. I followed his lead and so did Arnu. We went over the rise the buffalo had dissapered behind. What we saw was an absolute scrum of fighting bulls and dust at 40 yards. The bulls were trying to get my bull up and were pushing each other around in a fight to detemine who was now the boss.

As we advanced toward them,they all saw us,for one terrified moment I thought the bull who had charged me earlier or one or more of them might come for us. But they all turned and ran. My bull one laying motionless on the ground,I was ready to shoot him again but Pete said wait a second.

We approached him and he was stone dead. The 400 grain Swift A frame had gone through both lungs and the great vessels on top of the heart. It had stopped without exiting in the offside shoulder breaking it.

A major feeling of relief poured over me. What I have neglected to tell you was that a couple of hours before finding the old bull,I had taken the aformentioned zebra with the 416.

It was quite an effort getting a cape buffalo and a zebra stallion in the back of a Ford Ranger.

Driving around 100 miles back to camp,that was one full compact pickup truck. That made 5 shots and five animals so far.

Did I mention it was a great day?

Peter was my PH when I went in May. I love that dude and I feel like I am back there with you!

 

[Ruraldoc]

Peter was a great PH. I certainly plan on hunting with him again. I understand that his brother is also very good as well. All of the hunters that I talked to in camp had good hunts and liked their PHs as well. I talked to 2 guys from Kansas, 2 from Texas and a family of 5 from New Jersey. Everyone had a good time. Most of them were bow hunters and they all got nice animals.

 

[Ruraldoc]

A picture of Pete,Brown, me

and the Ford Ranger. Which was equipped with a very quiet diesel and a 3/4 ton suspension. I’d buy one like it tomorrow if they sold them in the USA. It got over 30 miles per gallon.

 

[Ruraldoc]

I was sitting just above that tear tire when the buffalo tried to get in the truck bed with me.

 

[Ruraldoc]

I have been asked to share what camp was like. Koos has two other camps in different areas of the country and is actually building a new camp in the Free State as we speak.

But I stayed in the Limpopo camp which is his largest camp. Hunters stayed in chalets for the most part, but there was also a building with 4 private rooms where I stayed.

Every room/chalet has its own private bath and comfortable bed. There is wifi and hot and cold water. There is electricity and lighting in every room so charging you phone or computer is easy.

South Africa has rolling power blackouts but Koos has installed a diesel generator for when the power goes out. Blackouts only last a couple of hours in the evening and were over by bedtime so I never heard the generator when I was trying to sleep. Frankly it’s not that loud anyway. Everything is very clean and comfortable. Your laundry is done for you every day and the staff makes your bed and keeps everything neat.

 

[Ruraldoc]

Breakfast in a kitchen/dining area in the building where I stayed. Breakfast was always simple but good. Fresh eggs, sausage or other breakfast meat, cerial, toast and milk. The only times you meet other hunters was at breakfast or dinner. I really enjoyed meeting people and got a couple of phone numbers of other hunters.Most of us were serious hunters in the US with access to a lot of good country. Made some good connections there.