SOUTH AFRICA: RIFLE: BOWHUNT: Our Latest & Greatest Adventure With Limcroma Safaris!

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We just completed safari #6 with Hannes Els and Limcroma Safaris! This trip was postponed 2 years due to Covid, but the wait was more than worth it. Outfitter/owner Hannes Els continues to exceed our expectations at every level. With each visit Hannes brings more opportunity with more hunting property and more animals to pursue. The lodge accommodations & amenities are always first-class and the staff is amazingly attentive. As always, the little extra touches were in place and no small detail was left to chance.

This trip was extra special for us because this time we brought along our teenage Goddaughters along with our dear friend and their Aunt Mellissa for their first African hunting experience. Our veteran PH's Franco and Pieter were exceptional working with the girls! They showed remarkable patience and enthusiasm which made all the difference. On this trip the girls collectively took 9 African animals and also got to do and see some of the unique cultural and non-hunting experiences Africa has to offer. The overall experience changed their lives forever. I honestly cannot imagine a better outfit suited to kids, couples, family, or first-time African hunters!

Although this trip was focused on getting the girls their first African animals, my wife Lisa and I also had the opportunity to enjoys some challenging and rewarding hunts of our own. We will be adding sable, eland, white blesbok, common blesbok, golden wildebeest, nyala, and another zebra to our own trophy collection.

The Limcroma folks are passionate about what they do and it shows in their relentless efforts to go above and beyond for their guests at every opportunity! They are by far, the absolute best hunting outfit we have ever hunted with. We just got home and are already looking forward to safari #7... Here are a few of the highlights from our adventure...!


First day arriving at the Three Rivers Lodge:
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First afternoon in camp, and the girls are taking a couple of confidence shots at the range getting ready for the hunt. I was very proud to receive compliments from the PH Franco on how safely and competently the girls handled the rifles. We put in a lot of time at the range with both of them and safety is always the #1 priority. That practice would pay great dividends for them on this trip.
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The first afternoon was pretty much a scouting trip for the following morning. We did get rewarded with our first of many amazing African sunsets!
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The hunt certainly started out with its challenges. We encountered unseasonably warm and windy conditions the first few days. Additionally, the substantial amount of rain received this year, although very welcome, had the grass shoulder high in many areas, and the bush was as thick and green as I had ever seen it for anytime of the year let alone August. The animals enjoyed great cover and they did not have to travel their usual distances to feed and drink. Spotting was tough, and getting clear shots was even tougher.

The tough conditions actually turned out to be a positive for this trip. I wanted the girls to be challenged and appreciate that not every hunt is successful. Each failed stalk and frustration taught them appreciation for their eventual successes. The first of our successes was by Cheyenne who made a great shot on an old, mature, impala ram they spotted in one of the heaviest acacia thorn thickets I have ever seen.
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Hanna was up next, and had to pay her dues as well. Just before sunset the following day, after some hard hunting she was finally rewarded with a great old impala ram of her own!
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I teach them that the hunt doesn't begin and end with pulling the trigger. They are taught to be hands-on and if they are not helping with the spotting, tracking, the recovery, and the processing, they are not hunting. The PH and the trackers were impressed at their willingness to get dirty.
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Now that each of our Goddaughters had their first animal in the salt, my wife Lisa got her first chance to get in on the action. Although a sable was the only trophy goal she really had for herself on this trip, we had the green light at a few other species as well. When this beautiful white blesbok walked into the water hole, Franco asked her if she would like to try and take it. The result is as follows:
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On another property behind Hannes' house, I was also getting a chance to hunt for myself for the first time. I was doing what I love to do most in Africa which is spot & stalk with my bow. I had lots of great stalks that day most of which resulted in them seeing me first. It's not really an African safari for me until I get blown at and busted by at least a half dozen animals a day.. But, I never quit, because every once in a while things work out. I finally found a lone blesbok male feeding upwind and facing away. I made a really fun stalk on him and got a 35 yard shot which he didn't take too far.
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The girls were up again and they all enjoyed success with PH Pieter that day! Cheyenne shot a nice warthog which was one of her wish-list African animals, Hannah shot a fantastic trophy duiker, and even Aunt Melissa decided to try for her first animal ever which was a beautiful, mature cull female waterbuck.
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The ladies took a break from the hunt day to visit the elephant encounter experience at Zebula. I took advantage of that to do some more hunting on my own. Like Lisa with her sable, I only had one animal in mind that I really wanted to hunt on this trip which was a nyala. I knew going in that getting a bow shot spot and stalking was going to be challenging, and probably wouldn't happen so my expectations were not terribly high. However, in Africa you have your best experiences when taking what the bush gives you. As with the blesbok, I had the green light to take a shot at a few other species as well. As luck would have it, a zebra was also on the table and this one made the mistake of stepping into my shooting lane.
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Lisa was up again and she would take the ladies on her quest for her sable. Unlike me, Lisa is not stubborn when it comes to methods of hunting. She is just as happy to sit in a hide, up in a tree stand, or spot & stalk. She is also happy pick up a rifle if she is not in bow range. However, she was pretty dedicated on this trip to make a diligent effort to get a shot at a sable with a bow. However, turns out she was not as dedicated to hunting "only" for her sable. As with the white blesbok earlier in the hunt, when Franco asked her if she wanted to try and take an eland, I am pretty sure the arrow was in flight before he got to finish his sentence.

By the way, here is the before pic of four women in a hide at the beginning of the sit:
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Here is the photo in the same hide after a few hours of not seeing anything: Franco is a great man. There was a lot of estrogen in that hide!
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Here is the result of putting in your time and taking what Africa gives you:
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With the days flying by as they always do, we sent the girls out with Pieter once again to see if they could find some more luck with the few more days we had left. After lots of close calls, Cheyenne took advantage of her turn on the sticks and shot a really nice blue wildebeest that morning. She was really proud of herself for making her longest shot of the trip (so far) and putting it on the point of the shoulder of a quartering-to animal which was new for her.
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Hannah did an amazing job as well taking her own blue wildebeest female later than same afternoon.
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With just a couple of days left to hunt, Lisa was still hunting with Franco pursuing her sable with no luck. She relented to putting the bow away for now and hunting a rifle property that Hannes said had a couple of of really old, mature sable bulls that she could take. They were seeing a few sable, but not the right sable. What they did see however, was a really impressive golden wildebeest bull. Once again, Franco asked and Lisa quickly answered by putting this great bull in the salt!
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I spent the next 2 days trying unsuccessfully to get a nyala in bow range. I should mention that for me "bow range" is about 45 yard or less. Maybe 50 in really good conditions. I am not one of those western bowhunters who is practiced and confident taking those longer 50 yard+ shots. If I was, Franco would have been much happier.

He got me on 2 different magnificent nyala bulls in the same morning. The first was a 52 yards, and I was on my knees and just could not get the pin settled for an ethical try for me at least. The next opportunity was 45 yards quartering away. Again, a very makeable shot for some, but not for me on that day with a 20mph crosswind. My bow hand was wavering 6" back and forth with each gust at full draw. Franco did his job, I failed at making opportunities count. But, I also avoided the feeling of being sick and disgusted at myself for making a bad shot and potentially wounding the animal which is the more important thing to me.

Considering the windy conditions and with only one more day left, Franco asked me if I would consider hunting the nyala with a rifle. I immediately made a face that I am sure conveyed my displeasure at the thought. I was thinking in my head I really did not think the rifle would be that challenging. Besides, I haven't taken an animal with a rifle in years. What would my hard-core bowhunting friends think? Then, on the walk back to the bakkie, I starting to think about the advice I have given all of my hunting clients for years which is to take what Africa gives you.

I told Franco that we would give it a try, but I would not promise that I would pull the trigger if and when I got the chance. Well, for the better part of the afternoon, we never did get the chance. The one good nyala bull that we did see in 4 hours quickly disappeared into the thicket never to seen again.

With about an hour of daylight left, we were basically driving toward the entrance of the property to call it a day when I spotted a nice nyala bull. Franco put the glass on him and said it was a really nice nyala bull! We drove down the road a couple hundred yards and jumped out for a stalk. That stalk tuned into about 5 different stalks with the nyala never quite letting us get in close enough for a good shot. He was in some really thick stuff and only gave us a look at the tips of his horns or the tip of his tail. With about 10 minutes of good light left, we were just about to give up on him when Franco spotted him again. We made a mad dash circling around him to get a downwind approach and hopefully an open look. Suddenly, Franco made a quick stop, gently set up the sticks, and whispered "He's facing us. 75 yards. Put it right under his chin." I found him in the scope and squeezed off the first rifle shot I have fired in many years. He dropped straight to the ground! It was honestly a very fun, challenging hunt, and I'm glad Franco talked me into it.
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The last day the girls paid a visit to the local school and village near the main Limcroma Lodges. This was an important part of the trip for me and Lisa to include. I wanted these young ladies to see how difficult real life is for so many. From this visit, I hoped they would realize how fortunate that are to have a family who loves and provides for them and to live in a country where they want for nothing. These school kids, many of whom are orphans or kids of a single-parent, make due with very little yet they are some of the happiest and grateful children you will ever encounter. I am very proud that to say that much of the Sekgweng school's support comes from Limcroma guests and their generous donations including game meat, school supplies, sporting equipment, and monetary donations used to purchase various sorts of necessities.

This is very typical of the support visiting Limcroma guests & hunters give to the school and community.
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These amazing Limcroma guests were kind enough to recently purchase a deep freezer for the school to be able to keep a bigger supply of the donated game meat.
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Our safari with Limcroma was just about winding down. As it always seems to do in Africa, time goes by too quickly in camp. We had an incredibly rewarding 10 days that we got to spend with family all doing what we love. As always, we had some great hunts, spent quality time together as a family, and made memories and new friends that will last a lifetime. The girls were already compiling their wish lists for the next safari. That's fine with us as long as their parents are writing the checks the next time..

We cannot thank our host Hannes Els, our PH's Franco & Pieter, or the amazing staff enough for the wonderful experience. We regard the Limcroma staff as family, but they really do treat each and every guest as thought they were family. Whether you are on your first, or 6th safari as we were, these folks really do go out of their way to make your time spent in camp extra special.

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For us, one of the best parts of an African safari are the great folks you meet along the way!
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Our last African sunset at Limcroma!
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We are not quite finished with the adventure just yet.

After our 10 days with Limcroma, before heading home, we planned a short visit to see my dear friend Kobus Erasmus. Kobus was our PH during our very first safari with Limcroma many years ago. Like me, Kobus is a serious hunter, but his true passion is for fishing. I hit it off immediately with Kobus, and during our safaris we would spend the majority of our time talking fishing. We planned a trip to the Caprivi for tiger fishing which we made a reality a few years back. To this day, it was one of he best fishing trips I have ever taken.

Kobus has since moved on from Limcroma to pursue his own outfitting business with his brother Nico. Together, they have built an outstanding safari operation called Shenandoah Safaris located in the Gauteng province about 1.5 hours north of Jo'burg. It's a beautiful, game rich property on the Eland River. We cannot go to Africa without spending some time visiting Kobus so we planned our last 2 days in Africa to visit with my old buddy and his family.

For this short visit, we only expected to do a couple of game drives, have a braai, drink some Castle Lites and maybe a brandy or two while catching up by the fire. However, Kobus had a few surprises in store that only made an already great trip even better.

On the first day he planned to take us out to see if Cheyenne and Hannah could get on some springbok. They both thought their hunting was over, and they were ecstatic when the heard they were going to get to hunt some more! By the end of the day, both girls had taken beautiful springboks and made their longest shots of the trip. (Both right around 200 yards.)
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We had told Kobus that even though we had an incredibly successful hunt, Lisa never did get her sable on this trip and we would have to come back and try next time. He then said, "I have sable. Why do we have to wait until next time?" Man, I have not seen Lisa light up like that in along time!

So, we spent the next morning out looking for a sable for Lisa, and did we ever find a good one! We drove around the better part of the morning seeing all kinds of game including some huge Cape buffalo and Kings wildebeest which was a first for us, but no mature sable bulls. Just about when we were going to call it a morning and head in for lunch, Kobus spotted a really nice sable bull. It had length, mass and tips that turned out nice and wide. The first stalk they put on him didn't work out well. He winded them and took off over the hill and into some thick stuff down by the river.

They came back to the bakkie and Kobus said that knew he wouldn't go too far and we would try him again after lunch. So, after lunch, they made a plan to get around where they thought he would be headed. We spotted him again about a quarter mile from where we had seen him disappear. He was in the open so Kobus decided to use the thick bush on the edge of the river for cover. Kobus and Lisa slipped down the river a couple of hundred yards out of our sight and about 15 minutes later we heard the muffled crack of the suppressed .308. She made a perfect shot was rewarded with a really nice sable to end her trip!

It's a good thing our flight home didn't leave until late the next evening. We all celebrated a little too much around the fire that night!

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What a perfect ending to a truly incredible safari! Many thanks to my buddy Kobus, his brother Nico, his son and PH Jonathan for letting us hunt this beautiful property! Your friendship and hospitality is beyond amazing and we sincerely appreciate you guys!

I even got to do a little fishing on this trip! My first African largemouth bass on the Eland River!
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Congrats on a great time with family! Thanks for sharing!
 
Congratulations! Introducing hunters to Africa for the first time is something special. Looks like everyone had a great trip.
 
Well done, Dan, great to see the ladies enjoying their time as much as the guys do! Franco and Peiter are first rate people as well as PH's, does not look like it could have turned out better!
 
I wanted to add a couple of photos from the ladies' non-hunting excursion to the elephant encounter at Zebula. This is one of several excursions that can be done as a day trip right from the Limcroma Lodges. When planning a safari, I highly recommend setting aside at least a couple of days apart from your hunting days to experience some of these wonderful places. An African safari is so much more than the incredible hunting.

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Nice trip- thanks !
 
A few of my favorite picks from our trip of the flora and fauna of South Africa.

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:A Thumbs Up: Wow! Great job everyone! Amazing trophies and incredible photos! Limcroma is a truly special place. We had an incredible family safari with them as well. We can't wait to go back again one day soon. Thanks for sharing.
 
Congrats, it´s great to see a succesful family hunt, with a lot of smiling faces !
 
You are very blessed. Beautiful family making lasting memories. Great hunt! I gave up my dedicated archery hunting after 20 years or so for elk. I just find I don’t have the time to practice enough. I am a rifle guy now but sure miss the days of rut in the Colorado Rockies.
 
I have had a few requests to add a logistics page to the report. My apologies for not including the details in my initial report. Here are the logistics including answers to many common FAQ's from this most recent trip. Please feel free anytime to contact me in regards to any questions or details about planning safari with Limcroma.

The Outfitter:
Hannes Els is the outfitter and your host at Limcroma Safaris. Hannes is a 3rd generation PH and outfitter. He is one of the most professional, ethical, respected, and affable of a gentleman that you would ever meet. He is also a father of 5 with a passion for family and the outdoors. With Limcroma Safaris, he has created a niche in the safari industry as one of the premier outfitters specializing in family & couples on safaris.

The Lodges:
The main lodges are located in the Limpopo region of South Africa up near the Botswana border at the confluence of the 3 main rivers in the area which include the Limpopo, the Crocodile, and the Marico, hence the name Lim-Cro-Ma! Hannes owns and operates 2 full-time lodges close in proximity to one another each of which offers its own unique amenities and atmosphere to accommodate all sorts of guests. Both lodges offer first-class amenities in a very authentic African theme. You will be spoiled by the staff constantly! During your stay, guests will eat some of the finest authentic South Africa cuisine prepared by their professional chefs which will include a variety of game meat much of which is harvested from your own hunts.

The domestic staff, PHs, and trackers are among the most professional, experienced, and capable as you will find in Africa. Most of the PHs have been with Limcroma 10 or more years and apprenticed with Hannes or his brother Ranier. The trackers are also 3rd and 4th generation who's fathers and grandfathers have hunted with Hannes, his father, and grandfather. Each and every staff member truly goes above and beyond at every opportunity to exceed the expectations of their guests.

Getting there:
It is a scenic 3.5 hour drive from Johannesburg to the lodge properties. It's my recommendation to take one of the direct flights from the USA that arrives in the evening and overnight at one of the many guesthouses near the airport. I also recommend the Afton Safari Lodge or the Africa Sky Boutique Hotel for that overnight accommodation. The Afton is a clean, comfortable B&B type accommodation, while the Africa Sky offers a bit more luxury. Limcroma takes care of all arrangements including your airport meet & greet and transfers. From the time you arrive in Jo'burg until your safari with them is completed, you will always be in the care of a Limcroma staff member or representative.

After breakfast the next morning, depending on the size of your party, you will be met by either your PH or the shuttle driver to take you to camp. You will be at the lodge in time to enjoy a welcome cocktail, a fantastic lunch, and a chance to check your rifle or bow. You will be out in the bush hunting that same afternoon.

The Hunting:
Limcroma is unique in that they are one of only a handful of outfitters in the Limpopo that either owns or manages their concessions exclusively for their guests to hunt. With just about 250,000 acres to hunt in the Limpopo, Limcroma offers huge, contiguous concessions that Hannes strictly manages for both bow and rifle hunters. The trophy quality and quantity of the game will amaze you, as you will hunt a huge variety of species many from self-sustaining herds which is evident of the varying age classes you will encounter.

Every hunt I have ever been on at Limcroma has been in a true fair chase setting. If you are looking for an outfitter who encourages the harvest of only fully mature animals who have reached their full trophy potential in a challenging setting, Limcroma is your place. If you are looking to just tick boxes off your trophy list with immature or "representative animals" Limcroma is probably not the outfitter for you.

Getting your trophies home:
This is another area where Limcroma offers their guests a unique option in that they own their own facility called Trophy Pro SA which offers a variety of services including everything from dip & pack to full taxidermy. Hannes established this sister company several years ago in response to eliminating the third party and ensuring more personal and reliable trophy prep services for their guests. If you elect to use Trophy Pro SA after hunting with Limcroma, your trophies will never leave the care of the Limcroma/TPSA staff until your crate is ready to be shipped home.

I have used TPSA for most of my safaris always with excellent customer service and exceptional quality of work at competitive pricing. I also recommend them for rugging, tanning, and a variety of really cool items they can custom make from your back skins like rifle cases, gaiters, pillows, throws, shields, etc.,..

Hunting with Limcroma, you also always have the option of using whatever company you prefer for your trophy prep and shipping. TPSA is happy to work with any company to arrange for the pick up of your trophy parts in the salt.

A few pics of the Three Rivers lodge from our safari:

Each guest or couple will enjoy their own private chalet:
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Miss Melissa enjoying a welcome cocktail with Chef Joseph and Limcroma's domestic staff:
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Hannes and the ladies.
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WOW! just amazing Dan! That is a once in a lifetime trip right there! Fantastic animals and excellent photos. I see lots of familiar faces in those pics. Great to see Hannes and the Limcroma staff are exceeding expectations as usual.. Thanks for sharing your safari with us!
 

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Grz63 wrote on roklok's profile.
Hi Roklok
I read your post on Caprivi. Congratulations.
I plan to hunt there for buff in 2026 oct.
How was the land, very dry ? But à lot of buffs ?
Thank you / merci
Philippe
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
Chopped up the whole thing as I kept hitting the 240 character limit...
Found out the trigger word in the end... It was muzzle or velocity. dropped them and it posted.:)
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
2,822fps, ES 8.2
This compares favorably to 7 Rem Mag. with less powder & recoil.
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS FOR MY RIFLE, ALWAYS APPROACH A NEW LOAD CAUTIOUSLY!!*
Rifle is a Pierce long action, 32" 1:8.5 twist Swan{Au} barrel
{You will want a 1:8.5 to run the heavies but can get away with a 1:9}
Peterson .280AI brass, CCI 200 primers, 56.5gr of 4831SC, 184gr Berger Hybrid.
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
I know that this thread is more than a year old but as a new member I thought I would pass along my .280AI loading.
I am shooting F Open long range rather than hunting but here is what is working for me and I have managed a 198.14 at 800 meters.
That is for 20 shots. The 14 are X's which is a 5" circle.
 
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