SOUTH AFRICA: Spiral Horned Slam With KAROO WILD Safaris - Eastern Cape South Africa

[458JCE]

In August, my son Tom and I hunted the Spiral Horned Slam (Bushbuck, Nyala, Kudu, Eland) with @KAROO WILD Safaris in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Victor and Lyndsie Watson were wonderful hosts and our PH Jason and Tracker Mitchell were fantastic and consistently went the extra mile to make it a successful hunt.

I write a journal of each hunt so that I can re-live the experience in the future. If you’re reading this, it’s because I consider you a mate and value your feedback.

My son Tom (now 35) and I decided to have an annual hunt together when we went to Cape York in October of 2021. We’ve since hunted Chital with Dan Smith in 2022, did some local hunts on friend’s properties in 2023 and spent 2 weeks in NZ in May 2024 chasing Sika Deer and Himalayan Tahr with one of Tom’s mates. This year we hunted with mates in the VIC Alps for a week and we’ve been planning this 2-weeks in Africa since August 2024. We also have 10 days in Cape York booked in October, just before the wet. Next year is 2 weeks in NZ in April, a week in June chasing Sambar in VIC with a mate and 10 days in the NT with Simon Kyle-Little (and a mate from WA and his son) in August.

We flew Brisbane to Sydney on Friday 15 AUG and stayed in one of the airport hotels, so that we could be at the international airport 3 hours before our 09:30 flight to Johannesburg with QANTAS. All went smoothly checking in our luggage and guns with Border Force and we spent a couple of hours in the QANTAS Club having breakfast.

We bought duty-free whiskey at Sydney international airport to collect on our way back and took the Auchentoshan with us to imbibe in camp – turned out to be a great choice.

The 14-hour flight to Johannesburg landed at 16:30 on Saturday 16 AUG (SA is 8 hours behind the east coast of Australia). The people from Rifle Permits were there to greet us and walk us through SAP Customs and receive the permits for our rifles for the duration of our stay in Africa. We stayed in an airport motel again because it was too late to get the last flight to Port Elizabeth. The Wallabies played the Springboks that night and we stopped watching in the first half when the score got to Springboks 22 Wallabies 0. Imagine our surprise when we learned the next day that the final score was Wallabies 38 Springboks 22.
Our total load-out was pretty light, but I still took stuff that I didn’t need – every trip is a learning experience and we travel lighter each time.

We flew from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth on Sunday 17 AUG to be greeted by clear blue skies and perfect weather - and the PH Jason, a short, wiry Afrikaans chap who has been guiding for Karoo Wild Safaris for 5 years. His first words were "talk of Rugby is taboo in camp this week".
We drove west-north-west of PE for nearly 2 hours to Main Camp - Haaspoort Lodge (Haaspoort means Rabbit Valley) in the Eastern Cape Karoo, where we were stationed for the duration of our hunt.




Species sighted beside the road on the way to camp included:
- Vervet Monkeys - lots of Monkeys but only 1 roadkill victim that we saw.
- Kudu Cows
- A cracker Black Wildebeest Bull
- Herds of White and Black Springbok
- Herds of Standard and Black Impala
- Warthog Sow with 6 half-grown piglets
- Solid Warthog Boar 60m from the road, totally unconcerned about us in a Ford Ranger Ute (bakky)
- A good but too-young-to-shoot Kudu Bull
- A Dassie (Rock Hyrax), scampering across the road on the track into camp
- Three Eland Bulls (a good solid bull and 2 Askaris) on a kopje about 500m from camp
- Two Nyala Ewes and a young Bull on the escarpment to the north-east of camp

Tom and I moved our gear into the 2-bed thatch-roofed luxury accommodation – like a spacious upscale motel room.

We sat around the campfire watching the sun go down, drinking a South African Pinotage for the first time – pretty good!

We had Karoo Lamb Shanks for dinner - about the best I've ever had, prepared by Lyndsie, the Outfitter’s wife.



Monday 18 AUG 2025

Well, today was beyond all expectations.
Jason our PH took us to the range first to verify that both of our rifles had not been affected by the travel and luggage-handlers. Both shooting spot-on 1 1/2" high at 100m.

With our tracker, Mitchell, on the back of the ute (the Saffies call a ute/pickup a backy - 2 fixed seats on a frame in the tub) we drove some seriously rugged, rocky country looking for Kudu. At about 10:00 the wind got up and the animals disappeared. Species sighted during this slow drive with many stops to scope sunny slopes (the country is much more hilly than expected):
Duiker, Zebra (Burchell’s), Impala, Eland (cows), Kudu (cows), Vervet Monkeys, Black Eagle, Warthogs, Nyala (Ewes - Nyala is the cut-off between Rams/Ewes and Bulls/Cows - Nyala Bulls/Ewes), young Eland Bulls, Yellow Mongoose, Sable Cows and a good Sable Bull (at USD5800 not on my list – an American Hunter shot this bull a week later).

We got back to Main Camp for a lunch of Kudu Burgers - went down very well. Then siesta until 14:30. I worked through Siesta with dozens of work emails coming in during the morning.

In the afternoon we went to a completely different area, in sight of the imposing Cockscomb Range, eponymous with the highest point of the range resembling a Cocks Comb to our South. We saw:
Black and White Springbok herds, Steenbok, Duiker, Vervet Monkeys, Blue Crane (National Bird of South Africa), Gemsbok! I had added Gemsbok to the list of animals that I wanted to take on this trip (stalked in on a group of 6 but turned out to be 5 cows and 1 young bull), Kudu Cows, Red Lechwe, a 5" Duiker (monster for the species), a group of 3 young Nyala Bulls, a large herd of Red Lechwe including a really big Ram, Warthogs, more Duiker, Rock Hyrax (Dassie - closest relative to Elephant), Black Impala, Rabbits, a rare Black-Footed Cat.

Tom stalked a seriously good Kudu Bull (estimated by Jason to be the Holy Grail 50"). We lost sight of the walking/feeding Bull when we went the other side of a Kopje to get ahead of him - and never saw him again. Any wonder they are called "grey ghosts"! Saw a big herd of Red Lechwe.
As we were exiting the area and darkness was descending, Jason grabbed my arm and whispered excitedly "massive Nyala Bull!". We stalked into his last known position, me following in Jason's footsteps. As Jason set the 4-Stable-Sticks in front of me, the big Bull led the young Bull and 4 Ewes directly away at a run. Jason said "wait until he stops and give him one". He stopped and presented broadside in the crepuscular light and I sent a 165gr Woodleigh PPSN on its way. After an age the slap of the striking bullet came to us and the Bull staggered and started back-stepping and turning in circles.

Jason said "Good shot, you've got him - if he stops give him another one". So I did. The first shot was at 248m and the second at 265m. The Bull dropped. Jason said "Right, we haven't much light left, we have to get to him before the light fails". We quick marched in a straight line to where he dropped. As we got close, the Bull jumped up and charged straight at Jason and then veered away and at about 40m I put a third shot into him, smashing his left shoulder and he dropped and expired before we got to him. All of the shots were good and he would have died from any of them - African animals are seriously tough!

Photos were taken in the twilight, producing some stunning shots with the sunset in the background. It was fully dark by the time this most beautiful of African Antelope was loaded into the bakkie.

We met Victor's wife Lyndsie and daughter Emma at dinner (prepared by Lyndsie) - Kudu Fillet steaks and Karoo Lamb cutlets with vegetables, cooked on the wood-fired Brai, and served with a homemade sauce - seriously good. Success with the Nyala Bull was toasted with Auchentoshan 12yo Malt Scotch.

What a day!

To be continued.....

 

[458JCE]

Tuesday 19 AUG 2025

We set out early to find a Kudu Bull for Tom.
We spent the morning (very cool start) looking for Kudu on the slopes within an hour of Main Camp. With 4 of us glassing, we saw many Kudu Cows and lots of young Kudu Bulls but nothing worth taking.

By 10:30 most critters had bedded for the heat of the middle of the day and we turned for home. Mitchell the Tracker spotted a couple of Warthog feeding their way towards us at about 450m. Jason the PH said that the leading hog looked old and could be taken as a management animal. We closed the gap to them and at 200m Tom took a prone shot at the old battler of a Warthog and took him cleanly with a heart-shot from the Sako 75 in 338WM shooting 225gr Woodleigh PP SN at 2900 fps. He was estimated to be 12 years old and in declining condition - tusks were not big but heavy and he was a good animal to take out of the food chain. Tom's first kill in Africa.

After lunch of Karoo Peri Peri Chicken, we headed back out to a different area to look for a Kudu Bull for Tom. On the way to the hunting area we saw our first-ever Klipspringer. Again, we saw many species, out unusually early in the afternoon. We later learned why - the wind got up to a cold semi-gale as the afternoon progressed and the animals disappeared.
Then, halfway to the "Kudu slopes" the PH brought the bakkie to a screaming halt and with big eyes turned to me and said "do you want a monster Steenbuck? This is the biggest one I've ever seen!"
OK - point him out. We moved into the adjacent field on a farm that is part of the concession managed by Karoo Wild Safaris and at 250m I put a 165gr Woodleigh through the neck of the tiny, dainty little Ram with 6" pointy straight horns. This "monster" weighed only 11kg. Apparently, "a big one has horns that are as high as its ears", this one had horns that extended a couple of inches higher than its ears. A proper trophy animal. The horns were later measured at 5.75 inches (146mm).

We glassed the Kudu Slopes all afternoon and the wind progressively increased in strength and chill-factor throughout. Again, we saw many Kudu Cows and young Bulls, but nothing worth shooting.

Our dinner was Springbuck Pie (appropriate after the Rugby on the weekend) and vegies with a really good South African "Protea" Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany it.

Wednesday 20 AUG 2025

Very cool start at 2oC - reminiscent of the Victorian Alps and our New Zealand hunt last year.
Today the plan was to look for an Eland in the morning and then a Kudu in the afternoon. What a day!
We were starting each day at dawn (05:50) and we drove to an escarpment that is "Eland Central". On the track into the escarpment I commented on the numerous plants that looked a bit like Aloe Vera on stilts. I was told that these were “Sweet Aloe” and a conversation in Afrikaans between Jason and Mitchell led to Mitchell cutting a leaf and offering it to me to taste. As soon as my tongue touched the “Sweet Aloe” I knew I was the victim of a joke – it was extraordinarily bitter and the taste remained in my mouth despite lots of water to flush it away.

We glassed the slopes for an hour - sighting a lone shootable Eland Bull and a fine Kudu Bull with 10 Cows, one of whom must have been in season, because the Bull followed her everywhere. But they were both high on the escarpment about 1.5km from where we could get a vehicle, so recovery would have been impossible even if we had been able to get to a shooting position. We then hunted on foot through the ravine in the middle of the escarpment and through the valley beyond - about 5km all up. Tom flew his drone a couple of times and we saw Common, White & Black Springbok, Golden Wildebeest (a first for both of us), Sable, Mongoose, Vervet Monkeys, a group of Impala Rams - one exceptionally big, Steenbok, Klipspringer (Ewes), Zebra, Blesbuck, Guinea Fowl, Black Eagles, Black Impala herd (including a huge Ram), young Kudu Bulls, Duiker, Red Lechwe (including a great Ram).

We returned to Main Camp for a lunch of chicken wraps – the food was excellent throughout the safari.

After siesta we drove back towards the Cockscomb Range and searched for Tom’s Kudu Bull. We saw Kudu cows, Black Impala (including a really big Ram), young Kudu Bulls, Red Hartebeest, more Kudu cows, Gemsbok, Duiker, Red Lechwe, Mongoose – all in impressive numbers.
Again, as the sun descended close to the horizon (about 20 minutes of twilight in southern South Africa), Jason (the young PH) and Mitchell (the Tracker) spotted 2 Kudu Bulls to our West (have no idea how they saw them directly into the setting sun) - one was exactly what we were looking for and a smaller Askari. The Holy Grail in Eastern Cape Kudu is 50" and this one looked to be every bit of it. With Mitchell shielding the Z6 from the flare of the setting sun and after much manoeuvring, Tom put a 225gr Woodleigh into the point of the Bull's shoulder at 125m. The 2 Bulls ran toward the top of the kopje but the one Tom had hit was struggling and slow. A quick uphill run to follow up and the second shot dropped him. Proud Dad moment. Tom is a quiet, laconic character and it's been a pleasure to watch him develop into a fine young man.

On the way back to camp the sunset was spectacular:

To be continued....

 

[458JCE]

Thursday 21 AUG 2025

This was a huge day. We left Main Camp at 04:30 and drove 3 hours to a property on the Fish River to hunt Bushbuck on a farm with a good population of Bushbuck living in the Riverine Thornbush on the banks of the river and the irrigated fields beyond. We saw many Ewes and a good number of Rams come out to feed at different times throughout the day, but none old enough or big enough to take. The Bushbuck is about Fallow Deer size (around 80kg) but more solidly built. It's the smallest antelope known to have killed Lion. Unfortunately, this was the first time that this PH/Tracker combination did not "shoot" a Bushbuck on a trip to this hunting ground. We tried again on the following Monday. Again, we saw many species in big numbers during 6 hours of driving.

Friday 22 AUG 2025

We set out soon after dawn to hunt for Tom’s Eland.
About 2 kilometres from Main Camp we spotted a group of 5 Bulls, including a huge-looking Lead Bull, high on an escarpment south-west of the 4WD track through the hunting reserve. Our tracker, Mitchell, was dispatched to herd them down from the heights to a place where the trophy could be recovered. It was spectacular watching this 45-50yo black man run up the mountain and push them down through a gully out onto a flat to our west. Jason, the young PH (33), told Tom which one to shoot when it stopped to look at us and kept updating Tom as they ran across the flat towards us "number 3 now, now number 2 etc". The wind had picked up by now and Tom was on the sticks with his 338. The PH yelled at the bulls when they were about 220m away and they stopped and turned to look at us. As Tom squeezed off the wind gusted and his bullet went through the meat of his left shoulder without hitting bone. The 5 Bulls ran off northwards together and, with the Lead Bull screened by the other Bulls, Tom didn’t get the opportunity for a follow-up shot.

There's a pass through the surrounding rocky mountains to the north-west of Main Camp and that's where they were heading (the one that we walked through when hunting Kudu). Without waiting for Mitchell to come down off the mountain we jumped back into the Ford Ranger and made for the Northern Pass. It should be noted that there is no road through the pass, so we were headed for a dead-end.
We got there to see the 5 Bulls leading 20 Cows through on the southern slopes of the Pass with the trophy Bull in the lead with blood staining his left fore-leg and limping only slightly.
With a sinking feeling that we were going to lose this Bull, we back-tracked and picked up Mitchell and drove the long way around to the other side of the Pass (an hour of furious driving on rough roads). When we got there, Jason and Mitchell spotted the 20 Cows halfway up the bare part of the slope of the Escarpment and the 5 Bulls in the thornbush green band above, working their way to the top. If they got over the top we would never find them.

Mitchell immediately took off and bolted up the slope and, incredibly, turned the Bulls and herded them down the slope with lots of yelling. Trying to predict where they would come out, we shifted several times and finally we were in a position that would put us within 200 metres of where they galloped out onto the "flat". As they ran out, directly away from us, Tom put a Texas heart shot into the Bull indicated by Jason (I have no idea how he picked the right one) and spined him. His hind quarters dropped and when he turned around, Tom put one into the middle of his chest and he went down. He was dead when we got to him. Posing 1000kg of animal for photos and then loading into a trailer for transport to the Skinning Shed was no small task. The Cape Eland is the largest African Antelope and words cannot convey the awe-inspiring sight of this magnificent 1000kg animal. Imagine a bull with legs twice as long and 50% bigger and can run twice as fast.
With the exception of the first shot, Tom did really well. Our PH and Tracker performed a miracle and Mitchell achieved an athletic feat that had to be seen to be believed, then walked back down his second mountain for the day, whistling and having a smoke, like this was just a normal day at the office.

Saturday 23 AUG 2025

Today we went after a Gemsbuck, a striking tan, white and black animal with rapier horns, about the size of a Sambar. The Gemsbok is the only animal other than the Spiral Horned Slam that I had planned to shoot. The Steenbuck was a target of opportunity.
The wind was pumping by 09:00 when we spotted a herd with a really good bull on the slope the other side of a small valley and worked our way to within 300 metres. We couldn't get any closer without spooking them (they were onto us and about 20 pairs of eyes were watching). Jason set up the sticks (original home-made timber tripod) and I got settled behind the 30-06. With the wind my face I was struggling to hold my aim at 268m and in hindsight, I shouldn't have taken the shot. As I squeezed off, the wind dropped and because I was braced against the wind, my shot went low and left of aim and the sickening "thoomp" of a gut-shot carried back on the wind. The herd did a starburst and disappeared over the ridge in a heartbeat.
Jason said "I think you've hit him hard" and "let him settle and then we'll look for him".
We eventually found a blood trail and then a spot where he had been lying, where there was a pool of blood and several kg of green, part-digested rumen contents. That can only mean that I'd hit him just in front of his pizzle and split the rumen at the bottom to allow that much out. I felt sick. We tracked the diminishing blood trail for 2 hours and then lost it. We went back to camp for lunch and the trip was a sombre one.
After lunch, Mitchell brought back one of his teenaged sons and a few of his mates and we went back and combed the whole area in a grid search, until dark. The Gemsbok was lost - no photos to show.
It's hard to put something like that behind you. My confidence in my shooting was shaken and I'm horrified at the slow death that the animal will have suffered.
And just to put the icing on the cake, I tripped and landed face-first in the rocky terrain and gave myself a Weatherby Eyebrow on a rock and devalued the Sako and the Swarovski scope by dropping it on the rocks. I bruised both hands breaking my fall and wrenched my right shoulder and took some bark off. But it could have been worse - I didn't break anything and the hunt continued.
We had dinner with the outfitter and his family in their home and watched the Springboks beat the Wallabies in the Rugby. I had a large scotch (Auchentoshan) after a most trying day. But the worst day hunting is still better than the best day at work!

To be continued ....

 

[458JCE]

Sunday 24 AUG 2025

We started the day by going to the range and re-checking zero on the 30-06 after its meeting with the rocks - all good. Tom noticed that the block on the left-hand side of the Sako L61 action, that holds the bolt-release button, was loose. It couldn’t come out because there are 2 screws under the stock that hold this block in place. When we got back to Australia, I pulled the stock off and inspected the screws – they had both been snapped off! I must have fallen harder than I realised. The rifle was sent back to Beretta Australia for repairs. A big shout-out to Beretta for repairing it under warranty!

We spent the morning looking for big Warthogs. A couple were seen in the distance but we weren't able to get onto them (an electrified fence slowed us down), so again, no photos. Watching Jason test the electrified fence was entertaining!


We took it easy for the rest of the day, had an early dinner and went to bed. It was good to have an easy day after yesterday. We were leaving at 03:00 in the morning to go back to the Fish River for the last animal in the Spiral Horned Slam - the elusive Bushbuck.

We saw lots of animals again today, including the first Giraffes, Black Wildebeest, lots of Springbuck and Impala, Zebra, Steenbuck, Duiker, Rock Hyrax (Dassie), Vervet Monkeys (they're everywhere you look), lots of Kudu, a good Eland Bull, Nyala Cows etc.

Two American hunters flew into camp by helicopter today – from Ohio – good times around the campfire. Lots of Makers Mark Whisky consumed.



Monday 25 AUG 2025

We left camp at 03:30 to get to the Fish River just before dawn, to try again for a Bushbuck. Just as some light was seeping into the clear sky Jason spotted a big-bodied Ram feeding on the irrigated cultivation just out of the thick riverine thornbush. Mitchell set me up on the 4-Stable-Sticks 165m from the Ram and as the light increased, Jason verified “he’s a big old Ram, take the shot when you’re ready”. I made a conscious effort to control my heart (that was trying to thump out of my chest) and with the lost Gemsbuck heavy on my conscience, I took my time and held on the top of his shoulder (just visible in the gloom of the rising dawn), took a deep breath and let out a third, held my breath and in the momentary pause between heartbeats squeezed off. I lost sight of the Bushbuck in the recoil of the 30-06 and was disconcerted when I couldn’t re-acquire. To my great relief (in my head TFFT) Jason said “He’s down, good shooting” and “reload (I had already) and watch him, if he gets up give him another”. But he didn’t get up. The bullet struck a couple of inches to the right of where I was aiming, but it worked.

Jason inspected the Ram and declared that he was the oldest Bushbuck he had ever seen – at least 12-13 years old, no hair left on top of his head, the thickest neck he had seen on a Bushbuck and estimated that he had broomed as much as 4” off his horns. What a trophy! This was exactly the sort of animal that I wanted – old and no longer contributing to his species and simply consuming resources until he died.

On the flight home I had a discussion with a woman who was affronted when she worked out that we had been hunting in Africa. I explained that the only reason these species continue to exist is because of hunters like us who pay big money to hunt and give value to the wild animals and stop the Farmers from killing them all. The farmers receive 95% of the trophy fee for each animal hunted. The Outfitters pay the farmers at the beginning of each season to secure the rights for the number of animals that they have permits for.

On the return trip to Haaspoort Lodge we saw herds of Cape Buffalo, Blesbuck, Warthog (lots), Baboon, Steenbuck, 2 Elephant Bulls with big tusks, Eland (herds), Zebra, Ostrich, Red Hartebeest, Kudu (lots).

In the afternoon we hunted Warthog on the property shadowed by the Cockscomb Range. Jason saw a good boar through the thornbush (I don’t know how) and guided my eyes onto him. Standing on one of the seats in the back of the bakky at full stretch, I could make out the outline of the Warthog’s mane and backline over the thornbush screen. I took a breath and steadied myself for the offhand shot at 125m, aimed just below the top of the thornbush, and the boar dropped at the shot. Jason yelled “Shot!” and we all disembarked and converged on the spot. No pig, no blood, no sign of any Warthog. My heart sank – again – I was losing confidence in my shooting. This was a new experience – I’ve always done better hunting than target shooting. There’s a line in the movie “American Sniper” that always comes to mind, where Chris Kyle has just shot a Rattlesnake at long range when training as a SEAL Sniper and quips “I’m better when it’s breathing”.

We moved on and another Warthog boar was spotted by Jason, again he had to guide my eyes onto the pig standing still under a thornbush at just under 100m looking at us. Jason said “head-shoot him”, so I did, and the boar ran off at top speed! Jason exclaimed “what’s with this rifle?!” and explained that the bullet had creased the scalp between the eyes of the boar without penetrating the skull. The last of my shooting confidence left me. I paid for a Gemsbuck and 2 Warthogs for which I had nothing to show. But that’s hunting, it doesn’t always go to plan. I had to put it behind me and move on – you can’t change the past.

The Americans shot the Sable Bull that had been hanging with the Cows at the feed station near the Lodge and then a Zebra on the top of a kopje where it was impossible to carry the fresh meat out. They left early the next morning to hunt a Cape Buffalo each on one of KWS’s northern concessions.



Tuesday 26 AUG 2025

We were targeting Warthog and we drove to the same farm that we hunted yesterday. This time Jason and Tom were dropped off to hunt on foot through some known Warthog country and Mitchell and I drove to a high point on the property where the farm road ran beside a 12’ electrified game fence and we had seen a big Warthog boar the previous afternoon. During the 30-minute drive, with the sun cresting the hills and bathing everything in a golden light we saw 2 young Warthog boars that bolted in their characteristic tail-up run and then a Black-backed Jackal streaked parallel with the bakkie and across the road in front of us and through the game fence without the slightest pause. It was the only Jackal that we saw on the trip.

Standing in the back of the parked bakkie to scope the surrounding hills allowed us to see over the near thornbush. Over the next hour, Mitchell’s sharp eyes spotted 3 different groups of Warthog females with young of various sizes. Then I heard voices and after a while the growl of a diesel engine and a farm bakkie filled with workers in the tub and the Farm Manager driving appeared over the hill about a kilometre away, heading towards us on the track that we were parked on. As they reached the gate at the bottom of the valley about 500m away, a Bat-Eared Fox appeared out of the bush on the left of the track and loped up the track towards us, glancing over his shoulder at the noisy bakkie. He remained unaware of us until he was only 10 metres away and I watched him through the Swarovski binos all the way. A magical experience! What a beautiful little animal. I was so enthralled, I didn’t think to take a photo.

I put the Sako L61 (AV) in 30-06 back in the hard case and swapped it out for the Outfitter’s CZ 550 in 7x64 with a suppressor and a Nikon Monarch scope.



Wednesday 27 AUG 2025

Our last day. We headed out to where Tom shot his Eland in search of Springbuck to finish our safari in Africa. Animals sighted along the way included Blue Wildebeest, Nyala Bull, Red Hartebeest, Black Wildebeest, Warthog, Springbuck, Mongoose, Steenbuck, Sable – the array of species and the numbers of wild animals is difficult to comprehend.

Tom and I each took a cull Springbuck using Victor’s suppressed CZ 550 in 7x64 and shooting 140gr Norma Oryx bullets. Again the shots were over 200 metres.

To complicate matters, the Ford Ranger had broken a rear spring (apparently for the second time) and we limped back to Victor’s home and picked up another spring set and drove back to Haaspoort Lodge.

While Mitchell and Lovemore (Cook) were replacing the spring (and putting a crowbar through the back window of the Ranger in the process), we had a lunch of venison pizza and Tom and I hiked to the top of the kopje overlooking Haaspoort Lodge. Tom flew the drone and recorded the aerial shots that feature in the video that Tom compiled of our African adventure.

Jason drove use into Port Elizabeth and we stayed in an Air B&B house with hosts Alan & Linda-Ann overnight.



Thursday 28 AUG 2025

We flew out of Port Elizabeth early (couldn’t get a later flight) and spent 6 hours at Johannesburg Airport waiting for our flight back to Sydney in the afternoon. I arranged to meet Rudi Fischer, the owner of the Spoor Bullet Company, who helpfully came to the airport and I was able to buy some .308 and 9.3mm projectiles from him.



Tom’s video of our Safari – he’s done a great job! https://youtu.be/IzKDYqQMuIQ?si

 

[Green Chile]

First of all, as someone who puts a lot of time into my own hunt reports, I appreciate you writing this report and really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for taking us through the highs and lows as that's real hunting. I love hearing how much you and your son hunt together. I'm a little jealous of that!

On your animals taken, that's the biggest steenbok I've ever seen! The mass is fantastic and the length is well above average. What a trophy. The EC kudu is great! Very nice eland and that old man bushbuck is fantastic! Losing an animal is a terrible feeling but thanks for writing about it. A lot of our hunt reports are focused on the wins of course but what you do with your losses is very important. I hope you go back and get an old bull someday.

I really enjoyed your report.

 

[Karl Johnson]

Thank you for sharing your safari with us. Congratulations on a fantastic hunt and time with your son.

 

[Betterinthebush]

Fantastic report. Thank you. Sharing the adventure with your son, I don’t think that can be topped. Congratulations to the both of you.

 

[skydiver386]

That Steinbok is really spectacular, and the Kudu is one of a kind with those long ivory tips. Super hunt report.

 

[458JCE]

First of all, as someone who puts a lot of time into my own hunt reports, I appreciate you writing this report and really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for taking us through the highs and lows as that's real hunting. I love hearing how much you and your son hunt together. I'm a little jealous of that!

On your animals taken, that's the biggest steenbok I've ever seen! The mass is fantastic and the length is well above average. What a trophy. The EC kudu is great! Very nice eland and that old man bushbuck is fantastic! Losing an animal is a terrible feeling but thanks for writing about it. A lot of our hunt reports are focused on the wins of course but what you do with your losses is very important. I hope you go back and get an old bull someday.

I really enjoyed your report.

Thanks Green Chile - I appreciate the feedback. Tom and I have since hunted with Traditional Owners (Aboriginals) in Cape York Queensland - a unique experience. I'll post the story of that hunt soon. Next week I will be shooting Cape Barren Geese on Flinders Island near Tasmania (not with Tom this time).

 

[458JCE]

Fantastic report. Thank you. Sharing the adventure with your son, I don’t think that can be topped. Congratulations to the both of you.

Thanks Bitb - I feel blessed to have the privilege of hunting with my son.

 

[458JCE]

That Steinbok is really spectacular, and the Kudu is one of a kind with those long ivory tips. Super hunt report.

Thanks skydiver - he measured 5 7/8" - a monster of the species. The PH said the girth of the horns sets him apart.

 

[tinktink12]

Tuesday 19 AUG 2025

We set out early to find a Kudu Bull for Tom.
We spent the morning (very cool start) looking for Kudu on the slopes within an hour of Main Camp. With 4 of us glassing, we saw many Kudu Cows and lots of young Kudu Bulls but nothing worth taking.
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By 10:30 most critters had bedded for the heat of the middle of the day and we turned for home. Mitchell the Tracker spotted a couple of Warthog feeding their way towards us at about 450m. Jason the PH said that the leading hog looked old and could be taken as a management animal. We closed the gap to them and at 200m Tom took a prone shot at the old battler of a Warthog and took him cleanly with a heart-shot from the Sako 75 in 338WM shooting 225gr Woodleigh PP SN at 2900 fps. He was estimated to be 12 years old and in declining condition - tusks were not big but heavy and he was a good animal to take out of the food chain. Tom's first kill in Africa.
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After lunch of Karoo Peri Peri Chicken, we headed back out to a different area to look for a Kudu Bull for Tom. On the way to the hunting area we saw our first-ever Klipspringer. Again, we saw many species, out unusually early in the afternoon. We later learned why - the wind got up to a cold semi-gale as the afternoon progressed and the animals disappeared.
Then, halfway to the "Kudu slopes" the PH brought the bakkie to a screaming halt and with big eyes turned to me and said "do you want a monster Steenbuck? This is the biggest one I've ever seen!"
OK - point him out. We moved into the adjacent field on a farm that is part of the concession managed by Karoo Wild Safaris and at 250m I put a 165gr Woodleigh through the neck of the tiny, dainty little Ram with 6" pointy straight horns. This "monster" weighed only 11kg. Apparently, "a big one has horns that are as high as its ears", this one had horns that extended a couple of inches higher than its ears. A proper trophy animal. The horns were later measured at 5.75 inches (146mm).
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We glassed the Kudu Slopes all afternoon and the wind progressively increased in strength and chill-factor throughout. Again, we saw many Kudu Cows and young Bulls, but nothing worth shooting.

Our dinner was Springbuck Pie (appropriate after the Rugby on the weekend) and vegies with a really good South African "Protea" Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany it.

Wednesday 20 AUG 2025

Very cool start at 2oC - reminiscent of the Victorian Alps and our New Zealand hunt last year.
Today the plan was to look for an Eland in the morning and then a Kudu in the afternoon. What a day!
We were starting each day at dawn (05:50) and we drove to an escarpment that is "Eland Central". On the track into the escarpment I commented on the numerous plants that looked a bit like Aloe Vera on stilts. I was told that these were “Sweet Aloe” and a conversation in Afrikaans between Jason and Mitchell led to Mitchell cutting a leaf and offering it to me to taste. As soon as my tongue touched the “Sweet Aloe” I knew I was the victim of a joke – it was extraordinarily bitter and the taste remained in my mouth despite lots of water to flush it away.

We glassed the slopes for an hour - sighting a lone shootable Eland Bull and a fine Kudu Bull with 10 Cows, one of whom must have been in season, because the Bull followed her everywhere. But they were both high on the escarpment about 1.5km from where we could get a vehicle, so recovery would have been impossible even if we had been able to get to a shooting position. We then hunted on foot through the ravine in the middle of the escarpment and through the valley beyond - about 5km all up. Tom flew his drone a couple of times and we saw Common, White & Black Springbok, Golden Wildebeest (a first for both of us), Sable, Mongoose, Vervet Monkeys, a group of Impala Rams - one exceptionally big, Steenbok, Klipspringer (Ewes), Zebra, Blesbuck, Guinea Fowl, Black Eagles, Black Impala herd (including a huge Ram), young Kudu Bulls, Duiker, Red Lechwe (including a great Ram).
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We returned to Main Camp for a lunch of chicken wraps – the food was excellent throughout the safari.

After siesta we drove back towards the Cockscomb Range and searched for Tom’s Kudu Bull. We saw Kudu cows, Black Impala (including a really big Ram), young Kudu Bulls, Red Hartebeest, more Kudu cows, Gemsbok, Duiker, Red Lechwe, Mongoose – all in impressive numbers.
Again, as the sun descended close to the horizon (about 20 minutes of twilight in southern South Africa), Jason (the young PH) and Mitchell (the Tracker) spotted 2 Kudu Bulls to our West (have no idea how they saw them directly into the setting sun) - one was exactly what we were looking for and a smaller Askari. The Holy Grail in Eastern Cape Kudu is 50" and this one looked to be every bit of it. With Mitchell shielding the Z6 from the flare of the setting sun and after much manoeuvring, Tom put a 225gr Woodleigh into the point of the Bull's shoulder at 125m. The 2 Bulls ran toward the top of the kopje but the one Tom had hit was struggling and slow. A quick uphill run to follow up and the second shot dropped him. Proud Dad moment. Tom is a quiet, laconic character and it's been a pleasure to watch him develop into a fine young man.
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On the way back to camp the sunset was spectacular:
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To be continued....

Awesome Steinbok. I love the Tiny 10’s !!

 

[AZDAVE]

Thank you for taking the time to do a detailed report of your hunt. It takes time and thought to organize your thoughts and experiences. The tiny is exceptional

 

[KAROO WILD Safaris]

Terrific report Evan. Thank you to you and Tom for hunting with @KAROO WILD Safaris

 

[458JCE]

Thank YOU Victor! It was incredible!

 

[Hunt anything]

Great report! Congratulations to you and your son.

 

[458JCE]

Thanks Hunt anything - I thoroughly recommend Karoo Wild Safaris.