Who has an end of season Africa hunt still to come?

[Green Chile]

Africa is wrapping up their season for the most part. They take most of December off for holidays and then show season starts. Who still has a hunt to go at this point in the season?

I thought I was not going to be able to get to Africa this year with a lot of things going on at work and home. However, I pushed through a lot of progress and decided I can make a trip next month just as the season is ending. There will be a lot of firsts for me on this particular trip.

This will be my first trip to the East Cape and I expect it to be a great trip. Dieter and I will be chasing at least 3 of the Tiny 10 (depending upon permits, possibly 4) and also caracal with dogs. This will also be my first African trip without taking my own guns. I’ve always taken my own guns, filled out the paperwork and pushed through the hassles. It will feel very odd to get on a plane with no firearms permits, extra baggage, etc. Since that won’t be an issue, I’m using British Airways for the first time and going through London for the first time. This allows me to land at 7:35AM in Jo’berg instead of arriving late in the day and having to overnight like usual. That part is exciting and the idea of a couple of 10+ hour flights instead of the long haul 16+ is something I look forward to.

I will be doing a full hunt report and look forward to adding more info to the T10 and small cats database here on AH. This will also be my first trip to Africa that doesn't have DG involved. Strange in some ways but I'm excited to get in a last minute hunt with a good friend!

 

[BnC 04]

We leave Nov 6 for roughly 2 weeks. Wife and I are taking our son for his first trip. Will be in SA and Zim.

 

[375Fox]

Good luck. Make sure to add a bushbuck in eastern cape.

 

[Firebird]

. . . And a kudu and a nyala and a waterbuck and . . .

 

[Red Leg]

We leave Nov 6 for roughly 2 weeks. Wife and I are taking our son for his first trip. Will be in SA and Zim.

I trust you have done November before? I also assume your spouse knows what she is getting into, but really make sure your son stays hydrated.

 

[BnC 04]

I trust you have done November before? I also assume your spouse knows what she is getting into, but really make sure your son stays hydrated.

Lots of water will be the order of the day. We like taking the sugar free hydration packets.

 

[Green Chile]

. . . And a kudu and a nyala and a waterbuck and . . .

I have good examples of all of that from Limpopo, Zim, etc. This is just a focused hunt on T10 and caracal. The EC has a different species of bushbuck...darker in color...quite beautiful and I will keep an eye out for a nice one.

 

[Green Chile]

I did an ele hunt 2 years ago in Oct/Nov in Zim...tented camp...no air con...scorcher. Spent several all nighters on that hunt in the leopard blind in the heat...miserable.

 

[Sarg]

Weather down South may not be so bad & I hope the Capes/fur are alright for your full mount Cats as Spring moult or very light summer fur ?

I end up hunting end of season as normally working in full winter, lots of my Capes & Furred game are not at their best in the Limpopo or Botos

 

[Green Chile]

That's a good point of course. We will be at some elevation and the nights will still be cooler but the days will be warm. I don't expect long hair on the caracal so we will see how that turns out.

 

[dchum]

Really looking forward to this report.

Safe travels

 

[Green Chile]

I always look forward to writing the hunt reports and was sad not to have one this year for Africa...but I did a report for Argentina and Canada. Now we're back in biz!

 

[Racer00]

I’m headed to Zim in early December to hunt bull elephant. I know. I know. It’ll be hot. I was there last December for tuskless and buffalo. I was successful on both but it was hot. 108 the day I got my buffalo. But I survived it. Only time I can get away with my work schedule.
Jody

 

[Green Chile]

Good for you to get away and you are definitely getting a full dose of Africa! Who are you going with? It would be great to see a hunt report afterwards. We don't get a lot of late season hunt reports. I would be curious to talk with you after your hunt and hear your thoughts on tuskless vs trophy bull experiences. They are very different and that tuskless is still one of the best bang for the buck in Africa.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

I’m headed back for another trip this year. Talked myself into doing a bull elephant same as Racer but while my available dates initially sounded doable, gent ultimately said he couldn’t make it work. Since I’d already sold myself on going and had the pass from my misses, couldn’t not go.

Luckily Dalton & Young had availability that matched mine, so head to the Omay way too early day after tomorrow. And last minute decided to leave my 470 88b and take m new sweetheart 450 3 1/4” 89b. Mac Jenkins helped me get it all dialed in and shoots just too damn good to not take it.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Did I mention that I hate heat? So as all the leaves have fallen around the lake and getting some heavy frost in the mornings, I’m going to go just swelter in Zim. Already told Dalton to warn Gareth that I’m not scared to hunt in m boxer briefs and flip flops.

 

[Green Chile]

My first hunt in Africa had me leaving the arctic circle in Alaska in the late fall and going to Zim in the heat. That was almost too much of a climate change but I got my tuskless.

 

[BryceM]

Flying without rifles really is a pleasure. As far as anyone cares, you're just a tourist. Have a great trip!

 

[Frederik]

With the game you are after and the heat moving upwards just have an extra cooler box and ice with you on the bakkie.
Take the trophy photos asap and cool the animal down in that cooler.
By the time the animal will get to the skinner it will have cooled down for proper skinning to keep the cape in good shape.

Cape bushbuck might be a struggle to fit in a large enough cooler but just dump cold water over it and maybe an old towel over head and especially neck area. Keep it wet untill at the skinning shed.

Many ways to skin a cat

 

[Racer00]

I will be hunting with Wayne's outfit, Nyamazana, on the end of season special he offered on here. My PH will be Bruce Cronje, who I hunted with last December, when I took a similar offer thru Lin Stanton's Mbalabala outfit. I had a great time hunting with Bruce and already have a trip for hippo and croc booked with him in '26. I had zero plans to be in Africa again this year, as I already have been twice in '25, but Wayne's offer was too good to pass, and when he said I could hunt with Bruce again, deposit money was on it's way.
I have not posted hunt reports, but will try my best to memorialize this one and a cpl other recent hunts when I have a little down time.
Bryan, I will PM you when I return to discuss.
Racer