South Africa Hunt
 

As a reader of Hemingway, Ruark, and Capstick I have always been fascinated with the game hunting in Africa. It has been kind of a bucket list item that I though I would never be able to accomplish, due to what I thought was extraordinary high cost. Well, opportunity came along and I was able to plan and execute a trip with my son and a co-worker and his wife to South Africa on a hunting trip. It was a great trip and probably the best vacation I have ever been on. Maybe you have to be a hunter to have that thought process IDK.
In addition to the 3 plains animals that came with the package I was going to add a Kudu and a Cape Buffalo cow. I changed that cow option to a bull a couple of months before the trip. A 5 day hunt was the trip and I did not think I would get all of the animals taken.
On the first day I shot a record book Blesbok (SCI Gold Medal and Rowland Ward Book) and record book Nyala.
The Cape Buffalo bull was one of the most exciting. I was shooting a .375 H&H with 300 grain A-frames, and my PH (Professional Hunter) carrying the same and the owner (as second backup PH with Dangerous game) was carrying a .500 Nitro Express double rifle.
1st shot was at 50 yards with excellent shot placement in the shoulder. The second shot made as he took off running and still broad side. After he was hit by the second shot he turned towards us and came across a creek. We shifted position as this was happening and I got another shot into him at 25 yards with him quartering towards us. That shot turned him and he went another 20 yards over a little rise away from us and stopped. After a few minutes he toppled over. What a rush it was!!
If you like to hunt then I highly recommend a trip to South Africa!

Halala, Manje Ungumzingeli Omkhulu Omhlophe
( Congratulations, You Are Now A Great White Hunter, Zulu)

:lifter:D:lifter

What many do not understand is what this costs the hunter to harvest these animals.
The money they spend keeps the preserves in cash.... the excess meat goes to locals and nothing is wasted and the number of animals harvested is known and planned to keep the herd in feed and healthy.

The problem in Africa is not certified hunters but the poachers.

Hope it met your expectations.

Congrats!

Ditto.

Nice job on the buffalo. Known to take an amazing amount of lead.
That kudu is lovely with the final turnout into those white tips.
:lifter

Well done! Congrats on checking that off the list.

Congratulations!! A memorable hunt with your son. Good for you!!!

Outstanding!

I hope you got to sample some of your harvest.
Having spent some time In Kenya interviewing for a job, I had the opportunity to dine at the https://tamarind.co.ke/carnivore/ restaurant in Nairobi, maybe the best dining experience I've ever had. Fresh Game from the plains to fire pit same day. Beyond awesome.

I just read here, that they stopped serving game in 2004, my experience was in 1996 and you dine outside under the stars around the fire pit, where game was cooked on swords directly over the coals. The swords were used in a rotisserie like fashion to cook the meat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore_(restaurant)

Thanks for the replies fellas. Sorry late back to the party. The meat from the animals was donated to a local school and we received an appreciation letter from the school principal.

We did get to eat/sample the meat. They had a big open fire pit that we grilled the meat on. The Buffalo and Nyala were my favorite (compared to Blesbok, Wildebeest, and Warthog).

I have not received my taxidermy mounts yet but not really expecting them until after the first of the year.

My trip over for this next year is already planned with deposit put down and plane tickets purchased. I did not get my Kudu so that will be first on the list and will probably add an Eland, which is the world's largest antelope.

:lifter