This report is about (5) months overdue. Honestly, I had such a great time it has been difficult getting back on AH knowing I do not have another trip planned for the next couple years. Originally I had planned on doing the hunting report like a story (I enjoy reading those done in that way) but since it has been so long I am just going to do pictures, short descriptions, and a review. Here you go!.....
Safari Firm: Kwalata Safaris
Location: Niassa Mozambique, L9
PH: Jaco Strauss
Time/Date: August 2024
Travel agent: AVA Travel, Marcus Hall
Gun Permitting: Rifle Permits
Travel: DELTA-Airlink-Bush Plane, Houston-JoBerg-Pemba-Lituli Camp
Rifle: Heym 88B 450 3-1/4" Nitro Express
Ammo: Cutting Edge Raptor 470gr & Safari Solid 500gr. Barnes 500gr TSX
Background & quick review: This trip happened to be my first safari and a dream I have had my entire life. It was originally to be booked in 2020 (with another firm), but issues due to the outbreak of China virus altered the plans. I first reached out to Kwalata Safaris in 2021 to inquire about their hunting opportunities and they were extremely responsive and helpful. We then met at DSC in 2022 and booked our hunt for 2024. Attending the hunt would be my father and myself. An unfortunate thing I will mention is that about 6 months before the hunt, my father developed an inclusion in his right eye that became increasingly worse nearing the date of our trip. Due to this issue he was not able to shoot any game, but he absolutely experienced the hunt. Even with my father being a man over 70 and not ideally prepared, Jaco was able to get him very close distances to buffalo and he had a blast. From the time of planning to the execution of the hunt, I could not be more pleased with Kwalata Safaris. Jaco, his wife Lindie, PHs Johan, AJ, & Dannie, Trackers Joe & Timotio all exceeded expectation and are a pleasure to spend time with. The L9 block in Niassa runs along the eastern bank of the Lugenda River with the Northern boundary being the Rovuma River at the border of Tanzania. Lituli camp & the Niassa Reserve are truly majestic places. Our experience was that of a true traditional tracking African safari in one of the largest wilderness areas to be hunted. During our hunt we came in close proximity on foot to (4) of the big (5), the exception being Rhino. Now for some pictures and short stories....
The above bushpig was shot on the evening of the first hunting day. Trackers Joe (Left) and Timotio (Right).
While walking down a dry riverbed late in the evening we heard brush breaking above the high bank to our right. We quickly turned and froze not knowing what to expect. A few minutes later a group of bushpig appeared and fed down the bank directly towards us. Jaco whispered in my ear that the boar in front was a good representative and we waited for them to close in. When the lead boar came within 10yds I raised my double and took him in the shoulder quartering-to. The boar dropped and we all celebrated. That bushpig will forever occupy my memory as my first blood drawn in Africa.
This warthog was taken on day 6 of the hunt and my second animal to harvest in Africa. From the get go we firmly committed to tracking buffalo and not shooting any other game we would come across while on tracks. Niassa had received an abnormal amount of rain late in the rainy season this year and it made for a more difficult hunt. There was more standing water and springs for the buffalo to drink from, bulls from the abundant herds were mixing in with the dagga boys, we had a full moon causing more grazing at night, and the bulls were many times found sleeping in the thick jess during morning and evening. Nevertheless Jaco, Joe, & Timotio had us on buffalo everyday and on the sticks frequently. While headed further north to check out another area we spotted this pig from the cruiser. We quickly hopped out and made a short follow up stalk. At roughly 60yds I hit him quartering-to in the shoulder with a 470gr raptor. He ran ~40yds and was done. It is worth mentioning that out of all the animals shot on the trip with my 450NE only (2) ran and this warthog went the longest distance. The other was a buffalo. After shooting this pig, we called for a recovery crew from camp, and continued our trip further north. We knew we would not return to camp until late that evening.
Above my father & I with my first Cape Buffalo. A dream the two of us shared for a lifetime.
The bosses of my first buff and a 450 3-1/4" NE round loaded with 470gr CEB Raptor.
Still day 6 now driving in an area further north in the L9 block, an area we had not yet visited, we spotted this lone bull from the cruiser bedded down in the shade of a large termite mound up ahead and to our left. We had seen many bulls at the end of long tracks thus far and put in a lot of work, but this was the first and only buff spotted from the cruiser our entire trip. We quickly stopped and made a short stalk. I raised the Heym 450 and placed a CEB Raptor directly into the shoulder, the buff went over on his left side and when his right leg came up I placed another round entering between the front legs and out through the spine. He was done. I cannot describe the level of excitement we experienced afterward and the fun of the following celebration that evening.
Beautiful bushbuck taken the morning of Day 7 thanks to Jaco.
The morning of the 7th day we got on buff tracks very early like most days, but the wind started swirling earlier and we decided to give the tracks a break until evening. We drove down to an area on the bank of the river, and began to walk through the shaded river bottom in search of a Kudu or Bushbuck. I can't remember who spotted this ram initially, but it was not me. Jaco threw the sticks up and pointed but I could only see the bushbuck ewe. The ram was actually courting the ewe and had bounced back into the brush. Eventually the ram entered the small clearing previously occupied by the ewe, but I could not tell which way he was facing (the clearing was smaller than his body). Jaco described to me exactly where to place my shot, I pulled the trigger, and he dropped. There is no way I would have taken this animal before he left the clearing again without Jaco's clear and concise advise on where to place my bullet. This was a special animal and one of my top 3 goals of plains game to take on this trip.
Kudu taken on the evening of Day 7. Best of my memory he was 54.5". I could clarify in about 18 months.
On the evening of day 7 we were headed back to camp after having been on buffalo tracks and still had enough hunting light left. We were on a road paralleling the Lugenda river and Jaco spotted this Kudu a couple hundred yards off the road towards the river. We continued driving until we got around the next curve, killed the cruiser, and got out to begin the stalk. We made our stalk to around 80yds, Jaco threw up the sticks and the Kudu (a bull and ~6 cows) went behind a patch of thick bush. Jaco whispered to me that they might run and shortly after the group of cows came running out from behind the brush travelling right to left, but no bull. A few moments later the bull burst out of the brush in a flat run. I swung the double out past his nose, pulled the trigger, and saw his feet turn up towards the sky. He went straight down and I followed up with another through the top of his back. We ranged the shot at 67yds. Joe & Timotio went crazy and we all began celebrating. Another extremely special day and evening in the Niassa reserve came to a close.
More to come.......
Safari Firm: Kwalata Safaris
Location: Niassa Mozambique, L9
PH: Jaco Strauss
Time/Date: August 2024
Travel agent: AVA Travel, Marcus Hall
Gun Permitting: Rifle Permits
Travel: DELTA-Airlink-Bush Plane, Houston-JoBerg-Pemba-Lituli Camp
Rifle: Heym 88B 450 3-1/4" Nitro Express
Ammo: Cutting Edge Raptor 470gr & Safari Solid 500gr. Barnes 500gr TSX
Background & quick review: This trip happened to be my first safari and a dream I have had my entire life. It was originally to be booked in 2020 (with another firm), but issues due to the outbreak of China virus altered the plans. I first reached out to Kwalata Safaris in 2021 to inquire about their hunting opportunities and they were extremely responsive and helpful. We then met at DSC in 2022 and booked our hunt for 2024. Attending the hunt would be my father and myself. An unfortunate thing I will mention is that about 6 months before the hunt, my father developed an inclusion in his right eye that became increasingly worse nearing the date of our trip. Due to this issue he was not able to shoot any game, but he absolutely experienced the hunt. Even with my father being a man over 70 and not ideally prepared, Jaco was able to get him very close distances to buffalo and he had a blast. From the time of planning to the execution of the hunt, I could not be more pleased with Kwalata Safaris. Jaco, his wife Lindie, PHs Johan, AJ, & Dannie, Trackers Joe & Timotio all exceeded expectation and are a pleasure to spend time with. The L9 block in Niassa runs along the eastern bank of the Lugenda River with the Northern boundary being the Rovuma River at the border of Tanzania. Lituli camp & the Niassa Reserve are truly majestic places. Our experience was that of a true traditional tracking African safari in one of the largest wilderness areas to be hunted. During our hunt we came in close proximity on foot to (4) of the big (5), the exception being Rhino. Now for some pictures and short stories....
While walking down a dry riverbed late in the evening we heard brush breaking above the high bank to our right. We quickly turned and froze not knowing what to expect. A few minutes later a group of bushpig appeared and fed down the bank directly towards us. Jaco whispered in my ear that the boar in front was a good representative and we waited for them to close in. When the lead boar came within 10yds I raised my double and took him in the shoulder quartering-to. The boar dropped and we all celebrated. That bushpig will forever occupy my memory as my first blood drawn in Africa.
The bosses of my first buff and a 450 3-1/4" NE round loaded with 470gr CEB Raptor.
Still day 6 now driving in an area further north in the L9 block, an area we had not yet visited, we spotted this lone bull from the cruiser bedded down in the shade of a large termite mound up ahead and to our left. We had seen many bulls at the end of long tracks thus far and put in a lot of work, but this was the first and only buff spotted from the cruiser our entire trip. We quickly stopped and made a short stalk. I raised the Heym 450 and placed a CEB Raptor directly into the shoulder, the buff went over on his left side and when his right leg came up I placed another round entering between the front legs and out through the spine. He was done. I cannot describe the level of excitement we experienced afterward and the fun of the following celebration that evening.
The morning of the 7th day we got on buff tracks very early like most days, but the wind started swirling earlier and we decided to give the tracks a break until evening. We drove down to an area on the bank of the river, and began to walk through the shaded river bottom in search of a Kudu or Bushbuck. I can't remember who spotted this ram initially, but it was not me. Jaco threw the sticks up and pointed but I could only see the bushbuck ewe. The ram was actually courting the ewe and had bounced back into the brush. Eventually the ram entered the small clearing previously occupied by the ewe, but I could not tell which way he was facing (the clearing was smaller than his body). Jaco described to me exactly where to place my shot, I pulled the trigger, and he dropped. There is no way I would have taken this animal before he left the clearing again without Jaco's clear and concise advise on where to place my bullet. This was a special animal and one of my top 3 goals of plains game to take on this trip.
On the evening of day 7 we were headed back to camp after having been on buffalo tracks and still had enough hunting light left. We were on a road paralleling the Lugenda river and Jaco spotted this Kudu a couple hundred yards off the road towards the river. We continued driving until we got around the next curve, killed the cruiser, and got out to begin the stalk. We made our stalk to around 80yds, Jaco threw up the sticks and the Kudu (a bull and ~6 cows) went behind a patch of thick bush. Jaco whispered to me that they might run and shortly after the group of cows came running out from behind the brush travelling right to left, but no bull. A few moments later the bull burst out of the brush in a flat run. I swung the double out past his nose, pulled the trigger, and saw his feet turn up towards the sky. He went straight down and I followed up with another through the top of his back. We ranged the shot at 67yds. Joe & Timotio went crazy and we all began celebrating. Another extremely special day and evening in the Niassa reserve came to a close.
More to come.......
