Hunting Crocodile in Africa?

[CBH Australia]

Just asking about people’s experiences or dreams of hunting a Crocodile in Africa.

What is the minimum calibre or your minimum cartridge you consider or have used?
I believe it needs something you confidently shoot accurately for a head shot.

What distance is average or common when taking a Croc?

How many days would you allow?

What areas actually have huntable, exportable Crocs?

What is the attraction over another species?
I understand some collect trophies and work through a number of species but I could not afford to collect a ton of trophies or hunt the world over so I’m more interested in in the experience and opportunity. I would like to hunt dangerous game but for now my priorities lie elsewhere.

Is it an exciting hunt? Is it rewarding?
I think I would find room for a Croc trophy if I took one.

 

[KuduKiller]

I hunted mine 2 years ago in SA. He was 13’1” and took him with a spine shot at around 70 yards with my 375 Ruger. I was on a 10 day trip and shot him the 3rd day. I’m doing a 1/2 mount with a duiker in his jaws that I took a few days later. The hunt was very rewarding after my PH and I bear crawled about 100 yards to get to a spot that I could shoot from. I couldn’t tell you how many thorns I had embedded in my knees because I was hunting in shorts. All in all it was a very exciting hunt and I would do it again one day if possible.

 

[375Fox]

I’ve only taken one but you can hunt them in every huntable country in Southern Africa (Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa). It takes a long time to grow a big croc so some areas have them and some don’t and some use to but don’t anymore. I enjoyed my hunt. It was basically a 2 day add on to a PG hunt in Zambia. I took a nice 12’ 2” croc at 100 yards stalking the river banks. 100 yards will be a long shot on a croc. How many days really depends on the area and the croc you want. We could have taken a week trying to bait in a 13.5’ or 14’ croc from a blind. It is a rewarding hunt and fun being on river. However I’d say it also has the opportunity to be your most disappointing hunt if you wound your croc and he ends up in water. The chance of recovery in a river system is low. That’s part of reason I haven’t taken a 2nd one.

I’d be very careful with croc hunting in South Africa though. You’ll see a lot of croc hunting on small ponds on fenced ranches. They are all stocked. Many in South Africa will be but some will resemble wild conditions much more than others.