Cull Hunt at @Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS – October 2022
I had arrived in SA on Sunday evening. We traveled to the Kalahari on Monday, hunted lionesses on Tuesday thru Thursday morning, and drove to Limpopo the remainder of Thursday. (See the thread Kalahari Lionesses with Tally Ho Safaris) The next seven days at Tally Ho would be a cull hunt for critters that Stuart had too many of. I had my trophies in the two lionesses. No self-imposed pressure now, just hunting for the pleasure of it.
Friday morning at Tally Ho, I verified my 375 and 458 were sighted in at 100 meters. Additionally, I shot my 375 at the 200-meter range and recorded where each load hit. That “dope” I recorded on blue painters’ tape stuck to my scope.
After sighting in, I opted to sit in an elevated blind watching a pan (water hole) with my 375. Nice! A herd of cape buffalo came through and I sized them up in my crosshairs, keeping the safe on and my finger far from the trigger! I had not yet decided to shoot a buff. That day, I was looking for a mature, female warthog without little swine in tow. Rudi told me that Tally Ho is letting their male hogs mature into trophy size. I don’t know why but I like hunting warthogs, even if restricted to old sows! While I waited, I watched kudu, roan, and other species come and go. Then came along a large sow with a larger male sniffing her butt. I squeezed off a 285 gr Speer Grand Slam smacking her hard at 100 meters. Down she went with the male subsequently bouncing around the pan like a pin ball! I leveled the crosshairs on the boar at least four times just for practice, knowing he was off limits. Of all the times for restrictions! I finished off that hunt by nailing two monkeys at over 140 meters. Yes, the 375 was shooting on target!
My wife Chilufya joined me at Tally Ho that evening. With her were her sister and family up for the weekend, which I had coordinated with Stuart. The ladies and two children relaxed by the pool the next day. Although he previously expressed that he “didn’t like the bush”, brother-in-law “M” joined Rudi and me on a hunt. We quietly stalked game trying to get a shot at one of a herd of zebra. The darn kudu between us and the big Z’s made that difficult! So much for zebra meat tonight. Later, we spied impala, just inside the bush along a road/trail at 300 meters. We snuck to within 150 meters of them and Rudi asked me if I was okay to shoot at that distance. I was confident with my 375 to at least 200 meters. He set the sticks and when impala #1 crossed the road, BOOM! She dropped in her tracks. M, who I had warned to plug his ears, was struck with how powerful the sound was. “Better cover your ears next time!” Then, it was the next time. A second impala started to cross the road. So, I shot her. M seemed to have been hit by lightning! He raved about how powerful the sound made him feel. When photographing this impala, he asked if he could pose behind the game with my rifle. To this we obliged him “setting the hook” to transform a previously ambivalent person into pro-hunting!
We loaded the impala and took them to the main camp to the skinner. There, we saw a large baboon sneaking from water to a hiding spot and back again. Rudi informed me that he had shot at this one several times, which continued to elude his rifle. Rudi, M, and me snuck up to a complicated shooting position about 60 meters from old big and ugly. I had to stand on my tip toes resting my elbows on the floor of the veranda normally used to view the game. Okay, they don’t usually shoot game in from the veranda, but big and ugly was not game, just vermin.
Lining up a shot through the vertical railing on the other side of the veranda, and through a game wire fence about halfway there, with 4” by 6” openings, I waited for exposed baboon. Big and ugly kept his body behind the water container. He did however make the mistake of raising his head. Boom! My first baboon! Guess who also wanted a photo of himself with this trophy? Someday, M will be a hunter…
That afternoon Rudi took my wife and me, and M’s family for a game ride through the bush. We showed the kids lots of plains game including wildebeest, impala, kudu, and giraffe, ended up at the skinning house. There, we went into the cold room with the children where quarters of meat hung. I explained that we only shoot a few of the animals and all of the meat would be eaten. The rest are allowed to live. We finished this educational tour at our camp where Stuart’s taxidermy game mounts are on display. These include a full body male lion that he shot last year. I explained to the children that when alive, Mr. lion would kill and eat all the other animals when they get old, or injured. Nothing dies an easy death in Africa. M and family returned to Johannesburg with a new perspective on hunting.
The week followed with many morning and afternoon hunts. Midday it was over 100 degrees so we took it easy. During a morning hunt, Rudi led Chilufya and me within 80 meters of a big zebra. I took it with a Speer Grand Slam. I brought these bullets to Africa to see if they were as good as some say, or as bad as others claim. They may be too soft for buffalo but for medium sized game, they killed quickly. One of the lead cores did separate from the jacket when it hit the backbone of a giraffe. That shot did however bring his head down to the ground rather quickly! Also, with me were plenty of time proven 300 gr Barnes TSX and 275 gr Safari Raptors.
As the days went on, I gave into temptation and elected to shoot a female buffalo. Later on, I added up the costs of my culling kills and opted for a second female buffalo. I wasn’t planning on them, but I was in Africa, they were in season, and Rudi made me a last hunter of the year offer that I couldn’t refuse.
Buffalo #1 was one that Rudi selected with inferior horns, trying to touch each other at the tips. Remember, I was not trophy hunting. Rather, I was there to hunt only animals that needed to be removed due to over population or bad genetics. For a safe shot, I had to let that one separate from the herd. My wife and I followed Rudi through thick and thin, but mostly thick bush. It was hot, and every bush had thorns, and every other thorn seemed to stick into me. After an hour and a half of stalking seeing nothing but a few departing legs and tails, Rudi said he had figured out where they were heading. We took a short cut and “headed em off at the pass” for an ambush. With me was my trusty four-five-eight double with red dot, accurate for at least 100-meter shots. We set up anticipating the herd would emerge on the close side of the clearing. As luck would have it, which wasn’t great, the herd of buffalo emerged about 100 meters away into the middle of the open area and started milling around. Within range, but all bunched up not giving me a clear shot at the designated female. Finally, the buffalo with my number on her took the lead in a slow ramble forward on top of a ridge at 100-meters from us. I squeezed off a round and the 470 gr Raptor struck her where I aimed. She hunched up from impact but did not drop. Rather, she moved down the other side of the ridge. I followed her quickly squeezing the trigger. Not quick enough however as it broke a half second too late, ricocheting a bullet off the top 3” of defilade she was now behind. I threw another round into the right barrel and drilled her at 130 meters as she struggled up the other side of the shallow where she previously eluded me. Rudi observed a solid hit! We waited some time and then proceeded cautiously. She lay darn near dead in thick bush 30 meters from shot #2. I put another round in her chest so that a nearly dead cow would not kill any of us.
I won’t belabor on each and every other animal I hunted. These included a measured kill of another impala at 194 meters off the sticks.
There were three giraffe…
Wife posing with giraffe
375 H&H and 2 Giraffe
Also, a wildebeest I shot at 150 meters with the Heym double, at dusk, requiring the dogs to track and hold at bay until the kill shot. As exciting as that was, in hindsight I would have done it differently! There were other stalks, but to wrap up this report, let me skip to the end.
Wildebeest shot at dusk with Heym double rifle
On my last day, in the last hour of daylight, with both Stuart and Rudi leading, we pursued another female buff with poor genetics. Another with horns were trying to touch each other. What followed wasn’t what we planned but a charging buff is a charging buff. We were not getting close on foot so we took the truck to try to get ahead of the herd. I don’t know what, maybe a season of hunting, but something told them to avoid us. And avoid us they did! As sunset we were almost ready to call it quits from searching for either the herd or where they crossed the road. Then, I spotted buff in the bush. Yes, me! I spotted them while two PH’s missed them. Sometimes even I get lucky. The Landcruiser stopped for us to make a proper stalk. My magazine was loaded as we were about to climb down from the back of the truck. Then, the buff we wanted came out of the bush at 50 meters. Great except she was charging towards us! “Shoot her Mark!” I worked the bolt as I snapped the 375 to my shoulder and drilled her. In the dirt she was with a single 300 gr TSX in her shoulder. one shot! I don’t think that buff would have followed through on her charge but none of us wanted to find out.
Buffalo #2
In total I culled at Tally Ho:2 Buffalo, female
I failed to mention the following what makes Tally Ho a great place to hunt, at least for me. The chalets are clean, modern, roomy, and comfortable. Each have decks overlooking a game water hole. Stuart and Rudi and all the staff are friendly, responsive to requests, and professional. Down to earth describes them. They know their stuff without being arrogant. The food is top shelf! Mr. Karen the chef is outstanding! They pick up and return clients to OR Tambo airport or hotel, which is included in the price. There were no hidden charges, or unfilled promises.
Mr. Karen’s Cooking
I hand loaded ammunition for my Heym 88B .458 Win;
In my custom Pre-64 M70 .375 H&H;
I had arrived in SA on Sunday evening. We traveled to the Kalahari on Monday, hunted lionesses on Tuesday thru Thursday morning, and drove to Limpopo the remainder of Thursday. (See the thread Kalahari Lionesses with Tally Ho Safaris) The next seven days at Tally Ho would be a cull hunt for critters that Stuart had too many of. I had my trophies in the two lionesses. No self-imposed pressure now, just hunting for the pleasure of it.
Friday morning at Tally Ho, I verified my 375 and 458 were sighted in at 100 meters. Additionally, I shot my 375 at the 200-meter range and recorded where each load hit. That “dope” I recorded on blue painters’ tape stuck to my scope.
After sighting in, I opted to sit in an elevated blind watching a pan (water hole) with my 375. Nice! A herd of cape buffalo came through and I sized them up in my crosshairs, keeping the safe on and my finger far from the trigger! I had not yet decided to shoot a buff. That day, I was looking for a mature, female warthog without little swine in tow. Rudi told me that Tally Ho is letting their male hogs mature into trophy size. I don’t know why but I like hunting warthogs, even if restricted to old sows! While I waited, I watched kudu, roan, and other species come and go. Then came along a large sow with a larger male sniffing her butt. I squeezed off a 285 gr Speer Grand Slam smacking her hard at 100 meters. Down she went with the male subsequently bouncing around the pan like a pin ball! I leveled the crosshairs on the boar at least four times just for practice, knowing he was off limits. Of all the times for restrictions! I finished off that hunt by nailing two monkeys at over 140 meters. Yes, the 375 was shooting on target!
My wife Chilufya joined me at Tally Ho that evening. With her were her sister and family up for the weekend, which I had coordinated with Stuart. The ladies and two children relaxed by the pool the next day. Although he previously expressed that he “didn’t like the bush”, brother-in-law “M” joined Rudi and me on a hunt. We quietly stalked game trying to get a shot at one of a herd of zebra. The darn kudu between us and the big Z’s made that difficult! So much for zebra meat tonight. Later, we spied impala, just inside the bush along a road/trail at 300 meters. We snuck to within 150 meters of them and Rudi asked me if I was okay to shoot at that distance. I was confident with my 375 to at least 200 meters. He set the sticks and when impala #1 crossed the road, BOOM! She dropped in her tracks. M, who I had warned to plug his ears, was struck with how powerful the sound was. “Better cover your ears next time!” Then, it was the next time. A second impala started to cross the road. So, I shot her. M seemed to have been hit by lightning! He raved about how powerful the sound made him feel. When photographing this impala, he asked if he could pose behind the game with my rifle. To this we obliged him “setting the hook” to transform a previously ambivalent person into pro-hunting!
We loaded the impala and took them to the main camp to the skinner. There, we saw a large baboon sneaking from water to a hiding spot and back again. Rudi informed me that he had shot at this one several times, which continued to elude his rifle. Rudi, M, and me snuck up to a complicated shooting position about 60 meters from old big and ugly. I had to stand on my tip toes resting my elbows on the floor of the veranda normally used to view the game. Okay, they don’t usually shoot game in from the veranda, but big and ugly was not game, just vermin.
Lining up a shot through the vertical railing on the other side of the veranda, and through a game wire fence about halfway there, with 4” by 6” openings, I waited for exposed baboon. Big and ugly kept his body behind the water container. He did however make the mistake of raising his head. Boom! My first baboon! Guess who also wanted a photo of himself with this trophy? Someday, M will be a hunter…
Baboon
That afternoon Rudi took my wife and me, and M’s family for a game ride through the bush. We showed the kids lots of plains game including wildebeest, impala, kudu, and giraffe, ended up at the skinning house. There, we went into the cold room with the children where quarters of meat hung. I explained that we only shoot a few of the animals and all of the meat would be eaten. The rest are allowed to live. We finished this educational tour at our camp where Stuart’s taxidermy game mounts are on display. These include a full body male lion that he shot last year. I explained to the children that when alive, Mr. lion would kill and eat all the other animals when they get old, or injured. Nothing dies an easy death in Africa. M and family returned to Johannesburg with a new perspective on hunting.
The week followed with many morning and afternoon hunts. Midday it was over 100 degrees so we took it easy. During a morning hunt, Rudi led Chilufya and me within 80 meters of a big zebra. I took it with a Speer Grand Slam. I brought these bullets to Africa to see if they were as good as some say, or as bad as others claim. They may be too soft for buffalo but for medium sized game, they killed quickly. One of the lead cores did separate from the jacket when it hit the backbone of a giraffe. That shot did however bring his head down to the ground rather quickly! Also, with me were plenty of time proven 300 gr Barnes TSX and 275 gr Safari Raptors.
As the days went on, I gave into temptation and elected to shoot a female buffalo. Later on, I added up the costs of my culling kills and opted for a second female buffalo. I wasn’t planning on them, but I was in Africa, they were in season, and Rudi made me a last hunter of the year offer that I couldn’t refuse.
Buffalo #1 was one that Rudi selected with inferior horns, trying to touch each other at the tips. Remember, I was not trophy hunting. Rather, I was there to hunt only animals that needed to be removed due to over population or bad genetics. For a safe shot, I had to let that one separate from the herd. My wife and I followed Rudi through thick and thin, but mostly thick bush. It was hot, and every bush had thorns, and every other thorn seemed to stick into me. After an hour and a half of stalking seeing nothing but a few departing legs and tails, Rudi said he had figured out where they were heading. We took a short cut and “headed em off at the pass” for an ambush. With me was my trusty four-five-eight double with red dot, accurate for at least 100-meter shots. We set up anticipating the herd would emerge on the close side of the clearing. As luck would have it, which wasn’t great, the herd of buffalo emerged about 100 meters away into the middle of the open area and started milling around. Within range, but all bunched up not giving me a clear shot at the designated female. Finally, the buffalo with my number on her took the lead in a slow ramble forward on top of a ridge at 100-meters from us. I squeezed off a round and the 470 gr Raptor struck her where I aimed. She hunched up from impact but did not drop. Rather, she moved down the other side of the ridge. I followed her quickly squeezing the trigger. Not quick enough however as it broke a half second too late, ricocheting a bullet off the top 3” of defilade she was now behind. I threw another round into the right barrel and drilled her at 130 meters as she struggled up the other side of the shallow where she previously eluded me. Rudi observed a solid hit! We waited some time and then proceeded cautiously. She lay darn near dead in thick bush 30 meters from shot #2. I put another round in her chest so that a nearly dead cow would not kill any of us.
Buffalo #1
I won’t belabor on each and every other animal I hunted. These included a measured kill of another impala at 194 meters off the sticks.
Togetherness is hunting together… Wife wanted to pose with the rifle
There were three giraffe…
Wife posing with giraffe
375 H&H and 2 Giraffe
Wildebeest shot at dusk with Heym double rifle
On my last day, in the last hour of daylight, with both Stuart and Rudi leading, we pursued another female buff with poor genetics. Another with horns were trying to touch each other. What followed wasn’t what we planned but a charging buff is a charging buff. We were not getting close on foot so we took the truck to try to get ahead of the herd. I don’t know what, maybe a season of hunting, but something told them to avoid us. And avoid us they did! As sunset we were almost ready to call it quits from searching for either the herd or where they crossed the road. Then, I spotted buff in the bush. Yes, me! I spotted them while two PH’s missed them. Sometimes even I get lucky. The Landcruiser stopped for us to make a proper stalk. My magazine was loaded as we were about to climb down from the back of the truck. Then, the buff we wanted came out of the bush at 50 meters. Great except she was charging towards us! “Shoot her Mark!” I worked the bolt as I snapped the 375 to my shoulder and drilled her. In the dirt she was with a single 300 gr TSX in her shoulder. one shot! I don’t think that buff would have followed through on her charge but none of us wanted to find out.
Buffalo #2
In total I culled at Tally Ho:2 Buffalo, female
- 3 Giraffe, mixed
- 4 Impala, female
- 1 Zebra
- 1 Kudu, female
- 1 Wildebeest, female
- 1 Warthog, female
- 1 Baboon, male
- 2 Monkeys
- 2 Lioness with Tally Ho”s PH in the Kalahari Desert
I failed to mention the following what makes Tally Ho a great place to hunt, at least for me. The chalets are clean, modern, roomy, and comfortable. Each have decks overlooking a game water hole. Stuart and Rudi and all the staff are friendly, responsive to requests, and professional. Down to earth describes them. They know their stuff without being arrogant. The food is top shelf! Mr. Karen the chef is outstanding! They pick up and return clients to OR Tambo airport or hotel, which is included in the price. There were no hidden charges, or unfilled promises.
Mr. Karen’s Cooking
I hand loaded ammunition for my Heym 88B .458 Win;
- 470 gr Cutting Edge Bullets’ Safari Raptor bullet at 2150 fps on one lioness, one female buffalo, and one wildebeest. This is my second safari with the rifle and 470 gr Raptors that hit like Thor’s hammer!
In my custom Pre-64 M70 .375 H&H;
- 275 gr Cutting Edge Bullets’ Safari Raptor bullet at 2650 fps on one lioness, giraffe, and impala. Their point of impact at 100 meters was 1.5” higher than the more accurate TSX. This nearly explosive bullet was my choice for lion.
- 285 gr Speer Grand Slam at 2540 fps on zebra, giraffe, warthog, baboon, and impala. This load had the same point of impact as the TSX load at 100 meters. Their accuracy was 1.5 MOA with this load. I brought this load to verify if the Grand Slam bullets are effective on soft skinned game. They were very effective!
- 300 gr Barnes TSX at 2510 on one female buffalo, giraffe, impala, and monkey. This load produced MOA accuracy at 100 and 200 meters in my rifle. This load produced a one-shot kill on a cape buffalo. Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement with a very accurate load and scoped rifle!
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