SOUTH AFRICA: First Cape Buffalo Hunt & More........

[Av8or]

We head back to camp , take a break , go out and glass for about an hour, then back to the fire and a cane and coke ( I’m getting used to drinking those) Mason( my son) and Kalie are out sitting for a shot at a bush pig, so we are going to eat without them , As we are in the middle of our dinner , they show up and I say “well” ? My son says “ nothing” ........just kidding ....we got him! Mason is the most even keel unexcitable person you will
meet. It was as excited as I have ever seen him, he starts telling us about the hunt , the shot , says cmon dad , we have to go look at him , so off we go. Of course no happier moment for a dad , when one of your children has success and is excited about the moment, does ones heart some good for sure!

 

[Randy F]

I am always a little hesitant to write a report, kind of like sharing a little of your soul. I will do my best to tell our story and the flavor of Africa from my perspective. It will probably be too long . Thanks for reading along.

My son and I hunted South Africa in 2018, planned a return trip in 2020. Plan was for entire family to meet us after a buff hunt for photo safari and etc. Then covid changed everything( like everyone else) . We put our trip on standby for all of 2020. Never gave up on the dream until end of Oct 2020. Rescheduled for beginning of May 2021. Booked tickets on Delta for 5 , started to make plans, and then election , covid tests , etc made it too hard for my daughters to get off work and travel. Then Delta cancelled flights . Lori @TRAVEL EXPRESS rebooked us on Qatar from DFW to JNB, with . Time kept moving along and South Africa stayed open , the two weeks before we left I was absolutely worthless, only dreaming of my return and praying nothing would change overnight. We checked in Dfw and got everything settled( rifle check in is slow, posted review of travel in separate thread). We were underway to S Africa.

I used Henry @riflepermits.com to get pre approved for firearm in S Africa. In and out of firearm office in less than 5 minutes. 45 minutes from landing we are in the vehicle headed to to the hunting are in Limpopo on the Olifants River in big 5 country.

Areas hunted: Greater Kruger parks on a private concession, Limpopo, Gold Valley Lodge near Nelspruit, and Badplaas area. Time for a sundowner after a quick game drive on the Olifantsriver river. So nice to be back in Africa. You can never replace that feeling of your first time on the dark continent, (I was like a little kid in a candy store the first time), this time I am just happy to be able to return , and very happy to be able to get my outfitter/ph a client finally!

We are hunting with MatthewGreeffsafaris.com. First on the agenda is a Cape Buffalo, I have an AHR (American hunting rifles) 375 H&H with a Zeiss 1.5x6I scope on it ( I really liked the red dot in the reticle) I am using swift a frame 300 grain bullets. We are hunting for 11 days.

Crocodile and Wildebeest, yum! Dinner , maybe a cane and coke or two and off to bed for the weary travelers ...... sweet dreams of what the next day could hold ..........

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"the two weeks before we left I was absolutely worthless"

I can certainly relate to that!!

 

[Randy F]

Fri morning we are all up early ready to go find this buff. We come up with a plan to track him and put everyone else on likely exit routes if we bump him. Off we go , we get on the track and find blood pretty consistently for a while, tracker thinks he is limping . Farther we go , less blood we find but we stay on the track. The trackers are absolutely amazing , we are going through all kinds of bush that I could never find crap in, they find where he has laid down 3 times and fresh blood in each spot. After the last resting spot , they determine that he has found a buddy and there are two of them we are tracking now. 6 hours on the track , unbelievable work by my PH and trackers, we finally get a shot and the buff is down. One more insurance shot ........... so happy to end his suffering, relieved to find him, bittersweet, we were very determined to finish the job , I would have preferred it to end on the first shot, but the highs and lows of hunting can be like no others! When we cut him up , bullet was through his left ham/ ass and went into his stomach, he would have definitely gone septic at some point and died a miserable death. I’m glad we avoided that. A lot of respect for a warrior from me.

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Awesome Buff and Nyala!

 

[Av8or]

I have already gone on too long. The next two days we hunted in the mountains near Badplaas. Looks a lot like Montana or even north part of Yellowstone. We shot 2 nice black wildebeest, 2 blesbok and a zebra. I was able to shoot my blesbok and the wildebeest on the same stalk , one close and one far. 1000 yard stalk to get close enough to shoot the zebra, worked out perfect and was a great ending to a fantastic hunting safari.

 

[Randy F]

I have already gone on too long. The next two days we hunted in the mountains near Badplaas. Looks a lot like Montana or even north part of Yellowstone. We shot 2 nice black wildebeest, 2 blesbok and a zebra. I was able to shoot my blesbok and the wildebeest on the same stalk , one close and one far. 1000 yard stalk to get close enough to shoot the zebra, worked out perfect and was a great ending to a fantastic hunting safari.

No NO! These are never long enough in my book. Keep hammering away. You write very well and should never hesitate again to write again. Love it!

Congratulations on your success and fantastic animals!!

 

[Av8or]

What a great forum this website is. Thanks to all who contribute, a lot of info in this place. MatthewGreeffsafaris.com is a fantastic place to visit and hunt.
Matthew and Sylvia and Kalie and his two daughters Savannah and Amber are perfect hosts, food is as good as it gets, it is just you and your party , if that interests you , there is none better.
The quality of our animals speak for themselves.
Thank you for indulging me in reading this report.
If you are on the fence about going, I say go ! You never know when something could happen, the people are so glad to see us come, it has been a terrible year plus for them waiting to hopefully have guests show up again. I am very blessed to be able to make that journey. God speed and keep the blue side up!

 

[BTB Joe]

Nice report! Thanks.

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats on the hunt and thanks for sharing!

 

[Nyati]

That was a great hunt, congrats !

 

[cls]

Congratulations to all on a successful safari. Took some very nice critters. Thanks for your report.

 

[Hunter101]

Thankful for your write up! Great buff

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Great hunt and great report, thanks. A really nice range of animals taken, especially the buff, they are a real prize. Hopefully the hunting drought is now over and the outfitters and concession hunters well get back to normal. Looking at the quality of the trophies the animals havent missed a beat.

 

[VertigoBE]

Fri morning we are all up early ready to go find this buff. We come up with a plan to track him and put everyone else on likely exit routes if we bump him. Off we go , we get on the track and find blood pretty consistently for a while, tracker thinks he is limping . Farther we go , less blood we find but we stay on the track. The trackers are absolutely amazing , we are going through all kinds of bush that I could never find crap in, they find where he has laid down 3 times and fresh blood in each spot. After the last resting spot , they determine that he has found a buddy and there are two of them we are tracking now. 6 hours on the track , unbelievable work by my PH and trackers, we finally get a shot and the buff is down. One more insurance shot ........... so happy to end his suffering, relieved to find him, bittersweet, we were very determined to finish the job , I would have preferred it to end on the first shot, but the highs and lows of hunting can be like no others! When we cut him up , bullet was through his left ham/ ass and went into his stomach, he would have definitely gone septic at some point and died a miserable death. I’m glad we avoided that. A lot of respect for a warrior from me.

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Beautiful buffalo ! Good thing the trackers managed to work their magic and you could get your mind at ease!

 

[Av8or]

Beautiful buffalo ! Good thing the trackers managed to work their magic and you could get your mind at ease!

Nothing Worse than that helpless feeling as you watch other men ( as good as they are it) look for a track while you watch and try not to mess it up somehow. I am very appreciative of their expertise and hard work.

 

[Red Leg]

What a great forum this website is. Thanks to all who contribute, a lot of info in this place. MatthewGreeffsafaris.com is a fantastic place to visit and hunt.
Matthew and Sylvia and Kalie and his two daughters Savannah and Amber are perfect hosts, food is as good as it gets, it is just you and your party , if that interests you , there is none better.
The quality of our animals speak for themselves.
Thank you for indulging me in reading this report.
If you are on the fence about going, I say go ! You never know when something could happen, the people are so glad to see us come, it has been a terrible year plus for them waiting to hopefully have guests show up again. I am very blessed to be able to make that journey. God speed and keep the blue side up!

Great report. You and your son took great animals, and you will relive every moment of that tough buffalo hunt and follow-up for the rest of your days. But I warn you - those big black beasts are addictive!

 

[Sarg]

Thank you for a great report & your time to put it up for us !

As much as I hate hunters wounding animals & the pain both parties go through, I do very much enjoy tracking with the boys & bringing the hunt to a successful end for all .

That looks like a Monster Mt Reed Buck No, look at all that compression growth, just a great trophy that ?

I love hunting Mt Reed Buck, Klipspringer, Buckbuck, Bushpig & Nyala in some areas .

You guys did very well on some great animals, well done to you both/all !

 

[Av8or]

Thank you for a great report & your time to put it up for us !

As much as I hate hunters wounding animals & the pain both parties go through, I do very much enjoy tracking with the boys & bring the hunt to a successful end for all .

That looks like a Monster Mt Reed Buck No, look at all that compression growth, just a great trophy that ?

I love hunting Mt Reed Buck, Klipspringer, Buckbuck, Bushpig & Nyala in some areas .

You guys did very well on some great animals, well done to you both/all !

It is a really good one. Thanks , I think he is around 8 1/8 and 8 3/8 .

 

[Av8or]

Great report. You and your son took great animals, and you will relive every moment of that tough buffalo hunt and follow-up for the rest of your days. But I warn you - those big black beasts are addictive!

I am already looking at future dates to go after another one , , lol

 

[Edge]

Awesome job all around, thanks for sharing!

Less than 3 weeks for the Wife and I to set foot once again in Africa...I’m almost at the useless stage!

 

[Av8or]

Awesome job all around, thanks for sharing!

Less than 3 weeks for the Wife and I to set foot once again in Africa...I’m almost at the useless stage!

I understand that !