SOUTH AFRICA: Hippopotamus Hunt With Pawprint Safaris 2017

[CAustin]

Well folks as I have mentioned in some other posts I am off to South Africa in June of this year to hunt Hippo with Pieter Erasmus. As of this posting I am 106 days from departure and as always the excitement level is starting to build. I'm not yet dreaming of hippo ears sticking out of the water but I do find myself looking at hippo taxidermy and anything hippo related here on AH. I think everyone understands the mental checklist that one goes through and I am working through that now!
Last year I bought a Ruger #1 in 375 H&H Magnum which should be perfect medicine for a river horse and anything else the bush is kind enough to send our way. It got up to 74 degrees in the Kansas City area today so it was a good day to go to the range. I mounted a Leupold VX R 4x12x40 with illuminated reticule so I can also avail myself of some of those Sunset to Sunrise critters offered by Pawprint this year. I should be able to decimate all of @billc s bush pigs before he gets over there. Ha!
At the range things started out fine but then after about five or six rounds I was no longer on the paper. It took me about six more shots to figure out that I didn't have the scope tightened down enough. Once I got the Ruger rings tight it was back to getting on target. The last three rounds are pictured below. I am waiting on a Custom Dial from the Leupold folks and then I will make another trip or two to the range.

 

[CAustin]

Any and all advice on hunting hippo is welcomed and appreciated! The frontal brain shot is the one I am least sure of. I can't see it in this shot placement picture but there should be a V in the skin folds running between the eyes that one should aim for. I suspect this is going to be like finding the ear hole on an elephant....Pieter will have to show me once we get near a pod of hippos.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Are you planning on taking the hippo in water or on land?

 

[CAustin]

That's up to Pieter. If on land he will have that "two pipe" 500 NE to back me up. However, I'm good river, dam or land. The area I've been show on a Google Earth is river in a major crop area. Pools remain even when it gets dry. Bet with all the rain they have had this year the pools will be bigger than they have been.
When I hunted elephant with Pieter on the Oliphants River we watched a hippo pod each day eating our lunch down by the river. I think that's when I really got interested in doing a hippo hunt.

 

[billc]

Charlie hippo and roan no bushpigs. LOL That new area has plenty of pigs with all the crop land around so maybe you can hunt one.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

@CAustin,

Why was a hippo pod eating your lunch each day?

My first hunt in RSA was near and at times right along the Oliphants, a bit north of Hoedspruit. We disturbed a hippo that was close to the bank one morning as we walked by. I hadn't seen them, but I knew by the swirl sound and my PH's reaction what had just happened.

I would think the shot you posted would be the one I'd least like to see as I'd think that would be during a charge. I've never really got the bug for hippo hunting. But I do study the shot placement charts from time to time for whatever animal it is. So a silly wild guess from someone with no experience, but I always got the impression that the middle of the brain was right below the line between the ear holes. The idea being to then have the bullet pass thru that middle point between the ears and just below that line.

So perfect broadside shot would be just below the ear hole. Frontal aim point like ele depends on the angle of the head. Above pic with the head angled significantly low, the shot shown is actually above the eyes, but if you think about the travel of the bullet it will intersect that line I'm talking about. If the bull were in the water the head is more level and the shot would move "down" and be more likely between the eyes.

With all that said, what do I know.......listen to your PH.

 

[Velo Dog]

That's up to Pieter. If on land he will have that "two pipe" 500 NE to back me up. However, I'm good river, dam or land. The area I've been show on a Google Earth is river in a major crop area. Pools remain even when it gets dry. Bet with all the rain they have had this year the pools will be bigger than they have been.
When I hunted elephant with Pieter on the Oliphants River we watched a hippo pod each day eating our lunch down by the river. I think that's when I really got interested in doing a hippo hunt.

CAustin,

Yours truly shot the Buffalo in my avatar, along the banks of the Olifants River, on Maruli or Baruli concession (never saw it written) and encountered numerous hippo, plus large crock on the sand bars.
No fence between there and The Kruger Park, only that shallow but beautiful African river of life.

Sort of shoots a hole in the "all fences and semi- tame animals" in South Africa, authored by the posers and whiners.

Good luck to you Charley, I shall live vicariously through your pending safari.

Regards,
Velo Dog.

 

[billc]

velo dog you sure that buff was not coming to give you a kiss. We all know the SA buff are not dangerous and they only get there super powers when then cross the river in to zim or moz.

 

[CAustin]

@PHOENIX PHIL have no worries....I will listen to Pieter. I saw a picture here on AH of a hippo that had been taken with a side brain shot. That one looked like it was almost in the ear hole....maybe an inch in front of it. Wherever Pieter says shoot will be the spot!

 

[CAustin]

Phil I think Pieter only let the hippos have the left overs!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Looks like slim pickin's

 

[CAustin]

@Velo Dog that area of South Africa is beautiful. You got a very nice buff.

 

[rinehart0050]

Good luck @CAustin. Looking forward to hearing how this hunt goes

 

[BRICKBURN]

Draw an X joining the ears and the opposite eyes Charlie. On that frontal shot.
Have fun.

 

[cpr0312]

Exciting stuff @CAustin !! 106 days will go by fast!!

 

[CAustin]

Draw an X joining the ears and the opposite eyes Charlie. On that frontal shot.
Have fun.

Thanks Wayne!

 

[CAustin]

This shot seems to be the most simple of them all.

 

[cpr0312]

Dangit Charlie, now your making me start to get hippo fever!

 

[CAustin]

Dangit Charlie, now your making me start to get hippo fever!

I told ya to come on and go with me and let's see if Pieter can get another tag. This is going to be a heck of a hunt.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

View attachment 173317
This shot seems to be the most simple of them all.

Two close points of reference.....agree that would be the shot easier to set up.