cmnhunt
AH veteran
This is a write up for KMG Safaris for a hunt I did in September 2017. Originally I had planned this hunt as a hippo/buffalo hunt with some plains game. The hippo did not cooperate so it turned into a buffalo/plains game hunt. I started off leaving the US and arriving late. I ended up leaving right during a hurricane so I elected to re-route my flight through Amsterdam to Johannesburg. After a long flight I arrived and stayed at the Afton Guest House for the night. I was too late for dinner so I just slept. Woke up to a big breakfast and then was picked up by Marius. We hit it off pretty good. Marius and I drove about 5 hours up to the Timbavati area and stopped part way to eat some really thin pancakes and desert( I guess you call them “crepes”). After that a call came in about the hippo. Basically he was sighted. We were after a particular hippo that was eating a few gardens up in a reserve. The reserve was kind of like a subdivision with a river in the middle. We went to the lodge, got loaded up and then headed to the reserve. We ended up trying out a loaner gun as my stock split on my gun about a week before the trip (Montana rifles replaced my stock for free and gave me a very nice replacement). So long story short, over the next few days we played hide and seek with a hippo that kept disappearing into the water and showing up everywhere but near me. We did go to a few other places looking for some replacement friends, but no luck there either. Anyways, we started looking for buffalo on the ranch we were staying at but that too was not going well as any movement of the vehicle or foot traffic spooked them. I actually never got to glass a big bull on that ranch as all I saw was dust… Dust in the Wind…to be exact. Well, on the third day we switched places (also saw an elephant) and saw many buffalo. The cover on this ranch was a little more open and you could see all kinds of different animals (kudu, impala, and ohh the bushbuck. How I wanted to just get one of those up there). Well, after a few blown stocks we got up to a group that was by a watering hole and a nice bull was spotted. After some ducking and dodging, we got up on the sticks and I got to put a hole in the bull. The first shot was good, in the oven. The whole group bolted and all’s we saw was dust…Dust in the Wind. Anyways, the tracker spotted the bull after the dust cleared standing in the thick. I got down on my can and saw an opening in the bush. I let one go, and whack… 2 hits… right in the bull, and smack on the eyebrow for me. Anyways, I laughed and lined up another shot or three, this time holding a little bit tighter to the fore end. I was using a borrowed 416 Ruger. After, a few volleys, the bull fell over due to the weight of the bullets. Finally, I got some pictures to take.
When we were all done with that fiasco, we went back after hippo and moved camps. The accommodations were both very nice, with plenty of food and drinks. After a couple more days of playing around with this invisible bull, we decided to abandon the north and fly to Port Elizabeth. Back to driving and a night at the Afton. The flight was uneventful and I decided to go after a sable on this trip. The scenery is very different in the EC from Limpopo and it was very green and hilly. I really loved seeing the new landscape. The only thing consistent with the two areas was KFC. They have just as good spicy chicken sandwiches in the North as they do in the South. Way to go Colonel!! Now the camp was very good at KMG. It took us about 10 minutes to arrive to the camp from the airport as Marius drove about 145mph. Off we go looking for sable. We spotted a few bulls and made a stalk on them. We got about 75 yards and found an opening through the bush. I placed a bullet in the chest and he ran about 50 yards and barreled over.
I was trying a re-barreled 338 WIN Mag with Barnes 225gr TTSX bullets. It was extremely accurate back home, and was also in Africa. Marius was displeased by the cleanliness of my gun saying there was not enough copper fouling or rust or whatever he treats his guns with. Anyways, it shot and killed fine to me. We then went looking for grey duiker. We found one on a hillside in an opening. I absolutely love the terrain over in the EC. The cactus were an especially nice touch when sticking out your ankle or other appendage. Anyways, no duiker. The next day it got windy(from the PH also) and we had some thunder storms. We were looking for most anything with horns and four legs as I can be non-specific at times. What I really wanted to get was a mountain reedbuck, a bush buck, and a black wildebeest. Personally, the mountain reedbuck was as good a stalk as any with sitting, standing, crawling, pulling cactus off your loins, trying to avoid a PH’s highly explosive south end while crawling, and such. I ended up doing a quartering shot on the mountain reedbuck while he was lying down and put a nice little hole in him…oops.
The next day we went for black wildebeest after a failed few attempts on the prior windy days. We got on one in the AM with the help of another PH and I was very eager to get at this one. You could spot it sitting in a meadow but couldn’t get too close. It was very nice and I enjoyed the stalk. I ended up shooting just shy of 200 yards, and once more about 300. The bullet didn’t deviate much at those distances both connecting.
I was very pleased with the bullet/gun combo. The last night I spent going after bush pig as the wind earlier made bushbuck non-existent. We sat in a blind with night vision but alas, the wind started howling and this hunt came to a close empty handed. The only thing I would have done different is put more time on the hunt and not tried kudu liver. Marius is a quality guy who puts a lot into making sure your hunt is a positive experience and tries very hard to help in every way. He is always in contact and gets back to you quickly with any info. I would recommend you book early with him.
Positives: The PH was very good. Food was good. Accommodations were good. Game quality was good. Equipment was good.
Negatives: Wind. Uncooperative Hippo. PH’s dogs fart on command and sit on your lap as such. Not enough time in Eastern Cape and should have booked about 5 more days.
Guns used: Ruger Hawkeye Guide Gun (pretty sure, was borrowed) .416 Ruger. Peregrine bullets. Don’t know the grain. Leupold Optics
Ruger M77 Mk2 re-barreled with a Hart Barrel in .338 Win Mag, Timney trigger. 225 grain Barnes TTSX factory loaded. Leupold Optics.
When we were all done with that fiasco, we went back after hippo and moved camps. The accommodations were both very nice, with plenty of food and drinks. After a couple more days of playing around with this invisible bull, we decided to abandon the north and fly to Port Elizabeth. Back to driving and a night at the Afton. The flight was uneventful and I decided to go after a sable on this trip. The scenery is very different in the EC from Limpopo and it was very green and hilly. I really loved seeing the new landscape. The only thing consistent with the two areas was KFC. They have just as good spicy chicken sandwiches in the North as they do in the South. Way to go Colonel!! Now the camp was very good at KMG. It took us about 10 minutes to arrive to the camp from the airport as Marius drove about 145mph. Off we go looking for sable. We spotted a few bulls and made a stalk on them. We got about 75 yards and found an opening through the bush. I placed a bullet in the chest and he ran about 50 yards and barreled over.
I was trying a re-barreled 338 WIN Mag with Barnes 225gr TTSX bullets. It was extremely accurate back home, and was also in Africa. Marius was displeased by the cleanliness of my gun saying there was not enough copper fouling or rust or whatever he treats his guns with. Anyways, it shot and killed fine to me. We then went looking for grey duiker. We found one on a hillside in an opening. I absolutely love the terrain over in the EC. The cactus were an especially nice touch when sticking out your ankle or other appendage. Anyways, no duiker. The next day it got windy(from the PH also) and we had some thunder storms. We were looking for most anything with horns and four legs as I can be non-specific at times. What I really wanted to get was a mountain reedbuck, a bush buck, and a black wildebeest. Personally, the mountain reedbuck was as good a stalk as any with sitting, standing, crawling, pulling cactus off your loins, trying to avoid a PH’s highly explosive south end while crawling, and such. I ended up doing a quartering shot on the mountain reedbuck while he was lying down and put a nice little hole in him…oops.
The next day we went for black wildebeest after a failed few attempts on the prior windy days. We got on one in the AM with the help of another PH and I was very eager to get at this one. You could spot it sitting in a meadow but couldn’t get too close. It was very nice and I enjoyed the stalk. I ended up shooting just shy of 200 yards, and once more about 300. The bullet didn’t deviate much at those distances both connecting.
I was very pleased with the bullet/gun combo. The last night I spent going after bush pig as the wind earlier made bushbuck non-existent. We sat in a blind with night vision but alas, the wind started howling and this hunt came to a close empty handed. The only thing I would have done different is put more time on the hunt and not tried kudu liver. Marius is a quality guy who puts a lot into making sure your hunt is a positive experience and tries very hard to help in every way. He is always in contact and gets back to you quickly with any info. I would recommend you book early with him.
Positives: The PH was very good. Food was good. Accommodations were good. Game quality was good. Equipment was good.
Negatives: Wind. Uncooperative Hippo. PH’s dogs fart on command and sit on your lap as such. Not enough time in Eastern Cape and should have booked about 5 more days.
Guns used: Ruger Hawkeye Guide Gun (pretty sure, was borrowed) .416 Ruger. Peregrine bullets. Don’t know the grain. Leupold Optics
Ruger M77 Mk2 re-barreled with a Hart Barrel in .338 Win Mag, Timney trigger. 225 grain Barnes TTSX factory loaded. Leupold Optics.
