SOUTH AFRICA: Magersfontein Safaris Northern Cape

[huntsolo101]

Back from my 3rd African safari.
This time I had the pleasure of hunting with Greg and Jacqui Edwards. They own Magersfontein Safaris. They run a top notch safari company.
In 2 weeks of hunting we felt like we where family. As my wife stated about the farm. "This is a very target rich environment."
The animals where in very good shape, The staff was very prompt and trophy preparation was handled with great care and in a very professional matter.
For example I harvested the zebra and within 2 hours of the shot the animal had been caped , washed ,hung and salted.
Greg handles all dip pack and crating of trophies right on sight.
The Sable on the property where the blackest I have ever seen. I will be going back as soon as time and money permit to bring a 40"+ sable home from Greg's herd.
The farm does not have just one or two shooters of a species but dozens if not hundreds of animals to choose from.
The really great thing about the farm is 20 to 30 hunters hunt it each year.
It is my new jewel in Africa.
They have 4 very well equipped suites . With tank less hot water heaters for endless hot water. Me being a plumber I notice these things. The rooms where kept very clean by the best house keeper/assistant cook/ laundry man in Africa "Maxwell"
No bugs ,no dust and a hot water bottle in bed each night to warm it up.
Rooms had heaters for the cold nights, tv and internet was provided.
Jacqui cooked all the supper meals with the game we harvested. She even shot me a warthog for my favorite African dish before we arrived.
We will be back. I feel like we are still there.
I will add pictures of the 10 animals we will be adding to the trophy room.
This jet lag is a real bummer.

 

[enysse]

I'm glad you had a great hunt! Can't wait to see your pictures!

Congrats on your Africa Journey!

 

[James.Grage]

Sound like you had a great time...

we will all be waiting for your posting of your pictures...

 

[BRICKBURN]

Get some sleep and post those pictures when you come out of hibernation. Look forward to it.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

huntsolo101, Thanks for the hunt report, looking forward to seeing some of your pictures.

 

[Nyati]

Congratulations on your hunt !

I look forward to see those pictures.

 

[Wolverine67]

Congratulations on your hunt!
We want pictures...

 

[Bobpuckett]

Congratulations on your hunt!!! Glad you had such a good time and glad you took your wife along that always makes it better.

 

[huntsolo101]

Here is a picture of my wife and the baby rhino on the farm.

Black springbok muzzleloader

My 28.5" waterbuck muzzleloader

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Congratulations! I like that Black Springbuck with the Muzzleloader!

 

[huntsolo101]

My best shot of the trip. 200 yards muzzle loader 17" white blesbuck

 

[enysse]

That is a really beautiful black springbok!

 

[Thunder head]

Very nice,
How about some details of the individual hunts?

 

[huntsolo101]

We hunted about 30 miles south of Kimberley. The northern cape was more open than the previous areas I have hunted on. I knew this was going to be a challenge with my muzzle loader. Back home I use 200 grains of triple 7 pellets and a 275 grain fury (made by Parker) bullet. I sight in 4" high at 100 yards and at 200 I am dead on. Now in africa things are different. Greg acquired me 500g of Wano ffg powder. I loaded 125 grains of the powder and sighted in at 100 yards. I moved back to 150 and the bullet dropped 6". I then moved back to 200 and it dropped another 6". The hunt was about to begin.

The first animal we came across was the waterbuck. I crawled on my hands and knees for 200 yards to a bush that was not much bigger than a trash can. I then sat my gun on the shooting sticks for about a hour waiting for it to get up from a nap. The waterbuck stood and gave me a nice broadside shot. I connected from 150 yards and he ran about 30 yards before falling to the ground. After pictures my waterbuck was in the salt. He is very heavy and has very defined ridges on his horns. He will make a very nice mount.



My copper springbok. 12" with nice mass. I am happy with him.
I had shot springbok before on previous hunts but I was in for a adventure with the springboks of the northern cape. I shot 2 common, 2 black and a copper all at or around 80 yards. I could have shot a white but will leave that one for a future trip.
We hunted a few of Greg's friends farms for some of the springbok. I got to meet and hunt with Julian from Jules of Karroo. He was a very nice man who has dedicated the last 25 years of his life to raising springbok. God bless his soul! I shot my second black springbok on his farm. I will have to say that animal will bring back the most emotion when placed in my trophy room. Julian and his springbok are true Africa to me.

One month before our meeting Julian his brother took the lives of himself ,his wife and his children. I could not find words to express my feelings to Julian. I am so thankful to have met him and gotten my Jules of Karroo springbok. Yet in talking to Julian most springbok in the area probably have some of his blood lines in them. It was just nice to have one from his farm. Here is a picture of Julian and Myself.



My 2nd black springbok from Julian's ranch



The Zebra was the most difficult animal I have ever hunted. There are not words to express how much trouble it was to get into shooting range of a mature Zebra. On the stalk that I finally harvested mine on we passed a 30"+ blue wildebeest, a crooked horn gemsbuck that I wanted for a rug, and a 54" kudu that Greg said for sure was the biggest he had on the farm. The kudu walked about 40 yards from us as we sat under a tree for 2 hours waiting for the Zebra to step into a shooting lane. The bullet found its mark right in the boiler room and my Zebra was down. The shot was 180 yards. My zebra is very dark in comparison to others I have seen. The other thing that I like about him is the lack of shadow stripes except for on the back legs. I will be hunting Zebra on my next safari. After that hunt I felt like we really accomplished something.

This was the second hunt that I have brought my wife along. After the first she will never let me go without her. She wanted a kudu on the last hunt and was not successful in getting one. On this hunt we looked for a animal of opportunity. We drove around the farm and there was a lone Eland. She said "let me shoot that. It is a big target and I wont miss." I don't particularity like eland but if she wants a eland she will get a eland. Off Greg and my wife go for the Eland. The eland runs off but they do not come back to the truck. I am standing on the top of the truck with my binoculars scanning the area. I see a black wildebeest bedded down in the middle of a wide open field. Something about the animals that Greg has is they all like to sleep. After about 30 min it stands up. I watch from 500 yards and it bucks and then I hear a bang and then I see the smoke. She had shot her first animal. They come back to the truck and I reload the muzzle loader. They say he is laying down but not dead yet. She had hit him a little low. They go back on the stalk and from 80 yards off the sticks she finished off her black wildebeest. I am so proud of her and she is so proud of her first animal for Africa. She has big plans for where her wildebeest will be in our trophy room. She wants it just like mine with the front legs on a rock.



More to come.

 

[fhm3006]

Back from my 3rd African safari.
It is my new jewel in Africa. We will be back. I feel like we are still there.

Sounds to me you are "still there" as well....
Congrats on a great hunt - nothing quite like when all on a hunt comes together as it did in your case.

 

[huntsolo101]

A Safari isn't complete without a impala.

 

[Pacontender]

Congrats on the trip. My wife and I hunted with Julian and Martisan in June of 2010. It is a beautiful place. Congrats on the springbok. We killed some great animals there.

I had no idea about Julians brother. That is very sad news.

 

[enysse]

Congrats on your wife's black wildebeest!