I have been recovering and catching up from my two week trip to the eastern cape with De Beer Safaris. The lodging and food were spectacular. Large rooms with heated floors. The room had full living area with little area with desk for work if needed. Nice oversized shower and private patio with tub. Lodge had indoor fireplace, bar, pool, and tv room and pool table. It was set in the mountains where you could walk out on patio and see different species across the valley. The weather was anywhere from 32-60 degrees during the trip. The last two days were tough weather with snow in mountains and wind. Willem and Cois worked their butts off to make sure i was shooting quality animals not just representatives. This was my 4th trip to Africa and i have hunted with new outfitters every trip trying to find my guys in Africa. I have found them and will use them for all my remaining African safaris. I hunted the eastern cape, then traveled to the free state to hunt my roan and golden, then on to the kalahari for my greater Kudu. It was an experience of a lifetime. I enjoyed the traveling and experiencing the drive through SA.
The first day of my hunt we went after my cape buffalo. We stalked into the property on foot and it was cold and very windy. After first failed stalk as the herd winded us and turned off the mountain and went back to the bottom in the valley, we made plan to go down and try to catch them in the bottom as we were caught by herd of blesbok and they turned the buffs back up the hill and the wind was now in our favor. We were able to stalk into close range and set up on sticks for what seemed eternity. As the buffs were working way up the hill and as he walked thru cover i took the shot at 54 yds with .375 and 250gr Tsx no chance for a second shot. I was comfortable with shot and we gave some time as watched the herd going up the hill with no signs of my bull. We checked area and there was good blood. Pretty intense in the heavy cover as we tracked the blood to find him finished and little relieved. He is heavy hard bossed 43" bull.
Day two we stayed in the eastern cape to hunt to try and locate a cape kudu. I had my heart set on a 50" cape kudu. We stalked and glassed most of the day passing some quality bulls just not really the bull i was looking for late that afternoon we were glassing on on top of mountain and my PH spotted a very old bull that was a little rough with mange on his cape but he was heavy and looked to be the type bull we had been looking for. We set up on the sticks and it was 258 yds the shot was good but he made it to cover as we stalked down the hill and walked up on the bull he was heavier than we both had thought. He was a true trophy, my PH will get me a cape to replace his. It was a great decision to eliminate the mange and get the trophy cape kudu I have been hunting for.
The next day After a good nights sleep after taking two of my dream animals we were going to try and locate sable that was another bucket list for me after daughter took hers in 2016. As we cane into the property my ph stop truck and was out in flash with sticks and trackers handing him the rifle as he had spotted warthog with females and as i got on the sticks he was like shoot him now. Cois loves shooting pigs. As i got on sticks he turned to leave as i stuck a 200 gr bullet from the .300 win. Fast start to the morning.
After stalking and glassing most of the morning and locating several sables, the tracker radio we should come look at bull he had spotted below in the valley. After glassing the bull with the Ph we decided he was 43 to 44 and planned to make a stalk down into the valley. It was heavy cover and he presented a frontal shot at 111 yds and dropped on impact. Another bucket list animal with the 300win and 200gr bullet.
The next day we traveled about 1.5 hrs to Willem's family property to hunt Zebra and Black Impala. And Cois said we were going to do some longer range shooting as he was confident with my shooting and his 300 with huskemaw scope. We sat up on hill and watched the valley below and saw few bushbuck, blesbok and common impala. Then cois spotted a black impala at 359yds. He said get comfortable and when you are ready after he dialed scoped for wind and range. Hit a little low but impala down. It was my first experience shooting with adjustable turrets and the huskemaw scope. I will be making a purchase for my .300 as well. Cant say enough about his Sako and the huskemaw scope.
After short lunch break on top of the mountain. We were cruising in the land cruiser when we spotted large zebra make across the valley on the other hillside we jumped out and set up on the hood of the cruiser cois ranged and dialed for 402yds. Shoot when ready squeezed heard the impact and tracker said he is down. He had only moved ten yards from impact.
The next morning we got up and had breakfast and loaded for our drive from eastern cape to the free state, saw lot of beautiful country and small african towns on the 6 hr trip. We had kfc for lunch on the road and then a fantastic steak (filet) at restaurant that night. We stayed at a nice guest house as this property we were hunting roan and golden had no lodging.
The free state is big open country with little cover or the place we were hunting the Roan the location was also home to 54 Rhinos. We drove for what seemed hours looking for the Roan. We finally spotted the one we were after he was running and we werent even in his zip code yet. After several attempts finally jumped out and tried to get on sticks at about 225 and he was having no part of it on the run again. As we topped a hill he was moving thru some of the only cover on the range and Cois said lets just take the shot from here if we can. Again set up on the hood of the cruiser and watching him move thru the cover towards an opening Cois ranged and said 387 to the opening if you get the shot take it. As he stepped out in the opening i touched the trigger and he was down. I was a little shaken as i had seen the roan several times and knew he was once in a lifetime animal. Just shy of 31" and 10.5" bases. He was definitely a bucket list trophy for me.
After lunch we went out looking for golden wildebeest and we came across wide blue and my Ph said do you want him and i was like no i just took a really good blue last trip. He was like sure if not i am going tale him if you dont mind, i was like shoot him i will be the ph and you the hunter. It was a great experience seeing my ph take a great animal that i could see he truly wanted for himself.
the next morning we were hunting from the cruiser due to multiple lions being on the ground. After few hours as the morning began to warm up as it was extremely cold in the morning. We spotted a few kudu and as we backed up i spotted the big bull leaving and slipped a bullet into him as PH was like take him. There was no question when i saw his horns. A truly amazing kudu just shy of 58" and 40" tip to tip. The 300 win mag is the perfect rifle in my opinion.
I can only tell you you guys the weather was really tough the last two days and didnt get the opportunity for waterbuck i wanted to finish trip with. We hunted bushbuck and i passed some i maybe shouldnt have but was looking for bucket list animals. The lodging, the care of animals and the absolute effort to make this hunt everything i had hoped was incredible. I have never had a bad hunt in Africa but Debeers Safari will handle all my hunts from now on, quality was second to none, they have multiple properties to hunt, not a bunch of fenced animals as in some places. I cant thank Willem and Cois enough and if you guys are considering a trip to the Eastern cape feel free to message me with any questions. It was the trip of a lifetime!
and ended the trip with huge smile and cake with castle lite!
