South Africa Hunting Trip

[littlebear]

Wow! Congrats! What in the world goes with all the meat?

The owners of some property I hunted kept the meat. One owner told me that some of the meat goes to his workers. Other meat went to schools and places that needed it. Every night we had some type of wild meat. Impala was very good.

 

[Ralph A Rapier]

Congratulations. Looks like plowing that ground would be like plowing in Southeastern Ky.

 

[dupont241]

Congratulations, awesome pictures. I've never got to go out of the state hunting, much less out of the country. I did get drawn for a bull elk hunt in KY this fall, looking forward to the adventure, it will be much different than deer hunting in Edmonson/Warren County.

 

[wv67]

Congrats on the hunt , the animals look huge

 

[hunt]

Wow, what an adventure! Congrats and appreciate you sharing the experience!

 

[JG26_Irish]

Littlebear,

I just saw your pics of the SA safari. Lovely, thanks for sharing. Looks like you hunted down in the far South near the coast? I am planning a trip to South Africa with some friends here in KY to the Limpopo region up North near the Zimbabwe border in 2025. I only started planning the trip 6 weeks ago. I am the Newb in our group as the rest of them went there for plains game this year in May and had such a great time they immediately began planning another trip.

I have been so excited that it is almost all I can think about, lol. Our location is more bushvelt with lots of vegetation cover Mopani trees, grass and likely shorter shooting distances. We are mostly going for plains game but some (me included) may hunt for Cape Buff also. At the moment, I am planning on taking a pair of FN Browning Hi-Power rifles on the trip with one in 308 and the other in 375 H&H. Just got the heavy rifle from Anchorage, Alaska a couple weeks ago and mounted the scope this weekend. Our PH suggested that due to the close cover and shorter distances to use low power optics. Both mine have 2.5-8X scopes on the vintage Kuharsky mounts which can be removed and replaced while retaining zero. I may located another pair of top mounts for them to fit a red dot sight and a higher power optic in case we find need for them. Been learning how to shoot off sticks as well which is a process that was foreign to me. I am curious how far you were taking your game items with the 7mm mag? I am sure it had the reach to go way out there. Was just wondering what the reality turned out to be?

Have been reading and watching everything I could find on the subject. Even took to learning a few words in the local native Tshwana and national Afrikaans languages just for fun.

 

[littlebear]

Littlebear,

I just saw your pics of the SA safari. Lovely, thanks for sharing. Looks like you hunted down in the far South near the coast? I am planning a trip to South Africa with some friends here in KY to the Limpopo region up North near the Zimbabwe border in 2025. I only started planning the trip 6 weeks ago. I am the Newb in our group as the rest of them went there for plains game this year in May and had such a great time they immediately began planning another trip.

I have been so excited that it is almost all I can think about, lol. Our location is more bushvelt with lots of vegetation cover Mopani trees, grass and likely shorter shooting distances. We are mostly going for plains game but some (me included) may hunt for Cape Buff also. At the moment, I am planning on taking a pair of FN Browning Hi-Power rifles on the trip with one in 308 and the other in 375 H&H. Just got the heavy rifle from Anchorage, Alaska a couple weeks ago and mounted the scope this weekend. Our PH suggested that due to the close cover and shorter distances to use low power optics. Both mine have 2.5-8X scopes on the vintage Kuharsky mounts which can be removed and replaced while retaining zero. I may located another pair of top mounts for them to fit a red dot sight and a higher power optic in case we find need for them. Been learning how to shoot off sticks as well which is a process that was foreign to me. I am curious how far you were taking your game items with the 7mm mag? I am sure it had the reach to go way out there. Was just wondering what the reality turned out to be?

Have been reading and watching everything I could find on the subject. Even took to learning a few words in the local native Tshwana and national Afrikaans languages just for fun.

You are in store for a great adventure. We are planning another trip for 2025 also. You asked about distance with the 7mag and with the longest shot being a gemsbuck at 380yds on that trip. Be sure to post pics of your trip on here.

 

[Giveem3outdoors]

Great pictures! Congratulations on your hunt looks like a great time.

 

[KyBill1252]

Just returned from my first South African hunting trip. We were gone almost 2 weeks. Some great hunting was done while there. Nothing like I thought it would be. Cool and rainy windy weather. Coldest morning was 39. Rained on us for 3 days with them getting almost 10 inches of rain plus some days had 40-50 mph winds. Hunted a few days close to main lodge then took a couple days and made a 2.5hr ride and a 3hr to other areas.
View attachment 113501
Day1 we hunted the plains close to the lodge getting this common springbuck. 220yd shot

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Day3 we hunted about 2.5hrs away for kudu in the mountains. Kudu hunting reminds me so much of elk hunting out west. Took 2.5 days to get on this nice bull. Made a 225yd shot across a deep rocky canyon. 4 guys was 5hrs getting it out across the canyon. Great hunt for the kudu.
Kudu was the main animal I wanted to hunt on this trip.
View attachment 113503
Day5 found us farther east. We were hunting for impala or wildebeest. Saw a few on day4 but all young impala Walked up over a rise and spotted a couple rams chasing a female. He was the nicest of the 2 rams. It was a 200yd shot. Saw a few wildebeest that day but not able to get on them. One was really close to a herd of cape buffaloes so we decided to leave them alone.

View attachment 113504
Day6 found us about 3 hrs away from main lodge. Only gemsbuck we saw was on day2 while after kudu. Saw 4 that day and I missed one at 350yds across a canyon. The cross wind was about 40 mph or better that day. So day6 we went after a gemsbuck again in a different area. With less than an hour left of daylight we got on a herd and made a stalk over a 1000yds to get into about 400yds of them. No cover to get closer so took a 380yd shot. Connected but still on its feet so put another round in it. Another great hunt.

View attachment 113505 View attachment 113506
Day7 found us after a certain sable. My hunting buddy had saw this monster sable several days earlier and was saying it was a dandy so we went looking. A couple miles from where he saw it we glassed it from a high spot and made plans to stalk it. Couple hours later we was within range to make a shot. An absolute beautiful animal. The trip was amazing and would like to go again. Just unreal the different species of animals they have. I was surprised at the numbers of animals together with me thinking it would be a bunch but most times just 2-3 together at a time.

I've never been hunting for anything like those. My question is, outside of hunting for trophy, are any of them good to eat?

 

[preachnhunt]

I can answer that. Yes!

 

[hunt]

🙏 for the six right numbers in the $900 million Powerball tomorrow and I'm all in! 😂

 

[Fjold]

Great photos, love the Sable!

Namibia also has some great plains games hunting if you guys are interested and can be hunted on a smaller budget sometimes. Places like Zimbabwe get you more into the dangerous game hunting

 

[BULL MOOSE]

Love the pics...congratulations.

 

[mwezell]

Older thread but still want to say congrats on a great hunt. That sable is beautiful! I'm just incredibly jealous right now though!
I notice you had a brake on a rifle in your first post. I've heard that some guides out there won't guide people with a braked rifle. Apparently not the case with yours. If I'm going to a place where a bunch of the natural habitat wants to eat me, I want enough gun and a brake on it, too. Congrats again!

 

[littlebear]

You are correct. They don’t like a muzzle brake. They prefer a suppressor. Here there is hoops to jump thru but down there he said they are easier to get than buying bullets. Told me next time let him know ahead of time and he would buy one for me there. 3 of us used a brake. I asked why they don’t like them. He replied that they spook game. Plus he likes to be able to hear the bullet hit the animal. That sable will be a beautiful mount. My animals just cleared customs last week and are at the tannery now.