SOUTH AFRICA: The Dream Continues… Chumlet Safaris With Tyrone Milne

[matt vejar]

Hunted with Tyrone near Dundee, South Africa October 8 to the 19. This was. This was a donation hunt for Kudu and Nyala in totally free range ranches with Barb wire fencing only. Man did I hit the jackpot! Tyrone has been an Outfitter/PH for 35 years and his connections are as you would expect top tier. The properties we hunted for Kudu, Nyala and Val Rhebuck are humongous and totally free range hunting at its finest for those who are looking for this type of hunt. You need to be able to walk as this is glass and then stalk hunting. Being able to shoot out to 300 yds will also help with your success rate! This hunt is very similar to hunting out west for deer and elk.
Anyways I took my Tikka 30-06 on Virgin Atlantic and everything was smooth sailing through Saps in Jo’berg with Anna and Marius from Rifle Permits. Funny side note and SAPS. The lady wanted me to exchange $10 US for rand and I just happened to have $200 rand with me. I opened gun case but they never checked anything. Just signed permit and left. It will never be quicker!!!!
Mark is Tyrone’s driver and he picked me up the next day at Garden Court and we made the 3.5 hour drive to Dundee through some really pretty country.
Mark owns a furniture store in town and that is where Tyrone met me and we carried on to camp a short drive a way maybe 45 minutes to a camp he uses at Valhalla game ranch owned by a gentleman named Colin and run by his son. Really nice people and the old lodge was built by Colin’s father in 1933 who was a PH back in the day when everything wild was hunted here in the Natal!

If only these walls could talk!
There several rooms and everything exudes “ hunting camp”. I’m introduced to Annie- cook and laundry - and Ben tracker and skinner. Both have been with Tyrone for over 20 years and to say they no their roles is an understatement. Fantastic people who I truly enjoyed everyday! Annie makes some killer lamb chops!!!
To the hunt first up is Nyala and Kudu. We drive a short distance to a ranch that borders the lodge property. It’s massive and though the wind is blowing we spot 15 Nyala bulls but none are the big bulls that lurk here.

We do this routine and pass on a beautiful bull the first full day in hopes of something larger and then execute a long 3 hour stalk on three bulls we spotted the first day across the canyon on day 2 , but get busted at 50 yds as the cover was thick. Free range hunting is not easy! Anyways we go back to camp as it is approaching noon. We spot a large mountain reedbuck but I pass on him as I already have taken a Rowland Ward Mtn. Reedbuck from a previous hunt but he is a dandy! I’ll continue later as going pig hunting now!!

 

[PARA45]

Keep it coming.

 

[matt vejar]

So day two we head over to another ranch for the evening hunt. The wind is blowing 25 plus but we glass the big bowl in front of us that is a mile across. Seeing nothing we decide to drive to the far side at the base of bowl. It is much steeper than it looked from the high road we came in on. Ben and I start walking to a place they want to glass from. Suddenly we hear Tyrone making sounds and waving us to come back toward truck some 50 yds behind us. We hurry back and Tyrone says a kudu bull is above us. We continue back towards truck and I see bull. We set the sticks and I shoot a quickly. The bull kicks up its hind legs and takes off. Everyone thinks it’s a good shot but I see the tips of his horns going up hill. Neither Tyrone or Ben see this and I know it’s a bad shot as it is very steep country and no animal runs up hill on a good shot. Sure enough after looking around we find blood and tracks going up hill. Long story short after following blood uphill for over 300 yds in steep, bush filled straight up country the bull stops and a huge pool of blood, the bull turns back downhill hill and our spirits rise. We jump the bull a couple of times and I finally get a good shot and double lung him after 4 missed shots running and standing. I’m relieved as the hour plus chase ends as darkness closes in. Handshakes
all around as this looked like a reck on my first animal! Later talking with Tyrone I held for 200 and he said the animal was 300. I should have checked with him as he has a rangefinder in the binos but the big bodied bull didn’t look that far. My bullet hit 8” inches low and broke front leg high and went into body clipping something that really made him bleed but not a killing shot. Anyways in the salt and I have my second free range kudu from South Africa.
We leave in the morning to go to the Val Rhebuck property as the forecast for rain is worsening and the roads are already slick. We head to a town called Wakerstrom some hour and half away. This is wide open country and after two days the closest we’ve gotten to these vary wary animals is 420 yds which is way too far for me to shoot. On the last evening we crawl into position for a two hundred yard shot. The third from the left is a nice buck as and as I change position to shoot they bolt. I cuss out loud as many attempts are foiled in this wide open country!! We decide to give it one more try in the morning but when we awake everything is fogged in so at 8am we head back for Dundee and a kudu/Nyala property that is on the way back to the main lodge property. We have been staying at-a B&B owned by a wonderful couple and the wife was the former manager at a 30k fenced ranch that Tyrone hunted Buffalo at called Wetlands. We hunted hard but the weather is killing us!!
You can barely see Vallie on the far ridge sky lined. The wind and open terrain make this the most difficult Hunt I’ve been on. The weather is going to worsen and I’ve already told Tyrone I’ll return next May after my hunt in Botswana as this is the real deal. At 10 am we arrive the Kudu/Nyala property and drive to the first glass in spot. We spot some small kudu bulls and cows but Nyala . We’re driving on an old paved road that goes to the top where years ago they put up some cell towers years ago. This is big country and steep. We’d be having to winch if the road wasn’t somewhat paved. Anyways we glass at different points and see numerous kudu but nothing worth taking a closer look. On top is a huge flat probably a half mile across and there are lots of blesbuck and a smattering of springbok.
When we drive to the far end of the flat topped mountain we look off the edge and down at the bottom some 430 yds below I here the words you want to here “get your stuff ready that’s a big Nyala “ and theirs also a big Waterbuck” I say let’s get them both. It’s too far to shoot in the strong wind and spitting rain. We drive back down the mountain which takes some 15 minutes. The road forks to the bench where we spotted the game. We drive a little ways in and then park to walk in the rest of the way. When we get to the open bench we slowly move forward and suddenly the sticks go up the bull is maybe 125 yds and as he stops I touch off the shot! The bull stumbles around as another appears in the tall grass. The bull goes down- as we walk by him I ask Tyrone if I shot the big one! “ yes “ he responds as we walk by the bull to see if the big waterbuck is visible ahead. He is gone. As we walk back and look at the bull I can see he has super thick horns!!! We drag the bull to the little road I see the length. It’s a monster!! We gotta break out the tape.

 

[Firebird]

Monster nyala bull. Do you by chance have any pix of your kudu? Would love to see them

 

[matt vejar]

So day two we head over to another ranch for the evening hunt. The wind is blowing 25 plus but we glass the big bowl in front of us that is a mile across. Seeing nothing we decide to drive to the far side at the base of bowl. It is much steeper than it looked from the high road we came in on. Ben and I start walking to a place they want to glass from. Suddenly we hear Tyrone making sounds and waving us to come back toward truck some 50 yds behind us. We hurry back and Tyrone says a kudu bull is above us. We continue back towards truck and I see bull. We set the sticks and I shoot a quickly. The bull kicks up its hind legs and takes off. Everyone thinks it’s a good shot but I see the tips of his horns going up hill. Neither Tyrone or Ben see this and I know it’s a bad shot as it is very steep country and no animal runs up hill on a good shot. Sure enough after looking around we find blood and tracks going up hill. Long story short after following blood uphill for over 300 yds in steep, bush filled straight up country the bull stops and a huge pool of blood, the bull turns back downhill hill and our spirits rise. We jump the bull a couple of times and I finally get a good shot and double lung him after 4 missed shots running and standing. I’m relieved as the hour plus chase ends as darkness closes in. Handshakes
all around as this looked like a reck on my first animal! Later talking with Tyrone I held for 200 and he said the animal was 300. I should have checked with him as he has a rangefinder in the binos but the big bodied bull didn’t look that far. My bullet hit 8” inches low and broke front leg high and went into body clipping something that really made him bleed but not a killing shot. Anyways in the salt and I have my second free range kudu from South Africa.
We leave in the morning to go to the Val Rhebuck property as the forecast for rain is worsening and the roads are already slick. We head to a town called Wakerstrom some hour and half away. This is wide open country and after two days the closest we’ve gotten to these vary wary animals is 420 yds which is way too far for me to shoot. On the last evening we crawl into position for a two hundred yard shot. The third from the left is a nice buck as and as I change position to shoot they bolt. I cuss out loud as many attempts are foiled in this wide open country!! We decide to give it one more try in the morning but when we awake everything is fogged in so at 8am we head back for Dundee and a kudu/Nyala property that is on the way back to the main lodge property. We have been staying at-a B&B owned by a wonderful couple and the wife was the former manager at a 30k fenced ranch that Tyrone hunted Buffalo at called Wetlands. We hunted hard but the weather is killing us!!
You can barely see Vallie on the far ridge sky lined. The wind and open terrain make this the most difficult Hunt I’ve been on. The weather is going to worsen and I’ve already told Tyrone I’ll return next May after my hunt in Botswana as this is the real deal. At 10 am we arrive the Kudu/Nyala property and drive to the first glass in spot. We spot some small kudu bulls and cows but Nyala . We’re driving on an old paved road that goes to the top where years ago they put up some cell towers years ago. This is big country and steep. We’d be having to winch if the road wasn’t somewhat paved. Anyways we glass at different points and see numerous kudu but nothing worth taking a closer look. On top is a huge flat probably a half mile across and there are lots of blesbuck and a smattering of springbok.
When we drive to the far end of the flat topped mountain we look off the edge and down at the bottom some 430 yds below I here the words you want to here “get your stuff ready that’s a big Nyala “ and theirs also a big Waterbuck” I say let’s get them both. It’s too far to shoot in the strong wind and spitting rain. We drive back down the mountain which takes some 15 minutes. The road forks to the bench where we spotted the game. We drive a little ways in and then park to walk in the rest of the way. When we get to the open bench we slowly move forward and suddenly the sticks go up the bull is maybe 125 yds and as he stops I touch off the shot! The bull stumbles around as another appears in the tall grass. The bull goes down- as we walk by him I ask Tyrone if I shot the big one! “ yes “ he responds as we walk by the bull to see if the big waterbuck is visible ahead. He is gone. As we walk back and look at the bull I can see he has super thick horns!!! We drag the bull to the little road I see the length. It’s a monster!! We gotta break out the tape.
View attachment 568495

I seem to have lost half my story. Anyway I’m not retyping the great stalk on the reedbuck or shooting the blesbok. But in conclusion you’re not going to find Better people to hunt with than Tyrone, Ben and Annie. If free range is your cup of tea can’t go wrong here in Dundee. Tyrone hunting for 35 years pretty much says all you need to know. At 60 years young he’s still got the enthusiasm of the hunt! I’m rebooked for next year as the Val Rhebuck and Bushbuck are still out there calling me back. Or will it be buff??? Only time will tell.

 

[matt vejar]

The above and below pics of the Common Reedbuck are the giant marsh that stretched across this cattle ranch. The stalk took an hour plus. And resulted in a 100 yd facing shot that broke his neck.One of the best stalks I have ever been on. The Nyala had 28”” horns and 8.5 “ bases. One of my best free range trophies. I thought my Umkomass river Nyala would never be bettered at 26 and7/8 with 7.5 “ bases also free range. Just shows you never know with free range hunting.

 

[shotgungibbs]

Looks & sounds like a wonderful time!

 

[skydiver386]

So day two we head over to another ranch for the evening hunt. The wind is blowing 25 plus but we glass the big bowl in front of us that is a mile across. Seeing nothing we decide to drive to the far side at the base of bowl. It is much steeper than it looked from the high road we came in on. Ben and I start walking to a place they want to glass from. Suddenly we hear Tyrone making sounds and waving us to come back toward truck some 50 yds behind us. We hurry back and Tyrone says a kudu bull is above us. We continue back towards truck and I see bull. We set the sticks and I shoot a quickly. The bull kicks up its hind legs and takes off. Everyone thinks it’s a good shot but I see the tips of his horns going up hill. Neither Tyrone or Ben see this and I know it’s a bad shot as it is very steep country and no animal runs up hill on a good shot. Sure enough after looking around we find blood and tracks going up hill. Long story short after following blood uphill for over 300 yds in steep, bush filled straight up country the bull stops and a huge pool of blood, the bull turns back downhill hill and our spirits rise. We jump the bull a couple of times and I finally get a good shot and double lung him after 4 missed shots running and standing. I’m relieved as the hour plus chase ends as darkness closes in. Handshakes
all around as this looked like a reck on my first animal! Later talking with Tyrone I held for 200 and he said the animal was 300. I should have checked with him as he has a rangefinder in the binos but the big bodied bull didn’t look that far. My bullet hit 8” inches low and broke front leg high and went into body clipping something that really made him bleed but not a killing shot. Anyways in the salt and I have my second free range kudu from South Africa.
We leave in the morning to go to the Val Rhebuck property as the forecast for rain is worsening and the roads are already slick. We head to a town called Wakerstrom some hour and half away. This is wide open country and after two days the closest we’ve gotten to these vary wary animals is 420 yds which is way too far for me to shoot. On the last evening we crawl into position for a two hundred yard shot. The third from the left is a nice buck as and as I change position to shoot they bolt. I cuss out loud as many attempts are foiled in this wide open country!! We decide to give it one more try in the morning but when we awake everything is fogged in so at 8am we head back for Dundee and a kudu/Nyala property that is on the way back to the main lodge property. We have been staying at-a B&B owned by a wonderful couple and the wife was the former manager at a 30k fenced ranch that Tyrone hunted Buffalo at called Wetlands. We hunted hard but the weather is killing us!!
You can barely see Vallie on the far ridge sky lined. The wind and open terrain make this the most difficult Hunt I’ve been on. The weather is going to worsen and I’ve already told Tyrone I’ll return next May after my hunt in Botswana as this is the real deal. At 10 am we arrive the Kudu/Nyala property and drive to the first glass in spot. We spot some small kudu bulls and cows but Nyala . We’re driving on an old paved road that goes to the top where years ago they put up some cell towers years ago. This is big country and steep. We’d be having to winch if the road wasn’t somewhat paved. Anyways we glass at different points and see numerous kudu but nothing worth taking a closer look. On top is a huge flat probably a half mile across and there are lots of blesbuck and a smattering of springbok.
When we drive to the far end of the flat topped mountain we look off the edge and down at the bottom some 430 yds below I here the words you want to here “get your stuff ready that’s a big Nyala “ and theirs also a big Waterbuck” I say let’s get them both. It’s too far to shoot in the strong wind and spitting rain. We drive back down the mountain which takes some 15 minutes. The road forks to the bench where we spotted the game. We drive a little ways in and then park to walk in the rest of the way. When we get to the open bench we slowly move forward and suddenly the sticks go up the bull is maybe 125 yds and as he stops I touch off the shot! The bull stumbles around as another appears in the tall grass. The bull goes down- as we walk by him I ask Tyrone if I shot the big one! “ yes “ he responds as we walk by the bull to see if the big waterbuck is visible ahead. He is gone. As we walk back and look at the bull I can see he has super thick horns!!! We drag the bull to the little road I see the length. It’s a monster!! We gotta break out the tape.


View attachment 568495View attachment 568500View attachment 568501View attachment 568502View attachment 568503

WOW! That is a beast! Sounds like a fantastic hunt. The reward is always richer when you have to work for it like you guys did. Congratulations.

 

[Nyati]

Congrats for a great hunt, and thanks for sharing !

 

[migrabill]

So day two we head over to another ranch for the evening hunt. The wind is blowing 25 plus but we glass the big bowl in front of us that is a mile across. Seeing nothing we decide to drive to the far side at the base of bowl. It is much steeper than it looked from the high road we came in on. Ben and I start walking to a place they want to glass from. Suddenly we hear Tyrone making sounds and waving us to come back toward truck some 50 yds behind us. We hurry back and Tyrone says a kudu bull is above us. We continue back towards truck and I see bull. We set the sticks and I shoot a quickly. The bull kicks up its hind legs and takes off. Everyone thinks it’s a good shot but I see the tips of his horns going up hill. Neither Tyrone or Ben see this and I know it’s a bad shot as it is very steep country and no animal runs up hill on a good shot. Sure enough after looking around we find blood and tracks going up hill. Long story short after following blood uphill for over 300 yds in steep, bush filled straight up country the bull stops and a huge pool of blood, the bull turns back downhill hill and our spirits rise. We jump the bull a couple of times and I finally get a good shot and double lung him after 4 missed shots running and standing. I’m relieved as the hour plus chase ends as darkness closes in. Handshakes
all around as this looked like a reck on my first animal! Later talking with Tyrone I held for 200 and he said the animal was 300. I should have checked with him as he has a rangefinder in the binos but the big bodied bull didn’t look that far. My bullet hit 8” inches low and broke front leg high and went into body clipping something that really made him bleed but not a killing shot. Anyways in the salt and I have my second free range kudu from South Africa.
We leave in the morning to go to the Val Rhebuck property as the forecast for rain is worsening and the roads are already slick. We head to a town called Wakerstrom some hour and half away. This is wide open country and after two days the closest we’ve gotten to these vary wary animals is 420 yds which is way too far for me to shoot. On the last evening we crawl into position for a two hundred yard shot. The third from the left is a nice buck as and as I change position to shoot they bolt. I cuss out loud as many attempts are foiled in this wide open country!! We decide to give it one more try in the morning but when we awake everything is fogged in so at 8am we head back for Dundee and a kudu/Nyala property that is on the way back to the main lodge property. We have been staying at-a B&B owned by a wonderful couple and the wife was the former manager at a 30k fenced ranch that Tyrone hunted Buffalo at called Wetlands. We hunted hard but the weather is killing us!!
You can barely see Vallie on the far ridge sky lined. The wind and open terrain make this the most difficult Hunt I’ve been on. The weather is going to worsen and I’ve already told Tyrone I’ll return next May after my hunt in Botswana as this is the real deal. At 10 am we arrive the Kudu/Nyala property and drive to the first glass in spot. We spot some small kudu bulls and cows but Nyala . We’re driving on an old paved road that goes to the top where years ago they put up some cell towers years ago. This is big country and steep. We’d be having to winch if the road wasn’t somewhat paved. Anyways we glass at different points and see numerous kudu but nothing worth taking a closer look. On top is a huge flat probably a half mile across and there are lots of blesbuck and a smattering of springbok.
When we drive to the far end of the flat topped mountain we look off the edge and down at the bottom some 430 yds below I here the words you want to here “get your stuff ready that’s a big Nyala “ and theirs also a big Waterbuck” I say let’s get them both. It’s too far to shoot in the strong wind and spitting rain. We drive back down the mountain which takes some 15 minutes. The road forks to the bench where we spotted the game. We drive a little ways in and then park to walk in the rest of the way. When we get to the open bench we slowly move forward and suddenly the sticks go up the bull is maybe 125 yds and as he stops I touch off the shot! The bull stumbles around as another appears in the tall grass. The bull goes down- as we walk by him I ask Tyrone if I shot the big one! “ yes “ he responds as we walk by the bull to see if the big waterbuck is visible ahead. He is gone. As we walk back and look at the bull I can see he has super thick horns!!! We drag the bull to the little road I see the length. It’s a monster!! We gotta break out the tape.


View attachment 568495View attachment 568500View attachment 568501View attachment 568502View attachment 568503

That Nyala is a BEAST!!! Congrats!

 

[dchum]

looks amazing. That reedbok really excited me.

I’d love to go to SA and doo the indigenous like both reedbok and vallie in a trip

 

[375Fox]

I enjoyed the report. It’s nice to see this type of hunting in South Africa. Had you heard of this outfitter or researched hunting in Natal before the auction?

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats and thanks for sharing!

 

[matt vejar]

375fox,
He donates 1 hunt a year and I had watched it sell for a few years while checking up on him. The donation read “free range hunting near Dundee, limited roads you need to be in good physical shape to do this hunt”. I knew this was a hunt for me! When I found out he had been Tyrone had been a PH for 35 years I didn’t even bother calling references. He is as professional as it gets and knows all the older outfitters in SA. He’s an encyclopedia of SA hunting history!!! He has a degree in environmental studies. Extremely well read besides being a true conservationist. Loves fishing as well. The hunt wasn’t as tough as advertised, but without question it could be!!!! Big country as he has access to some 300,000 acres especially in the Drakensburg mountains where he buffalo hunts, bushbuck and Val hunt. His normal Val place had burned up so we went to another spot he hadn’t hunted before. Massive property with plenty of Val, but a long range rifle would have really helped. Val are by far the most wary game I’ve hunted. I took an 8”er in East Cape so it wasn’t critical I took one. Anyways my return will probably be for Val, bushbuck and buff as he says he has exclusive rights in the Drakensburg for big ones of both. That property is rugged so for sure I’ll be in shape for that hunt next May.The weather totally fouled up the hunt as wind blew like the devil as well as serious rain!!! First I’ve been on in Africa where weather really screwed thins up!!!

 

[matt vejar]

375Fox,
Although his area is west of Natal Midlands by an hours drive I knew from hunting near Umkomass river that this area holds record book kudu,Nyala and especially Common Reedbuck. That reedbuck in lodge is probably a world record as I didn’t measure it but it’s way over 16” probably 17. It’s the most impressive trophy outside of some 60” kudu I’ve seen mounted. Beyond belief big!!!!

 

[Greenhorn]

What a monster Nyala is; he's got it all. The reedbuck is also a brute of a trophy. Congratulations on what seems to be a pretty awesome hunt.

 

[matt vejar]

That kudu mounted in lodge has to be right at 60” also.

 

[matt vejar]

I shot Nyala just below that straight up part of mountain. A wide bench is there.

You can barely see Val sky-lined in photo.

Val is to the right of little tree dead center on skyline. He is probably 1000yds away. Not a bad pic from an IPhone.