SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Buffalo & Plains Game With GAME 4 AFRICA SAFARIS In The Eastern Cape

[Tbitty]

I’ve returned from a wonderful hunting trip in South Africa with @GAME 4 AFRICA SAFARIS , with Wik and @PHDon . I will lead this write up by saying I woukd highly recommend them enough to anyone wanting to go to RSA, regardless of it being your 1st or 100th trip. They are just wonderful people, the staff is hard working and eager to take care of you, and a top-notch run outfit. I’ll write more on that throughout/later, but I could not be happier with our choice to hunt with them.

Be forewarned that I am a bit long-winded at times with my writing, so while I will attempt to keep it fairly concise, I may put in a “TLDR” recap after my full posts with a summary of the day by day. Additionally, I’ll focus these daily reports on the hunting and action itself, and can add additional notes later for the Extra Info of things like the hunting property terrain/landscape details.

First, the quick setup. A couple years ago, a hunting companion, Rick, and I went on a bear hunt together and decided then we wanted to plan some more “destination” hunts together. An Africa hunt became the primary focus, and I nudged the decision to Game 4 Africa after reading many great reports and feedback on this site. My wife was eager to join us as an observer, which was great to have her along. We then invited a few others to join us, and got one more, Eric, to join us. Even though Eric was not a hunter, (he’d joined me a few times to hunt TX hogs, but we’d never been able to get him a shot), he thought it would be fun to do an inexpensive cull package and enjoy the experience. Wik put together a nice list for Eric, I took them up on their “Deals and Offers” page Buffalo/Kudu/Impala package, and Rick went with their Kudu & Plains Game package from the website. Dates were picked, deposits sent, and the full planning and waiting game commenced.

Finally, our dates arrived and flights were made, and we arrived to Port Elizabeth midafternoon of June 27, Don picked us up for the trip to camp, and just after sunset we had arrived at long last. We got settled in to our Chalets, made initial introductions, and set up the game plan to get started the next morning!

 

[Tbitty]

June 28 (Hunt Day 1) - AM

We start the day with a trip to the sight-in range. All of us are renting the camp rifles (very nice Sako’s in 7mm Rem Mag with Swarovski glass and suppressors, plus a 375H&H for the buffalo), but are comfortably on target and ready to go. Rick and Eric load up with Don and my wife joins me with Wik.

Quick Note: my recap will largely focus on the hunt/trip details from my view, but I’ll add notes along the way for what and when the other guys were getting done. Some of their hunts I was there for and will provide you more detailed accounts on those occasions.

The main focus is, of course, hunting for the Cape Buffalo. It is my first buffalo hunt and many of you know how difficult it can be to get on a good hard-bossed bull for a shot. Due to the necessary morning range session, Wik notes that the cool weather might be helpful in keeping them up and moving a little longer this morning. We do some walking, some glassing from vantage points, and have a couple trackers that are doing the same in other areas, but a couple hours go by with no sign of the buffalo. As we are glassing over a valley from above, we see a good herd of Kudu with some promising bulls. Wik thinks we should go for a closer look, plus there might be some buffalo further along, so down the hill we go, then start back up the other side. Wik spots a nice trophy Kudu, but he’s still in his breeding prime and we press on slowly. The next bull spotted is very old, balding in spots along his head and neck, but with great spirals and ivory tips; a perfect trophy to make a move on.

A bit more sneaking through the brush and we manage a good vantage point that should give us a shot when he hits one of the “open” spots. Soon enough, the shot presents itself at about 225 yards. I put the crosshairs on the shoulder, and gently squeeze the trigger. I hear the bullet hit home and it felt good, but I cycle the bolt and see him making his way to another clearing where I touch off a follow up just before he gets into thick cover again. He goes into the cover but we don’t see him exit (generally a good sign), and after a couple minutes of watching see some thrashing in the scrub and possibly a leg kicking. He’s clearly down, so Wik calls in the trackers to bring the truck nearby and we walk in to make the recovery. As we get close, he’s still got a bit of fight left, so I follow up once more to end it quickly. What a good, old bull to take.

Meanwhile, we get a picture from the other guys that Rick has also bagged his first African game, another nice Kudu. It’s nearing lunchtime as we get packed out, so we pick up the “scout” trackers and head for the lodge. As we are driving out a little further along, we bump a lone buffalo bull into moving. We watch where he goes, and leave a spotter to watch a little longer and see if he beds down there or moves out. Back at camp we meet the other guys and find Eric has also scored his first ever animal, a management Warthog.

 

[Tbitty]

Day 1 – Afternoon Hunt

After lunch, it’s back out for the afternoon/evening hunt. We’re doing the same groups as the morning hunt, and we go back to the spot where the buffalo bull had been earlier. He’d moved a little bit (good thing we’d left the tracker to watch), but had seemed to bed down right in that area. We set up downwind with a good breeze in our face and watch the general area for movement. Quickly enough, he’s up and grazing along leisurely where Wik gets a good look. It’s confirmed he’s an old, hard-bossed trophy bull, but in a location that is concerning. If he moves uphill, the approach will be difficult and shooting lanes minimal, but if he goes down we should get a good opportunity to make a move.

We watch for another 10-15 minutes while he makes up his mind on where he’s going. Bad news, it is uphill into the thick stuff. Our chances are low, but we agree it’s worth a try. With only a couple hours until dark, we leave the trackers to watch his movement and guide us in, and we make our move. After closing the distance to 50-100 yards, we know from the spotters where he is, but still can’t see him, our only option is to stay low and quiet and try to get around in front of him. Towards the top of the hill the cover thins just enough we might get a gap. At one point, I can see the tops of the brush shaking as he moves through, around 30 yards away, but still without being seen. We get in front and hope he keeps coming. Finally, I get a few glimpses of him through the scrub, I get set up on the sticks but no shot presents. We move a few yards ahead and set up again. As if on command, the old bull stops in exactly the 1 spot where I have a 12-18” circle opening and it is a perfect shooting lane to his shoulder/vitals. I whisper a quick confirmation to Wik that the opening is correct for shot placement, and with a “yes, if you’re steady you can…” BANG. Perfect hit, the bull is shaking in his tracks but stationary. I cycle the bolt and hit him again in almost the same spot, and with that he collapses in place. Amazing! 1 step forward or back, or if he went 1 yard deeper away from us, and I would not have had a shot. He stopped in the exact location I needed him to, and I was able to do my part accurately and quickly. We approach slowly and add an insurance round through the spine and into the vitals. The death bellow follows a few moments later and the congratulations begin.

Now the task of getting such a huge animal maneuvered for some pictures, crews are called in with the truck to get him out in a race against the setting sun. Luckily, some of the guys from the family’s butcher shop happened to be at the lodge collecting meat to take in for processing, so the extra hands arrived and got it done quickly enough.

Back at the lodge, the story is of course told to the others. On the day, I had both a Kudu & Buffalo, the two most important animals on my list for the week, were down. Plus Rick had his trophy Kudu, and Eric on the board with his first ever animal (the warhog) – you can’t ask for much better days than that. The only downside was that Rick got a late shot on an Impala face-on, but unfortunately the shot did not put him down and they ran out of light to find him that evening. We’d take up the search again the next morning to try and find the ram.

Dinner is one of the everyone’s favorites: Eland tenderloin, served with a potatoes au gratin dish, chicken wing skewers, and fresh rolls. You’ll note that all of our meals will have a non-game protein, as Rick does not enjoy game meat as much as the rest of us, so he always had an alternative option available.

Since I’m down to only an impala on my list for the rest of the week, I start thinking of what to add. In the meantime, I tell Wik & Don to they can focus more on the other guys a little more, we’ve got plenty of time and fun ahead. As an added bonus for me, I’d planned to take the wife on a couple of photo safaris at nearby Big 5 Game reserves, so I was relaxed knowing those were easy to fit in now and we could keep the “Happy Wife, Happy Life” mantra going.

 

[Tbitty]

June 29 - Day 2 Hunt

We start the day by all going to find Rick's impala from the night before. Wik and I go to the top of the hill to essentially be spotters and guide Don and Rick (and Eric) on his movement and where we think they can set up to get a shot. After a bit of zig and zag they ultimately get an opening and were able to put him down. We learned the first shot from the night before was a bit low and off center, and in the shoulder pocket without catching the vitals. They get some pictures and meet us at the skinning shed to drop off and I'm able to get a look at my Buffalo skull. From there, the wife and I go with Wik to look for an impala. We see a really nice Waterbuck bull that tempts me for a moment or three, but I pass on him and we continue. Even now, I'm not sure I made the right decision; I think Waterbuck will be on the shortlist for the next trip. Onward we go and we make a stalk attempt on a large herd of impala, but their many eyes keep us from getting very close. The rest of the morning we see a lot of animals, but nothing that really gets us excited and we eventually head back to camp for lunch. The other guys return from chasing Zebra with nothing to report.

Lunch: Cottage Pie (Delicious) and rolls made by deep frying the dough. I forgot the name and didn’t write it down (Im thinking it was "fat bread”), but all the breads throughout the weeks meals were homemade and very good.

After lunch, Eric joins us to go look for more impala (my trophy, his cull ram and ewe) or other animals on Eric's cull list, while Rick and Don continue the Zebra chase. Again we see lots of game, but either they aren't what we are looking for or we are unable to get close enough for a shot opportunity. Late in the day, we are finally on a good stalk on a group of Impala that have options for both Eric and me. Ultimately it is the trophy ram that gives us the best opportunity, but after a couple attempts to get on the sticks and being thwarted by him moving, others getting into the line of the shot, or otherwise disrupting the shot, we are nearly out of daylight. One last push is made and I get set up on the sticks again. This time the ram seems to cooperate and gives me a shot. Disappointingly, I rush myself through the process and feel myself wiggle on the sticks just as I pull the trigger. Immediately I call it a miss high, and get confirmation by the sound of an empty report (not the "whop" of a hit), the dust kick where the bullet impacts the ground, and Wik calls it the same miss high. While I'm disappointed in myself for rushing the shot and not making a good one, I'm at least relieved to know it was a clean miss and not a bad hit. Out of light and the herd fully alerted to my shot, we pack out and call it a day.

Dinner is Blesbok backstrap, bacon skewers, smoked pork chop, sliced baked potatoes, a vegetable medley and steamed bread. Dessert of Malva Pudding with ice cream.

Plans are made to get out earlier the next morning and travel about an hour away to their "Mountaintop" concession. I want to try for a bushbuck and there are more Zebra plus Blue Wildebeest and blesbok there for Rick, plus several of the animals for Eric's cull list. The 2nd day may not have had nearly as much game taken as Day 1, but still a great day in Africa and out in the bush.

 

[Tbitty]

June 30 - Day 3

This morning we head out early and get to their “Mountain Top” concession to see some new area and have a few different animals to hunt. Pretty quickly we see some Zebra on a far ridge (2 or 3 “hills” over from where we are), and that’s where Don will take Rick to try and get a stalk on those. Meanwhile Wik takes the rest of us and we are going to look for Bushbuck first. As we drive to put some spacing between our groups, we also spot some Blue Wildebeest and radio over their location as another option for Don & Rick if the Zebra stalk doesn’t work out.

We glass a few spots and not long into the day, I spot an animal that is much darker than the Kudu around it. I tell Wik I think it’s a bushbuck but am not sure. I try to talk him in on where I’m looking relative to the landmarks and other animals, but he says it’s just another Kudu. I guess I’m not as good at ID’ing animals as I thought from that distance, and keep looking. A few minutes later, Wik sees what I saw before and says, “That is a bushbuck, and looks like a good one.” We’re still several hundred yards out, so we start downhill and aim to close the gap.

Working our way downhill, it seems to become a race to the bottom: For us to get into a shooting position before he gets disappears in the thick stuff. Ultimately we find a clearing on our side that gives us a fairly wide area of shooting lanes and I get set up. Sitting on a rock, it’s still a steep downhill shot and I have to fiddle with the sticks a bit to get them where I want for a solid support. Fortunately, he hangs up in some scrub and is grazing on the plant leaves idly, so I am well set as he approaches a clearing. I’m cognizant that I need to switch between watching through the scope and looking up with my eyes to prevent eye strain as we wait, but finally (really only a few minutes) he’s at the edge of the opening and I get set for him to step out. He gets a couple steps into the clearing and I hear Wik whistle which gets him to stop. That’s all the hesitation I need, I squeeze off the shot and hear it hit. It looks and feels good, and I see him run about 20 yards into a thick spot but doesn’t come out. We’re pretty sure he’s down in there, but watch for a few minutes just to make sure he doesn’t leave that spot.

As we wait, Wik notices the trophy Kudu bull did not bust out of the area and is still on the hill perhaps a hundred yards or so from where my Bushbuck is. He mentions it’s a really nice bull, and I turn to Eric for a bit of goading and ask “You sure you don’t want to add a trophy Kudu to your hunt?” His facial expression gives away that he’s clearly interested, and Wik completes the encouragement with a nice offer. He’ll upgrade his management bull to to a trophy and add a trophy blesbok for a very nice price. Eric quickly accepts the offer and I make way for him to take my seat on the rock and get on the gun. He sets up quickly enough and takes his shot. It’s a solid hit as I watched through my bino’s, but not enough to fully put him down. He trots off but stops and gives another opening for follow up. This time it’s a miss, and he crashes down into the thicker stuff. As we watch/listen for any more movement on where he’s going, Wik radios in to get the trackers and truck to us, and we can move in from there. Meanwhile, my bushbuck has laid down at the base of the thick stuff and we have just enough view to see he’s still got slight movement at times. I get back on the gun and add an insurance round so that we don’t have to worry about possibly chasing two wounded animals.

We move to the road and Wik coordinates the trackers to go in with the dogs on the Kudu. We can watch from here to see if it runs out and likely get a shot if needed. Quickly, we hear the barking of dogs, and listed/watch as they take up the trail. In a condensed version of the story, the young dog Diesel got on the wrong track and the veteran Rocky runs down an injured young Kudu and takes it down nearly a mile away. After collecting the dogs from that, they go back to where a tracker has found blood, and put Rocky on the right path. From there he quickly has the bull kudu found and herds him in. Eric and Wik take the rifle and go into the brush to get close and put him down. It’s so thick it takes a couple of bumps (including the Kudu jumping over my bushbuck at one point) to get a finishing shot. My wife and I waited on the road and watched it unfold, then one of the trackers returns to pick us up and go make the recoveries.

The above is perhaps my favorite hunt of the trip, just because of all the little intricacies of what make for a great story. In that collective “moment,” Eric was hooked on hunting for good, and we have a phenomenal tale to tell forever forward. For me, hunting is not about shooting the “biggest” or the most, but the adventure that goes with it, and this hunt is one of the best I could ever hope for. We took both individual pictures, and also some combo ones below. It’s noon before we are finishing up the loading, so we head back up to the top flats to enjoy some lunch and check in with Don & Rick.

We get in a quick lunch and learn that Rick has hit a Zebra and they are tracking it. In the interest of condensing my report, I’ll summarize to say that the rest of the day was an adventure in itself; searching and chasing and searching some more. With much disappointment, we were unable to make a recovery. They can’t use the dogs, because a zebra hoof kick is too dangerous, and our human efforts were outmatched. Zebra have become Rick’s nemesis in their endurance and toughness. Back to the lodge after dark, it’s a bittersweet day. We had the highs of Eric and my hunt, and the low of losing a wounded animal.

Dinner is Kudu tenderloin, beef sausages, Garlic Roasted Potatoes, carrots, grilled corn, and more amazing bread. I did not write down the name of the dessert, but it was a kind of mousse served over cookie crumbles and topped with mint chocolate shavings.

 

[Tbitty]

July 1 - Day 4

It's a return trip to Mountain Top, with the same groups as the day before. The difference today is that my wife decided she needed a bit of a rest and stays back at camp. I think all the pushing through thick brush and bouncing around on the rocky roads gave her good reason to not want to have a repeat day.

Almost immediately upon arriving to the property, we see a good group of blesbok with a handful of shooter rams in the mix. Don takes Rick for a try at this group, and not more than a half mile further along we spot 2 more good rams by themselves and get Eric ready for a stalk on these. It's wide open grassland here, so we go single file and go slowly. It's impossible for them to not be aware of us, so I hang back a bit and stay lower on the ridge (and get some good stalking video on my phone). They set up for a shot but the wind makes it hard to stabilize and the rams move a bit further along. We move forward a bit more and get Eric sitting on a termite mound this time for added stability, and he's able to get a shot on a fantastic ram. As we approach for recovery, we learn Rick has also scored his just a few minutes ahead of ours. It was so windy and they were down-wind, I'd never even heard the suppressed shot.

From here, Rick is going to look for blue wildebeest on this same property (or maybe another Zebra), and Wik takes me and Eric a few miles up the road to their Reedsdale property. A week or so prior, Don had seen a massive impala ram (I believe when **PARA45** group was there, but they were focused on other targets at the time. Wik wants to see if we can find it so I can fill my Impala "tag." I comment aloud that searching thousands of acres for a single, specific animal sounds like a good challenge, so I'm on board.

With far less difficulty than I imagined, we happen to spot the big ram in generally the same area where he'd been seen before. Even more fortunately, he's in a location that gives us a great opportunity to move in close for a shot. There's a little watering hole (us Kansas folk would call it a stock pond) and waterway with plenty of scrub/trees for cover but open enough to move quickly and quietly with ease. As we approach the final few yards, we poke ourselves out from behind the bush just enough to set up the sticks with a shooting lane. There's another ram just behind him, so I have to wait for a clear shot, but there's no mistaking which one is the target. It doesn't take long and he steps free where I have a clean shot. I've been ready, a quick flip of the safety with the thumb, settle the crosshairs, and the trigger breaks cleanly. I see and hear the hit and as I'm cycling the bolt by habit, I hear Wik say "don't shoot," even though I had no intention of it on this one. I watch as the Ram runs about 20-30 yards almost straight towards us, then rears up on his hind legs and falls over sideways stone dead. I've seen this before; a sure sign of a heart shot in my experience. We walk up and I'm struck by the size of this impala. "Yow!" Wik exclaims. I roll him over and confirm the heart shot I suspected from entry, then we get a couple quick pictures from this spot, but load him up in the truck to go to some shorter grass for a better view and many more pics. My day 2 miss turned out to be, perhaps, the best missed shot I've ever taken.

Wik asks if we want to return to the main camp where we can chase Eric's Impala and waterbuck culls, or if I wanted to add anything from this area (Springbok or Gemsbuck are plentiful). We say that we can check with Don & Rick if we could be helpful in their pursuit of the Blues/Zebra, and that's what we ultimately decide to do. There is a mixed herd of Golden & Blue Wildebeest on a plateau that its a 50/50 decision: They can try a stalk to get close, or we can drive in closer and hope to push them back towards their vantage point and a clearing where they'd have a shot. And with that decision, so began another adventure. ... Once again for brevity, the adventure became an all-afternoon chase of this herd and a story in itself. Perhaps I'll write a separate post later just for this account, but for now will summarize to say that by 3pm we were no closer to them than at 10am when we started. Wik, Eric and I leave to head back, while Rick and Don put in one more foot stalk in the final couple hours of light.

Back to the Lodge, we enjoy the sunset and snacks by the fire pit. Word comes near dark that Rick sealed the deal on a fantastic, ancient blue wildebeest on their last stalk. It wasn't one they'd been targeting, but was even better and most importantly they were able to get a shot and make it count.

Dinner is a bit later as we wait for their return. Tonight's fare will be the tenderloin of my buffalo (a special request I'd made), chicken kebabs, Yummy Rolls (cooked over fire instead of baked in the oven), French Fries, a pepper cream sauce (similar to "country gravy") and a broccoli/cauliflower dish, then brownies and ice cream for desert.

Before serving dinner, however, Wik gathers us all with the buffalo tenderloin grilling over the fire. He presents me with a custom hand-made knife with the Game 4 Africa logo etched into the blade and a buffalo on either side of the handle. It is a wonderful gift and makes for a tremendous memento to go along with the hunt. This adds one more special moment to an already great day and trip, and we still have 3 more days to go!

 

[Tbitty]

July 2 - Day 5

As promised to the wife, the hunting had been successful to date and we would go on a photo safari. We went to Amakhala Game Reserve, where they have the Big 5 and allow day tours to those like us not staying at their lodges. Don takes Eric & Rick for their hunting day, staying back on the "home" property and giving Mountain Top a break. Wik takes us to Amakhala, about an hour away, and will get a day to catch up on all the behind the scenes work & emails before returning to pick us up in the afternoon.

We picked a great weather day to go. Bright sunshine and not much wind, and we were lucky enough to have a private tour with just the two of us with the Safari Guide. He asks if there is anything particular we want to see and off we go. Almost immediately, we get a good look at some Zebra in an open area, which was one of the animals she wanted to see more off, along with Giraffe and the Big 5 and/or some predators (since we got to see a lot of Plains Game in our daily hunting). We see several other groups of plains game as we head towards an area where some Cheetah had been spotted earlier that morning. While the cheetah eluded us, we did get to see a Mother Giraffe with her very young calf. The next highlight was finding a pair of Black Rhinoceroses and we got to spend a good bit of time watching them. As we traveled some more, we spotted 1 and then another tortoise in the road. Our guide told us there's an African Legend that if you see 8 tortoises in a day, it will rain within the next 24 hours. In his experience, he felt is was true around 80% of the time - so I quipped he just needs to see 10 in a day to make it 100% accurate. As we continued, we see a 3rd and then a 4th back at the lodge yard - I'm not sure if he made it to 8 on the day or not (but there was rain in the forecast for next day). We are served a nice lunch at their lodge; Kudu with a brown gravy, rice & vegetables, then a cheesecake dessert. Wik picks us up about 2.

Next, we join Wik for a special stop, which is actually 2 stops. First we go to their Butcher Shop, Connocks, in Grahamstown (Makhanda). He shows us around and we pick up a case of meats that he is taking to our next stop, which is a Foster Home for Children. Here, a few wonderful ladies (and their families) live and take care of the foster children. Wik and Game 4 Africa are one of many who generously offer donations and assistance to these kids, and on this stop we deliver jackets that were paid for by a donation from a previous hunter. Wik did not specify who that was, but we were fortunate to be a part of the drop off of the coats, plus the meat and some other supplies. When you see how much it means to the kids and ladies taking care of them, it really puts into perspective how fortunate we are, and how even small gestures of generosity goes a long way in making at least a few lives better.

While we were on our photo safari and making our afternoon stops, Rick and Eric were busy trying to make me feel bad about missing a hunting day. Rick bagged both another Impala ram and added a nice warthog that crossed their path, and Eric scored his two cull impala, one each male and female. Eric had a work call he had to skip the afternoon hunt to take, so he was at the lodge when we returned.

After his work call, Eric joined us in relaxing at the lodge and enjoying the beautiful evening weather. He's having so much fun, he starts talking about making a return trip in the next few years. We come to realize both of us will have a round number birthday in 2027, which would make for a good excuse to do it then. So that's got us now doing some preliminary planning. Plus he's ready to get himself a rifle and some gear to practice up and join me more frequently on my weekend trips. I dont think my wife is nearly as excited about doing a return trip (even if she is having fun in the adventure), but at least I can say this one wasn't my idea!

Meanwhile, Rick had went out for more Zebra chasing punishment. They finally found some at the end of the day, but there was not enough time for a stalk. Instead they watched where the zebra bedded down and perhaps would stay close enough to that area and could be found again in the morning.

Dinner is Springbuck tenderloin, Beef T-Bone steak, Garlic Butter Bread, carrots, sweet potatoes & butternut squash in a cream sauce, and garlic roasted potatoes. I forgot the name of the dessert, but it was kind of a mousse/cheesecake hybrid and quite tasty.

 

[Tbitty]

July 3 - Day 6

It's an overcast morning - We'd had some rain overnight in the early morning hours (I guess someone saw their 8 tortoises), and there was a chance of a bit more light stuff but nothing overly concerning. Because of the forecast, we'd decided to skip a photo safari, so I join Eric with Wik on his hunt for a waterbuck female cull, while Rick is going to give the Zebra another run with Don. I let Wik know I would be interested in adding a Kudu management bull if one presented - I figure I can do a nice euro mount or some thing with the horns, and use the cape for my trophy mount since my first bull's hide was so worn. And if we see something that wow's him, let me know and I'd consider in the moment.

We see a herd of Eland, and there is a big matriarch cow with long beautiful horns and Wik suggests I could add her to my haul. While tempting, I decide I'd rather go for a bull on my next Africa hunt instead. We continue on, and make a few more glassing stops before spotting a herd of waterbuck. Surely there's a cull cow in the group, so off we go, moving along the hill slowly and overlooking them below as we search for the one Wik wants to target. When he finds the right one, we get Eric on the sticks and set up for a shot. It's a steep downhill shot (Something he's never experienced before), and it proves a bit difficult for him to get a solid setup. His first shot is a miss, but the cow stays in the open and gives him another chance. A 2nd shot hits, but is a bit far back and she runs into thicker cover. Speeding up the story, we get the dogs on the trail and ultimately get a follow up shot to put her down and make the recovery. -- Rick and Don still haven't found any Zebra, and we do a couple stop and look efforts while looking for a cull Kudu Bull. He doesn't say anything directly, but I can tell Wik is starting to get concerned on getting Rick his Zebra, even if he's not directly hunting with him.

Not far from where we'd taken the waterbuck (who we'd left the trackers to tend and they brought another truck from the skinning shed to load), we come across a good herd of kudu. I consider upgrading my add on to another trophy as we see some good ones, but patience pays off when a younger bull shows up that Wik feels is a bit narrow in the curls and would be a good one to take. It's another downhill shot, but I've had some more experience with these and am comfortable quickly. When he makes it into the clearing, I get the crosshairs where I want them and touch off the shot. It's a good solid hit, and he stumbles forward then falls. We send the tracker/vehicle around to get it parked closer, while we head downhill and make the recovery. It's exactly what I'd hoped for, a nice cape to use for my mount, and a set of horns that will make a fun euro. We take some pictures and as the tracker/skinners arrive to do their work, we head back to the lodge for lunch. And with some bonus great news, we hear that Rick has downed his Zebra! It's a relief for all, and now everyone has filled their lists, plus a few additions each.

We have some lunch and discuss what's next. Rick's been talking to his family and his son wants a couple mounts for his apartment. That's all the encouragement Rick needed, we look around the room at some of the mounts and decide what he wants to go for. He opts for an Eland cow and/or Waterbuck Trophy. Eric and I are content for now, but I still let them know I'd consider adding if the right animal crossed our path, though I wasn't sure what that might be beyond an impulse field decision.

We say we'll just join Rick as his camera crew for the afternoon and load up in the back of the Bakkie as observers and go with Don/Rick while Wik is able to stay back and get more work done. Heading out, we spot the same herd of Eland we'd seen that morning and Rick doesn't pass on the cow like I did. It's too many moving bodies for us all to make the stalk, so when we get fairly close, us 3 observers stay back to watch while Rick and Don make the final approach. We have a good vantage to see both the hunters and the herd and watch it unfold. We hear the shot and I can tell it is a solid hit by the sound of the report. As they close the gap for any follow up needed or recovery, I move our group up towards where the herd had been. When they see she's down and done, Don waves us in and we join them for pictures. Up close, she's even more impressive than I'd thought from my binocular view that morning. Part of me wishes I'd have added her, but I'm also happy with my decision to hold off and go for the "Spiral Slam" next time (Eland and Nyala) and a bull instead of (or at least before) a cow. Here, the ground is open enough they can bring the truck right up to her and they use the winch to load her up and will do the gutting/skinning back at the shed. While we are getting ready to get her unloaded, the truck arrives with the Zebra and we get a chance to see it in person. It had been in a very difficult position, so it took most of the afternoon for the trackers/skinners to get it hauled out. It's late in the day and a rain cloud is closing in, so we call it good and head to the lodge.

Rick and I light up a couple of cigars this evening to celebrate such an amazing trip so far, and we all recount some stories from the week. The wife and I were doing another photo safari the next day, and Eric opts to join us while Rick elects to go for a Waterbuck bull and/or a management Kudu: he is wisely hunting to the very end. Especially since we tell him the game reserves are big open areas with chance encounters, not the carefully curated videos from Discovery Channel where everyone sees a lion kill or Leopard lounging in the tree.

Dinner is Sable Tenderloin, Porkbelly steak, twice baked potatoes, sweet potato cakes, and Garlic & Herb butter bread, followed by Chocolate Caramel Pudding with ice cream. As this is the 2nd "pudding" we've had, it is not the American version; what they call pudding I would call a moist cake.

 

[Tbitty]

July 4 - Day 7 (last full day)

As noted in the last post, 3 of us load up to go on a photo safari, this time at Pumba Game Reserve, while Rick and Don get in another day of hunting. The highlight of our day was seeing some lions, including several of the White Lions they have in their reserve. We also get to see some hippos in one of the lakes, get a couple of really close encounters with Giraffe and Zebra, and a Caracal for a few moments (but too quick for me to get a picture). Unfortunately, we don’t find the elephant we’d hoped for, and this time we shared the vehicle with another group, not that any of us were bothered by it, and it was a very windy day which made the riding around a little less comfortable. All in all, however, we felt we had a better day here than at Amakhala, mostly due to the lions, more diversity of animals, and getting closer to most of them. But these are single sample data points of each, so I’m not sure that one is any better than the other.

We have lunch at the reserve again, this time a buffet style setup. I didn’t take notes of the full offering, but was impressed most by the Bobotti dish. We were joined at lunch by a group of Vervet Monkeys hanging around in the trees and running around the area while the staff did their best to keep them away from our tables and the buffet. Then it was back to the reception area where Wik returned to pick us up. From here, we go to the Lauriston Taxidermy shop to meet Greg and a few of his staff, look around at their shop to inspire ideas and see their work. More on this in a future post, and the short version is we gave Greg info on what we wanted done, our contact information, etc. and received initial quotes. I took some extra pictures to share with Rick since he was still out hunting and wouldn’t get a chance to visit the shop.

Back to the lodge, Rick had just bagged an afternoon cull Kudu bull, and was off to chase a nice waterbuck that was spotted by one of the trackers as they came in. I think it was the same one I’d seen a couple times through the week, and indeed looked like a good one to go for. The rest of us get showered and start packing up for our departure the next day. Rick and Don return just after dark and report they’d hit him with a good solid shot, found what looked like lung blood, but had to suspend the search due to buffalo in the area and the waterbuck in cover too thick to ensure a successful recovery or get a follow up shot should it be necessary. I volunteer to get up and go with them at first light to help recover. We want to get a group picture before we go (I have a specific shot in mind, you'll see it in the next post), and leave early enough for a stop at a curio shop in Port Elizabeth before going to the airport.

Our final dinner is Nyala, beef sausages, a corn mash bake, roasted vegetables, fries and, of course, the fresh bread. Dessert is a mix of individual tarts and what resembled a glazed twist doughnut, but smaller and with more of a crunch to them.

 

[Tbitty]

July 5 - Departure

Rick and I get up earlier than the others for a quick breakfast and head out with Don and a couple trackers when there's enough light to go find the waterbuck. Meanwhile, Wik sets up for my photo request: taking all the skulls from the week down to the front gate and set them up in front of their Game 4 Africa sign.

The waterbuck is found quickly enough, however he was not hit as well as they'd thought the night before and was still mobile. We'd set up on a hill overlooking a big open area while the trackers went into the thick, and he came out where we needed him to. Rick gets set up for a shot but has trouble acquiring him and getting settled. He takes a shot and it sounds like a hit but doesn't appear fatal. The bull disappears again into more thick stuff and re-appears minutes late much further up the hill and a long way out. Don asks if he can take a shot due to the distance and Rick agrees. We hear a much more solid hit and it looks like he drops in his tracks. No further movement as we get the trackers on the trail and Wik brings a few more to help speed along the process.

More unfortunate news, as we get to the spot where he should be laying and can't find him. Don goes back to where we'd been for the shot and tries to guide in the trackers by radio, and I use him as a reference point on where I thought the downed bull should be. Working my way in larger and larger area coverage, I eventually bump into him and he crashes out of the thick stuff and goes up over the hill. I wished I had a rifle, but was empty handed and could only watch and mark the locations to get trackers on a blood trail, which is what we did. Now that we were on fresh blood, we got Rocky the badass on his trail and that was the final touch we needed. He caught up and held the attention while we got close enough to put him down. An unexpected bit of extra adventure, but we were all happy to have it sorted and the recovery made. We get a few quick pictures, but are now slightly pressed for time to get done all we wanted to before airport drop off. The taxidermy guys were at the lodge picking up skins and ready to get the skulls after we got our picture, so Don takes Rick and I to the lodge, we pick up the others, and drive down to the gate. Photos taken, its back to the lodge to change, load up the bags, and say our final goodbyes.

Don takes us to the airport in Port Elizabeth, and from there it's the journey back home. And so concludes our amazing week with Game 4 Africa. Wik, Don, Brittany, all the staff and family members are truly wonderful people and, once again, I cannot emphasize enough how much I would recommend anyone looking to do a South African hunt to book with these guys. Or, at the very least, reach out to them before making a final decision. I've already mentioned Eric wants to return in a couple years, and we're nearly certain to be back with @GAME 4 AFRICA SAFARIS

 

[Tbitty]

As promised in the beginning post here's a TLDR summary.

Day 1: Kudu and Cape Buffalo for me, a Kudu and warthog for companions (posts 2 & 3 above).

Day 2: Impala for companion (post 4)

Day 3: Bushbuck for me, Kudu for companion (post 5)

Day 4: Impala for me, 2x blesbok and a blue wildebeest for others (post 6)

Day 5: Wife and I to a game reserve (black rhino), others take 3x total Impala, 1x warthog (post 7).

Day 6: cull Kudu bull for me, others take female waterbuck, zebra, female Eland (post 8)

Day 7: 3 of us to game reserve (lions), lone hunter a management Kudu bull (post 9)

Day 8: complete recovery of a waterbuck, then departure (post 10)

*and a special shout out to @PARA45 . I'd meant to tag him in my day 4 post but forgot to edit that point. He'd been in camp the week prior and we enjoyed reading his write up while we were there and seeing the space in person.

 

[SCHUNTER73]

Excellent write up and hunt! Game 4 Africa did right by you guys.

 

[Pancake]

Awesome hunt and a great recap! My dad and I will be there in just over three weeks, and these reports just get me more and more excited to hunt with Game 4 Africa again.

 

[Tbitty]

Awesome hunt and a great recap! My dad and I will be there in just over three weeks, and these reports just get me more and more excited to hunt with Game 4 Africa again.

There have been a number of AH write-ups on G4A this year. I had the same excitement building before our trip as I read several new reports on top of the older ones from years past. Enjoy your trip and I will look forward to your report when you return.

 

[MontanaPat]

July 3 - Day 6

It's an overcast morning - We'd had some rain overnight in the early morning hours (I guess someone saw their 8 tortoises), and there was a chance of a bit more light stuff but nothing overly concerning. Because of the forecast, we'd decided to skip a photo safari, so I join Eric with Wik on his hunt for a waterbuck female cull, while Rick is going to give the Zebra another run with Don. I let Wik know I would be interested in adding a Kudu management bull if one presented - I figure I can do a nice euro mount or some thing with the horns, and use the cape for my trophy mount since my first bull's hide was so worn. And if we see something that wow's him, let me know and I'd consider in the moment.

We see a herd of Eland, and there is a big matriarch cow with long beautiful horns and Wik suggests I could add her to my haul. While tempting, I decide I'd rather go for a bull on my next Africa hunt instead. We continue on, and make a few more glassing stops before spotting a herd of waterbuck. Surely there's a cull cow in the group, so off we go, moving along the hill slowly and overlooking them below as we search for the one Wik wants to target. When he finds the right one, we get Eric on the sticks and set up for a shot. It's a steep downhill shot (Something he's never experienced before), and it proves a bit difficult for him to get a solid setup. His first shot is a miss, but the cow stays in the open and gives him another chance. A 2nd shot hits, but is a bit far back and she runs into thicker cover. Speeding up the story, we get the dogs on the trail and ultimately get a follow up shot to put her down and make the recovery. -- Rick and Don still haven't found any Zebra, and we do a couple stop and look efforts while looking for a cull Kudu Bull. He doesn't say anything directly, but I can tell Wik is starting to get concerned on getting Rick his Zebra, even if he's not directly hunting with him.
View attachment 699106

Not far from where we'd taken the waterbuck (who we'd left the trackers to tend and they brought another truck from the skinning shed to load), we come across a good herd of kudu. I consider upgrading my add on to another trophy as we see some good ones, but patience pays off when a younger bull shows up that Wik feels is a bit narrow in the curls and would be a good one to take. It's another downhill shot, but I've had some more experience with these and am comfortable quickly. When he makes it into the clearing, I get the crosshairs where I want them and touch off the shot. It's a good solid hit, and he stumbles forward then falls. We send the tracker/vehicle around to get it parked closer, while we head downhill and make the recovery. It's exactly what I'd hoped for, a nice cape to use for my mount, and a set of horns that will make a fun euro. We take some pictures and as the tracker/skinners arrive to do their work, we head back to the lodge for lunch. And with some bonus great news, we hear that Rick has downed his Zebra! It's a relief for all, and now everyone has filled their lists, plus a few additions each.
View attachment 699107

We have some lunch and discuss what's next. Rick's been talking to his family and his son wants a couple mounts for his apartment. That's all the encouragement Rick needed, we look around the room at some of the mounts and decide what he wants to go for. He opts for an Eland cow and/or Waterbuck Trophy. Eric and I are content for now, but I still let them know I'd consider adding if the right animal crossed our path, though I wasn't sure what that might be beyond an impulse field decision.

We say we'll just join Rick as his camera crew for the afternoon and load up in the back of the Bakkie as observers and go with Don/Rick while Wik is able to stay back and get more work done. Heading out, we spot the same herd of Eland we'd seen that morning and Rick doesn't pass on the cow like I did. It's too many moving bodies for us all to make the stalk, so when we get fairly close, us 3 observers stay back to watch while Rick and Don make the final approach. We have a good vantage to see both the hunters and the herd and watch it unfold. We hear the shot and I can tell it is a solid hit by the sound of the report. As they close the gap for any follow up needed or recovery, I move our group up towards where the herd had been. When they see she's down and done, Don waves us in and we join them for pictures. Up close, she's even more impressive than I'd thought from my binocular view that morning. Part of me wishes I'd have added her, but I'm also happy with my decision to hold off and go for the "Spiral Slam" next time (Eland and Nyala) and a bull instead of (or at least before) a cow. Here, the ground is open enough they can bring the truck right up to her and they use the winch to load her up and will do the gutting/skinning back at the shed. While we are getting ready to get her unloaded, the truck arrives with the Zebra and we get a chance to see it in person. It had been in a very difficult position, so it took most of the afternoon for the trackers/skinners to get it hauled out. It's late in the day and a rain cloud is closing in, so we call it good and head to the lodge.
View attachment 699105

Rick and I light up a couple of cigars this evening to celebrate such an amazing trip so far, and we all recount some stories from the week. The wife and I were doing another photo safari the next day, and Eric opts to join us while Rick elects to go for a Waterbuck bull and/or a management Kudu: he is wisely hunting to the very end. Especially since we tell him the game reserves are big open areas with chance encounters, not the carefully curated videos from Discovery Channel where everyone sees a lion kill or Leopard lounging in the tree.

Dinner is Sable Tenderloin, Porkbelly steak, twice baked potatoes, sweet potato cakes, and Garlic & Herb butter bread, followed by Chocolate Caramel Pudding with ice cream. As this is the 2nd "pudding" we've had, it is not the American version; what they call pudding I would call a moist cake.

Beautiful Zebra for Rick

 

[Tbitty]

Beautiful Zebra for Rick

Agreed, a very nice stallion. He worked hard to get it, earned every bit of that one!

 

[Hunt anything]

The people at @GAME 4 AFRICA SAFARIS are genuinely great people and outstanding hunters!! Congratulations on a great hunt.

 

[Nyati]

Congrats for a great hunt !

 

[Mekaniks]

Great Report! Congratulations and thank you for sharing

 

[Firebird]

Congratulations on a very successful adventure. Thanks for Posting the story and pix