Hunting 14' Crocs In South Africa?

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Hey guys just a question. Please don't shoot me I'm just asking a question. Is it possible to hunt 14 foot+ crocs in South Africa? I know in S Africa there have been lion breeders and such and so on for different camps. I was at a convention in Miami and I had a guy tell me that they also have crocodile farms where they are actually grown to enormous sizes and sold and put on farms or damed areas in S Africa to hunt.

Is this true? Some hunters do that avoid the costs and hassle of hunting in places like Tanzania.

I've always been told you will find the biggest modern dinosaurs in Zambia & Mozambique.

 

[lockingblock]

Tag.

 

[mdwest]

My wife took one that was just a few inches shy of 14' in South Africa last july.. its mentioned in this thread/hunt report: https://www.africahunting.com/threads/south-africa-2021-group-hunt-with-bos-en-dal-safaris.64143/

There are certainly some big boys out there if your PH knows where to find them..

The crocs at the place we hunted were about as "free range" as a croc could be.. the property was in excess of 20,000 acres and covered with a system of streams and dams, etc..

 

[revturbo9967]

You can hunt some big 14 foot + crocs in Zim on lake Kariba as well. I read somewhere there is 1 croc for every 10 meters of shoreline on lake Kariba , that’s a lot of teeth.

 

[375Fox]

If you watch the movie “Trophy” it will show the process very clearly.

 

[WyoBull]

We are going to RSA in August to hunt Cape Buffalo and Crocodile. Can't wait for the adventure.

 

[Sarg]

Well RSA has a lot of big Crocs, both farmed & wild, but it is a lot harder to shoot one in the real Wild, very much like the Lions which are wild also in some areas !

I shot a huge Wild Croc in RSA but it was trying to pulled down a farmers Ankole Cow at the time, he said it was a 5m (16.4Ft) Croc that lived there, lucky for him, the cow & the calf on the bank I was hunting Bushbuck with my .458Win at the time !

I have shot a few 14ft+ Crocs & I think this was bigger but I think more like 15ft than 16ft.
12in may not sound like much but that adds a LOT of mass to a big Croc, like a 10ft Bear is much much larger than a 9ft Bear !

 

[MarkB]

I am no pro, I hunted croc in SA last year, I have become aware/educated and now smarter and would now be very "leery, worried or concerned" if a company told me my SA croc was wild. Yes may be "wild" on 20000, 50000 or larger acreage but I would ask, "Was it born there"? I now know why crocs are sold 12'1" under=TF, 12'2"-12'6"=TF,12'7"-13'=TF. Its NOT because the PH can judge the croc to the inch and if they make a mistake the TF extra is on them. That's marketing BS or lies. Its because the croc was "measured to the inch before released x months, days or weeks prior". The warning may be 2 days for a croc hunt, for a smart ancient dinosaur off 14+ft I think 10-14 would be realistic.

I have watched "Trophy" but it took a couple times before it sank in my skull and only after my SA hunt.

There probably is wild born croc on same area hunts in SA. I can not tell them from the farm released ones and only a truly honest company should/would/could tell you. My next croc will be wild born and probably live in Zim on lake Kariba or along the Zambezi river.

MB

 

[Sarg]

@MarkB how long was your Croc & do you have any pics of it you could show ?

A good outfitter may get you a Croc in a couple of days any where really, with pre baiting or a well known area (maybe a Hippo washed up) but I would think it would be best to book at least 5 days or more if you want one over 12Ft there seems to be any number of 12 footers & fair few 14 footers (bit harder to find & smarter in hunted areas) now 16ft plus is a real hunt !

 

[MarkB]

My croc was just over 12 ft, can't exactly remember if 12'4" or 12' 6". I did hunt report posted on here, https://www.africahunting.com/threads/south-africa-21-days-with-umlilo-safaris.67108/ I was surprised that crocs were in small ponds, dammed areas of water. Imagine our surprise when after mine was in salt and we drove up to another pond and an OMG moment happened. A 12ft+ croc swam right up to beach 10 ft away, waiting. Did it expect to be fed????? My fault I never asked the born on property question, I did ask about how we would hunt, stalk river, bait and make blind, just like on TV. I was told all were options and probable. After getting there and seeing I soon realized this was not the specie hunt expected. Some what disappointed but fully my fault, this was my first SA hunt, all others have been truly wild in Zim or Namibia.

I agree a 12 ft croc in 2 days could be a reasonable possibility in many croc country good areas and a guarantee in a SA area where size ordered was released some time earlier.

As for original post, OP asked if a 14 ft+ croc is available in SA. I still say they are, but do not expect wild to be the "norm" as a born on property croc. In SA norm would be movie "trophy" croc. I think with lots of proper research and a fully honest outfitter, then booking 10-14 days for that specific wild croc could be done.

MB

 

[ActionBob]

Well RSA has a lot of big Crocs, both farmed & wild, but it is a lot harder to shoot one in the real Wild, very much like the Lions which are wild also in some areas !

I shot a huge Wild Croc in RSA but it was trying to pulled down a farmers Ankole Cow at the time, he said it was a 5m (16.4Ft) Croc that lived there, lucky for him, the cow & the calf on the bank I was hunting Bushbuck with my .458Win at the time !

I have shot a few 14ft+ Crocs & I think this was bigger but I think more like 15ft than 16ft.
12in may not sound like much but that adds a LOT of mass to a big Croc, like a 10ft Bear is much much larger than a 9ft Bear !

"Wild" lion hunt in South Africa! LOL ..... BS

I was sucked into that Bull Shit once. Shame on the Outfitter. If I were to go to RSA expecting to hunt a wild croc, shame on me.

 

[Sarg]

@ActionBob there is lots of wild hunting in RSA (there is more not so wild to) just because some one has had a small sample of hunting in a country didn't show this, doesn't mean it is all like that.

lots of Wild areas (not CAR or Cameroon wild) but then it is easy to get to, cheap & you will be looked after like a King.

Wild Lions are found in a few areas, the bulk around Kruger - Hoedsruit but some in other spots, I suppose some may even be escaped lions (warthog holes are used by a lot of animals) I was hunting Kilpspringer in the Mountains & the boys on the place said there were Lion prints all over for a while & then it moved of down the valley, no one knew where he came from & some really can come from across the border but I'm sure no hunting client has ever shot (or even seen) one of these.

I have spent hundreds of hours at blinds & other vantage points viewing the same sort of animals that I expect to see in a area, most of these Game fenced in RSA, then in walks a Leopard one day, then some where else 3 Cheetah WTF I had been at that spot waiting hundreds of times never even seen a Cheetah track, then up the road bloody Spotted Hyena, our area only has Brown Hyena by the book !

A few years back a small herd of Elephant came in from Botswana, did all sorts of damage as they crossed the Limpopo, even went around town then gone again, every one was after a DCA permit but by the time it was granted they were wrecking some one else place !

Well just had a look & it looks like you got a very nice Wild Lion in RSA or didn't it work out that way ?

He looks wild & bloody nice Spotted Hyena to, great markings & coat by the looks !

 

[ActionBob]

@ActionBob there is lots of wild hunting in RSA (there is more not so wild to) just because some one has had a small sample of hunting in a country didn't show this, doesn't mean it is all like that.

lots of Wild areas (not CAR or Cameroon wild) but then it is easy to get to, cheap & you will be looked after like a King.

Wild Lions are found in a few areas, the bulk around Kruger - Hoedsruit but some in other spots, I suppose some may even be escaped lions (warthog holes are used by a lot of animals) I was hunting Kilpspringer in the Mountains & the boys on the place said there were Lion prints all over for a while & then it moved of down the valley, no one knew where he came from & some really can come from across the border but I'm sure no hunting client has ever shot (or even seen) one of these.

I have spent hundreds of hours at blinds & other vantage points viewing the same sort of animals that I expect to see in a area, most of these Game fenced in RSA, then in walks a Leopard one day, then some where else 3 Cheetah WTF I had been at that spot waiting hundreds of times never even seen a Cheetah track, then up the road bloody Spotted Hyena, our area only has Brown Hyena by the book !

A few years back a small herd of Elephant came in from Botswana, did all sorts of damage as they crossed the Limpopo, even went around town then gone again, every one was after a DCA permit but by the time it was granted they were wrecking some one else place !

Well just had a look & it looks like you got a very nice Wild Lion in RSA or didn't it work out that way ?

He looks wild & bloody nice Spotted Hyena to, great markings & coat by the looks !

I was "sold" a wild lion. I don't think I got a wild lion, many suspicious circumstances. Some in South Africa are a bit careless with the truth. And many clients want to believe what they want to believe...... I too have seen many leopard in RSA, shot a deffinanately wild hyena with Bossie near the Botswana border. And I've seen crocs in a large dammed up flowage just below the lodge at a very nice place. There were lots there, including some 12'. But to say that was real wild croc hunting? I'm quite sure they were being fed. Much better situation than shown on Trophy, but nothing like hunting croc in Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Tanzania. Or probably Zambia but I haven't has the pleasure of visiting these yet.

 

[Sarg]

Jip, understand that thinking for sure, like you wife (not yours Bob) messed around once & now you just can't trust her at a party !

I wouldn't put yourself or your Lion down @ActionBob, you did the right thing & your Lion has a few scars & the area you were in (from what I read ?) has Free Roaming wild lions, a little more used to seeing & being around people but still classed as a Wild Lion I believe.

There was a Game ranch a little way from us getting hammered from Lions coming in (from exactly where ?) & cleaning up expensive animals, the property owner applied for a DCA permit but as soon as these were hunted the Lions were never seen again on that farm & hit a farm miles away.

I wouldn't believe this story either if my PH ran into the lodge & said quick quick a Lion is here & you can shoot it cheap lol

On the Crocs, well I will keep away from that one mostly but in heavy rains & flooding, they could be all over & hold up in some ponds or dams, you have to be there all year to see some of the great chances that can happen.

 

[MarkB]

My croc was inside a dam inside a DG fence. That's the first thing that surprised me and my sisters. They asked how can the crocs walk miles from the nearest river (Crocodile river) and get thru that fence? But as you state, I do not live there and what you say about game moving across manmade borders is true. In Zim we were chasing antelope way out in the grassland savanna and my PH stopped and asked me what that track was. Off course I had no real idea, it was a croc, after being shown I could clearly see it and its tail marks in the sand. PH said is was going to "new" water and I believe him still today. This was not in SA.

MB

 

[Sarg]

I'm glade you believed him because that is most likely true !

I have seen crocs a long long way from water more so at night of course, on a uninhabited Island in the Afaura Sea I hunted for myself at first then guided there for some huge Wild Goats, as I went about the Island I would find Croc tracks all over, when I found a kill site one day I realized what was happening the Crocs hunted the goats at night as goats lay up then, most of the Island was flat with cliffs along the ocean in some spots (Wedgetail Eagles hunted the goats here) & one Hilly area on a peninsula, with a large brackish lagoon in the middle full of Crocs & some massive horns sticking out of the water lol !

Oh on this Island I used to sleep on the ground myself at times but not with clients, we would land on a rough air strip & do day hunts, had to be back well before dark .

 

[BenKK]

Saw quite a few nice wild crocodiles on the Mogol River near Lephalale with Chris Troskie. Proper wild, not the trucked-to-a-dam nonsense.

 

[Sarg]

Yes that is true but a lot of rules there & you would need a heap of permits to take one, I hunted one of my Hippos there, not as nice as the Limpopo but a few less rules as not a border river !

Which side of town did you see them Ben ?

 

[BenKK]

G’day Sarg, the north side of town (towards Botswana). Or maybe north-west? The main road out the other side. Chris said that with advanced notice the permit could be obtained.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Guys, bit of a sidetrack, but do not decry the South African game-hunt model. Without a commercial offtake there would be no breeding, and without breeding there would be far less wild animals in South Africa. If you don't want these precious tracts of land reverting to goats and cows, and have poachers overrun them before that then you had better accept the concept of sustainable commercial offtake, which implies replenishment too.
A large croc is a very old animal, they are few and far between. You want one of those, you can have one, but you pay. But the father and son wanting a reasonably priced croc in SA can also have one, what is wrong with that? Of course it was bred, how else?