KMG Hunting Safaris 2024 Season Photos

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Our 2024 season got away with a bang during this past March. First bit of break that we have had in order to try and catch up and share some photos of some great animals that have come through. Happy to share some of the experiences and wonderful animals pursued in successful and unsuccessful stalks. Here we go!

What a way to start the season with this beautiful Nyala, taken on a very slow stalk. Leaving my tracker in a position to guide us in with a radio, we managed to close the distance on this old bull to a mere 80 yards. Initially starting to feed away from us, as we started to try and find a better position, we spotted him coming back. Stopped him in a yard's open space through the brush. Notice the rounded tips and polished side of the horns.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

After a short heatwave of a few days, it seemed like the Kudu bulls had lost interest in the cows. We had seen a Kudu bull the previous evening at last light. The 2+" of ivory caught my eyes, but light faded fast and something just didn't seem right of where the ivory was sitting. It was more relatable to a younger bull that hadn't fully formed yet. As I sat at the lodge in the evening, I recalled a bull that we had seen around two years earlier through a spotting scope with one horn fully forming the figure of 8, but the right side still pointing in an outward direction. A-Typical.
My head PH, Nick, had shot a behemoth of a Kudu bull, also a-typical, roughly two years before we laid eyes on this bull, so no doubt the prodigy of the original bull.

We headed out first thing in the morning and scanned the opposite ridge where I had seen him feeding. We only say a group of around 6 cows feeding in the vicinity. After roughly 15 minutes of glassing, with the ground still soaking with dew, a Bushbuck was barking continuously. Less than 2 minutes later, the Vervet Monkeys started chattering. Zero doubt that the Bushbuck had scented a Caracal, and the Monkeys had laid eyes upon it in the undergrowth.
I quickly confirmed with my hunter if he was interested in getting the hounds onto it, and he was 100% in. After phoning the hounds man, we learned that he was actually in the very next valley to where we were hunting. We informed him to get the hounds in the bottom of the valley asap. Seeing him running over the crest of the mountain in his unmistakeable orange coveralls with a pack of hounds in tow was a sight to behold.
Less than 5 minutes into the valley, the hounds started giving tongue, and treed the cat roughly half a mile from where we had first heard the Bushbuck bark. Unbelievable experience to see everything unfold in front of us, from hearing the Bushbuck bark, to the confirmation from the monkeys to the final product.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

We departed to a nearby area where the vegetation was a little bit more forgiving for browser feeders and immediately caught a Kudu bull walking to some thorn trees in the flats. He looked like he was interested in something. The thorn trees were at the bottom of a 75 ft cliff face with a dry riverbed. I thought to walk at the foot of the cliff face gaining some height and would hopefully catch a glimpse of him below us.
I could hear a troop of Baboons above us. Some weather rolled in with some thunder, but it looked to pass relatively quickly. Since I am not a fan of thunder, I thought it better to sit down among the vegetation at the foot of the cliff, still aware of the troop above us. The smell coming from the area where we were sitting, told me we were right in their den. If I didn't experience it myself I would never believe it. The troop of Baboons proceeded to roll rocks off the top of the cliff. The first one landed roughly 6 ft from us. Luckily my hunter kept a cool head and moved in the same direction I had once I heard it hit the first part of the cliff. After getting a glimpse of being attacked by the Luftwaffe, we called an end to our plan and circle around.
Our plan was to walk to the top of the opposing mountain and look for another bull. Upon our ascendance, we picked out a Kudu bull in a small saddle where no Kudu should be. Using the terrain and trees, we managed to close the distance to 220 yards and closed the deal on this beautiful bull.
The idea was to get ourselves a nice bull first, then return to the a-typical Kudu we had seen the previous day.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

We checked the same valley where we had seen our a-typical bull, since our head PH, Nick had seen him chasing a cow the previous day. He had moved probably around a mile up the valley. With plenty of rain falling the preceding days, we left the truck at the top of the valley. Had we decided to go down, we might have gotten back, but without the truck. The first 10 minutes of glassing yielded a lone Kudu cow which we watched for a bit to ensure that she was alone. This was followed by a Bushpig boar and sow making their way to the undergrowth to bed down for the day after a night's feeding. After roughly 30 minutes of glassing, I picked out another cow roughly 300 yards from the first cow.

We managed to spot our bull feeding in the thickest brush, just behind her. After setting up, we had him at roughly 180 yards feeding without being any wiser. At the shot, the bull showed us that it was a hit, and went roughly 25 yards before expiring in the bottom of the creek.

The bull hunted two years prior, and what we believe was his dad. Same valley.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

After getting busted on the first stalk on a lone Hartebeest bull, we crawled on hands and knees to a herd that was bedded down on a warm day. Seeing a couple of younger bulls and some cows, this bull eventually fed into a 6ft gap. The choice was a relatively easy one to make.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

We are blessed being able to hunt some free-range areas, with Waterbuck being one of the species that roam these areas. The herd of cows he was with made getting close quite challenging. We managed to use some dead ground to close the distance to 160 yards with them feeding towards us until we got presented with an opportunity.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

While out hunting, managed to pick up this bull in the thick stuff keeping an eye on us. Think he's going to be a big bull when he matures fully. We shot a bull around 3 years ago that looked exactly like this one, except that he was older. Said bull went 55"which is spectacular for a Cape Kudu.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Just a simply magnificent Bushbuck ram taken in one of our areas. There is a reason why we refer to Cape Bushbuck as Royal game down here. They are special. Another free-range ram for the books.

 

[Fatback]

Congrats to all involved on that magnificent bushbuck. He is a beauty.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Congrats to all involved on that magnificent bushbuck. He is a beauty.

Appreciate the comment sir. Thank you.

 

[DillonG]

Our 2024 season got away with a bang during this past March. First bit of break that we have had in order to try and catch up and share some photos of some great animals that have come through. Happy to share some of the experiences and wonderful animals pursued in successful and unsuccessful stalks. Here we go!

What a way to start the season with this beautiful Nyala, taken on a very slow stalk. Leaving my tracker in a position to guide us in with a radio, we managed to close the distance on this old bull to a mere 80 yards. Initially starting to feed away from us, as we started to try and find a better position, we spotted him coming back. Stopped him in a yard's open space through the brush. Notice the rounded tips and polished side of the horns.

View attachment 609053

View attachment 609054

Very nice! Jealous of this one!

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Very nice! Jealous of this one!

We are blessed with a great population of Nyala in our area. Thank you for the comment.

 

[cpr0312]

Heck of a bushbuck! Congrats to all

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Heck of a bushbuck! Congrats to all

Thank you, Charles!

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

The pump action does it again! This time on a great Lechwe bull with solid bases. Hunting Lechwe has been tough this trip with little explanation to where they disappear to. PH Lloyd and our hunter was about to leave on the main road, when they spotted this bull with a big herd of cows cresting a few hundred yards in front of them. What we can only imagine as the same herd of cows was seen the previous day with no bull nearby. Bull was probably doing his rounds and found his way back through the night. Talk about scoring in over time!

 

[Mort]

Nice looking lechwe,really like the mass on him. Congrats

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Nice looking lechwe,really like the mass on him. Congrats

Thank you Randy!

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Nice looking lechwe,really like the mass on him. Congrats

Any chance we getting a report on your hunt?

 

[Mort]

Got it about ready to post. Just hope I can figure out how to do it.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Got it about ready to post. Just hope I can figure out how to do it.

Sent you a PM.