SOUTH AFRICA: Bos en Dal SAFARIS #6

[Mark Biggerstaff]

This is my 6th trip with Gerrit and crew @Bos en Dal SAFARIS and my 61st birthday hunt.
I will do this report in stages.

Bos en Dal Safaris, PH's Gerrit, Rikus and Francois.
Travel: Jennifer @TRAVEL EXPRESS handled as always. Delta Premium Select Houston-Atlanta- Johannesburg.
Firearms and ammo: CZ 458 Lott, 500gr Swift Aframes: CZ 375 HH, 300gr Swift Aframes: Winchester 70, 300 Win Mag, 200gr Swift Aframes.
All packed in TuffPac case.

6/17 Departure day
Arrived Houston 3.5 hours before flight for check in. Delta counter busy as always in Houston. Delta check in Lady was very nice and pleasant. I had rifle case, and 2 more checked bags. All 3 were over the 50lb limit. Carrying a lot of stuff PH's asked for. I should have had $500 in overages on weight and extra bags. She was kind enough to let gun case go thru without extra weight fee. It was 55lbs with the 3 rifles. So I only had pay $400 in overages. All checked straight thru to Tambo. No TSA inspection in Houston. Delta just runs guns thru X-ray and says good to go on. Flight to Atlanta on time and had 3 hr layover was all then on to Johberg.
Premium Select was worth the upgrade to me. I am a big guy. I was in second row and isle seat. Trip over went smooth with great cabin service.

Arrived 6/18 7pm.
I used @Riflepermits like always and meet greet. They were waiting and speed thru customs and luggage gathered and on to front lobby. Gerrit and Anna with Riflepermits were waiting. SAPS done and off to hotel Gerrit had arranged for overnight stay. Very nice hotel with great rooms and big buffet dining room. We had a good meal and off to bed. We are headed to Limpopo in the morning.

 

[BnC 04]

Great start Mark. Looking forward to hearing more.

 

[Fatback]

This is going to be a good report I’m sure. Looking forward to reading all about it.

 

[Green Chile]

I've been waiting for this report! Following.

 

[Green Chile]

When you have time to respond, I'm curious about taking 3 rifles...is that what you normally do? I could get 3 rifles (barely) in my Tuffpak but I know it would be overweight as you said and then I couldn't get anything else in the case.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

6/19
Up about 6am, breakfast and loaded up truck for Limpopo.
This is a combination trophy and management hunt. Gerrit has his buff cow management special along with some other management animals needing to come off the farm.
PH's Rikus and Francios joined us for the trip to Limpopo. Francios is camera man for this trip filming it.
It was about a 4.5 hour drive to the lodge in Limpopo we are staying at. It is a Big 5 property in the Ndzalama Reserve.
Beautiful Lodge and great staff. We met up with PH Rick who operates in this area.
We are hunting Hippo, not on the reserve itself but free range area not far away. Chris has permit for a certain area that is all open lands no high fence. River that runs close by to the orange orchards that the hippo frequent and the dams on the orchard property. We unpacked at camp and scouted some this afternoon.
On way into camp we came across this guy.

Here are some pics of camp

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

We had nice dinner at lodge. Chef was great!
I was feeling the jet lag and time change. Headed bed early.
6/20
Up 6am breakfast and gone to look for hippo. We checked the dams and drainages in and around the orchards. Found hippo tracks and followed, they were moving a lot at night. Full moon right now and weather change. Most tracks were cows and calves. We stopped for lunch by one of the dams and took break till about 3pm. Pressed on checking dams and drainages. Saw plenty of tracks and sign. Just no hippos.
About 5pm or so we headed back to lodge for dinner and a break.
About 7pm we left out again, headed to orchards to look for hippo feeding at night in them. Rick had called some others that brought a thermal drone to cover a lot of ground at one time in the orchards.
That was way cool watching the screen. They found several sets of cows with calves each time the drone went up. About 11pm on one of the flights he found what appeared be a lone bull moving alot. We headed in that direction he was spotted. When we got there the drone went up again and found him going into a dam. We headed for the dam and set up but never saw him. We called it about 1 am and headed back to lodge.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

When you have time to respond, I'm curious about taking 3 rifles...is that what you normally do? I could get 3 rifles (barely) in my Tuffpak but I know it would be overweight as you said and then I couldn't get anything else in the case.

Yes. I have taken three rifles last 2 trips. I use the Tuffpak. I use 2 thicker cases on outside guns loaded butt first into case. Third goes in a lighter thinner case muzzle down. Snug fit. I do not carry anything g else in there except African Sporting Creation compact sticks. Case weighed in at 55-57 pounds. Usually a $100 fee if not traveling business class. I wanted 3 rifles this trip for what I had planned. I am glad I had all three also and didn't mind the overage charges. Figured it's all part of a safari and going.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Here are some random pics of lodge and area we are at.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

6/21
Laid down or rather fell in bed about 1:30am. I am feeling like a drunk guy at this point. Jet lag and little sleep is having a bad effect. Alarm went off 5:30am. I feel better but I am tired. Breakfast and off again. Checked dams, creek and orchard.
No a lot of sign and no hippos seen. Plans change about 11am. Head to lodge for lunch and rest. There is another property not far away that has 3 large dams on it and owner has permits for hippo and we will go check it this afternoon. Going to leave around 3pm to go there and decide would take a nap. About an hour or so into my nap get woken up. A young Elephant on the reserve was spotted with what appeared to be a snare on its trunk by anti poaching patrol. Helicopter and vet on the way and we are going to go see what is happening. When we get there they have it down already and working on it. There was a snare on its trunk. Watched the vets and guys work on it and got to take a pic with it.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

We then headed out to check new place.
Series of three large dams in a row. Each 20-50 acres in size. See some tracks and sign where they have been but don't see any. We are in full moon stage these last few days and weather change also from what it has been. We go grab a bite dinner and then meet back up at new place about 8pm with drone guys. He flies all the property and only spots one cow with a calf. About 10:30 pm we call it and head back camp. Fire, dinner and some drinks.
Plan is to check in morning all the places and make a decision on next plan.

6/22
Up early and breakfast at 5:30.
We leave out and check both places and just no fresh tracks or sign of any bull hippos. After discussing was decided we won't spend anymore time here as we have set plans and need to keep to them as certain dates for other animals at places are set. We pack up and make the 5.5 hour drive to main Bos en Dal Farm. Arrived there in time to unpack real quick, check all 3 rifles on the range and make a quick drive until dark. In for a nice big dinner, fire and drinks.

 

[TOBY458]

Great report so far!

 

[Green Chile]

We were hunting about the same time in different places texting each other...I'm excited to read more!

 

[Katy Darren]

Been looking forward to this report Mark! Keep it coming...

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

6/23
Today is my birthday. Turned 61 this morning. Up about 5am and caught up on emails and things at home. Light breakfast about 6:30. I usually don't eat much breakfast when in camp. Coffee and toast is all I need especially after the dinners that Elna prepares. Camp chef Elna is Gerrit's mother in law. Excellent cook.
We left camp about 7:30. Headed out and made several stalks on blue wildebeest.
We were able to finally get on a management bull blue. It was about an 80 yard shot. Hit him right in shoulder with 300 win mag. He ran about 60 yards and piled up in a bush. 200gr Aframe was a complete pass thru.

This blue made my 50th animal taken with the Bos en Dal team

 

[Katy Darren]

Wow, what a birthday! 50th animal, holy crap! You have a year on me old man. Happy Birthday and I'd say enjoy but that goes without saying, can't be a much better birthday than being there doing what you love!

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

We loaded him up and dropped off at skinning shed and headed to camp for lunch.
When we got there, what a surprise.
Gerrit's family was there and they had prepared a big lunch and birthday cake for me.

We had a big lunch and visited for awhile. Left out around 2:30pm to see what we could find. We made several stalks on blue wildebeest and zebra but always got blown by either wind change or to many ears, eyes and noses. You all know what I mean.
We finally found another loan bull that fit the management plan. Made a smooth stalk on him and he was facing me so I planted a 300 win mag 200gr Aframe in his forehead. Dropped on the spot at about 75 yards.

Gerrit called for Robert to bring atv and trailer to load this one so we could keep on hunting. Saw lots of various game but nothing to make a stalk on. Headed camp for dinner,drinks and fire.
I decided turn in early about 8:30 to catch up on some needed sleep.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Wow, what a birthday! 50th animal, holy crap! You have a year on me old man. Happy Birthday and I'd say enjoy but that goes without saying, can't be a much better birthday than being there doing what you love!

Thanks Darren!
Not a better place to spend a birthday!

 

[Green Chile]

A-frame to the forehead...hah, Mark's not messing around on his birthday.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

A-frame to the forehead...hah, Mark's not messing around on his birthday.

The 300 is shooting spot on with the Aframe load. This is the Winchester 70 that I listed for sale for awhile on R&M thread. No one purchased so I overhauled it and made me a plains game rifle out of it.