SOUTH AFRICA: Bos en Dal SAFARIS June 6-28, 2021

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Some pictures during hunt.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Some of the great meals served.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

More pictures of during hunt

 

[Shootist43]

Mark, I'm both sorry and surprised that I missed seeing your hunting report as it was being written. For a fact you got some great animals. If I were younger I celebrate my 58th birthday again, this time with the same pizzazz you did. Glad you enjoyed yourself.

 

[Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy]

Mark - congrats on your hunt, your fabulous old animals, and for getting older. Sorry that the double didn't make the journey but the backups were more than adequate. Well done and thank you for taking the time to share that. Enjoyed the write up and pictures.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Link to film of safari.
It is 1 1/2 hours long.

 

[Ridgewalker]

WOW! What a great way to remember your hunt! Excellent videography!
Thanks Mark for sharing such a grand adventure!
Hurry and go back so we can read and watch another one! LOL!

 

[Rare Breed]

June 14
Up early 4:30 am as need need to be on the road by 6am. It is about and hour drive to where we will be hunting Cape Buffalo.
This is the same property that I took my 2019 Bull at and also Dave @mdwest with Gerrit.
On this hunt it will be myself, PHs Gerrit, Frikkie, Louie and Francios. What better team could I ask for for backup and guidance.
We arrived about 7:15 am got loaded up in Gerrits truck and headed off up the mountain.
This is a mountainous area with rocks and deep valleys. The strategy here is to ride and glass the areas. No cutting tracks as it is 95% rock.
After about 2 hours we spotted the first herd of Buffalo. After getting to within about 500 yards and glassing them it was mostly cows with calves and young bulls. The biggest bull although good was still in his prime. We moved on and covered more ground glassing hill sides and ravines. Around 11 am we spotted a second herd on the opposite hill side.
We started moving slowly in there direction with the wind in our favor. We got to about 300 yards on foot from them to glass them over good. At first all we could see were cows and calves, about 35 total. Then the old man stepped out and decided to lay down and sun himself. He was a brute and old bull just what we were looking for. We got the wind right and started in slowly as we could. We got to about 80 yards and he was laying down with some cows and some milling around.
One old cow spotted us and alerted the group.
We were in a good position and the sticks went up. The bull rose to his feet and turned giving me a frontal shot. I was steady on the sticks and hit him center with a 500 grain Aframe from the 458 Lott. He bucked turned and ran behind brush, a couple of the cows bolted and started coming at us then stopped about 50 yards away and turned back to the herd.
We moved for a better position and saw him standing behind a tree. Shoulder was open and hit him with a second round and he started bulldozing dirt! Solid hit. Followed up and put 1 more insurance shot between the shoulders from the back.

What a bull he is! Just what I was looking for, old and with a lot of character.
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He only had two bottom teeth left!

Outstanding bull!!!

 

[Huntndog]

June 14
Up early 4:30 am as need need to be on the road by 6am. It is about and hour drive to where we will be hunting Cape Buffalo.
This is the same property that I took my 2019 Bull at and also Dave @mdwest with Gerrit.
On this hunt it will be myself, PHs Gerrit, Frikkie, Louie and Francios. What better team could I ask for for backup and guidance.
We arrived about 7:15 am got loaded up in Gerrits truck and headed off up the mountain.
This is a mountainous area with rocks and deep valleys. The strategy here is to ride and glass the areas. No cutting tracks as it is 95% rock.
After about 2 hours we spotted the first herd of Buffalo. After getting to within about 500 yards and glassing them it was mostly cows with calves and young bulls. The biggest bull although good was still in his prime. We moved on and covered more ground glassing hill sides and ravines. Around 11 am we spotted a second herd on the opposite hill side.
We started moving slowly in there direction with the wind in our favor. We got to about 300 yards on foot from them to glass them over good. At first all we could see were cows and calves, about 35 total. Then the old man stepped out and decided to lay down and sun himself. He was a brute and old bull just what we were looking for. We got the wind right and started in slowly as we could. We got to about 80 yards and he was laying down with some cows and some milling around.
One old cow spotted us and alerted the group.
We were in a good position and the sticks went up. The bull rose to his feet and turned giving me a frontal shot. I was steady on the sticks and hit him center with a 500 grain Aframe from the 458 Lott. He bucked turned and ran behind brush, a couple of the cows bolted and started coming at us then stopped about 50 yards away and turned back to the herd.
We moved for a better position and saw him standing behind a tree. Shoulder was open and hit him with a second round and he started bulldozing dirt! Solid hit. Followed up and put 1 more insurance shot between the shoulders from the back.

What a bull he is! Just what I was looking for, old and with a lot of character.
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He only had two bottom teeth left!

Super! Great old buffalo . Congratulations!

 

[vancewalker007]

June 6
Arrived at camp about 8:30 am. Unloaded and settled into room. Gerrit has recently remodeled the camp and added more rooms with each its own private bath.
We had a great breakfast and headed to rifle range to check rifles. Guns were still spot on and we made a drive thru to see what we might find.
We saw lots of game moving about but nothing that just interested us.

This is my third trip with Gerrit and I am being picky. Looking for unusual animals or extraordinary animals. This is a get way vacation, not let’s see how many we can kill hunt.

We came in for a nice lunch and then back out again to see what the bush had to offer.
We came across all kinds of game and made a couple stalks on Kudu and Impala. Just nothing came together or was what I was looking for.
Back to camp for dinner and bush tv

June 7
Up at 5:30 am
We had a light breakfast as I am not much on a big breakfast.
We set out about 7:00 am.
Not long after we left we came across an old Blue Wildebeest all by himself. We got a look at him and mad a plan. Stalked to within about 80 yards and the sticks went up. The 375 HH hit him solid and he bucked and disappeared in the thick bush. We have him about 20 minutes and then followed up. Blood trail was an easy one to follow. He ran about 150 yards and collapsed.
Very nice 27 1/2 inch old Bull in the salt!
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We loaded him up and off to cleaning shed.

We came in early for lunch as Gerrit had some errands to do.

PH Frikkie would be my PH this afternoon.
Frikkie new where there was a really nice Black Impala hanging out and a plan was put together to go after him.
Thew plan worked perfectly. We spotted the ram and made a long stalk on him. Got to about 45 yards as bush was thick. Sticks went up and shot was perfect. Dropped in his tracks.

Black Impala in the salt!
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We returned to skinning shed and dropped off.
We then went up to the top of the back mountain looking to see what we could find.
Saw a lot of game the rest of the afternoon but nothing that just interested me.
Came back to camp at dark for dinner and some sleep. The jet lag and time change was setting in and I was feeling it.

I got a Black Impala on my last trip and I think the look of the hair is my favorite animal I have taken in Africa with a Black Springbok coming up a close second.