SOUTH AFRICA: BOW: RIFLE: August 22 Hunt With Limcroma Safaris

[randallhebert]

My son and I hunted with White lion Safaris as a graduation present in 2016 and had a great time. Fast forward to 2021, a good friend of mine, Doc, bought a 100 acre property with a house on it. He asked my wife and I if we would be interested in moving into it to keep up the place. So 2 weeks later we begin moving. Doc has a 43 yr old son named Jason. Jason has autism and was helping us move. When he saw my mounts from 2016 he started wanting to go to Africa to hunt. This set the wheels turning for our 2022 adventure.

 

[randallhebert]

After doing a lot of research looking for an outfitter I narrowed it down to 5. There would be 6 of us going, my wife Renee and I and Doc, his wife Maureen, son Jason and daughter Stephanie. This being their first time to Africa, they were a little apprehensive of everything. Doc was worried about media reports on S Africa rioting, the animals etc. Plans were made to go to Las Vegas for the SCI show. After walking and talking at the show we got down to 2 final candidates. We then attended the Houston show where we booked with Limcroma. After visiting with Hannes and his team, and Jason's interactions with them and Ivan who would be our PH, plans were finalized and dates set for Aug 10th through 20th 2022.

Original plans were for my wife to use her crossbow, I my bow and Jason and Stephanie borrowed rifles from Ivan. This plan went out the window quickly after looking at flights. Booking with KLM through Amsterdam, it was decided to spend a couple days there and do the tourist thing. Being we would be there for 3 days we couldn't bring our archery equipment due to Netherlands laws.
Further research and it was decided to return on Emirates and do a couple days in Dubai.

 

[shotgungibbs]

Looking forward to the "rest of the story".

 

[randallhebert]

Looking forward to the "rest of the story".

Finally slowed down enough to write it. I just had total knee replacement surgery so I have about 6 weeks of free time.

 

[randallhebert]

Aug 6th
We make it to George Bush international in Houston and its like herding cats getting everyone to the gate. Finally get loaded and off to Amsterdam.
Aug 7th
We arrived at 7 am so had to kill time before checkin. We found a driver that took us touring the area till checkin. After checkin we took a quick nap to get ready for the evening. After supper, Doc decided he wanted to go for a walk to the red light district. We put Doc's wife Maureen and Jason to bed and Doc, my wife Renee and I headed out. Just walked around and window shopped. Very nice scenery. You could get high if you stayed there any amount of time for sure. Did one lap then headed back to the hotel.

Aug 8th
Did a tour of the wind mills, water tour of the city and headed back to hotel to get ready to fly to Johannesburg the next morning.

Aug 9th
Here we go herding cats again. Arrive at airport and they are about to shut the gates. Next stop Johannesburg.

 

[randallhebert]

Aug 9th
We arrive in Johannesburg at 10 pm and meet up with Gilbert from Africa Sky. Got everything packed and headed to The guest house for some rest. They had meals for us when we got to our rooms. Was very very nice. Gilbert and all the staff there are so friendly and helpful. Will definitely use them again.

Aug 10th
We meet our driver at 9 am and head out to meet our PH Ivan in Thabazimba.
Switch over to the Limcroma guys vehicles and we're off to Sable Valley Lodge. When we pull up the whole camp comes out to meet us, singing and dancing then pour water for us to wash our faces and hand to freshen up.
Lunch is ready so we eat the first of the many great meals we had. Mr. Vine their cook is an awesome cook.
After lunch we go to our rooms to unpack and take a nap. Game plan is to shoot the rifles and then go for a short drive.
After shooting the rifle we took off. Starting see animals right away. Steenbok, nyala impala, giraffe, kudu, sable but everything was young.
Head back to camp for another amazing meal, a little fire time and off to bed.


Hit list.
Me. Kudu, zebra, impala, gemsbok,buffalo cow.

My wife Renee
Sable.
Renee had fell in love with the sable at my buddy John's place in Texas. She wanted to shoot one but decided not to due to price. Ivan and worked out a deal on one and this was going to be her birthday present. Her birthday was on July 29th and I acted like I forgot and didn't get her anything. Needless to say it was very cold at my house between July 29 and Aug 11th. Don't think she said 20 words to me the whole time.

Jason
Kudu, gemsbok, zebra, impala, blesbok, buffalo cow.

 

[randallhebert]

Aug 11

Jason, has autism but is functional autistic. He drives, he became a eagle scout, graduated from college with a degree in wildlife management, just has no concept of money, danger etc. He's 43 yrs old with the mind of a 14 yr old. He never meets a stranger. He would tell everyone at the SCI show that he had wanted to go to Africa for 43 years and Mr. Randall is bringing me. So from February after the show until we left on Aug 6th he would come over 3 days a week and we would walk and practice shooting off the sticks. It was decided for Jason to shoot from the truck so his mom and dad could be a part of it. So Doc, Maureen, Renee in the truck and our tracker Stephen driven we headed out.

We maybe get 2 miles from camp when we come across an old kudu that was skinny and worn down. It was decided this would be a good one for Jason to take. I get him set up and ready. When the kudu stops walking, Jason shoots and hits him in front of the legs in the brisket. He takes off running and Ivan tells me to try to get another shot in him. He's quartering away about a hundred yds and slows down. I put a round in him behind the ribs and he went about another 50 yds and drop. We walk to the animal and Jason's smile says it all.

 

[TXhunter65]

Wonderful so far keep it coming!

 

[randallhebert]

We load the kudu up and head back to drop it off at the skinning shed, then head back out. We come around a corner and there is a nice sable feeding off the road about 70 yds. Ivan looks him over and tells me this is a good one to take. I tap on the window and tell my wife Renee to come shoot it. She says no I don't want to. I said okay I'm going to shoot your birthday present. She was out and on the rifle in a second. When she shoots, the sable falls. Before I could get the rifle reloaded the sable jumps up and runs off.
Renee is about to cry. Ivan tells Stephen to track him while we rode up ahead to see if he crosses the rd. Renee is so upset with herself and how much it was going to cost and not have her sable. I tell her not to worry, From what I've seen with Stephen he could track a fish through water. Ivan gets a call on the radio from Stephen that he has found the sable bedded. We turn around and head back to meet Stephen. Ivan, Stephen and I take off to try and get another shot into him. We sneak up on him and I could just make him out through the grass he was laid behind. I shoot him and he stands up and falls right back down. Stephen goes back gets everyone and brings them back. Renee is so proud of her sable I don't think you could have got the smile off her face with a pressure washer. He was 42 inches. Said this was her best present and worth waiting for.

 

[randallhebert]

Turns out she hit him good through both lungs but a little high. We loaded him up and head back to camp to unload the sable and eat lunch. After lunch and a nap we are back at it. We ride around all afternoon and are heading back to camp and come across a herd of impala with a nice male. Ivan tells me to take him. Make a good shot and he runs off and falls about 50 yds. 3 animals the first day with 9 left to go. We head back to drop off the impala, eat supper and sit by the campfire for a bit and get ready for tomorrow.

 

[randallhebert]

 

[randallhebert]

Aug 12th

Today we are looking for zebra, gemsbok, blue wildebeest or whatever the bush gives up

 

[randallhebert]

We head out and run into some zebra. Ivan and I get out and do a stalk with no luck. Take off and run into a 2 headed giraffe.

 

[randallhebert]

Find another herd of zebra and try a couple of stalks with. No success with the wind swirling like it is. Finally get a small herd to break off and Stephen and I take off after them. We play hide and seek with them for awhile before I get a shot. Shoot the herd stallion at about 50 yds. He rears up, kicks and falls down. Get him set up to get pictures. We get him set up for pictures then load him up and head to the skinning shed.

 

[randallhebert]

On the way back to camp we come across 3 zebra so we get Jason out to make a stalk. Get Jason set up and he shoots. No whump. We look for blood but none. Jason is upset so I tell him I put rubber bullets in his gun so he could shoot a bigger zebra. He's instantly cheers up and we're off again.
Drop the zebra off and head back out. We start looking for blue wildebeest for Jason. Come across a old bull and get Jason set up. He shoots and whump. Wildebeest sags and runs off. Wait a few minutes and go look. He's laid up under a tree so We get Jason set up again and he finishes him off. Load him up and head in to drop him off and eat lunch.

 

[randallhebert]

On the way in we come across a mature kudu bull. We look at him for a bit and Ivan thinks we can do better. When we get to camp, one of the ranch hands tell Ivan and Stephen about a big bull kudu they had seen while making there rounds. We decided we would go look for him after lunch while everyone else takes a nap.
Ivan, Stephen, Jason and I head out and get to the area where the kudu was seen. Stephen sees tracks and gets down. He and Ivan talk and Stephen heads out with a radio.
Sitting in the sun, nice and cool, not long and everyone's head is nodding. Stephen has been gone for 30 minutes, so Ivan calls him on the radio. Stephen comes back and tells Ivan he can't talk cause he's 20 yds from a buffalo bull that's staring him down. After a few tense minutes, Stephen comes back and said the bull moved on. We relax a little and then see Stephen returning. He has found the kudu bedded and we take off. There is a 10 to 15 mph wind blowing so we know we're good with the wind. The bull had bedded right on the edge of the road watching his back trail. With Stephen leading, we got to 20 yds and I shot the bull bedded through the left shoulder,He just rolled over and never moved. Ivan couldn't believe we had snuck up this close on this big of a bull without him seeing us. We got him set up then started taking picture.

 

[randallhebert]

In the first picture, he was laid down with his but to the tall grass in the little sand pocket looking back down his back trail. We had snuck in from behind him and slightly to his left. He was 55 inches.
We get him loaded up and bring him into the skinning shed then head over to get everyone else for the evening hunt.
Evening hunt we found a nice gemsbok and get Jason set up. Shoot, no whump. Mr. Randall did you put rubber bullets in my gun again. Yep. That way we have to come back to Africa to get you a gemsbok. Smiles and no problem. We head back to camp and get ready for supper.

 

[randallhebert]

Aug13

We are looking for blesbok and gemsbok for Jason. We go to Limcromas original lodge and look around. After a few pictures we head out to see what we can find. We came across some gemsbok,but nothing worth shooting and find blesbok but never could get Jason set up for a shot.
We get back to sable valley camp that night and Doc catches me awing over the buffalo bull they have mounted. He asks me if I ever thought about shooting one. Told him All the time but I planned on shooting a cow this trip and that's what I had budget for. He told me that Jason wanted to shoot a cow and for all the things I help him on daily here, helping Jason shoot, and more or less taking care of Jason, he would pay the trophy fee and let me shoot a bull.
I instantly broke out into a cold sweat.
Jason's sister is flying in tomorrow so we call it early. Not much sleep forthcoming.

 

[randallhebert]

Aug 14th

This morning we are out looking for a besbok at Limcromas original lodge. We ride around for a while and come across several small steenbok, couple gemsbok and roan. We locate a group of blesbok, but before we can get Jason set up, their off. We drive ahead to another opening and get set up. The blesbok come out and stop. Get Jason lined up with a nice bull, talk him through the shot and whump. DRT. Never moved. We get down and get everything ready for pictures.

 

[Nyati]

@randallhebert , you´re a good man, helping Jason on his dream hunt