SOUTH AFRICA: Buffalo With Craig Boddington

[JerBear8]

Congratulations on that huge buffalo! And as always, great writing!

 

[1dirthawker]

great story, well written and great photos as well. looks like you had a great trip!!

thanks for sharing that bit with the tracker and the "old man" bush buck. appreciating things is really what hunting should be about. it appears you are good at that.

congrats on taking some really great animals. well done!

 

[Green Chile]

thanks for sharing that bit with the tracker and the "old man" bush buck. appreciating things is really what hunting should be about. it appears you are good at that.

Appreciate you saying that. A lot of times in my hunts, something will happen that really grounds me in the middle of the excitement. I took some great trophies on this hunt but one of the biggest memories will be that madala bushbuck and the tracker's reaction to it. He's not the biggest bushbuck around but his impact on me was huge.

 

[kitsch]

Late in life I went to an art school that gathered artists and students from around for about 6 weeks a year. The rest of your time you did your own thing and wrote letters about it. The teachers basically fell into two groups-the younger up and coming who did art with a capital A and talked about originality and technical innovation, and the old hands that had already had their succsesses and liked to keep a foot in the door and paint broad landscapes for you. My favorite was this internationally known guy who kept his distance from the capital A types who'd recently had lunch with geo clooney and wanted you to know, but showed up for breakfast at cafeteria opening each morning and sat by himself, allowing anyone to pull up a chair and chat about whatever they wanted and eat their oatmeal. No ego, no agenda, just love of his craft and desire to be around the people and energy still driving it. Sounds like you got that and are that and are passing it along. That sable is something.....

Like in climbing...you hire a famous guide to take you up well trodden routes charted long ago, and you not only get to travel in famous footsteps which maybe you couldnt travel otherwise except on the end of a well tied rope, but you get to hear the stories. One guy sees a mountain. An old climber sees that mountain and the many lines climbed and the spots where friends perished and where others made history and his description of the mounain makes it richer. Gah i hope these thoughts didnt sidetrack this. Thank you so much for this report. I enjoyed it very much. What is more tiring? The actual hunt or the AH report?

 

[Green Chile]

That's a great post...thanks for adding it here. I want to respond in more depth in a bit...I'm actually working with clients all week (as usual) and writing and replying in between meetings! I have a passion for work but certainly a passion for my interests outside of work. I don't want to be average in any of my pursuits in life. For me, the hunt report is still a part of the hunt just as prep before the hunt is. The hunt isn't over for me until this is done right.

 

[Green Chile]

Thank you so much for this report. I enjoyed it very much. What is more tiring? The actual hunt or the AH report?

I like the question...to me, the hunt report is part of the experience that I look forward to. I love all of it...the pre-work, the practice, the reloading, the travel (wait...that part sucks)...the hunt, the hunt report, helping others book great hunts...it's all part of it to me. I feel like the hunt report is a record of good, bad and ugly for everyone to learn from if they wish...and it can be good advertising for the operator and PH. It's kind of a labor of love for me...I write and edit and rewrite until it looks better to me. I hope it helps educate...I hope it inspires...I don't look at myself as anything special but I'm just trying to help like others have helped me...or help like I would like others to help me. Golden rule kind of thing for me. I love the outdoors and the animals in it and hope others will get out there and see some cool stuff. Don't give up during the hunt and you never know what you might see and experience.

 

[Inline6]

I like the question...to me, the hunt report is part of the experience that I look forward to. I love all of it...the pre-work, the practice, the reloading, the travel (wait...that part sucks)...the hunt, the hunt report, helping others book great hunts...it's all part of it to me. I feel like the hunt report is a record of good, bad and ugly for everyone to learn from if they wish...and it can be good advertising for the operator and PH. It's kind of a labor of love for me...I write and edit and rewrite until it looks better to me. I hope it helps educate...I hope it inspires...I don't look at myself as anything special but I'm just trying to help like others have helped me...or help like I would like others to help me. Golden rule kind of thing for me. I love the outdoors and the animals in it and hope others will get out there and see some cool stuff. Don't give up during the hunt and you never know what you might see and experience.

The other part of it, you will forever have a written record of it. One day you will be able to look your hunting history over and relive those experiences. The older I get the more I realize my memory is not as good as it was 20 years ago. Work, life, kids, and a wife. I guess only so much will fit into what Grey matter I have remaining.

Well done!

 

[gillettehunter]

What a wonderful last day. Memorable. Great trip but that was the cherry on top. Well done.
Bruce

 

[BryceM]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this report. That sable and that buffalo are the things of dreams and legends. Congratulations. What a trip huh?

It fuels my need/desire to get back soon!

 

[Green Chile]

The other part of it, you will forever have a written record of it. One day you will be able to look your hunting history over and relive those experiences. The older I get the more I realize my memory is not as good as it was 20 years ago. Work, life, kids, and a wife. I guess only so much will fit into what Grey matter I have remaining.

Well done!

Yes that's a good point. The only thing better is getting it into those printed photo books.

I thought I would have video from some of the hunt and more photos but those have not come to me yet. Perhaps I can add it here later.

 

[Sideshow]

Peanuts and biltong sticks were available all the time but I thought this carved hippo was very groovy. Anyone know where I can find one like this?

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@Green Chile if you go through Dubai, there’s a place called global village go to the African section and you should be able to find one.
Be home tomorrow I’ll post a pic of the one my wife picked up from there.
Your next best bet is ask your next ph if they know some good curio carvers. Then get them to source you one.
We had this made from pic we took of one similar that we had seen in a lodge in SA.
Some of these guys/girls are very skilled I just added the light.

The Tikolosh in the corner I got in Malawi they had some fabulous stuff up there.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Steve that's interesting...Mantheakis is a super legit PH. He must have seen something he didn't like. I know there's a huge difference between being the hunter and being the PH...but I like to carry my weight in the field. I'm not going to be a burden to anyone including the PH and especially on DG. That's serious stuff and I come in as prepared as I can be.

Bryan, carrying your weight and being prepared to defend yourself, the team and possibly even the PH is being a responsible team member. Not just a passenger.


Kitsch, another climbing analogy

Similar to Climbing at extreme altitudes. You can pay people to help you. But being a responsible team member means being competent and practiced in your endeavor. Not being solely reliant on others to save your hide. Sure you can do it. But it’s not as fun being a pedestrian or passenger as it is the driver.

 

[Sideshow]

 

[rifletuner]

We recover the bull while the others watch and the sky grows dark. This is definitely the widest buff I have taken. He is also very large in the body but not as heavy as the first bull. We borrow a trailer from the rancher and get him back to the skinning shed at the lodge. Later we put the tape on him and he is 47.5"

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Thats a rippa of a photo and really highlights the elegance of your Dakota .416 Rigby

 

[Green Chile]

Thank you. It's a great rifle and between me and the previous owner, it has taken at least 15 DG...probably more. Everything but leopard numerous times and some fantastic PG also. On the morning I left Africa on this hunt, the PH and his sons shot up the rest of the ammo I brought in it...then ran inside grabbed some more 416 Rigby ammo and shot all of that in it. Good times!

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Here's something interesting to consider...we ran into a large kudu two different times. He was not available on this ranch...he was off limits per the rancher for whatever reason. I'm curious what you think the size is. We didn't take him and didn't measure him of course but the PH and Craig had very strong ideas about his size. What say you?

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His right side is better than the left, Much deeper curl but I don’t think he’s over 60”. I’d say his left is around 54” and his right is around 57”, maybe 58”

 

[Green Chile]

Yea Bill, he's tricky....bigger than average but how big? I get a lot of different answers but he's fun to look at.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

100% agreed on all the above, especially the false promises of red-hot loads

As to the .500s, you are more man than I am, these (except the .500 NE which is mild) are just too much fun for me

The way it works for me is that the .458 Lott too shoots flat enough to 200 yards so that if I bump into the "next world-record three-toed unicorn" (© Boddington) while on the DG trail I can take the shot. But this remains a hypothetical...

To each our own, but I have not yet bumped into something good enough to persuade me to shoot while on the Buffalo or Elephant spoor. Admittedly, if I met your sable's identical twin brother, I WOULD take the shot and run the risk of spooking a Buff I may not yet have seen 100 yards ahead down the trail

The more practical application of the Lott on PG is to bag a young imp[ala for the pot (I love fresh grilled impala liver!) on the way back to camp, or to put out of its misery an old warthog for bait after a lost Buffalo or Elephant track.

When I have DG and PG on the license, I always start with DG. I think that we all do. So chances for me to have the .257 Wby pipe on and bump into a DG that I can legally take are about zero: if my PG barrel is on, it means that my DG is in the salt.

I do not change barrels willy-nilly in the field. I only do when the safari shifts from DG to PG, or, for example, from monster Kudu one day to Vaal Rhebok the next. As to "duiker to waterbuck", or any PG combination, the .257 Wby takes care of everything. In truth it is the barrel I use the most. I DO put the .300 Wby barrel on for dedicated monster Kudu, but I have already used the .257 Wby with amazing results on Wildebeest and even Roan. This is in line with the exceptional reputation for killing way out of its weight-class that it has built on Elk in the US (although I do use the .300 on Elk...).

I think you’d be fine with the .257wby for Kudu. I’ve used mine on elk without issue. When I draw a tag in an area known for truly big bodied bull (think Gila or parts of Arizona) I’d probably step up to my 280AI or 300 for the heavier bullet.

To me, kudu are a little easier to kill than elk. When hit with a mediocre shot, they’re not nearly as tough.

 

[Red Leg]

I love the way you write my friend. Condense this by a few thousand words, add an exciting intro and thoughtful conclusion and publish it. African Hunting Gazette would be delighted to have it. Publish enough of them and use them as the basis for your book.

A great adventure well told. Thank you.

 

[Green Chile]

Thank you very much. Baie dankie!