SOUTH AFRICA: Improvise, Adapt & Overcome With JKO HUNTING SAFARIS

[Nyati]

Well done, great bulls,

Thanks for sharing your adventure !

 

[Trogon]

Wonderful story, sorry to read of your troubles but then thrilled that you could finish your first bull. Congrats on both trophies! Thanks for posting an exciting hunt report!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

There will be two PH’s and two trackers working with me today. I’m introduced to the new PH (I’ll call him PH2) and his tracker over tea & rusk. It takes a little longer than usual to get things situated with more people, but the sun is bright and we have new sets of eyes to look for the buffalo today. I’m feeling refreshed and optimistic despite very little sleep the past two nights.

We have one tracker on the front of the bakkie looking at tracks and everyone else in the back. The front tracker holds his hand up and we come to a stop. Everyone hops out. There is a track…a big track. It could be THE track we are looking for. The PH’s and I run back to the truck for our rifles and the pursuit is on.

I’m third in line behind the tracker and PH when I see the buffalo walking away from us, unaware of our presence. We know it’s the right one because he has a broken spot in his tail that was seen by the PH when I shot him. We stalk closer and I move to the front. The tracker sets up the sticks and I rest the rifle on them with not much of a shot as the bull continues to walk away. The tracker then cow calls and the buffalo slowly turns giving me a quartering away shot at his right side.

I never thought I’d see this guy again and here he is. Right in front of me. Ironically the same view I had of him two days earlier as he disappeared into the scrub. The difference today is that I’m calm, completely calm and measured. I wait for the right sight picture and squeeze the trigger. The bull bucks and turns, I reload and fire again as he runs to my left…again I shoot. If he’s moving, I’m shooting. It feels like a lifetime but is over in mere seconds. The bull falls over and gives a death bellow. I walk to within 10 yards for a chest shot between the legs as he lays on his side. It’s over and I can finally breathe again. If you have hunted long enough, you know this feeling of recovering an animal once thought to be lost.

View attachment 712788

@BeeMaa
Great story so far.
Just goes to show even using a Barbie rifle can have it's pitfalls. Either Barbie or the owner may need a bit of trigger adjustment.
I'll blame Barbie as those plastic fantastic women can be a bit touchy when you start pulling things in them.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Sadly, our time came to an end. We left early in the morning for Pretoria to stop at the Jonsson clothing outlet…we love these shirts. One more stop at Safari and Outdoor (also in Pretoria) before heading to the airport. We say our goodbyes to PH2 & his tracker at the airport. We were well taken care of by JKO Hunting Safaris and I’ll be looking to book another hunt with them…maybe lion? Maybe talk to Jacques at SCI in 2026? We will see.

The flight, it’s long but again comfortable because of the nicer seats in business class. Home the following day and the inevitable jet lag for a bit. We both took a few extra days on the backend of this to readjust, but it still doesn’t seem to be working. LOL.

Take aways from the safari.
- We love going to RSA, too many reasons to list.
- We can’t wait to come back and do it all over again.
- Learned a lot about hunting buffalo you can’t from YouTube or books.
- Staying positive, even in the face of adversity, is key.
- I might need a bigger caliber rifle; however The Dept of Finance will not be approving anything soon. LOL.

Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. I hope you enjoyed our little hunt report and appreciate you taking the time to read it. Cheers.
View attachment 712931

@BeeMaa
It's a pity your darling bride wasn't well in sure she would have loved to share your experiences.
Did she get to hunt anything?
One thing I noticed from your report is that 375 works real well in trees when they jump out in front of you at the worst possible time. You just can't trust them trees to stay put. I know from experience, had one camouflaged by long grass. Bloody thing caused me to clean miss a beautiful fallow buck.
Bob

 

[BeeMaa]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen - She chose not to hunt because her "shooting" eye was the one that was having the problems and didn't want to risk it. She still enjoyed her time at the lodge and was on the bakkie for most of the afternoon hunts & game drives.

 

[Tucketed]

Congratulations, beautiful bull. I hunted with your PH1,DeWyk in NW Province. He is a great young man. He and JKO put us on a wonderful hunt.

 

[Rare Breed]

There will be two PH’s and two trackers working with me today. I’m introduced to the new PH (I’ll call him PH2) and his tracker over tea & rusk. It takes a little longer than usual to get things situated with more people, but the sun is bright and we have new sets of eyes to look for the buffalo today. I’m feeling refreshed and optimistic despite very little sleep the past two nights.

We have one tracker on the front of the bakkie looking at tracks and everyone else in the back. The front tracker holds his hand up and we come to a stop. Everyone hops out. There is a track…a big track. It could be THE track we are looking for. The PH’s and I run back to the truck for our rifles and the pursuit is on.

I’m third in line behind the tracker and PH when I see the buffalo walking away from us, unaware of our presence. We know it’s the right one because he has a broken spot in his tail that was seen by the PH when I shot him. We stalk closer and I move to the front. The tracker sets up the sticks and I rest the rifle on them with not much of a shot as the bull continues to walk away. The tracker then cow calls and the buffalo slowly turns giving me a quartering away shot at his right side.

I never thought I’d see this guy again and here he is. Right in front of me. Ironically the same view I had of him two days earlier as he disappeared into the scrub. The difference today is that I’m calm, completely calm and measured. I wait for the right sight picture and squeeze the trigger. The bull bucks and turns, I reload and fire again as he runs to my left…again I shoot. If he’s moving, I’m shooting. It feels like a lifetime but is over in mere seconds. The bull falls over and gives a death bellow. I walk to within 10 yards for a chest shot between the legs as he lays on his side. It’s over and I can finally breathe again. If you have hunted long enough, you know this feeling of recovering an animal once thought to be lost.

View attachment 712788

Congratulations on a great bull and hunt my friend!!! Well done!!!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen - She chose not to hunt because her "shooting" eye was the one that was having the problems and didn't want to risk it. She still enjoyed her time at the lodge and was on the bakkie for most of the afternoon hunts & game drives.

@BeeMaa
By the sounds of things even with the bung eye she may have shot better than you. Really 14 shots.
Almost as bad as @Forrest Halley with a 22lr. Upto 15-20 shots per squirrel.
He says the first 14-19 shots are warning shots tho. At least you hit that big bovine sponge in the right spot.
Having NEVER shot a cape Buffalo I've heard at times the more lead you put in them the healthier they get until they realise they are actually dead.
Bob

 

[BourbonTrail]

Congratulations E on your pair of buffs, but now you need 4 of a kind

Good work sticking to it and bring the first one to bag (kudos to your PH’s and trackers). I really like the horns on bull #2.

Cheers

 

[404Pruitt]

Congratulations on an awesome Safari!

 

[PARA45]

Outstanding hunt and report, thank you my friend for taking us along. What are if any taxidermy plans for these two old warriors?

I meant to ask you, what scope you have on your R8?

 

[BeeMaa]

Outstanding hunt and report, thank you my friend for taking us along. What are if any taxidermy plans for these two old warriors?

I meant to ask you, what scope you have on your R8?

Euro mounts for both. Haven’t talked to the people we are using for it yet, but we will.

Swaro Z8i 1-8x24 rail scope with 4A-IF reticle in a Contessa QD Blaser mount. I’m most likely switching the mount to an INNOMOUNT QD for the Blaser. Just a better design.

 

[matt vejar]

That’s a proper buffalo hunt and story! Well done and congrats on taking two - Old Timers!!!

 

[BeeMaa]

That’s a proper buffalo hunt and story! Well done and congrats on taking two - Old Timers!!!

My wife said it was fitting that I had some grey showing on my unshaven face in pictures with such old buffalo.

 

[Forrest Halley]

Wow that's an incredible story! Congratulations on two nice animals! This story has furthered my love for the R8 and my respect for the buffalo.