SOUTH AFRICA: Kubusi Safaris

[lcq]

Just got back from my first Africa hunt (Kubusi booked through EAI). Still a little jet lagged but I had a great time. I hunted both properties and they couldn't have been more different hunting conditions. Both are high fence but this is no shooting gallery, you have to work.

Glen Boyd is a huge property with lots of loose shale and scrubby brush to make your stalk a challenge. I was put up in the cabins overlooking a field where the local rhino's grazed 50yds away. More than once someone left the gate open and rhino and Cape Buffalo got into the garden around the cabins. Quite an eye opener as you left the lounge at night.

Kubusi is much smaller but open with tall grass making for an exposed stalk, although there were trees in some places to provide cover. Facilities were more basic but comfortable. I went to hunt so 5 star accommodations were not required.

My lazyness and hatred for paperwork cost me a couple of animals, a mistake I won't make again. The gun provided was a fine one but it wasn't mine, live and learn. I will surely return in a year or two it was a blast.

Thanks to everyone here who helped me with the trip.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Glad you had a good hunt.
When you get back in your time zone I look forward to that entire tale be shared!

Ominous lesson about your own firearm. I do like mine, even with the paperwork required.

 

[James.Grage]

lcq

When you are caught up a story line and few pictures would be great

 

[bluey]

welcome back ,
can just imagine walking back to your cabin and coming across a rhino or a buffalo ,happily chewing on the flowers .....
look foreward to your photos

 

[Bobpuckett]

Looking forward to you getting over the Jetlag so you can fill us in on some details and pics. Glad you had a good time.

 

[lcq]

How do you post pictures? The upload file doesn't seem to work

 

[gutterdoc]

I'm getting excited!

 

[toxic111]

Upload the photos to photo bucket & then copy paste the links from there...

Glad you had a good trip... was all the hunting just on the 2 properties, or did you go to other farms in the area? I actually only hunted on Glen Boyd for a half day when I went..

Looking forward to seeing some pictures to remind me of my trip there.

 

[Bobpuckett]

My upload file seems to be working.

 

[lcq]

I put 4 photos in the gallery but this is a mystery photo guess what it is.

I'm not great at story telling but I'll give it a go. This was a cull hunt.

Getting there was an adventure. My flight from Detroit was delayed and we were still in the air as the flight from Atlanta to JNB was boarding. I pushed my way out the plane and sprinted for the departure gate, just made it. Even more astounding Delta got my luggage there as well.

We test shot the rented rifle at the range and from the bench it was fine but it wasn't my gun and from sticks it proved a real challenge for me. Lesson learned put up with paperwork and possible bribes and bring your own gun.

Hunting Glen Boyd it is very difficult to be silent with the crunching of loose shale under your feet and Kubusi you are exposed in the open fields but that is what makes the stalk fun. I got what I thought was a solid hit on the Kudu. Sound smack, it reared up, fell over and kicked and I was sure it was done, nope jumped up and ran. We trailed it for hours and never got remotely close. Second lesson, these animals are way tougher than North American game and they just don't bleed like ours. I have shot moose that go down easier.

The highlight was when a warthog stepped out close to four grazing rhino. My PH said cap it and I did but when the closest rhino tossed it into the air (thankfully didn't stomp it) we were stunned. Then they guarded the body. My PH was fearless waving his hat and shouting at the rhino to move from about 15-20yds but they didn't move. We wisely chose to retreat and take the long drive around to the back and recovered the hog after the guards moved on.

The wildebeast was another solid hit but it was lost in the herd after the shot. We looked in all the wrong places figuring it was pulled along with the herd until the PH said lets look up the hill where you shot it, sure enough there it was 200yds from where I shot it, relief.

Took out the blesbuck using a termite mound as a rest and the other animals in the tall grass or scrubby bush.

All in all I had the time of my life on my first African hunt.

 

[lcq]

Upload the photos to photo bucket & then copy paste the links from there...

Glad you had a good trip... was all the hunting just on the 2 properties, or did you go to other farms in the area? I actually only hunted on Glen Boyd for a half day when I went..

Looking forward to seeing some pictures to remind me of my trip there.

I hunted 50:50 Glen Boyd Kubusi. My preference was Glen Boyd because trying to track in the tall red tinged grass is next to impossible

 

[Nyati]

Congrats on your hunt, Icq !

 

[lcq]

Thanks I learned a lot and next time I'll be better prepared and do a trophy hunt

BTW the mystery photo isn't a termite mound but rhino dung, they are big

 

[toxic111]

I'm glad you had a good time there... and I was able to help you.... Maybe the cull hunt is why you only hunted those 2 properties... like I mentioned I only hunted Glen Boyd for half a day (for springbok, and we didn't see one) My PH took me to other farms and ranches for different species... Who was your PH?

 

[lcq]

I'm glad you had a good time there... and I was able to help you.... Maybe the cull hunt is why you only hunted those 2 properties... like I mentioned I only hunted Glen Boyd for half a day (for springbok, and we didn't see one) My PH took me to other farms and ranches for different species... Who was your PH?

PH was Deon the former farm manager at Glen Boyd. Lots of springbok at kubuis saw none at Boyd

 

[toxic111]

I think I met Deon when I was there...

Ya, that is why we were only a half day hunting it, none there....

 

[lcq]

Good thing there were none there because trying to stalk something that small and easily spooked would have been very difficult. Thanks again for all your advice.

 

[toxic111]

Tell me about it.. took several stalks to get one.. missed them 3 times..

 

[MJ75]

Hi,

Strange question I know but is Glen Boyd also known as XXL in the Eastern Cape, not too far from Grahamstown?

 

[lcq]

Hi,

Strange question I know but is Glen Boyd also known as XXL in the Eastern Cape, not too far from Grahamstown?

I could be wrong but I believe so. It is 30k from Grahamstown