SOUTH AFRICA: My October 2016 Hunt With AAA Africa Serapa Safaris

[cpr0312]

Day 3 October 21st,

Up early today, another nice breakfast of eggs, bacon, juices, yogurt. In the cruiser at 7:00, another very pleasant morning, looks like the weather will be similar all week ranging from 60's in morning to low 90's in the afternoons.

We set out looking for that big pig we saw on day 1, and on the way we happen to have to go through a area heavily populated by springbok, and it just so happens that is also on my wishlist. By the way, there are lots of springbok on the 45,000 acres! We spot a few herds and a few younger rams, then Jacques spots a lone ram, after a minute he says we need to go after this one!
Get of the truck, and luckily have some cover between us and the ram, and he is feeding away with a favorable wind. We close the distance to about 400 yards and have to hold tight for a few. The we are able to get to the last bush on the edge of the open area he has fed into. We are crouched on our hands and knees frozen for what seemed like 5 minutes, the ram had sensed something. After staring at the bush we were behind, the ram went back to feeding and we were able to sit down. There was one hole in the bush we could see through, maybe 3x3 inches. Jacques looks him over and says this is a real good ram and we must move slowly so as not to spook him. Get on your butt, he puts the sticks up to match the height we are off the ground, I try to halfway sit with one knee bent upwards as to get a rest for my shooting elbow. The ram is at 240 yards, just as I get somewhat comfortable, he senses us again and starts to move away. Luckily he only walks and doesn't spook. We move to the side of the bush for a clear shot, still in the sitting position. He is now at 291, very slightly quartering away, with a 15 mph crosswind.

Jacques tells me to relax and breathe, as he could hear me getting more and more excited, tell me where to hold and squeeze...... The ram drops in his tracks!!!!! A huge smile from both of us and a handshake. We get to the ram and he is done. What a beautiful animal!! I have also wanted one of these for 5 years now. He is a good ram, Jacques is happy and so am I. It is a bonus to me that he is a good one. I now get to experience not only this beautiful animal, but the back end hair stand up with the sweet smell that goes with it!

It just now 8 am and we have this guy, so we go on looking to see what we can kick up until lunchtime. We get on a big warthog twice, but both times the wind got us. Really cool though when the wind was right, we walked up to within 15 yards or 3 separate pigs feeding, great experience. If I had a bow, I would have had legitimate sport and stalk warthog opportunities

 

[cpr0312]

Day 3 continued....

In the afternoon. we go to the other side of the ranch where the original lodge is as well as the skinning shed to look for gemsbok. I ask Jacques if they ever shoot and eland cows for management purposes, and he said yes occasionally. That conversation furthered to me saying, can we go after one? The answer was yes!. Along the way we spot cape buffalo and kudu, man this place has got kudu!! Folks I have never seen so many kudu, and lots of real good bulls. I wish I had more pics, but most with my phone turned out blurry. In the 8 days I was there, I cant even tell you how many kudu bulls we saw, most of which I would be been very pleased with. Jacques saw my excitement, and each time I asked him if this one or that one was a shooter, he usually said yes but we will give him 1-3 more years! Here is one pic of a group of kudu and a few of some of the buffalo.

There were certainly quite a few shooter buffalo as well! I certainly wish I could have pursued some of them!

Anyways, we get on a group of eland about 4:30, make about a 100 yard stalk with a good wind. We get right in their bedroom, within about 60 yards! Lots of young bulls and cows, with one cow that we could take if I so chose. We watched her to make sure she didnt have any young with her. She had one horn that tipped back slightly

, and since I would be doing a euro or shield mount, I decided to pass on her. It was a great afternoon followed by a sit on the back porch with the fire and snacks.

Another great meal was had, this time kabobs with veggies and more great Western Cape red wine

 

[jasyblood]

Nice springbok and black wildebeest! Great report so far...keep it coming!

 

[cpr0312]

Thank you @jasyblood !

 

[cpr0312]

A few more pics around the lodge and of the amazing wine cellar at Serapa!

A few pics of the back porch/pool area, outdoor bar, and pond out the back where animals would come in daily. A massive Eland bull and his girls were daily visitors

 

[jasyblood]

That is one amazing looking lodge and I'm sure it's more amazing in person than it is in the pictures.

 

[cpr0312]

Yes sir Jason, indeed it is

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Serious WOW factor on the lodge and the hunting! Very impressed.

 

[cpr0312]

Some more shots of buffalo and did I mention the Sable? There are some great sable bulls on the property as well as roan

 

[cpr0312]

10/22 Saturday Day 4

After breakfast we are out by 7:00 and again looking for that warthog that has eluded us for 2 days now. No luck up until 9 am. We decide to shift to eland and gemsbok and right up until lunchtime, no real luck. We spot several, but nothing worth pursuing or we were given the slip. On the way back in for lunch there is a group of eland amongst much larger groups of blesbok and widebeest. Jacques id's 2 good cows, we try to drive around to get into position for a stalk, but they bust. Then 100's of animals start running every which direction all at once, dang.

Low and behold, a warthog is in the wide open field with all the other animals, and he is a good one! A very quick look through the binos and its go time. Quickly get a round chambered and get into position. Just guessing he is 300-400 yards. Well I guessed a little wrong because I was high, now he was high tailing it out of there. A very quick pursuit and luckily another shot opportunity is presented. Slightly quartering away roughly 150 yards, I shoot and he runs and disappears behind some brush. Was it a good shot? It didn't feel that good but maybe because it happened so quick, I just didn't know. Asecond or two go by and I see a cloud of sandy dust kick up behind the brush and no pig. Jacques, did I hit him? Must have he never came out. Well we get over there and sure enough I did get him!! Congrats and a handshake. Cool looking old boar!!!

 

[CAustin]

Nice pig man!

 

[Neale]

Great Story so far. The lodge looks fantastic.

 

[enysse]

Congrats, nice animals, nice old warthog!

 

[cpr0312]

Day 4 continued,

After lunch and some rest we head back out at 3:45 looking for another group of eland. By 4:15 we get on a group, make about a 20 minute stalk through the brush and catch up to them. They are feeding across an open field heading into another block. They are all calm and are not aware of us! Pick out the cow we want, she is feeding broadside at 240 yards. Stick up, breathe, focus, squeeze the trigger. She is hit good, we could tell the shoulder was broke, she backpeddles and I shoot again, another hit. We walk towards her now and when we get to about 40 yards she jumps and runs, I quickly put her in the scope and fire another one at the shoulder, this time she rolls and is done. Wow, what a massive beast, even the cows are huge! She has a little outward flare to her horns which is cool to me.

On the way back to the skinning shed I happen to look to my left and see something, not quite sure what. We drive another few hundred yards and I see it again, I try to process if I just saw what I think I saw. I think to myself for a second, then I say hey Jacques, I just saw a cat over there. Now I have not mentioned yet in this report that Serapa has lions on the property. Another really cool thing is that every night and early in the mornings you would hear them roaring!!!

Anyways we speed up and sure enough we see a lioness running through the brush! Wow that is really cool to see one in the daylight without actually tracking it. We sit on the truck for 5 minutes in a staring contest with her, really neat experience. After she runs off we check the blocks for tracks to see where she is heading. Got some pretty neat pics out of it.

This evening was another amazing South African sunset and to celebrate the day we stopped for some pics and a Castle. What a great ending to a great day!!

 

[cpr0312]

Meant to say in the above pics of the lion track that the bullet next to the track is a. 470 NE round in 500g

 

[Nyati]

I hunted at Serapa in 2010, stayed at the old lodge, as the new one was nearly completed but not operational yet. I visited it and yes, it is really impressive.

The one thing I will always remember about Serapa is going to sleep while hearing the lions roar. The feeling is hard to describe !

 

[cpr0312]

The one thing I will always remember about Serapa is going to sleep while hearing the lions roar. The feeling is hard to describe !

I agree with that statement for sure, hearing the roaring back and forth is something that will always stick with me

 

[cls]

Nice Black Wildebeest, what area of SA were you hunting this time around?

 

[cpr0312]

@cls , I hunted in the Kalahari region of the NW Province. @AAA Africa Serapa Safaris is located between the towns of Ganyesa and Tosca , but closer to the town of Tosca. Relatively close to the Botswana border

 

[BWH]

What a dump & crappy looking hunt............ LOL!!! Man That place looks awesome! Congratulations on great animals. Jacques & @AAA Africa Serapa Safaris are A+!