Waterbuck opinion

[Moe324]

Know that my trophies are out of his hands. The outfitter was Koringkoopie safaris in Limpopo. The PH was the owner Jacques Combrinck. I just posted a review of the hunt on here. It's very long as it is the email that I will be sending to PHASA. The hunt was from a PHASA auction. I had bought a hunt from them before and had a great time. I know outfitters need you to hunt other animals to make money up, I also know adding days helps, and renting guns. I did all of that. I wasn't just there to kill one donated animal and leave. Some people will say why not hunt at on place everytime. I personally like seeing new places and meeting new people. This time that bite me in the butt. I have hunted in RSA at 5 different places and this place was nothing like the others. I would never say all RSA outfits are bad. If you look in my hunt reports you will see I did get a nice waterbuck in the Eastern Cape and had a great hunt there. With a excellent PH. Last year I hunted Limpopo with a PH by the name of Hein Lottering and had a great hunt. I just hope I can save someone else from going to Koringkoopie and dealing with a PH that doesn't want to do his job.

 

[Moe324]

The waterbuck was the last straw, shooting a giraffe I wounded without any communication and then ruining the hide and skull was also a major blow. It's all in the report. But I know it's long and some won't read it all.

 

[Moe324]

 

[revturbo9967]

I appreciate the correction. A 10 day course (not 7) and 3 years at 21 days documented hunting per year is the easiest barrier to entry in Africa. Then 60 days documented hunting dangerous game to qualify for DG license. It’s a system designed to generate numbers. I do view the country as part of the problem because many of the “flim flam” hunts that get marketed in other countries listed are a product of this system. It’s easier to imitate being a professional in some areas than others. There is an eagerness on this forum to only say positive things about South Africa when there are a lot of negatives as well. The point of my post was your second to last line.

I would challenge you to point out a single area where “wild buffalo” are herded like Herefords by cattle boys. Even in South Africa, I would not expect to see an ear tagged buffalo in a breeding pen treated with that level of predictability.

Kevin Robertson, whom many on this forum label his writings as gospel, said the SA ph testing is a joke. Not that I have much knowledge on this subject but when one country requires years, and others require weeks to qualify, that raises an eyebrow.

 

[Kharn]

View attachment 624720

I will not even consider ANY outfitter to hunt within Africa that is NOT sponsored on this website.
Even though I have never hunted Africa.

 

[Creigh]

I will not even consider ANY outfitter to hunt within Africa that is NOT sponsored on this website.
Even though I have never hunted Africa.

Is there a list on this site of the best hunting experiences/locations in Africa/South Africa? I assume most of it is word of mouth.

 

[Creigh]

Sorry for your bad experience. I recently took a waterbuck in South Africa on the Manketti Reserve with Quagga Safaris, back in June. The attached shows what a mature bull should look like.

The Manketti Reserve is about 56,000 acres, so there were was a ton of room to roam and we saw an insane number of waterbuck there (they could sense that I didn't want to hunt them and/or I have some inherent musk that attracts waterbucks). It got to the point where the PH identified this one and begged me to remove it from its mortal coils at the end of the day (I also suspect he was tired of saying "waterbuck!" and me saying "nah"). At this stage, I figured the hunting gods were compelling me to hunt waterbuck, so I finally relented and we got this guy after a short stalk. And that's how I got "Sundowner."

View attachment 624619

Wonderful buck.

I've got a skin getting processed. Should be ready in a few months. The meat is excellent too, freezer is half empty, I'm going to have to go back out there soon.

 

[Kharn]

Is there a list on this site of the best hunting experiences/locations in Africa/South Africa? I assume most of it is word of mouth.

To the right of this and I think every forum post is a vertical bar with a list 'Proudly Sponsored By', that too me is the best place too start.

 

[revturbo9967]

I will not even consider ANY outfitter to hunt within Africa that is NOT sponsored on this website.
Even though I have never hunted Africa.

Some of the best operations in Africa are not on this site, and that’s not a jab at any sponsors. The point everyone has made is do your research and ask questions. Talk to as many references as possible. Also never shop a hunt with cheapest prices in mind.