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April 2023 Safari East Cape
Safari Company Intaba Safaris owner Eugene Erasmus
date 4-22-23 thru 5-3-2023
PH Charles
Tracker Simon
Game hunted and taken: Sable, Kudu, Cape Buffalo, Warthog (2), Zebra
Rifle used: TS Customs 30.06 Suppressor: Banish 30
Bullet: 150gr Hammer Power Hammer, 48.8 gr IMR 8208 Nosler brass, 215 fed primer vel 2864 fps

Rifle used: CZ550 Safari Magnum 458 win mag
Bullet: 404 gr Hammer shock Hammer 80 gr of AA2230 powder 215 Fed primer Horn brass vel 2460fps

This trip came came about with a member on this site, Roy Schmidt and conversations on another site with his group. Our group included Craig and Dannelle, Lenny and Amanda and their 2 kids Bella and Kaden.

Airline to Johannesburg: Delta Airlines Airline from Joburg to Port Elizabeth, East Cape: Airlink Airlines
Hotel Afton House with Mr X handling SAPS permit and meet and greet at Airport

This was a long trip. Left my house Friday at midnight on 4-21 and arrived at the lodge2 ½ hrs from Port Elizabeth by a small town called Adelaide at about 1:30pm on Monday 4-24.

Met the staff and our PH s and trackers and then checked sights to make sure the airlines did not screw up anything. Then we headed out to look the country over. We went to Charles' Father's property which was well over 9000 acres. We did find a Sable but I screwed up the shot at about 150 yards and we had a wounded animal which was never recovered. Needless to say I felt lower than a lizard. NOTE HERE: (make sure you spend a lot of time shooting off shooting sticks as that is what you will be doing. I did not prior to the hunt due to the weather and snow we had in So Dakota this year). We searched for the Sable that night but did not find any blood.

On Tuesday we spent ¾ of the day looking, (the cowboys on the ranch looked also). Simon went back again to the spot where I shot him and found a small piece of bone and one drop of blood. For those that have never hunted Africa if you draw blood and do not get the animal you bought it. Makes you feel real bad as you can imagine. Later that day I blew another shot on another Sable. I am sure you know how I felt that time. By now I am really questioning my shooting ability as I do not shoot like this.

On Wednesday we went looking for Sable and Kudu. I spent a bunch of time dry firing on the sticks in between our hikes looking for sable and Kudu and got myself back in tune. We spotted a nice Ram at about 200 yards. I got set on the sticks and took the shot. A good hit and down he went (bad shooting is gone now).

On Thursday I was feeling good about my previous shot. We went in search of a Kudu and played hide and seek for hours with a nice bull and finally sneaked to within 230 yards. I took the shot. He went about 30 feet and died.

On Friday we were in search of a Cow Buffalo or a management Bull (narrow or scum cap/broken horn). Eugene offered me a great deal on a bull. We kept searching for more than half the day and spotted a couple in the very thick brush but they took off. We kept going and spotted another group in the thick brush again and went to get ahead of them and ambush a Bull or Cow. We went around a corner and standing on the side of the road was a nice old Bull, he was huge! I got out of the truck and was waiting for the go ahead from Charles to let me know if he was going to be a shooter or not. The second or two it took Charles, the bull was stomping his feet and looking at me like he wanted to kill me. I took the shot at about 20 yards thru the left shoulder and into the heart (we found out later) and in 25 yards he was down. I got behind him and paid the insurance. Dead Bull, then I thought how are we going to get this monster in the back of the Land Cruiser, then the other part of our group showed up to help and with the help of the wench and 8 people we got him in the truck. I did not tape him but he was probably 38-39 inches. His boss was 12-14 inches wide and we estimated his weight at 1800 pounds. He was an old bull and the P.H.s said he was probably on his last year.

On Saturday we decided to look for a Warthog or a Zebra. After miles of driving and walking and seeing only one pig that was not a shooter, we hiked around a hillside and spotted a herd of Zebra. They took off and we got out of sight. We topped the mountain and worked our way down and spotted them again at about 230 yards. I took the shot and off they went. Our tracker said he saw blood as he was on another hillside across the canyon. He gave us a play by play on the Zebra and down he went. We went back for the truck and drove down into the valley towards where the Zebra was up on the hillside. We then cut a way thru the brush and got within about 100 yards. Then we went up the mountain and rolled and pulled the Zebra down to the truck to load him up. We got him back to the skinning shed and went out again close to the lodge on Charles' property. We spotted a Warthog and kept walking and tried to cut them off. Finally spotted a nice Boar by a dry pond and got the shot. He ran about 50 yards and was done for. On the way back that night a couple miles from the lodge we spotted a good size group of Cape Buffalo that( thank God it was to late to take a shot at) and my check book would have cried for mercy. There were a couple of bulls that would have been pushing 45 inches. So maybe in 2025. I will see what happens. Eugene does not set his price based on size. It is the same price, if it is 40 inch or 45 inch, $10,000 my management was $5,000.00. Very happy with what I got. My wife will not be happy when next year it goes on the living room wall. That's another story.

On Sunday Charles went to help another member try and locate their chosen animal. I spent the day with Simon, who I found out also had his PH permit. We were looking for another Warthog or just maybe a big Blue Wildebeest. One of our party mentioned seeing one that would have gone 29 inches easily and he was not looking for one. But no joy. We did have very nice day. I should mention that the weather at this time of the year could not have been much nicer other than a couple of warm days, but no rain.

On Monday we went over to Charles' Dad's property again while he checked game cameras. He said he had been seeing 3 big Warthogs once in awhile. We started walking towards that area and spotted them. It was then up and down, around the hills and got to within 50 yards and took the shot, another good Hog down.

On Tuesday we traveled to a game park to view animals and talk about animal conservation. Then we went and checked out a 5 Star hunting lodge for the possibility of a next hunt. We stayed overnight there. It was a very beautiful place and property. First class all the way!

On Wednesday we went to the Airport and back to the U.S. Another long flight. I have to say going thru Customs was a breeze even with our Suppressors, as they never paid any attention to them even though I had my ATF import/export permit. Now the wait begins for taxidermy work to be done and get the animals home sometime next year.

Please note I did not put a tape to any of the animals I took as I do not care how long the horns or tusks are I just want to take mature and hopefully old animals. I am very happy with these. This is my first time writing a report like this and I know it was long winded and hope you enjoyed it as I enjoyed the hunt and in 2 years will probably be back to my wife's dismay. Almost forgot Hammer Bullet performance: (sorry Steve) only one 150 gr bullet recovered and it was perfect just like last year and it was found on the off side under the skin on the Zebra. All other bullets including the 404's are still going.

Thanks for taking the time to write up your trip and posting it with pictures. Sounds like a wonderful trip. Don't beat your self up over shots off sticks. Its exciting to be there and that flight does more to our bodies than we realize. I shook like a leaf for two days and in those days I didn't shake. If I get back again, I'm gonna sight see a day or two when I arrive to get the cobwebs out of my head.
Great trip! Thanks
Bfly

Thanks for telling us about your hunt, enjoyed it. You took some fine aminals! Always hoped to hunt Africa, almost went, but health problems got in the way!

Thanks for the Hunt report. Fun to live through your trip to Africa. Nice animals

Nice looking animals.

Thanks for the report.

Two things:

Kudos for not measuring everything or telling us it was a 'Gold medal'...blah blah blah..

and #2. When are you going back?

my wife says never, but I am thinking 2025 if my health holds up

Women hate to see a man having a good time....

Awesome trophies. Well done!

I think my favorite is the sable. If I had to pick one animal, that would be the one.

Congratulations on a great safari.

How was the safety/security in the area you hunted/visited? I'm leaving in one week for Limpopo with wife and 2 teenage daughters. Landing in Joburg then outfitter supplied shuttle drive to camp. After hunt, back to Joburg and on to Vic Falls for 2 days. Connect back through Joburg for return to States.

Man, that's a nice kudu........and sable.

a the airport everything was safe, when you get into the cities out on the streets I would not even think about it, but there are places here also I would not go to. your driver will not let you out anywhere it is not safe.

Thanks for the write-up and congrats! Shooting off sticks sucks!

Congratulations. I'm going to order some 4 legged sticks. Just haven't settled on the brand yet.

hunters I have spoken with say the 4 legged shooting sticks are so much more stable to use and really like them. SDLEFTY, keep me posted on the brand you buy and why and I will do the same. I think my next trip I will take my own as after 2 trips I have learned what not to take

Congratulations on a terrific trip. Great animals and lifelong memories. So......

When and where are you going on your next trip over?

really thinking about a tusk less Elephant hunt for 2025 but we'll see

Great hunt and animals! I thought I was the only one who hated shooting off sticks!