Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Hey, all you African Hunters...

Guys,

Over the years this forum has been my favorite because it is a topic I love and trolls don't come here. Also, I enjoy conversing with the characters who show up here.

With that , a bunch of you Bastids are making plans and going on safari and not sharing the exciting leading up to the event or the hunt adequately. I am challenging you to up your game and give us the juicy info. African safari is one hunt that we can all enjoy vicariously. This forum has been too quiet the last few years. You phoucers have been sneaking around on us lately.

I mean damn Sam, Jorge got invited to attend the Selous Scouts reunion as their guest and he has humbly declined (against my urging 👍🍺) but let's all share some African fun. I'm tired of schooling other boneheads about politics😉.

As a man of few words I head to Matetse on the 29th of this month for 12 days chasing a minimum of buffalo and sable. I am thinking a bushbuck will be an adder. Has Jorge hunted the Selous?

Ed, time to loosen up your tongue or keyboard. You can be exuberent and brag here.

No, Jorge hasn't done Selous. I hunted Rungwa and would love to hunt Selous.

Hatari; your opening post is valid, so I will join in.

No firm plans at the moment but I am in conversation with Patrick Fletcher of Hotfire safaris in the eastern cape about a trip in 2019, hunted with Patrick in 2015. Thoughts are a buffalo on one of the population control hunts in one of the parks or reserves followed by plains game.

My daughter and her fiance are considering coming, every time I have hunted Africa in the past (2009, 2015, 2016) my daughter has asked if she could come. My response has been "sure, just stroke the cheque", when we talked about this trip she is now looking at finances and may come.

The hunt would be followed by touring heading east and north from the eastern cape. The buffalo is a key part of the hunt and plans will change / adapt to ensure a good quality buffalo hunt.

The above is why I asked on another post about the 280 grain Rhino bullet in .375 H&H.

I have put in an order for Weatherby Vanguard DGR in .375 H&H after much deliberation and thought. The plan is to get lots of practice with the rifle and to get at least one Alberta hunting season in with the rifle prior to hunting buffalo with it.

More details with follow as plans solidify.

All the best.

George

Hi guys, not anything planned, but I am talking with Johnny Vivier of Wintershoek for a combo Selous Scouts/Rorke's Drift/sable buff hunt in 2019. That's all I have so far.

After returning from my first trip to Africa earlier this year, I discovered that everyone was correct in that your thoughts constantly wander back to planning a return trip. Been spending too much time on this and other forums reading about Africa, different places to hunt and reading hunt reports over on AR. Purchased my second 375 H&H. Not sure why I needed it, but when FOsteology put his AHR up for sale I just had to have it.

Got a wild hair a couple weeks ago and just decided I needed to back sooner than later. Of course my wife said "You should go."

Decided I need to hunt buffalo with John Sharp. After a series of emails and a short telephone conversation, I'm scheduled for next August....Now all I have to do is wait the excruciatingly long 11 months and work up a load for the 300gr A-Frame:)

Good woman. Keep her!



Good decision. You will have a great hunt with one of Africa's classic characters.

George, on your other post you wrote "350" and "380". Typos for 250 and 280?

Thats why I wrote a "350" Barnes is loooong!

I'll play. I actually was to depart for Dar es Salaam the 16th of this month. I have/had a 21 day full license with Wayne Grant in his new Lwafi/Katavi block in Tanzania. I lack EA Eland EA Sitatunga and a Topi to get all the species there (Minus the Maasai) I am fighting a pretty severe cycling injury right now and had to postpone by one year. So, this time next year i'll be there. My booking agent (Adventures Unlimited) was able to fill my spot with another client this year.

Been talking to my agent about a Forest Sitatunga safari in 2019. That would give me all three Sitatunga, which is difficult. Problem is, those outfitters all want Bongo/LDE prices to go, even though I have both and want to focus exclusively on Forest Sitatunga.

Near future, perhaps Ethiopia for Mt Nyala/Meneliks Bushbuck and the desert species (essentially the same as Maasai)

hatari,

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a check for a deposit on what will likely be the last safari to Africa for myself and my wife.

This hunt will be in SA, for 7 of the Tiny Ten species, after a number of earlier trips for plains and dangerous game. Even though the hunt is still 11 months away, the planning has already begun!

Equipment:
After talking to my PH, I have decided on taking my .30-06, and FMJ ammo for it. My PH had initially recommended my .375 and solids, but I really want to take something with less weight, less recoil, and that is very accurate with my chosen ammo, and my Browning X-Bolt fills that bill very nicely. I have it topped with a Leupold 3-9x CDS scope, which will allow for longer shots in the mountain areas for Klipspringer, Reedbuck, and Vaal Rheebok. My PH has a shotgun for use on close-range, little stuff like the Blue Duiker. All-up with scope, rings, and sling, this rifle weighs in at 7.5#, and is a breeze to carry. My PH has a soft case in camp, and shooting sticks, so no need to pack this stuff. A spare scope, sighted in, wrenches for scope rings and bases and action screws, lube, and a Bore Snake, all will go along. Since a fair amount of shooting is anticipated, soft ear plugs will be thrown in the pack, also for checking rifle zero once in camp..

I think the Leica Geovid 10x42's will once again go along on this hunt. The ability to find small game at distance, and quickly range it, has proven to be invaluable over the years I have owned the Leicas.

Clothing:
After 4 previous hunts to Africa, my hunt closet is already equipped with all the appropriate clothing I will need for this hunt. Thankfully, I am still at the same weight as I was on the last trip! The amount of clothing we take along seems to diminish with every trip- there is almost always laundry service wherever your camp is.

Trip preparations for travel, logistics, etc:
I will probably use the same travel agency I have used in the past to get travel arrangements, airline reservations, Meet and Greet, travel insurance, gun permit information, etc. in order. I have already contacted them, and next month will begin the airline reservation part of the process.
I will need new Form 4457 documents for my rifle, scopes, binocs, etc. but will not get these for a couple months before departure- I need to get the rifle, ammo, scope, etc. thoroughly wrung out before I commit them to a document I cannot easily change.
I need to talk to my taxidermist, let him know that the trip is coming up, and get tags from him to attach to hides, horns, etc. once game is taken.
A visit to my cell phone provider store is in order, to make sure my wife and I can use our cell phones internationally without incurring monster charges. We already have SA plugs for electrical outlets, from previous trips.
Gun case and luggage are pretty well set, also from a number of international trips in the past. Passports are fairly recently renewed, with lots of blank pages just waiting to be filled.

My wife and I are in good health (for our age, of course!), but as the hunt draws near, I will be stepping up my exercise regimen to include climbing up and down the cliffs near our home.

We hope to be able to spend a day in Jeffreys Bay at the end of the hunt, and possibly do a day of deep-sea fishing before returning home. My wife fell in love with the JB area on our last safari, and wants to go live there. I'm not quite up for that, not yet anyway.

hatari, back to your original thoughts about sharing events leading up to the hunt- these are a few of the things that will be occupying my thoughts over the next 11 months! I have always found the preparation and anticipation to be a vital part of any hunt, especially these African excursions. Will also be studying each of the animals I intend to hunt, their habits, habitat, hunt techniques, etc. to at least be partially prepared for what is coming.

Hatari; I am talking about a 380 grain bullet they are made is RSA and Kevin Robertson is very keen them.

please see the link below.


http://rhinobullets.co.za/solid-shank/

Good post. Care to share clothing recommendations? Haven't found a pair of quiet cotton pants I'm completely satisfied with. Used some Columbia Roc II hiking pants last time that worked ok but looking for options.

Had been thinking it was too early to talk with travel agency, but maybe should give them a call sooner rather than later.

Thanks for the link.

It IS a loooong bullet!

Planning my first DG hunt (Buffalo) for 2019. Hope to also bump into a few targets of opportunity - Livingstone Eland, a big Kudu (I say big because I have a 48 and a 50), Hyena would be cool, a snorter Warthog.

Venue will be the BVC. Plan to book with John Sharp. I have several buddies who are talking with me concerning trying to make this trip...so may be a group hunt with up to 4 guys. That would be something if we can pull that off!

I will hunt with a Ruger No 1 Boddington Buffalo in 450-400 NE wearing a Skinner peep sight. Bullet will most likely be either an A-Frame or Northfork...400gr. I will target 2,200 to 2,300 fps. Most likely Fed 215 and IMR 4831...but lots of time to sort that out. I have 3 or 4 powders on my bench that can achieve the target velocity.

I am a real wussie when it comes to hot weather hunting, but also don't want the vegetation so thick and tall that it hampers hunting to the extreme. Compromise will probably mean target dates are mid-July to mid-August?

I have enjoyed corresponding with John over the past year. He is obviously a wealth of knowledge on hunting DG in general and the BVC in particular. Just getting to hunt with him will be an honor. I believe I could also say that about quite a few of the PHs in Southern Africa.

Started looking around for a tuskless hunt in Aug; leave in a few weeks for Zimbabwe with CMS.

Good luck to all hunting this year and those planning a trip.

Yes wife made the decision, so go!

Funny thing but a few days ago my wife mentioned a trip back to SA with who we used in 2002. Just a fun trip where we celebrated her birthday and our 15th anniversary. I hunted various plains game and waterfowl. I am thinking a bit of plains game, bushbuck and the smaller antelope, bird hunting and some fishing.

Lost a thousand dollars on a plains game hunt I put a deposit on, and couldn't make, several years ago.

Still interested in going, but spent my hunt money on Alaska this year.

Maybe in a couple of years?

Guy

I tried and liked the Cabelas 7 pocket hiker pant.

Thanks. Was looking at them last night. They are on sale but colors available aren't right. Hopefully they aren't getting rid of them and better colors will be available later.