Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Just returned from the Free State and Limpopo region

Red Lechwe 29 1/2, Copper Springbuck, Common Reedbuck, and Sable

NICE! Really nice Lechwe!

Most excellent!

Happy retirement! Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful lechwe headed that way tomorrow to the eastern cape for lechwe and then another week in the Kalahari

I like the sable most. He had a bad attitude, judging from the tips of his horns. I also like "helmet" buffalo.

The lechwe was super, and the springbok is a big one. I tried hard for a reedbuck but didn't connect. I'd sure be happy with yours.

Nice! When are you headed back. You can't go to Africa once. I'm headed to the Limpopo in August. Bob

Thanks to all that commented.
ingwe the Lechwe has been on my list for over 20 years.
Scott, no retirement doesn't suck.
BMD I see your hunt is going well, congrats.
Safari, I too like the unique and old animals, long time coming.
Bob I agree with you, few only go once, this was my 8th hunt.
I'm running out of animals to hunt in South Africa. I simply need to save for leupard and buffalo but am afraid my age is going to catch up with me before that happens.

Also a thanks to Joel with Cameralnd for the suggestion on the Sony camera. I took all of these photos with the camera Joel suggested.

If you are getting old buffalo might be off the menu, but leopard is still doable, as you sit for them....plus they are capable of scaring you more.


Don't ask me how I know....

Very nice lechwe!

It's always a little odd to me, however, to see them in dry country. Got lucky 15 years ago and hunted the Okavango Delta, their native habitat. Spent a couple days wandering around swamps after lechwe, sometimes in water up to the bottom of my ribcage, before getting one. (Actually, once went much deeper than my ribs, due to stepping in a submerged elephant track....)

There are places where you don't have to walk far for buffalo, especially ranch hunts in RSA. As to whether leopard or buffalo will scare you more, it depends on the circumstances. As many PH's have noted (including the one I've hunted with most, the now-retired Kevin Thomas), the most scary of Africa's dangerous game is whichever came closest to "getting" the hunter in question. Personally, I've been scared most by a cow elephant I wasn't even hunting--and I once helped follow up a leopard after dark, that had been wounded by somebody else. That was pretty scary, but not like a serious elephant charge....

Very impressive, WASP.

You did a fine job.

donsm70

Very nice! Maybe someday I can go.

67. Save your pennies. Every second spent in Africa is worth every penny you spend. Go now it will not get easier or cheaper. It is the best bang for your buck right now/

Has the Limpopo recovered from the extreme drought ?

340 It seems that it is, most of the country looked pretty good, the grass in the Free state was exceptional;

Very nice animals!

Lechwe has been done for quite a while but I hadn't been able to post to the Africa thread for some reason. It appears it has fixed itself .

NICE! Congrats, I'm forever grateful I went when I could, and took my Wife along on two of those trips, as crazy as the world's getting, we may never be able to do that again.

Very nicely done! I wish 😊

The sable is complete as well.I debated whether or not to have the horns repaired.

NICE!

Those mounts are striking!

All are impressive trophies. Congrats!
Glad you had a great hunt.

Question: How was the travel? Any restrictions due to COVID? Any problems re-entering the US from Africa? Any issues transporting your rifle(s), especially inside of Africa? Which airlines?

Thanks!

These mounts are from a 2018 hunt and were completed last summer.

Thanks Tom, a local guy here in Forsyth did them. Western Wildlife Art. He does a spectacular job.

Mike, outstanding all the way around. Beautiful animals and mounts. If I go back, Sable will be on the menu for sure. Congrats.

Johnny, don't you mean WHEN you go back.

Mike,

You can really find some deals out there on Cape Buffalo in the Limpopo. You can do it. I killed 2 in the Limpopo---great hunt.

If or when I go back I think I'm going to do a cull hunt with zebra and blue wildebeest. They call blue wildebeest " the poor man's buffalo"

Bob

Great animals and mounts!

I just turned 75 last week, and l wouldn't hesitate to go back on another buffalo or leopard hunt.

I would like to go again but I don't think Arthur will let me. Arthur-itis, that is.

Go when you can. Since my third trip, to Zim in 2011, it's illegal for Americans to take home lion or elephant trophies and now Covid has shut things down for who knows how long. If you don't go when you can, you may never be able to. And it won't get any cheaper.

But Africa will ruin deer hunting for you forever.