Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa PJ Safaris, Musina S.A.

Hunting with PJ Safaris out of Musina next June. Has anybody hunted this area? Can you provide some info?

Which way out of Musina? Towards Tshipise or Mapungubwe?

Hunted there extensively, what do you want to know?

I believe that we will be hunting towards Mapungubwe. I am wondering about the topography of the area? We live in an area where we are close to flat marshy land, hilly and mountainous and would like to practice our shooting to match the terrain of the area we will hunting in? What are the predominant animals there. This will be our first time in Africa. And any other info you can give would be greatly appreciated.

The shooting distance starts at 650 yards at running game the size of a medium Texas hog.

Well, not really. All along the Limpopo River it is real rugged mountains with many leopard. Be sure to ask your outfit to take you to Mapungubwe (Place of the Jackal). The confluence of the Sashe River into the Limpopo is the international boundaries of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Mapungubwe is a National Park and you will most likely get to see elephant, kudu, impala, duiker and waterbuck among other game species. The University of Pretoria has determined that the dynasty of Mapungubwe traded with the Great Zimbabwe characters from about 980 - 1260 AD. Mapungubwe is also the only terrain where some artefacts were discovered that were gold plated with real gold leaf. A small rhino and a staff are the two artefacts I can recall off-hand.

Also in that area is a very large commercial crocodile breeding facility. The guided tour is rather interesting and worth a visit. In the town of Musina (upto 1994 Messina) is the border town between SA and Zim. You can drive to right at the Limpopo and the bridge connecting SA and Zim and snap a few pics. In town is the only gun shop for many miles, known as Crooks Corner (named after the boundaries between SA, Zim and Mozambique). Low and behold I got some 458 Lott ammunition there one year!

Your shooting distance will typically be in the 100 - 150 yard range (and closer) and almost all game species occur. Eland, kudu, impala, waterbuck, zebra, duiker, steenbok, porcupine, red hartebeest, nyala and numerous others. For me it's just too far to travel to hunt there or I would probably have hunted there more. You may even hear a leopard at night coughing away.

Most of the staff will most likely speak good English because they are from Zimbabwe. Your preferred hunting method will determine how much walking you will be doing. Get a good boot that supports the anckle because some areas have small loose rocks that can really twist your foot. There is another thread about boots but I am unfamiliar with all the boots you have in the US.

Your arrival airport will be Johannesburg. Are you getting a connecting flight to Polokwane (Pietersburg)? If not, you are in for a scenic 5-6 hour drive. The area North of Pretoria is known as the Springbok Flats (yes it's flat and yes there used to be millions of springbok) but the area is scenically challenged. From Potgietersrus (sorry I get mixed up with the new name) onwards you'll start hitting mountains. From Louis Trichardt onwards it gets real beautiful. Pietersburg has the Wolkberge (Cloud Mounatins) and Louis Trichardt has the Soutpansberge (Salt Pan Mountains). You will travel through the HF Verwoerd tunnels. Verwoerd was the Prime Minister who put apartheid on the law books. You will travel through Musina and take a left just as you are exiting town in the direction of the Valencia Diamond mine until you reach your destination. Forgot to mention that just North of Pietersburg you will cross the Tropic of Capricorn. They have a small monumnet and last time I was there they just erected a small (non-funtioning at time) information office. If at night, don't stop. But I'm sure your host will know that.

I'm just trying to locate some pictures of the area when I'll post them. You will also see many of the Baobab Trees (Adantsonia digitata) and there is a really large one on the side of the road about 15 - 20 km's before you hit Musina.

What else would you like to know?

Pieter,
Thank You for the information! It was very helpful.
650 yards at running game, no problem, we can make those shots from the hip! Well, maybe we might have to aim.
After reading your post it makes us wish we were going this June. We will be taking a small hopper flight from Johannesburg so unfortunately we will miss the terrain you spoke of. If the opportunity arises we will visit the commercial crocodile farm for sure. My hunting partner will be my 13 yo Son and I am looking forward to the lifelong memories that will be made.
Thanks again for you reply.

Michael and Ryan Smith
Wasilla, Alaska

Michael I hope you and Ryan have a blast. I finally found the pictures I was looking for.


Above: This is in the Mapungubwe National Park and is more-or-less what you can expect to see in many of those areas. Just off the left shoulder of the hunter, running diagonally from right bottom to left top is a thin sandy brown stripe. That's the Sashe river. Where we are is in SA, left of the Sashe is Botswana and on the right is Zim.


Above: View down a valley


Above: A number of baobab trees


Above: An overhead walkway in an exclosure. No large animals are allowed in this area to see what the long-term effect will be on the vegetation when not being utilized by animals. The walkway is about 12 - 15" above the ground.


Above: An elephant on the bank of the Limpopo river seen from the lookout at the end of the walkway.


Above: Just before Musina is this big baobab tree. Notice the hunter in the middle of the tree standing upright

[img]http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i322/PieterKriel/8.jpg[/img]
Above: The plaque with information right at that baobab.

[img]http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i322/PieterKriel/11.jpg[/img]
Above: Tropic of Capricorn just North of Pietersburg.

Bring back many pictures and fond memories of your son.

The Life you lead Pieter, the life you lead. I trust you recognise the blessing you have, and that you are.

Randy

Wow! Pieter

Thank You for the wonderful pictures and information. Yes, we will take lots of pictures and videos.
I agree with Medicman, I haven't met you but by your kindness and generosity I can tell you are a Good Man.

Your Friends
Mike and Ryan

Wasilla? Come over and bring "Sarah" with you :^) I owned a farm in that area you are hunting and hunted the area and all the farms around there exclusively for about 8 years. Right at the base of Dongola Mountain. Beautiful area and, IMO, the best area in SA. I had to sell and relocate as, at the time, the Zimbabweans were flooding across the border and causing problems for me and my clients. That problem has subsided a bit now. Have a geat hunt.

Ken Moody, dba Ken Moody Hunting Africa