Looking at a plains game hunt with JOHN X SAFARIS in the Eastern Cape of SA. Specifically looking for a good Kudu. Anyone have any recent experience with these folks?

The East Cape variety of Kudu are generally smaller than those in Namibia and other locations. If you want the largest Kudu you can get, you'd need to book another location. This is, of course, unless you're looking specifically for the largest East Cape Kudu you can find.

No info on them but I would look at johann potsgeiter of savanna hunting safaris, peter lamprect owner of crusers safaris or infinito who posts on here. I went with crusers several years ago out of 8 hunters I was the only one to get one less than 50 inches with mine at 49 inches. several friends have hunted with savanna and have great sucess. There are some posts on ar in the african hunting section on some hunts with infinito and I know they have big kudu plus charl is a great guy

If your hunting in the Eastern Cape, your hunting the Cape Kudu. Average trophy will run 45 inches, with 50 inches or better being excellent. Some private ranches do release Southern Greater Kudu and claim they have world record Cape Kudu, so choose accordingly. You'll need to hunt north if you want a Southern Greater. 52 inches would be average, with 60 inchers possible. However, some areas charge an additional trophy fee for any Kudu measuring 60 inches or more. Charl at Infinito has guided several clients to 60" bulls and as a rule doesn't charge additional fees. As for John X, never hunted with them but they have some nice ranches.
LDK

I have hunted with John X 3 times. Twice in South Africa both on the East Cape and in the Karoo also in Mozambique. They are a great outfit and will work their butts off to get you good trophies. What is nice about them is they will take you to wherever you need to go to get a great trophy not just on their ranches. I couldn't recommend them more.
I took my whole family there this last summer and now my wife wants to go back every year.

Here is the report I filed in the hunting report section. You can see the cape kudu I took.
hunt report

+1 on big Kudu at Cruiser safaris, The kudu keep getting better and better, saw 2 60 inch kudu taken during my last visit in May, plus they are great people.

I have hunted with John X several times. They are top notch and will work to get you on your animals. The shooting is up to you. Great accommodations and PH staff. PM for any details you want to know.

Rhyde

I hunted with John X in 2003. I'm surprised I don't see a lot about it here because it's a first class outfit. Great staff, food and accommodations, and the cost including trophy fees, is very reasonable. They have oodles of property to hunt for specific animals all over the eastern part of the country .

Rather than rewrite what I already have here as a trip report, these are the links to the two pertinent threads with lots of photos included.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...=184108931#184108931

http://forums.accuratereloadin...=619108931#619108931

These are two photos not included in the above threads:

Nice pics

This is a dupe of a message I had in another thread:

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Since I don't have a stake in trying to sell you something, and since I was in the same position in 2003 as you are now, here's some input from a very experienced but rookie-in-Africa hunter.

I booked a 10-day package hunt for the East Cape of SA with John X Safaris who supposedly has access to about 3,000,000 acres of private land. We hunted in at least five different locations, some of which were based at other lodges from one to 4 hours from the main lodge.

None of the ranches were the put-&-take variety either. Yes, they were all fenced properties, but the only time I actually saw the fences was going through the gates to enter or leave the ranches. Most of them were huge. The game species were populuous and included males (both trophy and non-trophy), females and young ones, i.e. naturally reproducing herds.

The cost was $4,995 ALL INCUSIVE for the daily rate, licenses, 1x1 PH and tracker, ground transportation, lodging, alcohol, food, laundry, trophy preparation (not dip/pack!). The food and accomodations were all first rate.

The package included up to 5 or 6 critters, depending on the ones chosen from the basic list. My choices were kudu, gemsbok, impala, blesbok and springbok. I could have chose two of the smaller deer in place of either the sprinbok, impala or blesbok.

I then added blue and black wildebeests, zebra, bushbuck, warthog and nyala. Total for the additional trophy fees: $5,000! The PH threw in a second springbok at no charge because I wanted a full hide for a rug. I don't concern myself with record books like some do, but each animal I killed was a good representative trophy for the species.

So, right there you've got $10,000 at 2003 prices! Adding on airfare of about $2,200 for ONE person from AZ (probably higher now), tips for guide & staff, dip & pack, shipping of trophies to the US and you're easily up to $15,000 BEFORE any taxidermist gets his hands on you.

The taxidermy for those 12 animals cost me WELL over $5,000, though I stretched it out over 4 years.

Obviously, the fewer animals you take above the package price will reduce your total, but then adding the airfare and daily fees for your wife will increase it again. And...that doesn't include any shopping for trinkets.

The point: LOOK at ALL the costs involved, not just the daily rate and trophy fees you get quoted here. The devil is in the details, and the "incidentals" add up quickly.

Although Kudu in the Eastern cape tend to be a few inches shorter, the have IMHO the most beautiful hides.

Thanks to all that shared their thoughts. I really appreciate it.

quote:

Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:

Now I see where you got your avatar!

Nice Bushbuck!