Spear Safaris-Looking real hard at a buffalo hunt with these guys for late May 2010.I saw Scottyboy"s hunt report and have since contacted them about a hunt.Can anyone else give me some info about this outfit?

I have not hunted with Ernest but I have spent several hours speaking with him and his wife. Darn nice folks. He has a very nice operation in RSA. He has great prices on management buffalo hunts.

I have not hunted with Ernest either, but I talked to him at our local sports show in 2006. He seemed OK to me.

I understand that Ernest was going into a partnership with Johan Spies, and that they got a new concession just west of Kruger Park. I hunted with Johan in 2005 in Zimbabwe for my buffalo and Chobe bushbuck. I would hunt with Johan again in a second.

The second part of my 2005 hunt, I hunted two concessions in South Africa with Koos Moulder, a PH for both Ernest and Johan. Koos and I got along great and I got a good Nyala and other PG.

I am a very good friend of Theo de Marillac whos sister, Marita, is married to Ernest. They are very nice people indeed. I can only recommend a hunt with him..

Ernest is a very good bloke, you will have no worries.

eyedoc: You absolutely cannot do better than Ernest and Spear Safaris. Yes...he and Johan (of Spies Safaris) share some of the same hunting concessions. IF you are wondering what kind of quality animals are on these properties, check the thread 60"+ Kudu, you will see my pic with a better than average Kudu. Not only that....but these are first class guys. I will be taking my Granddaughter, who turned 5 this past summer, and is shooting her .243 like she was born with it in her hands to Africa next year to hunt with Spies. I will probably end up spending at least 3 months there. Anyway.....This question is about Spear Safaris. I personally....over a L-O-N-G period of time know these folks. I have known them long enough to get the 'real' treatment....not just the friendly stuff because you are a client. They are the real deal.......BEST OF ALL.....YOU WILL PROBABLY BE HUNTING THORNYBUSH!!!!!!!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW GOOD THIS PROPERTY IS....IT CONNECTS DIRECTLY TO KRUGER!!!! Well, if you don't know....It would be hard to explain and imagine. IT IS SIMPLY THE BEST....THE BEST.....THE BEST. And, you should see the accomidations....TO DIE FOR!!!! Tell Ernest & Marita, Brennan said to take care of you. You will be home free. I did not say cheap.....but your hunt will be a done deal with quality in Game, Accomidations, PH and knowledge of game, etc. etc.

quote:

Originally posted by crl:
I have not hunted with Ernest but I have spent several hours speaking with him and his wife. Darn nice folks. He has a very nice operation in RSA. He has great prices on management buffalo hunts.

What exactly is a mangagement buffalo hunt? Is this similar to whitetail management hunts in Texas and other places but on "ranched" buffalo in RSA where the goal is to take smaller animals out of the gene pool or is it something different? How much difference in price is there over a traditional trophy hunt?

I am curious as well, about prices for a Cape Buff hunt there. Both trophy and management hunts. Can somebody give a ball park figure for a cape buf hunt with Spear Safaris?

Mad Dog

quote:

Originally posted by Mad Dog:
I am curious as well, about prices for a Cape Buff hunt there. Both trophy and management hunts. Can somebody give a ball park figure for a cape buf hunt with Spear Safaris?

Mad Dog

Mad Dog,

The following was copied from their home page:

COSTS
Please contact us for a custom quote.
Contact us now at edyason@mweb.co.za for a free quotation.

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

eyedoc,

Ernest and Marita are two of the finest people you will meet and Coos the other PH is as good of a man would ever ask to hunt with as well. Camps and staff are first class, meals and all accompdations leave nothing to want. Animals are average good to above average in all of the areas that Ernest hunts.

My wife and I have known Ernest and Marita for 7 years and hunted with them last August in South Africa in three provinces and killed 18 animals, all top rate. 8 of the animals will make gold or silver SCI.

I will tell you that I have NEVER HAD ANYONE WORK HARDER FOR ME/US THAN ERNEST and the staff!I almost felt quilty at times when we would casually inquire about anything if he thought you wanted it and he could get it or show something to you he did!

Ernest, Marita and their entire operation is a 10 out of a 10, end of discussion for us.

If you think this is just a friend giving lip service to a friend it maybe but based on personal experience and fact.

ONE THING I WILL TELL YOU IS TO LOOK INTO OR DO YOURSELF IS GET YOUR OWN QUOTES ON SHIPPING THE RETURN OF YOUR TROPHIES. Ernest has a contract with a company in SA and I will tell you--and this is my own fault--I did not check into this myself before we left and I thought their prices were absolutely outrageous!

My recommendation; by all means book with Spear Safaris but make your own deal or at least do some negotiation with the taxidermy company that will prepare your trophies before they go to the shipping company! By contrast, our trophies from Tanzania were a breeze for a more than reasonable price even considering all the trouble in Tanzania in 2007. Adam Clements of Tanzania Game Trackers/Bundu Safaris. Same deal over the top on game/trophy quality, camps, staff, FOOD--everything. I expected difficulty with the shipments, they were a breeze and Adam and the staff were very apologetic for things beyond their control.

Thus, we highly recommend both of these businesses without reservation but pay attention to ALL the details and discuss these things on the front and back end (have All the details worked out) before you sign on the dotted line and send the $$$'s.

I have to add a personal story; at the end of our hunt with Ernest he told me that my wife, Terri, is the most accomplished female hunter he has hunted with in his 18 years of hunting inclusively. Not bad for a gal who was introduced to her first gun 7 years ago! She was also awarded "Female Hunter of the Year for the Nebraska Chapter of SCI. You may think she was up against gals shooting coyotes and prairie dogs, not so. So what do I think of my wife receiving the award and not me? I nominated her for it and besides...I brag about what a good coach she has. A VERY PROUD HUSBAND!

OH, by the way when we were in Tanzania I offered to buy her some tanzanite for her birthday in October. When I asked her if she wanted a neckless or a pair of earings she said, "You know my birthday is in October!" I'm thinking--well yea, duh, why do YOU think I'm asking??" She then said, "When you shot your buffalo (read this as two) I told you I wanted to shoot one someday also, so put that money on a gun for me!" Can you guys see the tear in my eye? I'm so happy...I gotta be the luckiest most blessed guy in the world!

Oh, yea, she got her Montana Rifleworks/Accurate Innovations 375 H&H for Christmas, I never thought a gal 5'3'' #120lbs would shoot anything bigger than her 338/06 but I have to shut her off at the range or she'll shoot the 375 'til her shoulder's black and blue then laugh about it!

Best Regards,

I just joined and happened on this last report, Thank you for the nice words. We had no idea that you thought the taxidermist was a rip off, if we'd know we would gladly have taken them somewhere else. Just for the record we are not using the same taxidermist any more.
Ernest

Ernest,
Glad to have you aboard. Now that you are here, why don't you tell us a bit about your buffalo hunts. What is the management hunt?
KH

I'll post again, I'm also interested in the cape buff hunts.

Mad Dog

Ernest & Marita: Hello....Hello. I will see you in July & August! I'll be bringing my Grandaughter to hunt with Spies. We'll be there July 6, and stay through July 25th. My Grandaughter is looking forward to meeting your children !!! Anxious to here how the season went....Although I already know! I've NEVER known Spear Safari's to have a bad season! Read the Africa...vs...Austria post. Can't wait to see you again. Guess I'll take my daughter and grandaughter to Kruger unless we get a better invite @ Thornybush. Brennan

Ball park figure for trophy buff hunts in SA for 2009 should be between $15-$17k, all cost inlcuded from airport and back, trophy dropped of at Taxidermy. That's what ours will be in any case, also hunting next to Kruger.

Welcome Ernest!

Hi All
Thank you for the welcome notes.
A bit more on our management hunt. In the past we used to take 2 to 3 Bulls a year. Now that our herd have grown to about 500+ animals we take between 6 and 10 per annum. If I only take the Large ones, soon there will only be small ones left to breed.
So about 4 years ago I decided to start the management hunt.
We now do about 4 management Bulls and 2 trophy bulls.
Trophy bulls: you shoot the Mature Bull you like.No soft Bossed bulls allowed
On the Management hunt you have to choose one of the Bulls we show you, you do not have to take the first one I show you but will not pick your own. Basically I aim to get OLD bulls with a spread of 36" and less, we have actually taken record book bulls, but typically they will not make the Book.
We regularly take Bulls that you might expect to get in the Matetsi region of Zimbabwe.
This scheme has really paid of for me as we now have really big Bulls coming along. Soon we will be able to compete with places like Timbavati.
At present we sell them for $10 000 all inclusive of 7 days, (we started them at $8500). I am sure this will increase as I am under a lot of pressure from the respective landowners, but we will offer these hunts for a long time still.
Our trophy hunt runs $15 200 at present.

Hope this answers your questions.

quote:

Originally posted by buffalo:
I am a very good friend of Theo de Marillac whos sister, Marita, is married to Ernest. They are very nice people indeed. I can only recommend a hunt with him..

De Marillac name is associated with hunting on the Woodlands Estates in Zimbabwe. The recent ruling by the SADC tribunal makes clear that hunting on Woodlands is hunting on confiscated lands and is illegal. As is going on safari or even visiting this property.

Dear Friends
Please note that my hunting is in South Africa, the Buffalo hunts that i referred to is on a private game reserve next to Kruger.
Looking forward to chatting more and will gladly clear up any further confusion.
Ernest