I thought that it was about time that I posted a report about my hunt to South Africa with Umlilo Safaris. The booking was direct with the outfitter Francios Dorfling who can be found on his website:

http://www.umlilosafaris.co.za

There were seven of us in total, 5 hunters and 2 observers. We arrived at Port Elizabeth airport on the 22nd of April for a full 10 days of hunting Things went a bit pear shaped straight away with some of our luggage going missing. But many thanks go out to Francios’s girlfriend Marrissa as she managed to get the luggage found and delivered to us on the first morning so everything was good.

We started off with zeroing our guns on the range, I was using some ammunition very kindly provided to me by Francios until my own bag turned up, with the rifle set up and ready to go we headed back to the lodge for an ice cold beer and some food. Once again the quality of food was fantastic lovingly cooked for us by Fraincios’s mum. I can’t speak highy enough of the hospitality that you get with Umlilo. Nothing is ever to much for them and they will go out of your way to make sure you’re happy and that everything is just right. After dinner we all sat and chatted in the bar and myself and Andy renewed our friendships with everyone that we met here last year. I was told that I’d be hunting with the same PH as last year, Gerry. If ever you’re lucky enough to get out and hunt with Umlilo Safari’s Gerry is a fantastic PH, he’s fantastic at his job and is very patient and does everything possible to get you the animals you want.

They say that your first shot will pretty much sum up your safari, well I certainly agreed with that for the first half of the week. We stalked a herd of impala looking for a suitable cull animal. When we eventually got within range I missed my first animal with a shot over the top of her from 220 yards. But unpeturbed Gerry reassured me that it was a clean miss and that it didn’t matter, (well it did to me but hey things could only get better.) With that we were up and looking for another animal. We managed to stalk into a herd of Blue wildebeest. We found a suitable cull animal and I got myself set up on the sticks at 180yards when they all decided to take their morning siesta’s. This resulted in a long wait, where Gerry told me we weren’t going back to the lodge until I’d made my first kill of the trip, finally my animal got up and decided it was time for it to meet it’s maker. I took a quartering shot and the wildebeest ran about 50 yards in a circle before expiring. I was extatic. I had my first animal of the trip.



That afternoon saw us out looking for a cull Kudu and possibly a trophy Kudu. We saw a fantastic trophy Kudu, but like most animals they don’t get that big without being clever. We stalked onto it and when we got there e was gone. And so my luck started to change. We hunted that Kudu trophy solidly for 3 more days before we had to start shooting more cull animals to take my quota. By this time of having drawn so many blanks on the hunting trip I had decided that the reason why was because I wasn’t wearing my lucky hat from my last safari. So with a change of my hat so my luck changed as well. I know it sounds stupid but I swear it worked.
We went out in the afternoon hunting for my three cull Impala’s that I had left. We got onto a herd and found a suitable cull animal which resulted in a shot off the sticks standing at 180 yards down hill. I was buzzing again, the rifle was performing well and it banished the thoughts of my missed impala on the first day.



We were out again hunting for the final two Impala that I had left to take and Gerry got me onto a herd, but unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough with my shooting and I missed the opportunity of a shot. Again Gerry worked fantastically and got me back onto the herd and again found me another animal and once again I was to slow. Gerry then had a quiet word in my ear and informed me that if I didn’t speed up with my target acquisition and shot then I wouldn’t shoot anything. So with his words rattling round my head he worked his nuts off and got me back onto the herd again and found me a young ram to shoot. There was no hesitation this time. It was a 170yard shot standing off the sticks and down he went. We went over to where the animal was supposed to be laying and he’d gone. We found him 15 yards away lying at the bottom of a cork bush. I duly put a second shot into him and we were off looking for my last impala.



With the success of my last shot we were following the herd but could never get closer than 250 yards. I tried to take one of the bipod at 250 but shot over the top. I was kicking myself at such a stupid miss, but we kept going. Another shot presented itself at 270 yards and again I was down on the bipod and again another easy miss. I was getting really annoyed now and couldn’t understand how I kept missing. Then another shot presented itself this time at 280 yards. So I got down on the bipod and Gerry asked if I could make the shot. I assured him I could. It turned out I was wrong. The bullet dropped further than I had anticipated and it struck the Impala just behind the shoulder as she was quartering to me and proceeded to ‘unzip’ her from the sternum with the bullet exiting through the rear leg. Gerry was on the radio requesting that Tully and the tracking dogs came to track the wounded animal. We went to the strike point and found a very good spoor to track. The dogs and Tully arrived a couple of minutes later and that was it, Fella the dog was straight on the trail and a couple of minutes later I put a finishing shot into her. The dogs worked fantastically and tracked the animal with ease. Once again Francios’s staff were absolutely top notch and performed faultlessly.

That afternoon saw us out after my ostrich. I never expected myself to enjoy shooting ostrich, but if you get the chance take it, it was a fantastic stalk. We spotted them and the stalk was on, unfortunately they spotted us as well and they were off. This resulted in myself and Gerry running across the planes to the side of the skinning shed where I took my ostrich from a long 280 yards off the bipod. Just in front of the leg and down he went. We walked over to him and I put a finishing shot into the head as he was still moving. But I was feeling great, it had been the most exciting stalk of my trip.



All of a sudden it was half way through my safari. We took the morning off on Sunday to go to the Daniell Cheatah breeding reserve. The animals were fantastic, and as luck would have it we even managed to get to handle 6 week old lion cubs. It is a must to visit that place if you ever get the opportunity.














That afternoon saw me back at the concession hunting Kudu once again, this time my cull Kudu finally turned up. It was a rushed shot at about 130 yards down across a valley. The shot I was to learn was the easy bit, getting the Kudu out was a little bit more tricky. But once again the staff were fantastic at their jobs and soon had him in the back of the truck.




The next day I was off to shoot my Zebra an animal I had longed for, since y trip last year. We went to another concession that Umlilo have to hunt the zebra, the scenery was fantastic. When we arrived there were a few Zebra we had spotted from the truck. So we got out and the stalk was on. We must have stalked them for three or four miles, never getting any closer than 400 yards, with a herd of Eland and Blesbuck joining in just to make it harder. In the end we caught up with them in a lot of Aloe Vera plants. I finally had my longed for Zebra in my sights. He was standing facing me quartering slightly at 150 yards. I slipped the safety and hit him just to the right of the centre of his chest It was a good solid hit and after a bit of a run he was down. Boy my lucky hat was working well. My thoughts of my first day miss had been well and truly banished. Could my safari get any better. I seriously doubted it.



That afternoon saw my return to hunting my now very elusive Kudu trophy. It was Wednesday and we were going home on Saturday so time was getting short. We went to a high seat where we were looking for Kudu. It got to 17: 40 and I thought that’s it another blank when Gerry informed me that he’d two Kudu trophies a way off but didn’t think we’d get to them in time. But what the hell we’d try anyway. We were out of the high seat and after them like mad men. We caught up with them as they were walking lazily away from us. Gerry knew what I wanted in my trophy, we’d discussed it often enough, it didn’t have to be massive, but it had to have deep curls and a wide spread. And that’s just what the one we were following had. He asked me if I wanted to take him, I replied that I most certainly would. The sticks were up and the safety was off. It was now almost dark I put the cross hairs just infront of the rear haunches as he was almost standing facing away from me. I could hear Gerrys voice in my head aimfor the opposite shoulder. With that I shot. I heard the strike and Gerry asked if I thought I’d made a good shot. I informed him that I had. We went up to where we thought he’d been standing and found no blood, no signs of a hit or anything. I started to worry. Gerry was on the radio requesting trackers and dogs instantly. We started to make our way back to where I took the shot when I smelt something, I looked down and there was the blood. 30 yards into the scrub in an old dried up river bed was my Kudu. The relief was immense. We took the pictures under the light of the truck as it was now 100% dark. We drank well that night. My two trophies in one day, I was on cloud nine.





The next day feeling a bit worse for where, we were out after warthog. But alas the warthog weren’t looking for us. In the afternoon we went on a springbuck hunt. I had two culling springbuck to take. That was a good laugh. We took two springbuck within 10 seconds of each other. The moderator on the end of the gun was fantastic. They didn’t hear the shots. The first shot was at 150 yards and the second was at 60 yards.





We were out after my warthog the next day and had almost given up hope, when we saw him scurrying down the hill straight at us. He stopped momentarilly at 120 yards and that was all the time I needed. And with that my safari was complete. 10 days of hunting were gone and soon it would be time to head home.



That evening we went to Francios's house for a fairwell dinner. And before we knew it we were on the plane home. Our holiday over with.

Would I recomend Umlilo Safaris? Most certainly yes. They are extremelly attentive and cater to meet everyone's needs. Nothing is to big a problem or too small an issue for them. Their staff are first class. I'd be back like a shot but unfortunately I've got to pay for my wedding.

Nice report, it looks like you had a very good time.

Very nice story sounds like a great hunt.
Congratulations!
How big was that Kudu?

The Kudu was 46" not massive I know but was still a fantastic head to me. I take great enjoyment in the way the trophy is taken over the size of it. And after 7 days almost solidly hunting Kudu it was fantastic to finally have my trophy.

Nice hunt and pics. By the way, what is the device on the end of your barrel, may I ask?

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
Nice hunt and pics. By the way, what is the device on the end of your barrel, may I ask?

Hi the device on the end of the rifle is a T8 moderator, it makes the rifle significantly quieter to shoot and also helps improve your accuracy as it reduces the felt recoil.

Nice one!

Looks like you took some challenging shots mate, an impala at 280 isn't a big target.

Are you getting any taxidermy work done in the UK or RSA?

I'm using Karroo taxidermy out in South Africa, is about the same price as having it done in the UK, and 2 of the hunters visited their place while they were out there and thought it looked good. SoI'll just sit back and hope that everything turns out well.