I've had the pleasure of 2 hunts with Chris Troskie in South Africa. I've not taken the time to learn to post pictures previously so I didn't post a report last year but will try to do so now. The "Posting Pictures" discussion in "Administration" made it seem easy so I'm almost embarrassed to have not done so in the past, so here goes...

Last year I hunted in Limpopo and KZN and got good representative impala, waterbuck, burchell's zebra, blue wildebeest, nyala, and blesbok. We (my wife and I and the Troskies) also spent a week in Cape Town and enjoyed the whole experience! When I got a chance to take the 1st two weeks off in April of this year we decided to return to hunt in South Africa with Chris and Sabina. As Patty (my wife) had accompanied me last year and enjoyed the whole adventure of Africa, our PH and his wife as much as I had, she was as excited as I was to return. I wanted to hunt a Cape Buffalo and some more plains game and we wanted to tour the Greater Kruger area and see some other parts of South/Southern Africa. Chris and Sabina planned a trip with us to include hunting in several areas and the touring we wanted to do.

We arrived from Atlanta (Delta flight without any hitches) and Chris and Sabina met us at the airport in Johannesburg. No problems with luggage or guns. We drove to a lodge near Malelane in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Accomodations and food were excellent here and for the the entire trip! We started the next day by verifying that my rifle (a .458 Lott on a left handed Weatherby action - yes, a push feed - and a 2.5 Ultralight Leupold scope) was still sighted in which it was. I loaded 500 grain Barnes TSX bullets with 82 grains of R-15 for 2260 fps. I hoped to get an old, worn, heavy bossed bull and was able to. The property we hunted was off the southern border of Kruger on the opposite side of the Crocodile River. They had a lot of rain and it was early enough in their Autumn that leaves had not dropped so the bush was very thick! We saw several pairs of bulls and were able to approach very close to one as the breeze was in our faces. When we were within 25 yards, they became aware of us, stood to see what we were, showing one to be an old bull with a beautiful, heavy boss, good curl and good width but not the 40 inches many desire. The heavy boss was what I wanted so I decided to take him if I could get a clean shot at his vital area through the dense follage. The bush covered the lower half of his body so I never did visualize the classic heart/high heart shot from the side or the front. He did turn his body to face us then turned his head to look at the other bull so I shot him where the spine inters the thorax. He collapsed at the shot. The bullet was recovered inside his peritoneal cavity in the pelvis after breaking his neck and going through chest and his full gut/rumen. The 500 grain TSX looked like an add for Barnes Bullets and penetrated at least 5 feet!







We then went to Kaapsehoop in Mpumalanga and rode horseback in pine tree and silver leaf maple forests in the mountains. Not what we expected to see in South Africa but very beautiful and almost surreal with thunder storms in the backgound!

We then spent the next 3 days in Kruger Park staying at Skukuza then Satara camps and saw a host of animals - especially impala and elephants - but also white rhino's, wart hogs, zebra, giraffe, hippo, waterbuck, kudu, blue wildebeest, monkeys, baboons, buffalo, crocodile, several smaller antelope species and various birds in biosphere from savanna to bushveld. Did I say elephants and impala?

From the park we went to a private nature reserve near Nelspruit where we toured that property, went on a hot air balloon ride over the Greater Kruger (the only lions that we saw), went to the Drakensberg Mountains at Pilgrims Rest, God's Window, the 3 Rondelles, etc. What a beautiful, rich country!

We then went to Limpopo near Ellisras where we hunted again and I was able to take a nice kudu and red hartebeest. My other rifle used was a .375 H&H left handed Model 70, using the 300 grain TSX bullets over R-15 73 grains at 2550 fps. No tracking was required as everything dropped. Although we saw a number of other mature animals, we never saw the blue bodied eland I hoped to see so I passed up several good trophies of other species there.






We spent the final 2 days of our trip hunting in the Tuli block of Botswana just north of the Limpopo River still looking for an old eland bull which we never saw. We did see a host of other game and a huge kudu bordering on 59 inches but he saw us as we saw him and I'd already taken a nice kudu so we didn't pursue him... He'd be worth going back for, however! We had a very nice camp site, good food and accomodations and staff. We'll hunt this property again and spent 7 to 10 days there. I did shoot an impala and baboon...






We bounced around a lot so we see more country doing some touring and some hunting. In early April, South Africa is thick and green and warm to hot and muggy which was a nice change from the 2 feet of snow we left in Wyoming. Hunting would be a little easier later in the season as visibility would be much better due to leaves falling as it had been last July, but it was nice to see the country green! For a pure plains game hunt and no sight seeing, I would plan to go to one or two properties at the most. Chris and Sabina were gracious hosts and planned the trip Patty and I hoped to take down to the last detail! We had a blast and, as many have said on this and other African hunting sites, got bit by the African bug and will plan to go back as soon as finances and other aspects of life allow! Maybe a trip to Mozambique in 2011 for Sable?!?!

Best,

jpj3

Oops! Posted the impala twice!



Best,

jpj3

What a great boss on that Buff!!

Nice buff.

Brett

Thanks! I smile everytime I look at his picture!

jpj3

Are you sure he is mature?
Thank you for the story and pictures.

Congratulations on the Buffalo..man what a boss

Congrats on a wonderful trip and a fantastic hunt!

Enjoyed your story and pics!

Very nice buff!!!

Great buffalo!

Congrats

congratulations. A very good buffalo!

Good shooting and a magnificient buf..

Mike

Yes, that's quite a boss on your buff. Congratulations!

Yep, like they said - massive boss on that buffalo. You should be extremely proud.

That must be one of the best buff I have seen posted in AR !! For me, nothing compare with a heavy bossed bull, no matter his spread.

Congrats

L

Thanks for the kind words. A heavy bossed bull was what I hoped to find. I see why so many AR members get addicted to hunting Cape Buffalo!

jpj3

I'll take character over size any day, and that bull's dripping it. Wonderful animal; as Lorenzo said, one of the prettiest I've ever seen posted here--and that's saying something!

Congrats, and thanks for sharing.

jpj3,
Congrats on your great Buffalo, what a toad! I just returned from hunting with Chris, and man was the bush thick this year. Ran into two separate herds of Buff and did I ever learn the new meaning of respect. What a sour attitude those creatures have, and these Buff have never been hunted. Strictly for breeding. No matter, two different bulls charged us and we were just driving through the bush on a two track. Slobber flying, heads hooking, both chased us for a long distance as we were driving at 35 mph. Glad you enjoyed your hunt and good success.
Cheers,
David

That buffalo is a real beauty!!! Congratualations.

well done