Hunt Report:

Outfitter: Ally Robins
Location: KwaZuluNatal RSA


Performa:

Before I begin this report It is important that a few people be singled out for a Job well done. Kathi our fellow AR Travel agent….Many of you know Kathi from her informative posts here on AR. When I won my trip from the SCI fundraiser I was shocked at how much it would cost to get from Los Angeles to Durban South Africa. In desperation I contacted Kathi and she set up a reasonable flight plan for My wife and myself. More important, the seat selection and connection times were PERFECT!!! No cramped legs or missed connections. Well done Kathi!

Anne at Air2000. You know, there is nothing like walking off an airplane in a foreign country to really humble yourself. Fortunately a young man from Anne’s company was there at the end of the jet way holding a sign with my name on it. Could I have successfully negotiated my way through the firearms process? Probably. Would I have been a happy camper trying to rush the process and get to the Durban flight? Definitely not. Anne was there at the airport as well with her high energy son who proved to be invaluable as we move from the international wing to the domestic departure area. Our Durban bound flight was delayed due to some mechanical problems. Anne knew this…actually even before I did…and phoned Ally who was waiting for us at the Durban airport. She let him know our status…when we would be arriving, and that we had all our bags. Outstanding job Anne!

Ally Robins has a concession north of Durban (about three hours) near the small town of Hluhluwe. From there a long winding macadam road takes you inland to the Intibane Game Lodge where my wife and I stayed while hunting with Ally.



We arrived at night so we were not prepared for the flat out breathtaking beauty that presented itself to us the next morning. What a way to see Africa for the first time…smacked over the head with her beauty on the first morning!

After a delicious breakfast my wife, Ally, and a couple of his staff headed out on the safari vehicle to a small makeshift rifle range to recheck the zero on my CZ 550 .375 H&H. (Ally is insistent that this is the single best caliber for African game…big and small. I have to agree with him. The 270 grain softs worked extremely well from Zebra to Impala.)

Confirmed that I knew how to shoot a gun, we headed out on our first hunt.

The country side is really spectacular and it wasn’t very long before we started seeing game….lots of it. Wilderbeast and Nyala. I wanted to focus first on the Nyala and by lunch I had taken a wonderful bull and a ram impala to go along with it





The next day my wife headed out with Ally’s wife to the Hluhluwe school that she works at as an elementary teacher. Sandy (my wife) owns an education company and was eager to observe the South African School system. She was very impressed both with the children and Elaine (Ally’s wife) and her dedication to the children.

Eventually Ally and I made it to a neighboring concession and, with my wife present, took this fine Zebra



Sandy became the camp photographer and Ally wanted to help her get some great pictures. We spent time looking for great species for her to photograph. He got us within 30 yards of a spectacular Rhino, and a heard of Cape Buffalo.





The best though? After getting skunked on Kudu….he had us on four kudu bulls for about two hours. When the moment of truth came Ally and I crawled for 200 yards into the bush, I shouldered my rifle as we watched the largest Kudu glance in our direction then vanish. Literally vanish, into the foliage.



We then decided to set up a blind near a water hole. I kind of wanted a warthog and figured sitting in a blind would be the best way to get a nice trophy. Within minutes this guy shows up.



We whisper to ourselves that we should wait for a larger specimen. Then my wife says “There is an impala on the far side sitting on his butt…I didn’t think they could do that.†Ally and I don’t respond. She takes a picture of it with her digital camera and zooms in….we all fall out of our chairs! Please look at the photo below under the center tree.





This gall stayed around about 45 minutes. We were all flat out amazed. 20 minutes in a blind…mid day…no bait….not a bad way to end a safari!!

My last animal was a very difficult hunt on the final few hours of the last day. We had put off getting a widerbeast till the very end since there were so many of them. Now that we were after them, the bulls new it and stayed hidden every time we tried to stalk them. I finally got my chance, then spent the last moments of day light searching for him.



This was my first Safari...Everyone had said that before the plane landed my wife and I would be planning our return trip. Here most were wrong. That planning started before we ever said goodbye to our new great friends Ally and Elaine and there two outstanding children Mathew and James.

Well done guys….We’ll be seeing you again next year!

Congrats. Thanks for sharing.

Great report Steven, the black and white pic of the Buffalo is a hell of a shot. It's captures that old "...like you owe him money" look perfectly.

Great report, I guess Mathew is growing into a yound man. I hunted out of Intibane in 2000. Are his parents still involved with the lodge, I had heard they were having some financial problems. You mentioned the road was paved to the lodge it was dirt when you turned off main road. I am trying to put togeather a hunt in Natal for next spring for Red Duiker, Suni and Vaal Rehbok and it could be near Hluhluwe.

Di Ou Jagter,

The road up the coast (N2 I think) is paved, when you turn inland it becomes dirt. The whole family is involved with the operation of the lodge, and yes Mathew is growing into a fine young man. The Robins are a great family, and deserve to be very proud of what they have created down there. Lots of Red Duiker...lots of missed opportunities for me to take one!

quote:

“There is an impala on the far side sitting on his butt…I didn’t think they could do that.â€

Priceless!

Excellent report and Picts! Thanks.

I told you Ally was great! Was he the only PH in camp? Was the food and lodging up to your expectations? Are you saving your money for a return trip????Bet you are! Thanks for the pictures and update.
TB

Hi Tom!

You we're right! Ally is the best! Yes he was the only PH at Intibane. Both his kids and Elaine was there every night, and my wife went to help Elaine out at her school one day. Tremendous family. We were very impressed. (Really Really good food too!!!)

Agreed on the return trip.....I'm going back....just deciding if it's for buff, again, or leopard and buff, or leopard and plains (species I didn't take on my first trip), or...........but I am going!

Great report.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer

Very nice, glad ya'll had a nice trip,great photos.