Travel Dates June 12-June 22, 2007
Hunting Dates June 14- June 21, 2007
Area Hunted RSA Limpopo Region on Border with Botswana
PH: Eric Sorour
Species Hunted Waterbuck, Eland, Zebra, Forest Hog, Warthog, Gemsbok, Impala, Kudu, Black Wildebeest, Giraffe, Baboon, Monkey
Species seen but not hunted Black Rhino, White Rhino, Crocodile, Blue Wildebeest, Ostrich, Bushbuck, Duiker, Red Hartebeest, Steenbuck, Klipsringer, Steenbuck, and much more...
Rifle: 30-06 Weatherby
Bullet: 180gr Swift A-Frame - Pass Through on Warthog and Impala - Under opposite side skin on Kudu, Gemsbok and Black Wildebeest.

First of all I want to say thank you to everyone who has posted here over the past year. The information on this site really helped me make my first safari a success!

This was my first safari, but I was tagging along with my friend Gayne Young who was asked by Gander Mountain to hunt with Limcroma safaris and give his opinion of their outfit. Gayne has hunted Africa before and is published in many magazines from Safari Magazine, Sporting Classics, Sports Afield etc. I like most of us was paying the full fair and very conscious of price and value for the whole safari. Im also not someone who really worries about the size of a trophy. Give me a mature animal and Im real happy.

Day One - The Airport

Ok, so Im a freak and was able to convince my wife we needed to be at the airport 4 hours early. Im my mind it was the first step in the journey and I would have spent the night there if I had been allowed. It was a good thing we arrived early. Our flights to Africa seemed to easy, Austin to Washington then Washington to Jburg. That is of course if the flight from Austin to Washington hadnt been cancelled! After about 2 hours of counter hopping United had us booked on Delta leaving an hour earlier and arriving in Jburg 2 hours later. If we hadnt been at the Airport early our whole trip could have been delayed.

Day Two - Arrival to RSA

Plain and simple. Luggage/guns arrived with us and Riflepermits rep and our first PH Johan were ready with the paperwork. We were in and out in less that 10 minutes. At a cost of $90.00 bucks to Riflepermits plus a $10.00 dollar tip(she was cute) we were on our way to our first camp for the evening.





Day Three - Lets go hunting

Day one was simple. Feel out the first concession and our PH. Eric Sorour was there to be our PH and tour guide. It become very quickly apparent to me why a PH is so necessary in Africa. In the United State we really got the short end on the animal numbers. I saw more animals of more species in the first couple of hours than I have ever seen on some of the biggest game ranches here in Texas.





Eric totally ignored countless numbers of warthog and impala as we drove the concession. He, unlike me, new quality trophy size and kept us moving. My friend Gayne made a stalk and connected with his Waterbuck at around 200 yards. Shooting a CZ550 in .375 he dropped the waterbuck that measured 28 1/2 inches.





Back to the lodge for my new best friend Castle Light - or as the PH's called it my Diet Beer.

Day Four - 2nd Day Hunting

We spend day two looking at Kudu, Impala, Eland and Warthogs. Not wanting to head back to camp for lunch we make a temporary blind over a waterhole and had a little picnic. Again, love the excitment of seeing so many animals come in to drink. We must have seen close to a hundred warthogs while on the road and while sitting when this shooter comes to drink. I was looking away from the waterhole at Eric when the warty showed up. His eyes told be a shooter had arrived before I even turned around. One shot and he falls in his tracks. Needless to say I am very happy with this hog.




We made a stab that night for a forest hog by sitting on the edge of a field with night scopes. Its really cold and Im a huge wimp. After a few long cold hours we call it a night and headed back to the lodge.

Day Five - 3rd day Hunting

Back on the hunt and we pass on several Impala and Eland. We actually jump a group of 4 forrest hogs on the move but they never give a good shot. The good luck waterhole is on the list for lunch again and today it supplies my friend with his zebra.




It was this zebra that ended up creating a bond between myself, my hunting partner and our PH that may never be broken. We load the zebra up into the back of the truck and move him for pictures. While on the move, the zebras back legs stiffen and I thought we would never get them bent for the pictures. We then load him back up again and are forced to cut a small hole in his gut to let air out so he will slide under the chair in the back of the truck. In all my years ive never, nor will I ever, forget that smell. Have not laughed that hard in years.

Day Six - Fourth Day Hunting

We made a move to Limrcomas base camp on the Limpopo river at the border with Botswana in the morning and headed out for the balance of our animals in the afternoon.



We jumped baboons on the river early but no shot was presented. I later connected with my Gemsbok at about 200 yards and after a short 100 yrd track found her. Good mature female.



Day 7 - Fifth Hunting Day

Well, today we got skunked. Chased the Eland all morning and I missed a shot on a good impala. I was still amazed at how the trackers followed the eland tracks at close to a jog. The eland just kept doubling back on us and never came out of the thick stuff.

Day Eight - Sixth Hunting Day

Today the plan was to get back on the eland early and call in the calvery (multiple trackers) if needed. Our Ph was after a good big bull and we passed on smaller animals when everything finally came together before lunch and Gayne dropped this big boy at about 100 yards with one shot.




The successful eland hunt was followed by what I am going to term the impala that used me to commit suicide. We had seen tones of impala and I had missed one earlier. Eric had also passed on hundreds of other impala and I was convinced at this point that he just didnt want me to shot one. We finally jumped two bucks and kept moving back and forth trying to get a shot. Well, one kept standing out in the open while the other was always moving from bush to bush. I finally told Eric that I liked the one we could see so I pulled the trigger and dropped him. Upon closer inspection. The impala had an open sore the size of a softball on its chest and already smelled rotten. Something had tried to kill this thing and I just finished the job. Still, Im happy.



Day Nine - Seventh Hunting Day

Were out for a Giraffe that my buddy added late and my Kudu. Gayne had decided that if he takes a Giraffe he wants a big dark bull. Several bulls and properties later all we saw were really light colors so no Giraffe for Gayner. We focus on Kudu that night and I take a heavy old boy. The Kudu drops straight down after I pull the trigger ( That would be the second time I pulled the trigger as I left the safety on the first time...uhggg) and the tracker says "thats the kind of shot I like"




Day Ten - Eigth Hunting day and Late Return Flight

Today includes about 6 hours of travel for 30 minutes of hunting for my black wildebeest. Its also a good time to report that as many of you know they drive much smaller cars in RSA at much higher speeds. I was never worried, just an observation. I connected with the wildebeest at about 150 yards. First shot was back and second shot dropped him.



We headed to Jburg with our tracker Alfred in the car. He had never been to a city the size of Jburg and when we showed him our plane he stated it was as big as a train and he would never fly.

In all, the accomodations and staff were excellent and I would recommend Limcroma to anyone. Much much bigger trophies were being collected everyday by other hunters in camp but that wasnt my goal. I really feel that our PH Eric and earlier Johan couldn't have worked any harder to make the trip a great one and have earned my respect and desire to hunt agian with them in the future.

Great report and photos, thanks! Can't believe the mass on that Kudu!

That is one hell of a Wartie and a MASSIVE Kudu! Congrats!

Holey Moley! What a warthog!! The other critters are good, too. Congrats. Good report.

Great report and nice trophies. The warthog is a monster!!


Phil

Congrats !

Great Report!

I will be Hunting with them in Sept.

You did a great job writing our trip up Joel. I'd give your details an "A," your grammer a"C+."

Just wanted to add that I really enjoyed spending a few days with you two guys while you were in camp. Glad to see you had a good time. Shoot me an email sometime, I want to keep in touch.

Tyge, Im having trouble remembering if it was because of you or Eric that Gayne needed the anatomical doll to show us where he was touched.

Just kidding. I was glad to see your video of the elephant yall took in Bots. Everyone around the campfire spoke very highly of your videoing skills. Im sure Gayne and I will stay in touch.

Very nice trophies and congrats on a good hunt! LDK

I have known Hanes Els for Limcroma for several years, and finally got to stop there for a visit this year too.

What a great place.

Joel's hunt will be the focus of an upcoming feature in Outdoor Life magazine tentatively titled, “Adventurous, Affordable Africa.†My deadline for the piece is next week (I’m a freelance writer). The actual article will hit early this fall. I’ll keep y’all posted.

Great report, thanks for sharing it. I am planning my first safari next May and I agree the info here has been very helpful and has answered a lot of my questions.
Thanks,
Jeff

Jeffs,

Be sure to fill out a report upon your return

Thanks everyone. I am very happy with all the trophies.

Just a note to any new hunters heading to Limcroma Safaris without your wives. Mine pictured my stay in South Africa in a sort of tent around an open campfire. When she saw the pictures of the chalets with tile and wood rooms she stated they were nicer than our honymoon suites in Jamaica. Im not sure i'll be able to head there for just another guys safari.

Nice report and some great trophies! Congrats on your first safari.

Looks like some beautiful animals you got there! I spent some campfire time with Eric and broke bread with him a couple of times last week; he seemed like a great guy and a very knowledgable PH.

Congrats. Kudos on the warthog - it's incredible.