Most hunt reports are posted by foreigners who have journeyed to Africa to hunt and are reported on from a "foreign" point of view. So i though that those residing outside of Africa may like to know what the season of a middle class African hunter can be like. I hunted professionally for 4 years but i now hunt for pleasure and good company .

March 2011
Species: Management Buffalo cows
Hunters: 2
Observers/back-up: 2
Rifles: Hunter 1 Winchester 416 Rem Mag, 400grain Hornady @ 2300fps
Hunter 2 BRNO 602 375 H&H, 300 grain Barnes TSX
Back up 1 BRNO 602 458 Lott, 500 grain Hornady @ 2250fps
Back up 2 Truvelo 416 Rigby, 400 grain Barnes TSX
Area: Private Game reserve sharing a common boundary with Kruger National park, resident buffalo on the reserve number +1500 so the boundary with Kruger is largely irrelevant. We were never closer than about 10km from Kruger

The first hunt was probably the easiest buffalo hunt i have ever been on and what i think every hunter would not want to happen in terms of getting full value for money. Being management hunts we had no choice! We literally drove into the herd, kept going until we were out of sight and then debussed. Once off loaded and getting rifles and kit loaded up we walked a few minutes back and found the herd still grazing. After 5mins of stalking around the tail end of the herd a suitable cow presented herself broadside at 50m. One shot resting off a mopane tree with the .416 Rem was all it took for her to pile up after 80m and give a death bellow. March is really, really hot so recovery was hard work in that heat - very different from the dry heat later in the season.

The second hunt was mildly more challenging, we followed tracks for 45mins, bumped a large Black Mamba which had the whole group scatter in different directions and found the herd grazing just in the bush on the edge of a large open area. The thicker bush of early season made it hard to find a shootable management animal and ensure that there were no animals behind it that might take a bullet. It is actually harder to hunt herds in that thick early season bush than later in the year. The herd was probably 4-500 animals strong so no shortage of buffalo but really hard to see exactly what you are looking at. Eventually we found a suitable buffalo that offered us a frontal chest shot @ 70m. Due to the thickness of the bush and a tight schedule this became a "team" buffalo. Shot 1 was with the 375H&H follwed by the 416 Rigby and the 458 Lott which were both unecessary. The guy shooting the 375 is very experienced and with that load one shot was all it needed.

All in all a great 3 days in the bush with mates, a bit short but worth every minute and great hunting in a big 5 area, always special! Saw lots of Elephants, heard Lion and spent hours watching big herds of buffalo.



May 2011
Species: Waterfowl, Pigeons
Hunters: 4
Shotguns: 12gg O/U, SxS
Shot size: 3's - 7's
Dogs: GSP x 2
Area: Mpumalanga Province
Days: 3
The focus of this hunt was a reunion for a few of us that hunted together; some still hunt Zambia and TZ so our hunt needed to be early before the hard work begins for the PH's. Our daily plan was to concentrated on waterfowl at first light, then back to the lodge for brunch, out to the fields for hot barreled pigeon and dove shooting and then back to the dams/pans for the evening flight. A bit early in the year for the waterfowl and the shooting was average to slightly above average. The pigeon shooting was phenominal though and both dogs and shooters alike had their full. Company was fantastic and it is always good hunting with old friends; and the active PH's really enjoy doing their own hunting.



June 2011
Species: Springbuck, Red Haartebeest, Gemsbuck, Black Wildebeest
Hunters: 13
Firearms: 243 Win - 375 H&H (yes loaded with 260grain accubonds it is perfect for Springbuck), majority of rifles in the group are traditional medium bores(.308 Win, 30-06, 270 and 7x57). I shoot a 30-06 with 180grain TSX for all my medium sized game, it is also great on the larger plains game and causes very little meat damage on the small game/table meat.
Area: Northern Cape Karoo
Days:3
This is not a hunt as such; but rather a harvest for table meat - and very good meat at that. The hunting method is known as voorsit and game is shot from ambush positions. Head shots are preffered and instead of trophy fees we pay per kg weighed guts out head off and skin still on. Shot distances range from literally 10m out to 350m for those that have the kit and can do it. Kit being range finders, heavy barreled varmint type rifles and bean bags for rests. The better concealed you are and position dependant the buck will feed right up to the hunter - ideal for quick clean head shots! Between us we shoot 100 head of game in 3 days. The Karoo can be bitterley cold and very windy, testing the resolve of the hunter and the shooting skills of even the best marksmen. Nights are spent catching up with freinds from around the country and dining on the finest lamb in the world. The stars are brigh and clear and the mornings crisp to say the least.



July 2011
Species: Impala & Blesbuck
Hunters: 2
Firearm: .22 Hornet
Culling excess game for a friend on his non hunting game reserve. Game is tame and by hunting carefully we shot 8 animals in 1,5hrs and got to work mid morning. Not pure hunting but a fun way to start the day and the requirement for precision shooting brings its own set of challenges.



July 2011
Species: Doves
Hunters: 2
Guns: 12gg O/U and 20gg O/U
Dogs: GSP
Area: Kwa Zulu Natal
Community dove shoot to raise money for the local farmers community/family club, afternoon only and over 100guns spread over the farming estate it was great high volume shooting.



July 2011
Species: Guineafowl
Hunters: 30 guns
Shotguns: mainly 12gg but a few 20gg as well
Shot Size: 4's and 5's
Dogs: 11 in total, GSP predominant breed but 2 English pointers and a lab.
Days: 3
Area: Free State Province
This is a traditional style of hunt called a Natal Surround, we form 3 groups of 10 guns that surround the flocks and push them to a pre determined area, generally an area of thick cover where the birds will sit tight and then break in small groups. The circle as it is called can start at 2-3km wide before we begin closing in. Communication between guns and knowledge of when to move and when to stay put is critical, as is gun safety. Shots are only allowed at birds going out of the circle and blue sky is imperative. Shoot at a bird going into the circle or a low bird and you will get asked to leave - the fact that you have paid to be on the hunt is irrelevant. We have asked 2 guns to "rather not come back" over the years. Safety is not negotiable!! There is a shoot captain and each group has a leader and between the Captain and the leaders they coordinate the hunt and try to make sure that each gun has equal opportunity. Generally the birds fly downiwnd and down hill but as with all forms of hunting the quarry can be unpredictable at the best of times. Records of the bag shot per surround are carefully monitored - not for bragging rights but to ensure bag limits are maintained. On a good shoot a gun can expect to shoot 15-25 birds over a 3 day period, this adds up to a lot of birds but when you see the size of the flocks it is actually quite conservative. The outfit we hunt with have very strict management policies and each flock is only shot once a season. Their application of sound management policies have seen the number of birds in the area increase significantly and the farmers no longer see them as a pest but rather a source of income.



August 2011
Species: Eland & Kudu
Hunters: 1
Firearm: CZ 550 375 H&H , 270 grain Hornady SP a 2550 fps
Area: Kwa Zulu Natal
Days: 3
A friend with an open farm had some permits and wanted the meat for his family i got to hunt a free Kudu and Eland, non trophy but great walk and stalk hunting. Started hunting the first morning with fresh snow a few kms away on the foothills of the Drakensberg. Shot a nice kudu bull @ 130 mt with the 375H&H in the 1st hour, one shot ran 80m and down. The Eland was a bit more challenging but also fell to the 375 2 days later, an old 1 horned cow that was hassling the cattle at feed troughs. I could have shot a great bull many times over but the farmer had requested that if at all possible i must shoot the old one horned cow. The farmer gets some great table meat and i got to do some great free hunting! Plenty of free ranging game and a well managed property.

Not quite as glamorous as some of the hunts reported on AR but no less fun. The big $$$$ hunts are out of reach of most Africans but the hunting is still great for those of us that live here.

Thanks for the report.

I`m very glad to see you local hunters can do some very exiting hunting in your fine contry.

Great report & thanks for sharing. I'd love to hunt like that all the time!

Sometimes the size of the experience is more important than the size of the horns.
Im sure hunting one paticular Eland makes it alot more challenging than just shooting the first one you see.

Nice read telling us what the real hunting is at the local level. Quite different from the trophy hunts we read about.

I have had the pleasure of shooting like this with friends in South Africa, and enjoyed the company of good friends while doing so.

Similar to the hunts I take in the US. Last year started with dove hunts in September, then Teal and early season goose hunts. Antelope in Wyoming, deer in Oklahoma, elk in Colorado, deer and pheasant in Kansas, a deer hunt in Mexico and finished with a Spring Turkey hunt. Total bags were about 150 dove, numerous rabbits and squirrels, 15 teal and 6 geese, 12 pheasants, 5 deer, 3 antelope, an elk, a Coues deer, a desert Mule Deer and a Tom turkey. Hunted from September 1, 2011 until Mid April, 2011.

Perry

A great time hunting sure beats working. Fine shooting.

Mike