Outfitter - Eland Safaris www.Elandsafaris.co.za
PH - Alex Thomson and Johnny Thomson
Rifles - Ruger M77 .338 Win. Mag. Leupold VX2 3x9(Greg)
Tikka T-3 7mm Rem. Mag. Leupold VX3 4.5-14(Greg)
Ruger M77 7mm Rem. Mag. Leupold Rifleman (Ross)
Ammo - Hand loaded 250 grain Nosler Partitions for .338
Hand loaded 160 grain Nosler Partitions for both 7mm
Hunt Dates- 6/16/08 – 6/28/08



The dream of Africa started in January 2007 with a purchase of a 2-person 1x1 10-day hunt in South Africa at a California Deer Association Dinner. My hunting partner Ross would join me. My wife and her parents would also be going along as observers and also doing a side trip to Kruger. The outfitter would be Eland Safaris in the Limpopo Province. The two PH's would be Alex Thomson and Johnny Thomson. Ross and I meet Alex the night we bought the dinner. We also meet again in Feb. 2008 while he was visiting the US with his fiancé. Many hours were spent online reading hunting reports and stories. Equal hours were spent at the shooting range and reloading bench coming up with good loads and fine-tuning the rifles. Travel arrangements were made through Doug at Gracy Travel. The Perfect Shot was read multiple times in preparation as well as watching any African hunting videos/shows I could find.


The trip finally came reality on June 16th 2008 when we checked our bags in at San Francisco airport for the flight to Dulles then on to Johannesburg. Ross, Stephanie (my wife), and myself were flying together. Her parents had left a day earlier on the flight through London. Everything went smooth checking and it was a good flight over until right before landing in Dulles. Thunderstorms had caused an airport shutdown and we circled the runway for over an hour before being sent to Richmond, Virginia. While on the runway in Richmond, it was clear we would miss the flight out to Johannesburg so a call was made to Doug at Gracy Travel for help. He was very helpful in getting us on the flight for the next afternoon. We finally landed in D.C. around 9pm. We opted to head to dinner and a hotel instead of waiting in line at united desk and come back the next morning.

The next morning we arrived early to wait in line at the SAA ticket counter. There were about 35-40 other people that had missed the flight the previous day. Everything went smooth checking in and getting to the boarding area. We meet some other hunters and swapped stories and wish list of animal. My biggest fear were my bags not showing up especially the rifles. My wife told me to stop worrying and everything would get there.

Many hours later after an uneventful plane ride we were now in Johannesburg. It still hadn't hit us that we were in Africa. Everything went smooth until it came time to get our baggage and clear the guns. All the bags showed up except Stephanie's suitcase. The SAA rep wanted our info so if it was found she would have it sent home. Our PH explained that wasn't going to work and gave an address in Polokwane where it could be sent to for pickup if found (4 days later it was found). Now it was off to the SAPS office for the gun permits. All of our paperwork was in order but we were the last two hunters in line because we stayed behind with the wife to find her bag. In the SAPS office, we met Bruce with Gracy Travel who double checked our paperwork and then got information on the missing bag and offered to help anyway he could. A shift change and 3 hours later we were loaded up for the 5.5-hour drive to camp. We arrived in camp at 1:30 am. On the way there we saw many steenbuck and duikers crossing the road. We also saw some giraffe and small kudu bulls. This is when it hit us that we were finally in Africa.

The next morning we were both all early for breakfast and to check the rifles. My wife and her parents were also leaving for 3 days for a trip to Kruger. Goodbyes were said after breakfast and it was off to check rifles.
All three rifles were still dead on at 100 yards. Both PH's seem happy with our shooting and it was off to hunt. Alex would be my PH and Ross would have Johnny for a PH.

6/19 The first morning saw plenty of animals with a monster impala and a zebra giving me a chance but no shots were taken. I could tell I was more nervous then usual. A bad shot or a lost animal on the first day was running through my mind and I was being cautious. We headed back to camp for a nice lunch and rest before the evening hunt. During the evening hunt we saw some blesbuck but no shooters so we headed on. A group of wildebeest was spotted and we left the truck for a stalk. After a short stalk they went to a waterhole that had gemsbuck, eland, and more wildebeest. We set up as the animals were leaving and the wildebeest gave us a 130-yard shot off sticks. One shot with the .338 and 40 yards later the bull was down. First African animal down and it was amazing.



6/20 We decided at dinner the night before to head to another ranch and hunt nyala. We left early for the hour drive to the new ranch. On the way into the ranch we saw more giraffes and two monster kudu bulls. The kudu were gone quickly and headed off for nyala. We saw many female and young male nyala on the ranch. A few mature bulls were spotted but the stalks turned up empty. Around 10:30 for a break to chat with the ranch owner. We left after a while and spotted another group of nyala. We didn't glass up any mature bulls. The tracker then pointed behind us at a bull trying to sneak out behind us. The PH looked quickly then said shoot. Using the 7mm, I shot the bull at 70 yards in the shoulder and gave him one more a few seconds later.



After pictures and congratulations, we decided to finish the day out in a ground blind by a water hole and drive back to camp at night. One the way to the ground blind we saw a large group of waterbucks with 4-5 shooters but one really stood out. The PH and landowner were very excited by this bull. The only time he stopped for a broadside shot, he had two females blocking him. Off into the bush he went. Arriving at the waterhole, we unloaded the rifles and gear and the tracker and landowner drove off. Many animals came into the blind. Waterbuck, gemsbuck, warthogs, impalas, and vervet monkeys. One warthog slipped in to the water when we were reading. Without using binos, the PH said you need to shoot that one. One shot from the .338 and the big was down 30 yards later.



The tracker was called for pickup and pictures. We settled back into the blind to finish out the day. I figured with the shot the animals would be scared off but no more then 5 minutes later then a huge group of waterbucks came in. There were 80+ animals drinking and playing around. 3-4 bulls appeared that were shooters but the PH wanted to wait for the big guy. Another nice warthog came in that was slightly smaller then the one I shot came in to drink. I really wanted to ask the PH to shoot him also but I didn't want to blow the waterbuck chance so I let him walk. No sooner had he walked out of sight than I looked out about 150 yards and here came the big waterbuck. He slowly walked in feeding and sparing with another bull. The other bull seemed to annoy him so he just bedded down at about 125 yards. Several minutes passed while he laid there. Other animals were moving around him feeding. Soon there was an open shot and the .338 rolled him over in his bed. I recovered the 250-grain bullet in the offside shoulder. Three great animals killed in 1 day.



6/21 The morning hunt was fairly uneventful. A group of blesbuck was spotted and I made a 50-yard shot on one. Another follow up shot with the 7mm and I had a blesbuck.



We decided to sit in an elevated blind over water in the evening. A group of eland came in with one bull being an almost shooter. He had great horns but was still young. The PH said we could do better so we decided to wait. While spotting, we saw four zebra from out of the back of the blind at about 250 yards. They moved around feeding and bedding before walking off out of sight. More warthogs and waterbucks came in to drink and feed. Something spooked all the animals off and I thought the afternoon was done. About 30 minutes later animals began to slowly come in. From the left of the blind I caught a glimpse of a zebra. It was the group of 4 from earlier. They cautiously made their way in slowly with the largest one in the rear. After watching for a minute, I had a clear shot on the large one. 125 yards with the .338 and the zebra toppled over without taking a step. He had great markings with two nice spots on his stripes.



6/22 It was a good day with seeing lots of animals. Saw a few nice shooter gemsbuck but decided to pass. Saw a kudu bull in the mid 40's but no shooter yet. On the way back to camp for lunch we saw a nice steenbuck. I hadn't planned on shooting one but it looked bigger then the many I had seen and the ph said it was pretty good. A 10-yard shot with the 7 mag and one neck twist later, I had a steenbuck.



6/23 Alex decided to try another ranch nearby for kudu. He had seen a good bull on a previous hunt. We took a portable blind and went to set up on a water hole. We had many warthogs come in. A female bushbuck showed but no males. Two impala came in that we talked about shooting. One was wide and long with a smaller saddle and the other was narrow at the tips but had a great saddle and length. While we were looking, a kudu came walking it. Alex said it was a mature bull so I shot it. One shot at 75 yards with the .338 and he was down. This was a beautiful animal. A kudu is what I think of when I think of African plains game. This was my #1 priority animal for this trip.



After a great lunch and rest, we decide to try another water hole on the main ranch. There was some animal activity but no shooters. Right before dark we saw a jackal slipping through the brush. A quick whistle and he stopped. Two shots from the 7 mag put him down.



6/24 We had been seeing a group of eland near a waterhole three different times but never got close enough for a shot. This morning was no different. We saw an old blue bull with good horns but a smaller body. We tried to setup in a blind to catch them coming in. They came in but the old bull was not with them. There was another that was a potential shooter but with seeing the other one we decide to wait. Around lunch an old mature baboon male came it to drink. One 40 yard shot with the 7mm and he was down. We had seen his tracks for a few days where he had been around the area also.



6/25 With quite a few animals in the salt we decided to drive around. My wife and her parents also came along. We got into a few good groups of impalas but it was too thick for a good shot. Later in the morning the others decided to go back to camp for lunch while we stayed out in the blind hoping for and impala. It didn't take long for a nice ram to come in. He had good length and was wide but did not have a deep saddle. I decided to take him.



After lunch we went out again. My in-laws wanted a zebra if I had a chance. We got into a small herd but I took a rushed shot and missed. I was 14 for 14 shooting on this trip before missing. I told Alex that I wasn't leaving Africa on a miss. I knew I wasn't going to be back until 2010 and that wasn't how I wanted to leave. The next day would be our last hunting day and we were going to try and make it count.

6/26 First thing in the morning we got into a group of zebras. We got out of the land cruiser and started walking. Over 4 hours later we finally radioed back to the ranch for a pickup. We kept getting on them but no chance of a good shot. During that time they kept bumping into and joining up with other animals. The tracker Jewel was amazing. Just when I thought the track was dead we were off again. At the end when we called it off, they had grouped up with a wildebeest and a gemsbuck heard. Too many eyes in the group. Back to camp for lunch and a power nap before the last evening hunt.

We though it would be best to go to the area where we had seen the eland many times before. My wife accompanied along to watch and video. It started off slow but then some wildebeest came in with a nice shooter. A lone red hartebeest male came in but the ranch population is low so they don't shoot many. We took some pictures and kept watching. Just then two jackals came up right in front of the blind and they suddenly bolted back. That's when we saw a group of eland coming in from the far side. A few young bulls and a couple cows feed and drank. We watched them for over and hour and it was getting late. I figured my hunt was over and that it was still a great success. Just then an old eland bull crossed from left to right about 5 yards in front of the blind. Alex the PH said there's your bull my man. He walked to the water and then the food but a good opportunity hadn't occurred. There was always a female in front or behind him. We watched him for 10+ minutes feeding and drinking. Finally he was clear and my wife had the camera on him. A very short 30-yard shot and he hunched up and trotted to the edge of the clearing. The Ph said don't shot again, he's going down and with that he crashed to the ground. This was the ultimate way to end the trip. The bull was very old and on his way out. His teeth were worn down and his body size was deteriorating where you could see his ribs. He had cracked hooves and many scars. Exactly the perfect old bull to end an amazing trip. The shot was in the right shoulder. The bullet cut through the heart and destroyed the lungs. The skinners found the bullet in the off side shoulder perfectly mushroomed.



We also did a "booze cruise" on the Limpopo River. The ranch I hunted nyala was bordered on one side by the river. The landowner had a boat similar to a houseboat so we did a 3-hour late afternoon/evening ride on the river. Eleven of us went and had a blast. We saw crocodile, a few hippos, some monitor lizards, and other various game. There's nothing like a good sunset in Africa with friends.




Another night we did a bush dinner. It was like a BBQ set up a few miles from camp. It was great food and nice eating out under the stars hearing animals in the distance.


We stayed at the Afton house before leaving. Good food and good atmosphere. We felt very safe there.
Leaving at the airport, SAA made us take our ammo out of the luggage and check them separate. We had used plastic tackle boxes and TSA locks. I thought we would never see them again. Also in the firearms checkout spot, my partner went through first with no problems. The officer asked for a tip so my buddy gave him a few bucks. My first rifle went fine but on the last one he said the serial number didn't match (it did) and that he had to confiscate the gun. So twenty bucks later I was leaving the room with the promise that my guns where leaving but I wasn't too sure(everything arrived safely). When I went outside my wife was almost in tears because the porters that carried our guns over didn't like the tip I gave them and had been hassling us. We got them to leave with another 50 rand.

Overall it was an amazing trip and I can’t wait to go back. I can’t say enough good things about Eland Safaris. Alex and Johnny were great to us with no pressure to shoot anything. Them along with their girlfriend/fiancé and their parents who also visited the ranch were great people. My wife's guide to Kruger was also a PH that worked for them named Pietre (Balu). He was awesome and had a lot of knowledge about the animals, birds, and trees in Kruger. There were plenty of stories around the fire. The chef on the ranch prepared amazing food. The skinners and trackers where great. The guesthouses were super nice and staff cleaned them daily. They also had laundry service everyday so it was nice to not have to pack tons of clothes with the new airline weight restrictions.






Just to end the report I wanted to thank some people. First I would like to thank my dad. We never got the chance to do any of those hunts that we talked about because you left way to early. A day doesn't go by that I don't think about you and I know you’re always on the hunts with me watching. You taught me so much about archery, shooting, and being a good sportsmen. Thanks again dad. Next would be my wife Stephanie and daughter Amara, thanks for supporting my hunting. It means a lot to me and I was glad to have you along on this one. More thanks go to Ross, you a great hunting partner. I will never forget this trip. Maybe for 2010 "Ross and Greg will be on a plane to Africa" will be sung around the shop. Another big thanks are to Doug and Bruce at Gracy travel. You saved our butts with the plane problem and the luggage problem. You guys have a customer for life with me. Another thanks to the crew at Eland Safaris, you made some dreams come true and I will be back with you guys again. Saeed and Accurate Reloading get a big thanks for the forum and all the participation. You guys are full of knowledge and it seems like a good group of guys. Thanks to all.


Greg Collins

Greg...

Congratulations in making all your DREAMS come TRUE on this hunt!

I can tell you gave it your all by listening to your hunting report!

May your PASSION of this treasured experience remain alive forever!

To you and dad...I SALUTE the TWO of YOU!!!

Well done buddy...Well done!!!

Thank you for the report. It seems like an amazing trip.

Thanks for the report

Congrats, it looks like you guys had a awesome trip.

Great pics and some fine trophies on your first safari, those are some great trophies if it was your 10th safari, although I'm not envious of what your taxidermy bill is going to be.

Way to go guy. What a hunt. I wish I could find a warthog like the one you took. Loved the pictures.

Great report of a wonderful hunt. Congratulations on the outstanding success and trophies.

nice report and pics! someday, someday!

Great report Greg. I like the spotted zebra pic.

great report and pics
Your hooked, get ready to spend another 100 grand before you finished
Congrats

Greg
Thanks for a great report and magnificent pics. It is stuff like this that keeps me awake at night. The wife and I leave in 2 weeks to South Africa on our first safari. Christie loves that old warthog.

Good job, my son and I got back in May and I'm saving for our next trip now.

Jeff

See what I mean???? Everyone can get a warthog but me!

Great report...you now are part of a group of those who understand the joy that IS Africa. Did it not exceed your expectations????

Welcome to the ranks of the rest of us with African Fever.

TJB

Thanks for all the responses. This trip far exceeded my expectations. Now Africa is in my blood. It is all that I have thought about since coming home. I am just starting to look into a cape buffalo/plainsgame hunt for 2010. Right now its overtime and extra work for the taxidermy bill. My original plan before leaving was to do a kudu and a nyala shoulder mounts and the rest euro mounts and flat skins. Now its six shoulder mounts with some flat skins and a zebra rug. Hopefully my partner Ross will give me some info so I can post his pictures. Good luck and have fun to all hunters who are leaving for Africa soon.

Greg

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Tim Burkhart:
See what I mean???? Everyone can get a warthog but me!
TJB

Don't worry, I've been twice and have yet to score on a warthog or impala - top that!

Greg - fine report and some wonderful trophies. Next time (there will be a next time), skip some taxidermy work and spend more money on trophy fees or extra days. Take good pictures. I only have one African shoulder mount, the rest are skull mounts and flat hides, which are just as impressive for most animals, take up less room, and cost less.

Good going!

Congrats on a great hunt and beautiful trophies...

Wow, now that is a FULL bag! And that wartie is superb.

Great report. I truly enjoyed your last paragraph the best. Struck home with me.

Fantastic trophies! That warthog is very good. Know what he measures?
Thanks for sharing and congrats!

What great pictures and story thanks for scharing. To bad about the tipping problem but I suppose there is a rule of thumb.

Thanks for the responses. Anders, The warthog measured over 11" (11 1/4 to 11 1/2 sounds familiar)from the jaw line. The outfitter and taxidermist said with the tusk still inside the jaw, it should go over 13". They said the waterbuck, wildebeast and eland where also above average trophies. Thanks again.

Greg

quote:

tip

I had the same problem going from JNB to PLZ, I guess it was $20 extra insurance.

Update with animals taken by Ross

Recovered bullets





Both of the bullets recover were .338 250 grain Nosler Partitions. The loads were not chronographed but the Nosler load book said 2640. I used 67.5 grains of H4831.

The bullet on the left was recovered in the offside shoulder of a waterbuck taken at 125 yards. It weighed 169.8 grains. That is 67.9% weight retention. The waterbuck was shot laying down and rolled over dead when hit.

The bullet on the right was recovered in the offsider shoulder of an eland shot at 30 yards. It weighed 173.8 grains. That is 69.5%weight retention. The eland was drinking water and ran about 25 yards after the shot and collapsed. A follow up shot was not needed.

Greg

Very well done! Great report, pics and animals. Thanks for sharing.

A well written tale and a beautiful eland - thanks!

You made your dad proud!