Just got back a week ago from a fun two weeks in South Africa. The first week was spent visiting a friend and the second week was spent up near Kruger. From Joburg I flew in to Hoedspruit where I was met by Jan Damon. Jan has been hunting the APNR areas for several years and had been telling me how good the buffalo hunting was in particular. So as I was already going to be in SA I decided to book a hunt and experience it for myself.

The (APNR), Associated Private Nature Reserves, is an association of privately owned nature reserves bordering on the Kruger National Park. Collectively they represent 1,800 square kilometres (180,000 ha) of land dedicated to wildlife conservation. Each year a very limited number of buffalo are on quota across the reserves with strict rules on size and age. The focus of the hunt is to shoot an old dugga boy not a wide horned bull, which is the correct thing to do and is more and more the trend across Africa. Much of this thinking and implementation is thanks to Dr. Kevin Robertson (Doctari -author of the Perfect Shot) who also worked at the Wild Life college in Kruger.

The first afternoon, after having checked in with the ranger in charge of the section that we were hunting on and signing the hunting protocol I fired a couple of customary shots with my 470 to ensure it was all good to go! The plan was to drive around and see what was moving in the area and we quickly found tracks of a lone bull which we followed but lost in the bush. Back to Jan's very nice camp where I was treated to a few drinks and a great dinner before calling it a night. The food alone is worth the trip.

The next day was spent buffalo hunting, driving and looking for fresh tracks. We saw loads of elephant, as well as kudu, giraffe, impala , wild white rhino (v. different behavior to ranch rhino), wild dogs and hyena twice during daylight! For sure there is no hunting pressure whatsoever. The day ended with buffalo 1, hunters 0. The team was a bit disappointed that we had not seen any buffalo which was very unusual they said!!!

The next day we connected with two dugga boys lying down in very thick bush in the hot afternoon sun and the first shot came at 15 yards as they flew out like a couple of quails! I winged one pretty good with a raking shot which was the only shot I had. It took for some follow up shots through very thick bush before we heard the death bellow. It turned out to be an old buffalo with worn down smooth horns, the kind of buffalo they want hunter's to shoot. It was an exciting hunt that could have easily gotten a lot more hairy and gone sideways! Hunting buffalo in very thick cover is a whole different ball game!

The buffalo was taken to the Rangers HQ where it was butchered and would be later aged, etc.








The Tiger with its kill











Beasts of yesterday!!!





Jan's very nicely appointed sitting/dining area and firepit in his lodge.







My light 470 next to Jan's 600! A 470 round easily fits down the muzzle. We didn't have it when we needed it!! He tried to get me to give it a go, but I politely declined. Maybe next time

To summarize, the area is wild but it is not remote Africa. You pass through check points when entering and exiting the area and everything is controlled. The ranger in charge of the section accompanied us on the hunt, he was good fun to be with and loved to hunt. He was an excellent tracker and did all the tracking along with Jan's personal local tracker. We did not see a lot of buffalo and were kidding with him that there was only two left in the entire area! Of course the days following our hunt buffalo were everywhere and he kept sending us pictures and videos of herds and dugga boys! To hunt buffalo in an area that is properly managed is a great experience and I highly recommend this hunt.

After the hunt we did a day trip in Kruger and a visit to the Ivory museum made the trip. Where do you see 145lb, 160lbs and so many big tusks all in once place. A 100lb tusk looked very unimpressive. While age is obviously a factor for big ivory. With the demise of big bulls in past years one wonders if that gene pool died out 50 years ago and thus now a 100lb is a very rare and big elephant. Jan having spent his entire life in that area and knowing Kruger very well felt that there are a lot more 100lbs in the area than what is generally thought. For those who want to do some game viewing Jan arranges day trips or multi day trips covering all of Kruger. There are some very nice lodges where one can stay in Kruger. The APNR areas have some very fancy lodges for those looking for that kind of experience and offer excellent game viewing as well.

We did not, but there is a wide variety of plains game to be hunted on large properties in the area which can be done after your buffalo hunt. I did end up shooting a bushpig which are always fun to hunt, it turned out to be a very old pig and quite gray. The Hoedspruit area has a lot to offer and one afternoon we took a boat ride in the Blyde river canyon, the largest green canyon in the world! Good restaurants, helicopter and balloon rides and shopping nearby also make this area a great family vacation destination as there is something to do for everyone.

I will be posting details on these buffalo hunts for anyone who is interested.

Thanks for your time.



Arjun Reddy
Hunters Networks LLC
www.huntersnetworks.com
30 Ivy Hill Road
Brewster, NY 10509
Tel: +1 845 259 3628

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Some nice old bulls there! Congrats and well done.

The Hoedspruit area is a favourite of mine. I have hunted buffalo at BuffaloLand Safari it is a beautiful area. I have never been to the APRN and would sure like to.

I think that I see a Cutting Edge Bullet #13 solid in that 600 double. Awesome!

Thanks for the good story and photos.
Congratulations on your old buffalo.

Brian

I see where you visited Letaba and saw the magnificent ivory!

Well done Arjun! Nice to see a proper old free-range bull from South Africa. Great trophy and a very fine pig as well.

Nice mature buff and Jan is by all accounts a great PH and fun to be with.

Well done Arjun. Years ago I hunted my first buffalo in the Balule Reserve in that very area, hard to believe but wild Africa does exist in the RSA. Good fun and a trip to Krueger is always worthwhile. Well done.

quote:

Well done Arjun. Years ago I hunted my first buffalo in the Balule Reserve in that very area

+1 So did I Russell!