The Southern African Wildlife College lies within South Africa’s greater Kruger National Park and I now head up its Sustainable Use & Field Guiding department. To assist with the areas anti-poaching efforts the SAWC operates a light aircraft which flies daily rhino monitoring patrols. The renown 60 000 ha Klaserie Private Nature Reserve is close by. It is part of the APNR (Association Of Private Nature Reserves) and open to the greater KNP. The Klaserie utilizes the SAWC’s rhino monitoring services regularly. To pay for this service they donates buffalo hunts to the SAWC and it is my responsibility to market them.
So this opportunity is for a double Klaserie buffalo hunt for either one or two clients. Two 37” or smaller dagga boys are on offer to be hunted over a six-day period within the Klaserie. The hunt can take place anytime from now until the end of March 2017.
John Luyt of Duke Safaris will be the PH and outfitter (www.dukesafaris.com) and I will accompany the hunt. As a sweetener, a 2 night, full one-day ‘buffalo’ course will be offered by myself here at the SAWC. This course covers all there is to learn about buffalo (aging, trophy assessment, shot placement etc.) and it includes a ‘tune-up’ crack at our life-size and realistic ‘buffalo target' course. For first-time buffalo hunters this is the ideal opportunity to learn how to do it 'right'.
There are currently 47000 buffalo within the greater KNP, 2500 of which are in the Klaserie. 1200 elephants, lions, leopards and rhino’s also occur in the Klaserie in good numbers. The Klaserie is one of the few places in Africa where it is possible to hunt wild, free-living buffalo in genuine ‘Big 7’ country. The chances of encountering these species while looking for the right buffalo are extremely good. The Klaserie river meanders for some 35 km through the Klaserie PNR. Despite the current drought it still holds water for much of his length. Buffalo bulls congregate along this river in good numbers to wallow in its waters and to feed on the reeds that grow there as well.
We conducted such a hunt late last year and over a 3-day period encountered, aged and trophy assessed 80 different mature buffalo bulls along stretches of this river. The hunt on offer should be no different. Included in the hunt is:
Licenses and trophy fees for two, 37” or less, mature, dagga boy buffalo.
Pickup and drop off at Hoedspruit airport.
2 nights at the SAWC as the guest of Doctari with a 1 full day ‘buffalo course’ for up to two clients.
Transfer to the nearby Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (1 hour away)
6 nights at a comfortable lodge in the Klaserie for 1 or 2 clients.
The services of an experienced dangerous game PH and use of a safari vehicle.
Trackers, skinners and trophy preparation.
Local beer, wine and good Scotch
Daily laundry.

Not included are:-
Transport to and from Hoedspruit .
Gratuities.
Trophy dipping & packing.

The total all-inclusive cost of this unique opportunity, from pick-up to drop-off is
$ 27 000.

Anyone interested is welcome contact me at krobertson@sawc.org.za for additional details.

When you say good scotch will the quality be further elaborated in the contract? I would require details of country of origin and the age. I presume you know how to age whiskey and can you post photos of the consignment? Is each hunter limited to one bottle a day and are there any clauses pertaining to consumption? Please define 'good'.

And by the way that is an exception offer to take two aged dagga boys out of one of the finest buffalo hunting grounds on the planet.

As I'm sure you know Andrew, even mediocre Scotch tastes great when you are sitting around a mopane campfire with lion roaring in the distance! We will however try our best to accommodate the clients preferences! I also think you are bored - shouldn't you be hunting or something!

The "less than 37""part loses me, makes it a gussied up cull hunt at trophy hunt prices.

Not to mention I prefer G&T

quote:

Originally posted by doctari505:
As I'm sure you know Andrew, even mediocre Scotch tastes great when you are sitting around a mopane campfire with lion roaring in the distance! We will however try our best to accommodate the clients preferences! I also think you are bored - shouldn't you be hunting or something!

Finished up early and agree with your analogy.

A buffalo hunt should not only be about 'inches' Russ - it should be a total African wilderness experience. Those who evaluate the success of such activities only in inches are hunting for the wrong reason. Give me a wily old broken-horned and battle scarred dagga boy over a soft-bossed wide-spreading breeding bull any day of the week.

IMO overprized ...


Morten

I remember Justin Karan used to post some pictures of the dugga boys and scrum caps shot in the APNR and they were among the most beautiful old, smooth bossed warriors I have seen, this is a fine deal in a fantastic area for a very good cause.

quote:

Originally posted by doctari505:
A buffalo hunt should not only be about 'inches' Russ - it should be a total African wilderness experience. Those who evaluate the success of such activities only in inches are hunting for the wrong reason. Give me a wily old broken-horned and battle scarred dagga boy over a soft-bossed wide-spreading breeding bull any day of the week.

I agree with the philosophy but you are making the hunt about inches. If you trail an old hardheaded Dagga boy with a broken tip that measure 38" you have to pass.

How is that not making the hunt about inches? Why not just make the offer for hardheaded mature bulls, period ?


.

This is the size stipulation set by Klaserie.
On such hunts it is usual to see 50 to 100 different bulls so finding the right dagga boy is what makes it fun and exciting.