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Well, you can't say I didn't try !

An awful lot of research had gone into choosing the right outfitter, the area to be hunted, and the PH.
I had an idea of what Klaserie would be like from one of the Coenraad Veermark videos. The outfitter had been recommended, and the newly qualified PH, Frederick seemed a good choice, being fresh,I felt he would be full of enthusiasm, and keen to build a good reputation in the hunting industry.

The hunt is for 7 days, the main animal sought is Cape Buffalo, along with a Kudu Bull, Impala and warthog.

As the plane banked into it's final approach , I looked out of the window and caught my first glimpse of Africa, and got that feeling of 'coming home'. I had read about it, but never thought it could be true.

At the airport , I was warmly met and welcomed by Frederick(not too sure about the pony tail !), Charmaine and Valie.
After the usual formalities, we drove to the concession, and the camp on the banks of the Klaserie river.

The camp was rustic, was set in a dream location , and took care of all one's domestic needs.
That evening, we sat by the campfire, dinner was plainsgame , done on the Braai, and the Ph and myself then talked about all things African.
We were both assessing each other.
Beer by the lapa.
We discussed my trophy expectations, back up shots, and the type of hunting experience I had.
Went to sleep to the haunting sound of Hippos in the river, and the distant call of Lions.

DAY 1.

Quick trip to the range, where I test fired the 375 H&H, using both solids and softs, at ranges of 50 and 100 yards.
I noticed the trackers and PH showing unusually keen interest in the way I handled the weapon, and closely examines my shots on target. No doubt working out how much tracking of wounded animals they had before them.
In the Bakkie, a Toyota Land Cruiser, we drove around the concession, hoping to cut the spoor of Buffalo.
Saw a lot of game, Zebra,waterbuck and tuskless Elephant cow.
Shot my first African animal, warthog at 80 yards.
Back to camp, bath , beer, dinner and to bed and the sound of the Hippo bulls.

Day 2

Up early, big breakfast, salt tablets, and we were off.
Walked the banks of the Olifants river, looking for Daggaboy spoor. Saw a half decent croc on the far bank as he slithered into the water on our approach.
Bumped what I thought was a very decent Kudu Bull. PH reckoned we could get much better.
Sandwiches and fruit under a tamarind tree, a brief siesta, and we were off again.
Plenty of old buffalo spoor, nothing fresh. Ph appears confident.
Spotted decent impala on a flood plain, Ph set the sticks up for a 120 yard shot. Second African trophy, a 23" Impala Ram.Apparently the Chef does a mean impala liver grill.
Drinks and dinner at camp.
Love the time spent round the campfire. A bit conscious of asking too many questions.

DAY 3

Up at sunrise, breakfast and a quick check of the waterholes. The tracker has picked up the spoor of a group of three old bulls, and we spend the next four and a half hours tracking them.The dung gets fresher, and we hear them move off in the thick stuff a couple of times, but I don't see a thing. The tracker points them out a couple of times. All I see is bush. Apparently , there is a good bull amongst them.
We stop for lunch and drinks, and rest up in the shade for a while. We then start tracking, at long last I get a look at them on the opposite hill, about 300 yards away. We glass them, one bull looks good. PH reckons it will go about 42", and has hard bosses.Sounds and looks good to me.
We give up the chase just before sunset.
Just over seven hours of tracking with no chance of a shot.
Drop into bed exhausted.

DAY 4

Up at dawn,we pick up where we left off and apart from a break for lunch, we track the bulls all day.
In the afternoon they enter a pretty big patch of ilala palms and give us the run around.On a couple of occasions , they were so close, I could smell them, but it was too dense to see. They then take us on a walk around for several miles, and come back to the ilala palms just before sundown.
Back to camp, treat the blisters, bath, dinner and straight to bed.

DAY 5

Up early. Must have looked in a bad way, as the PH asks if I am OK , and offers a break from the Buffalo for the day.
No way, this is personal, I want that old boy.
We pick up the spoor from the previous evening. They have spent time at a wallow by the palms. We cut the spoor, go up a deep valley, and within 200 yards, the tracker drops to the floor and nods to the right. There on the other side of the valley, no more than 50 yards away are the three bulls. The PH whispers to take the one on the far right , quick, as the bull on the left has seen us. I run the cross hairs a third of the way up the shoulder and squeeze off my first shot at a Cape Buffalo. It all happens in slow motion.
At the shot, all three bulls take off towards the palms amid sounds of crashing bush and thundering hooves.
The PH is not sure I hit him , as he says he heard the round whizz into the sky.
We walk forward 50 odd yards , looking for a place to cross the valley, when I look up and see the bull on the opposite side, stood under a tree, staring at us. I fire three shots into the stationary animal's chest. He just stands and stares at us. The PH keeps saying 'Watch the bosses, don't shoot the bosses'. The animal then takes a step forward, and collapses down the slope, coming to rest at the bottom of the valley. He does not move , and is stone dead by the time we walk up to him.
He measures 42", has hard bosses,unusually loose teeth and is the best looking Cape Buffalo in all of Africa. Well, I think so anyways.
Back at camp, a celebration, beer , and a wonderful nights sleep.
Buffalo tail for dinner tomorrow.

DAY 6

Had a lie in, a late, big breakfast, a walk to the skinning sheds and a quick look at the bosses from the old boy. The cape is buried in salt.
Spent the rest of the morning looking for kudu. saw a few, nothing of trophy quality size. Still reckon the one we let go was a good size.
Blisters playing up, so we call it a day a bit early, and spend the evening in camp, listening to the sounds of Africa. At night , I hear the sawing sound of a leopard, and drift off to sleep with that sound.
The Buffalo tail was excellent.

DAY 7.

Up early, and walking up to a water hole, about two miles from camp, heard a baboon bark his warning, and saw two Kudu bulls, about 180 yards away, running up a hill. PH whistles out and they both stop and look in our direction.
'Shoot the second one' says the PH, and I snap a shot off just behind the shoulder. They both take off. PH reckons I missed as the animal showed no signs of being hit.
We walk up to the spot and the tracker points to a single spot of blood on the ground. A few yards further, and he points to a bit of congealed blood in a branch, about 8 feet up. 'It's a lung shot, that's blood he has coughed out, he is struggling to breathe' says the PH. A few yards further and he is there, on his stomach, head twisted around, an old Bull, horns spiralling to 57", very wide.
Back at camp, we relax, then have a walk up to the skinning shed and look at the trophies.
Can't wait to get them on the wall back home.

Don't feel too bad leaving, as we will be back next year, 15 days, Buffalo and Leopard, then the year after that Buffalo and Lion and after that Buffalo and.........Wonderful bite that bug has.

Mpofu.

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