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South Africa Trip Results

effendude

Gold $$ Contributor
Returned from South Africa a couple weeks ago. My wife, Lisa, and I had a great time. Incredible experiences and memories. We shot a total of 13 animals including a bushbuck, kudu, waterbuck, 2 impala, 4 zebra, 2 baboon, vervet monkey and a maned lion.

I brought 2 rifles, a .375 H&H African Plains Rifle from the custom shop and a 6.5-284 Cooper Model 22. 260 grain Accubonds and Partitions were used in the .375. 140 grain VLD was used on one impala, the rest were 140 grain Partitions. Only one bullet was recovered out of the 13 shots fired and that was perfectly mushroomed Partition fired from 8 yards as "insurance" into the lion. The monkey was shot with a borrowed .22 Hornet.

Lisa thinks this was the hunt of a lifetime, but I am already planning another trip when the taxidermy from this trip is paid for.....
Scott
 

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Only thing sad about that is I didnt get to go. Wife and I have been kicking around going. Any advice when planning trip?
 
Quinc said:
That is really cool and sad at the same time. :-\ Which one tasted the best?

I am not sure what you mean by sad, and I won't waste my time defending hunting to you. All the meat except the primates was taken and eaten. Nothing went to waste, not even the entrails. The average diet in South Africa for rural people is lacking in protein of any type therefor game meat taken by sport hunters becomes a real treat when hunters are successful. We as hunters could request any game be cooked and served. We ate a couple meals of bushbuck and it was delicious. The trackers were ecstatic when the lion was down. Lion is considered exceptional meat and even the belly fat of the lion was removed as a special prize.

Scott
 
Wow, sounds like a great trip! Looks like you have some nice trophies. Congrats, always dreamed of going to Africa myself.
Gary
 
effendude said:
Quinc said:
That is really cool and sad at the same time. :-\ Which one tasted the best?

I am not sure what you mean by sad, and I won't waste my time defending hunting to you. All the meat except the primates was taken and eaten. Nothing went to waste, not even the entrails. The average diet in South Africa for rural people is lacking in protein of any type therefor game meat taken by sport hunters becomes a real treat when hunters are successful. We as hunters could request any game be cooked and served. We ate a couple meals of bushbuck and it was delicious. The trackers were ecstatic when the lion was down. Lion is considered exceptional meat and even the belly fat of the lion was removed as a special prize.

Scott

I have no problem with hunting and killing. It's the killing of exotic animals for sport who's numbers are dwindling daily that is sad. Now if you leveled the playing field a little and took it with a bow or a spear that would deserve a pat on the back! ;D
 
Congrats to you and your wife Scott!!
The trophies are impressive...with a haul like that what are you trying to get next? Cape buffalo, elephant or cheetah?
cheers,
Doc
 
That's a killer Kudu bull!!! Great Lion too! :)

Don't understand shooting a monkey though? ??? Are they considered trophies in Africa? Or are they more of a varmint type of animal?
 
The monkey, specifically a Vervet monkey, are considered pests in South Africa. The PH had told us upon arriving the first day that he had one nuisance monkey that had become aggressive towards staff and guests. He told Lisa that he wanted her to shoot it or he was to have his 8 year old son do it. Not unlike what we do with bold raccoons, possoms or wood chucks.
Scott
 
I have no problem with hunting and killing. It's the killing of exotic animals for sport who's numbers are dwindling daily that is sad. Now if you leveled the playing field a little and took it with a bow or a spear that would deserve a pat on the back! ;D
[/quote]
A couple points and I am done defending myself. These animals aren't exotic in south Africa, they are native. That is why I went to South Africa to hunt them. Several African countries, beginning with South Africa have used the US conservation model to manage their game. We hunted on failed cattle ranches that wouldn't support agriculture, but will support native species. Hunting and mining are the only real industries in rural South Africa. The natives have no interest in conservation, indescriminate poaching with wire snares is very common. Sport hunting has saved the game populations in most African countries. Countries where hunting has stopped have the issues. As for the playing field, it was my opinion that hunting the game on foot was more sporting than sitting at a man-made waterhole and waiting for the game to come drink at the only water an area had.

Scott
 
+1. The rule of thumb in Africa -- "If it pays, it stays."

The ridiculous notion that a kudu or bushbuck is "exotic" in southern Africa, or that their numbers are "dwindling", could only have been written by someone who has never been there, and who has not taken the time to educate himself about the region and its wildlife.

Good hunting!
 
The truth is they have to control populations of predators like the lion as they are not anywhere near endangered at this time and if they were you could not hunt them in the first place.
 
Awesome Scott!! And Kudu's to Lisa too... Did the Zebra have a pink tone to it to?

Resources, management and responsible harvest = Great Hunting!!

Dream come true for you guys! Awesome...

Rod
 
Quinc said:
effendude said:
Quinc said:
That is really cool and sad at the same time. :-\ Which one tasted the best?

I am not sure what you mean by sad, and I won't waste my time defending hunting to you. All the meat except the primates was taken and eaten. Nothing went to waste, not even the entrails. The average diet in South Africa for rural people is lacking in protein of any type therefor game meat taken by sport hunters becomes a real treat when hunters are successful. We as hunters could request any game be cooked and served. We ate a couple meals of bushbuck and it was delicious. The trackers were ecstatic when the lion was down. Lion is considered exceptional meat and even the belly fat of the lion was removed as a special prize.

Scott

I have no problem with hunting and killing. It's the killing of exotic animals for sport who's numbers are dwindling daily that is sad. Now if you leveled the playing field a little and took it with a bow or a spear that would deserve a pat on the back! ;D

You really have no concept of game management or the idea that hunting is a business that supports (i.e., funds) and encourages strong health animal populations. I can venture a pretty good guess of what effendude probably paid just in Trophy fees. The monkey was probably about $50 if he paid anything, but the Trophy fees on the rest of those animals probably ran in the range of $20,000 or so, just the trophy fees. That's the charge for shooting, which by the way you pay whether you recover the animal or not. Think about that next time you draw a bead on a deer.


Did you know you can hunt Bison here in the US, you can shoot them, costs you about $4000 for a meat bull, and you know what, that's why there are bison ranches. (and you end up with a freezer full of buffalo)

I like that, "it pays it stays."
 
Very interesting. I love the fact that all the locals got to eat them.

What surprised me was the lion. I thought there would have been restrictions on lion hunting. I don't know why I thought this....I guess my imagination filled in blanks. I have NO knowledge of African hunting regulations and wildlife management.

And that's not to say there aren't restrictions on hunting lions (or other certain animals), and that permits were obtained...just not mentioned here.
 
Have to fully agree with effendude (Scot). If the wildlife of Africa were left to natives, without it being commercialized the way it's now, you would've looked at pictures of African wildlife for the last 50 years, no wildlife would be in existence, as can be witnessed in certain African countries.

Nobody wants to hunt under conditions less than pure nature, non-controlled, but unfortunately that is the only way to try and preserve nature to some extend. Due to demand for Rhino horn & elephant tusks, close to 900 rhino's already killed this year, all thanks to demand for the product in Asia, next on their list are Lions.

No way any wildlife will exist without controlled intervention (including legal hunting).

I know, I farm and preserve nature in Africa.
 
Ohio Varmint Shooter said:
Very interesting. I love the fact that all the locals got to eat them.

What surprised me was the lion. I thought there would have been restrictions on lion hunting. I don't know why I thought this....I guess my imagination filled in blanks. I have NO knowledge of African hunting regulations and wildlife management.

And that's not to say there aren't restrictions on hunting lions (or other certain animals), and that permits were obtained...just not mentioned here.

I don't know the other details on what the government(s) in Africa do or don't do with regard to quotas for the big 5, but I'm sure it's limited for the most part by cost. I've seen trophy fees quoted for lion starting at around $15k and up depending on the "quality" or the country. That's just the trophy fee, not including shipping, taxidermy, or the cost of the trip itself. You really reduce the pool of shooters when you start looking at $25,000 or more all up for a lion, about the same fees for a Buff, and a couple of thousand each for big antelope animals. A hunt that includes a good selection of antlered animals is going to run you $8000, to $10,000. I wish I could.


I had an opportunity to go, that I passes on, a couple of yrs ago. I just couldn't swing the $$, but I looked into some of the costs.
 
Awesome Hunt/Trip Scott. BTW Great job on the TV show also. I thought it was putting the sport in a very positive roll. Roger T.
 
If you would have had a warthog, I'd have been totally gone on jealousy, as it is, I'm just super jealous. Looks like an awesome time had by all.
 

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