Just back from Limcroma
Contributors to this thread:International
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
Back home after a long trip but content that it was such a great one. I was hunting hard for some not so easy game, primarily bushbuck and zebra which took me away from the normal areas at times. Limcroma is hunting out of three different locations. Two are close to the Limpopo River and the third is bushvelt and about 2 hrs away. That is where they took us to, so I was rather surprised since I understood we were suppose to be their "Base Camp" near the Limpopo R where bushbuck are abundant. However, it all worked out fine; but that is not how you want to have it start off. The two rifle hunter friends I invited with our group did very well, taking plenty of nice trophies every day on the concessions they have assigned for that. My other friend and I were the only bowhunters in camp. We felt that some of the blinds we sat were not very productive nor set up well compared to other hunts we have been on. That being said, I did connect on three very outstanding trophies so I am quite happy.
An unexpected bonus was a truly exceptional old Warthog that was estimated to be twenty years old. I took him at night under a dim spot while sitting over baits for honeybadger. Next I finally shot an old warrior bushbuck ram also at night, with a crazy-ass shot at 52 yds while he was walking through dense thickets. He is just shy of 16 in. My last bonus was a very long horned Eland bull, completing my S. African spiral horn slam. He taped out at 37 6/8". All three are gold metal animals and I am very pleased with the quality of the PHs and staff. They know how to treat you well here for sure.
From: Bou'bound
01-Sep-14
What species are in the south African spiral horn to slam
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
Here is my Bushbuck. Bou'bound, the four are Kudu, Nyala, Bushbuck and Eland. The full slam for spiralhorns would include Sitatunga, Lesser Kudu, Mountain Nyala, Bongo and of course there is the Lord Derby or "Livingston" Eland, and numerous subspecies of Bushbuck. Mine is a Limpopo, in RSA there is also the Cape Bushbuck.
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
An Eland was on my list and I almost shot a really heavy bodied, old worn down herd bull on day two but the shot was not optimal and I had to let down three times. Then he was gone with the cows. One the second to last day I had one animal come in to the blind, which happened to be a very fine big horned bull. One look at his horns and I knew he was the one.
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
From: BIGHORN
01-Sep-14
I think that Eland is the best tasting meat there is!
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
From: Buffalo1
01-Sep-14
AZ,
You really got some exceptional trophies. What is the length of the warthog?
Congrats on some very exceptional and exciting adventure.
Thanks for sharing with us.
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
yes we had two camp eland that wandered about trying to join us at the fire pit and come inside. I know one even likes sipping on an "Old Fashion"
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
I cant know exactly with the tusk still in the skull but it looks like somewhere around 13-14" on each.
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
Since my shot in the dark was back and hit stomach we waited an hour and went out with the Jack Russell to find him. With so many hyenas around with the baits we had to get him before they did. Brandy the Jack tracked him with no problem and probably would have finished him off herself if we did not intervene. He backed himself into a hole and she was hanging on his ear when we caught up. I finished him with an arrow between the eyes. It was pretty exciting as I was praying I did not step onto a snake while running full speed through the pitch black bush. This is my PH Henno.
From: Drahthaar
01-Sep-14
Rich, Glad you had another good hunt. all are awesome trophies. Forrest
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
I did like this blind the best where I took the eland from. It was sunken with smoked plexiglass windows. Scent control was easy here.
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
This was tricky, walking across the top of this dam which was about 18" wide and 100+ yards long. The small lake it formed had croc's and the thought as I crossed this each time was what it will feel like jumping off down 20 feet if one happened to come lunging up from the depths. Especially when we crossed in the dark. Oh did I mention there was plenty of slippery Egyptian Goose droppings on it?
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
I hunted one day on a property owned by an excellent taxidermist who was working on mounting a full body bull elephant that day. What an operation it was to see. very difficult work to do and you had to have a work team just to manipulate the skin which had to lifted with a chain hoist! This taxidermist also makes all of his own forms which I saw a couple of outside...next pic
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
He goes through Polyurethane by the 55 gal drum!
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
From: Aftermerl
01-Sep-14
Nice pictures, thanks for sharing. BTW: I reasoned my Blesbuck was an ugly little creature on the hoof. However, his skull mount is rather impressive.
From: Aftermerl
01-Sep-14
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
little guy
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
This was not even all of the trophies taken while here by our group. 58", 57, 55", 54" and 47" kudu bulls taken, four great Nyala one being 28", etc etc...
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
Here's a pic of my warthog the day before. He traveled from here to about 4 miles over to where I shot him.
From: AZ~Rich
01-Sep-14
Really funny to have these "Garden Eland" about the place. Hand raised I understand, but still dangerous with those dagger tips on the Cow. She plays rough sometimes.
From: Peyton in Fairbanks
01-Sep-14
Bou....kudu, eland, bushbuck and nyala.
Looks like a fun trip! Glad you had a great time. Thanks for taking the time to post some pictures!
From: Drahthaar
02-Sep-14
Rich, what was your bow draw weight ,arrow & broadhead for the eland. Forrest
From: Bowfreak
02-Sep-14
Rich,
Is that hide at Art's concession? If so I saw a giant Wildebeest on that place that I was unable to get a shot at. Great photos and congrats on the great trophies.
From: Toby
02-Sep-14
Great pictures and awesome hunt!!! Congrats hannes has a very good place and his services are first level
From: AZ~Rich
02-Sep-14
Thanks, Drahthaar I used nothing different for Eland than all my African hunting. My old Mathews Switchback at 65 lb, Heavy Carbon Express Terminator Selects topped with 125g Slick Trick magnums for a total weight of 530g. I like the heavy setup just for situations like this being an Eland.
Bowfreak, I did meet another Limcroma PH named Aart;(big fella-rugby player)and his friend Albertius on another property for Bushbuck, but it was not at the hide posted in the photo. I'm not sure who the owner was as I only met the ranch manager, Thomas, (pictured in the middle along with our tracker Andries and I).
From: Bowfreak
02-Sep-14
Yes that is it. Thomas is the manager. I assume you accessed the place via a plastic chair on a wagon behind an old tractor. That is a cool place. It is my understanding that Art, one of the PHs for Hannes, owns that place. I shot a warthog there and unfortunately need got to come to full draw on that huge wildebeest.
From: African Barefoot Saf
02-Sep-14
That's some nice trophies man!! Well done! Glad you got your bushbuck!! Next time its the Cape bushbuck!!??
From: AZ~Rich
02-Sep-14
Is this Aart, the one holding the head up? We did'nt use the tracter but Thomas did to get around. I do know that the plastic chair I was sitting in the blind kept bending whenever I leaned back, making it hard to support my back.
From: Bowfreak
02-Sep-14
I am not sure as I never met him. They just talked of him. I wouldn't bet who the owner was but it sounds like we both hunted the same place. I liked the hides but they were a bit loud. Adding a piece of carpet or something like that to the floor would have been perfect.
From: davidthearcher
02-Sep-14
Congrats! Exceptional trophies.
From: Heat
02-Sep-14
Great Job Rich, I don't know much about Africa but it looks like some excellent animals. Congrats!
From: Drahthaar
02-Sep-14
Rich, thanks I also like a heavy arrow-broadhead, 630 grains. looks like you hit the eland just foward of the crease ? how much did your arrow penetrate ? if you don't mind me asking how far did the eland go ? thanks Forrest
From: AZ~Rich
02-Sep-14
Forrest, My shot was right up the crease per my PH's request,however he was quartering away so my arrow penetrated forward through his chest and lodged in either the opposite shoulder or rib. The arrow never came out and he bled well at first. He was hit in the near lung and it must of missed or just nicked the other lung. I was also shooting upward from that sunken blind, making the arrow incline more than I wanted. Unfortunately, we had to track him for 3 hours, before I could put one in his heart to finish the job, so it was a pretty far distance. A big Eland bull with a one lung shot through will travel darn far as I found out. they are very tough indeed. He left maybe 6 puddles of lung blood (pic)so we knew he would not make it through the night. If my shot was only just an inch or two lower it would have hit the heart and he would have fallen within sight. The main thing is we did get to him before dark and all was good!
From: Toby
03-Sep-14
Great. And you are right, this big eland are very tough to kill. I got one in Limcroma as well and we have to track him for hours. good job
From: Drahthaar
03-Sep-14
Rich, thanks man. absolutely, a big animal like a eland can go a long ways on a one lung hit. you got him that is what counts .Yes all is good. great Job. Forrest
From: Buffalo1
03-Sep-14
AZ-Rich,
You were very fortunate to recover your eland in 3 hrs. My shot on first eland just hit one lung and it was a 27 hr. tracking job and was finally killed it with a rifle. Elands have incredibly stamina and great will to live.
From: Firehuntfish
07-Sep-14
Firehuntfish's Link
Rich,
Wow! You took some truly outstanding trophies!
Congrats, and thanks for hunting with us!
From: mntman742
07-Sep-14
Great hunt/animals! I don't know anything about buffalo but that one you have a pic of looks huge!
From: AZ~Rich
07-Sep-14
Thanks, That Buffalo was considered a "trophy" Bull breeder and is supposedly a 45"er. He is young enough though that his bosses are still a bit soft. A disease free bull like that can cost up to $90,000 US!
