Another Incredible South African Hunt...
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My wife and I just returned from another incredible hunt with Limcroma Safaris located up in the Limpopo Province in South Africa. This was our 3rd hunt with Limcroma in the last 7 years. We just can't say enough great things about our experiences with Limcroma. They are a first-class operation in every way. Here's a few of the highlights of our hunt that I would like to share...
Let me preface by stating that we are not wealthy folks by any means. Hunting is a passion and lifestyle that my wife and I share. We work hard and save our money to do the thing we love the most... Africa just continues to be the best hunting value for the money. There is no other destination that we know of where you can get the most variety and opportunity as you will in Africa. We took most of our big trophy animals on our first African hunt thinking we would never get to return. What we did not realize is how Africa gets in your blood... It's an addiction...
Back to the hunt...Lisa started off our first day with a nice warthog on a cool crisp morning under a bright blue sky..
I was able to get blood on the red sand that same afternoon with a management impala ram. One of the best things about hunting in Africa is the opportunity. We shoot lots of management animals these days. It's not all about giant trophies and inches for us...It's a great way to let lots of arrows fly at very little cost...
The second morning was another first for us both...We got our Primate Slam about 15 minutes apart out of the same elevated hide...Lisa whacked a huge Vervet Monkey and I was able to get my first Baboon with a bow soon after the dust cleared. Anyone that has encountered monkeys and baboons will tell you that they are the smartest and wariest of all of the animals. They see and hear everything. We were very lucky to take both species with our bows.
Sorry for the double post.. Having some technical issues...Maybe the moderator can delete one of the pics..
Anyway, back to the hunt.. We set up a leaner tree stand on one of the properties where the outfitter set up a breeding area for Cape Buffalo. The warthogs were coming in there digging holes and stealing the feed. Hannes told me to shoot as many as possible...I was glad to help... We stacked 'em up pretty good from that spot...
this post is aewsome keep them coming I want to go back in the worst way two trips and no Gemsbok killing me!!!!!
On day four we were presented with a very unique hunting opportunity...Hannes was getting some good pictures of several different bushbucks down on the river. The river is a couple mile long area of the property that is not enclosed by a fence. The animals come and go as they please, and everything you encounter is completely wild. We went in one afternoon, and hung a stand overlooking the trail. That same evening I had 3 different males come in and I was lucky enough to get a shot at this bushbuck. He's not a giant, but very respectable with a bow. It was my first, and I was very happy. It made my trip...It's very rewarding to scout an animal, hang a stand and get to kill one from that spot...
You cannot go to Africa without commenting on the beauty of your surrondings...The great thing about hunting the Limpopo province is the diversity of the terrain and the variety of species to hunt. At Limcroma, you will hunt thick bush, open plains, mountains, and jungled river bottoms...One day you will be reminded of the Texas brush country,then the Colorado mountains, and then even my native Florida swamps... Here's a view of the Limpopo River from the patio at camp...
We were on a quest for Lisa to get a couple of the smaller impala species the Limpopo has to offer...They are the only trophies I have room left for in our house...On day 6, Lisa made a good, long shot on a huge Steenbok. Calling a Steenbok or Duiker huge is an oxymoron. They are only about as big as a newborn whitetail fawn fully grown. Steenboks are considered mature when their horns are an inch or so above the ears. This one was a "monster" of a Steenbok.
Duikers with a bow are a bit of a different experience... Our PH told us that it would be nearly impossible to kill one spot & stalk with a bow....He said he had never seen it done before...I now believe him... We had a few encounters with their rear ends bounding away in the tall grass, but no shots... We'll get 'em next time...
On day 7, I was killing some time alone in one of the hides, waiting for a chance at a management impala, warthog, monkey, baboon, guinea fowl, or one of a dozen or so other species that I could shoot from this particular spot. My PH Andrew said that there was one Zebra stallion coming to this water hole that needed to be removed. He was a stud past his prime, and I could take him if I got the chance. They hadn't seen him on the trail cam for quite a while in the daylight. He was watering at night, like old smart Zebras will do...
Luck was shining on me this trip...I was shooting well and just feeling it.... At dusk, (deer-30), here he comes... Nervous, jumpy, testing the air, and backing in and out. When he stuck his head in to drink, he was facing the hide. This old boy knew the game. No broadside stance for him...After 15 minutes of coming and going with no shot, and dayight leaving fast, he made his mistake... A wildebeest came in spooking him just enough to jump back and give me a quartering away shoulder at 30 yards. I smoked his rear end with a double lung shot. I heard him thunder through the bush and hit the ground hard in the dark. He went 75 yards...What a feeeling!
Didn't need my tracking buddy for this one....
What a fine looking zebra you shot! Congrats on your recent adventure to in the African bush.
Thanks for sharing.
Russell
Here's a shot of my favorite non-hunting spot in Africa... One of the best parts of an African hunt is the camp experience. The cool, clear evenings around the fire with the the PH's and fellow hunters swapping stories and BS is as much fun as the hunting for us. We always meet great people from all over, and we make new, life-long friends every time.
There is nothing better than enjoying an adult beverage next to a roaring fire with jackals cackling in the background....The camp dogs jump up in your lap for a nap or a scratch behind the ears...The smell of eland backstrap sizzling on the BBQ in the air...Nothing could be better in my opinion....
We hunted 10 full days and 3 nights this trip... One of my wishes was to take a hyena with a bow. We set up a bait sight and trail cam the second evening to see what would come in. Our hyena showed up 2 out of the 3 nights we pre-baited him. We also had several visits from jackals, African wildcats, and a huge Civet cat. I was tempted, but I never let an arrow fly in hopes of not ruining my chance at the werewolf I was hoping to take...
It wasn't to be this trip. He didn't show for the next two nights. Maybe he was full of zebra and impala meat. Maybe he was just smarter than us....I'm guessing the latter....
All told, we took a few dozen management animals and a few nice unexpected trophies as well. Each visit we discover something new. It really does get better and better....As I have stated in so many posts so many times, I cannot recommend Limcroma highly enough. Please feel free to PM anytime if you would like to hear more about our hunts with them. There are many good outfitters in Africa, but I can't imagine any can do it better than Limcroma.
I will close with a pic I took from the hyena blind as the sun was setting. Thanks for letting me share my hunt with you all.....
Congrats! That baboon is bada$$! Mike
Dan,
Congrats to you & your wife on another successful trip to Limcroma.
My wife & I are planning a 2015 trip with them for our 10 year anniversary. I still have your # & am sure that I will be calling you to pick your brain some more!
Thanks for sharing....t-roy
Looks like a great trip, thanks for sharing the pictures. That steenbok is a honker, very cool!
Thanks for sharing your adventure. I wish that I could get my wife to go across the pond with me, she says that it is to far from home. I have my fourth trip over booked for July 2014. You are right about it getting in your blood!
Congrats Dan and Lisa! I was thinking and wondering each day how your hunt was going. A few dozen management animals and some real great trophies...Bushbuck, steenbok, zebra...What a trip, a lot of arrows were certainly flying! Thanks for sharing the story and pics. You both must still be flying high!
What a great hunt. Thanks for sharing your African adventure and trophies with the Bowsiters. You got some really great animals.
Love the monkey family photo- what a gas !!
Congrats, sounds like a great hunt ! Got me wondering why I'm not booking a trip also. And thanks for sharing
Congrats, sounds like a great hunt ! Got me wondering why I'm not booking a trip also. And thanks for sharing
That is an awesome hunt. I want to get there per my bucket list.
Just curious, what is your taxidermy cost after a trip like that? I'd love to see come pics of your trophy room.
Owe how sweet is that set up! One day my wife and I may return. Thanks for sharing.
Nice! Thanks for sharing. Great photos and congrats on your Bushbuck. I can't wait as this exact time next year I will be arriving in RSA to hunt with Limcroma. Would like to hear more on the bushbuck setup as that is what I am after in particular. Lisa's Steenbuck is a real toad!! Plus congrats too on a nice zebra. Looks like the kind of place that I will not want to leave once I get there! That veranda scene got me going too.
I'm planning to hunt Africa again in a few years and love seeing these different places to choose from.I had a great hunt with Agagia in Namibia,but killed about everything they have to offer that I like.A bushbuck would definitely be on my hit list,and a baboon would be cool too Thanks for sharing the hunt!!
Great thread and congrats! Did Hannes move the lapa to the banks of the Limpopo? What a great view!
Thanks for all of the kind comments...To you guys that are going to Limcroma, you are in for the best hunting experience of your lives....!
Coachwhip, Limcroma now has 2 lodges about 10 miles apart. The newest river camp is right on the Limpopo river. That's were we stayed this trip. It's really a beautiful camp. This year was Limcroma's best season to date. They have taken over 900 trophy animals for their clients with 2 months of prime season still left... Hannes started using the new lodge so he could accommodate more guests without having to turn anyone away. Also, he wanted to ensure that each camp still maintains that intimate, personal experience that Limcroma is famous for...
Congratulations to you on the hunt and having your wife as your hunting partner...very nice!
Great pictures as well!
awesome hunt for you and your wife. thanks for the story and photos. Forrest
