South Africa
Trophy Hunting
"One kills in order to have hunted; one does not hunt in order to kill." - Jose Ortega y Gasset
Hunting in South Africa takes place on private lands that are managed to
promote the proliferation of wildlife. Currently there are an estimated three times the
amount of game on private lands than in South Africa's many
national parks. We have hundreds of thousands of acres to hunt on in varied
terrain.
South Africa is the home of the plains game safari but recently has also
become a premier destination for the Big 5 as well. We offer more than
forty species of game on our standard game list. Many of these species are
only found in numbers in South Africa. The black wildebeest, the springbok,
the southern impala, and the white rhino are specialties of South Africa. If
it's big kudu you're interested in, then the Northern (Limpopo)
Province of South Africa is the one of the best places in the world to go.
We hunt predominately in the Northern Province but have concessions and
facilities in Natal and the FreeState that give us access to areas where certain species are
attainable.
Hunting Techniques
Spotting and Stalking: This is the classic method of big game hunting in Africa. Game is spotted through binoculars while walking or driving in the hunting vehicle and then an approach on foot is attempted. Spotting and stalking can be employed with rifle, bow, or muzzle loader.
Stand Hunting: Stand hunting is typically done from ground blinds near waterholes at midday. When hunting carnivores, meat is sometimes used as bait. Stand hunting can be employed with rifle, bow, or muzzleloader.
Hunting Implements
Rifles: Rifles of 7x57 Mauser or larger are recommended for a full-bag plains game hunt. A .375 H&H Mag. or larger is required for the hunting of dangerous game (leopard not included). Semi automatics are not allowed into South Africa, and pump guns may cause the raising of an eyebrow by the airport police, so we don't recommend them.
Calibers and Ammo: The choice of caliber is really a personal one (other than the dangerous game minimum). The caliber and gun you choose should be a high-performance one with which you are comfortable and confident. A typical deer rifle (.270, 7mm Mag., 30-06, .300 Win Mag., .300 H&H Mag., etc.) accompanied by high-quality projectiles (Nosler Partition, Swift A Frame, Barnes X, etc.), will handle all the plains game in South Africa. The most important thing is that you hit the animal in the right spot. African animals are remarkably tough, so be sure of your shot before you take it. All wounded animals not recovered must be paid for in full. "Too much gun" is not really in the African vocabulary, so if you've been looking for an excuse to pick up a bigger gun, you won't find one much better than a safari. Calibers up to the .375 H&H Mag. are often used on plains game safaris, and if you bring along a few solid bullets to use on the smaller antelopes (steenbok and duiker), you won't have problems with trophy damage when using the bigger guns. Bullet drop can be an issue with the really big guns on longer shots.
Optics: A compact 8x to 10x binocular is invaluable on safari. If you have a full-size binocular and have the room in your luggage, you will find them useful as well. Telescopic rifle sights capable of 4x or greater magnification are recommended. A variable power scope is useful as shot opportunities can vary from very close to 500 yards. If you own a range finder, bring it along if for nothing other than testing your PH's range-estimating ability (this can be quite entertaining, and he will probably impress you).
Archery: Gear capable of taking a whitetail deer is capable of taking most of the plains game you will encounter. Howard Hill once said that he could take any animal in North America with a 45-pound long bow, and this statement could also include the plains game of South Africa. If you use a long bow or a recurve, sharp-to-the-tip broadheads are recommended. With the added energy a relatively low poundage compound affords, there are many broadhead choices that will do the job. The most important thing for bow hunting in Africa is that you know your capabilities with your set-up and are well practiced at shooting it with broadhead-tipped arrows. With bow hunting, shot placement is everything.
Muzzleloaders: It is recommended that modern muzzleloaders with sabot ammo should be .45 caliber or larger. Traditional muzzleloaders using round-ball ammo should be .50 caliber or larger. With muzzleloaders as with archery, it's most important to know your effective range and the effective range of your particular set-up. Muzzleloaders don't carry a lot of energy at longer ranges and may not have the necessary energy to take an animal cleanly. It's important that you know the limit of your equipment.