Report by: PH John Greeff
Location: Madaba Camp, Selous game reserve
Date: 26 July 2006
Greetings from Madaba Camp, Selous game reserve.
Day 1:
Left Lake Natron today and flew the 3 hours to Madaba camp in the Selous. We arrived at lunch time, had a quick bite to eat and then rushed off, eager to get to know the area. As Jack and Leon needed our help with some fresh bait, Trevor shot an impala. That we then hung it in a tree were some good leopard tracks were seen.
Day 2:
Today we set off with high hopes on finding Trevor a Hippo or Alex a buffalo. Trevor and Alex are good about who’s shooting first and what they are going to shoot. After leaving camp Alex saw an impala off in the brush so we made a quick stalk and she made an excellent shot through some thick cover. It was a really good ram and it was we say ‘happy days’!
After some discussion the trackers directed us to an areas where they saw frequent hippo activity and as we approached the area we heard them. Expecting to see about 3-4 hippo, what a surprise when we peaked over the edge and there were 30 hippo – nearly 5 yards away from us. Picture this for yourself : 40 by 40 yard pool, below a dry waterfall. When they saw us the pond erupted into a big splash pool, some hippo opted to stay put others to run! The big bull ran straight into some thick brush. After all this commotion, we decided to come back later. Trevor decided he wanted this bull, so was up for the shooting the next hippo we ‘bumped’ into!!
Later the afternoon we walked a dry river bed, turning into a korongo(creek) of to the side of the river bed. Ahead, in the back under some brush and roots of a tree in the water we spotted the hippo. Slowly and quietly moving along, got onto a small bank above the hippo, 7 yards away and 4 feet up. The hippo had its head up under the roots of the tree. I asked Trevor to throw some dry mud at him so we could see if it was a good one or not.
Alex was already setup on the sticks with the .375. Trevor threw some mud, the hippo stood up, turned and started to run past us on our left. Very big bull and I told Alex to take him. Alex did not hesitate and gave him a good lung shot from 7 yards as he disappeared into the thick brush. Pure adrenalin and tons of excitement, Alex really did stay calm and shot well. It was getting late and with about 3 tons of hippo in the thick brush I asked Trevor and Alex to wait while I went ahead with my double .470. But I needn’t have worried as 100 yards away he lay very dead.
Well done Alex!
Day 3:
Buffalo hunting, but still we had no luck. We changed focus and decided to go back and look for Trevor's hippo. Well we snuck back in and could not believe it as only 2 hippos (mother and calf) were in the pool all the rest had decided to vacate the area. After discussing our options, we decide to start to hunt buffalo more seriously, as this is something Trevor really likes doing.
Day 4:
Buffalo hunting. Followed some buffalo bulls, but the wind was not good and as we got close they ran off. No phased we kept following them and eventually spotted one of the bulls. About 42” spread, but was just to young as his boss was just to soft on top. Once again they got our scent and took off running, we never did see the other bulls. In the late afternoon we saw another really good bull but we just could not get a shot in the long grass and he took off.
Day 5:
Once again we followed two different lots of bulls but never caught up to them as we lost their tracks in the long grass.
Trying to find a spot for lunch, saw a heard of impala and a hartebeest bull and an opening. We went after the hartebeest and Trevor made a good shot from 120 yards dropping him in his tracks. He was happy as we had seen a lot of hartebeest but because of the long grass it’s been hard to get a shot.
After lunch we changed direction and went into a new area. Driving along we spotted a buffalo bull at a mud wallow, he spotted us too and ran off. We got ready and started tracking him , to my (our )surprise he had only gone 300 yards and stopped in a thicket, waiting for us. At about 90 yards when he was spotted, facing us . Trevor was on the sticks and I said he should wait for him to turn. After a minute he started to turn and Trevor shot. Trevor had broken it’s spine and another shot and wow what a really nice old bull.
Day 6:
Looking for hippo in a pool along a river today and whilst walking bumped into a hyena. Trevor gave Alex the .375 and she shot it in the chest and it went straight down. At the shot we heard the hippo in a pool close by. So we went down and looked at them but the bull in the group was not old enough.
Day 7:
The last two days we tried to get Alex a buffalo but all the bulls we followed never gave us a chance. We followed a heard all day according to the GPS we walked a total of 19 kilometers today with no luck.
Day 8:
Today Alex joined her father, Jack and PH Leon to try for buffalo. Trevor and I left camp and found a herd that we started to follow then and after 3 hours and 7 kilometers we got to do what most people only dream of getting to do.
We were circling the herd in really thick brush when we spotted a good bull away from the herd. We got to 35 yards of him, when he saw us, got Trevor on the sticks sitting down and waited as I told him the bull will try to see what we are, sure enough a minute later he walked forward giving Trevor a frontal shot, which Trevor took hitting him solid We also hear the herd run of about 200 yards away.
We waited about 10 minutes, giving the rest of the herd time to settle done – they ran after Trevor’s shot. Followed Trevor’s bull, which only started to bleed after 80 yards and finally found him dead about 250 yrds further . Trevor’s shot had been perfect. A great bull, solid bosses, big curls and 38” spread.
I then said to Trevor; lets see if we can get another one. We followed the herd and caught them 600 yrds away. Whilst glassing the group we saw one buffalo closer to us breaking down a small tree. One look and Trevor was ready as this was a great bull. He was 60 yards from us and Trevor had to wait for him to step away from the bush . When he did Trevor put in a good shot as he only ran 50 yards and we went up and finished him off. He was huge in body and horns. 39” spread with 14 “bosses. Trevor’s got to do a double on buffalo and was really thrilled. What a way to end a safari, last day double!!
End of hunt- all in all I have had a great time hunting with Alex and Trevor. As it’s always fun taking kids hunting especially when they get along and shoot well. We shot a total of 22 animals between Natron and Madaba. Trevor and Alex and myself are looking forward to hunting with you guys next year. We will get Alex a buffalo and Trevor a hippo plus get to hunt cats.
Take care, John