African dangerous game safari

This said, it has been stated that Leopard hunting will reopen in certain areas in the not too distant future. When Leopard hunting opportunities do become available, these will be communicated to our data base.

Leopard populations in South Africa have grown exponentially with the boom in wildlife numbers and the amount of land which has been set aside for wildlife over the last 45 years. Prices vary from area to area. It is estimated that we have over 50 Cape Buffalo on private game reserves South Africa today, this excludes our protected areas and neighbouring areas, some of which permit hunting.

From time to time we are allocated White Rhino quota. Our Kalahari Concession is the ultimate destination for a proper wild Rhino hunt. Rhino hunts in this area require tracking, patience and the ability to walk for long periods of time.

It goes without saying that our target will be an old bull. Occasionally we are offered Rhino hunting opportunities in a variety of other reserves in South Africa. From Rhino in South Africa now boast the earths largest Rhino population which exceeds 18 animals. We also offer Dangerous Game Safaris to our neighbouring country Mozambique. Be prepared and make sure you are familiar and comfortable with your weapon of choice!

Dangerous game hunting in Africa can be done using a rifle, or a bow and arrow. We will advise on the best options based on your preferences, availability, skills levels, and your health and medical condition. Africa Hunting Safaris follows the guidelines set forth by the relevant authorities. These regulations determine that a minimum caliber rifle is required for hunting dangerous game in most African countries.

Bow hunting also follows a range of regulations based on the broad head, arrow weight and draw weight. Please book your hunt at least 6 months in advance to give us enough time to take care of all paperwork and permits. Inquire about your dangerous game hunting safari in Africa today by getting in touch with the friendly Africa Hunting Safaris team. The Cape Buffalo is well known for its bad temper and its desire for revenge once it has been injured.

It is a popular trophy to seek out but it is also one of the most dangerous species you could hunt. Also known as Black Death, the Cape Buffalo can be extremely dangerous, and is said to have killed more big game hunters than any other animal in Africa. The imposing elephant is a magnificent beast and it is no surprise that it is considered to be dangerous game. If agitated, abused or if encountered in the wild, an elephant can be one of the most dangerous creatures in the world.

Elephants experience unexpected bouts of rage and are known to be vindictive. As the largest living terrestrial mammal, the African bush elephant can be an intimidating sight. It was ideal conditions for close encounters with elephants, the type of hunting Nico enjoyed. Early season also meant plenty of long grass and bush that was thick with green leaves. Mopane trees were the dominant vegetation where we hunted, and both buffalo and elephant thrived in that country, using the leafy canopies for food, cover and shade.

But it also meant you had to be close to an animal in order to see and judge the size of its horns or tusks.

At sunrise one morning, we located the spoor of two bull elephants and left the LandCruiser to track them through a thick mopane and acacia woodland. We were at the southern end of the massive Mababe Depression and not far from the southern boundary of Chobe National Park. One of my trackers climbed a tall mopane tree on the edge of the plain to have a look around. Eventually, he spotted two tiny specks on the horizon that he thought might be elephants.

I could see they were feeding, but moving slowly toward a large stand of mopane where they could rest in the shade during the heat of the day. I wanted to get to them before they ambled back into the trees where it would be difficult to locate their tracks again. If we were to reach them while still on the plain, we had to hurry.

I could not see the bulls when I climbed down from the tree, so I picked a spot on the horizon well ahead of where they were going and we started jogging toward it. If they continued at their current pace, I hoped to intercept them before they reached the trees. It took us more than 15 minutes of non-stop running through coarse, saw-edged grass and low blackthorn bushes.

Fortunately, Nico and I were fit enough to keep up a good pace, but his friend, Sakkie, who was carrying a little more weight, fell behind. Nico and I had to keep going if there was any chance of getting to the bulls in time, so I had my second tracker, Galabone, stay with Sakkie, and they proceeded at their own speed.

Rich, my number one tracker, along with Nico and I, finally reached the bulls who were still on the plain, but edging ever closer to the woods. I felt something running down my legs, and looked to see blood trickling into my shoes. Our legs, badly scratched and cut from our run through grass and thorn, looked like roadmaps. Many months later, I was still scratching at festering sores as the thorns gradually worked their way out of my flesh.

The elephants were separated by a couple hundred yards, so with a favorable breeze in our face, we eased to within 30 yards of the largest bull who was farthest from the trees. The other bull was at the edge of the trees, which was a good thing as I hoped he would move on without the bull we were about to take. Having taken a couple of previous elephants, Nico indicated he wanted to go for a side-on brain shot.

Because of the degree of difficulty in picking out the proper point-of-aim as determined by distance and the angle and attitude of the head, a brain shot is not recommended for the inexperienced or first-time elephant hunter. From a flat side-on angle at 30 yards, Nico knew to aim at a spot exactly two inches above where an imaginary horizontal line extending from the eye intersects the vertical line of the ear.

At the sound of the shot, a single, well-placed bullet dropped the bull where he stood with no second coup-de-gras shot needed. We moved up to the downed elephant to admire a fine pair of pound tusks. We could now relax and revel in the moment. We were still back-slapping and congratulating each other when Rich signaled to me that the second bull was walking back in our direction. Owing to a stiff breeze blowing from the bull to us, the second animal had not heard the shot and was now looking for his pal.

He was walking directly toward us, so I recommended we retreat a couple of hundred yards to give him plenty of room to hopefully move away without further trouble. But an uncomfortable feeling nagged at me—that this elephant was not going away without a fight, and I knew we would have some serious trouble on our hands if he came looking for us.

There was not even a skinny tree anywhere around, or any cover that we could at least stand behind if the bull decided to look for us. Then a cold shiver went down my spine as I remembered that Sakkie was still coming up from somewhere behind us, completely unaware of the impending danger that was increasing by the minute. The situation had become a dangerous mess in a very short amount of time. As the bull came upon his dead companion, he reacted by moving up close to investigate the body with his trunk and immediately picked up our scent.

His trunk then snaked skyward to search the air to determine where danger might be lurking. Next, he dropped his trunk and cocked his head as if looking at the ground.