Hunt Free Range Cape Buffalo in South Africa

2024 / 2025

FREE RANGE CAPE BUFFALO HUNT IN SOUTH AFRICA

Any Size Buffalo! 1x1 Only $10,990

HUNT INCLUDES:

• 7 Full Hunting Days in South Africa
• Cape Buffalo Trophy Fee
• R/T Road Transfer from Johannesburg
• Arrival Day Lodging / Last Hunting Day Overnight Lodging
• Field Preparation of Your Trophies
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Cell and Internet Service in Camp

EXTRAS:

• Dip and Pack
• Crating and Shipping of Trophies
• Taxidermy 
• Airfare to and from Johannesburg
• Gratuities

Observer rate is $150/day

Begin your dangerous game adventure with this free-range cape buffalo hunt at the lowest price point in Africa! This hunt features a free-range concession that has a herd of over 800 cape buffalo and has no size limit. You can shoot the biggest buffalo you can find!  Located in the Kwazulu Natal Province of South Africa and a 5-hour drive from Johannesburg, this is one of the only free-range cape buffalo hunts outside of the National Parks.

About the Cape Buffalo:

The Cape Buffalo, known in Africa by its nickname “Black Death”, is a member of the big five groups of animals. It is one of the most popular big five to hunt in Africa due to the excitement of the hunt and its affordability. Cape Buffalo are menacing beasts, growing up to 2,000 pounds and sporting deadly horns on the tops of their heads. Males develop these large horns and hard bosses that they use for defense against predators and while jockeying for dominance in the herd. These animals are also extremely dangerous if they become wounded, and are extremely unpredictable and powerful after a hunter has sunk a shot or two in them. Cape buffalo hunts are always exciting and action-packed from start to finish! You can expect your trophy buffalo to have a horn spread between 37-43 inches. Our clients have taken buffalo up to 45" on this concession recently.

Cape Buffalo Hunting Area and Terrain:

This property is located along the northern and eastern banks of the Pongolapoort Dam in KwaZulu Natal. This free-range concession covers 95,000 acres in which the animals can roam free into Swaziland and back. The large Pongola River flows year-round through the concession before it runs into Lake Jozini, making this property a unique and gorgeous destination to visit in South Africa. Stay on the lookout while driving around as well, since the concession is home to four of the big five, as well as hippopotamuss and crocodiles. Because of the size of the area, the terrain varies from grassy plains to thick forested brush.

Hunting Seasons:

This hunt is available anytime between May 1st and October 30th. Anytime between these dates is prime for Cape buffalo hunting, and no specific time will be better than any other. However, be advised the closer you get to coming toward the middle of the year, the closer it is to the dead of winter and the cooler it will be, so pack accordingly!

About the Outfitter:

This outfitter is one of very few in South Africa to offer free-range hunting, an opportunity that is rarely seen in this country. In addition to his properties being free-range, they are also some of the most prized hunting grounds in South Africa. They own and utilize fully staffed 3 and 4-star lodges in different settings around the property, giving them the best ability to cater to you and your group. They are dedicated to ensuring a successful hunt with memories that will last a lifetime! In addition to the free-range concession in Kwazulu Natal, this outfitter also has a hunting concession in Mpumalanga that has serval, suni, red duiker, and other sought-after species.

Cape Buffalo Lodge and Accommodations:

This property has three fully catered and fully serviced 4-star lodges around the property. The Umvubu Lodge, Umvubu Miners Lodge, or Inyati Lodge will be used depending on availability and the size of your group. The Umbuvu Lodge offers 9 rooms. The Umbuvu Miners Lodge offers 5 rooms, 2 with a double bed and 2 with 2 single beds. The Inyati Lodge offers 5 rooms as well, with 2 rooms featuring a double bed and 3 rooms featuring a single bed. Each of these lodges provides fantastic food and drinks, as well as magnificent views over the African plains. The staff at each is top-notch and will be dedicated to serving you during your stay.

At each of the lodges, you can enjoy your meals while overlooking the African bush and watching roaming animals. Food is excellent and prepared with a variety of different game and livestock meats. Cell signal and internet are available while in camp. 

A Typical Day Hunting Cape Buffalo:

Buffalo hunting is one of the most exciting hunts you can undertake in your African hunting career, so you will begin your day by fueling up with a light breakfast and coffee while in camp. Once breakfast is finished and all your gear is loaded up, you’ll head out to waterholes in search of fresh Cape buffalo tracks. Once some good tracks are spotted, you, your PH, and your tracker will set out on foot following them. It is relatively easy to track a big herd through the bush, as they leave distinct crushed swathes of grass in their path, an abundance of prints in bare areas, and many droppings as well. There’s a saying that buffalo are hunted with your feet, so be prepared for a lot of walking and tracking once you get on a group. As you make your final approach to the group, the challenge is to sneak up and identify a big trophy bull. Once you and your PH make the distinction, it's time to slowly set up your shooting sticks and line up your shot. This can be tough in a herd, as there are many animals all moving about at once. Once your PH gives you the go-ahead, take your shot and be prepared for the coming adrenaline rush! 

While hunting buffalo, the two best times of the day are from 6 am to 12 pm and then again from 3 pm to 6 pm. Between these times, it is the hottest part of the day and the buffalo are stagnant and bedded down. It is best then to come back to camp, eat some lunch, and take a rest to wait them out. If your PH deems it necessary to stay on your buffalo for a specific reason, it is possible to eat a packed lunch in the field instead of returning to camp. At the end of the day, you’ll return from hunting to a camp with a warm fire and a fantastic meal on your plate!

Other Available Animals:

This concession also has other quality free-range trophies on it. Their kudu average between 53” to 58”, with a few ranging over the magical 60" mark, and their Nyala average between 28” to 31”. They also have an abundance of common reedbuck that average 15”. Their warthog populations are also very high, and it is common to see between 50-100 of them per day, making them an easy trophy to add to your safari! All the animals here are free-range and of exceptional quality. 

Trophy Care and Shipping:

As soon as your trophy is loaded into the truck, it will be covered to protect it from the sun. It will be taken back to camp and skinned immediately to prevent bacterial growth and potential hair slippage. All the meat will be scraped off the skin, and then it will be washed to remove all blood and debris. After drip drying, it will be rubbed with salt, rolled up, and left in a cool dry place for a few days. It is then unrolled, hung, and left to dry. The taxidermist is contacted immediately once the trophy is ready for transport and will come to pick it up from the concession. The trophy is tagged with your information, and your paperwork will be sent with the trophy to the taxidermist. It will take no more than 7 days to get your trophies delivered to the taxidermist or dip and pack agent from the time you hunt them.

Rental Rifle:

This outfitter offers a .375 CZ rifle and a .450 CZ rifle for rent to use during your buffalo hunt.

If bringing your own rifle, it must be .375 or larger and you must bring both solids and soft points for it as well.

Getting There:

You will first fly into Johannesburg. If you are arriving in the morning, your outfitter will meet you and drive you to the hunting lodge. If you are arriving in the afternoon or evening, you should stay at the AfricaSky Guest House, and your outfitter will meet you in the morning and drive you to the hunting area. From Johannesburg, it is a 5-hour drive to the lodge. Once you arrive, you will be greeted by the lodge staff and begin settling in and preparing for the next day’s hunt!

Deposit and Payment Policy:

A 30% deposit of $3,300 is due to book this buffalo hunt. The full remaining balance must be paid in camp on the last day of the safari. US cash, Euros, Credit Cards, or wire transfers are the acceptable forms of payment that this outfitter accepts.  

Cancellation Policy:

Deposits are non-refundable. Hunt can be rescheduled once at the outfitter's sole discretion for new available dates. If these new dates are accepted and the hunter wants to reschedule again there is a 10% fee. Upon any rescheduling, a $150 fee is to be paid directly to the booking agent.

EXCLUSIONS: International airfare, taxidermy, international shipping of trophies, insurance, gratuities 

Contact John Martins at 727-469-3742 to book this heart-pounding buffalo hunt in South Africa!

Hunt # SA-UM-FRCB-2022-1