It was early 2023 and Cal was someone I was getting to know; appreciated for his incredible knowledge and love of big bores, buffalo, and Africa. He was also a huge fan of controversial but very well-known hunter, Mark Sullivan, explaining the public and private profile of this gent. We were about to ship his skulls from a precious safari, and he was due to stay at Afton.
And then he died. On his way to the airport. This was an article we had lined up and I will share some of the skulls at Afton as our tribute to him. – Richard Lendrum
Four-Bore Bulls
By Cal Pappas
Basie and Angela Kuhn’s Haakdoorn Safaris has become for me to be the ideal place to hunt Cape buffalo. While the ranch abounds in plains game it is the buffalo that turns one’s head. Many have been critical of my hunts there and others on South Africa’s game ranches. So please allow me to state my observations of South Africa and other hunting countries in Africa to begin this article.
The most common criticism of South Africa is, “It’s not fair chase.” Fair chase is a vastly over used term in my humble opinion. Rightly so – many small farms in South Africa are “put and take” hunting. I have seen it in person: lions in small paddocks separated by mane size and mane color, 60-inch kudu bulls purchased and released the day before the hunter arrives, rhino and other animals darted and measured then sold by the inch, etc. But this is not the entire scope of hunting in South Africa.
And I will state the “fair chase” hunting countries of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, and Tanzania are not always so. In Zimbabwe a hunter and PH relayed to me their strategy for a big kudu bull was do drive at night in the hope a big bull would be frozen by the headlights and then be shot from the back of the Land Cruiser. In the Tsholotsho area, a waterhole sits 100 feet from Hwange Park’s southern border. Hunters there wait at night with a spotlight in the hope of shooting a 60+ pound bull as he comes to drink. Are baited lions and leopards fair chase? We will never know how many plains and dangerous game are shot from the vehicle when encountered on a drive. I write the above not in critical words of hunting, but to illustrate “fair chase” may have many different definitions.
Haakdoorn Safaris is a ranch about an hour’s drive north of Thabazimbi, South Africa. It is a huge property. The perimeter fence is 57 kilometers! A small portion of the ranch is set aside for breeding buffalo, and hunting is not allowed there. However, the majority of the ranch is not divided into paddocks, and herds of buffalo, impala, hartebeest, waterbuck, gemsbok, blue wildebeest, sable, roan, bushbuck, eland, nyala, giraffe, and kudu run free and are born, live, breed, and die on the property. Warthogs are everywhere. Bird watching is second to none. Leopards live on the ranch but, of course, are illegal to hunt.
The size of the ranch drew me there in 2018 for my first hunt. Also, the legendary PH Mark Sullivan was there as the guest of the owner, Basie, and I wanted to have the experience of being in the field with Mark. I have known him for 20 years and published an extensive three-part article about him for the African Hunter magazine. I wanted to set the record straight and dispel so many of the rumors about this wonderful PH and patriotic American. Mark was not to be here in 2019 and I had the pleasure of hunting with Johan Biewenga, the ranch manager and resident PH. (Basie also holds a SA PH license). The hunting world was paralyzed in 2020 by COVID but in 2021 I returned to hunt Haakdoorn again with Basie guiding me for buffalo.
In 2018 I took a wonderful 43” buffalo with average bosses. My first shots with my beloved John Wilkes .600 double were high as I took too much bead in the back sight’s V for a quick shot. Later in the day the bull dropped instantly when I took the time to aim better. 2019 saw a 39” buffalo fall as well as an impala, two warthogs, bushbuck, and an immense hartebeest of 26”. Game that year was taken with a .450-400 Harrison and Hussey boxlock ejector that belonged to the big-game hunter and famous (or infamous in Australia) cricket champion Douglas Jardine; he owned the rifle from 1933 until his death in 1958. My buffalo was down with a quick left and right and all plains game here (and 11 more in Botswana the following week) fell to one shot. The hartebeest was killed at 214 yards which is my longest shot with a double.
As mentioned, COVID ended my hunting hopes for 2020 but all was open in 2021 and it was time for my second hunting trip and vacation to Africa. As double rifles are the love of my life, and as I try to bring a different one on my hunting ventures, I thought it proper to bring this year a 4-bore double rifle by RB Rodda. Made in 1885 and weighing 23 pounds (24 when loaded!) I felt it proper to return this monstrous antique to the hunting fields once again. Twenty rounds of ammunition balanced the scales at the airline limit of 11 pounds and would be enough to hunt with as well as let my friends at the ranch have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of shooting a big 4-bore.
For readers who enjoy ballistics, my load for the Rodda was 120 grains of Blue Dot shotgun powder, a 1/8” over powder wad set to 100 pounds of pressure, several foam or felt spacer wads, topped with a 1400-grain round ball sized to .970” and held securely with a light crimp. Muzzle velocity averaged 1655 feet per second with a muzzle energy of 8516 ft.lbs. and John Taylor KO (knock out) value of 321.
I fired well over 100 shots over a rest at my front yard shooting range at my home in Alaska at 50 yards. Six shot strings group averaged four inches, and I was confident I could hit a buffalo at that distance. June arrived and I flew United Airlines to Chicago, and on to Newark for the flight over the pond. United’s overseas flight was fairly new after COVID and the plane was a third full. It was an absolute joy to have an empty row of seats to lie down on and sleep well on the last seven hours of the flight.
After a quick and effortless pass through passport control, my checked bag was first on the carousel. Johan Nel greeted me and a short while later we left the airport with firearm license in hand for the 3½ hour drive to the ranch. A stop at KFC in Bela Bela about halfway on the drive, then arriving in camp shortly after 11 pm. (Bela Bela was formerly known as Warm Baths because of the hot springs there).
The next day Basie greeted me, and we spend the day driving the ranch looking at several varieties of game. Having 21 hunting trips in Africa I was not looking for any more plains game, and a 4-bore is not a plains-game rifle by any stretch of the imagination. The center of Basie’s ranch is a huge flat plain of perhaps eight square miles of tan dead grass, about two feet in height in this dry season. We glassed but saw few buffalo – they were lying down in the heat of mid-day. A closer examination with my Leica 10x42s allowed me to see horn tips and bosses throughout the plain, about the level of the grass. We spotted plains game at several of the pans, or waterholes, we visited. Tomorrow would be a good day.
In the next morning’s coolness before the sun warmed the land, I was able to see several groups of buffalo in the vast plain and also in the bush and woods surrounding the plain. With the wind in our favor, Basie and I began several stalks that all ended in frustration. If the buffalo did not notice us, it was wildebeest, gemsbok, hartebeest that did, and when they ran, they spooked the buffalo. In all this commotion throughout the day I did notice one bull with an absolutely huge boss. Widthwise he would be 40 inches or better, but the boss was larger than any buffalo I have taken. The small group of bulls would feed the remainder of the day, and we decided make an early day of it and glass the open area from a distance and try to spot him tomorrow.
The next day we glassed from several vantage points and in the afternoon finally spotted the bull. He was in a different group now, with both bulls and cows. It would be impossible to stalk him in the open without any trees to hide our movements. Basie had a wonderful idea. The small herd was slowly moving in a constant direction. I understood if they kept moving that way there was a waterhole in the trees they would eventually come to. At Basie’s suggestion we left our vehicle and moved to the grass in the area they would eventually walk to. It was a guess, as they could move in any direction they wanted.
Towards day’s end they were approaching shooting distance. We sat for a few hours, watching and glassing. Hartebeest and gemsbok came into us from different directions, saw us, but thankfully walked away rather than break into a full run. Wildebeest that came our way did run, but as they run at anything, anytime, it didn’t seem to matter.
As the sun was rapidly approaching the horizon the buffalo was there. I could plainly see the targeted bull in my binocs, and now the glass was not needed as he was close. The only problem was waiting for the bull to present a shot. I wanted a side-on shot and didn’t want another buffalo directly behind my bull in case of a pass-through shot. (11 years prior I shot two bison in South Dakota with a Robert Hughes 4-bore and the spherical balls passed through both bulls). At 60 yards the Rodda was on sticks as I waited for the best time to shoot. Then, when it was about the time, we were noticed. Time stood still as one, then another, then all stopped grazing to stare at us.
After what seemed like an eternity, some cows and young ones broke and ran to our left. The bulls followed suit. and I thought, “Damn, will I ever get this close again?” But as the younger bulls slowed, a shot presented itself as my bull turned and was quartering on to me at 50+ yards. I took aim at the bull’s shoulder and, consistent to my shooting, I shot high and to the right. At the shot, all the buffalo ran, as did my bull. But he was hit and hit hard, as when he ran, he did not run with the others. Also, as he ran, Basie and I could plainly see a lump protruding from the bull’s back right side as he turned and ran. The ball hit just behind the left shoulder and passed through several feet of soft tissue and came to a stop just ahead of the rear right leg.
He was on the run now and so were we. Then he stopped and we were able to get within shooting range. A second shot at 80 yards hit him in the same place and we found out later a second ball was near the first one on his back right side. He was moving, but slowing down, and two more shots were “Hail Mary” shots that hit him but not fatally. The big bull stopped, staggered, but though he tried to keep on his feet, the loss of blood caused him to fall. As we approached he tried to rise, and Basie had his stunning Westley Richards .577 at the ready as was my 4-bore. The bull could not hold his stance and fell one last time. He was still breathing but not moving as we came in from his behind and I put the last shot between his shoulders through his spine. I didn’t really need the last shot as he was about dead. But he may not have known it, and a last injection of adrenaline could give him the energy he needed for one last moment of glory. A moment I wanted to avoid.
At close examination Basie was as amazed as I was. Final measurement was a width of 42½ inches and his bosses measured 17” on the right and 18” on the left. Not the widest horn spread I have shot but the best overall and by far the largest boss! We returned to camp after last light for a hot shower and dinner, then early to bed. Hunting was done, or so I thought.
What to do the next day? Well, as I had my buffalo down (and what a buffalo it was!) Basie offered me an impala or warthog at no charge. Great! I could not see me walking with the 4-bore all day in the bush and I doubt I could make a quick snapshot with a 24-pound rifle. The range limitations were also a factor. We decided on a quick blind under a tree with a few branches in place to conceal our presence as well as provide a rifle rest. As the bush was open I could see a couple of hundred yards to spot game. The hours passed easily in the shade of the tree, sitting on folding chairs with a cooler box close by.
Two trophy impala in the 26 to 28-inch range were seen as were several warthogs coming to a nearby pan to drink, as well as kudu and a waterbuck. All of which were out of range. Giraffe, too, wandered close by, within shooting distance of the big rifle but not on the docket for the hunt. Realizing the odds were not in my favor Basie called for the Land Cruiser to come pick us up. We loaded the cooler box, the chairs and my rifle in and climbed aboard. Sitting there discussing the futility of the day, Basie’s PH, Johan Nel, quietly said, “Shhhhhh,” and pointed. A roan bull was making his way through the bush, angling in our direction. Basie looked at me and whispered he was an excellent bull and to take him if I was confident of the shot but that he was not a free one as was the impala or warthog offer.
We three were all still as I moved the 4-bore into position. The roan changed direction a bit as he noticed us but did not quickly run off. We were all in the vehicle, but the vehicle was not moving and was also behind the blind and the tree. Now the bull was walking to our left and moving away. He was still in motion when I touched off the left barrel. Again, I hit to the right behind the shoulder (perhaps because he was moving) and a bit high. The bull jumped and kicked, ran a very short distance and collapsed from massive blood loss from the entrance and exit holes and out of his nose and mouth. As with the buffalo, there was little meat damage as would have occurred from a high velocity expanding bullet. Rather, just a one-inch hole from a heavy spherical ball at moderate velocity.
The range was 55 meters or about 60 yards. Better than we thought at first, the roan was an excellent trophy at 28¼” with a base circumference of 9¼ inches. Shot from a vehicle, yes, but not spotted from a vehicle, and also the vehicle was not moving. It’s your judgement call. While the recoil from the 4-bore is significant I can tolerate it well and not flinch. But when Basie told me the trophy fee on the roan bull, I was set back more than from the recoil of the 4-bore!
A day of reminiscing the hunt and talking of further hunts followed. Game viewing at hides at waterholes and lunch with Basie and his wife, Angela, and two youngest daughters, Shayla and Sheena (the oldest daughter, Chene’, was attending college in Texas). Basie, the salesman he is, said casually, “Cal, you have ammunition remaining and some time on the ranch, let’s have a go at another buffalo.” Still shell-shocked from the roan’s trophy fee, and perhaps not thinking clearly from the recoil of the Rodda 4 slamming my brain within my skull cavity, I agreed. (I could also sell my insulin to help cover the trophy fee).
We spotted buffalo, but the day was getting on so we returned the next day—my last on the ranch this year. Basie and I had the whole crew with us that day: Johan Nel, Mike the ranch manager, and two clients from Michigan also joined us. The brother and sister (Mark and Jenny) had completed their buffalo and plains-game hunt and were relaxing for a few days before their flight home. Both took a nice selection of plains game and Mark an excellent buffalo.
Having a bull of a lifetime already down, the pressure was off. We spotted a pair of bulls perhaps two kilometers away lying in the open—their horns just above the level of the grass. If I shot another bull that would be wonderful, and if I didn’t, I would have some money to come home with. We began to stalk with the wind in our favor to get a closer look at the headgear. Closing the distance to less than half of when we first spotted them, we could see their horns clearly though our binoculars. Both bulls were in the trophy class with the wider one being soft in the boss. The other was an old bull, narrower, but with a solid boss. Nothing, however, to compare with my first bull.
Basie, Johan, and I moved in, all in a line one behind the other to keep the buffalo from seeing too much of us. We walked the last three-quarters to half a kilometer in the general direction of the pair but moving ahead, lined up behind a small bushy tree to conceal our movement. As we approached the tree we stopped and glassed. The older bull on the right swung his head in our direction as his companion stood. Johan set up the shooting sticks ahead of the bush and I leveled my rifle’s sights on the old bull. Then he stood. As they could run at any moment, I put the fine bead in the rear sight’s shallow V and on bull’s chest and pressed the rear trigger. A solid hit it was, and the bull jumped and staggered backward. A second shot dropped him instantly. The first shot was ranged at 85 yards and the second at 95. Not a great bull, but 37 inches wide with a nice solid boss.
The day was done as was the hunting. The sun was going down as rapidly as my bank account when we stopped at the camp’s rifle range and everyone there had a go with the Rodda. They burned up what remained of my ammunition, giving them all the once-in-a-lifetime experience of shooting a rare and massive vintage double rifle in the largest of the shoulder-held sporting rifle calibers. Tomorrow was a sad day to say goodbye to Basie and his family as they have become good friends, and it would be another year until I saw them again. It was planned for Basie and his family to visit me in Alaska in 2023.
The next morning Johan drove me two hours south to Langkloof Game Farm where I would spend four days with friends there who managed that property. Johan and Joey Biewenga are also good friends, and I saved a few rounds from the Rodda so Johan could have a go at his target range.
After my visit to Langkloof I was to fly to Zimbabwe and vacation there for two weeks. But when I was at Haakdoorn, Zimbabwe had a COVID border closure and restricted travel within the country, with curfews, and shortened business hours. I changed my return ticket thanks to Steve Turner’s help at his Travel With Guns travel agency. The decision was sound, as a few days later Zim restricted all city travel to emergency and medicine delivery only.
Seeing Langkloof was a joy, with its mountain range dividing the property and its varied game populations. Johan and I spent my final day in Pretoria at Safari and Outdoor, showing the Rodda to interested employees and customers, and buying a pair of my favorite footwear: Courteney Boots’ Selous model. I also ordered a magnificent rifle rack from Uvami Gun Accessories. I had seen Johan’s rack three years ago at Basie’s ranch and wanted one ever since. Now, that I was about out of money I was able to spend my last dollars on a 5-gun rack made from African teak wood. The craftsmanship is 100% and it was made to my design. The owners of Uvami are superb craftsmen in wood and leather. I would encourage fellow hunters to order one when on safari, and collect it on the way to Tambo airport as the shop is only 15 minutes away. Even with the extra bag fee, the total cost is well under half of what similar racks sell for when imported to the states. Look at the photo and judge for yourself. My rack will be used several times a week in Alaska when mates come to my home range to shoot double rifles as well as clays. Plus, like my Courteneys, it is yet another piece of Africa I can bring home.
As a side bar, I would like to give a positive thumbs up to Cliff Williamson of Savuti Taxidermy in Johannesburg. I visited Savuti on my departure from SA and Cliff had completed my 16 trophies from my 2019 hunts in SA and Botswana. It was difficult and time consuming to get the skulls from Botswana. Cluster you-know-what is more like it. The agent for my hunter in Botswana, kept the trophies for over a year and said nothing. When they were finally delivered he did not bring my best eland skull. A year later the missing eland was delivered but all of my flat skins were not. While I would hunt in Botswana in a minute with Jaco Viser of NKWE Safaris, I will never do business with his agent in the south of that country. And, to add insult to injury, the agent still has Cliff’s Botswana trophies and Cliff hunted with Jaco one week after I did. Within a couple of months as I write this my three skulls from this hunt will be added to the completed batch and I should have them to decorate my Alaska log home.
The Africa experience gets better with each passing year!
