All in One: Family and Buffalo Hunting in South Africa

The privilege to be part of the John X’s Family

As many of you may already know, the Eastern Cape, in South Africa, is like a second home to me. As a young boy I had the opportunity to get to know -very closely- how did one of the best hunting companies in the world operate. It was indeed a very special time. The privilege of spending three months a year working in South Africa and to witness the commitment and dedication that every member of the JXS team put in what they did to ensure that every safari was a unique experience is the reason why today, I find myself writing these lines. Thank you, Carl!

But being part of this great family is much more than simply having the honour of working with the best in the industry. It is about knowing that every guest with them, will be well cared for. It is about knowing that every guest who visits them, will want to be back next year. All in all, it is the fact that everything at JXS runs smoothly, which is what we want for our hunters. That explains why every safari in South Africa is so special for us. But beside this, if you get a family group like the one we had a couple of weeks ago, the pleasure is even greater.

The advantages of hunting buffalo in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Quite often, I have heard people speaking negatively about buffalo hunting in South Africa. Considering that there is a deep-rooted misconception around hunting, as not all places and hunts are the same, I can only think of advantages when referring to hunting buffalo in the Eastern Cape.

First of all, the flexibility that a buffalo safari offers in South Africa is not seen anywhere else in Africa. In a world in which we are always in a hurry, where we cannot go on vacations without disconnecting from our duties, and everything is meant for yesterday, South Africa is the only country that does not require a minimum hunting license in terms of days. On a reasonable scenario, 5-7 days should be more than enough to get your buffalo, hence, not having to set aside your personal obligations for a long time, which is always highly appreciated these days.

Furthemore, the Eastern Cape is what we call a family-oriented destination where traveling with the whole family and hunting buffalo are perfectly compatible plans. With a five-star hunting lodge and service, I cannot think of any other place in which families are so well looked after. If you want your family to make the best of their time while you are busy hunting buffalo, there are different activities to choose from, all of which will keep everyone entertained. In this case, our family opted for several activities such as horse riding on the beaches of the Indian Ocean, the ladies took some massages, they enjoyed a relaxing photographic safari, and tasted a proper barbeque in the African bush.

But above all, the biggest advantage from a hunter’s perspective is the unprecedented quality of the buffalos that we have been delivering for the last couple of seasons, and how beautiful and unique hunting these great dugga boys in the Eastern Cape is. With the additional c. 40,000 hectares which have been recently aggregated to our hunting grounds, pointing out an exceptional buffalo population, with an almost non-existent hunting pressure, we pride ourselves on providing the best East Cape experience you could have ever dreamed of.

A day to remember: 3 impalas, 3 brothers and 1 excited father

Apart from the buffalo, one of Alvaro’s priorities was to get his sons to shoot an impala each. Having a total of 7 days ahead, Carl and Greg decided to start focusing on the three young men, trying their best to get Jaime, Iñigo and Alvaro Jr their desired trophies. Aged between 9 and 14 years old, the challenge was great fun. But patience and a bit of stalking paid off, making it three great impala rams for three true African hunters on the first day of safari. Although we are still wondering who had a better time, the father’s smile was epic!

The moment of truth

Done with the boys on the first day of safari, it was time for Alvaro to start getting that taste of adrenaline that we all love. With no signs of buffalos during the first hours of the day, it took the guys some time to find the first groups. It is amazing how difficult it can be to locate these animals despite their size.

Within the first groups of buffalo there were apparently no big bulls, just cows with young individuals. This allowed Alvaro to get some references with his gun and test how close could they get from the groups, which proved to be fun and definitely not for the faint-hearted. After stopping to have lunch and let the hours of the day cool down a bit, hoping for the game to start moving again, off they went to try for better luck. Two hours later, they managed to locate a group of 4 bulls near one of the many water holes that the guys at JXS have recently built with the aid of hunter’s dollars. With the wind on their faces and the sun behind them, the stalk was on. Cutting a buffalo’s way is not always easy, as they tend to walk much faster than what it seems.

Knowing their direction -and that’s when you know that your PH has a natural talent for buffalo hunting- Greg was pretty sure where to go to stand and cut their way. A few hundred meters ahead of them was a narrow road that the game uses to change from one side of the valley to the other. Quickly, they ran towards that spot. Faithless, without being sure whether the strategy would work or not, they all waited patiently. Not even 5 minutes had gone by when, all of a sudden, a first buffalo appeared from the thickest part of the bush. Is that the one, Greg? Must I shoot? No, no, hold on, be ready! In position and with his heart rate accelerating, Alvaro patiently waited for Greg’s instructions. A second buffalo emerged from the bush following the first bull. That one? No, just wait!! Be ready!! -You could now feel the tension-. Just as he crossed the road, there was a pause. 10 seconds of silence that felt like hours. Suddenly, a huge black body sized buffalo came out from nowhere and stopped in the middle of the road to turn his head and stare at our hunter and the two PHs. Shoot him, right on the shoulder! Without hesitation, Alvaro pulled the trigger of his 375 and at 40 yards the buffalo fell on his tracks. Happiness and pictures followed by a long night celebration. What else could we ask for?

Reliability and excellence as our common denominator

With our two main priorities accomplished, it was time to take things easier, be relaxed, and make the best out of this trip with the whole family. Other than the side activities that I mentioned before, Alvaro took some other outstanding trophies such as black impala, a gemsbuck and a warthog, all of which -as you may see- proved to be exceptional.

But on top of the many emotions and excitement, Maria Jose and Casilda -mother and daughter- did not want to be left behind, so we had special plans for them as well -and I am not talking about massages and spas- Right after they were done with the horse riding at the beach, Maria Jose put an amazing stalk on one of the most beautiful zebras that I have ever seen. It is not that often that you see a zebra with such bright colours. An absolute beauty. Casilda, tried her best on the sprinbucks, and with her three brothers -who did not need to be asked twice to get involved in the action- was able to put a perfect shot with Carl’s 222 and get her desired ram. Big congratulations to the ladies as well!

Giving back to the local community

During the organization of this trip, I mentioned to Alvaro that JXS leads a few humanitarian projects through which they channel initiatives toward the local community. These projects are supported by the John X Foundation, and we invite you all to get involved with it. As hunters, it is our responsibility. Amongst the different projects, there is the Carlisle Bridge Farm School, where not only a big group of children take classes, but a new sporting facility was recently renovated.

Being aware of the many projects, Alvaro and his family wanted to know more about it and get involved, so they decided to go for a visit and spend a lovely day with the kids and teachers. Other than school material, Alvaro’s children brought some soccer and net balls from the professional Spanish league to play around. I can assure you that after watching a few videos of Alvaro’s boys playing soccer, we might see them retiring his father in a few years’ time. They can play! We were very happy to see that this might be the family’s first contact with the different projects, and we are sure that this will be the beginning of some great things to come. Thanks a million for your generosity!

Don’t miss the opportunity and join us on an epic experience

Once again, another successful safari in the Eastern Cape that comes to an end, and we cannot thank enough all parties involved! Honestly, we are already looking forward to their next safari.

We cannot deny that South Africa is one of the best destinations in the world for many reasons, but when it comes to John X Safaris and Camino Real Hunting Consultants, the experience is guaranteed. Whether you plan to go on your own or with the family, you should contact us.

Wishing you all a happy hunting and looking forward to meeting you soon.

Álvaro Mazón (Jr).