Several friends have asked me "what is so special about african hunting". One thing that occurs is the fact that several amazing things can happen in a single day.

I thought I might share a story or two of a days hunting. The following is the story of just one morning from my ele hunt last Sept. If anyone is interested I'll add what happened the rest of that day...

Brett

Crouched behind small bushes we are watching the leaders slowly pass below us. Three bulls and several cows and calves move off to our left mostly obscured by thick leafy trees. As we move forward with care only Elmer Fudd could muster it occurs that the jet lag is over and I couldn�t be happier. We settle behind two young trees with trunks about as thick as your wrist and the steady early morning breeze lets us not only hear but smell them as they move towards us. As the first cow comes into view I look at Peter and he looks soberly back, we are close. Too close. Too close to move (even backwards) and not scare them. As more cows and calves appear and feed towards us I think idly that I could push the barrels of my rifle through the little tree and poke the girl in front of me in the butt. Several times they stop feeding and look at us, I resist the temptation to look into eyes. As they move away and I begin to regain reliable sphincter tone, a young bull comes over the little rise to our right and unconcerned, feeds on a line that will take him behind OUR trees. Very softly I hear the safety of Peter�s .416 move and without knowing it, I move my thumb forward as well. I remember thinking airily that this is the first time I have ever known a PH take the safety off. He is close now, really close, and no tree between him and me.

We first saw them from the truck. A long line of black blobs half way across the wide mopani forested valley. Buffalo. Seventy-five to a hundred of them feeding in the early morning semi-cool. It was the third day of safari and I felt as though I might be able to keep up today without too much whining as we followed piles of elephant dung. The chance to stalk buffalo was a welcome change of pace and there were reportedly some very good ones in the area.

To finish the story, the bunch to our left got our wind and took the little bull with them when they cleared off. Had I know it, this was only the start to a very eventful day.

Man, this is like the soap operas that my ex's love to watch. When is Pt.II? Is it sametimesamestationnextweek?

You're killing me man... GO on... Go on...

O.k., You've set the hook. The rest of the story please.....

Bill

Ahem...very politely...CONTINUE!!!

This sounds like a Peter Barnard story.



(not to ruin your story, but is this the 8 yd., frontal on a cow, hunt?).

Thanks for the interest. I'll type out the rest of the day's fun at lunch today.

Will, nope, no cows (or any buffalo) shot that day. It was such an incredible day because after the buffalo in the morning we shot a decent bull elephant in the afternoon.

Brett