Hi Guys,

Just got back and had a ball. I had Nine animals in 5 days hunting and my freind had 4 animals.

To be honest the only reasion I hit a high number was due to my accountingh for 6 warthogs including a left and right!!!

I also had a 22.25 " Impala Ram. I got my Bushbuck which came in at 14.5". He could have measured anything but whenb I saw him in the binos I knew he was mine.

The piece de la resistance was the 33" Eland bull I shot on the last evening. The first shot took a deflection in the scrub which meant that we had a hell of a follow up. I finally necked the bull at 50yds freehand to put him down.

Photo's and stories to come.

What's been happening here last week?

Rgds,
FB

Welcome back -- I look forward to the full report and photos.

Congratulations!
Look forward to photos! Especially the spiral horns!

FB,

Large congrats! Can hardly wait for the story. A left and right???

Mark

FB,

Glad you enjoyed it. Help me with your terminology?
A left and right = Left barrel + right barrel of double?
Or:
One running left, BANG, work bolt and one running right, BANG?

Waiting for full report and pictures.

Congratulations and welcome back. I agree, photo's please!!

Hi Guys,

Sorry for the short message but I'm away aagain and only have a sporadic acces to the net.

The Left and right was with a bolt action. We stalked a bunch of Hogs (about 9)that were about 80m away and I got a rest on a low tree branch while sitting on the floor. I dropped the first pig on the spot and the other lot ran in two directions. As 4 ran to my left one just stopped to look back and so I hit her too.

The pigs were having a hard time with the drought. In fact we came across some dead ones that were victims from the lack of food. The ranch owner wanted us to knock out any pigs that were not with young, so I duly did my best taking 6 in the week!!

We started off quite badly with the Virgin flight we were on being delayed for 13hours. This meant that we didn't get to spend the two days in the Kruger to do game viewing. Instead we arrived late on Saturday night in Jo'burg and made our way towards Pietesburg.

We stayed in a lodge over night and got up early to get upto Seditse. By the time we got there we had time to check the rifles and get out hunting for a couple of hours. I had never shot the ammo that I had taken with me. My freind had handloaded the 168 grain triple Shock's for me and shown me the groups he had got with my rifle . So you can imagine when I shot three shots on the target putting the first two through the same hole and the third 1cm higher!! Confidence was on the up!!!

On that first afternoon Janek took an Impala. We saw a youing waterbuck with a cow, but that was all. It was nice to get a couple of hours in the bush and know what to expect for the following full day.

the next day we had a stalk out early in the morning. We came accross a few bunches of Impala but nothing really worth me taking yet. Then after about 3 hours a Ram presented itself at about 60m. He saw us but with the wind in our favour I had time to get on the sticks as he was turning to go. A quick whistle stopped him long enough for me to shoot as he took one look back. He went about 20yds and dropped .

He was a nice wide Ram coming in just over 22", and my African account had been opened.

Later that day Janek took his second and better impala which came in at just under 22" but with nice parralel points. It was time to look for something different.

The food round the Boma was superb and the hospitality was faultless. We sat and ate with the family each night swapping hunting stories and "testing" the Castyle beers, and Dennie's G+T making capabilities.

The next day we walked long and hard & I had passed up on a 40"ish Kudu and a 23" Blue Widebeast that we got to 15m on.. Again we came accross some more Warthogs. I was looking at a good set of tusks through the Bino's so we started a stalk. as we came around a bush another pig we hadn't seem was in our way. It was a smaller Sow but we had been asked to thin them out so I took her from the sticks at 40yds. She ran about 40m and dropped. The blood trail was so good that even I could follow it!!

On the Wednesday We decided to split up and hunt one on one. I continued to hunt with Dennie and we soon picked up the spoor of a herd of Eland fresh from that morning. We tracked them for about 3-4km taking most of the morning. It was so exciting for me as Dennie explained how he interpreted the spoor and pointed things out that I would not have known. There was a bull in the group and the spoor seemed quite big. After about 3hours we knew we were close. We found warm dung and Dennie thought we would catch up within the next 30mins. I was so engrossed in the tracking that I passed up on a 24"-25" Impala at 20yds on the sticks!!! I really wanted to see the tracking through...

Anyway, as we went, we didn't know that the Eland herd had turned and come back towards us. We found ourselves each on the opposite sideof a bush from eachother!! Then I managed to tread on a twig and the bush erupted with Eland. We counted 12, thinking that a couple more had got out unseen. I was on the sticks looking at a gap in the bush as they went through and we called the sexxes as they passed. as 6-7 cows went through suddenly a bbull appeared. He stopped in the gap and I waited for Dennie to tell me to shoot. The crosshairs were on the shoulder and the bul was about 50m distant. he called him as a young bull and best to leave. The safety went back on. the herd took off downwind and so we made our way to lunch. on outr way we cam up to the bunch of pigs and I shot my left and right.

When we got back to the Ranch Piet told Dennie that if we saw any Eland to shoot the males regardless as he had some new blood coming in and need the old Bulls out. There was no Trophy fee on them apart from one big bull that was proving elusive, who was available at half price. Either way after the stalk and tracking we had experience I had Eland Fever!!! I was keen to get on of these elusive Giants.

We spent the rest of the afternoon looking at the Crocodile farm and then we went wing shooting. On the way I got a chance at another pig so I got involved again, the TSX going right between the eyes.... I was getting a reputation with the guys where the pigs were concerned!!!

On the Thursday we went to another ranch about 20 mins away that was on the river to hunt Bush buck. The bush buck was probably the animal I wanted most after the Eland now. We met up with a tracker on the local farm and almost immediately started spotting Bush buck but mainly females. After about an hour we had seen several Bushbucks but no shootable Rams. We were spying a bunch of females when a buck came out from behind the bush. I saw him and immediately decided he was mine. I had no idea what he would measure but I knew he was the one. I pointed him out to Denni who couldn't see from where he was and he said that he was a shooter but not the best. I didn't care so the 308 did the business form his shoulder at 110m. The Bushbuck dropped on the spot.

We spent the rest of the day tracking again & I got onto a Waterbuck that was estimated by Piet the ranch owner to be just under 30". he was facing me and as I took the safety off he went behind the bushes. We spent the rest of the afternoon looking for them and caught up twice but both times the bull was absent and the wind was doing its best to ruin our chances. Somewhere along the way I think I shot a pig. It's getting fuzzy and I lost track a bit. If I remember it was just as we were finishing for lunch and was another shot through the brain from the front. It was at about 5yds as I was waiting for it to come clear. It only came out of the bushes to go round the stump I was hiding behind!!

That evening at last light Janek got the chance at a solitary Blue wildebeast. a single shot from the 30-06 he had borrowed did the trick and the first big one was in the bag.

Friday we hunted hard all morning. I was starting to feel the sun and the water was going down very quickly. I thnk I was a little dehydrated, and sun stroked. We had also stepped up the pace at my agreement to see if we could get onto one of the big guys. With nothing done by lunch we went back for a rest via the bore hole to re fill the flasks. I was quite shattered but insisted on carrying on for our last day. We took an hour for lunch where I got lots of water in me and plenty of orange squash to get the sugars up. It did the trick and I felt great. We decided to drive and spot game to stalk.

We saw some small Kudu and sever groups of water buck but no shootable #Bulls. Then we spotted an Eland in the bush at about 200yds. Dennie identified it as a Bull so down we got and started to stalk. it too about 20mins to get up onto the bull and Dennie thought he was a decent bull but a young one. The view was obstructed but we decided to try and get a shot. As I got out of the cover and sat behind dennie I could feel my heart trying to come through my chest, I looked through the scope but the bull was looking away from me at around 100m. Then he wandered further away. We decided to try and get closer. So we crept up onto him to get within 80m. As he quartered away fromme I could see his left side. I put the cros hair behind the shoulder and squeezed. Suddenly all hell broke loose. I saw my bull take off and a Blue Wildebeast ran infront of us 20m away that we hadn't seen in the thick bush along with all the other Eland Cows we hadn't seen. Dennie asked me how I felt about the shot and I said it felt good. He said he thought the bull was hit hard but it migh have been a bit far back. We kept watching the herd and they didn't seem to want to move off too far, so we gave them a few minutes before we set off to follow up. As we went forward I saw the bull behind a tree looking at me through the fork. Dennie wanted to be sure it was the right bull. He was the right one but by the time I got on to the sticks he turned and moved off. We could see that the bullet had gon in a long way back close to the groin, but he was bleeding heavily and was in no hurry. As the bull moved off he stopped and stood broadside to me at 50m. I got on the sticks and had a clear shot with no brush. I was so sure he was dead that I made the cardinal sin and lifted my head as I pulled the trigger sending the bullet off target again.... This was getting bad. The bull wet 15m and layed down. Dennie said to me to drop the sticks and shoot free hand if he runs, and I told him to shoot if he got the chance. Even though my first shot had taken a deflection I had bodged a perfect chance on the second shot to put the record straight. I didn't want the bull to suffer any more so I told Dennie to shoot if the opportunity arose. the bull took off and a 300grain balistic silver tip took him through the ham and into the chest as he took off into the bush. He turned and crossed me as I ran forward. As he passed a gap I took a shoot straight into the lungs . he staggered and took another step forward, so I chambered another round and shot him in the neck. Down he went and I had my eland. To say I was emotional was an understatement. I made sure the bull was completely dead and gave the PH a big bear hug!!

We recovered the bullet from the 3rd shot through the lungs on the off side under the skin. I have a picture of it and am planning to get it put on a keyring when I get home. When we opened him up he had two shots going through the lungs, and one shot, cutting the Aorta off I think that was my second shot. I'll never know why that bull didn't just take off into the bush??

The next day we had a couple of hours to hunt in the morning before we had to go to the Airport. So I went out and shot another boar between the eyes to end the holiday. After all the excitment with the Eland I'd had enough fun with antelope for now!!

I definately have the bug and looks like we'll be back in 2007.

I'll get the photo's added later if I can.

Regards,

FB

FB welcome home and loking forward to lyour stories and pics...Good shooting..

Mike

I'm Fallow Buck's friend (or freind as he keeps spelling it....for goodness sake!).

FB was the prime arranger for this trip, I came along for the (very good) ride. The game ranch we stayed on was fairly low key, simple, but nice, rooms (thatch over brick). The food was totally fantastic. The farmer's wife loves cooking, and we loved eating. I guess that usually there would be an employed cook, but she does it all herself...FB is the son of a hotelier/cook and it has rubbed off on him. He is a great food enthusiast and cook himself. There was plenty of recipe swapping going on in the evenings.

We eat around the Brai almost every night...Kudu, Eland, Wilderbeest, Impala...yummy stuff!

One night we went lamping for spring and scrub hares. Head shooting them at 40-80m. The next night FB took over the kitchen and served up a feast of "unusual" game. I say unusual because our hosts had never eaten either of the Hares in their lives! Warthog kebabs then the Scub Hare was served in an onion stew and the Spring Hare haunches were BBQ'ed with an orange sauce. Starters were doves and grouse....all in all fantastic stuff. FB is a great cook...and our hosts were amazed that "vermin" could taste so good.

We walked out feet off during the week...but I still came back 2lbs heavier...the food was that good!!

Dennie and Piet were great guys to hunt with, but we sort of knew that already as we were going to the same place, with the same people, that one of FB's great friends had already experienced.

FB has covered the hunting aspects in detail so I'll just add that the 30-06 I borrowed performed perfectly...1 shot kills to everything I pointed it at. We were very glad that we were the only hunters on our flight...the form-filling at JHB for bringing in firearms was slow...

Here is a thought for you (maybe worthy of its own thread?):

Why are so many hunters obsessed with contracts and packing lists etc? Is it a british thing...we just made a couple of phone calls, sent a couple of e-mails, booked our flights and turned up. No contracts, no packing list (just the use of commonsense). If you have a major issue with your PH in Zim', Zam' (wherever) what benefit do you think a contract is? Do you think you have recourse to the courts in those countries? I'd even suggest that if after doing as we did (phone, e-mails) you think that a contract is a good idea then you have got the wrong PH!


It was great...I'll be back!