I believe you have handled the situation correctly. You shot 2, paid for 2, and will have 2 on the wall. Enjoy them both.

Ski+3

You're right; there are lessons from this. One is to always trust your instincts on these things. Checking the spot where your animal stood would have been quickly done and settled the story.



That said, you've done the thing, and the right thing at that, and it is time to feel good about two trophies. It's hard to argue with those who outnumber you and who have more experience with the animal/area than you.



Congratulations on your trophies.



(Edited for spelling.)

Well, that is pretty much ranch policy in the whole of RSA. I would learn to check the pt of impact + enjoy the memories of a very fruitful couple of hours....
BTW a hunter I know had to pay for a wildebeest that injured itself on the game fence after it was frightened by his shot on a nearby blesbok....so I guess the rule is, if it bleeds, you pay!

I had a similar experience but a different outcome.

I shot a blesbok with a .30-06, 180 grain Nosler Partition from about 150 yards and was sure I made a good shot. But two PH�s and I all saw the bullet strike a pond several yards behind the blesbok and they both said I shot over him. He made no reaction whatsoever to the shot � no humping up, no running, not even a flinch, but continued to walk calmly and become intermingled with the herd. Several minutes after this I shot another blesbok with the same rifle and load but hit this one low in the neck, severing the spine. He dropped at the shot.

Later on the PH told me he had �good news and bad news�. Good news was that I had taken an excellent, record book blesbok. Bad news was that it was the first one I shot at. They had found it a little later with a complete pass through shot through the lungs. I looked at it and the offside was leaking bright red, frothy blood. For whatever reason that Nosler had not expanded much � at least it didn�t make much of an �impression� on the blesbok, which had nevertheless bled to death within the next few minutes.

However, at the end of the safari when it came time to pay all fees the safari owner only charged me for one blesbok as he said it was their fault for not following up and making sure that I hadn�t hit the first blesbok. That was Peter Harris of Ntshonalanga safaris.

Both outfitters I've hunted with in RSA called that "School Fees" The PH is to learn something when HE pays the other trophy fee.

Les

Last year in RSA, my PH, tracker and I went to hunt Gemsbok on Mt. Melsetter, a property in the Karoo. We had permission for one gemsbok and the ranch owner told us of a decent bull in one of two herds that had a limp and asked that we take him if we though he was nice enough. We chased these two separate herds all over the mountain all day long getting on the sticks several times before they would sense us and run off. Finally at dusk we had no choice but to quit pussy footing around and simply go straight for them and hope for the best. We got within 75 yards and I setup on a termite mound and shot the bull pointed out to me by the PH. I heard the distinct whack of the bullet and saw the bull drop but upon looking up at the herd we saw a gemsbok run off in a different direction separating himself from the herd. Both my PH and the tracker said it�s him. I contested saying I saw mine drop but they said he got back up and there he goes. It�s nearly dark now and as agreed the ranch owner was coming to pick us up as we could see the headlights of the bakkie. We told the owner what had just transpired and he suggested we go way around in the vehicle and try to find him. We find the gemsbok standing by himself and in the bakkie�s headlights see a wound on his right flank so I dispatched him with one more shot to the heart. We take the pictures etcetera, skin the animal and go back to the PH�s ranch. Two nights later while having sundowners at the end of another successful hunt for blesbok, my PH gets a call from the Mt. Melsetter ranch owner stating he found a dead gemsbok with a complete pass thru shot thru the chest. No one else had been hunting since we had been there. We all surmised that my original shot from the termite mound had indeed passed thru the gemsbok and must have wounded the other one in the flank although I swear I saw nothing anywhere behind my gemsbok when I shot from the mound. I agreed to pay for both gemsbok since I had killed both of them and I finished the safari without further concern.

Flash forward to a couple months after my return and I think I put 2+2 together. I�m wondering if I even wounded the second gemsbok. Although both my PH and the tracker, in the failing light and thru a cloud of dust kicked up by a herd of frightened gemsbok, thought my gemsbok got back up and ran, it�s possible it was the limper that ran off separate from the herd. The first one was lying there dead but I didn�t even go check because these other guys were convincing, plus, I saw a wounded gemsbok running off. I also remember hearing the PH mention to the tracker that the wound to the flank was not bleeding very much for having a 375 bullet just hit him. I haven�t spoke with the PH about this since my hunt and at this point I don�t think it matters. I paid two trophy fee$ and have 2- 36� bull gemsbok at the taxidermist$. Even if we had found the one I dropped right away, we might have continued to think a pass thru shot wounded the second bull and would have ended the hunt the way it ended up anyway. The worst part is that since the ranch owner didn�t find the original bull for 2 days, the cape was gone and a replacement had to be found. There�s a lesson here but I�m not quite sure what it is.

I think the lesson learned is always go to the spot you shot the animal before taking up tracking a wounded animal.

I once shot an impala making the final stalk myself as he was in a rather open area and a "gang" was not going to be able to move up on him. As I approached this supposed single animal it turned out there were a few extras behind him but off to his left and way out of the line of fire.

After I shot him, he ran off to my left. The other impala rams also moved off to the left but on a different track. My PH, tracker and skinner didn't see any impala after I shot until he was about 200 yards from where I had shot him and they then immediately moved to that spot to take up tracking the animal. Rather just go over to join up with them I immediately walked over to the spot where I had shot the impala. The lay of the land was such that I was not sure that from their perspective they were looking at the right animal. Fortunately the blood trail was initially impressive and headed straight to my PH. I could tell my PH didn't like what I did but he didn't have all the information and could have been wrong. I'd rather take the "embarassment" of being wrong than being really wrong.