07 October 2008, 10:59
akjeffFirst African Hunt
My wife and I recently returned from our first(and not last!) trip to Africa. It was awesome, and the realization of a childhood dream. To share the experience with my wonderful wife Catherine, made it all the better! To top it off, my good friend/hunting partner Paul was working for the outfitter, and I got to hunt with him as well!We used Gracy Travel(Doug) for the ATL-JHB flights(Delta). All went as smooth as could be. Also used Air2000 for the SAPS 520, and it was worth every penny. Maxwell with Air2000 was terrific, and I doubt that I spent 5 minites in the SAPS office.
Also had the pleasure of meeting AR's Palmer(Allen Johnson) and his wife, Irene. Wonderful people, whom we'd wished we could have spent more time with!
Outfitter: Hannes Swanepoel Safaris(www.hannesswanepoelsafaris.co.za) AR's Ray Atkinson books hunts with Hannes.
PH: Roelof Nieman (Hannes couldn't conduct the hunt due to recent surgery, but was a super host nonetheless, and Roelof couldn't have done a better job...he was super!)
Hunt Area: Lowveld of Limpopo, and Highveld of Mpumalanga Provinces of RSA.
Hunt Dates: 9-8 thru 9-17 2008.
Equipment: Ruger No.1 9.3x74R 4x Zeiss Conquest 286gr Nosler handloaded to 2350 fps.
I'll not bore you with the details of every stalk, but will detail the very first African game shot, which was a kudu bull. An experience I will never forget. We tiptoed past a troupe of baboons on the way to a group of five bulls feeding along a dry riverbed. We got to within 30-40 yards, and had been looking them over for a while(thick cover) when one of them finally spotted us, and spooked. Roelof immediately set up the sticks, and I got set. Four of the bulls crossed the river, and slowed to walking broadside/single file at 100 yards or so. Roelof said to shoot the second one. I gave him some time to stop, but when it was obvious that wasn't going to happen, I shot him as he passed between bushes. He dropped immediately. The bullet broke both shoulders, and was under the hide on the far side. It was a classic Partition, in that it peeled back to the partition, and lost all the nose lead. It later weighed 205gr. The trackers(Pete and Cepho) brought the truck over, and I got a big hug and kiss from the wife, took a bunch of photos, and was on cloud nine! I'm not a record book kind of guy, nor do I measure critters. Hannes measures all game taken, for obvious reasons, and did tell me that this bull was 56"x54" and bases nearly 12". Whatever that all means....all I know is he's big and beautiful, and the thrill of a lifetime.(I have no idea what any of the other heads taped, so don't ask!)
Next was an impala, also walking, broadside, at around 60-70 yards. Pass through, and short run(30 yards)
Then, one of my favorites, a waterbuck. Lucked into him, while after bushbuck. Standing broadside at around 150-175 yards. Pass through, and ran about 60 yards. Nice old guy, with a worn off horn tip.
Then, it was a blue wildebeast. Great fun, and a challenge to stalk. A definite favorite of mine. Nice old bull, with teeth worn down to the gumline. He was quartered towards us at about 80 yards, nearly head on. Hit him at the neck/shoulder junction, and he went down in a cloud of dust, and never got up. The only other bullet recovered. Found in the opposite ham, and weighed 212gr. Another textbook Partition.
Stumbled into this gemsbok bull, while putting the sneak on a herd of zebra. Broadside at 100 yards. Pass through, and short run(50 yards). He went down head first into a rock pile, and cut his head open, right between the horn bases.
Then the only critter that required a follow up; the zebra. We had a really great stalk, and were sitting in some grass, waiting for a herd of ten to come out of some brush that was just too thick to shoot through. Finally, this stallion broke from the group, and came trotting by at 30-40 yards. I swung on him, and just as I broke the shot, he turned into me. He went down on his chin, and was back on his feet, and in the thick stuff, in an instant. We both thought it was a good hit, and found a good blood trail right away. Unfortunately, it wasn't lung blood. It was pitch black within an hour or so. Went back to camp, for a quick bite, got flashlights, and trackers, and got back on the track. Heard him spook ahead of us twice, and quit at midnight, in hopes that he'd bed down. Back on the track at first light, found him within 20 minutes, bedded down and head up; I finished what I started. The only low point of the whole trip, but greatly relieved to have found him. As it turned out, I hit him forward of the near shoulder, and it exited and broke, the off shoulder. Very tough animal!
Also took a nice old warthog, but by the time we got him to the truck it was dark, and the flash photo wasn't all that great. Broadside at 100 yards. Dropped at the shot.
The last of the hunt, took place at 7000' in the Mpumalanga highveld. A really unique area, and if I didn't know I was in Africa, would have sworn it was central Montana!
This blesbok was shot quartered on slightly, at 180 yards(Roelof carried a range finder for this part of the hunt). Pass through, and he walked a short ways, before falling over. A nice mature ram.
This old springbok was taken broadside at 100 yards. Pass through. Spun a couple donuts, and tipped over. Really good eating!
Last, was this black wildebeast. A really unique critter, that I enjoyed hunting. It looks like RSA may be going to a permit system on them, so I'm glad I got one now, while it's less complicated. Longest shot of the hunt, at a lasered 211 yards. Broadside pass through. Short sprint with a donut, and down he went. Great way to end an awesome hunt!
Hannes and Mandi run a great operation, and we'd go back there in a heartbeat. Super staff, great food and wine, and very nice living quarters.
Thanks for listening!
Jeff
BTW, the Ruger #1 is one of my fav. hunting rigs.
