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Dulcinea and family 2004 Safari
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We hunted with Bonwa Phala Safaris/ Garry Kelly, our PH was Paul Inman.

We arrived in Durban on JUne 9 and stayed at the Oysterbox Hotel the nights of June 9 and 10.

Our hunt ws scheduled to start on June 11 in Zululand, this is where Ray's advice about your gives a shitter first came in handy. Within 15 minutes of getting in our room Garry Kelly called to see if we made it and if everything was OK. He then told me of a change in our plans, we would go to the Natal Midlands first for the Reedbuck. Our PH suggested this as he knew of a farm that had not been hunted for two years. I was a little concerned but agreed to this. This farm was not fenced it was a working cattle and hog farm.

On the 11th Paul picked us up and we drove to Hilton where we would stay the nite. After thowing our stuff in the room we left for another hour drive to the Dargle Vally where we had lunch with the farm owner. Now it is 12pm and we have yet to hunt and I am a little antsy, we he suggested a little seista I still bit my tounge. It turns out Reedbuck come out like Whitetails do in the evening. Since Reedbuck was on Renas list she was up first.
We watched several bottomland areas for an hour or two and then started walking checking more areas. After walking about a mile we came over a rise and were able to see back into a low place. Bingo a ram was out in the field, one look and Paul said thats the one you want. It was easy 500 yds away so Kate and I just got comfortable and watched the whole thing. Rena and Paul had no idea how close they came to coming up empty handed but after a 45 minute stalk Rena made a perfect 120 yd shot, dropping him in his tracks.

From all of the comments when we got to Bonwa Phala, I think this is probably the most significant trophy of our trip.


More to follow soon, no tape measure was used on any of our trophies but you are free to make estimates.

Dulcinea
 
Posts: 713 | Location: York,Pa | Registered: 27 February 2003Reply With Quote
<mikeh416Rigby>
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Nice job! Nice looking Reedbuck.
I enjoy the Oysterbox Hotel. Lots of history in that grande old lady. I like the sound of the surf crashing on the rocks, and the view of the light house.
 
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Nice trophies! The impala is particularly nice for southern Africa. I'd estimate that your nyala went around 24-25 inches, not a monster, but a nice mature represenative animal. Absolutely nothing to be ashamed of at all. Beautiful animals aren't they?
 
Posts: 322 | Location: Virginia | Registered: 27 February 2001Reply With Quote
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D&M and Kate,

Congrats on your return with a successful safari... Kate, you made us Pa. hunters proud ...You are an African Hunter now...with a bright future...

Mike Podwika
Mayor
Wyoming, Pa.
 
Posts: 6770 | Location: Wyoming, Pa. USA | Registered: 17 April 2003Reply With Quote
<mikeh416Rigby>
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That's a nice looking Nyala. It appears to be quite heavy, and carries the mass all the way out.
Kate-excellent Impala! Speaking as another Pennsylvania hunter, I'm proud of ya.
 
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After the Reedbuck we travel back to Durban and then up to the Bayala District of Zululand. Now that drive was what I call a white knuckle flight, unbeleivable how they drive. Our quarry here was Nyala, we stayed and hunted at Sungulwane Game reserve and the neighboring property. I think I made a mistake in hunting Nyala so soon in my safari. I did not get a real big one and it was my fault and my fault alone. We hunted by spot and stalk the first afternoon, looked over some bulls but nothing to go after. Paul and I had a talk about what I wanted, I told him I would rather say I hunted them and did not see a big one than take a small one, no problem there. Day two we hunted on foot almost the whole day, had one oppurtunity but he got away. Day three was our last for Nyala here and at 11 am we went and built a blind near a water hole and sat. About 1230 the pigs started coming and soon after I spotted the first Nyala bull coming. I could see it was not a keeper, shortly after the next one comes and he is visibly bigger.
I was on the gun and Paul said this one is much bigger and bang I flattened him. I just got carried away, Paul never said anything bad about it and we had a great time talking about what happened. He is nice but no monster and once again no tape measure.



Really amazing animals when they come into the sunlight, I was mesmerized by them.
P.S. Check out the hat

After the Nyala we travel to Bonwa Phala( LImpopo Province) for the remainder of the trip. Our first day there is hunting for everthing but concentrating on an Impala and a Blesbok for my daughter Kate. After getting familiar with th land Paul had Togi our tracker drop him and Kate off to go look for an Impala he knew was around. They were gone about an hour and ahalf when we heard the shot, by the time we got to them they had found the Impala and Kate had been marked with its blood. Kate could already tell us all about the Impala because Paul had taken the time to tell her all about the animal.


We were very proud Mom and Dad
 
Posts: 713 | Location: York,Pa | Registered: 27 February 2003Reply With Quote
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Very pretty reedbuck, I hope to hunt Natal for some of its endemic species in the future.
 
Posts: 1554 | Location: NC | Registered: 10 June 2002Reply With Quote
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Hi:



Nice trophys, every one of them. It looks like you and your family had a great time.



I think it's wonderful when a whole family can enjoy the African experience together.



Reena's Reedbuck is a beauty..... I think you all did us PA Hunters proud. It just goes to show that WE represent a state of GOOD riflemen...



Regards... Jim P.
 
Posts: 1015 | Location: PA | Registered: 08 June 2002Reply With Quote
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We are hunting at Bonwa Phala for Wildebeast, Kudu, and Zebra. Heading back for lunch and a break, I do not know how many times we tryed to stalk Zebra and Wildebeast this morning but we are all hungry and need a break. Warthog was a target of opportunity and whoever was up would get the chance. Rena and I were both hunting and I think Paul liked her better than me. When the truck stopped Paul told her to get her gun and off into the bush they went. Kate and I thought they went after Wildebeast but 30 minutes later when she shot I found out we passed this fellow back the road.


Off to the skinning shed went this pig.

After seista Paul and I went for a walk looking for Zebra we knew were in the area from this morning. About 4 pm we got back to the truck empty handed, Rena and Kate were knitting the whole time we were gone. We went to one of the open areas to see where the Blesbok were. The conditions were ideal for a stalk. Eland, Black Wildebeast, Blesbok they were all laying down. The wind was in our face and the sun was low to our back. Rena and I watched Kate make a stalk that lasted one hour and fifteen minutes, the last 30 minutes on thier hands and knees they got within 80 yds of this fellow, he never knew they were there. When she got ready to shoot Paul asked her if she was ready, she said her gun was a little dirty, Paul said it looked like she had half the Sahara desert in the action. Never the less one nice old Blesbok in the bag.
 
Posts: 713 | Location: York,Pa | Registered: 27 February 2003Reply With Quote
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