28 September 2022, 18:05
reddy375A Friends last Hunt
I have known Greg for 25 odd years, he was a good friend and always fun to be around. He was one of those people who was naturally funny without even trying and he had a great sense of humor. He was also very fond of hunting and his first African hunt was in Burkina Faso and with me he took a buffalo, roan and some plainsgame. We had found buffalo tracks from the night before and started tracking them fairly late in the morning. By mid day we realised that we were close on their tail judging from the fresh dung, but now they had gone in to some patches of tall grass! We followed carefully knowing that they would probably lie up during the hot afternoon and move again later in the evening.We made our way slowly and suddenly came upon the herd about 50 yards away mostly bedded down in the grass.
The wind was right and they were oblivious to our presence. Some were standing and others lying down chewing the cud and doing what buffaloes do. We tried our best to find a good bull and finally Buwaba the local PH (nicknamed the American as he would try his best to imitate an American accent when clients were not around) managed to spot a nice bull. As these things go it was on the far side of the herd surrounded by other buffalo and there was just no shot. So we decided to wait it and out and sat down in the hot sun no more than 30 yards from some of the herd. After sweating it out in the hot sun for about 20 minutes we said the hell with this clever plan and decided to approach the buffalo come what may and see if we could get a shot! I told Greg to get ready, he was already quite excited with the thoughts of shooting a buffalo at close range and that too his first African animal!
We got up and approached the buffalo and within us taking a few steps they got wind of us and started to move away. We moved in quickly and as luck would have it the bull stopped for a moment in the clear at 30 yards. Greg fired and the bull dropped in its tracks hit in the base of the neck.
Greg had got the bug bad and started hunting Africa every year. He did a Leopard and plains game hunt in the Bubye Valley with Brent Hein and shot a super leopard and a whole lot of plainsgame. After that he did a wonderful plainsgame hunt in Botswana at Tholo Safaris.
In 2019 he booked a Safari in Mozambique that I arranged for him and thanks to Covid the hunt got put off until this August. In usual fashion Greg was all excited about his hunt and decided to buy a new .375 to take along. I found him a Winchester Alaskan model and helped him scope it and get it all set up.
In August Greg went to Mozambique where by all accounts he had a great hunt taking 2 buffalo and a bunch of PG, including an albino bushpig!
On his return Greg told me that he had, had an exceptional hunt but wasn't feeling too good and said it was probably Covid, which he later confirmed with a home test. He had got it earlier this year in January despite being vaccinated and told me that it had really kicked his ass! He sent me pics from his hunt and said he was resting and would probably be good in a day or two. I thought nothing more of it and was waiting to hear all about his hunt when he recovered. After all it was only bloody Covid! I was stunned and shocked to get a call the Tuesday after the Labor day weekend from a friend of his and all she could say was that Greg had gone and had been found in his apartment.
This was a real shock and very sad news to all of us who knew him as he was in his mid 50s and no one would have ever expected this outcome!
He was not on AR but I thought he would have enjoyed reading this post in his Memory and sharing some of his hunt exploits with fellow hunters, so I am posting this little tribute in honor of Greg who loved life, hunting, fishing, women, cigars, scotch, wine, books, cooking and good food. Gone too soon to the Happy Hunting Grounds my friend.
Arjun Reddy
Hunters Networks LLC
www.huntersnetworks.com
30 Ivy Hill Road
Brewster, NY 10509
Tel: +1 845 259 3628
