Outfitter: Nick Bowker Safaris Bedford, Eastern Cape South Africa

Tikka in 6.5x55 with Leopold 2 – 7x 33 with BDC (ballistic drop compensator) and 140 gr Nosler Accubonds

Dates August 21st to 30th

This is my second time hunting with Nick Bowker Safaris.


I had the privilege of meeting two other former service members there. Both were great guys and gentlemen.One army and one navy. Mac,the Navy guy was from Oklahoma; he was hilarious; just a great person and gentleman – he made us all laugh. They both took some great trophies. My PH asked me how long did we know each other? Evidently, we got along with each other so well and I think he thought we came together. I responded about two days.

Game Seen: Impala, springbuck, blesbuck, common & mtn reedbuck. Kudu, Black Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Fallow Deer, Gemsbuck, Steenbok, Bushbuck, Warthog, waterbuck, bontebok, and Nyala, I am probably missing a few.


My PH was Meyrick Bowker a cousin of Nicks. Merrick was a fabulous PH. He has guided for Elk in Montana for a handful of years. Very professional, knowledgeable, good sense of humor and he was extremely patient with me. Oh, he has the eyes of a hawk.


Game Taken
Waterbuck Culls 4x
Kudu Cow 1x Cull
Red hartebeest Cow Cull
Fallow Deer Cow Cull
Black Wildebeest Cull
Black Impala Cull
Bontebok 2x
Black Springbok
Cape Bushbuck



I did a lot of missing on this trip. I was one of those hunters you do not want to be. The first morning out I missed three animals. My scope was loose. I did sight in the previous day with no trouble. Anyway, we got that tighten up and I took a Waterbuck Bull that afternoon


Highlights:
I was excited to hunt and take two beautiful Bonteboks. I wish we can import them into the states.

The Black Impala Buck with a non typical horn is a beautiful animal.

I was wondering if we were going to get a Bushbuck. The vegetation around the creek ( stream) was dense and could not stalk through it quietly. We set up over an open field which Bushbuck, warthog and kudu came out to feed before night fall. Females and small bushbucks is all we saw. We sat over the field for two afternoons. The next two afternoons we got up on a ridge with a nice cliff about 200 feet above the creek. You were glassing openings in dense vegetation. If I dropped my rifle - one bounce and it would be over the cliff.

The second afternoon up on the cliff we saw two larger bushbucks momentarily in the open but disappeared in the bush.

The next morning we were back up on the cliff. We spotted a bushbuck in a small opening and I took a shot and missed. A little while later he reappeared. He was quartering away stepping back into the growth. I shot hitting him high and back. The search started and the Meyrick finished off since I was not nearby. Very happy to get an old bushbuck with battered horns, scarred body, and very worn-down teeth

Hunting in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape are opposites when it comes to vegetation and range to target. My shot on animals in Limpopo was 80 yards or less due to the thick vegetation. My shots in the eastern Cape averaged between 200 to 300 yards. I shot one Antelope at 500 yards and the two Bontebok at 115 and 150 yards.


Merrick made some suggestions:

Wear Olive green not khaki
10 x 42 binos would be better in the Eastern cape than the 8 x 42’s I had.
My scope 2-an 7x33 was underpowered and had a limited field of view. I thought that but decided instead of buying a new scope I would spend the money on more animals.
He thought the 6.5 was a little light for the larger antelope and he is probably right but the 6.5x55 caliber did the job if I did my job.


Nick runs a great operation. We were housed in a sprawling family farmhouse. We each had private baths with hot water and great water pressure. The meals were great. I do not think I have ever eaten so much meat in my life.
I realized other than the snacks I brought I did not eat any processed food for the last two weeks.

I understand they do not have sunflower seeds over there (or was it pumpkin seed?). The trackers ate the sunflower shells andall. Even after explaining and demonstrating spitting the shell out and eating the seed

To me, the best thing about hunting in Africa is that I can relax. No worries – peaceful – freedom.


Again I was proud to wear a kilt to everyone's enjoyment.

Purple Haze Tikkia 6.5 x 55 w/ McMillian stock (Picture taken in Limpopo)

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Great bushbuck, super black springbok, but the rifle stock ?!?!?!?! Congrats on a good safari and thanks for sharing !


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Charlie64, thank you for the nice comments but don't be hating on my rifle.

I read "cull hunt" but seeing the photo of the bushbuck I was thinking that if that's a cull, I'm going to be hunting there next!

love the gun