Location: RSA
Outfitter: Steyn Caracal Safaris
Dates: Aug 12-23rd, 2009
PH: Johan Dupreez
Rifles: CZ .416 Rigby & .338 WM Remington 700

We arrived in Johannesburg late and SCS was waiting with signs for us. After clearing customs we boarded the safari Toyota Hi-Luxes and headed North 2 1/2 hours to the consession.

We were met there with a glass of sherry & a hot towel. After a few drinks and dinner which they had held over for us we hit the room.

The next morning while sighting in, I was the first off a brand new shooting rest....some jackass client had stolen the other the week before. My .416 was the first rifle fired off it and it came back and bloodied my chin with the back mount where the pistol grip rests. It was really hard to concentrate to fire the next round while blood was pouring down my chin .

We received a radio call that one of the party that had arrived the day before had taken a monster blue wildebeest. As we drove out to see it we saw a really nice impala in a herd, but as it was the first day, I told them to drive on.

The blue WAS a monster and will probably score gold medal in the SCI book. We drove back and saw the herd of impala again and Johan located the old boy for me. One round from the .338 & he only went about 20 meters. He was an old boy & the horns were chipped around the bases.







That night I found a bottle of Maker's Mark and that being my weakness, I killed it and darned near killed myself after falling off the bar stool. I learned a valuable piece of info. When you travel that far, it is pretty stupid to waste a day hung over.... though we did look around but I really didn't want to touch off a rifle.



The next day we located some blesbok. I took a shot with the .416 and missed it completely as it was facing away and I shot for the neck not wanting to waste meat. Next we spotted a gemsbok at 120 meters and I shot at it. Johan yelled, "Bully, you got him!" We went to where it had dove into the thick brush and could only find 3 drops of blood in about 300 meters.







We got Leeou, the blood dog and he couldn't find it either. Feeling lower than whale crap I asked to stop by the range again. I know it's a poor carpenter that blames his tools but I needed to know if it was me or the rifle. The Waren quick release mounts had worked loose and & it was shooting 4" left and 3" high at 50 meters. The finale to this story was they found it about 3 days after I flew home.



After sighting it in, we hunted for a nice kudu. This took the next several days seeing only ones that Johan said would be excellent next year. We chased around other critters but I was being careful not wanting to loose another.

Then luckily, Saggie, another PH radioed saying he had a group of 5 bulls and one was really nice. We spooked them several times and went back to lunch. As soon as we were done with lunch Johan grabbed Saggie because our tracker, John had not come back from the trackers quarters yet. We drove out and located the group of kudu bulls. We looked them over and over and finally located the shooter bull. I hate to say it but I got mixed up in the excitement and shot the one to the left of the big one.






I was happy though! It's good enough until next time.



Another of our party had shot a rhino and we all went for the viewing....I couldn't resist a joke photo after the video and stills were done.







The next night after I'd had a lesson in Afrikaans, I recieved my new name, "Pielkop". Another funny part was that my wife,"The Admiral", had told me that the one animal she didn't want me to shoot was a zebra. She had owned horses and the "looked too much like a horse" to her. That night she asked me to call one of the owners over and ask how much it would cost her to shoot one! The next day she decided that she'd wait until next year and use her own .270 rather than my .338 WM which has given her scope bite in the past.

The next morning we located a really old blesbok. One shot through the chest dropped him like a toilet seat. He was very broomed off and I was a happy camper!









We spent the rest of the time looking for a warthog & having "the Admiral" shoot photos of some of the other wildlife.







On the last day we came across an impala that someone had tried to poach. It was shot through "no man's land" and Johan asked me to cull it. One shot with the .338 WM & it dropped in the road as well.

I really enjoyed every minute, (except the hangover), and look forward to getting back to see my friends. As we were leaving, Johan hugged me and said, " Bully, you are my friend for life". Tears welled in my sentamental old eyes and it was a damned long ride back to the airport!

Thanks for the report. Pity about the Gemsbuck that got away, but such things happen and at least you had some closure to it.

Can you translate your Afrikaans name for us?

quote:

The next night after I'd had a lesson in Afrikaans, I recieved my new name, "Pielkop".

I hope you do know the meaning of your new name...

quote:

Originally posted by Bushwack:

quote:

The next night after I'd had a lesson in Afrikaans, I recieved my new name, "Pielkop".

I hope you do know the meaning of your new name...

Yep & I wore it with pride.....Only true friends can get away calling me names like that!