As the hunt started to draw to a close, I still had kudu and impala left on my list. Day 7 had us focusing on impala as my guide figured it would be relatively easy and the remaining three days could be dedicated to kudu. The property we were hunting that day was very nice and we were seeing lots of animals...primarily impala and waterbuck, but it was also very thick and it was difficult to get set up for a shot before either the impala or waterbuck spooked off. Finally with about a half hour of daylight left, Nicola put up the sticks and said to shoot quickly. I did so, but did not feel good about the shot even though we both thought that we heard the bullet impact. When we got to where the impala was standing, there was no blood. Even by following the tracks until we couldn't see any more, we found no blood. Back at the landowner's house, Nicola discussed the situation with him. Of course they were conversing in Afrikaans, so I didn't understand what was being said, but I had that horrible feeling that I wounded another animal and would be paying another trophy fee. To my relief, Nicola translated the conversation to me and said that the owner goes by the policy of "no blood, no pay", even though Nicola explained to him that we both thought we heard the bullet hit. Whew!
Day 8 was an interesting day on a different property (with nothing shot), so Day 9 we returned to the property that I muffed the shot on the impala. After lunch, we decided we would sit in a blind overlooking a water hole for the rest of the day. It was definitely not an action-packed day! Besides the constant background noise of the doves and francolin, there was a pair of Egyptian geese at the water all day. They were the first I had seen and were very beautiful. A lizard in a tree entertained me for a while. Then a gorgeous waterbuck came in to drink. I was able to watch him for about 10 minutes before he left and my trigger finger itched the whole time! However I did not have sufficient trophy fee funds remaining and let him walk. A little while after that, a warthog came for water and then grazed for a while. The geese and the warthog apparently didn't care for one another, which was funny to watch. Finally, at the end of the day, I spotted a single impala ram emerge from the brush to our right. He didn't head for the water, but was walking straight at us like he was on a string. Finally at about 30 yards, he turned broadside and the instant Nicola told me to shoot, the ram dropped in his tracks.
He was a very old ram...Nicola estimated that he probably had 3 to 4 inches worn off the tip of his horns and the bases were very worn as well. He had two scabbed over wounds on the top of his shoulders that at first I assumed were from fighting, but at the same moment Nicola and I realized that this was the same ram that I had shot at two nights previous! The photo shows some dried blood below the wound so I don't know why we couldn't find any, but the ram did not seem to be in any distress at all. Not even a limp. I am 100% sure that he would have healed up perfectly had we not run into each other again. However, I was still happy to have that chance back!
Back at the skinning shed, we had an audience of about thirty-five 8 year old school kids from Swakopmund on a school trip at the property. They all were very interested in the impala and as it was being butchered, checking out the muscle structure and different internal organs. They were also very curious and asked a lot of questions about Canada and snow! Talk about a humbling experience, chatting with these little kids that all speak not only English, but Afrikaans and German as well! Amazing.
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