Warthog Hunt: Birthday Special

What do you dream of shooting in Africa?


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Ruan Bouwer

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Hunting among buffalo - I can't wait...my birthday is tomorrow! I dream about the farm as I'm sitting in the Accounting class. Oh, if only this day could pass quicker. It's Friday afternoon, and I am super excited for my birthday - we are going to my dad's friend's farm! We packed Thursday evening. My grandpa and grandma is going with - they slept at our house so long Thursday night! I am overly excited - Oom Sakkie (my dad's friend) gave me a warthog for my birthday! We pack everything into the Toyota Hilux and Fortuner! When I come home from school, off we go!

Vaalwater is about 2 hours' drive from where we live. I try to sleep in the car, but I can't - I'm too excited! (And maybe the Red Bull I drank also kept me awake...) - I am already thinking about the warthog I'm going to shoot! We are all excited to get to this farm - I haven't been there yet - neither have my sister or my mom (or my grandparents). When we arrive, we start packing out. Makau and Salome, the farm workers, have already made us a fire. Oom Sakkie, the farm owner, isn't on the farm this weekend. When they finished helping us unpacking, we all start to relax around the campfire, listening to the beautiful night sounds and looking at the stars. When we are finished with the food (we ate traditional South African pap & vleis), we all sit around the campfire, and we tell some exciting and funny stories. We all go to sleep at about 11:00pm. I can't wait for the next morning - my birthday!

Me and my dad wake up at about 5:30am, and we drive to the other farmhouse with a deck overlooking the big dam. We sit on the deck, waiting for a nice warthog to arrive, without any luck. My dad gives me 2 of my presents - a beautiful Buck knife, with a matching orange Buck hunting hat! Later, my grandparents show up there. They wish me a happy birthday, and sit with us to watch all the animals to come in to drink. First, it's the guinea fowls, then the impala, the zebra, and finally the buffalo. We spot some warthogs (3 to be exact) at about 270 metres away - but they are behind dense brush. We can't get a nice open shot on the big warthogs.

Later, me and my dad decide that we are going to take the Toyota Land Cruiser, and take a game drive. We are in the buffalo-area, but what's wrong with a little danger? (We walked through where they slept and lived earlier this day!) Everyone hops on. Off we go with the Landie. We drive not too far, and find a nice boar standing in the road. Unfortunately, it takes off before I can get a shot at it. We drive a bit further away, and find 3 more - I take a shot through dense cover, but I shoot just over it. We take a nice game drive through the farm, and see a lot of warthogs. Me and Makau, the tracker/farmworker, hop off after some bushpigs, without luck. We drive back home to drop the women off. Me, my grandpa, dad and Makau remain. We take a drive to see if we can find a big boar. We drive and drive, but nothing. We find a few after a while, but no open shots. Finally, we see a big warthog about 70m away. I aim, and shoot just a 1/2 second too late, and I hit a tree. It's getting dark, and I am missing my birthday warthog chance. Just as I rechamber a round and put my dad's Ruger 7x57 MKII on safe, we see a big, young boar looking at us. I take my time, aim...and it's gone. It's over. I missed my last chance.

JUST as we drive around the corner, with me already upset about how long I took to shoot - and my dad helped me with that luckily (always teaching me new stuff - I love him so much!) - we find the exact same warthog standing about 120m away in dense brush. I aim quickly, and just as he jumps around to take off, I drop him right in his tracks with a perfect neck shot! My dad's reliable Ruger 7x57 did it again - the all round rifle that does it all. I shot my warthog at about 17:50! Just as the sun was starting to slowly disappear behind the horizon...I thank my dad so much for all the hunting trips we share - I love him so much. He teaches me a lot about life, hunting, Jesus, ethics, and many more...he is truly an ultimate father. I couldn't have asked for better! The END ... thanks for reading!
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Great story!

Sounds as if you and your father have something special. Enjoy every second of it!
 
Royal27 - we do! I love him with all my heart, I can't tell you what he means to me. He teaches me a lot and helps me when I struggle - I hope to share many more hunting experiences with him!
 
congratulations , ruan
this 7x57 ,is definitely your goto calibre mate, something l think l may look into .
you and your parents ,sound like a very close knit family .it very enjoyable reading of your adventures ,young fella
thank you for sharing your wonderfull memories,with us all ....
your father is instilling some great traits in you ,mate

happy birthday ,cobber
 
what a great birthday present. very good read. it is a day you will rember for the rest of your life. do the same for your children. awesome warthog. HAPPY BIRTHDAY . Forrest
 
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
 
Congrats, I'm glad you and your family enjoyed a great hunt together.
 
hi ruan love the way you put everything into your writing, you can feel the excitment and fun you are having with your family and especially your dad. happy birthday , and a nice pig you took there.
 
Good on you ruan !
Love seeing young fullas out there doing it , well done and happy birthday .
 
Thanks for sharing your story. Congratulations on your Birthday Boar.
 
Nice hog, Ruan, thanks for sharing the story !

And happy birthday (y)
 
Happy Birthday Ruan. enjoy your stories.
You have a great dad. Cherish him always.
I was particularly pleased with this.....
"He teaches me a lot about life, hunting, Jesus, ethics, and many more...he is truly an ultimate father."
Many fathers teach their kids about sports or hunting or ethics or the job world. All of these things are important and necessary for this life, but they are temporary.
But the most important thing a father can do for their kids is to teach them about Jesus, for that is eternal. You are fortunate to have a father that teaches you about all these things.

blessings,
jerry
 

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