SOUTH AFRICA: Tootabi Hunting Safari Report With The Wife A Family Affair

[Royal27]

One of many reasons to go back. I love the write up. It brings me back to kudu camp and hunting along the coast.

I would not have passed on that kudu though!

Loodt wouldn't have either!!! LOL

It was the first morning of Kudu hunting though and there was certainly no guarantee on him. I think we ranged him at 190 yards? And you can see what we could see of him as he was watching us. He was a long way from a done deal.

 

[Royal27]

Having the ocean as a backdrop is pretty neat.

May have to do that sometime.

I teased Lammie that he should have gotten me in position to see the ocean and the Oribi in my scope at the same time, instead of being perpendicular to the ocean when I took the shot.

Hunting near the ocean was definitely both different and special.

 

[gillettehunter]

Loving the write up. Still looks fairly green there. Any Ticks? Congrats on the animals. Bruce

 

[Royal27]

Loving the write up. Still looks fairly green there. Any Ticks? Congrats on the animals. Bruce

Ithe way green, although starting to dry up again. It actually rained a bit one day at the ocean.

I didn't get any ticks, although Lammie did get on on his arm while I was there. Two trips to Africa and I haven't used insect repellant yet.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I teased Lammie that he should have gotten me in position to see the ocean and the Oribi in my scope at the same time, instead of being perpendicular to the ocean when I took the shot.

Hunting near the ocean was definitely both different and special.

I have heard if you hold an Oribi next to your ear, you can hear the ocean, it was that it a sea shell! Lol

 

[brushmore]

{Loodt definitely outdid himself with Nancy in mind on this one! So again guys, if your wife is on the fence show here these pics! }

I did just that. Looks like Loodt is going to being getting some more business in the future.

 

[Jfet]

Absolutely OUTSTANDING!!!

 

[Royal27]

Day Eight

The plan today is to hunt Kudu not too far from the main lodge. We start seeing Kudu immediately. Females and little guys, but they are moving. Then we see him (and to be clear whenever I say we I mean that Lammie and Attie see). He’s too far though at about 350 yards. I’m not taking that shot. So we work closer – move around for the wind, crawl for lack of cover, stay still because of the vigilant cows, watch a bushbush, and curse when a warthog runs over with a noise when it walked to within 30 feet of us. This all take about an hour and a half. I’ve honestly just begun to think the Greyghost has given us the slip when Lammie says. “There he is.” He’s at 160 yards. In all that time we’ve moved roughly 200 yards closer and he almost hasn’t moved at all. We move maybe another ten yards and he comes into the clear.

I shoot and it is a hit. I lost him in the recoil and it takes me a second to find him again. Now he is dead away and I aim to hit him where the sun don’t shine. He’s down. My first shot ended up a little too far back. I put the shot right where I intended to, but I thought he was completely broadside when he was quartering. The bad thing is that as I was aiming Lammie told me he was quartering and I was concentrating so much that I never heard him.

I’m very happy with my bull. He’s different and I like that. And the different horn is the left one and y’all know how I am about the left handed stuff, so I like that to.

Lammie calls Loodt who comes down to help. I wish he had brought Nancy and she would have liked to have seen it, but it just didn’t work out that way. Nancy was there and knew Loodt left, but didn’t realize where he was going. At that point I thought perhaps she didn’t want to go so I didn’t ask that we go by the lodge on the way to the shed. By the time Nancy saw the Kudu it was just horns and head. Lesson learned and corrected in the future.

That afternoon we looked around the farm a bit and got to see the buffalo. Nancy got to get out of the truck to take a look, which she enjoyed. There is just something about being on the ground with the animals.

@tarbe and his wife arrived late that night and it would be off to Kudu camp for an overnight visit with Tim and Kathy. We were excited to have them!!! Very cool to get to share someone’s first day in Africa with them and I got to do it twice in one trip.

 

[ROCKET]

Royal........I enjoy soo much your hunt my friend.....very well done.....what a good thing see the people hunting with family and having good times and memories......!!!!!!

 

[ActionBob]

Great report Royal. So glad Nancy had a great time as well!

I just showed Ann some of your pictures.. she really likes the cartoon effect and wants to see if she can figure out how to set her camera like that... I told her to just borrow it to you! HA Ha. Really liked the cartoon pic of the bull elephant. That almost looks like it's done in stained glass.

Love the kudu! With the huge curl to the left side, how did the length compare to the right side? He sure looks healthy and that is going to make a beautiful cape!

And I am very jealous of the oribi

 

[Buff-Buster]

Great report Royal! Followed the goings on thru FB, but this is much better! Super glad Nancy had such a grand time. It really makes for a special safari when you share it with the one you love. Well done my friend!

 

[Royal27]

Royal........I enjoy soo much your hunt my friend.....very well done.....what a good thing see the people hunting with family and having good times and memories......!!!!!!

Thanks Rocket!!!! I so agree on the family.

Great report Royal. So glad Nancy had a great time as well!

I just showed Ann some of your pictures.. she really likes the cartoon effect and wants to see if she can figure out how to set her camera like that... I told her to just borrow it to you! HA Ha. Really liked the cartoon pic of the bull elephant. That almost looks like it's done in stained glass.

Love the kudu! With the huge curl to the left side, how did the length compare to the right side? He sure looks healthy and that is going to make a beautiful cape!

And I am very jealous of the oribi

LOL! I did figure out it is called a water color setting, but haven't figured out how to undo it yet, although James G is trying to help me. It does make for some neat photos.

I'm wondering the same thing on the length and have no idea as we didn't measure. He was definitely in good shape and was big bodies too. You can't see very well in the photos but he has a beautiful mane.

You will definitely need to do an Oribi. Of all the animals I have seen run in Africa it is my favorite, with a kind of hop, hop, jump stride.

 

[dobber]

great report, thanks for sharing

 

[Royal27]

Great report Royal! Followed the goings on thru FB, but this is much better! Super glad Nancy had such a grand time. It really makes for a special safari when you share it with the one you love. Well done my friend!

It really does make a difference Wes.

And for those of you who aren't on Facebook I have to tell a quick story.

I posted a pic of a lioness and Wes and a family friend both replied with "here kitty kitty." The meaning of that between Wes and the lady who posted it too could not have been more dofferent!!! LOL

 

[Royal27]

Day Nine

So Tim and his wife are with us now. We are both so very happy to have gotten to share a camp with them. We did meet last year at DSC, so I was pretty sure we would all get along, but man did we ever have fun!

We left for the Kudu camp, ate breakfast on the way, and then to the Daniell Cheetah Project. This had a pretty nice curio shop where both Nancy and Kathy bought a few things and then housed quite a number of cats, including of course the cheetahs.

Now the good part was this. As they are taking the four of us into the cheetah enclosure they tell us the standard “it depends on the cat’s mood and we will get close, but you may or may not be able to touch…” Well, the cheetah is lying down and we get to within 4-5 feet and stop. Tim squats down, the cheetah immediately jumps up and comes to him, and both ladies take a quick step back to make sure they aren’t on the menu. It was priceless!!! I wish I had it on video. The cheetah absolutely loved Tim and kept following him around. I’ve now decided if I do a leopard hunt that I’m taking Tim, as bait.

I think it is safe to say that the cheetahs were a highlight of the trip for all.

After that it was to the camp to get the ladies settled and then a little hunting for Tim and I. Don’t anyone ask me what Tim got or how he did, you’ll have to wait for his report for that! The evening hunt was for my last animal on the list. I had switched to Blue Wildebeest since I didn’t get a bushbuck. We found a lone bull with a herd that I loved, but it just didn’t work out that evening and he was gone. We glassed another herd, but nothing of interest.

That evening was an amazing meal and time by the fire. It was a little chilly, but I suggested we try it. When one of the ladies said they were getting cold Lammie just grabbed the shovel and put hot coals under both of their chairs. They loved it!!! It became quite the joke – add more coals when they get cold, or spread out the coal a bit if too hot, temperature control!!!

 

[ActionBob]

Royal.... I'm sorry in advance... But I cannot resist.... It looks like your wife has a hot ass!

 

[ActionBob]

And that cat sure looks like it is taking to you just fine! You might be able to suffice as your own leopard bait?

 

[Royal27]

Royal.... I'm sorry in advance... But I cannot resist.... It looks like your wife has a hot ass!

In SO many ways!!!!! LOLOLOL!

 

[Royal27]

And that cat sure looks like it is taking to you just fine! You might be able to suffice as your own leopard bait?

believe it or not, I was truly the second choice. Although I did get her leg to thumping, didn't I?

 

[ActionBob]

Yea Royal that thing looks a lot like our yellow lab when he's getting petted! Great video... So does Tim have his own version?

Anxiously waiting @tarbe !