After our afternoon tea we head back out the sky had clouded over and it felt cooler , It was not long before a nice springbok ram was spotted and as it was the one animal will was after he was away with Hendrick. We climbed into the back of the truck to get a grandstand view of the proceedings. The pair slowly weaved their way through the head high scrub stopping to check the location of the springbok every so often. The sticks went up and we all focused our attention. then came lots of head bobbing scope look up back to scope a discussion between the pair and they we off moving closer to the springbok. This continued for several more minutes until the sticks were set once more then springbok was stood broadside, as we watched we were all whispering go on shoot then boom the dirt kicks up below the springbok and it takes off only to stop a short distance away. the pair quickly change position and another shot rings out again shot went low and the springbok take off again this time they do not stop or look back. the pair make there way back looking a little disappointed. we load up and head off again.
the cover used to approach the springbok.
We continued along for a short distance and as we crested one of the rolling hills below us was a heard of red hartebeest we stop and give them the once over and Philip says there is a nice bull in the group and gives me the look and we are off. The kids pass me the rifle and me and Philip head off down the hillside through the scrub we get as close as we dare and Philip says if you are happy take the shot I wait for the bull to turn broadside and fire. I hear the hit the bull jumps throws out its front leg and takes off all looks good, the heard disappear into a gully and reappear behind some rocks on the next slope over and there at the rear is a bull running on three legs. we watch them go over the top of the slope and return to the truck. we close the distance to where we last saw the heard and set off in pursuit. we followed the tracks for half an hour then spotted the heard under some trees on the next valley over. Me, Hendrick and Philip set off in pursuit while the others went back to the vehicle ready for if we needed it. we drop down to the valley bottom cross the dry river bed and begin to head back up hill as we clear some scrub there is a hartebeest bull stood looking at us. we get set on the sticks. We wait for the hartebeest to turn to see if it is the right one but he just will not move in the end Philip decides I should take the shot after waiting on the sticks for what felt like an age, I promptly pulled the shot and missed completely the hartebeest took off again. We tracked until dark but with no success and called for the truck to come and get us. Over the next couple of days we kept checking for the hartebeest every time we saw some but with no success. But this morning Philip contacted me to say uncle Roy had been out early and had seen the hartebeest. Had gone back to the farm and taken Philips brother back and shot it . It is good to know that just because you have left doesn't mean that they stop looking for animals that for all intent and purposes are lost.
