Day 7- last day....
We head to one the properties for bushbuck, thinking after the rain on a nice sunny morning they will be out like flies on manure. We see a few ewes, and another young ram. But no mature rams. We look around until about 10 or so and make the call to head to the Hartebeest property. We did see quite a few warthogs on this particular property, and so one here that was similar in size to the nice pig we saw day 1 elsewhere.
We head out and make it to the HB area around 11 or so. This property is a mixture of open Savannah type terrain and the typical thick and thorny SA bush. Along the way looking for HB we see a very nice kudu, comparable to the one I took 2 days earlier. We also see 2 huge sable, a big gmesbok (Marius said he should go near 40', and and the other hunter is camp would be after him), an absolute stud of an eland complete with huge dewlap and thick hair tuft, as well as lots of blesbok, black WB, and HB.
Once we identify a good bull, we make a plan with the wind and cover. We don't quite make it and the wind swirls on us and the HB run. We circle around and try to cut them off, which we do, but they make another break for it.
Ok, time to go to the other side of the property and look for more. We find a bachelor herd with a nice bull in it. Wind good, cove thick, lets go. We stalk into about 50 yards, through some very thick stuff, in order to identify the correct bull. Just when we are about to ease the sticks in place, the wind swirls and one bull smells us and grunts and the gig is up. We track them on foot for quite a while, and since it rained we can clearly see where they are going.
We get to where they are slowing down and come across a thick patch. We here some rustling and trotting away, and I think to myself, that sounded a lot bigger than HB. Looked at Marius and his face was saying the same thing I was thinking. He said there are Buffalo on this property and that was probably some of them. So with a single .308 between us, we decide its time to backtrack and find another group of HB later
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Onward we go, and about 30 min later we find what looks to be the original hers we were on. Get out of the truck ans they are pretty calm, stalk around and try to get downwind. We dont quite make it to a clearing and they bolt. Ok back to the truck and then to see where they went to make another play. We get in the truck and like I always do I feel my pockets and check the daskboard to make sure I have everything.... no phone! Uh oh, did I lose it jumping out of the truck? Or getting in the truck at our previous stop? Panic starts to set in, Marius, the tracker and I all scour the ground where se stopped, and even backtrack through the brush where we just stalked. No luck. I look allover the truck, no luck. Well thats not good.
Go through the truck one more time and see that it had fallen into a space between the console and the seat, where it was basically camouflaged. Ok, now we realize the dogs had got out of the truck and went after the HB! We could not hear them in earshot. Well onto the next crisis so to speak. We go off in different directions calling for the dogs. We get them back about 30 minutes later.. Ok now to try for the HB again. We spot them not 200 yards away, and make a stalk. Get into position on the big bull, get ready to squeeze....wind shifts and HB runs... not again!!!
Alright, lets try another place on the property. We go to the far side and see quite a few blesbok and HB about 600 yards away. We get out, stlak up closer. Now we only a few smaller trees to hide behind, so we crawl slowly on hands and knees another 200 yards to get to about 200 yards for a shot. We crawl around one final bush, sit down, adjust the sticks for sitting height and get on the bull. Marius looks over 2 good bulls who are together, and lets me know which one. The two bulls are grazing and play fighting for about 5 minutes before I get a clear shot. Get my breathing and excitement mostly under control, take aim, take a breath, and squeeze. The bullet hits him hard, he drops in his tracks and never moves. We both let out a sigh of relief. Getting on a HB today was like getting on a wily Eland bull, tough going.
This bull has everything, length, mass, spread, bell shape, dark red coat, you name it. I'm tickled pink and it looks like Marius is also. Snap some pics right before dark and head back to the lodge to celebrate!