Frederik
AH elite
Good friend of mine Jaco, makes it routine to visit one of his Varsity buddies each year on his farm in the Free State Province close to the town of Theunissen. 4 or 5 Years ago I joined him and his brother in law for this infamous hunt. I hunted my first eland a huge eland cow then and as time went past I decided I'm am not going to miss out this year. This year free range Kudu was on the menu the farm is roughly 15 000 acres under cultivation, cattle and a smallish game enclosure.
Please some of the faces are covered as I have only met the persons once and I know some are sensitive to posted pictures on the net.
Camp is very Primitive a toilet, shower and basin for dishes no electricity and warm water made by fire. Situated next to a small stream and the Free State being the cold province of South Africa below zero temps was expected.
So, on 16 June at 4:15am Jaco picks me up we hook the trailer and off we go heading straight South with a slight run West at the end.
Tried to get some photos on the drive when the light just started to come through.
About 5 hours later with 2 short stops we reach the farm and head out to the camp in the game enclosure. Farm owner tells us that rain and flooding wrecked some of the fence and about 40 impala are now free ranging all over and the few that remains about 20 are as wild as can be for no reason. So added on the list is the impala escapees if we spot any? Our arrival day was not going to be my or Jaco's turn to hunt as some of his old varsity buddies with some that he hasnt seen in 20 years would be joining us for the one night. I was expecting that it would be a long night and that a lot of catchup would be done. Two of them trying to bag an animal also as they would be leaving the next day.
Stream running next to the camp.
Kitchen and Fire Pit.
My tent set on the same spot as last time this time I brought along some fabric drop sheets used for painting to put below the tent on the ground to keep the cold out. It worked great and when you put your feet on the ground they don't freeze off.
The big reunion 4 of them havent seen each other as a group in 20 years.
After setting up camp and having a late brunch we headed out to help two of them to bag some meat. One of them got very lucky to bag this beast of hartbees that gave him a chnace standing close enough and with enough time. I'm sure the beest will qualify for Roland Ward at 23"
A chance at a big gemsbuck oryx that proved to be a missed shot and a few hours later the other friend connected with another red hartebeest bull so both chaps who was going to leave the next day was not going to go home empty handed.
Back at camp we got the fire going and the stories flowed and I just listened at what these guys got up to and wonder how they didnt get arrested or survived?
Dinner consisted of "Braai Broodjies" and Lamb Chops and after a long day and leaving the bunch to reminiscene about the past, I hit the sack at about 10:30.
From the noise and laughter I could hear that the party went on for a looooooonnngggg time and I got up as the sun was about the show and got the fire going again for some much needed coffee. Sleeping was cold but not as cold I came better prepared this time.
As a side note we hardly ever camp in cold weather like this so I don't invest in any thermal special gear to be almost never used.
I left my small water bladder and rucksack outside and found the water in the pipe frozen and pressing the bladder the water almost frozen.
When the guys will eventually get up I had no idea but eventually the two who had to leave appeared and got their stuff packing and ready to head back to Bloemfontein. Bloemfontein, a short drive just over an hou form the camp. We have a good old Cowboy breakfast with onions, bacon, egg, beans, left over chop pieces tomato relish all mixed in a big pan over the fire and plan our hunt for the afternoon.
So, Jaco has 3 impalas on his list and then kudu or something else big like a gemsbuck and we go for a walk after brunch to see if we can bag an impala and double check to see if that gemsbuck was a clean miss the day before. We head out to the area of the missed shot and slowly go through the area with hawk eyes to confirm the miss with no blood or dead gemsbuck after an hours search. We however did find a redhartebeest cow that died through the night or early morning which was totally unexpected. We turn her over to find her left back leg is completely broken with bone piercing trough the skin just above the hoof.
No bullet wound or anything else and we conculde that she must have ran at some speed and broke the leg, stepping in a hole or something and the sharp bone must have cut a big artery and she succumed to serious pain and blood loss with a cold night.
We finally spot the impala but as soon as they see us they are off to the races, of all my years hunting impala these take the cake of being wary and wild. Quickly scanning we see no adult males one of 2 years and one of 1 year. So all the adult males escaped and the reason for the impala being so wild is unbeknown as we are are the first huters of the year and only 2-3 groups hunt on the place each year.
We however have shot opportunity on redhartebeest, gemsbuck and eland but keep on looking to get a chance on the impala and plan to hunt the outside of the game enclosure looking for kudu and the escapee impala the next day.
Enjoying a good sundowner but as soon as that sun is gone its like a switch and temperatures drop significantly.
We had a good dinner of Pap/Gritz and Pork belly ribs cooked in a pot first then browned over the fire, was exquisite!!
Off to tent at about 11:30 and hoping our luck would change on connecting with some animals. Chances of bagging a impala are diminishing.
So up the next morning early getting coffee going and waiting for the sun to show its face after a good cup of joe or two we head off to find some kudu the weather is clear but very cool on the back of the bakkie as we travel to find some kudu in the sun. We spot some but no chances given and young bull of 3 years show itself then dissapears. Cold as it it I spot 3 warthogs in a harvested maize field and tell Bob the farmer who is driving. Responce comes back loud and clear shoot shoot shoot!
We get the bakkie to stand still and switch off the engin. The largets of the pigs comes slowly trotting towards us range around 200 meters head on. I turn up my scope to x 12 to use the mildot as 200 meter is dead on with second dot and aim for the pig. The rifle my 6.5x55 Carl Gustav with a suppresor loaded with 160gr Hornady interlocks connects with a big thud and pig is down and kicking. I cycle another round line up but with the cold I short stroked and aiming at the second pig and sure he is dead we just hear the dreaded CLICK!!!!!
With that the other 2 younger pigs scatter for safer area and I get taken out with comments about short stroking!!!
Bob, is happy as it is a sow that can bear more warties and they have become a nuisance over the last 10 years where they were vacant and never seen they have invaded that area in the Free State and gives him a lot of damage on the crops and water line. Obvioulsy he would have been happier if I bagged all 3 but in the end my first warthog in the Free State.
The pig is in very good condition look how round she is and when skinned she had a fat layer all over the outer ribs. They are enjoying the crops.
We find no more kudu and head back to heat up and have brunch, after brunch we will try again for the impala or oryx.
Brunch was good as always and we take a walk for the impala again.
This time we got them they were hiding in extremely thick sweet thorn bush and they bust out but I remember that the way they are going its to an open strecth of land. So in typiccal impala manner they stop just before the open lay of the land I get the sticks up for Jaco. They are all bunched up with one ewe on the right standing on her own and I tell Jaco to take her. He wishepered there is a bush in line and I tell him if we move now they will be gone and ask him to choose a gap and shoot. The bush is 3 meters infront of us and he said ok lets go. Jaco using his Sako 85 in 375 H&H fires and all we hear is the singing whining sound of the bullet richochet as it clipped two twigs infront of us and the impala vanish once again in the thick sweet thorn.
That was the only chance we had and we had to take it but picking a gap and having a scope higher than the barrel is always tricky. That was our impala hunt and we head back to camp to go look for kudu again. We joke about these wild impala and said that if Bob would drop of a cheetah in camp he would ask to be removed a week later as there is no way even he could catch one of these mad impala.
So, afternoon on us and basically we don't have much time left to bag our animals to fill the freezer. We head out and go into another part of the farm I have not seen before the bush is extremely thick but then it gest twice as thick when you go into it. That I found out later we drive slowly and I spot two kudu bulls they spot us and we are not far off about 100 meters. Instead of running they jump like frogs over the bushes to move that is how thick the bush is. We continue the bull in front chooses to to leave for better pastures and the bull at the back stops and stands completely still infront of a tree and thick bush. Typical kudu he thinks we can't see him I know we don't have much time and only the top of his neck and head stick out. I tell Jaco now or never and swing my rifle to aim and load it. Holding the rifle off hand I aim just below the ear and the shot goes off with a very sastifying THUMP and the bull dissappears from view!
Range estimated abot 80 meters there was no time to get off get the sticks use a rest and I'm quite pumped up and lucky the kudu was on my side. I mark the spot where he dropped remember bush extremely thick. We drive as close as we cand and I get off with my rifle and load one more just in case. I start moving to the marked spot when the other two on the bakkie tells me no, I have to go further to another bush and so I'm in the middle of this thick stuff and start looking.
Twenty minutes later we are still searching for this vanishing kudu bull. I am getting worried and no one saw the bull move off after he dropped so how can it be? Eventually close to the bakkie and the tree I marked here is my bull dead on the spot with a broken neck and shot just below the ear. I was really getting worried but really if Bob would let buffalo loose in this bush I would not want to hunt them. It's so thick you can't move and you are constantly hooked by grass bush or thorns. With some areas where the bush is as high as 6 foot but mostly around 4-5 foot.
This gives you and idea on how thick the bush is and this is after we dragged him out a bit so i could get half a decent photo.
My first kudu bull in 24 years am I happy or what? What a beaut he was 4 years old but slaughtered out 140kg at the butcher on the scale.
Last 15 years or so Kudu bull prices skyrocketed with everyone trying to breed the biggest this was a free range bull. For us up north Gauteng and Limpopo there is very limited chances to take open range kudu especially affordable ones for the freezer. The eastern Cape with loads of kudu is just too far to drive.
This is not a trophy but my wife will be getting the skull and horns to do painting on it and hang it in our house for decorations. He measured 43" btw.
So after a huge struggle to get the bull loaded we dropped it off to be slaugthered and decided to head back to camp we enter the game enclosure and here we have the gemsbuck playing stupid at last light. Jaco ain't that stupid and doesn't look a gifted horse in the mouth and takes aim with his 375 H&H range about 120 meter and after a perfect shot the big cow collapes after 30 yards.
What a terrific end to the day notice the ear on the right not cut off or chewn off but broken off by frostbite. This cow was blind in one eye with a cataract and well worn teeth, with a bautiful set of horns measuring 37 1/2"
With a sunset like this what could be better after a day like this with no luck and suddenly in a matter of 2 hours two good animals for the freezer. Photo taken probarbly 5 minutes before the gemsbuck was shot.
We celebrated well into the cold night and sort of decided to try for the impala once more in the morning but that would be it for our hunt.
Next day we had a nice slow morning got some fine pictures of some birds and tried but not too hard to bag an impala not like they gave us anymore chances anyway.
Got back for brunch and I cleaned the two skulls of the kudu and gemsbuck from most of the meat and skin while Jaco prepared Liver and Gritz.
I'm really impressed with these 160gr Hornady bullets running at 2400fps it hit the kudu bulls neck crushed the vertebrae and sat just under the skin weight retention only 79gr but that is some serious bone and thick neck to have gone through.
And with that last sunset it was the end of the Free State hunt with Bob. Next year we hope Bob will be joining us in Limpopo and also hunt on a big tarck of land over 30 000 acres.
Thanks for reading hope you enjoyed it, I surely did?
Please some of the faces are covered as I have only met the persons once and I know some are sensitive to posted pictures on the net.
Camp is very Primitive a toilet, shower and basin for dishes no electricity and warm water made by fire. Situated next to a small stream and the Free State being the cold province of South Africa below zero temps was expected.
So, on 16 June at 4:15am Jaco picks me up we hook the trailer and off we go heading straight South with a slight run West at the end.
Tried to get some photos on the drive when the light just started to come through.
About 5 hours later with 2 short stops we reach the farm and head out to the camp in the game enclosure. Farm owner tells us that rain and flooding wrecked some of the fence and about 40 impala are now free ranging all over and the few that remains about 20 are as wild as can be for no reason. So added on the list is the impala escapees if we spot any? Our arrival day was not going to be my or Jaco's turn to hunt as some of his old varsity buddies with some that he hasnt seen in 20 years would be joining us for the one night. I was expecting that it would be a long night and that a lot of catchup would be done. Two of them trying to bag an animal also as they would be leaving the next day.
Stream running next to the camp.
Kitchen and Fire Pit.
My tent set on the same spot as last time this time I brought along some fabric drop sheets used for painting to put below the tent on the ground to keep the cold out. It worked great and when you put your feet on the ground they don't freeze off.
The big reunion 4 of them havent seen each other as a group in 20 years.
After setting up camp and having a late brunch we headed out to help two of them to bag some meat. One of them got very lucky to bag this beast of hartbees that gave him a chnace standing close enough and with enough time. I'm sure the beest will qualify for Roland Ward at 23"
A chance at a big gemsbuck oryx that proved to be a missed shot and a few hours later the other friend connected with another red hartebeest bull so both chaps who was going to leave the next day was not going to go home empty handed.
Back at camp we got the fire going and the stories flowed and I just listened at what these guys got up to and wonder how they didnt get arrested or survived?
Dinner consisted of "Braai Broodjies" and Lamb Chops and after a long day and leaving the bunch to reminiscene about the past, I hit the sack at about 10:30.
From the noise and laughter I could hear that the party went on for a looooooonnngggg time and I got up as the sun was about the show and got the fire going again for some much needed coffee. Sleeping was cold but not as cold I came better prepared this time.
As a side note we hardly ever camp in cold weather like this so I don't invest in any thermal special gear to be almost never used.
I left my small water bladder and rucksack outside and found the water in the pipe frozen and pressing the bladder the water almost frozen.
When the guys will eventually get up I had no idea but eventually the two who had to leave appeared and got their stuff packing and ready to head back to Bloemfontein. Bloemfontein, a short drive just over an hou form the camp. We have a good old Cowboy breakfast with onions, bacon, egg, beans, left over chop pieces tomato relish all mixed in a big pan over the fire and plan our hunt for the afternoon.
So, Jaco has 3 impalas on his list and then kudu or something else big like a gemsbuck and we go for a walk after brunch to see if we can bag an impala and double check to see if that gemsbuck was a clean miss the day before. We head out to the area of the missed shot and slowly go through the area with hawk eyes to confirm the miss with no blood or dead gemsbuck after an hours search. We however did find a redhartebeest cow that died through the night or early morning which was totally unexpected. We turn her over to find her left back leg is completely broken with bone piercing trough the skin just above the hoof.
No bullet wound or anything else and we conculde that she must have ran at some speed and broke the leg, stepping in a hole or something and the sharp bone must have cut a big artery and she succumed to serious pain and blood loss with a cold night.
We finally spot the impala but as soon as they see us they are off to the races, of all my years hunting impala these take the cake of being wary and wild. Quickly scanning we see no adult males one of 2 years and one of 1 year. So all the adult males escaped and the reason for the impala being so wild is unbeknown as we are are the first huters of the year and only 2-3 groups hunt on the place each year.
We however have shot opportunity on redhartebeest, gemsbuck and eland but keep on looking to get a chance on the impala and plan to hunt the outside of the game enclosure looking for kudu and the escapee impala the next day.
Enjoying a good sundowner but as soon as that sun is gone its like a switch and temperatures drop significantly.
We had a good dinner of Pap/Gritz and Pork belly ribs cooked in a pot first then browned over the fire, was exquisite!!
Off to tent at about 11:30 and hoping our luck would change on connecting with some animals. Chances of bagging a impala are diminishing.
So up the next morning early getting coffee going and waiting for the sun to show its face after a good cup of joe or two we head off to find some kudu the weather is clear but very cool on the back of the bakkie as we travel to find some kudu in the sun. We spot some but no chances given and young bull of 3 years show itself then dissapears. Cold as it it I spot 3 warthogs in a harvested maize field and tell Bob the farmer who is driving. Responce comes back loud and clear shoot shoot shoot!
We get the bakkie to stand still and switch off the engin. The largets of the pigs comes slowly trotting towards us range around 200 meters head on. I turn up my scope to x 12 to use the mildot as 200 meter is dead on with second dot and aim for the pig. The rifle my 6.5x55 Carl Gustav with a suppresor loaded with 160gr Hornady interlocks connects with a big thud and pig is down and kicking. I cycle another round line up but with the cold I short stroked and aiming at the second pig and sure he is dead we just hear the dreaded CLICK!!!!!
With that the other 2 younger pigs scatter for safer area and I get taken out with comments about short stroking!!!
Bob, is happy as it is a sow that can bear more warties and they have become a nuisance over the last 10 years where they were vacant and never seen they have invaded that area in the Free State and gives him a lot of damage on the crops and water line. Obvioulsy he would have been happier if I bagged all 3 but in the end my first warthog in the Free State.
The pig is in very good condition look how round she is and when skinned she had a fat layer all over the outer ribs. They are enjoying the crops.
We find no more kudu and head back to heat up and have brunch, after brunch we will try again for the impala or oryx.
Brunch was good as always and we take a walk for the impala again.
This time we got them they were hiding in extremely thick sweet thorn bush and they bust out but I remember that the way they are going its to an open strecth of land. So in typiccal impala manner they stop just before the open lay of the land I get the sticks up for Jaco. They are all bunched up with one ewe on the right standing on her own and I tell Jaco to take her. He wishepered there is a bush in line and I tell him if we move now they will be gone and ask him to choose a gap and shoot. The bush is 3 meters infront of us and he said ok lets go. Jaco using his Sako 85 in 375 H&H fires and all we hear is the singing whining sound of the bullet richochet as it clipped two twigs infront of us and the impala vanish once again in the thick sweet thorn.
That was the only chance we had and we had to take it but picking a gap and having a scope higher than the barrel is always tricky. That was our impala hunt and we head back to camp to go look for kudu again. We joke about these wild impala and said that if Bob would drop of a cheetah in camp he would ask to be removed a week later as there is no way even he could catch one of these mad impala.
So, afternoon on us and basically we don't have much time left to bag our animals to fill the freezer. We head out and go into another part of the farm I have not seen before the bush is extremely thick but then it gest twice as thick when you go into it. That I found out later we drive slowly and I spot two kudu bulls they spot us and we are not far off about 100 meters. Instead of running they jump like frogs over the bushes to move that is how thick the bush is. We continue the bull in front chooses to to leave for better pastures and the bull at the back stops and stands completely still infront of a tree and thick bush. Typical kudu he thinks we can't see him I know we don't have much time and only the top of his neck and head stick out. I tell Jaco now or never and swing my rifle to aim and load it. Holding the rifle off hand I aim just below the ear and the shot goes off with a very sastifying THUMP and the bull dissappears from view!
Range estimated abot 80 meters there was no time to get off get the sticks use a rest and I'm quite pumped up and lucky the kudu was on my side. I mark the spot where he dropped remember bush extremely thick. We drive as close as we cand and I get off with my rifle and load one more just in case. I start moving to the marked spot when the other two on the bakkie tells me no, I have to go further to another bush and so I'm in the middle of this thick stuff and start looking.
Twenty minutes later we are still searching for this vanishing kudu bull. I am getting worried and no one saw the bull move off after he dropped so how can it be? Eventually close to the bakkie and the tree I marked here is my bull dead on the spot with a broken neck and shot just below the ear. I was really getting worried but really if Bob would let buffalo loose in this bush I would not want to hunt them. It's so thick you can't move and you are constantly hooked by grass bush or thorns. With some areas where the bush is as high as 6 foot but mostly around 4-5 foot.
This gives you and idea on how thick the bush is and this is after we dragged him out a bit so i could get half a decent photo.
My first kudu bull in 24 years am I happy or what? What a beaut he was 4 years old but slaughtered out 140kg at the butcher on the scale.
Last 15 years or so Kudu bull prices skyrocketed with everyone trying to breed the biggest this was a free range bull. For us up north Gauteng and Limpopo there is very limited chances to take open range kudu especially affordable ones for the freezer. The eastern Cape with loads of kudu is just too far to drive.
This is not a trophy but my wife will be getting the skull and horns to do painting on it and hang it in our house for decorations. He measured 43" btw.
So after a huge struggle to get the bull loaded we dropped it off to be slaugthered and decided to head back to camp we enter the game enclosure and here we have the gemsbuck playing stupid at last light. Jaco ain't that stupid and doesn't look a gifted horse in the mouth and takes aim with his 375 H&H range about 120 meter and after a perfect shot the big cow collapes after 30 yards.
What a terrific end to the day notice the ear on the right not cut off or chewn off but broken off by frostbite. This cow was blind in one eye with a cataract and well worn teeth, with a bautiful set of horns measuring 37 1/2"
With a sunset like this what could be better after a day like this with no luck and suddenly in a matter of 2 hours two good animals for the freezer. Photo taken probarbly 5 minutes before the gemsbuck was shot.
We celebrated well into the cold night and sort of decided to try for the impala once more in the morning but that would be it for our hunt.
Next day we had a nice slow morning got some fine pictures of some birds and tried but not too hard to bag an impala not like they gave us anymore chances anyway.
Got back for brunch and I cleaned the two skulls of the kudu and gemsbuck from most of the meat and skin while Jaco prepared Liver and Gritz.
I'm really impressed with these 160gr Hornady bullets running at 2400fps it hit the kudu bulls neck crushed the vertebrae and sat just under the skin weight retention only 79gr but that is some serious bone and thick neck to have gone through.
And with that last sunset it was the end of the Free State hunt with Bob. Next year we hope Bob will be joining us in Limpopo and also hunt on a big tarck of land over 30 000 acres.
Thanks for reading hope you enjoyed it, I surely did?
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