Hunting with Bowker safaris
Hi guys, Just a few words about the hunt
I was exited to finally be in Africa for the first time, allthough the flight was loong..
I was picked up at the airport in Port Elizabeth by my PH for the next days, Meyrick Bowker and the two hour cartrip to Thorn Kloof went by as nothing. So much to look at, so many impressions.
When we arrived I was met by Frank and Jenny, Meyricks parents. Later I also met Denham, Meyricks brother. A exellent dinner and a couple of beers later I was ready for bed, tired, but exited about next day.
Hunting day 1:
0530 after breakfast we where ready and I met Jackson, who was tracker/spotter, a modest and very nice guy.
We went for kudu first and believe it or not, the first bull was jus 50m from the gate to the farm. It was a nice bull to and we actually got pretty close, but I I didnt take the shot, because the bull never turned broadside.
To make a long story short, we chased the bull almost all day and couldnt get him. We saw a lot of other kudus, but only young bulls and cows. We also saw a big warthog, which played a major role the last day.
Hunting day 2:
Ready again after breakfast, we would look for kudu again.
Much of the hunt here are made by driving up on to the ridges and then glass for game. When we stopped the car, a mountain reedbuck jumped out and stopped 40 meters away. We got out of the car, but the buck didnt pay any attention to us. So we got the cameras and started to take pictures of him, whistled and talked to him, to make him turn around. Almost no reaction... Meyrick was amazed and stunned by the behavior, perticulary because, as he said "its a really big one" So maybe 5 minutes after we first saw him, I asked if I should take him, yes, said Meyrick, if you dont want him I will take him. So I took him, a easy shot trough his neck at 40 meter. Not much of a hunt, but it was a big one, so..
In the afternoon we went over to the other side of the farm, looking for kudu. We found a shooter on the other side of a steep valley. It was impossible to come closer than 330 meter, so I had to take the shot at that range. Actually thats 100 meter to long for me, and my shooting was not perfect, beside the fact that I forgot to compensate for the winddrift. I took four shots at him and hit him with three. Not so good shooting, but the range was loong..
Hunting day 3:
Time for impala.. We went over to a nabour farm where there hadnt been hunted for impala for 4 years. We found a herd pretty early and started the stalk. We got into 110 meter, and with a good rest on the ground, it was an easy shot on the biggest ram. Not of the biggest, but a beautiful animal.
In the afternoon we went looking for springbuck. Found a little herd about 10 animals far out on the plain. It was impossible to see the horns in that range, but Meyrick thaught he had seen that little herd before and there should be a nice buck among them.
We stalked around 1.5 km and got up to about 200 meter range. Only a few small bushes to hide behind, I crawled up to 180 meter. The biggest ram was lying down, so I just had to wait him out. I think I lyed down there for at least one hour and had everlasting impressions of East Cape on my bare knees...
Eventually the ram got up and started to graze. So when he stopped up for a moment, I took the shot. The ram tryed to keep up with the rest of the herd, but falled over after 100 meter after a low lungshot. A beutiful buck.
Hunting day 4:
Rain, rain and rain..
Tryed to look for bushbuck, but the weather was far from ideal. Saw a lot of kudu, maybe 50? And there was at least 6 shooters. One very big one, much bigger than the one I shot. Saw only one bushbuck on the wrong side of the river (Great Fish river).
Hunting day 5:
I told Meyrick I wanted to look for the big pig we saw the first day instead of glassing after a uncertain bushbuck this last day. I think he was happy about that, because there was a LOT of warthogs on the property. To many he said.
So we went up on the same ridge as we where the first day started to glassing. Miracles happen, one of the firs pigs we saw was the big one (or at least a similar). We could clearly see his tusks, allthough he was at least 1000 yards away.
We stalked up to the pig which at now was sleeping in the sun together with a sough.
The range was 160 meter and I could see his shoulder between the twigs of a bush 30 m in front of him. So I took the shot, sure that he would die in his bed. Actually he got up and started to run. I shot at him again and missed. Since I couldnt see the pig anymore, Meyrick asked for the gun and parked him with a shot low in the chest. Whe we came up to him I could see that my shot had entered sideways a bit behind in the chest. It was a lethal shot, but clearly something had happen to the bullet. And sure enough, in the little bush I aimed trough, there was a tiny twig that was hit..
Well anyway the pig was dead and it was a nice one, so..
In the afternoon we went looking for bushbuck again. Saw one big one, but by the time we stalked upon him it was to dark for me to shoot, so I stood down.
The hunt was over for this time, but I am pretty sure I will go back again sometime, more likely sooner than later..
The hunt was exellent and the food and accomodation also. A big thanks to Meyrick, Jackson, Frank and Jenny. They feel like friends after only one week.
