SOUTH AFRICA: KoedoesKop - Vaalkop Numzaan Safaris

Frederik

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Easter Weekend Family hunt 2021.

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Area Koedoeskop Limpopo - Vaalkop Camp one of Numzaan safaris concessions I believe.
Family and friends get together meat hunt and more.

Rifles used
Howa 204 Ruger - 32gr Kriek bullet @ 3900fps
Carl Gustav 6-5x55 Swedish - 160gr hornady Interlock @ @ 2400fps
Remington 786 .308 Win - 165gr TSX @ ????
CZ 550 375 H&H - 300gr TSX @ 2400fps +-

Fenced property 3000 acres +-

5 hunters including my teenage son, 4 children and 3 wifes = full camp.

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Some of you might recognize the camp it was a good warm weekend with Saturday reaching a high of 34C degrees the veldt is lush green and thick best I have seen in very long time. Grass is high and its difficult to spot the game but was very rewarding I clocked 40km on foot over the 3 days hunt.
For ourselves as a family we wnated 3 impala ewes and maybe a warthog but that changed to 1 impala ewe, 1 impala ram and a young warthog sow that we shot for one of the hunters as he wanted to make salami.

Game seen: Warthog, impala, gemsbuck, sable, kudu, giraffe, waterbuck, zebra, bushbuck, vervet monkeys and baboons. Weather still to warm for the impala rams to start to rut althuogh I heard grunting on Saturday morning early but only once.

Friday 2nd April 2021

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One very happy Ratdog that goes every where with us very big personality and much loved by everyone.

Arrived in camp around 9:30 am got unpacked other bunch would arrive around 1pm. Headed to the shooting range checked and made sure Zero's are in and went back to camp where we picked up my wife to sit in a hide with me. Now my wife has been in camp with us when we hunt but has never been with us when we actually shoot an animal she agreed to come along as long as she didnt need to walk in the thick grass.

We were hunting/shooting meat so I grabbed the opportunity and asked if we could sit in a hide and wait for impala with my silenced 204 we got dropped off in a hide wind was then perfect but 20 minutes after we got dropped off wind was almost contstantly blowing to the water from us. Saw a bunch of birds and was just nice to listen and sit quietly.

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My son and other friend of ours went to take a drive and have a look at the lay of the land. 1pm we got picked up to go back to camp and have quick lunch with the others. We went out again at 3pm and me and my son did a proper 12km walk and stalk untill dark and back at camp. We could have shot a big impala ram that was unaware of us but that not on our list also kudu, waterbuck, warthog was too young and more impala rams.
Luck was not on our side to bumb into ewes.

We however had a nice incident just before dark when a warthog sow decided that we were in her way on her path and she kept coming closer untill 10 meters from us and then decided we might be dangerous and fled with her two piglets.

The other hunters were extremely lucky in bagging 2 impala rams and a gemsbuck bull Mike who has been one over the last 3 years finally got his. They used the vehicle to spot and stalk for the animals.

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Was a good day all around and although we didnt bag anything wer were out hunting.

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Saturday 3rd of April

Me and my son set out on foot again from camp and came into contact early with a large herd of impala with many eyes, ears and noses for about 10minutes of cat and mouse we saw them crossing an open area 140 meters away from us. one large impala ewe stood still and I told my son to shoot her at the shot it sounded like a miss the thud of a hit didnt come back and with the 6.5 being surpressed it is clear to hear. Neverless we took about 30 minutes to make sure it was a clean miss. He was distraught and yes it happens to all of us better a clean miss than a wounded animal.

About 2 hours later we bumbed into a warthog in very thick grass and scrub and with him bolting off he chased up an impala ram not far from us. The impala not aware what the warthog was running away from stopped and looked back. Aaron was ready on the sticks and I told him to shoot the impala he looked at me and said its a ram we were after ewe's, I told him shoot it. Then he said but I can only see his head above the grass and I said shoot him! At the shot the impala dropped out of sight the shot was about 80 meters and perfect.

I then explained to him that he was not picking a spot on the impala earlier and aiming at the impala and not a spot on the vitals reason for his miss. So now he had a much smaller target to concentrate on and it worked. Please before there is any negative comments my son shoots well and its not his first rodeo only the first time I let him shoot a headshot.

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Shot exited and b;ew a big hole at the base of skull. Grass was to thick and we dragged the impala to the nearest road which luckily was close for a better photo.
From there we went hunting futher after calling in the pickup to collect the impala. We went general area back to camp and although we could have shot another warthog I was holding out for a tusker.

We had a great brunch of impala liver and toast with some cheese and my wife and I decided to go back in a hide but thgis time a different one in the heat of the day. We got dropped off and made ourselves comfortable the big hearty brunch was a killer trying to keep eyes open. manage to see a bushbuck ewe coming to the water.

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Special times my wife actually joining me in something I love. PS Ratdog is there to save the day against marauding leopards.

Not long after that or I actually don't know since I dosed off a few times 3 impala ewes came in wlak passed the water and were out of sight then from the opposite side two big kudu cows caem in to drink. As soon as they started the one impala ewe came back. I had to wait for the ewe to clear or the cows to move off the ewe had her fill before the cows and moved to join the other ewes which was out of sight and I only had a small shooting lane left she stopped. I settled the crosshairs and she didnt feel a thing. The combination of a 32gr Monolithic hollow point at 3900fps is devastating but this one was the most damage I have seen so far using the rifle combo and bullets. So mind the pictures just wanted to show how deadly this combo is.

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It took a lot of explaining my wife that this was the first time damage has been this severe but it was a very humane kill for our meat. She wasnt too phased about it I was very happy about that. Cause it could easily have been the first and last time she joined.

Nothing else was bagged for the rest of the day and we deiced to all go out for a sundowner drive.

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Evening was well spent around the fire with good food and talk.

Sunday the 4th of April.

Aaron was finished hunting as I told him that our budget was for 3 ewes and maybe a big wartie but soince he bagged a ram he was done shooting for this trip and the ewe and ram would be enough rations till our next hunt later this year. So he joined the spot and stalkers and me and my friend Riaan left camp on foot early the morning. He was after impala ram, kudu cow or waterbuck cow and was borrowing my 6.5x55. We bumped into plenty of ewes as luck would have it and eventually came to the same area Aaron shot his ram. It was textbook our guide Chris quickly setup the stick and two impala rams were feeding not 35 meters from us unaware. I quickly had a look at both and both were good rams one narrower than the other then the narrower horned one spotted us and looked straight at us. Riaan made a perfect headshot. We dragged the impala to same nearby road and actually setup the ram on the same exact spot we took photos of Aaron's ram!!!

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It was also the heaviest ram of all of them dressing out 37kg at the butcher.

We called the pickup again was easy to direct them since they remembered exactly where they picked up the other ram.
Carried out hunting and we had some fun with warthog that came straight towards us with the wind in our face. We were close to camp when we spotted two ewse not 30 meter away from us grazing and unaware of us again Riaan didnt want to shoot an ewe but then remembered you hunt what is given and might not end up getting his kudu or waterbuck cow. So stick went up and then the one ewe picked up her head and was looking straight at us. Bang flop perfect headhsot again and that was our hunt done the morning.

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Good thing he did bag the impala ewe has he didnt really get another opportunity to go out again with 2 young boys one of 9 months and the other of 2 years that kept them busy. Was a good morning and the step counter clocked 14km nice long morning.

We had a good brunch again and this time stayed in camp to rest for the afternoon hunt there was a wounded gemsbuck from a week before that hung around one area and me and my son were going to try and find it that was the plane while the others went out to see if they could bag more impalas.

Before we walked out Adriaan told him Aaron to shoot a warthog for him for salami so a young one would be the best but if a tusker came along .................

Anyway we were not far out from camp when I spotted a young sow with two of last years crib she was perfect for good eating a good 15 minute stalk later and keeping the wind in check the stick were up and the 6,5 spoke again bang flop. Pig down and Aaron bagged an extra animal that he did not anticipate. We sent a message to Adriaan about the pig and he just fired at another on alsmot the same time other area of the farm. Suddenly we had two salami pigs down.

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This was a great hunt and we had a splendid time aroun the fire with food and fun and a few drinks.

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Biggest impalas of the trip left 24 1/4" right 24 1/2"

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I read somewhere a good saying "Family that hunts together stays together!!"

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Congrats! Sounds like a great hunt!
 
I'd say you had a great time. Some nice shooting. Congrats. Thanks for sharing.
Bruce
 
Awesome, thanks for sharing!
 
"Family that hunts together stays together!!"
+1
Wonderful to see a family enjoy hunting together!
Thanks for the report!
 
Congrats on a successful family hunt, thanks for posting.
 
Congrats and thanks for sharing!
 
Congratulations on a successful hunt and a memorable fun time with family and friends!

Thank you for sharing.
 
Looks like you and your family had a great time! Thank you for sharing!

V.
 
Congrats on your family hunt, you all look very happy in the pics :D Cheers:
 
Thank you all hope to go on a few more trips this year.
 
Looks like a great time. Nice to see families out together making memories that last a lifetime. Congrats to all.
 
I see I forgot to add our 8 legged friends that we had to duck and dive for when stalking.
This one was exceptionally fat and big wouldnt hold for a photo and crawled under this bit of cover.

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