SOUTH AFRICA: Pawprint Safaris Hunt 2016

[CAustin]

Lee keep me posted on the special zebra particulars as Bill articulates them! Ha!

 

[billc]

Looks like 1/4 quagga on the pics in your link.

Oh geez I can just hear the BS stories from Bill starting shortly... I don't hunt zebra unless they have at least 25% of quagga genetics or are a member of the subgenus hippotigris, species E quagga. Too funny!!

Well you know I always planned on taking one just like that. LOL I just look at it as another rare animal in my room of mounts. The nice thing is I wanted a rug and she will make a rug that is different the most.

The one thing that I have learn you just never know what Africa will give you but there are some beautiful and different animals out there. Thanks to hunters like all of us on here we get the chance to enjoy them all.

 

[billc]

Well I am down to two days and we decide to focus on bushbuck. We hunt fenced areas opened areas and any place we can for one. On this day we head off to an unfenced area to search. We find some young rams a few females but no shooters. WE head deeper into the bush and see some kudu cows and round a corner and see a bushbuck take off running. We can not tell if he is a shooter but try to head around him and hope we have luck on are side. WE see the bush has strat to get so thick we would need to step on him to get him to move.

Then out of some bush jumps up an animal and runs. Dam it is a steenbuck not the bushbuck but the dam turned into oh my god he is big take him if you want. I look at him and he is off and then I get the bill you must take him he is big. So I get on him he stops at about 225 yds. I make the shot which turns out to be not so good but hits him. He runs off not leaving much sign at all. WE spread out and start to worry as I may have hit him to far back. We go back to the last sign and spread out again. I look and see a trail that would be easier for a wounded animal to take and low and behold 25 yards later see him laying in some bush.

Once again Africa gives me a great animal be it not the one I was looking for but a very nice 5 3/8 steenbuck. It is weird how I have never measured my nyala or most other animals but the little guys I always seem to see how big they are.

WE head back to camp so we can skin the steenbuck out for a full mount. There is bigger but for this area he is a true gaint and another animal hunted with good friends Pieter and riann.

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats on a nice steenbok!

 

[gillettehunter]

I really like your attitude of taking what Africa has to offer. Some nice and interesting trophies that you are taking. Lots of great properties. Sounds like some poachers need to be gotten rid of too. Nice pics. Bruce

 

[Neale]

Great story Bill and you have some unique trophies.

 

[billc]

This trip was once again one I learn it is great to have a list and goals. But at any time be ready to take what Africa gives and enjoy the time there as it is all special.

I have also learn some animals come much harder then others. I will focus more on bushbuck and bushpig next trip but will still be opened to animals that come my way as we hunt.

Thanks for all the nice comments and I am enjoying share my hunt with all of you.

 

[CAustin]

Thanks for sharing bill. I'm glad I was there for some of it!

 

[billc]

Well time is running out but we think we can get it done on a bushbuck. We meet up with Riaan and head out in search of a ram. We look in ever corner and hole we can find in the thick bush. We see some female but can see the animals just seem to be not moving as much today. WE jump a ram at 15 yds but he sinks in to some 6ft tall glass and is gone as fast as a bolt of lighting. I can see in Pieter face he is really feeling the pressure at this point and I try to easy his mind but he really wants me to have a bushbuck. I decide we need to change it up some and take a drive and look for a blue for a rug maybe. WE head off but know can really see the animals are just not moving today.

We search and search but nothing is showing it self today. Then we come across a nyala and one blue that is just not what we want at this point. So back off we go giving the last try for a bushbuck. We see some more females but they are in some super thick cover. We round a corner and I see something standing just out of the thick cover. Pieter gets the binos on him I get the gun on him when I see it is a duiker. I am checking him out when I hear again he is big take him. I have not taken a duiker at all on my trips so I decide to go for it.

I get on him and feel good about it. He is out at about 200 yds and I take the shot. He drops in his tracks and we are all happy as this was one tough day of hunting but once again Africa gives me a great animal. We pull up to it and the way the sun is shining on it we think on my god I shot a steenbuck not a duiker. It is the reddish brown color not the brown of a duiker in the sun. We walk over and laugh as we see it is a duiker and we are not going crazy from this hard day of hunting.

We joke around and realize that I have just taken a great duiker and one to be proud of. Riann is please with this shot after my bad shot on the steenbuck the day before. WE take it back to skin for a full mount also. Pieter gets the tape and we see we took a 5 1/2" duiker and he was as

big as Pieter had thought.

The picture does not show off the length but I am super happy to have taken him.

 

[siml]

Great going Bill.

 

[billc]

Great going Bill.

Thanks simon hope next trip over we can meet up and share a campfire. I am sure you have some good stories to share and then I can show you I am not as bad as Pieter makes me out to be. LOL

 

[siml]

Bill, I believe you.....

 

[norfolk shooter]

Bill nice to see you had a very good hunt. I agree totally you never know what Africa can throw at you TIA man!!

 

[billc]

A nice surprise happen on our hunt also. As they looked for lee's kudu they came across a dead kudu bull. Earlier in the year we had a bull get away after only bleeding a few drops. After a photo was sent to the hunter and the ph who was on the hunt saw the horns they knew it was the bull they lost. It was found about 3 miles away from were it was shot.

The bull will be going home to Canada after we get a cape for it to be mounted. Happy the hunter will get his trophy in the end. The longest horn was 54 1/2 and will match his son 55" pretty nice I think.

 

[cpr0312]

Super kudu, glad for the hunter that they will be reunited with their bull!

 

[billc]

Well that is all the good as well as the bad luck we had on this trip. Have some animals to go back for but not because we did not give all we could to get them. I am looking forward to going back and chasing a bushbuck and bushpig plus who knows what else.

Pieter and the crew showed me another great fun hunt and made some great new friends also. Had a blast showing some new guys Africa and all enjoyed it as much as I did.

If after reading the report anyone has any question feel free to ask. Who knows we could end up spending some time around a campfire after talking.

 

[billc]

I finally got some group pictures from larry who was with on the trip. I know some guys seem to be scared of group hunts but now after doing it on 2 trips with 5 or 6 guys it is a blast. The right outfitter with enough good Ph's and areas can pull it off no problem at all. The nights are so much more fun around the fire and the wait of that last guy coming back to see what he has is hard to bet really.

This year is will be just me and my son but will do a few more group hunts for sure in the future. We even left Charlie sneak in the picture to and he is an ok guy.

 

[CAustin]

We all had a great time bill. You did a good job organizing the hunt for your friends! You are right the night around the fire and a few drinks is a lot of fun.

 

[billc]

One of my favorite group pictures of the group hunt. I still hunted a few day so not all my stuff is in picture. Also did not have Charlie's animals in picture as it was picked up already. We had a blast on this hunt and shared many fun times.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Nice to have a bunch of friends to share a great time!