SOUTH AFRICA: Phil & Justin's Trip To HartzView Safaris 2015

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Ok so this is where it starts to get stupid. After loading the Vaalie we find ourselves back at the fence post where we first spotted yesterday's reedbuck. In the same field there's 5 more Vaalies and some reedbuck. We tried to get Justin on a reedbuck but get busted by some ewes as well Egyptian geese.

Oh well, off to another farm where the bushbuck come out in the evenings into the fields to eat. So.....yeah that's what they did and:

 

[stug]

Great pic of your bushbucks, must have been a special feeling! Good to see the performance of your 7x57 I've just put a scope on mine, now need to work out what projectile to use. I might have to go heavier than 140gr as mine is a Brno so I think will be quite a fast twist.

 

[spike.t]

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good to see you and justin having a great time, and i like the photo evidence that jacques @Hartzview Hunting Safaris is actually useful for something.....

 

[Royal27]

Great hunt so far!!!

Sounds like you are both having a blast!!!

 

[bluey]

Love your vallie, phil
Both them bushbucks are really nice to
Justin is getting a great introduction to hunting in africa

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

So Friday was a travel day but not before I got to do something I've not done in 14 years...........throw a fly to a trout. This area is full off ponds and streams that contain some very nice trout. There's a pond just below where we were staying and I borrowed some fly equipment and caught a nice 20" rainbow. No pics, the glow from my smile and two witnesses suffices.

But we are off now to Hluhluwe for Nyala and Red Duiker. If you're wondering how to say Hluhluwe, say shluh shlooey. We are headed to hunt a reserve which only Jacques has been able to hunt in and we are only the second party to hunt there. The sheer numbers of Nyala and Red Duikers is crazy. If you were just after any reasonable size trophy of either, it would be a very quick hunt. But we are after exceptional trophies and Jacques has to keep reminding me of this....it was worth the wait. I think the estimate on the Red was 3.5" and 29" on the nyala. We also managed a zebra for me and a nice Impala for Justin. This took us two solid days of hunting and passing over many a nyala bull.

The Red Duiker is a very quick decision, determine quickly if it's a shooter and get out quick and shoot. Mine stood for awhile and just as I leveled on him, he bolted into the brush. I went in after him, saw some red hair and shot at it and dropped him. Total expired time was maybe 10 seconds.

Once again the 7x57 and those 140gr NF's just continue to get the job done. I took my zebra with my .458B&M. Shot was forward on and I pulled it just a bit. But those 260gr SOCOMs from CEB are vicious. Zebra went about 400 yards but was leaving not only blood on the ground but was spitting up lung tissue, never seen that.

So we headed for Hartzhoogte yesterday and that was all day. We did some hunting this morning, but the wind is blowing hard and the animals are quite skittish. Jacques did want to give my .458 a go on a warthog, and well it was a dead warthog before it hit the ground.

Some pics:

 

[Royal27]

The sheer numbers of Nyala and Red Duikers is crazy. If you were just after any reasonable size trophy of either, it would be a very quick hunt. But we are after exceptional trophies and Jacques has to keep reminding me of this....it was worth the wait. I think the estimate on the Red was 3.5" and 29" on the nyala.

Phil,

I didn't even realize that you were going to an area that had red duiker as I just thought of you just going to the EC. How far north did you have to go for this? I definitely need one of these for the tiny ten.

and, I love both the duiker and the Nyala!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Phil,

I didn't even realize that you were going to an area that had red duiker as I just thought of you just going to the EC. How far north did you have to go for this? I definitely need one of these for the tiny ten.

and, I love both the duiker and the Nyala!

Hluhluwe is right on the coast I'm guessing about 100km south of the Moz border. Look it up on Google and I'm sure you'll find it. Can't imagine better Red Duiker hunting anywhere.

 

[BWH]

DAMN!!!! Those are some bad ass animals. The Reed, Vaalie & especially that MONSTER NYALA!!! That is freakin' awesome man! Way to go Phil & Justin. Send my best to JS & Hartzview Crew.

 

[Royal27]

Hluhluwe is right on the coast I'm guessing about 100km south of the Moz border. Look it up on Google and I'm sure you'll find it. Can't imagine better Red Duiker hunting anywhere.

Thanks!

I will file this away in my mind. Again, so happy you're having a great trip with Justin!

 

[bluey]

I think averyone will be happy with your red duiker , except your taxidermist ,phil congratulations
Congratulations to little mate ,on his impala, really like him
You lads are blazing a trail ......

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

In spite of the wind we got in on some blesbok this evening. One shot and DRT from Justin. Have a photo but also having trouble uploading, will try later.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Shout out to my buddy Brad, @BWH, the front/back rest addition to the bog pod has made a big difference for Justin! Thanks my friend!

 

[BWH]

Yeah Buddy! Very nice..... glad to be of service to my Hartzview peeps!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Blesbok pic, not the one I wanted to use, but it uploaded.....

 

[sierraone]

I think it is a safe bet that you have created a new long term hunter with Justin! Our numbers always need to be bolstered with good people!

 

[BWH]

Very nice Justin! Keep on whackin' & stackin' as long as dad's paying for it!

 

[billc]

Nice animals so far and looks to be one happy kid. Glad to see the bog pod still working and that new rest is great for the kids on those longer shots.

Looking forward to seeing what you get at the main lodge.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Likely not much more than a blue wildebeest and springbok @BillC. Originally planned to get the zebras and Impala here, but picked them up sooner so we are just about shot out now.

 

[billc]

yeah but Jacques has some good wildebeest and springbuck on that place so a few more good pictures coming anyway then. It is great to see your boy having some fun and Africa will be with him the rest of his life now. Nice to see bullet in the pic's to great dog.