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

[ActionBob]

Looks like a great trip so far! Really great that Justin is getting so many great animals and the Africa Hunting experience! He is a very fortunate young mans and Phil, your a fortunate man to be able share these experiences with your sons.

And looks like your having a great time helping open a new hunting area!

 

[Albertaguy]

That young man must be on cloud nine ! What an experience! I can only imagine the stories he will be telling his friends when he gets home . Hats off to you sir for taking the young guy with you !

By the way that Nyala is fantastic!

 

[ROCKET]

Congrats Phill and Justin....very well done.....very good trophies.....always a good thing to see fathers hunting with their sons.....Bravo.....bravo.....!!!!!

 

[jeff]

What an incredible nyala !!!

 

[Wheels]

Phil,

Glad things are going so well. You have some nice trophies there. The nyala!!!

Way to make memories with Justin. You will be able to share this experience with him for many years. He will remember this long after you are gone. Your a great dad!

 

[BWH]

Sounds like the Body Count is at about a dozen + a 20" trout..... 3+ days of hunting left. This should get interesting.... And expensive!

 

[Brent in Az]

Sounds like a great Father & Son adventure so far. Some really nice trophies too.

 

[huntermn15]

Congratulations Phil and Justin on great memories and some beautiful trophies! I look forward to the next installment.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[sestoppelman]

Good stuff Phil! You and the boy are having a great time. And yes that nyala..looks like a monsta! Lots of great animals.

 

[hunting4sanity]

The overall experience with your son is going to be the best trophy you could ask for .................. but it certainly doesn't hurt that you're getting some great animal trophies as well!

 

[sierraone]

Sounds like the Body Count is at about a dozen + a 20" trout..... 3+ days of hunting left. This should get interesting.... And expensive!

Another AH member will have to pay for Phil's dinner at DSC in January!!!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Internet has been a bit spotty the last couple of days, seems to be okay now. So the first cold weather of the winter came in with the wind. The animals have been holed up in the thick brush, which is of course still thick as the leaves have yet to fall.

So we've been playing cat and mouse walking into it and trying to put the sneak on. Fun and frustrating all at the same time. At one point yesterday morning we had zebra, wildebeest, eland, blesbok, gemsbok and who knows what else within 100 yards or less of us. Occasional glimpses of shooters but ever so fleeting. Eventually eyes, ears or noses pick up on your presence and off they go. But man it was fun, much like bowhunting.

At one point some blue wildebeest exposed themselves, but no shooter bull. But both Jacques and I wanted to see how these bullets in my .458B&M would do on a tough shot angle. Well a cow presented herself at a severe quartering away shot and I took it. Entry was way back around the flanks, this caused intestines to immediately shoot out. Cow went about 100 yards and dropped dead.

The cutting blades of these SOCOMs probably only marginal effect, but the shank kept moving forward and pierced the middle of the heart and passed thru. This I believe is the entry hole of the heart.

Exit hole of the heart. Bullet did not exit the animal but I'm sure lodged in the brisket somewhere. Hoping the skinners will find it.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Yesterday evening was more of the same, walking into bedding areas with the hope you can find a shooter of some sorts. Again lots of animals close by of various types. At one point we had a herd of Red Hartebeest pass us about 40 yards to our right, oblivious of our presence. Loving this even though it's tough hunting. Eventually a couple of Gemsbok, bull and cow, have made a mistake by being up on a small rock hill where we can easily see them from about 300 yards. We close the distance to about 150 yards. The bull is a nice one, but not better than my first bull........I don't care, this has been a fun stalk and the bull presents a perfect broadside shot. The .458B&M roars, dead right there Gemsbok with a middle of the shoulder shot that completely passes through.

 

[BWH]

Very nice Gemsbok Phil!

 

[Pheroze]

Great report! What an exciting trip, and nice trophies too!

 

[enysse]

I'm really enjoying the pictures and stories. I'm sure your son is having a blast!

 

[BRICKBURN]

.................
Did I mention it's sometimes better to be lucky than good?

We are up in the higher hills and aren't seeing any bedded down. So in the little valleys between the hills we find ourselves driving when a very hard tap on the roof comes from the PH who was showing us around the properties. This was not the tap of "please stop I'd like to check something" it's the tap of there's what we are looking for.

On the move to the lower fields early was a very nice Vaalie ram. Out of the truck moving fast but the ram sinks down into a gulley. No problem we just move after him, we hadn't gone far when he appeared coming out of the gulley. Sticks up with the .25-06 and a 260 yard shot. He stops and I let one fly and hear the impact. He's moving and I want to hit him again but Jacques assures me he's dead. He is, a moment or two later he drops.

Out of a Gully, $%^&! How do you get a Bushbuck hunt for Vaalies.
You are a lucky SOB.

Very nice trophy. Congratulations.

 

[BRICKBURN]

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:

View attachment 42792

Double on Bushbuck, very nicely done. Love the curly guy.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Phil,
..........
and, I love both the duiker and the Nyala!

+1

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Well the hunt ended with an old Springbok ram being taken yesterday. Ridges on his old horns nearly completely worn down. Not a big trophy, but we were craving some Sprinbok steaks in a big way. And Herbert the chef came through with yet another awesome dinner.

As for now, sadness has set in. Sitting at Tambo with about hours to go till boarding for our flight to London. Thanks for the many kind words gents, will be more regular on AH in a couple of days.