SOUTH AFRICA: Tiny 10 In East Cape

[Green Chile]

Ok, it’s day 3 of the hunt and we only have the oribi down so far. This day was my roughest in Africa and one of the worst days I’ve had in the field…just getting you ready for it!

We took the baakie up into the mountains above the lodge to begin looking for Vaal rhebok. On the way up, we glassed for bushbuck but saw very little and nothing worth pursuing. I was pleased to be the first one to see vaalies up high but that’s just because everyone else was looking in a different direction…but you take the little wins where you get them. I had never seen one in the field but they are very distinctive with their long necks, thin tall horns, bulbous nose and a coat that is really more like a rabbit than anything else I can think of. They are like a box of left over parts but their vision is outstanding and they have ZERO tolerance for intrusion on their mountain. We would learn that the hard way this day.

The mountain was very steep but once you got up high, it flattened out like a rolling mesa top. You could see quite far but there were some folds that you couldn’t see into. It reminded me of pronghorn hunting but on top of a mountain. It wasn’t particularly hard to find the rhebok but it would either be a solitary male or a male with a group of females. We didn’t see bachelor groups of males but perhaps that’s a seasonal thing…anyone know? I have a lot to learn about Vaal rhebok.

We found a male with a group of females and crab walked into place. They were below us and we had the wind and what should have been an easy shot. I got prone and the range call was 210 meters. The rifle was sighted for 200 meters and I had made the easy shot the day before at that distance on the oribi. I carefully held behind the shoulder (didn’t want an explosion from the 300 WSM) and touched it off. I was shocked not to hear an impact and the tracker said you shot just over his back. I asked if the range call had been correct and they said yes. Everyone has their opinion of course but with the steep downward angle, it felt shorter than 200 to me but at least it was a clean miss. Of course, the rheboks didn’t put up with the noise and were long gone. Ugh…I missed a close shot at an important goal of mine. We continued on.

That began a series of long stalks at other groups of rhebok. We would climb down or climb up or do a long sidehill stalk to get to the next group. Each time they would wind us or see us before any shot could be taken.

Then a group of mountain reedbuck were seen and the PH said there was a big one in the group. They ran below us and paused long enough for me to get on the sticks and once again, around 200 meters between us. At the shot, I heard the impact and he fell on the run within a few seconds. I was out of breath and the guys climbed down and pulled him back up the hill. This was my first mountain reedbuck and both PHs said it was the largest they had seen. I was thrilled to connect again after the missed shot.

 

[Green Chile]

 

[Green Chile]

We spent the rest of the morning climbing up and down and sideways all over that mountain. The footing was very unusual and worth mentioning. It was a combination of grass tussocks that were round along with round rocks. The effect was that nothing was level and everything tried to roll your ankle downhill. I’ve never felt the need for different boots than my Russells in Africa but in this case, I needed a much stiffer shank. My feet got so sore from flexing downhill that they swelled up in my boots. Also, the elevation is worth mentioning….above 6k feet. It’s not the highest but it’s a lot more than living at 600 feet like I do.

We ended up chasing one group up and down across one mountain onto another mountain. They climbed way up into a steep pitch above us and stopped in some trees. The PHs wanted to try a shot from our location as we couldn’t get closer. I thought come on…that’s too far on these small animals. The shot would be taken from a steep angle upwards at 520+ meters. I just couldn’t get comfortable on the sticks…they were sliding…I couldn’t get prone and had to try an awkward sitting shot upwards. I cranked the scope up to 18x and watched the small circle of movement of the reticle with frustration. I took a shot…just over his back. I readjusted without much improvement and took another shot…just over him again! At this point, I wanted to back out and they said try one more time…same results 3x. Wow…I’ve never missed an animal 3x before. I was tired and irritated and wisely, we called it a morning and went downhill to have lunch.

That afternoon we spent looking for the big springbok and moving around a lot with the herd. Luke saw the big ram but I never had an opportunity. That ended the most frustrating day I’ve had in Africa but I was thankful for the old mountain reedbuck and ready for some rest and a new day to try again. Sometimes it’s a mental game and I remind myself of that…rest, eat and come back with a clear head.

 

[slam8031]

My experience on Vaal is a male takes a harem and they stay together. Some satellite rams may group together as well. I watched the herd ram run off some adversaries in June. I can vouch for the tough terrain on that property!!!!

 

[AZDAVE]

With Vallie's you have two truths, you will do some hard climbs and your wind reading skills better be up to the task. I was lucky in I remembered to take a pair of mountain hikers for that hunt, saved the feet on that uneven ground. That was my 3rd hunt in the EC.

It is also hard to shoot distance with a rifle you don't have a fair bit of time shooting. Those tough days really make you appreciate the animals hunted.

 

[Hunt anything]

I talked to a PH friend that has some experience with Vaalies, he said that rams tend to kill one another once they mature. This is why they have resisted any efforts to farm them unlike just about everything else in RSA.
Not sure if true or not but it wouldn’t take too many sticks with those ice pick horns to discourage other rams or even deliver a fatal stick.

 

[Green Chile]

With Vallie's you have two truths, you will do some hard climbs and your wind reading skills better be up to the task. I was lucky in I remembered to take a pair of mountain hikers for that hunt, saved the feet on that uneven ground. That was my 3rd hunt in the EC.

It is also hard to shoot distance with a rifle you don't have a fair bit of time shooting. Those tough days really make you appreciate the animals hunted.

I definitely could have used some traditional hiking boots that day. Interesting point on the wind…they were above and across from us in the shade that hadn’t seen sun yet. There could easily have been an updraft thermal working that we couldn’t see and which wasn’t on our side to feel as we were in the sun. That could explain 3x shooting over. I didn’t mention the shooting sticks but they were miserable on that slope. None of these are excuses just all part of the shooting problem to solve. That day I didn’t get it done.

 

[Green Chile]

Now we are on the 4th day of the hunt. This would turn out to be the longest day of the hunt with 20 hours of effort. The outfitter meets us as we are leaving at 4:30 am and says I’m coming with you today. He says I know these rhebok and their habits so let’s go get one! It’s always nice to have the landowner with you when looking for game and I always feel a little luckier with the owner present. We get in his truck and he heads straight to the top of the mountain.

We are at the top by 5am and we quickly find a single male vaalie in a favorable location. We run and crawl a bit and find him across from us on another hill. Prone doesn’t have the right angle so we switch to a sitting shot on sticks. I’ve been thinking about what went wrong yesterday and remember that I didn’t have any support for my back elbow (shooting hand). I ask a PH to sit behind me and now I have a backrest and my reticle settles down. I ask the range and it’s 387 meters and no measurable wind yet this early. I take a couple of breaths to settle and ease the trigger back. The shot feels good and we hear the hit. Everyone starts yelling before the recoil finishes and the ram is down! Wow, the sun is barely up and we have success on the mountain already. We run down the hill and back up and there he is….I sit there for a minute before touching him. He is special and wonderful! By the way, a mature vaalie's horns are longer than his ears. This one is a good bit longer than that. Rowland Ward for sure.

As we are taking photos, the outfitter looks further down the mountain and says, there is a big warthog down there….let’s go look at him. We go down and down and down and 600 meters later we are on the sticks. The pig is across the stream from us on the opposite side at about 150 meters. I can see his tusks sticking up above a bush that he is behind. I wait for him to clear the bush and at the shot, he drops. I reload but he isn’t moving. So we move across and find him expired. For some reason, I have never had a shot at a nice, older warthog. I always see females or immature males so I finally have taken an older warthog after many trips. Two prime animals down in 30 min and it’s not even 6am yet. What a difference a day makes! More to come on this long day.

 

[Hunt anything]

Wow!!! Great ram and the pig ain’t too shabby either.

 

[Green Chile]

Thanks. I will probably do a pedestal of the mountain reedbuck and vaalie together. They were neighbors after all.

 

[Datchew]

Something tells me this hunt report is going to include a lot of pics.

Yes plz.

 

[PARA45]

What a great experience so far. You have taken some fine animals. Can’t wait to read the rest.

The EC mountains kicked my rear end both times I’ve been there. The part of GA I live is flat so any elevation was felt. This year I took a pair of Crispi boots, and they made a huge difference in those mountains.

 

[Green Chile]

What a great experience so far. You have taken some fine animals. Can’t wait to read the rest.

The EC mountains kicked my rear end both times I’ve been there. The part of GA I live is flat so any elevation was felt. This year I took a pair of Crispi boots, and they made a huge difference in those mountains.

Thanks my friend. More to come.

If someone reads these comments and decides to take a proper pair of hiking boots to EC, it will be a better trip for them.

 

[MontanaPat]

Now we are on the 4th day of the hunt. This would turn out to be the longest day of the hunt with 20 hours of effort. The outfitter meets us as we are leaving at 4:30 am and says I’m coming with you today. He says I know these rhebok and their habits so let’s go get one! It’s always nice to have the landowner with you when looking for game and I always feel a little luckier with the owner present. We get in his truck and he heads straight to the top of the mountain.

We are at the top by 5am and we quickly find a single male vaalie in a favorable location. We run and crawl a bit and find him across from us on another hill. Prone doesn’t have the right angle so we switch to a sitting shot on sticks. I’ve been thinking about what went wrong yesterday and remember that I didn’t have any support for my back elbow (shooting hand). I ask a PH to sit behind me and now I have a backrest and my reticle settles down. I ask the range and it’s 387 meters and no measurable wind yet this early. I take a couple of breaths to settle and ease the trigger back. The shot feels good and we hear the hit. Everyone starts yelling before the recoil finishes and the ram is down! Wow, the sun is barely up and we have success on the mountain already. We run down the hill and back up and there he is….I sit there for a minute before touching him. He is special and wonderful! By the way, a mature vaalie's horns are longer than his ears. This one is a good bit longer than that. Rowland Ward for sure.

View attachment 729728

As we are taking photos, the outfitter looks further down the mountain and says, there is a big warthog down there….let’s go look at him. We go down and down and down and 600 meters later we are on the sticks. The pig is across the stream from us on the opposite side at about 150 meters. I can see his tusks sticking up above a bush that he is behind. I wait for him to clear the bush and at the shot, he drops. I reload but he isn’t moving. So we move across and find him expired. For some reason, I have never had a shot at a nice, older warthog. I always see females or immature males so I finally have taken an older warthog after many trips. Two prime animals down in 30 min and it’s not even 6am yet. What a difference a day makes! More to come on this long day.

View attachment 729729

Congrats, love that Vallie, making plans to hunt them in 2027

 

[Datchew]

View attachment 729728

That face says it all. I love it. Congrats! Those long shots can be tests of faith!

 

[Green Chile]

So, we’ve had a fantastic morning and a big turnaround from the day before. Nothing quite like finishing what you started. We came back down for lunch but have plans for the afternoon. We want to try and find the big springbok ram before relocating tonight again for a night hunt 3 hours away.

Amazingly, we find the big ram in the first 10 min of looking. He is bedded under a tree about 450 meters from the road and looking right at us. We think he’s going to move quickly so I setup for the shot and the PH is dialing the turret as he hands me the rifle. Before I can shoot, the outfitter reaches over and clicks the turret once or twice more. I shoot and the bullet lands right at his feet…the turret was correct on the first adjustment and off on the second adjustment. Rats…that was the best attempt we could get at a calm animal. Now he’s up and the herd is moving. It takes a few attempts to find them again and they are on their feet and alert now.

We get setup on a hill above them and watch them move back and forth in the trees at 400-500 meters. Lots of females and a few small to average rams but only one oversized ram. We stay in position as the springbok herd moves in and out of view below us. They are gone for awhile and then appear again at the bottom of the hill we are on. This time they are only about 250 meters from us and they are slowly moving through the openings in the trees. The PHs locate the ram and he is at the very end of the line. I’m on the sticks and holding steady as each female and young male work through the opening. After a few minutes (which always seems much longer when you are on the sticks), the ram walks through and then stops facing directly away from us. It’s not a good angle so I wait…and wait…he just needs to turn left or right…and then a farm truck goes by scattering them once again. This ram must have 9 lives!

We have time for one more attempt before leaving for our night hunt and we relocate a bit to a rock face on the side of the mountain overlooking the same area. We now have 3 trackers with us and 2 PHs and the outfitter and everyone is glassing and moving to find them from our perch. We find them and the guys get the sticks out and I learn we are now on an average ram, not the big boy. I sit on the sticks looking at him in the scope and shake my head. This wasn’t the goal. I was only interested in the old ram. I shake my head and say sorry, this isn’t the one. Let’s let him grow some more and we walk away. That ram is still there and someone will get an incredible trophy when they take him.

These photos were taken from the hill we sat on and the springbok herd moved from trees to small openings in the trees, leaving us to try and make a shot in the openings from 250 meters out to 450+.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Great report so far, can’t wait for the rest of the details since I’ve already seen most of the photos.

 

[Green Chile]

Yea, you know the rest of the story! Writing more to post today and tomorrow.

 

[Green Chile]

So we have finished the time on the big conservancy and are getting back to the original plan for blue duiker, Cape grysbok and bushbuck if time allows. This requires another 3 hour drive to a different location and we are spending the night in Jefferys Bay. This place is beautiful with the Indian Ocean rolling in. I learned this area is famous for the best right hand surf break in the world. We eat some prawns and calamari for dinner and then gear up for a night hunt. It’s time to get a Cape grysbok!

I’ve already got a Sharpe’s grysbok with Dieter. Other AH members have gotten theirs too with Dieter and he is one of the only options in Limpopo to get a Sharpe's as their area is very limited. Mine was a little monster. Love him!

The evenings are colder in EC so we gear up and head into a large sheep ranch near the coast. We’ve got a spotlight wired into the truck battery, shotgun and rifle are ready to go. We grab a local worker who knows the farm and we get into the back of the truck while Luke drives slowly through the fields and Dieter is on the spotlight and binos for ID’ing animals. The 2 trackers are also in the back watching for our target species. For awhile, we see almost everything BUT grysbok…lots of common duikers…a distant caracal…even 2 aardwolves. About 2 hours into the drive, Dieter sees something promising. It’s a grysbok with its head in the bush about 50+ meters away. Too far for the shotgun so I get on the rifle and wait to see its head lift up. After a minute, it lifts up and we see the horns, which Dieter confirms. I shoot and it drops. We are ecstatic…trackers are excited…PHs are high fiving and I’m grateful to be there. These grysbok are beautiful and this one was a little hard to find. We look at the time and realize we have been hunting and moving around for 20 hours today…2 different regions and 3 trophy animals taken plus a visit to the beach. What a day!

 

[matt vejar]

Those are some really nice trophies. Very good mountain Reedbuck he looks thick and nice curve. Valie is a beauty. It’s a tough hunt for sure. I wanted to have lunch at the Pig and Whistle on two trips there but it was always packed. Had a drink at the bar instead. Got my Cape Grysbok, Blue Duiker, Caracal, Bushpig and a Common Reedbuck from the Kariega Game Reserve with a couple of different outfitters. Free range hunting in East Cape!!! Love Port Alfred Marina. Congratulations on your hunt so far.