We got up early to head to the mountains, and hunted on the other side of Sumerset, just over an hour's drive as I recall. Beans has exclusive rights to the place and it hadn't been hunted in years, if ever, before this year. If you want Vallie, Klippie, or Mountain Reedbuck this is a great place to go. We saw plenty of all three.
We saw Vallies fairly quickly. First a small group and then a bigger group. We couldn't get close enough for a shot though and there were just too many eyes between Vallie, Reedbuck, and Francolins. The Vallies knew something was up though and they headed over the mountain. We went back to the bakkie to eat, but Beans had a plan.
After lunch we went back to where they'd gone over the mountain and found a good place to sit. Beans thought they would likely come back. So we sat down and waited. Those mountains are different than what I'm used to, but quite beautiful and open. Just sitting was quite nice.
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Within maybe an hour there they were. Skylined on the top they appeared just to the left of where my rifle is pointed in the picture above and they started to work back down, 12 of them including a monster ram. Watching them work back down was both fun and nerve wracking waiting for a shot. At 240 yards the ram turned broadside and stopped. Time to squeeze the trigger for an easy shot, which I of course missed.... Last trip I made three one shot kills from sticks while standing. This trip I can't hit broadside of a barn!!! I take two more shots including a now or never close to the top of the ridge. I was throughly disgusted with myself....
After they disappeared Beans said we'd wait and see what happened as Robert and the farmhand had gone way around. He thought they might come back agaim, but I had my doubts. Well, they did and worked down again. This time it was 235 yards, but a hard quartering almost frontal shot. One more squeeze.... This time I hit. He ran down the mountain a few yards, ut was dead on his feet. He did the normal wobble and then a flip down the mountain. I was very, very relieved!
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I'm not a tape measure guy, but this one I had to know. Longest horn was a shade under 9.5 and the bases are thick too. He was indeed a special trophy!
We took a mountain walk looking for Reedbuck afterwards, but didn't look too long as Beans wanted me to meet a few friends of his in Somerset. Meeting people was part of the plan from the beginning and part of what I wanted to do while there, and it really turned out to be a treat.
