SOUTH AFRICA: TRI-Fold Safari

[AZDAVE]

I digress a bit here as my wife's dad and brother are big fishermen and always comparing who caught or lost the biggest one. So we stage a African fishing story with Sonya hold the fishing pole with her big one story.

 

[AZDAVE]

We get all the pictures taken, the land owner stops by to congratulate us and our skinner directs the local guys on skinning my hippo. I am planning on using the skull in a coffee table I will build and have two large skin panels tanned and made into gun cases.

In the mean time I am looking at the hippos and crocs. The crocs are staying about a 100 meters out waiting to see want they will get from the leftovers, but one of the hippos is headed our way. I mention to Pieter could you check this out. He tells PC please pass me my rifle. (458 LOTT) Stephan grabs his 375 and I have my double. For about 10 seconds he starts out of the water and is trying to get to where his feet touch the ground to make a solid charge to show his displeasure. The Stephan put a round in the water 10 meters out, about half way between us and the angry hippo. Well the sound and concussion in the water persuade him to head back out into deeper water. For a couple seconds I thought we were about to have 2 hippos on the ground.


We head back to the lodge and pick up everyone some lunch, have the cook start packing so we can leave for the free state when we get back . Lunch is served on the tail gate and we watch the local villagers reduce the hippo to a pile of bones in under 2 hours. Was very satisfying to see some very happy people carry off much needed protein for their diets. Get everything loaded tell the hosts at Bushpig Safaris thank you and good bye and head to the free state. We made good time and arrive about 9PM. Quick dinner of kudu lasagna and some much need sleep.

 

[AZDAVE]

@cal pappas would love to make it up for your shoot. The last two years we have been on a hunt when you held the event. That 577 is such a joy to shoot and it really performed on my giraffe. The PH's really enjoyed shooting it in the friendly competition.

 

[cal pappas]

Dave:
First Saturday in May, 2019 is the date. If you can't make it then, but can another day, you and the Mrs. can stay at my place and we can spend the afternoon shooting my doubles and I can invite a few fellas up with their doubles.
My giraffe I kept the front feet for small tables, the skull, and the full skin with head pressed flat--makes a huge rug.
Hippo is a ice bucket from the feet, the skull, and panels of skin as I'd like a vest made someday.
Cheers,
Cal

 

[Graham Hunter]

@cal pappas would love to make it up for your shoot. The last two years we have been on a hunt when you held the event. That 577 is such a joy to shoot and it really performed on my giraffe. The PH's really enjoyed shooting it in the friendly competition.

Motsomi was my best Safari. They run a 5 star operation and I am going back next year.

 

[Neale]

AZDAVE, what a good story. Sounds like you coordinated things down to the last detail.

 

[AZDAVE]

@Neale I tried to get everything lined up. My time in boyscouts, football and wrestling team captains, and the army I learned coordinate and plan fairly well and my brain is wired to be detail oriented. Plus my family is like herding cats since I was a small boy

 

[AZDAVE]

Day 16

Sunrise greets us in the Free State, it is about 29 degrees and windy, the terrain looks allot like NE Wyoming's rolling grassland with rock outcropping's and is very beautiful. This property is huge and you can see for miles. So can the animals. Went out and got acquainted with the area and started working on Sonya's springbuck slam. A number of stalks are tried, a good bit of time spent either in the low crawl of butt scoot position but never go a decent shot.

The morning was spent learning and observation. We saw a ton of animals with all 4 versions of springbuck, black, blue and Golden wildebeest, Eland, red heartebeest, big blesbok, and one monster red lechway. Have a nice relaxing lunch beside the fireplace and get a chance to thaw out a bit.

Right after we headed out after lunch we spotted a old blesbok that a meat hunter had shot in the jaw a couple weeks ago that was in really bad shape so we change plans to track the poor guy down and put him out of his misery. He comes up out of a bottom when there is a chain of water ponds and easy 160 meter shot and he will provide some good meat to the farm workers. We spot a old bachelor herd of spring buck that has a white, black, 2 common and 2 copper rams all running together. We decide to concentrate on this group. We get close several times and find them in a really hard to reach area that they have at least 650meter view in every direction. So we back out and based on where they are there is a natural choke point in a natural travel corridor so we head out and wait and see if they are going to bed there for the night or move to a couple fields with grass and water.

About an hour before dark they start moving so Pieter gets Sonya setup at the choke point with the sun behind us. The Bakkie with PC and our tracker head out and park on a hilltop about 3 klicks away. PC radio's that they are headed our way with about 15 minutes of shooting light left the white springbuck comes up over the little rise first, Pieter gives Sonya the green light and her 338 drops him right in his tracks. At 100 meters. The two copper go left about 20 meters and stop, the 2 common go right about 20 meters and stop trying to figure out where the noise came from. A quick cycle of the bolt and 3 seconds later the biggest common is also on the ground. At this the black on common take off to a fence line about 250 meters away and stop. Bolt is cycled and Sonya is just settling the crosshairs and he takes off up the hill. If he had held still for another 2 seconds she would have had a 3fer in under 15 seconds. Set the white and common up for pictures as the bakkie get there.

 

[AZDAVE]

Head back to the lodge and have a nice dinner. Zack the cook has out done himself and made a great eland stew. We start looking for one more layer of snivel gear to go back out and look for small cats. Sonya says she has had all the fun in the cold she wants for one day. Pieter, PC the tracker and myself are geared up and head out. We spend several hours seeing a large amount of game but no cats. We plan on several more hours when I hear an exclamation in Afriakans that I took for “Hot Damn” Pieter says grab your rifle there is a Serval. My first shot went k low as I was aiming for 150 meters as all I could see was eyes and neck. PC say the range finds says 272 so I adjust and guess that the body is to my left and another 9.3 hole in the grass and he takes off up the hill. We pull forward and he stopped about 4 yards father and another shot straight down from the eyes, crap. Bolt cycles and a shot is now held to the right side and the sound of a solid hit comes back. W head across the bottom of the valley that we now find is VERY wet from a spring and we are now in mud bogging mode to not get stuck. Get bounced around the back of the bakkie a bit but what a fun ride. Get to my cat and put him down for good. Load up and get back across the valley bottom and go find a nice log to setup for pictures. What an amazing day! Before we left on this safari Sonya asked me what I would consider successful on the pigs and cats? I told her if we go any one of them I would consider us very blessed. So we have 2 bushpigs, and two small cats I am ready to dance a nice Irish Jig and do cheetah flips.

 

[AZDAVE]

Day 17

Well day dawns a nice 26 degrees with no wind thank goodness. It starts to warm up and we get Sonya into about 200 Meter shot on the black from yesterday and her shot goes a foot high. About 45 minutes later she misses a 100 meter shot. She is feeling a bit down. I talk to Pieter and we take her to the range and the rifle won't group under 6 inches. So we check the scope mounts and bases, then check the action screws and are a little loose and one is 3 turns loose. All three are tightened up and back to sub MOA. So we head back out and try and locate her black spring buck. Takes about 50 minutes to get into a position where he is walking over a hill. On the sticks and a nice uphill shot into a quarter shoulder and he is down in his tracks. Due to the angle it comes out his butt and takes a pretty big chunk. So there won't be a backskin on this guy. Get pictures and load him up.

 

[AZDAVE]

Yesterday we spotted a really big mountain reedbuck that I passed on. However I told Pieter that if he was still in the area I would like to give a try at him before we leave. We park on a hilltop and break out the bino's. The hunting gods have smiled on me and he is spotted under a ridge. So we have two choices take the road below the bluff and hope he stays put long enough for a long uphill shot or a long on foot stalk around our hill down the valley and back up the backside of the ridge he is under. Well since we hike mountains every week here in Arizona that was a no brainer. Lets go for a walk. Takes about 30 minutes to cover the distance and we get into position about 110 meters above him and he has no clue we are here. Up go the sticks and I have a very good mountain reed buck left horn is 6 ¾ inches and the right is 6 5/8 with the tips worn down some. At the shot about 50 more launched out of their beds and sprinted down the mountain. There were several others that were very nice but this guy had been king of the mountain. Pieter calls Zack to start packing

as we are leaving after a late lunch for home lodge. A nice 6 hour drive and we pull into the lodge just before 10 PM.

 

[TTundra]

Wow...thats all I can say...Wow. What an amazing hunt!

 

[Art Lambart II]

WOW, what an adventure!!!

 

[Shootist43]

AZDave, I just read your entire post. What a hunt!! To be able to share it with friends must have been a real treat. All of you had a very memorable time. I'm sure that at future outings for lunch, dinner, church or whatever your friends will almost be at a loss for words trying to describe what that hunt ment to them.

 

[AZDAVE]

Day 18
A nice quite day, slept in. Had coffee and breakfast beside the fire pit. Sonya is getting a spa treatment and I took a walk with the rest of the group. They asked why they weren't seeing things? Well it getting warm and most animals are bedded down and you all are talking and making noise plus the wind is at your back.. So your odds of seing anything but birds is very low. They learned something interesting to them.

Went to the range with PC to let the young man shoot my 450/400 double. He had not to this point have a opportunity to shoot one. He had a good time.

In the early afternoon the ladies decided to do the 1st Annual polar plunge into Motsomi's pool. Ria and PC got a good video and a hardy laugh. They tried to talk everyone into joining them but the Motsomi rep was a fistey pup. So whoever is in camp next year in early June will have to continue the tradition

Early evening PC and I went out in his truck to look around and see if we found a target of opportunity IE a big warthog or impala. I threw in the double and off we went. No joy on them but right at dusk PC spotted what he thought was a small spotted genet head up a tree. So we investigated and sure enough there he was. Luckly he had a smaller rifle behind the seat (30/06) the 450/400 might have been a bit of overkill. Worked around the tree and found a shooting lane. We made it back for dinner and pictures before the night hunt.

 

[AZDAVE]

Sonya wanted to hang out with the ladies so Barry came along on our night trip. We started close to a couple farms that had just planed a couple winter crops and the mice were out after the fresh seeds and short grasses. We saw at least 15 bat ear'd foxes just having a blast on the mice in 4 different fields. Cute little buggers. Also saw 5 different African wild cats. Two very large ones but we didn't have a permit for one... Short fall on my planning there. Bumped a couple nice bushbuck. Kept looking for jackal, caracal, or porcupine. After about 3 hours out pops a couple big porcupine. Out we go and up go the sticks and the largest drop in place. Get some Pics and call it a night. Been a interesting day.

 

[kevin masters]

Wow that is one heck of a story! I can't imagine the hours of planning you must have put in. Looks like you'r efforts were rewarded!!!
This trip is unparalleled to any report I've read! all those trophies and sharing it with family and friends you are truly blessed my friend!
congrats on the trip and the retirement! One of my favorite parts was of your friend Cindy and her desire to hunt Africa for so long and the obstacles
she has overcome, then to get a nice nayala!! Awesome!!! All of you share a very special bond now I'm guessing.
Thanks for the read and congratulations again!

 

[AZDAVE]

@kevin masters The time spent in planning is worth it every time I see our friends smile. I will be posting a separate hunt report for Cindy on her preparation and expatation for her hunt and also include a detail impressions piece that her husband Jim is writing for a non-hunter point of view on their experiences. Phillip went to great effort to make sure she had a chance to fulfil a life long dream!

 

[AZDAVE]

Day 19
Going on a non-hunting trip to visit a elephant experience park back over close to Zambula golf resort called Adventures with Elephants. They presented a very interesting program on elephant behavior, food requirements, and human animal conflicts. They also demonstrated elephant memory. It was a nice presentation that covered the poaching problems and working with both hunters and non hunters to make sure the animals had worth. The emphasize the need for education to develop workable plans. It was more from a non-hunter perspective but was a fair treatment of the problem set. They also provide training to other parks wanting to develop similar programs.

Had the opportunity to go for a ride on an elephant. Interesting experience. and getting a kiss in the ear from an elephant.

 

[AZDAVE]

We left before lunch headed to a lion and predator research facility. Made a stop at a small road side cafe that reminded me of many of the mom and pop back road diners in Texas. They had a number of interesting and funny signs. The meal was very good and fairly priced.