SOUTH AFRICA: With KMG Hunting Safaris

We gear up and head out the plan was to go out and check on some of the water holes on the property after driving for 20 minutes the truck pulled over and stopped. Having all disembarked Marius asks "you loaded " Thumbs up and we head into the bush we walk steadily single file, stopping every so often to check ahead of us, after 15 minutes I can see an earth embankment ahead this must be the water hole. the pace slows and everyone begins to take extra care with the placing of their feet. We reach the base of the earth dam and sit while Marius gingerly creep to the top of the earth bank and peer over the top there were three buff at the water. Marius spend what seems like an age looking at the buff and slides back down the bank. Marius waves me over two him and explains what we have. three bulls one with a nice drop good and solid a younger bull and an old dagga boy . He gets me to creep up the dam for a look and make sure it is a bull I am happy with . The bull with the deep curl is just what I was after but the old dagga boy kept pulling my attention away from the others. I slipped back down the bank out of sight. Marius and the guys were talking about the bulls every time they mentioned the old dagga boy there eyes lit up and they became quite animated in their discussion. I knew straight away from their reaction which bull I should target . When I told Marius which bull I wanted to go after he asked why I chose that bull and I told based purely on the way you guys reacted when you talked about the old bull. Marius then said " that old dagga boy would be my dream buff" so the hunt was on.
 
We set off using the dam wall as cover to get closer to the buff everyone is no paying extra attention to each twig leaf stone and branch nobody wanting to be the one two give away our approach. We would stop every so often and one person would peep over the earth bank to check the location of the buff. After what felt like an age but only 100 meters or so we stopped the guys took one more look then waved me forward signalling to just take it slow. With the wind blowing in my face I unshouldered the 375 and began to creep up the bank as I did so Marius set the sticks. I approached and placed the 375 into position with the warm wind blowing on the back of my neck. Yes that's right at that moment the wind turned a complete 180 degrees carrying or sent straight to those buff and In an instant they we gone. We looked at each other in disbelief at the event that had just taken place. A few choice words were said as we walked off that earth bank.
 
We regrouped and decided to leave the buff we had just spooked and hope they would settle and go on to the next waterhole. After a 20 minute walk we arrived at a dry stream cut into the ground with an earth bank beyond it. we cross the dry stream and made our way up the bank as we peered over the top there was a large heard of buff moving away from the water. again using the earth bank as cover we moved in. there was a big patch of scrub that we were aiming for as we reached this the heard began to emerge in front of us at about 50 meters away. We pushed back into the scrub to hide ourselves from view, a large bull stepped away from the heard and stood broadside at 40 meters { I later asked Marius what was wrong with that bull and he explained he had broken through the fence from Kruger a couple of months earlier and they wanted to give him chance to breed with the heard. Well you cant argue with that}. After several minutes we began to back out. one person watched and when the bull looked away would tell us to go and stop when he looked back. It was a bit like playing statues but with a bit more intensity to it. We made it to the inside of the dam and began to approach from a new angle but the cows spotted us and once again the heard were gone in a cloud of dust. We called the truck up to collect us and we headed back to the track for collection. By now the sun was beginning to drop and the trees were casting a long shadow so we decided to call it a day and take a steady drive back to the lodge.
 
Day Four :
We were up having breakfast early 5.30 and out by 6 am. The weather until now had be warm but pleasant mid to high twenty's but today the prediction was for mid thirty's. I could already notice the difference from the last couple of days. I also had another problem to contend with Marius had decided that he should begin his annual weight loss programme and we were now on the second day. So no sugar no alcohol no carbs, only water, meat and salad. So like any good friend I did my best to support him in his efforts. So for the next couple of hours I rode around with mr moody we searched hi and low but not a sign of buff anywhere it was like there had been an alien abduction. we called off the hunt and headed back to the lodge. We would rest and wait for temperature to rise and head back out in the heat of the day when the buff should be heading for water.
 
Day Four Afternoon:

During our lunch Marius and I discussed our travel arrangements with options to extend the buff hunt and drop the oribi if I so wished. I chose to continue with the original plan so the flights were booked for Thursday that gave us a day and a half to continue pursuing the buff. Nothing like adding a bit more pressure onto a dieting ph. At 1.30 we headed out. As we drove the kruger perimeter we spotted some elephants in the park a couple of hundred meters away. The trackers were pointing them out to us when they became very excited they just spotted a large bull elephant with tusks in the region of 5ft long they were impressive enough at several hundred meters for us to back up and everyone get out to take a good look for several minutes. we head off again but once again the wind had changed so we altered plans and would have to alter our approaches . we disembarked heading for the water hole where we had seen the three buff the day before heading in from the opposite end we tracked into the scrub until we reached a dry stream bed which would feed the dam in the rains. We then followed this towards the water we passed leopard prints in the soft sand of the stream bottom and after a while reached the water hole again there were buff in residence but the wind and cover were working against us so we backed out not wanting to spoil an opportunity by forcing the situation. The warmer it became the more unpredictable the wind became the rest of the day followed the same pattern. Swirling winds forcing us into difficult approaches and shooting positions. In all it was a frustrating day.
 
Marius on a weight loss plan? He's fit as a fiddle!!! Better check the coolers for his milkshake stash then!!!
To be fair by this time of his hunting season all that lodge food was making him a bit tubby, I did agree with him on that.:whistle:
 
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What ! Marius AKA Mr moody. Now that’s funny stuff. Hurry with this report, I’m about to start outrunning a hurricane. Howdy MoMo. Jacques
 
Final Day :
Today was even hotter than the previous day within ten minutes of being out on the truck I had unrolled the sleeves of my shirt to cover my arms and it was not even 6am. After we had finished the previous evening the trackers had gone back out with the farm staff and dragged the tracks so we could see fresh tracks and see where the buff were heading and follow. As we headed out Marius realised he had left his lipstick behind in his shorts for washing I think it was his favourite hot pink one. Not a happy bunny. From the tracks we found the buff had been to water during the night and had headed into the thick stuff as the temperature had began to rise. today was to be hottest day of the week hitting nearly 40 degrees after accouple more hours of looking . knowing the buff would have to return to the water we returned to the lodge to wait for the temperature to rise. When we retuned to the lodge Marius took off like a whippet to the laundry room where his lipstick was on the side waiting for him. He had the biggest smile of the trip so far.
 
We head back out at 1.30 now this is hot the cool breeze has gone and been replaced by a hot wind that has no cooling benefit at all. Suddenly the radio sparks into life one of the farm staff had seen a group of buff heading to a water hole we pull over and wait. The guy arrives on his tractor and tells us where he saw them, where they were heading and how fast they were moving and that he thought they were just bulls. The decision was made to wait and give them time to get to the water and settle before going after them. we found a shady spot to wait by shade I mean a branch which sort of blocked a bit of sun. It was at this point Marius nearly succumbed to his cravings as I opened another can of coke, fresh from the ice cold cooler while he drank from his luke warm bottle of water . Marius was about to fold when I told him ah sorry I think that was the last one. after almost an hour we set off and drove to where we would proceed on foot. we set off single file into the scrub the wind was good the sun was beating down everyone was focused with the job in hand we had been walking for 20 mins when we heard the snap of a branch to our right. we stop and look nothing but we hear that noise again the buff we about 100 meters away walking parallel with us heading to the water. We slowly proceeded to the water hole hoping to ambush them as they arrived. after 40 minutes of waiting the buff had not arrived and we could no longer hear them. So we headed off to where we had last heard them we picked up their tracks and began to follow we had not gone far when we bumped the group and they took off we followed in hot pursuit this game of cat and mouse continued for the next hour and a half and ended with me and Marius stood looking into thick scrub just as darkness was falling knowing that we had been beaten. we called for the vehicle and it was dark when it reached us on the sandy track we unloaded and put away the rifles for the last time and headed back to the lodge.
 
travel day
By 5am we were packed and on our way to joburg in the hire car I closed the gates of the property and as we headed off down the dirt road we saw something in was an African wild dog trying to get through the fence we had disturbed it on its travels and it went metal running up and down and across the road Marius got some good images on his phone he may post them later but an interesting animal to see.
 
We arrive back in the east cape mid afternoon Kim is waiting with Marius's truck we load up swap rifles I will now be using Marius's 308. While hunting buff Marius had his truck serviced new shocks and bushes fitted so he was keen to try out. If things worked out we should arrive just in time to try out the rifle before dark. we left port Elizabeth and headed to collect Lloyd. Looking out the window was like being in the starship enterprise with the countryside zipping past at light speed. We arrived at Mupnzi lodge and drove straight to the range. Just as darkness fell I put a shot down range we both ran to the target, spot on job done. time to settle in at the lodge.
 
So it is now Friday oribi day we had breakfast and headed off by 6.30 we were using the gravel back roads because of road works on the main tarmac roads . Now because of our inability to connect with a buff their just so happened to be a little bit extra in the pot. So Marius had organised for us to go after blue duiker if we were successful with the oribi. We met our local guide who was waiting for us at the entry to one of the cattle farms we were hunting over. After a quick introduction we were off. We first drove over some rough pasture and I mean rough . Saw a couple of females and a young male we then proceed to move on to some better pasture ground steeper but more open and began to spot more family groups. they seemed to hang around two thirds of the way up the slopes the males we had seen so far had all been young.
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As we moved further into the property we spotted two oribi on the opposite hillside having viewed them from distance it was decided we should take a closer look we drove into the bottom of the valley. From here we set off on foot, The hillside we had seen the oribi on had much more cover than the surrounding fields and would aid our approach. we walked along the stock fence that ran up the hill until we thought we had risen above them but keeping off of the skyline. with the wind in our favour we began to work our way along the slope it didn't take us long to reach the area we thought we had seen them. We were all looking but none of us could see any trace of them, just as we were about to move on the doe appeared followed by the ram who was chasing her around as quick as they appeared they were gone back into the low scrub. Marius turned to me and said " he's a good ram get on the sticks just in case " I settle the 308 onto the sticks, just as I do the little doe appears in an opening to our left then the ram pops up behind her. they stand in the gap aware that something is not right the swap positions and Marius whispers " shoot as soon as you can" now this little guy was stood quartering towards us, which not bad in itself but today the wind was predicted to be strong to gale force and since we climbed the hill the wind had began to increase in force, Every time I line the shot up a gust of wind would hit me and push the rifle off. Marius asks what wrong when I tell him he realises , but cant move to give me some shelter as the ram and doe are looking straight at us. Instead of trying to hold the rifle steady I allow it to move across the ram and as it passes across I pick my point and squeeze the trigger. I see the doe take off but no sign of the ram I look at Marius and the farm guide turns and says dropped right on the spot we walk over and tucked into the grass is the old ram Marius and the farm guide look real happy. I just feel relived.
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Oribi accomplished we head back to drop the guide off at his truck and thank him again, he gives us directions to the guy who is taking us out for blue duiker and Marius tells him to get back to bed , as we get in the truck I ask what up with that guy he wouldn't shake hands seem like a bit of a germaphobe. Marius laughed no he was feeling unwell and came out just to get the oribi with us he didn't shake hands incase he would pass anything on to us.
 
Nice Oribi! Are you going to give it to Colin to mount?
 
The oribi is the first animal I have ever seen Marius take a tape measure to
 
Very nice! Congrats!
 

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