First morning out in Limpopo we immediately saw a young Kudu, then a few Hartebeest. I was just propped up on the truck soaking it in, loving the fact I was in Africa. Then the PH said “Impala, looks like a good one.” That sure got the blood pumping!
It was 1997 and I was 25 years old and on my first safari. Due to a rain storm in Miami that stopped the loading of luggage (SAA flight on a 747, I was on upper deck) my rifle didn’t make it for a couple of days. This was the first morning and my first African animal!
My first African animal was a female Gemsbok, the biggest one taken in this concession. I had no idea how big she was until the owner told me it was the biggest one taken in the property in over 20 years.
Crap phone camera and colors aren't correct but this is the first one, Northern Cape black wildebeest at 195 yards off the bipod, sitting in a hole in the ground, modified Savage MLII. 45 caliber.
Blue wildebeest was on my list, but I didn't have a clue what I was doing. The first morning, my PH spotted a group of blue wildebeest. We made a short stalk; he put up the sticks. I shot it and I shot it and I shot it. Like most African animals, it was tough. It kept going even when it was coughing up chunks of lung. Clearly, it was dead but it didn't know it and my PH had me shoot again each time it stopped.
When it we got to it, my PH told me that it was a really nice bull. I thought to myself, "That's probably what you tell every client about every animal." I was wrong. There was a bit of a stir when we got back to camp. I overheard the owner, ask the PH, "Did you know how big it was when you told him to shoot it?" Next, the only other American hunter came over an explained that it was, indeed, a big bull.
It hangs proudly in my trophy room. I don't remember or care what it scored. It was my first and still a great memory.
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