Your first Eland...

[Edward_]

Going hunting Monday going to look for my first Eland and hopefully I'll be lucky enough to bag a monster! Not a day has gone by this week where I am not researching shot placements and reading up on others Eland hunts.

Already have butterflies just thinking about looking that beast in the eyes...

I would love hearing from you guys and what your first experience was like so please share your experiences of downing your first Eland!

 

[saeng101]

Take a big crew, even with the winch on my bakie it is a project. Had a friend wound one and it dropped into big rocks, best to anchor it where it stands. I have brought home 5 of them and always liked the meat. Generally best to cut it up like beef.

Have fun, the work starts after the trigger is pulled.

 

[Wolverine67]

Hello and welcome to the site!
I shot my first eland last year in Northern Cape, South Africa in the "green Kalahari".
Not really a long hunt, just 500 yards stalking, one shot kill at 250 yards (heartshot). Yet an amazing experience and a life long dream that came tru.
A nice 36,5 inch eland, not that old blue bull, but still an impressing animal, wich caused the back axel of the wehicle to breake down when they transported the carcass back to camp. Will try to put in a pic.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Good luck on your hunt.
Hit them right the first time and make sure it is some place where you can get to them easily, even with a crowd of helpers.

Use someone else's bakkie!

It took eight guys several hours to chop a road to my Eland. 350 Metres.
Some drop likes stones to good shots as Wolverine noted and mine took 1200 grains in the boiler room before finally expiring.
Concerned hunter wanted to make sure.

My first African animal and one of my favourites!!!

 

[Diamondhitch]

Chased mine from the top of the mountain to the bottom. Killed him 30 feet from a road. I imagine it would be alot of work getting them out of the thick stuff or thr rocks, especially averyone seems to do everything possible to get them out whole.

 

[saeng101]

I need to take you to the casino Diamondback. Seems like my bakie never sees them by a road. Just finished at the panel beater with the damage from a buff hunt.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I need to take you to the casino Diamondback. Seems like my bakie never sees them by a road. Just finished at the panel beater with the damage from a buff hunt.

Ouch! Buffalo rubbing the bakkie?
... and he is the luckiest ... Vaalies in the wheat, etc.

 

[saeng101]

I wish it was rubbing, came from stump jumping. Ah, the memories. The great part was the tracker in the middle has hunted with me for 25 years, and was lost until this hunt. Need to get some time and print up the story.
View attachment 12224

 

[Second Wind]

buffalo, panel beaters and a "story"

Oh Lord, Saeng, please assure me there was some sort of adult beverage involved!

 

[saeng101]

Later, much later. Klipdrift is the only way to finish a hunt. Just finsihed off a bottle with friends, too late to add the hunt.

buffalo, panel beaters and a "story"

Oh Lord, Saeng, please assure me there was some sort of adult beverage involved!

 

[Second Wind]

Klipdrift . . . . Yum!

with a cola drink...on a cool evening with Kenyan coffee, or

with a baby nipple on a full bottle and rock me to sleep...lol

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Why is my mouth suddenly watering for some Amarula and coffee.....it's about 105 here and it's 9:30 at night!

 

[Second Wind]

well Phil that's easy

because right now it is 38 F in Windhoek right now

we should probably throw another stick or two on the fire

and pour another drink

 

[Edward_]

Thanks for sharing the stories!

Haha noted taken do not use own bakkie then you also don't have to leave the klippies and coke! The klippies should also help making the loading of the Eland a easy task!

But all jokes a side verry nice bull wolv also hoping for a good shot that leads to a few hundred meter drop! Heard stories of people seeing that Bul run off into 3-4 days of searching for it!

 

[Diamondhitch]

Ouch! Buffalo rubbing the bakkie?
... and he is the luckiest ... Vaalies in the wheat, etc.

LOL, I wont argue although I was pumped up for climbing and stalking for the Vallie. I however am not foolish enough to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Thanks for sharing the stories!

Haha noted taken do not use own bakkie then you also don't have to leave the klippies and coke! The klippies should also help making the loading of the Eland a easy task!

But all jokes a side verry nice bull wolv also hoping for a good shot that leads to a few hundred meter drop! Heard stories of people seeing that Bul run off into 3-4 days of searching for it!

I have heard the same. My shot was not perfect (underestimated the speed of an Elands walking pace). Any further back would have been alot different story.

 

[driehoek]

Good luck.Take all the advice of your PH.

 

[eqrepair]

My son and I went on our first safari in 2005. He was 17 at the time and after seeing some eland they moved to top priority on his list. We started out hunting the Limpopo region and saw many Herds/Bulls but no good to great ones. We then moved to the Free State and saw many Bulls but none that we were looking for. The second to the last day of our hunt after looking at many Bulls/properties our PH set us up with a land owner that he described as somewhat cranky with excellent terrain, difficult walking, and great eland. We left the lodge we were staying at 4:00am and drove 2 hours if memory serves. We arrived at the gate to the property at just past daybreak and went hunting. We would drive to a mountain and climb up a chute and glass. We saw three bulls that morning and the third bull was very nice even to my uninformed eyes. The land owner and our PH talked it over and the result was that this is a good bull but the owner thought we could do better. We reluctantly gambled on passing this mature bull which stood at about 100 yards (My son looked worried). The plan was to pick up some other guys and drive to the top of the mountain kick them out at the top of a blind canyon and race back down and around the mountain to the side the owner thought they might exit from. So out goes the chasers down the mountain past the Rhino's we go around the mountain jump out and start the climb. We race up the mountain on foot and when the saddle comes in view here come the eland cows. We plop down set the bipod shooting sticks to seating height get me son set up and wait. Very quickly here comes the Bull. One quick glance and all we here from the PH is çš„f you have a shot take him? Boom goes the 338 Ultra mag and an excellent Left shoulder shot breaks his near leg, He grunts turns to go back into the blind canyon. Boom goes the second shot and he now has two broken shoulders and is down. The range was 200 yards. As we walk up to him he rolls over and gives up the ghost. As my son and I are not really about horn length I do not know what he measured but he was exactly the animal and hunt we were looking for. After the picture were taken and we are feeling good about ourselves to put it mildly the work began! It was about 5:00 pm and daylight was not long for the sky. On top of the hill was me, my son, the PH, and the land owner. We had no flashlights and two leatherman. The owner heads down the mountain for help. My son heads with him to the truck for flashlights and a skinning knife. The Ph and I stay on the mountain to start the cleaning process. The PH looks at me and says I can do this but it has been a long time as I usually have a skinner/tracker with me. My response is that these seems like the mountains of Idaho with an elk down and good lord but I wish my pack mules where here. So to make a very long winded story somewhat shorter. I Gutted, quartered, caped a eland bull on top of a South African mountain with two leatherman. The owner returned with some people and poles and we packed it down the mountain just like in the old safari pictures. We reached the truck at 10:00 pm and I have to say that carrying the eland skull and cape off that mountain was about all my son and I had in us (in other words we had to stop and rest some). It is experiences like this that make me hunt. Every time I look at the trophy I can relive it time and time again. For me it is about the stalk and the adventure not the length of the horns.
Ps I hope you enjoyed this and sorry to bore everyone.
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[Diamondhitch]

My son and I went on our first safari in 2005. He was 17 at the time and after seeing some eland they moved to top priority on his list. We started out hunting the Limpopo region and saw many Herds/Bulls but no good to great ones. We then moved to the Free State and saw many Bulls but none that we were looking for. The second to the last day of our hunt after looking at many Bulls/properties our PH set us up with a land owner that he described as somewhat cranky with excellent terrain, difficult walking, and great eland. We left the lodge we were staying at 4:00am and drove 2 hours if memory serves. We arrived at the gate to the property at just past daybreak and went hunting. We would drive to a mountain and climb up a chute and glass. We saw three bulls that morning and the third bull was very nice even to my uninformed eyes. The land owner and our PH talked it over and the result was that this is a good bull but the owner thought we could do better. We reluctantly gambled on passing this mature bull which stood at about 100 yards (My son looked worried). The plan was to pick up some other guys and drive to the top of the mountain kick them out at the top of a blind canyon and race back down and around the mountain to the side the owner thought they might exit from. So out goes the chasers down the mountain past the Rhino's we go around the mountain jump out and start the climb. We race up the mountain on foot and when the saddle comes in view here come the eland cows. We plop down set the bipod shooting sticks to seating height get me son set up and wait. Very quickly here comes the Bull. One quick glance and all we here from the PH is çš„f you have a shot take him? Boom goes the 338 Ultra mag and an excellent Left shoulder shot breaks his near leg, He grunts turns to go back into the blind canyon. Boom goes the second shot and he now has two broken shoulders and is down. The range was 200 yards. As we walk up to him he rolls over and gives up the ghost. As my son and I are not really about horn length I do not know what he measured but he was exactly the animal and hunt we were looking for. After the picture were taken and we are feeling good about ourselves to put it mildly the work began! It was about 5:00 pm and daylight was not long for the sky. On top of the hill was me, my son, the PH, and the land owner. We had no flashlights and two leatherman. The owner heads down the mountain for help. My son heads with him to the truck for flashlights and a skinning knife. The Ph and I stay on the mountain to start the cleaning process. The PH looks at me and says I can do this but it has been a long time as I usually have a skinner/tracker with me. My response is that these seems like the mountains of Idaho with an elk down and good lord but I wish my pack mules where here. So to make a very long winded story somewhat shorter. I Gutted, quartered, caped a eland bull on top of a South African mountain with two leatherman. The owner returned with some people and poles and we packed it down the mountain just like in the old safari pictures. We reached the truck at 10:00 pm and I have to say that carrying the eland skull and cape off that mountain was about all my son and I had in us (in other words we had to stop and rest some). It is experiences like this that make me hunt. Every time I look at the trophy I can relive it time and time again. For me it is about the stalk and the adventure not the length of the horns.
Ps I hope you enjoyed this and sorry to bore everyone.
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Welcome to AH. Sounds like a great hunt. I cant get your attachments to open though.

 

[eqrepair]

Any advice on uploading the pictures? It seems me and computer's don't get along very well at times. second try hope this works

 

[saeng101]

A great story. Can say that as an elk hunter I have had more than my fair share of dealing with African critters while the pros sat on their thumbs.

Welcome also.

My son and I went on our first safari in 2005. He was 17 at the time and after seeing some eland they moved to top priority on his list. We started out hunting the Limpopo region and saw many Herds/Bulls but no good to great ones. We then moved to the Free State and saw many Bulls but none that we were looking for. The second to the last day of our hunt after looking at many Bulls/properties our PH set us up with a land owner that he described as somewhat cranky with excellent terrain, difficult walking, and great eland. We left the lodge we were staying at 4:00am and drove 2 hours if memory serves. We arrived at the gate to the property at just past daybreak and went hunting. We would drive to a mountain and climb up a chute and glass. We saw three bulls that morning and the third bull was very nice even to my uninformed eyes. The land owner and our PH talked it over and the result was that this is a good bull but the owner thought we could do better. We reluctantly gambled on passing this mature bull which stood at about 100 yards (My son looked worried). The plan was to pick up some other guys and drive to the top of the mountain kick them out at the top of a blind canyon and race back down and around the mountain to the side the owner thought they might exit from. So out goes the chasers down the mountain past the Rhino's we go around the mountain jump out and start the climb. We race up the mountain on foot and when the saddle comes in view here come the eland cows. We plop down set the bipod shooting sticks to seating height get me son set up and wait. Very quickly here comes the Bull. One quick glance and all we here from the PH is çš„f you have a shot take him? Boom goes the 338 Ultra mag and an excellent Left shoulder shot breaks his near leg, He grunts turns to go back into the blind canyon. Boom goes the second shot and he now has two broken shoulders and is down. The range was 200 yards. As we walk up to him he rolls over and gives up the ghost. As my son and I are not really about horn length I do not know what he measured but he was exactly the animal and hunt we were looking for. After the picture were taken and we are feeling good about ourselves to put it mildly the work began! It was about 5:00 pm and daylight was not long for the sky. On top of the hill was me, my son, the PH, and the land owner. We had no flashlights and two leatherman. The owner heads down the mountain for help. My son heads with him to the truck for flashlights and a skinning knife. The Ph and I stay on the mountain to start the cleaning process. The PH looks at me and says I can do this but it has been a long time as I usually have a skinner/tracker with me. My response is that these seems like the mountains of Idaho with an elk down and good lord but I wish my pack mules where here. So to make a very long winded story somewhat shorter. I Gutted, quartered, caped a eland bull on top of a South African mountain with two leatherman. The owner returned with some people and poles and we packed it down the mountain just like in the old safari pictures. We reached the truck at 10:00 pm and I have to say that carrying the eland skull and cape off that mountain was about all my son and I had in us (in other words we had to stop and rest some). It is experiences like this that make me hunt. Every time I look at the trophy I can relive it time and time again. For me it is about the stalk and the adventure not the length of the horns.
Ps I hope you enjoyed this and sorry to bore everyone.
View attachment 12263View attachment 12264View attachment 12265View attachment 12266View attachment 12267View attachment 12268