SOUTH AFRICA: Tootabi Hunting Safari Report With The Wife A Family Affair

[Royal27]

Pink?

The pink is something that @billc started over a year ago. Some of us big mouths ended up with tshirts from him.... It is an honor, or an insult, depending on who you ask!

Great hunt, nice trophies, thanks for sharing. I have almost convinced my wife to come along next time. We would be doing much the same as you did. Your trip report will definitely help persuade her.

I hope this will help push her over the edge and why I included so much non-hunting stuff in the report. My wife wasn't keen on going originally either and she has now called it "the trip of a lifetime."

 

[enysse]

Great pictures Royal! I'm glad you had a excellent time. You have 2 steenbok bigger than mine...lol. And yes that wide kudu should have been shot STAT as we say in the hospital. DAMN, that was a nice one. Still great memories and there is always next time.

 

[ActionBob]

And yes that wide kudu should have been shot STAT as we say in the hospital. DAMN, that was a nice one.

Maybe I'm wrong but I looked over a lot of kudu on my hunt as well and from the pictures I think Royal did right passing on him.... The curls look very shallow to me so I doubt he was very big... Wide for sure! But not long, but I'm no expert.

Royal, how long did Lammy judge him at? I've been told many times that a kudu will not measure long with out deep sweeping curls.

We saw one not that wide but very small/shallow curls, up in the high veld country. I could see right away how poor the curls were and the owner's son was with me on the back of the truck.... The bull was with a cow and I told him I would borrow him my gun so he could cull that damned thing before he propagated those poor genetics! Koos saw him and called him a Gemsbok! The guy mumbled that he will have meat hunters take it. Koos was actually pissed that the guy wouldn't cull it before it bred that cow.

 

[bluey]

what an adventure royal and nancy ,
great read ,and really enjoyed the pictures ,great that got to catch up with mr and mrs tarbe at the end of your adventure ,and got watch the start opf thiers
must od been a good thing to see your last adventures trophies ,just like seeing old friends ....
thanks for taking the time to share all your memories with us......
loodt really goes the extra mile to please ..............
your oribi and last steenbok are crackers ,mate

 

[buchnerl]

@bluey I agree, them Oribi and Steenbok are CRACKERS! and, @Royal27 shot my Steenbok which I wanted to shoot lol!

 

[Royal27]

Maybe I'm wrong but I looked over a lot of kudu on my hunt as well and from the pictures I think Royal did right passing on him.... The curls look very shallow to me so I doubt he was very big... Wide for sure! But not long, but I'm no expert.

Royal, how long did Lammy judge him at? I've been told many times that a kudu will not measure long with out deep sweeping curls.

We saw one not that wide but very small/shallow curls, up in the high veld country. I could see right away how poor the curls were and the owner's son was with me on the back of the truck.... The bull was with a cow and I told him I would borrow him my gun so he could cull that damned thing before he propagated those poor genetics! Koos saw him and called him a Gemsbok! The guy mumbled that he will have meat hunters take it. Koos was actually pissed that the guy wouldn't cull it before it bred that cow.

Bob,

What you state here is the exact conversation that Lammie and I had. Lammie judged him at 45 inches, at best, on his good side. If you want a wide trophy only, then this guy is a good one especially for the area as they don't come wide there very often. I didn't want a wide one though and that is why I chose to pass. If he had been long and wide I would have taken him, but my PH didn't think he was (and even I could see the curls appeared shallow).

For me, he was an average trophy at best, especially on the first morning of the Kudu hunt. I'm very happy with my dcision to pass on him and end up with the one I got. I also get that some think I should have taken him instead. Like I said earlier, that's the beauty of it.

 

[Royal27]

what an adventure royal and nancy ,
great read ,and really enjoyed the pictures ,great that got to catch up with mr and mrs tarbe at the end of your adventure ,and got watch the start opf thiers
must od been a good thing to see your last adventures trophies ,just like seeing old friends ....
thanks for taking the time to share all your memories with us......
loodt really goes the extra mile to please ..............
your oribi and last steenbok are crackers ,mate

Great pictures Royal! I'm glad you had a excellent time. You have 2 steenbok bigger than mine...lol. And yes that wide kudu should have been shot STAT as we say in the hospital. DAMN, that was a nice one. Still great memories and there is always next time.

Thank you gentlemen!!!

I have to admit, I love the Steenbok in particular!!! I think it is fairly safe to say that he is my best animal by trophy standards. And the Oribi was such a great experience....

 

[billc]

The kudu just comes down to what a hunter wants in the end. For the cape area he is a good one but not a great one. No one would have said he was bad though if you took him. It all goes back to the hunter if he thinks the kudu are different in the cape then in other areas. I myself think they are but that just maybe so I need to hunt two kind instead of one.You got the best of both worlds with the one you took and will have one like no one else will have.

Both steenbuck are very nice and a super trophy to go with the rest of what you got. We seen some nice steenbuck when there so plenty to go round for everyone going and lammie likes hunting them.

As for the shirt you know they rock. they taught a few south Africans to watch what they say or pay with having to wear them and have picture taken.

 

[johnnyblues]

Keep the pictures coming Royal, sounds like your having a heck of a time..Enjoy!

 

[Grady]

Thanks for the report. Based on this one and many others, I have booked my "Once in a Lifetime Hunt" part 2 for 2016 with Loodt. I will be taking the family with me for this hunt.

 

[enysse]

I would have shot the kudu, because he was very distinct and had good character. He was never going to "score" well but would have made great pictures and memories for sure. He was a first day kudu for me and of course...I would have looked for kudu #2 because that is way I hunt. I love kudu hunting, the best value in Africa! I doubt you will ever see another kudu like that one too!

 

[Warbird782]

Thanks for the report. Based on this one and many others, I have booked my "Once in a Lifetime Hunt" part 2 for 2016 with Loodt. I will be taking the family with me for this hunt.

I too will be bringing my wife and daughter to Loodt's place in 2017. My daughter who will be 11 years old will be going for a springbuck slam, impala, warthog, and kudu. If I get a chance to get behind my rifle it will primarily be for a couple of kudu.

 

[tarbe]

Loodt wouldn't have either!!! LOL

It was the first morning of Kudu hunting though and there was certainly no guarantee on him. I think we ranged him at 190 yards? And you can see what we could see of him as he was watching us. He was a long way from a done deal.

Holy cow...finally getting a chance to go through your report. Nice job!

And you can count me in the "wouldn't pass" club! I would have dropped that dude for sure!! If for no other reason than Loodt told me to!

 

[Fotman]

What a great write up Royal. Thanks for sharing your story. I will have my Mrs. read this in hopes she joins me on the next safari.

 

[Royal27]

Holy cow...finally getting a chance to go through your report. Nice job!

And you can count me in the "wouldn't pass" club! I would have dropped that dude for sure!! If for no other reason than Loodt told me to!

Thanks Tim!

Remember though, Loodt wasn't there. I did listen to my PH (Lammie) and we decided to pass. This guy just wasn't for me.

 

[Warbird782]

I do not know how you did that Royal! That is why there will be always room for more than one kudu on any of my future trips.

 

[ActionBob]

Yabut Royal got an Oribi!

 

[Royal27]

I do not know how you did that Royal! That is why there will be always room for more than one kudu on any of my future trips.

My extra Kudu budget went to the Oribi..... like I said earlier, if this had been an exceptional Kudu we would have tried for him, but Lammie and I agreed that he was just average, albeit wide. I might would have shot two exceptional kudu, but for me this guy wasn't exceptional.

Besides, didn't you pass on a Kudu that Loodt told you was 52 inches? That's a heck of a lot bigger than this guy was!!!!

 

[billc]

I am sure as you had talked to lammie and he had what you wanted in his mind and knew this was not the kudu. Plus you had time and lammie knows how to get it done and really pushes for the best the area has.

 

[ActionBob]

If you all stop to think for a moment you know that when your out hunting, decisions need to be made on the spot and most of us do take our PH's advice and direction seriously.

The worst decision is the one not made... You have to decide and move on or you will get nothing. That is in life in general as well!

Royal you did good and got a very cool kudu.... As you pointed out, it was not a given that you could have gotten that wide one anyway. The way it ended up, you went out and manufactured some good luck!