I'll try to keep up. Got a lunch break today. I am taking notes, but Wi-Fi is only at camp and my typical priority in camp at the end of the day is a gin, a shower, a note to wifey, vittles, and bed. Now that you lot know where you are on the pecking order...
. I will start on the hunt.
Day 1:
Up but not conscious at 5.
Coffee slowly bringing the brain from base level life support to functional.
It's cold but I'm loving it. Such a break from Texas heat.
My ph has signs of being a fellow ginger and is of Teutonic stock but he's lacking the internal rage to keep him warm. I start to suspect he's perhaps one of the lizard people. He's got 3 layers on and shivering! I'll keep my thoughts on this matter to myself and monitor him closely this week.
The coffee successfully shakes things loose inside and I send a care package to Mugabe and then we set off.
We roll around in the bakkie (which I now know is pronounced Bucky) scouting with thermals where the known water is to hopefully find a region where they are. Got to see my first hyena. Poor things. Someone got around them with the ugly stick.
Once it's light, we found fresh tracks and mud wallows and our tracker is on the hunt so off we go.
After that, if I didn't know better I'd say it was a long game of follow the leader with rifles with stretches of standing still and watching the tracker having a zen like moment to himself.
Lots of the buffalo stalk reminds me of elk and pig hunting. Closely monitoring assorted fecal matter for temperature and freshness. Also mud and hair and scrapes and tracks. But it's a gorgeous morning and we're on it.
My PH cusses about why these damn buffalo crawl into this thick thorny mess. I posit that maybe they are like women and enjoy exfoliating things. Like a buffalo spa. Then I rip a hole in my sleeve on a prickly plant of some sort and join him on cussing the buffalo.
A long couple stalks later, it's dark. Everybody is tired. The beast eluded us.
Back to camp we go and I become civilized once more after a shower and a drink. Dinner was lovely and I start to hear a strange call in the distance that turns out to be the bed. I begin to succumb when suddenly there's another noise and the dog gets excited.
We sneak out of the dining hall and shine a light down at the watering hole and there the bastard is that we chased all day.
I wasn't prepared for the bulk. Vast and hulking. Crusty all over and with the executioner look in his eye like the real pipe hitters.
This buffalo bull is staring at us with absolutely zero concern and almost a bemused "you guys suck" expression.
What a dick.
Threats and boasts about tomorrow are delivered and ignored.
On he drinks, unperturbed.
To the bed.
The plan is to start 30 mins earlier tomorrow.
Quote of the day:
No matter how tempting, shooting from the dining hall is not permitted.
