I recently went on another Warthog Handgun [.357 mag 158 gr SWC] hunt in the Limpopo.
This time I made use of the convenient green shaded hide available about 20 m from a muddy pool.
To give myself an even better chance of not spooking any other visitor at the pool, I decided to sit on the ground observing the movement and activities from behind the green shading netting, and not to show my face or movement once in 5 hours at the shooting window.
This way I observed the 'blurry' movement of a lot of birds,doves, partridges and even a couple of nervous Impalas, quiet close to me during the day.
Suddenly I spotted from my low position at nearly ground level just the twitching of ears and the top of its back of a Warthog inside the mud pool.
Somehow mr. Wheel-nose has expertly slipped past my scrutiny, and is now enjoying his nice cool mud bath in the heat of the sun close to me.
Slowly I stood up while dampening the metallic 'click' of cocking my handgun.
Surely mr. Mudbuck, the moment you get out of your last mud bath on this earth and show yourself on top of that dry muddy wall, you are mine....
Patiently I waited for him to walk up into the death acre..
But then, just when I got a perfect shot and my finger already touched the trigger, another faint movement to the side of my tunnel vision caught my eye---two more small piglets!
I took a deep breath and lowered the gun while decocking it.
Then I slowly fetched my mobile phone from my pocket and took this picture of them.
I observed them afterwards walking casually away from me at ease with the world with drooping tails, blissfully unaware of the doom so close by observing them....
Aaah well, like always--it's the hunt and not the kill that matters for me!
But next year.....
This time I made use of the convenient green shaded hide available about 20 m from a muddy pool.
To give myself an even better chance of not spooking any other visitor at the pool, I decided to sit on the ground observing the movement and activities from behind the green shading netting, and not to show my face or movement once in 5 hours at the shooting window.
This way I observed the 'blurry' movement of a lot of birds,doves, partridges and even a couple of nervous Impalas, quiet close to me during the day.
Suddenly I spotted from my low position at nearly ground level just the twitching of ears and the top of its back of a Warthog inside the mud pool.
Somehow mr. Wheel-nose has expertly slipped past my scrutiny, and is now enjoying his nice cool mud bath in the heat of the sun close to me.
Slowly I stood up while dampening the metallic 'click' of cocking my handgun.
Surely mr. Mudbuck, the moment you get out of your last mud bath on this earth and show yourself on top of that dry muddy wall, you are mine....
Patiently I waited for him to walk up into the death acre..
But then, just when I got a perfect shot and my finger already touched the trigger, another faint movement to the side of my tunnel vision caught my eye---two more small piglets!
I took a deep breath and lowered the gun while decocking it.
Then I slowly fetched my mobile phone from my pocket and took this picture of them.
I observed them afterwards walking casually away from me at ease with the world with drooping tails, blissfully unaware of the doom so close by observing them....
Aaah well, like always--it's the hunt and not the kill that matters for me!
But next year.....
