Welcome aboard tgt_usa. Please tell us a little more about yourself as a hunter. Things like what have you hunted in the past, what kind and caliber rifles you own, do you reload. Do you have any thoughts and or dreams of hunting Africa? If so, do you have any specific species in mind. Timeframe?
Sure!
1st big game hunt was with my, then 11yr- old son, '12 in Limpopo Province, R.S.A. Took:
- gemsbok
Not on my list; Unplanned target of opportunity. Passed him by once. Came back to take a photo. Came back again to harvest.
- wildebees
Was on my plan; expected to be displaced by the Oryx ... but too much challenge to stalk, so I had to keep after them. When the P.H. asked "Can you make that shot?", I said yes ... 4sec. later proved it. But dismayed that after a good hit, the bull kept running. Took a bit to find him: bullet through both lungs, just behind the heart; still no blood-trail. They were Barnes' CU-alloys; expanded very well; and great penetration. Very tough animal.
- impala
After days of stalking: a long shot with a very small "window" through the brush ... Which small window may have helped, as the outfitter much admired the shot placement.
- bosbok
Through a misunderstanding whether or not clear to fire, lost the chance to take an easy shot near the end of the day. While dejectedly leaving the reserve, I spotted a large brown antelope paralleling a road onto which we would soon be turning. When I called it to the P.H. he said "Probably an impala ..."; "No, too heavily built and dark colored ..." by then he had glasses on the animal and called "Bosbok groot." to the driver ... "Get your rifle
completely ready. Hands on my ears, you can shoot." to me. At supper, eating the bosbok, the P.H. said "I thought you'd blown it not taking the shot on the first bosbok. But seeing this one, even bigger, in the binoculars, I saw your name written across its buttocks; and knew it's
your bosbok.". o-k-a-a-y.
;- j
- vlakvark
Some great adventures stalking warthog:
* P.H.: Aahh! <pointing> that 3,000lb warthog will show us the way! (it was a rhinoceros).
* Three young Cape Buffalo bulls noticed us across a meadow, shoulder-to-shoulder turned toward us and broke into a trot ... we stepped back into the trees, left the meadow to them.
* P.H. spotted a vlakvark approaching a later meadow ... warned me not to fire without a clear signal ... pig steps out ... P.H. waves me off ... pig leaves ... he mouths "A sow." ... but 10sec later in steps a fine, big boar; clear to fire - boar doesn't step back out. 5th trophy with about 1 1/2hrs left of the hunt. Perfect timing.
U.S.A.:
feral pigs
white-tail deer
--
Rifles, big game:
Remington 700, .308Win "Bokbreker"; TR24G
Remington 600, .308Win; TR24G
Rifles, small game:
Izhmash Biathlon, .22LR; Steiner GS3
Winchester m52, Leupold 1-5x28
--
Do not yet reload. If I retire, that reads as a great extension of my hobby.
--
The thought of bow-hunting in Africa has certainly crossed my mind. Missed bosvarki on my '12 safari: that'd be my 1st thought as to species. Close enough to smell, but seen only at Witwater resort: no hunting there. Those didn't look too big for a bow ... but I'd want advice on that.
No timeframe.
--
Thank you for the welcome.
