It started in the Caprivi on the Chobe River. We flew into Katima, met our PH, Jofie Lamprecht, and drove about 90 minutes SE to the concession. We hunted quite a few miles of Chobe River flood plain. Didn't see any buffalo on day 1. Found a group of buffalo on day 2 but on the Botswana side. On day 3, we saw the same group and another group further east, all on the Botswana side. The lions killed some cattle the night before day 3. We could hear lions on the Botswana side during the night of day 3. Day 4 morning began a tad earlier than previous mornings.
We made our way east to west along the Chobe river. Just as a few faint sun rays were trying to peak above the ridge on Botswana side, we spotted about a dozen large black shadows approximately 250-300m in the taller grass on the Namibia side. Upon determining this was the group of Dagga Boys we hoped to find, we quickly dismounted the vehicle and crept our way toward the group across the open terrain under the cover of very low light and some undulating ground to within 60-70m. I mounted the shooting sticks and waited for this bull to present a clear shot. He stayed in the taller grass and behind other bulls for a bit.
The wind was in our face for the stalk but began to swirl as the sun rose. The group winded us, but they were not sure of our location. They nervously started looking our direction and walking toward us. On a dime, they turned to our right and started moving to the horseshoe bend of the Chobe River. My bull stayed behind the others as they moved to the river. The wind continued to swirl, and the group suddenly did a 180-degree turn heading back across our front and to our left. My Dagga Boy quickly and anxiously took the lead moving at a fast pace and then suddenly stopped as the wind shifted. I took the shot and saw him stumble forward. The other bulls in the group quickly surrounded him before the group turned 180-degrees and made their dash for the Chobe River and Botswana.
I had no follow up shot as my bull was buried in the middle of the pack. Approximately 80m from the river, he fell behind the group and stopped his sprint. Before I could take that second shot, he toppled to the ground. I could hear the remainder of the group parting the Chobe River as Moses parted the Red Sea. As we made our way in his direction, we heard the death bellow. At about 15m, I placed a security round in his spine. We waited a few minutes and moved in to confirm he had in fact perished. Sure enough, he was taking a permanent dirt nap. Game over!!!
It was a beautiful setting. The Dagga Boy was down, sun peaking over the horizon, a cool morning breeze, and the Chobe flood plain was deathly quiet. Our tracker told us to look 1/2 way up the ridge on the Botswana side at the two vehicles and several Botswanan Game Officers who were scoping us out. They stayed until we departed.
Later that day, we drove to the Zambezi River for a few days of Tigerfish fishing. I ended my trip back in the Kalahari, 3 hours east of Windhoek. Took a Blue Wildebeest and Eland over the next four days of hunting. Am looking forward to the next buffalo hunt in a different setting for a different experience.
