Friday 28th of April - a day to be remembered by somebody for the rest of his life.
I forgot to add the previous afternoon we had a stellar stalk with a bunch of kudus all around us and spotting a big kudu bull with extremely wide horns but no deep curls he was impressive for sure and had a few cows with him.
The one cow almost gave me a chance but only stood with her backside towards us looking back at us as her boyfreind dissapeared into the bush.
We also found fresh leopard tracks of a female and where that leopard killed an impala with blood crusting the sand. Drag marks to where she took her kill.
The impala was extremely cagey with wild dogs from next door a few weeks back that came to visit and now 3 different leopards roaming the area. So the herds were split up with young yearlings looking lost staring at us or the bakkie.
Our ride was a bit later than what we discussed the previous evening but nonetheless we were ready and and rolling out asap.
From left to right Frederik, Aaron, Hayden, our not so on time driver, Bruce and Luken.
Bruce and Hayden would be sitting in a new spot away from a drinking hole that warties and impala frequent just behind some branches that has been cut out to obscure them a bit.
Luken and Aaron were going to sit on side of a koppie overlooking an area that the kudu bulls frequent and move through. It was a valley combining bunch of kopppies running to the floor and then filled with lovely thick sickel bush and other good stuff the kudu enjoy.
I was going to hang around and move along the river to see if I could find and waterbuck that stayed behind in the reeds and not going back up in the mountains.
The morning was very slow for all of us with no shots fired and target animals given a chance or being seen.
Hayden trying to be as quiet as possible behind Moses the tracker.
I did walk into this brute of a pitch black sable bull and wished I had the budget for him.
Sorry for the photo quality taken with my cellphone at 4 times zoom.
Same area and very close to the spot where I shot my blue wildebeest cow last year.
Things were heating up and the weather was much hotter than normale and climbed to 33C celcius. 91.4F. This was definetley not feeling like the start of winter.
Back at camp the boys created us a Breakfast of champs consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon and warthog cheese grillers with some toast jam and cheese.
There was defintely less action that the previous afternoon and plans were made to change things up. So plans were set tummies were full a few cold ones was cooling us off and we headed out at 2:30pm
Not even 1km from camp a kudu cow jumped the road and we stared at her as she vanished while we were driving. Kudu cow could be on my list but lets give more time for the other animals so the idea of going after her with a full tummie and the heat went out the window.
Suddenly Moses saw a bull behind us and we came to a halt.
Aaron, slowly climbed off the vehicle with Luken and took the 375 H&H and the shooting sticks. They moved as quietly and quickly as possible and about 100 meters behind us I could see Aaron setting up the shooting stikcs for Luken and it didnt take long for Luken to set the rifle and firing the shot.
Suddenly the boys rushed further away and I thought let me help if there is trouble and ran off after them. The shot sounded solid and as I came closer to them I could see the kudu bull's tails swishing but lying flat with his back towards the road.
He fell on the spot and was busy expiring. I told Luken to hold on on the second shot but being ready if he does get up. HIs head lifted a bit and then his chin pulled up and he layed down his horns on his side for the last time. He was gone!
Luken was in pure awe his mouth just hanging open here it was the BULL and big bull it was too.
He unloaded the 375 after I checked the kudu's eye and then just sat and stood there everyone else joning in. He didnt hear any of the congartualations just stared at his kudu. Yes he could say and tell everyone here is
his kudu.
A photo of Luken and his PH Aaron who called the bull good to take!!!
Where he fell the road is about 20 meters right and back of them the shot distance was 80 meters. He was angled bad and if it wasnt for the 375 there was no shot. The bullet entered just infront of the bulls right hind leg bullet travelled trough the stomach and into the lungs towards the opposite left shoulder and didnt exit.
I jugded the bull to be 9 years old very thick base and horns keeping the weight right through.
It would probarbly be his last year looking this good.
We struggled to move him for better photos to be taken.
Two buddies that know each other for the last 12 years experiencing a unique moment.
Did I mention this bull his HUGE!!!!!!
Broomed off tips that probarbly lost 1 1/2 to 2 inches length.
[/CENTER]
So now the work begins we made a road for the bakkie to reverse in and tried to get him onto the bakkie which is more a game viewer than a bakkie and no winch!
After struggling for 20 minutes or so we took out the guts and insides in the process we lost the bullets in the gut pile.
Then when were about to give up and drive to get more help the owner and his son arrived and another tracker. Five minutes later finally the bull was loaded.
The two boys were in the clouds and decided hunting was done for them that afternoon.
We changed plans a bit and as it was much later now 4pm we got Bruce and Hayden dropped off where Aaron and Luken were the monring and I was going to slowly walk towards that open field where Aaron got his warthog.
I also decided to take the 375 for the evening session.
Plan was to get picked up after dark.
Luken and Aaron took my bakkie to get some signal to tell his dad and family the excellent news.
Not spotting much I ended up at the open field at 5:20pm and sat at an area where the wind was in my favour. I was not there long when a kudu cow was heading straight towards a Camelthorn tree to eat the pods and some other followed.
I had a good look through all of them and picked the biggest one when suddenly out of my left 6 impala ewes appeared and was much closer to me. I decided to pick one of them rather I was about to get into a shooting position when they suddenly made alarm looking at something else where they came from and fled taking the kudu cows with them.
Damn, chance blown but decided to sit untill I could almost not see anything.
10 minutes later and it was very dark and I moved out of hiding and took the shooting sticks opened them up on the two track road and hung my 375 on it with the bolt open and rifle safe. I was going to wait for my ride and enjoy the sounds of the night while doing so.
Then where the kudu cow originally came from a huge kudu bull went straight for the pods under the camelthorn tree. It was so dark that I could not make out the tips of the horns even though he was only 100 meters away.
Putting down the binoculars I saw a black line walking straight towards me. It was Blue Wildebeest walking behind each other in a straight line bee lining for me.
At 60 meters they saw me but were not worried as it was almost completley dark I grabbed the 375 H&H loaded the 98 action as quietly as I could but with the night silence they heard it and the front wildebeest turned broadside looking left.
At 60 meters they were balck silouhettes I aimed the black croshair vanishing on the black body. The left horisontal line was lined up level with the nose the the vertical line I could see just below the body and lining up with the legs.
It was a risky shot but I have confidence in my shooting and the 375 H&H.
The shot went off and was a super sight to see with the muzzle flash she gave two steps fell hard and got up trying to follow the rest of the herd.
They all dissapeared in the bush 120 meters further away from me. I heard branches and thought I heard her fall again. I went straight to the spot where she fell first after the shot and left the shooting sticks there as a marker.
I slowly moved towards the area where they vanished and there was a not so used two tracks road and I marked two lines in the sand. I took out my flimsy cellphone flashlight and started wandering in the dark bush and every shadow from the tree or branch looked like something that could surprize me.
I heard the vehicle heading my way and walked in a bit of a semi circle towards the two track road and spotted the now black lifeless blue wildebeest not even 10 meters from the road.
I signalled the vehicle with the flashlight.
This was very exiting the shot was perfect top of the heart and she went 60 meters or so.
But I would not recommend it for everyone.
We used the bakkies lights to help with the photos in the pitch black night.
Luckily they picked up Bruce and Hayden and they could help load which was much easier than the kudu bull. A cold one to celebrate towards the skinning shed Bruce and Hayden didn't get much action with impalas showing but not giving a shot and just some monkeys and mongoose to keep them amused.
We got back much later in camp and I scrapped the idea of braaing whole chicken as it would take too long and made Pap and Wors with a good sauce to go with it. It was good.
I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow till the next day and episode of this hunt.
