skelleywag
New member
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2023
- Messages
- 4
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- Location
- Avondale, Arizona
- Media
- 13
- Hunted
- United States, South Africa
Intro
I received a copy of my firearms permit on Saturday the 9th from AfricaSky and noticed both serial numbers were incorrect. I called and emailed and was assured that the permit would be corrected and reissued by the time we arrived in JoBurg - this made me pretty nervous, but it was out of my control at that point. We started our trip the following day, August 10th. I flew PHX-LAX in the morning to meet Joe and his wife then we took LAX>DOH>JNB>ELS. Check in of the firearms with Qatar at LAX went smoothly for the most part, although it seemed the staff were figuring things out as they went. Qatar's service was excellent for economy - good food (for an airplane), free drinks, and pretty comfortable seats. In Doha we stayed at the Qatar lounge which was well worth the small fee to get in. It was a good place to rest, decent hot food, and Budweiser.
We arrived in Johannesburg the morning of August 12th. Made it through customs pretty quickly, picked up Joe's luggage (mine didn't come out on the carousel) and headed out to the lobby to find the Africa Sky rep (can't remember his name). He greeted us, tracked down my bag and we headed to the SAPS office. I was pretty nervous about the permit still being incorrect and what that would mean. I threw my case up on to the table, and opened it up for the SAPS officer to do his thing while he chatted with the AfricaSky rep. He checked the serial numbers: still wrong. Shit. He looked at me and said "no hunting" while shaking his head. Turns out he was just messing with me and corrected the form on the spot, which cost $20.00. Welcome to Africa.
Post-SAPS heading to check the guns in with Safair.
JoBurg to East London went well and we arrived around 3:30. Stephanus was there waiting right outside the small baggage area. We grabbed our things, stopped in at the firearms office and began our two hour drive to the Rockdell Lodge. On the way, Stephanus explained the game plan - confirm zero on the rifles if we have time, and start hunting the next morning. He was great to speak with in person and provided lots of info about Eastern Cape, their two properties (Rockdell and Huntshoek), etc. We would be staying at Rockdell for a few days because they only have buffalo there, and then heading to Huntshoek to target nyala for both of us and bushbuck for Joe.
We arrived at Rockdell too late on the 12th to confirm zero on the rifles. On the way in to the lodge we saw lots of game - impala, wildebeest, giraffe, rhino, warthog. It was awesome to see and made me even more excited for the hunt ahead. We got settled into our rooms, which were very nice, and headed to the lodge for a drink, appetizers and dinner. There, I met Nick Neuper who I would be hunting with, while Joe and his wife would be hunting with Stephanus.
Rhino at Rockdell:
Day 1 - August 13
Woke up the next morning early, had a solid breakfast and headed to the range. The plan was to confirm zeros, and then head out all together to get the lay of the land and hopefully get something in the dirt. Joe wanted to come with me on the first day to witness my first African animal hunted. It was really foggy that morning, but forecast said it would burn off later in the morning.
Zeroing was quick and easy - my Tikka was spot on, and the Mod 70 only required slight adjustment. Let's go.
Joe zeroing his pre-64 Mod 70 in 35 Whelen AI:
We headed to several high spots on the property to look for Kudu, which was #1 on my list. On the way, we saw lots of game - more impala, wildebeest, red hartebeest, giraffe, etc. By this time, the fog had burned off and we'd be able to glass. At one of the high spots, Nick and Stephanus spotted six kudu bulls down below. They informed me that one of them was a good mature bull, so they came up with a plan and we moved in to get a closer look. We stopped short of their general area and walked in to get closer. Nick saw the bull we were after along with a young bull, and confirmed it was a shooter. We got to within 400yds (beyond my comfort zone) and Nick got me on the sticks to make sure I was looking at the right bull. We could only see his head, the rest of his body was behind some large thick brush.
At this point, my heart was pounding. We were on a stalk for my dream animal, and I actually had one in the crosshairs. The adrenaline dump was insane. We waited for the old bull to move out from behind the bush and closer, but he didn't budge, ultimately bedding down. We backed out of our position and headed back to the lodge for lunch. Ironically, lunch was a delicious kudu lasagna.
We headed out around 3:00PM back to the spot where we had seen the kudu earlier only to find they had been pushed out by grazing cattle. So, we hit four high grounds around there to look into spots they likely would have moved to. No joy, but Nick and Stephanus did spot some Gemsbok grazing on the ridge across from us, so we headed their direction. On the way, we ended up bumping four kudu, including the one we were after. They ended up jumping into the neighboring property which we couldn't hunt on. Although it was a bummer to see them come out of an area we had glassed for at least an hour, it was still awesome to see them up close (~30yds) and see how gracefully they move, despite their massive size.
We drove just below the Gemsbok ridge and watched the kudu for a bit to see if they were coming back, but they had no interest. So, Nick decided to make a move on the Gemsbok. We crept to the edge of the ridge where we had seen them and peaked over, but didn't see them. Went over the ridge and continued to stalk until Nick spotted them approximately 200yds away. By this time, the wind had shifted and was blowing hard at our backs. He got me on the sticks, but as soon as I was settled, they ran off. Nick suspected that they smelled us due to the wind shift. As with the kudu earlier in the morning, the adrenaline dump on the stalk was incredible.
On the way back to the lodge, there was tons of thunder and lightning and a beautiful sunset. While we were coming back without a harvest, I still felt good about day 1. It was impressive to watch Stephanus, Nick and their trackers Bungani and Themba work - they all had such a keen eye for game and could spot something with the naked eye so far away. I started to realize why these guys are called Professional Hunters.
As with all the meals, dinner was fantastic. Afterwards, I headed to bed to rest up for day 2 - jet lag had got to me and I was whooped.
Nick's dog, BOOTS:
Day 2 - August 14
After breakfast, we headed out to the area we had seen the kudu the day before. Pretty quickly, Nick and Themba spotted a few kudu cow and a really good bull with a limp in a field about 1200yds from us. We drove down to the border of that field and crept in. Nick spotted a bull at about 240yds and got me on the sticks while he looked more closely at it. Young bull, not a shooter. From down low at the edge of this field we didn't have great visibility, so we backed out and headed to the closest ridge to look down on them.
On top of the ridge we saw three bulls, including one good one at about 200yds, but not the one with the limp that had impressed Nick. He explained that we could shoot the bull at 200, and a lot of people would, but it would be a waste knowing that the older more mature bull was out there. He went on to explain that when he looks at an animal through the binos or spotter - if there's any hesitation about the quality, he passes.
I spotted a bull bedded down at 460 and told Nick. He grabbed the spotter and confirmed it was the limping bull we had seen earlier. As soon as he confirmed that was the one, the adrenaline started creeping back in. We were in a spot with good visibility, and we could make a good move on it to get closer. Nick came up with a plan and we got moving down the ridge to get within range.
On the way down the ridge, I made a rookie mistake and stepped on a rock covered in moss. As I was making that step I even thought to myself "that might be moss and I might slip". My thought was confirmed as a stepped on the rock and instantly landed on my ass - directly on top of my rifle - CLANK. Uh-oh. I got up and noticed a sizeable gash in my optic. Everything looked straight, but I was nervous that my zero had been lost.
We pushed on and came into a little clearing where we could see the bull at 320 still bedded. Nick got me on the sticks and we waited. After a bit, Nick had Themba make some noise the get him to stand up - and he did, facing us directly. Nick whispered "Watch him, watch him. Wait for him to turn broadside and put it right on the crease." The bull turned broadside and started walking to the left towards some more thick brush. Nick hollered and the bull stopped perfectly broadside "On the crease when you're ready." Here we go. I settled the reticle right at the top of the crease and gently pulled the trigger to the rear. Felt like a good pull, but the cloud of dust about 9ft to the right of the kudu said otherwise... off he went. We watched him jump the fence into the next field and then lost track of him. Themba said he was limping even more after the jump.
I was crushed. I know the scope had been hit, but I feared that buck fever had got the best of me and I pulled the shot. We climbed back to the top of the ridge and Nick said we'd go back to the lodge and confirm zero. The entire ride back, I was in my head doubting myself, hoping that the zero would be off from the fall, and not dead on. Nick was reassuring and said these things happen. He also joked that if the rifle was on, he was going to give me a hard time. Exactly what my buddy Joe would be telling me, albeit Joe wouldn't be as nice hahaha.
Scope after the fall:
I pulled the bolt at the range to get a rough boresight. The optic was off about 3' at 100, which fell inline with missing the bull by about 9' at 320. Got it dialed back in after a few shots and we headed to lunch. While I was happy that I hadn't pulled the shot, I was still bummed about missing the kudu. But, a clean miss is better than injuring it.
After lunch, we headed back to the same ridge to find that kudu. We saw a few other young bulls, but no sign of "the one". After hours of glassing, Nick hurries over to me and tells me that they see him. By this time, it's about 5:30PM and by the time we put a move on him it would be right at last light or already dark. So, I may not even get a shot at him and we risked bumping him even more. We made the decision to back out and come back in the morning - at least we knew generally where he was.
Off to dinner and a beer at the lodge. That day, Joe had killed a Gemsbok and had plenty of smack to talk about drawing blood first, especially since I had missed - a proper friend hahaha.
Our glassing spot for the limping bull:
Day 3 - August 15
A new day - I felt a lot better after a good nights rest, and ready to go find that bull. We hit the road early and made our way up to the ridge where we had last seen him. We glassed for hours, only seeing younger bulls, no sign of our guy. As it started to warm up, we decided to switch locations and go after an old impala ram Stephanus had spotted yesterday and Gemsbok.
As we were driving, Nick spotted one of the old impala grazing in a cut below us. As we checked him out in the binos and spotting scope, we saw an even older ram about 100yds to the right and confirmed that he needed to go. We made a move on him, getting to about 140yds before Nick got me on the sticks. "On the shoulder 1/3 up." I broke a clean shot and instantly saw blood gushing from the ram as he ran. He made it about 30yds before piling up. I felt amazing - my first African animal was down, and it was a great shot. Redemption from yesterday.
He was missing a lot of of fur, and had almost no teeth left. A good ram to take. I planned on doing a euro mount, so it didn't matter to me that the cape was in rough shape. However, Stephanus did offer to let me shoot another impala at no charge for the cape.
After pictures and getting the impala loaded up, we made our way back to the lodge for lunch. Part way back, Themba spotted some Gemsbok on a road walking away from us so we made a move on them. We took a road that travelled parallel, above them and got out. As we got closer to them, we noticed some wildebeest down below which might complicate things. We got to about 100yds and Nick got me on the sticks. We were watching one particular bull and waiting for him to come into a gap. Unfortunately, the wildebeest decided to intervene and spooked the Gemsbok out of the area. Oh well, I was happy to have my impala and I knew there'd be more opportunities.
Back to the kudu ridge after lunch in search of the bull that got away. The weather was a bit spotty and we saw no kudu whatsoever. However, Nick spotted some gemsbok far away on another ridge and we decided to head their direction.
We quietly stalked up the hill, moving behind bushes and staying low until we got about 100yds from a nice bull gemsbok. The sun was at our backs and the wind was in our favor. Nick got me on the sticks and I got the bull in my crosshairs as he turned broadside. Nick wanted to have a closer look, and asked Themba for the spotting scope. Simultaneously, the bull turned it's head to look right at us. I thought for sure we were busted but he stayed put. Nick confirmed he was a shooter, I settled the crosshairs on the shoulder and pulled the trigger. Solid hit, with an accompanying SMACK sound. He ran about 40yds before we heard him crash into some trees. Gemsbok down.
Back to the lodge for dinner, a celebratory beer, stories and good company. Day three was a big confidence booster for me. After missing the kudu, I was down on myself and getting two good shots off on the impala and gemsbok made me feel a whole lot better.
Stephanus & Nick mid story:
Day 4 - August 16
The hunt for our kudu continued. We got out early again and hit the ridge where we last saw limpy. Right away we saw 7-8 bulls with 1-2 shooters, but nothing Nick was really excited about. We glassed for 4-5 hours trying different angles on the same area, but no luck finding the one so we decided to head back for lunch. On the way back, I was thinking to myself that maybe this kudu will live up to the "grey ghost" name and one opportunity is all I would get. Nick must have sensed this and explained how important it is to trust the process and stick with it. I really admire his patience and persistence. He easily could have put me on one of the younger shooter bulls and called it a day, but he stuck with it.
The plan after lunch was to go find a zebra. We hadn't seen many this week, but Nick knew a spot. We picked up another tracker, Raymond, and headed out. The terrain on that side of the property had many more plains, with a lot less vegetation, making stalking difficult. We quickly spotted a herd of zebra and got out of the truck. They didn't seem to mind us, but the bontebok in the area sure did. They would come running through and get everything moving. This game of cat and mouse continued for at least an hour, getting on the sticks several times, but not able to take a shot for several reasons: no good back drop, zebras spooked, an unaccounted for rhino which we didn't want to hit with a pass through etc. Finally, a nice stallion presented himself at about 200yds quartering away slightly. Up on the sticks and pull the trigger. Solid hit on the triangle, zebra goes down and then quickly gets up before trotting to about 320yds. I hadn't accounted for the slight quartering away. Nick gives me some pointers and I send another which put him down permanently.
Strikingly beautiful animal. It felt so good to get my hands on him and see the pattern up close. Cannot wait to get him back from the taxidermist.
South Africa was playing Australia in a championship rugby game so we quickly made it back to the lodge to watch. I'm not familiar with rugby, but damn is it a fun sport to watch. Those guys are tough. By the time I got to the lodge, it was looking great for SA 22-0. But things went downhill from there, ultimately losing 22-38.
Day 5 - August 17
On Saturday the 16th, Stephanus and Nick contacted a property about thirty minutes away that had some big kudu on it, so we headed there early on the 17th. Unfortunately, we saw no kudu, and lots of cattle, not looking promising. After about four hours there, we headed back to Rockdell.
As we drove back through Rockdell, Nick stopped to glass some ridges that we hadn't looked at closely, near where we got the gemsbok. Within a minute he spotted a big kudu bull. I could sense his excitement. Out comes the spotting scope to take a closer look - "That's a proper bull." Nick said as he looked at it. Now it was time for a game plan. The bull was working it's way down the ridge following some cows, so Nick planned to drive to the base of the ridge offset from them, move on foot to get the wind right, and then move up the hill to get level with the bull. Raymond would stay back with the spotting glass to help guide us in. Let's go.
Nick's excitement was contagious, and I was amped as we drove to the bottom of the ridge. I thought back to what Nick had said about if there's any hesitation or doubt when looking at an animal, it's not the one. There was zero hesitation when he saw this guy.
We got to the bottom of the ridge and Themba, Nick and myself began the trek over and up. At that point I got a crazy adrenaline dump and my heart was pounding like crazy. We were making a move on the animal I had dreamed about since this journey began, and my gun was on. I was ready. We trekked up for about thirty minutes or so until we were about even with the kudu - taking every care to move quietly and out of sight. Themba and Nick spotted the bull's back behind a large bush and Nick got me on the sticks. I had a really hard time seeing it, but after a minute or so I got it. I didn't think my heart could beat faster and harder, but it did. Nick set me up on a gap, told me to dial for 300 and be ready if he came into the gap.
After 5-10 minutes, out he stepped into the gap, standing broadside. "Top of the crease, behind the shoulder when you're ready." The fire dot was there, and I pulled the trigger. SMACK, the bull ran to the left and up a little higher "Good hit, watch him." He stepped out, quartering away and Nick told me to hit him again. SMACK, another solid hit. He ran into some thick stuff, and Nick got a good view of him very wobbly on his feet before he disappeared. I got off the sticks and topped the gun off as Nick assured me they were both solid hits. We sat for 5-10 minutes and watched with no sign. So, Themba took the lead to go find him with Nick and I trailing behind. Every couple minutes they would speak isiXhosa to each other, finally Nick told me that he was down. What a relief.
Driving back from the other property that morning, I was again wondering if the kudu would live up to the Grey Ghost name and elude us for the rest of the trip. But as Nick said: "Trust the process."
I was overcome with joy as we walked up to it. It was more beautiful than I had imagined in my head ever since deciding to actually come to South Africa. Stunning ivory tips, busted up horns - this was my dream animal. Simply lovely. Nick called Stephanus over for help loading it, since it was a pretty steep area and Nick's truck did not have a winch. As we waited for them, I sat and collected my thoughts as I looked it over.
Nick said the range on the first shot was 318, and 380 for the second. I was proud of my shooting.
145 Barnes LRX recovered from the offside shoulder:
That morning, Joe killed a nice buffalo with Stephanus:
Kudu in the truck, we all headed back to the lodge for lunch. The afternoon plan was to head to a spot on the border of the property to look for nyala and bushbuck. Bushbuck was not initially on my list, but after seeing them, I decided to add one if an opportunity arose. We parked and headed down a very steep hill to a cliff face, over looking a river and area beneath it. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. Watching birds fly beneath us, the sound of the rushing river, the glow of the setting sun behind us - it was incredible. We did see some bushbuck ewe and one small ram, as well as a nyala, but nothing that was worth making a move on. It was great to sit and think about the memories from the last week. In the morning we would head to Huntshoek Lodge.
Nick scanning for nyala & bushbuck off the cliff:
Day 6 - August 18
We hit the road early on Monday headed for Huntshoek, which is known for producing excellent nyala. Joe and Stephanus were headed to another property in search of copper springbok and then over to Huntshoek. It was an interesting drive through little towns. As we exited one town there was a SAPS traffic checkpoint. The officer waved everyone through, but as soon as he saw Nick's truck, he signaled us to pull over. Oh boy, I figured we were about to get shaken down for some cash for sure. Nick handed him his license and they chatted for a few minutes in isiXhosa, before he kicked us loose. Whew.
We arrived and dropped our stuff off before heading out in search of nyala. We spotted several young bulls as well as kudu, impala, ostrich (funny lookin' things), eland and tortoise. After looking for an hour or two, we headed back for lunch. At 3:30PM, we head out again in search of nyala. We ended up spooking a big bull, but weren't able to track him down. When we returned, Stephanus and Joe were just unpacking their things. Apparently the copper springboks made them really work for it.
Sunrise off the deck, looking down on the Great Fish River - gorgeous.
Day 7 - August 19
The priority for Tuesday was Nyala, although warthog and bushbuck were also on the list. After a 20 minute ride, we arrived at the end of the property overlooking the Great Fish River. We spread out on a cliff overlooking the river's edge in search of whatever came out. A couple bushbuck ewe's, but not much else. After thirty minutes or so, Themba came and fetched me. Nick had spotted a good pig down below.
I got on the sticks and tried to get comfortable - it was a little challenging because of the steep angle. We were on the cliff looking down to the base below us. I spot the pig at 150 and let him have hit. Hit a pinch high, but after a 30-40yd run, he piled up. He looked good from up top, but I didn't accurately see how big he was. Very happy with this boar and can't wait to get the skull back. They're such strange looking animals.
Back at the lodge for lunch, Joe and Stephanus tell us of their misfortune hunting bushbuck in the morning.
We grabbed some lunch and headed out at 3:30PM. After unsuccessfully cruising around where we had previously bumped the big nyala, we headed to a new spot, not far from the lodge - essentially an observation deck up on the cliff overlooking the river. As soon as we get there, a bushbuck ram came walking out of the thick stuff. Nick was intrigued, but needed to look more closely. As he's looking through the spotting scope, another ram walked out. Similar to when Nick saw the kudu, I could immediately sense his excitement. "That's an old old ram, get the gun."
I came back with the rifle and got set up on the sticks. This was a very similar shot to the warthog although a little closer range. I had a tough time getting comfortable, but eventually got there. We waited for a bit until the ram stepped out from behind a fence. Once it did, Nick gave me the pre-shot advice and the go ahead. "Hold low on the shoulder. When you're ready." I broke a good shot but hit low. The ram was clearly injured as it ran 30-40yds and settled in some bush. We let him lay for 15 minutes, but he was still aware. At this point, I could only really see his head clearly through the scope. Nick guided me in and explained where I should send another shot. I didn't fully understand, but sent another. The ram was hit again, but got up and ran into the really thick stuff. He looked badly injured. This was a mistake on my part: he wasn't immediately going anywhere. I should have taken my time, made sure I understood Nick 100% and was seeing what he was seeing before breaking the second shot.
Themba stayed up top, while Nick and I headed down towards the river. At this point, we weren't 100% sure if the ram was down for good or not. Nick had been charged and stuck by a bushbuck previously, so I knew this could get a little western. At the bottom we found some blood, and started looking for him. Shortly after beginning our search, we bumped him to another set of really thick brush. We only saw him for a split second, but he was moving a lot better than I had hoped. After a little while trying to get an angle to see into the bush he went into, Nick called Stephanus to come help. Stephanus arrived with his tracker and we looked until dark, bumping him one or two more times. We knew where he had gone, we just couldn't see him or get to him. We called it a night and headed back up to the lodge.
I felt terrible - the last thing I wanted to do was injure an animal, and now in tracking it there was some risk that one of the PH's or trackers could get hurt. Stephanus, Nick and Joe were encouraging and helped quite a bit. We had dinner and hit the sack.
Day 8 - August 20
Our final day of hunting had arrived and I had a bushbuck to find. We skipped breakfast and headed down to where we had last seen him. Nick, Themba and I headed into the bush, moving very deliberately, listening for any sounds, all of our senses heightened. We moved down to the river bottom with thick mud and Nick explained that he wanted me to stay put and watch an opening for the bushbuck while he and Themba got in closer to where we last saw him. He gave me a field of fire where it was safe to shoot and went on his way. So there I stood, rifle at the ready, boots sinking into the mud, convinced that this little guy was going to come charging out for his revenge. It also occurred to me that a 24" hunting rifle with a minimum magnification of 3X was not an ideal firearm for the thick stuff. I was on edge.
After a few minutes, I lost sight of Nick and Themba. Nick came back after about fifteen minutes and said they see a lot of blood, and that I should sit tight. 45 minutes pass before Nick signaled to me that they see him and to sit tight. At that point, I was just waiting for a shot, but it did not come. Another thirty minutes passed and Nick made his way back to me. He explained that they bumped it and thought it was lying in the open on the other side. So, we carefully moved out and crept to the other side of this thick stuff.
Sure enough, Nick spotted it lying at the edge. He explained that he wanted us to get a little closer and that I could take the last shot. We crept in to about 20yds, and I put the last shot into the shoulder. Now he was down for good. Whew, what a relief. I was very appreciative for Nick and Themba sticking with it, and getting into the deep thick stuff to find him. It took skill and guts on their part. Additionally, Nick could have easily taken the final shot, and I expected him to, just to make sure the ram was down. But, he didn't. I was very thankful for that as well.
The first shot had hit low, taking out both of it's front legs. The second shot hit high and didn't really accomplish much. Big lesson learned here - take your time and make sure it's a clean shot. If you're unsure, stop and figure it out.
Nick and his dog Boots, on the bushbuck after the final shot.
Beautiful, big bodied ram. Stephanus said it's one of the biggest he has seen on their property.
We got the ram in the truck and hit the road in search of the last animal on the list: nyala. We were hoping to finish in the morning and then spend the rest of the afternoon down at the river with a few cold beers, some fishing and a braai.
The spot where we had spooked the big bull was our first stop, but there no sign. So we continued our cruise and drove right by a good older bull about 20yds off the road. We looped around and stopped at about 80yds out from him. Nick got me on the sticks and we waited for him to come out from behind a bush. He stepped out and I put it right on the shoulder. He ran about 30 yds and piled up.
Nyala are absolutely stunning, and I was happy to end such an awesome hunting trip on this note.
With the hunt wrapped up, we dropped the nyala off at the skinning shed and headed back to the lodge to grab the fishing gear, drinks and meat for the braai. Stephanus had arranged for the taxidermist (Wild Clone) to come down and visit with us at the river which was a nice touch. This was an awesome way to wrap up the trip of a lifetime.
Stephanus and Nick with a carp on. Or maybe a weed, ha!
Summary:
I had a fantastic time from start to finish, through the highs and the lows, and left wanting to do it all over again. The quality of the game seemed excellent to me, and I am thrilled with all of my trophies. The accommodations at both Huntshoek properties (Huntshoek and Rockdell) were second to none and left you wanting for nothing. All of the meals were outstanding and kept you fueled up for action packed days in the field. Stephanus was very easy to communicate with and runs a professional outfit - all of the staff were friendly and took pride in their work. Nick Neuper was a great PH and taught me lots over our eight day hunt. He was patient, selective and persistent, all attributes that make him an outstanding PH. I would hunt with him or Stephanus again in a heartbeat.
If you're like me three years ago, thinking about heading to Africa but unsure about it - do it. Huntshoek is absolutely worth a look. You will come away with memories that'll last a lifetime and some great trophies.
Cheers!
Dave
My journey to Africa began in January 2023 at the Sacramento International Sportsman's Expo show. I work for a hunting/shooting/fishing retailer that had a booth at ISE and Huntshoek was our neighbor across the aisle. During slow times, I walked over and checked out their information and pictures, curious about hunting South Africa, but not thinking it would ever be in the cards. I chatted with Hendrik and Stephanus, who encouraged me to enter their drawing for the show - a free Nyala and cull warthog. I hate signing up for things like this, but reluctantly did. The next day, I walk by their booth and Stephanus says "Did you check your email?" to which I replied "No, why?" "You won." I couldn't pass up an opportunity like this, so planning began.
I am a relatively inexperienced hunter - having only hunted deer in TX and ID, and varmint/dove/pheasant/turkey hunting in CA and AZ.
Planning
I invited my good friend Joe, who had been to SA once before, and wanted to return for a buffalo. He was in, and we settled on dates in August 2024. Ultimately we had to push that back to 2025 due to work issues for both of us, fortunately Stephanus at Huntshoek was accommodating and we rescheduled for August 12-21 2025.
For booking flights we used Darren @ Travel Express, who was very easy to deal with and took good care of us. For firearms permits, we used Africa Sky, which worked well (guns and ammo got in), but did cause some unnecessary stress which I will cover later on.
In the months leading up to our trip I spent a lot of time at the range shooting off sticks at various ranges out to 400yd. Additionally, I did a lot of "dry fire" practice getting on the sticks and settled quickly. By the time we left I was feeling very comfortable, and the practice definitely paid off.
Rifles
I brought two rifles just in case I needed a backup, but only ended up shooting the 280. It was tough to switch after harvesting my first animal with the Tikka.
I am a relatively inexperienced hunter - having only hunted deer in TX and ID, and varmint/dove/pheasant/turkey hunting in CA and AZ.
Planning
I invited my good friend Joe, who had been to SA once before, and wanted to return for a buffalo. He was in, and we settled on dates in August 2024. Ultimately we had to push that back to 2025 due to work issues for both of us, fortunately Stephanus at Huntshoek was accommodating and we rescheduled for August 12-21 2025.
For booking flights we used Darren @ Travel Express, who was very easy to deal with and took good care of us. For firearms permits, we used Africa Sky, which worked well (guns and ammo got in), but did cause some unnecessary stress which I will cover later on.
In the months leading up to our trip I spent a lot of time at the range shooting off sticks at various ranges out to 400yd. Additionally, I did a lot of "dry fire" practice getting on the sticks and settled quickly. By the time we left I was feeling very comfortable, and the practice definitely paid off.
Rifles
I brought two rifles just in case I needed a backup, but only ended up shooting the 280. It was tough to switch after harvesting my first animal with the Tikka.
- Tikka T3X .280AI w/Leupold VX5HD 3-15X44.
- Handloaded Barnes 145LRX pushing 3,030FPS out of my rifle.
- Winchester Model 70 .30-06 w/Leupold VX5HD 3-15X44.
- Factory Barnes 175 LRX.
I received a copy of my firearms permit on Saturday the 9th from AfricaSky and noticed both serial numbers were incorrect. I called and emailed and was assured that the permit would be corrected and reissued by the time we arrived in JoBurg - this made me pretty nervous, but it was out of my control at that point. We started our trip the following day, August 10th. I flew PHX-LAX in the morning to meet Joe and his wife then we took LAX>DOH>JNB>ELS. Check in of the firearms with Qatar at LAX went smoothly for the most part, although it seemed the staff were figuring things out as they went. Qatar's service was excellent for economy - good food (for an airplane), free drinks, and pretty comfortable seats. In Doha we stayed at the Qatar lounge which was well worth the small fee to get in. It was a good place to rest, decent hot food, and Budweiser.
We arrived in Johannesburg the morning of August 12th. Made it through customs pretty quickly, picked up Joe's luggage (mine didn't come out on the carousel) and headed out to the lobby to find the Africa Sky rep (can't remember his name). He greeted us, tracked down my bag and we headed to the SAPS office. I was pretty nervous about the permit still being incorrect and what that would mean. I threw my case up on to the table, and opened it up for the SAPS officer to do his thing while he chatted with the AfricaSky rep. He checked the serial numbers: still wrong. Shit. He looked at me and said "no hunting" while shaking his head. Turns out he was just messing with me and corrected the form on the spot, which cost $20.00. Welcome to Africa.
Post-SAPS heading to check the guns in with Safair.
JoBurg to East London went well and we arrived around 3:30. Stephanus was there waiting right outside the small baggage area. We grabbed our things, stopped in at the firearms office and began our two hour drive to the Rockdell Lodge. On the way, Stephanus explained the game plan - confirm zero on the rifles if we have time, and start hunting the next morning. He was great to speak with in person and provided lots of info about Eastern Cape, their two properties (Rockdell and Huntshoek), etc. We would be staying at Rockdell for a few days because they only have buffalo there, and then heading to Huntshoek to target nyala for both of us and bushbuck for Joe.
We arrived at Rockdell too late on the 12th to confirm zero on the rifles. On the way in to the lodge we saw lots of game - impala, wildebeest, giraffe, rhino, warthog. It was awesome to see and made me even more excited for the hunt ahead. We got settled into our rooms, which were very nice, and headed to the lodge for a drink, appetizers and dinner. There, I met Nick Neuper who I would be hunting with, while Joe and his wife would be hunting with Stephanus.
Rhino at Rockdell:
Day 1 - August 13
Woke up the next morning early, had a solid breakfast and headed to the range. The plan was to confirm zeros, and then head out all together to get the lay of the land and hopefully get something in the dirt. Joe wanted to come with me on the first day to witness my first African animal hunted. It was really foggy that morning, but forecast said it would burn off later in the morning.
Zeroing was quick and easy - my Tikka was spot on, and the Mod 70 only required slight adjustment. Let's go.
Joe zeroing his pre-64 Mod 70 in 35 Whelen AI:
We headed to several high spots on the property to look for Kudu, which was #1 on my list. On the way, we saw lots of game - more impala, wildebeest, red hartebeest, giraffe, etc. By this time, the fog had burned off and we'd be able to glass. At one of the high spots, Nick and Stephanus spotted six kudu bulls down below. They informed me that one of them was a good mature bull, so they came up with a plan and we moved in to get a closer look. We stopped short of their general area and walked in to get closer. Nick saw the bull we were after along with a young bull, and confirmed it was a shooter. We got to within 400yds (beyond my comfort zone) and Nick got me on the sticks to make sure I was looking at the right bull. We could only see his head, the rest of his body was behind some large thick brush.
At this point, my heart was pounding. We were on a stalk for my dream animal, and I actually had one in the crosshairs. The adrenaline dump was insane. We waited for the old bull to move out from behind the bush and closer, but he didn't budge, ultimately bedding down. We backed out of our position and headed back to the lodge for lunch. Ironically, lunch was a delicious kudu lasagna.
We headed out around 3:00PM back to the spot where we had seen the kudu earlier only to find they had been pushed out by grazing cattle. So, we hit four high grounds around there to look into spots they likely would have moved to. No joy, but Nick and Stephanus did spot some Gemsbok grazing on the ridge across from us, so we headed their direction. On the way, we ended up bumping four kudu, including the one we were after. They ended up jumping into the neighboring property which we couldn't hunt on. Although it was a bummer to see them come out of an area we had glassed for at least an hour, it was still awesome to see them up close (~30yds) and see how gracefully they move, despite their massive size.
We drove just below the Gemsbok ridge and watched the kudu for a bit to see if they were coming back, but they had no interest. So, Nick decided to make a move on the Gemsbok. We crept to the edge of the ridge where we had seen them and peaked over, but didn't see them. Went over the ridge and continued to stalk until Nick spotted them approximately 200yds away. By this time, the wind had shifted and was blowing hard at our backs. He got me on the sticks, but as soon as I was settled, they ran off. Nick suspected that they smelled us due to the wind shift. As with the kudu earlier in the morning, the adrenaline dump on the stalk was incredible.
On the way back to the lodge, there was tons of thunder and lightning and a beautiful sunset. While we were coming back without a harvest, I still felt good about day 1. It was impressive to watch Stephanus, Nick and their trackers Bungani and Themba work - they all had such a keen eye for game and could spot something with the naked eye so far away. I started to realize why these guys are called Professional Hunters.
As with all the meals, dinner was fantastic. Afterwards, I headed to bed to rest up for day 2 - jet lag had got to me and I was whooped.
Nick's dog, BOOTS:
Day 2 - August 14
After breakfast, we headed out to the area we had seen the kudu the day before. Pretty quickly, Nick and Themba spotted a few kudu cow and a really good bull with a limp in a field about 1200yds from us. We drove down to the border of that field and crept in. Nick spotted a bull at about 240yds and got me on the sticks while he looked more closely at it. Young bull, not a shooter. From down low at the edge of this field we didn't have great visibility, so we backed out and headed to the closest ridge to look down on them.
On top of the ridge we saw three bulls, including one good one at about 200yds, but not the one with the limp that had impressed Nick. He explained that we could shoot the bull at 200, and a lot of people would, but it would be a waste knowing that the older more mature bull was out there. He went on to explain that when he looks at an animal through the binos or spotter - if there's any hesitation about the quality, he passes.
I spotted a bull bedded down at 460 and told Nick. He grabbed the spotter and confirmed it was the limping bull we had seen earlier. As soon as he confirmed that was the one, the adrenaline started creeping back in. We were in a spot with good visibility, and we could make a good move on it to get closer. Nick came up with a plan and we got moving down the ridge to get within range.
On the way down the ridge, I made a rookie mistake and stepped on a rock covered in moss. As I was making that step I even thought to myself "that might be moss and I might slip". My thought was confirmed as a stepped on the rock and instantly landed on my ass - directly on top of my rifle - CLANK. Uh-oh. I got up and noticed a sizeable gash in my optic. Everything looked straight, but I was nervous that my zero had been lost.
We pushed on and came into a little clearing where we could see the bull at 320 still bedded. Nick got me on the sticks and we waited. After a bit, Nick had Themba make some noise the get him to stand up - and he did, facing us directly. Nick whispered "Watch him, watch him. Wait for him to turn broadside and put it right on the crease." The bull turned broadside and started walking to the left towards some more thick brush. Nick hollered and the bull stopped perfectly broadside "On the crease when you're ready." Here we go. I settled the reticle right at the top of the crease and gently pulled the trigger to the rear. Felt like a good pull, but the cloud of dust about 9ft to the right of the kudu said otherwise... off he went. We watched him jump the fence into the next field and then lost track of him. Themba said he was limping even more after the jump.
I was crushed. I know the scope had been hit, but I feared that buck fever had got the best of me and I pulled the shot. We climbed back to the top of the ridge and Nick said we'd go back to the lodge and confirm zero. The entire ride back, I was in my head doubting myself, hoping that the zero would be off from the fall, and not dead on. Nick was reassuring and said these things happen. He also joked that if the rifle was on, he was going to give me a hard time. Exactly what my buddy Joe would be telling me, albeit Joe wouldn't be as nice hahaha.
Scope after the fall:
I pulled the bolt at the range to get a rough boresight. The optic was off about 3' at 100, which fell inline with missing the bull by about 9' at 320. Got it dialed back in after a few shots and we headed to lunch. While I was happy that I hadn't pulled the shot, I was still bummed about missing the kudu. But, a clean miss is better than injuring it.
After lunch, we headed back to the same ridge to find that kudu. We saw a few other young bulls, but no sign of "the one". After hours of glassing, Nick hurries over to me and tells me that they see him. By this time, it's about 5:30PM and by the time we put a move on him it would be right at last light or already dark. So, I may not even get a shot at him and we risked bumping him even more. We made the decision to back out and come back in the morning - at least we knew generally where he was.
Off to dinner and a beer at the lodge. That day, Joe had killed a Gemsbok and had plenty of smack to talk about drawing blood first, especially since I had missed - a proper friend hahaha.
Our glassing spot for the limping bull:
Day 3 - August 15
A new day - I felt a lot better after a good nights rest, and ready to go find that bull. We hit the road early and made our way up to the ridge where we had last seen him. We glassed for hours, only seeing younger bulls, no sign of our guy. As it started to warm up, we decided to switch locations and go after an old impala ram Stephanus had spotted yesterday and Gemsbok.
As we were driving, Nick spotted one of the old impala grazing in a cut below us. As we checked him out in the binos and spotting scope, we saw an even older ram about 100yds to the right and confirmed that he needed to go. We made a move on him, getting to about 140yds before Nick got me on the sticks. "On the shoulder 1/3 up." I broke a clean shot and instantly saw blood gushing from the ram as he ran. He made it about 30yds before piling up. I felt amazing - my first African animal was down, and it was a great shot. Redemption from yesterday.
He was missing a lot of of fur, and had almost no teeth left. A good ram to take. I planned on doing a euro mount, so it didn't matter to me that the cape was in rough shape. However, Stephanus did offer to let me shoot another impala at no charge for the cape.
After pictures and getting the impala loaded up, we made our way back to the lodge for lunch. Part way back, Themba spotted some Gemsbok on a road walking away from us so we made a move on them. We took a road that travelled parallel, above them and got out. As we got closer to them, we noticed some wildebeest down below which might complicate things. We got to about 100yds and Nick got me on the sticks. We were watching one particular bull and waiting for him to come into a gap. Unfortunately, the wildebeest decided to intervene and spooked the Gemsbok out of the area. Oh well, I was happy to have my impala and I knew there'd be more opportunities.
Back to the kudu ridge after lunch in search of the bull that got away. The weather was a bit spotty and we saw no kudu whatsoever. However, Nick spotted some gemsbok far away on another ridge and we decided to head their direction.
We quietly stalked up the hill, moving behind bushes and staying low until we got about 100yds from a nice bull gemsbok. The sun was at our backs and the wind was in our favor. Nick got me on the sticks and I got the bull in my crosshairs as he turned broadside. Nick wanted to have a closer look, and asked Themba for the spotting scope. Simultaneously, the bull turned it's head to look right at us. I thought for sure we were busted but he stayed put. Nick confirmed he was a shooter, I settled the crosshairs on the shoulder and pulled the trigger. Solid hit, with an accompanying SMACK sound. He ran about 40yds before we heard him crash into some trees. Gemsbok down.
Back to the lodge for dinner, a celebratory beer, stories and good company. Day three was a big confidence booster for me. After missing the kudu, I was down on myself and getting two good shots off on the impala and gemsbok made me feel a whole lot better.
Stephanus & Nick mid story:
Day 4 - August 16
The hunt for our kudu continued. We got out early again and hit the ridge where we last saw limpy. Right away we saw 7-8 bulls with 1-2 shooters, but nothing Nick was really excited about. We glassed for 4-5 hours trying different angles on the same area, but no luck finding the one so we decided to head back for lunch. On the way back, I was thinking to myself that maybe this kudu will live up to the "grey ghost" name and one opportunity is all I would get. Nick must have sensed this and explained how important it is to trust the process and stick with it. I really admire his patience and persistence. He easily could have put me on one of the younger shooter bulls and called it a day, but he stuck with it.
The plan after lunch was to go find a zebra. We hadn't seen many this week, but Nick knew a spot. We picked up another tracker, Raymond, and headed out. The terrain on that side of the property had many more plains, with a lot less vegetation, making stalking difficult. We quickly spotted a herd of zebra and got out of the truck. They didn't seem to mind us, but the bontebok in the area sure did. They would come running through and get everything moving. This game of cat and mouse continued for at least an hour, getting on the sticks several times, but not able to take a shot for several reasons: no good back drop, zebras spooked, an unaccounted for rhino which we didn't want to hit with a pass through etc. Finally, a nice stallion presented himself at about 200yds quartering away slightly. Up on the sticks and pull the trigger. Solid hit on the triangle, zebra goes down and then quickly gets up before trotting to about 320yds. I hadn't accounted for the slight quartering away. Nick gives me some pointers and I send another which put him down permanently.
Strikingly beautiful animal. It felt so good to get my hands on him and see the pattern up close. Cannot wait to get him back from the taxidermist.
South Africa was playing Australia in a championship rugby game so we quickly made it back to the lodge to watch. I'm not familiar with rugby, but damn is it a fun sport to watch. Those guys are tough. By the time I got to the lodge, it was looking great for SA 22-0. But things went downhill from there, ultimately losing 22-38.
Day 5 - August 17
On Saturday the 16th, Stephanus and Nick contacted a property about thirty minutes away that had some big kudu on it, so we headed there early on the 17th. Unfortunately, we saw no kudu, and lots of cattle, not looking promising. After about four hours there, we headed back to Rockdell.
As we drove back through Rockdell, Nick stopped to glass some ridges that we hadn't looked at closely, near where we got the gemsbok. Within a minute he spotted a big kudu bull. I could sense his excitement. Out comes the spotting scope to take a closer look - "That's a proper bull." Nick said as he looked at it. Now it was time for a game plan. The bull was working it's way down the ridge following some cows, so Nick planned to drive to the base of the ridge offset from them, move on foot to get the wind right, and then move up the hill to get level with the bull. Raymond would stay back with the spotting glass to help guide us in. Let's go.
Nick's excitement was contagious, and I was amped as we drove to the bottom of the ridge. I thought back to what Nick had said about if there's any hesitation or doubt when looking at an animal, it's not the one. There was zero hesitation when he saw this guy.
We got to the bottom of the ridge and Themba, Nick and myself began the trek over and up. At that point I got a crazy adrenaline dump and my heart was pounding like crazy. We were making a move on the animal I had dreamed about since this journey began, and my gun was on. I was ready. We trekked up for about thirty minutes or so until we were about even with the kudu - taking every care to move quietly and out of sight. Themba and Nick spotted the bull's back behind a large bush and Nick got me on the sticks. I had a really hard time seeing it, but after a minute or so I got it. I didn't think my heart could beat faster and harder, but it did. Nick set me up on a gap, told me to dial for 300 and be ready if he came into the gap.
After 5-10 minutes, out he stepped into the gap, standing broadside. "Top of the crease, behind the shoulder when you're ready." The fire dot was there, and I pulled the trigger. SMACK, the bull ran to the left and up a little higher "Good hit, watch him." He stepped out, quartering away and Nick told me to hit him again. SMACK, another solid hit. He ran into some thick stuff, and Nick got a good view of him very wobbly on his feet before he disappeared. I got off the sticks and topped the gun off as Nick assured me they were both solid hits. We sat for 5-10 minutes and watched with no sign. So, Themba took the lead to go find him with Nick and I trailing behind. Every couple minutes they would speak isiXhosa to each other, finally Nick told me that he was down. What a relief.
Driving back from the other property that morning, I was again wondering if the kudu would live up to the Grey Ghost name and elude us for the rest of the trip. But as Nick said: "Trust the process."
I was overcome with joy as we walked up to it. It was more beautiful than I had imagined in my head ever since deciding to actually come to South Africa. Stunning ivory tips, busted up horns - this was my dream animal. Simply lovely. Nick called Stephanus over for help loading it, since it was a pretty steep area and Nick's truck did not have a winch. As we waited for them, I sat and collected my thoughts as I looked it over.
Nick said the range on the first shot was 318, and 380 for the second. I was proud of my shooting.
145 Barnes LRX recovered from the offside shoulder:
That morning, Joe killed a nice buffalo with Stephanus:
Kudu in the truck, we all headed back to the lodge for lunch. The afternoon plan was to head to a spot on the border of the property to look for nyala and bushbuck. Bushbuck was not initially on my list, but after seeing them, I decided to add one if an opportunity arose. We parked and headed down a very steep hill to a cliff face, over looking a river and area beneath it. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. Watching birds fly beneath us, the sound of the rushing river, the glow of the setting sun behind us - it was incredible. We did see some bushbuck ewe and one small ram, as well as a nyala, but nothing that was worth making a move on. It was great to sit and think about the memories from the last week. In the morning we would head to Huntshoek Lodge.
Nick scanning for nyala & bushbuck off the cliff:
Day 6 - August 18
We hit the road early on Monday headed for Huntshoek, which is known for producing excellent nyala. Joe and Stephanus were headed to another property in search of copper springbok and then over to Huntshoek. It was an interesting drive through little towns. As we exited one town there was a SAPS traffic checkpoint. The officer waved everyone through, but as soon as he saw Nick's truck, he signaled us to pull over. Oh boy, I figured we were about to get shaken down for some cash for sure. Nick handed him his license and they chatted for a few minutes in isiXhosa, before he kicked us loose. Whew.
We arrived and dropped our stuff off before heading out in search of nyala. We spotted several young bulls as well as kudu, impala, ostrich (funny lookin' things), eland and tortoise. After looking for an hour or two, we headed back for lunch. At 3:30PM, we head out again in search of nyala. We ended up spooking a big bull, but weren't able to track him down. When we returned, Stephanus and Joe were just unpacking their things. Apparently the copper springboks made them really work for it.
Sunrise off the deck, looking down on the Great Fish River - gorgeous.
Day 7 - August 19
The priority for Tuesday was Nyala, although warthog and bushbuck were also on the list. After a 20 minute ride, we arrived at the end of the property overlooking the Great Fish River. We spread out on a cliff overlooking the river's edge in search of whatever came out. A couple bushbuck ewe's, but not much else. After thirty minutes or so, Themba came and fetched me. Nick had spotted a good pig down below.
I got on the sticks and tried to get comfortable - it was a little challenging because of the steep angle. We were on the cliff looking down to the base below us. I spot the pig at 150 and let him have hit. Hit a pinch high, but after a 30-40yd run, he piled up. He looked good from up top, but I didn't accurately see how big he was. Very happy with this boar and can't wait to get the skull back. They're such strange looking animals.
Back at the lodge for lunch, Joe and Stephanus tell us of their misfortune hunting bushbuck in the morning.
We grabbed some lunch and headed out at 3:30PM. After unsuccessfully cruising around where we had previously bumped the big nyala, we headed to a new spot, not far from the lodge - essentially an observation deck up on the cliff overlooking the river. As soon as we get there, a bushbuck ram came walking out of the thick stuff. Nick was intrigued, but needed to look more closely. As he's looking through the spotting scope, another ram walked out. Similar to when Nick saw the kudu, I could immediately sense his excitement. "That's an old old ram, get the gun."
I came back with the rifle and got set up on the sticks. This was a very similar shot to the warthog although a little closer range. I had a tough time getting comfortable, but eventually got there. We waited for a bit until the ram stepped out from behind a fence. Once it did, Nick gave me the pre-shot advice and the go ahead. "Hold low on the shoulder. When you're ready." I broke a good shot but hit low. The ram was clearly injured as it ran 30-40yds and settled in some bush. We let him lay for 15 minutes, but he was still aware. At this point, I could only really see his head clearly through the scope. Nick guided me in and explained where I should send another shot. I didn't fully understand, but sent another. The ram was hit again, but got up and ran into the really thick stuff. He looked badly injured. This was a mistake on my part: he wasn't immediately going anywhere. I should have taken my time, made sure I understood Nick 100% and was seeing what he was seeing before breaking the second shot.
Themba stayed up top, while Nick and I headed down towards the river. At this point, we weren't 100% sure if the ram was down for good or not. Nick had been charged and stuck by a bushbuck previously, so I knew this could get a little western. At the bottom we found some blood, and started looking for him. Shortly after beginning our search, we bumped him to another set of really thick brush. We only saw him for a split second, but he was moving a lot better than I had hoped. After a little while trying to get an angle to see into the bush he went into, Nick called Stephanus to come help. Stephanus arrived with his tracker and we looked until dark, bumping him one or two more times. We knew where he had gone, we just couldn't see him or get to him. We called it a night and headed back up to the lodge.
I felt terrible - the last thing I wanted to do was injure an animal, and now in tracking it there was some risk that one of the PH's or trackers could get hurt. Stephanus, Nick and Joe were encouraging and helped quite a bit. We had dinner and hit the sack.
Day 8 - August 20
Our final day of hunting had arrived and I had a bushbuck to find. We skipped breakfast and headed down to where we had last seen him. Nick, Themba and I headed into the bush, moving very deliberately, listening for any sounds, all of our senses heightened. We moved down to the river bottom with thick mud and Nick explained that he wanted me to stay put and watch an opening for the bushbuck while he and Themba got in closer to where we last saw him. He gave me a field of fire where it was safe to shoot and went on his way. So there I stood, rifle at the ready, boots sinking into the mud, convinced that this little guy was going to come charging out for his revenge. It also occurred to me that a 24" hunting rifle with a minimum magnification of 3X was not an ideal firearm for the thick stuff. I was on edge.
After a few minutes, I lost sight of Nick and Themba. Nick came back after about fifteen minutes and said they see a lot of blood, and that I should sit tight. 45 minutes pass before Nick signaled to me that they see him and to sit tight. At that point, I was just waiting for a shot, but it did not come. Another thirty minutes passed and Nick made his way back to me. He explained that they bumped it and thought it was lying in the open on the other side. So, we carefully moved out and crept to the other side of this thick stuff.
Sure enough, Nick spotted it lying at the edge. He explained that he wanted us to get a little closer and that I could take the last shot. We crept in to about 20yds, and I put the last shot into the shoulder. Now he was down for good. Whew, what a relief. I was very appreciative for Nick and Themba sticking with it, and getting into the deep thick stuff to find him. It took skill and guts on their part. Additionally, Nick could have easily taken the final shot, and I expected him to, just to make sure the ram was down. But, he didn't. I was very thankful for that as well.
The first shot had hit low, taking out both of it's front legs. The second shot hit high and didn't really accomplish much. Big lesson learned here - take your time and make sure it's a clean shot. If you're unsure, stop and figure it out.
Nick and his dog Boots, on the bushbuck after the final shot.
Beautiful, big bodied ram. Stephanus said it's one of the biggest he has seen on their property.
We got the ram in the truck and hit the road in search of the last animal on the list: nyala. We were hoping to finish in the morning and then spend the rest of the afternoon down at the river with a few cold beers, some fishing and a braai.
The spot where we had spooked the big bull was our first stop, but there no sign. So we continued our cruise and drove right by a good older bull about 20yds off the road. We looped around and stopped at about 80yds out from him. Nick got me on the sticks and we waited for him to come out from behind a bush. He stepped out and I put it right on the shoulder. He ran about 30 yds and piled up.
Nyala are absolutely stunning, and I was happy to end such an awesome hunting trip on this note.
With the hunt wrapped up, we dropped the nyala off at the skinning shed and headed back to the lodge to grab the fishing gear, drinks and meat for the braai. Stephanus had arranged for the taxidermist (Wild Clone) to come down and visit with us at the river which was a nice touch. This was an awesome way to wrap up the trip of a lifetime.
Stephanus and Nick with a carp on. Or maybe a weed, ha!
Summary:
I had a fantastic time from start to finish, through the highs and the lows, and left wanting to do it all over again. The quality of the game seemed excellent to me, and I am thrilled with all of my trophies. The accommodations at both Huntshoek properties (Huntshoek and Rockdell) were second to none and left you wanting for nothing. All of the meals were outstanding and kept you fueled up for action packed days in the field. Stephanus was very easy to communicate with and runs a professional outfit - all of the staff were friendly and took pride in their work. Nick Neuper was a great PH and taught me lots over our eight day hunt. He was patient, selective and persistent, all attributes that make him an outstanding PH. I would hunt with him or Stephanus again in a heartbeat.
If you're like me three years ago, thinking about heading to Africa but unsure about it - do it. Huntshoek is absolutely worth a look. You will come away with memories that'll last a lifetime and some great trophies.
Cheers!
Dave
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