NTH
AH member
We booked our hunt through Kuche Safaris and since this was our first time to hunt Africa we really didn’t know what to expect, or what we would see. I envisioned Planet Earth episodes where large herds of game were laying around or traversing vast grass plains just waiting to be picked off, but this terrain was thick, I mean west Texas brush thick.
Our PH, Cobus, picked us up from the airport and as soon as we loaded our bags into the vehicle my wife was rapid firing question after question while I decided to take a nap as we made our way up to the Limpopo province and Kuche’s main lodge.
Our package included 6 animals and I was planning on hunting a kudu, zebra and maybe a gemsbock. We were the 4th or 5th couple to arrive at Kuche since the travel ban was lifted, and a departing couple was telling us about how big the sable are. “Hmmm, maybe I should add a sable to the list….”
Day 1
The first morning I informed Cobus that I’m possibly interested in hunting a sable, “sure not a problem, let’s go.” So that morning we ventured out to an area and spotted a lot of blesbuck, and I decided to take a lone mature buck, and as we were leaving the area Cobus spotted a real nice sable in the shade and I decided to take him. The first shot knocked him down and my follow up shot finished him off. He was jet black and horns measured 41”/41.5”. Both animals were stunning.
That afternoon we did some spot and stalk and came into an open area and Cobus spotted three cape eland around a salt lick. Two were standing on the edge and the other was dug into the earth like a crawfish and you could only make out it’s hind. Cobus said the one in the lick was a nice bull and I told him that I wasn’t interested in an eland, but we watched them for awhile. The third bull rose from the lick and Cobus said that bull was a monster and I told him again I wasn’t interested. Up to this point I had never thought of hunting an eland nor thought of them as a trophy, but then my little wheels went to spinning. “How many more times will I be able to take a monster cape eland in Louisiana? Never.”
As we were walking off I asked if he really was a trophy animal and he said, yes he is and If I wasn’t with a client then I would take him. “Sold, I’ll take him!”
I squeezed the trigger and he dropped right in his tracks. Great! We waited a few minutes before moving in and then he stood up and began walking off like he tripped and decided to just lay there. I put four more rounds into him and he trotted off into the brush. It’s around 3:30-4pm and now we have to track an eland through some thick brush. I later read that an eland can run full bore for a short distance but can trot around 14mph all day long so be prepared to do some hiking if you don’t drop an eland in its tracks. We tracked him until dark and called it a wrap then resume the search in the morning.
Day 2
We ventured back to the trail where we left off and less than .75 mile from where we stopped we located the bull. He was a massive magnificent animal that passed during the night. Jackals ate his eye and began eating on his hind but it didn’t take away from his big beautiful blue dewlap, black fringe and thick horns.
That afternoon we went back out to see what we could find and I took an old mature warthog and old gemsbock with thick bases.
Day 3
We took off to see what the day would bring us and it wasn’t long before our tracker cut a trail of zebras. As we tracked the zebras for over a mile we came upon an opening and found a herd of 10+ zebras. We stalked to within 150 yds and patiently waited for the right animal to present itself for a clean shot. A large mare turned broadside I squeezed the trigger and she took off for the brush. As we made it to the area where she was hit Cobus signaled me and said “hurry, there’s a nice kudu.” I quickly setup the rifle and hit the kudu in the vitals and he ran for the brush. I took 2 nice animals within 5 minutes and they fell within 50 yds of each other. Cobus said, “I feel like I took you hunting in Kruger.”
That afternoon we went out again to try and locate a wildebeest or a nice impala. We spotted a herd of wildebeest but I rushed my shot and missed a nice bull so we called it a wrap and headed back to the lodge for a relaxing evening and head out early the next day.
Day 4
That morning we walked to the edge of an opening where we spotted a nice impala and I placed the crosshairs on him but as I squeezed the trigger he dropped his head and the shot broke his back. We were walking up to him to put him down when Cobus signaled me to him and said “there’s a nice wildebeest bull right there.” A herd of wildebeest we’re running into the brush but this lone bull stayed and was just watching us. We made our way behind some thick bushes and stalked towards the bull. It was close to 175 yds away before we stepped from behind the bush and I put the crosshairs on his chest and the thud of the bullet hitting him could be heard a mile away. He ran off behind some brush so we went searching for him and he laid down 25 yds from where I hit him. I had taken 2 more mature animals within 5 minutes of each other. After packing up the wildebeest and impala it was time for my wife to take the rifle.
Up to this point she has been patiently watching me take 7 animals while she’s been taking pictures. She wanted a zebra so we went out looking for signs of zebra. We stopped in an area and began our walk in search of a zebra for her. It wasn’t long before our tracker cut a set of zebra tracks so we followed them for a good distance before coming to an opening where a large herd of zebras were standing about. As she was setting up Cobus picked out the most mature animal in the herd and told her where to place her shot. The crosshairs were centered on the triangle, she had her breathing controlled and pulled the trigger. Click! With all of the excitement of her taking her first animal she forgot to chamber a round back at the truck. Cobus hurried up and chambered a round but the zebras heard the commotion and became alarmed but they stayed in place. We waited for what seemed an eternity for them to calm down and once again she had her crosshairs on that same animal. Boom! The zebra dropped in it’s tracks and my wife officially took her first animal, a large mature mare.
That afternoon we loaded up in search of an impala and a warthog for the wife. Not much game was moving so as we left for another area there were warthogs running all over. Cobus whistled and a nice male stopped then the wife threw up the rifle, placed the crosshairs on the vitals and once again dropped it in its tracks. We were losing light but as we were leaving there in the open was a nice impala and she decided to take it.
We were blessed to take 11 mature animals in 4 days and spent our fifth day as camp meat and went for a massage. Apparently men in S. Africa don’t get massages and think those that do are in touch with their feminine side. LOL!
After our hunt we departed camp for a full day tour of Kruger and returned home the following day. I cannot wait to return to Africa and see what else lies ahead for us. Thank you Koos
Our PH, Cobus, picked us up from the airport and as soon as we loaded our bags into the vehicle my wife was rapid firing question after question while I decided to take a nap as we made our way up to the Limpopo province and Kuche’s main lodge.
Our package included 6 animals and I was planning on hunting a kudu, zebra and maybe a gemsbock. We were the 4th or 5th couple to arrive at Kuche since the travel ban was lifted, and a departing couple was telling us about how big the sable are. “Hmmm, maybe I should add a sable to the list….”
Day 1
The first morning I informed Cobus that I’m possibly interested in hunting a sable, “sure not a problem, let’s go.” So that morning we ventured out to an area and spotted a lot of blesbuck, and I decided to take a lone mature buck, and as we were leaving the area Cobus spotted a real nice sable in the shade and I decided to take him. The first shot knocked him down and my follow up shot finished him off. He was jet black and horns measured 41”/41.5”. Both animals were stunning.
That afternoon we did some spot and stalk and came into an open area and Cobus spotted three cape eland around a salt lick. Two were standing on the edge and the other was dug into the earth like a crawfish and you could only make out it’s hind. Cobus said the one in the lick was a nice bull and I told him that I wasn’t interested in an eland, but we watched them for awhile. The third bull rose from the lick and Cobus said that bull was a monster and I told him again I wasn’t interested. Up to this point I had never thought of hunting an eland nor thought of them as a trophy, but then my little wheels went to spinning. “How many more times will I be able to take a monster cape eland in Louisiana? Never.”
As we were walking off I asked if he really was a trophy animal and he said, yes he is and If I wasn’t with a client then I would take him. “Sold, I’ll take him!”
I squeezed the trigger and he dropped right in his tracks. Great! We waited a few minutes before moving in and then he stood up and began walking off like he tripped and decided to just lay there. I put four more rounds into him and he trotted off into the brush. It’s around 3:30-4pm and now we have to track an eland through some thick brush. I later read that an eland can run full bore for a short distance but can trot around 14mph all day long so be prepared to do some hiking if you don’t drop an eland in its tracks. We tracked him until dark and called it a wrap then resume the search in the morning.
Day 2
We ventured back to the trail where we left off and less than .75 mile from where we stopped we located the bull. He was a massive magnificent animal that passed during the night. Jackals ate his eye and began eating on his hind but it didn’t take away from his big beautiful blue dewlap, black fringe and thick horns.
That afternoon we went back out to see what we could find and I took an old mature warthog and old gemsbock with thick bases.
Day 3
We took off to see what the day would bring us and it wasn’t long before our tracker cut a trail of zebras. As we tracked the zebras for over a mile we came upon an opening and found a herd of 10+ zebras. We stalked to within 150 yds and patiently waited for the right animal to present itself for a clean shot. A large mare turned broadside I squeezed the trigger and she took off for the brush. As we made it to the area where she was hit Cobus signaled me and said “hurry, there’s a nice kudu.” I quickly setup the rifle and hit the kudu in the vitals and he ran for the brush. I took 2 nice animals within 5 minutes and they fell within 50 yds of each other. Cobus said, “I feel like I took you hunting in Kruger.”
That afternoon we went out again to try and locate a wildebeest or a nice impala. We spotted a herd of wildebeest but I rushed my shot and missed a nice bull so we called it a wrap and headed back to the lodge for a relaxing evening and head out early the next day.
Day 4
That morning we walked to the edge of an opening where we spotted a nice impala and I placed the crosshairs on him but as I squeezed the trigger he dropped his head and the shot broke his back. We were walking up to him to put him down when Cobus signaled me to him and said “there’s a nice wildebeest bull right there.” A herd of wildebeest we’re running into the brush but this lone bull stayed and was just watching us. We made our way behind some thick bushes and stalked towards the bull. It was close to 175 yds away before we stepped from behind the bush and I put the crosshairs on his chest and the thud of the bullet hitting him could be heard a mile away. He ran off behind some brush so we went searching for him and he laid down 25 yds from where I hit him. I had taken 2 more mature animals within 5 minutes of each other. After packing up the wildebeest and impala it was time for my wife to take the rifle.
Up to this point she has been patiently watching me take 7 animals while she’s been taking pictures. She wanted a zebra so we went out looking for signs of zebra. We stopped in an area and began our walk in search of a zebra for her. It wasn’t long before our tracker cut a set of zebra tracks so we followed them for a good distance before coming to an opening where a large herd of zebras were standing about. As she was setting up Cobus picked out the most mature animal in the herd and told her where to place her shot. The crosshairs were centered on the triangle, she had her breathing controlled and pulled the trigger. Click! With all of the excitement of her taking her first animal she forgot to chamber a round back at the truck. Cobus hurried up and chambered a round but the zebras heard the commotion and became alarmed but they stayed in place. We waited for what seemed an eternity for them to calm down and once again she had her crosshairs on that same animal. Boom! The zebra dropped in it’s tracks and my wife officially took her first animal, a large mature mare.
That afternoon we loaded up in search of an impala and a warthog for the wife. Not much game was moving so as we left for another area there were warthogs running all over. Cobus whistled and a nice male stopped then the wife threw up the rifle, placed the crosshairs on the vitals and once again dropped it in its tracks. We were losing light but as we were leaving there in the open was a nice impala and she decided to take it.
We were blessed to take 11 mature animals in 4 days and spent our fifth day as camp meat and went for a massage. Apparently men in S. Africa don’t get massages and think those that do are in touch with their feminine side. LOL!
After our hunt we departed camp for a full day tour of Kruger and returned home the following day. I cannot wait to return to Africa and see what else lies ahead for us. Thank you Koos
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