SOUTH AFRICA: Incredible Hunt In South Africa With Kuche Safaris

[kevin masters]

I have been back in the states for three days now and cant seem to get time to get a report up. So I will post some pictures and hopefully get back with the story this weekend. I do want to say that my time with Kuche Safaris was Awesome, food ,lodging, hunting, PH's everything first class. so some pic's for now.

 

[Shootist43]

Agreed, great pics, now for the story!!

 

[Art Lambart II]

Great pictures, I'm looking forward to the report.

 

[MAdcox]

Glad you had a great time. I'm just mad now- I never did get one of those caps.
Can't wait for the report. Who was your PH?

 

[Firebird]

Your trophies all look great to me. That scarred up old wildebeest is my favorite tho, he has tons of character and a perfectly brindled hide-love it!

 

[jasyblood]

Looks like you had a great trip! Can't wait for the report!

 

[kevin masters]

Your trophies all look great to me. That scarred up old wildebeest is my favorite tho, he has tons of character and a perfectly brindled hide-love it!

that bull was old! We bumped a group and they ran but this old bull was off to himself and came around a bush
to see what the fuss was about.My PH said he had probably been pushed out of the group. Old and past his prime
just how you love to take um!

 

[kevin masters]

Glad you had a great time. I'm just mad now- I never did get one of those caps.
Can't wait for the report. Who was your PH?

Dale was my ph, 21 years old and one of the best hunter/tracker I have ever seen!
peiter was my brothers PH, also great!

 

[Nyati]

Congrats, nice animals.

 

[MAdcox]

That’s great.

Dale was my ph, 21 years old and one of the best hunter/tracker I have ever seen!
peiter was my brothers PH, also great!

They are the two that met us at the airport and got us through SAPS. Then my cousin hunted with Dale. He is great. My cousin @Bill Bunn III loved him and he was a blast around the fire at night (except for trying to scare the crap out of me with a dead black mamba).
Glad you had such a great hunt.

 

[kevin masters]

Alright Got a few minutes. We got to Johannesburg on Thursday April the 26th. Little did we know that that particular weekend held two south African holidays and everyone in jburg was going north!
our three and a half hour drive turned into a seven hour adventure. We got to camp about three in the morning and were exhausted. got up late at 7:00 am and ate an incredible breakfast. Then we hit the range
to check rifles. Every one was good so we split up and headed out. The first property we hunted had rhinoceros and cape buffalo so our ph told us to stay close. My brother's PH's truck had broke down so we hunted together the first day. That was really nice because we hunt together a lot and enjoy sharing each others successes and failures,lol. We busted some zebra pretty early but were to slow to get on the sticks.
first lesson in Africa every thing is fast and if you are not they are gone. We stumbled across the Warthog above next and the sticks went up. My first shot in Africa was not my best but he piled up about 75 yards away. when we approached him we found out he was not out just hurt. so after looking into a thick bush for five minutes trying to figure out what I was looking at I shot again and missed clean, lord help me. this time he stood up and I could clearly see where to shoot and my PH encouraged me to hurry because he said he was ready to charge. Third shot was good pig dropped, first African animal in the salt.
Later that evening my brother was stalking some impala when we were rudely interrupted by a big old sow with really nice tusks. so he took her, second African animal in the salt and a VERY nice first day ended!

 

[johnnyblues]

Congratulations on some fine looking trophies.

 

[Bill Bunn III]

Awesome animals, I would agree Dale is a wonderful PH and an amazing tracker. He did most of the tracking on my hunt it was amazing to watch him work. My wife and I had a blast hunting with Dale, I will definitely request Dale when I go back to hunt with Kuche Safaris. I am so glad you had such a great experience and an amazing hunt. Congrats on your trophies.

 

[BRICKBURN]

 

[Neale]

Nice trophies and a good story so far. Keep it coming

 

[kevin masters]

LOL I'm trying

 

[kevin masters]

OK got a few minutes, day two. This would be my dream day in Africa! we ate breakfast at 4:30 and were off. Dale and I had a decent ride,maybe forty five minutes. we got to the property and checked in with the land owner. we didn't go far before Dale signaled the tracker to stop the backie and said we walk from here. we made our way down a sand road that was so thick on each side you couldnt see more than 20 yards in at best. the ph explained that there was a huge field at the end of the road and there would be animals sunning at this time of morning. we crept forward glassing and I could see all kinds of animals!
it looked like a zoo. we were about 80 to 100 yards from the clear when four ostrich broke from the thick stuff and ran through the middle of every thing. there were animals running everywhere.
so we eased on up to look out into what must be a 1000 acre field and nothing every thing had mass exodus. damn ostrich! so we called for the truck and drove for a little bit. we came across some gemsbuck tracks and sense they were a priority for me we started stalking. It didnt take long to catch up they were just milling around walking a road. se got over in the bush and closed the distance to about 100 yards when we eased out to look at them they were laying down in a group, no shot opportunity. so we watched them a while and they got up and moved off quickly with no good shot opportunity again. so we followed and when they stopped again they were all bunched up with no clear shot. we played this game for better than an hour and six miles. the last time we decided to move out int the road. Dale thought this might make the move into the bush intead of sticking to the road, and he was right. we moved into the road sticks went up they moved off one by one and when the last one was still there Dale said take him.
I shot he came up on his hind legs and back down then tore off. Dale asked how the shot felt & I said good I think it was a solid hit. we move up to the spot slowly and he and the tracker look around. I was horrified no blood. Dale says dont worry he wont bleed for fifty yards. they determine which set of tracks to follow and we're off. these guys are crazy talented. at fifty yards we find blood,thank you lord. 50 yards later we find him piled up a nice old bull!

 

[kevin masters]

So were on our way back to the cool box and we spot a nice impala ram. we stalk maybe 400 yards to get within 120 and dale glasses him says hes a shooter and that he is facing us.
he hasnt seen us so dale tells me to stay close and get on the sticks fast. he asks if I am comfortable with a front on shot and I tell him yes. we ease out from behind a bush the sticks go up
I anchor and squeeze and the impala falls straight over, never took a step. we load up and head for the cool box and I am in seventh heaven. we get there and dale says we will unload hit the shade for an hour or so and head back out. I tell him I hate to be a baby but I am jet lagged and worn out could we go back to the lodge for a short rest? he agrees so we leave for the lodge. we are screaming down the highway
when we spot a nice zebra stallion in a field. Dale says that is another part of the property we just left and he thinks it would be an easy stalk, am I up for it? Well why not. We drive back about a mile and pull through a gate. we stalked back with the wind in our favor we come to the clearing and he has grazed off butt not far. we readjust our position set up shoot zebra falls over. Oh my three animals before noon!

 

[kevin masters]

We head back to the lodge and I eat some lunch and lay down for an hour. When I get up dale says we are going out to a nearby property and just look around. We take our time not really planning on hunting hard, just enjoying the evening. we drove around the outside of this property nd then cut up one of the blocks. we hadn't gone 200 yards when we bust a heard of wildebeest. we jump out of the backie and start tracking. we dont go very far and see them. sticks go up but no shot, they see us and run off. then this loan bull walks out from behind a bush to see what is going on. dale says are you on him I say yes he says he is a good one. I shoot he drops. we walk up to admire him and he lifts hes head . Dale says to finish him with the pistol and hands me his 40. I put one more in and he lays over quiet. we take pictures high five I feel like a school boy with his first girl friend. Africa is a very cool place! as we head in dale checks to see if any of the hunters had good luck. no one else in camp killed that day I told Dale we were not going to be very popular and he just laugh's. we head in and I spend some qualitytime with a couple of beers at the skinning shed! What a great day. Thank you Lord!!!

 

[outwestidaho]

Wow , what a great story and the animals you took are wonderful. That impala is so shinny he look like he was shampooed for a show ! Way to go.