SOUTH AFRICA: My 1st African Safari

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Congrats on some fine animals!
You are hooked now!!

 

[358 Norma]

It's a great feeling when one walk up to your first Cape Buffalo!

Congratulations!

 

[jbirdwell]

Thanks Everyone for all the positive comments.

 

[jbirdwell]

Its taken me awhile but finally getting some free time to finish this review.

Hunt Day 5:

We didn't have a firm plan when we started out today and I had gotten used to saying when asked, let's hunt what the bush gives us. As the morning went by we were seeing many animals of different species and it was around 9:40 that morning when we came across a big group of wildebeest with one male that really stood out and we thought he might even be bigger than the one I had taken earlier in the hunt. After getting set up on the sticks, we had to wait as two other bulls had decided to stand right in the front of him blocking any shot. After the 2 bulls decided to move out of the way I took the shot but couldn't see anything in the mad rush of all the Wildebeest leaving the area.

Both my PH and Cameraman thought the shot was about 6 inches right of the shoulder and looking back at the video it was pretty evident that I had hit the animal right of my aiming point. I figured in my excitement that I jerked the trigger and pulled the gun off point. My Cameraman seemed think that has well.

After giving the animal about 10 minutes he took off to see if we could find blood. Blood was found at the point where the animal was standing when I took the shot but it was sparse and not very close together. We spent the rest of the morning following the blood splatter until it looked like we finally lost the trail. The PH did find a set of prints leading downhill and one hoof print looked like it might have been or animal due to the way the foot was being placed down so we followed it back out to the rod and marked the spot so we could picked it back up.

The PH contacted the Outfitter and since he was coming out that day he was going to bring his Beagle blood dog to see if he could find my Wildebeest.

After another fantastic lunch and me beating myself up for jerking the trigger off target, Gerrit arrived with the blood dog to see if it could pick the trail up. It probably wasn't a full 15 minutes and the beagle had come to my rescue and found my Wildebeest lying next to another road about 80-100 yards from where we had lost the blood sign.

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful, just more of the same beautiful weather, seeing plenty of animals and another great dinner and tenderloin grilled over an open fire.

Hunt Day 6

I had mentioned to my PH a day or so earlier that I might like to try for a black impala to go with my other one. He had made arrangements to go to this other ranch so we took off and it was that long of a drive before we were once again hunting my nemesis, the crafty impala. It was only about 15 minutes that we began to see a few good black impala rams and it was just like my earlier attempts at Impala, We would get out of the truck began to stalk the animal only to either lose him or bump him out of the area. This happened 3 times straight and I'm starting to think "f****** Impalas" again.

Finally we start another stalk and find our ram standing broadside and get set up on the sticks for the shot. At the shot the impala drops to the ground like a ton of bricks and as he was standing in tall grass we could not see him but I'm confident of the shot I had just taken. We high five and talk about the amazing ram I just shot. However, went we get without about 15-20 yards of were the animal was laying, he decides to jump up and take off through the brush much to our amazement. After a short follow up, I have another beautiful Bos en Dal animal on the ground.

As with the Wildebeest, this shot is off about 6" as well. As we discuss if I wanted to hunt anything else on this ranch, it's decided to head back to the range to see where my rifle is hitting as I'm still shooting my 35 Whelen from when I fell and hit the scope of some rocks earlier in the trip.

In hindsight, I should have taken more than 2 shots when we first checked the rifle out after I fell. I had taken 1 shot that was about 6" off to the right, made a correction to the scope and 1 other shot to confirm it was back on.

On this range trip, the first shot was again about 6" off to the right. I put 2 more down range and had one way left and another that was almost completely off the target. It was probably a 1 FOOT group. Apparently, I either had a problem with the scope or mounts. Heading back into lunch, I remove the scope from the rifle and check the mounts closely but cannot find any cracks in the mounts. Screws were all tight and everything looked good on the mounts.

After checking the scope on another gun, after I got back home, I found there was a problem with the scope. Luckily, Swarovski let me send it back in for repair and I'm am awaiting on its return as I type this.

After a good lunch I switch back to my 375 H&H for the remainder of the trip. Until this point I had only used it on my Buffalo.

The afternoon was again uneventful as far as shooting was concerned but I am in beautiful country with an abundance of game and great people to fellowship with and since I'm not working I don't think there is anything I could get that would make anything in the world better.

 

[jbirdwell]

Hunt Day 7:

The day begins like many others, no plans for a specific species but we are headed back to the same ranch where I had taken my Sable earlier in the hunt. At about 7:50 that morning, we spot several nice Impala rams. I'm thinking, here we go again but after a short stalk a nice ram is standing broadside for me. After getting set up on the sticks, I take the shot but did not see the Impala in my scope but we find him piled after only going about 20 yards from the point of impact.

After pictures and congratulations and my PH & Cameraman thinking the hunt is over after a great 7 days as I had already told them I only had the one animal left. I let them know that I was ready to go hunt Red Hartebeest as this ranch had some with nice thick horns and beautiful coloring.

After, Robert picked up my Impala we took off in search. After crossing a nice creek and coming up a small hil, we found a group of nice hartebeest feeding and 2 young males sparring. Looking over the group I saw a nice male that I had seen earlier in the week and I loved his coloring and he looed to be nice and thick.

After parking the truck, we were able to quickly get up on the group. I got set up on the sticks and confirmed with my PH that I was on the right animal. He was standing directly facing me and after a quick shot from my 375 H&H, a 300 grain TSX folded him up right where he stood. I could not have asked for a more perfect ending to my first African safari.

 

[jbirdwell]

300 grain TSX recovered from the Hartebeest.

After getting back to the lodge and another great lunch we made a plan for the afternoon. I was pretty much done at the point and a little bit afraid to add up my total but I told the PH that I would only be in on another animal if we saw a tremendous Kudu, Nyala, Golden Wildebeest or a Bushbuck, which was the only animal from my original list that we did not see a nice male to take.

Alas, and probably good for my checkbook, we just didn't see the right animal that evening, but once again, I had the time of my life. The sun was setting on my last hunt and the sadness that comes with having to leave is finally hitting me. We got back to the lodge and had another great meal. After doing some early packing for tomorrow I fell asleep for the last night on this great adventure.

I spent the next morning saying my good byes and had a great breakfast before leaving early for the airport so we could stop and I could buy some things for the family back home. Later we met Gerrit and his wonderful family at the airport and had a great dinner before starting the trip back.

The trip back was uneventful and while I was glad to see the family again, a big part of me was wishing I had booked just a few more days. While this was my first African and/or international hunt, it will not be my last.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Wonderful hunt Jay! Glad you got around to finishing your report.
You took some great animals and sounds like you had a great time. Congratulations on your first trip! I know you are hooked now.

 

[USN]

Outstanding!