SOUTH AFRICA: My First Safari with Maximum Safaris

[RickB]

WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!! I am so hooked on Africa! Jacques runs a top notch outfit and my ph Van was awesome. I will write more as time permits. Just wanted to give everyone a teaser. Lol

 

[enysse]

I'm happy you had a good time, Africa is powerful drug, glad your hooked.

 

[BRICKBURN]

You sound pumped.
I look forward to that story.
Great trophy picture of a very nice Gemsbok.

 

[Bobpuckett]

Sounds like we have a good report coming can't wait to hear the rest, Congrats. Welcome to the African Obsession when your hooked YOUR HOOKED!!!

 

[RickB]

Well I will try to do a day by day report over the next few days as my work schedule permits.

Well we left Thursday afternoon from Washington d.c. After the grueling flight (that everyone who has been to SA knows about) we arrived Friday night in Johannesburg. Van Zyl our ph and the representative from Riflepermits.com met us at the airport we went to the SAPS office and got our rifles checked in and it was off to the lodge.

As a side note there where about 15 hunters getting their guns checked in. Henry from riflepermits.com already had an officer picked out for us and we where in and out of the SAPS office in about 5 min. For us it was worth the $90 we paid to have our guns checked in. When we arrived at camp there was a wonderful dinner consisting of grilled Kudu backstraps, potatoes, salad, and a wonderful desert.....oh and a cold castle beer. I was already in heaven and this was just the first night! After settling in, it was off to bed. Had to be up at 6 to eat breakfast and shoot our guns. I could not wait to see what tomorrow has to offer!.........

Sorry no pics today...this is tuff to do from my phone!

 

[RickB]

Well we woke up at 6 to eat breakfast and we headed to the range. Went ahead and took a few shots and after I made a couple of adjustments on my gun we where ready to go. We headed out to our first property for my dads white blesbuck and his springbuck.

After a couple of stalks on this particular white Blesbuck it just wasn't working. The wind was just not in their favor. Our PH Van and my dad came back to the truck and we drove around to the other side of the property.. About 1500 yards out was a loan white Blesbuck by himself. The stalk was on! Every time they got to about 300 yards he would take off. After 3 attempts, he bedded down. This time they got to about 180 yards and my dad made a perfect shot while he was beaded down. The crazy thing was about 150 yards to their left was a nice springbuck ram bedded down. They where within 100 yards of the springbuck while stalking the Blesbuck and the springbuck never moved.

After the shot the Springbuck stood up and looked right at them! Van told my dad if he was comfortable to take the shot on the Springbuck if he was comfortable. After laying down in the proan position my dad squeezed off a second shot and dropped the Springbuck as well! Our PH Van said this was the first time he has ever killed two animals from the same stalk!

Well after some congratulations and some pictures we loaded up the animals on the fourwheeler and headed back to the truck. It was time for lunch and something to drink. Now it is time for the afternoon hunt where I would get the opportunity for my first animal!

 

[RickB]

It's on to our afternoon hunt. We finished our lunch and are going after Impala and Blesbuck. After driving arround the property for about 30 min we spot a couple of Impala rams and and I go on my first stalk. About 50 yards in we can barely see 20 yards in front of us. This brush is so thick. We pop out of this thick area and to our suprise there is a sow with 3 piglets about 15 yards to our right and they dont even know we are there. After watching them for about 5 minutes they come even closer! Finally Van makes a snort sound and they look up at us and bolt off to the right! Really really neat to be that close. Now back to hunting.

That stalk didnt work out. So Van says it is to early in the afternoon and the Impala will come out late afternoon. On to the Blesbuck. After finding the heard of Blesbuck (about 30) They where speckled with black Wildebeest and springbuck. We stalked into about 130 yards. The tall grass is helping now. I have one picked out and at the last second Van tells be to wait for the one coming in from the left. So now I am on the second Blesbuck and he gives me the green light "Take him". I droped my first animal where he stood!

After my pictures with my Blesbuck we went after my Impala. The weather was not the greatest but the rain held off. Awsome thunder storms in the distance made for a good show. I went on a couple of more stalks but this wasnt the day for Impala. So we returned to camp and had dinner. It is off to bed for day two!

We woke up for day two and we are off to a new location. The funny thing is this turns out to be where we hunt for the rest of our trip. This consesion in my book is huge! I have to guess it to be about 80,000-100,000 acres. It consists of 3 diffrent mountain tops and is beautiful. We saw just about every plains game animal I could think of but buffalo. after diriving arround for about and hour Van stops the truck and tells me to get down. We move down the road about 100 yards and about 20 yards off the road. I still havent even seen what he has spoted. I am following close behind Van when he sets up the shooting sticks and points just over the brush. About 80 yards away is an Impala ram feeding on some brush. "Take him!" My Hornady Interbond finds its mark and he goes strait down!

After my pictures its back to hunting. I am looking for Blue wildebeest and Gemsbuck. I had gone on a couple of Gemsbuck stalks, but no luck. As we are driving we come accross two Impala rams. Now its my dads turn. He gets out of the truck and they start their stalk. I stay in the truck and watch the whole thing though my binoculars from about 400 yards away. They get to about 50 yards behind some brush and my dad makes a great shot and down he goes.

It is now about three in the afternoon and there is more hunting to go. We come back to the main road on the property and on our left about 350-400 yards away on the mountain side is a loan Blue Wildebeest facing us and watching us drive along. Just as he is out of sight Van has the driver stop the truck and we get down. We make our way up the mountain jumping from bush to bush like hopscotch. Then he starts snorting at us. Now the wind is not helping. He continues this for about the final three bushs. Van takes a look at his horns and says this is a shooter. I am really getting excited now. This is one of the animals I was really here for! Van sets up the stick and tells me to step out. I step out and I get on him right away. But he is on us as well. He is quartering to us at about a 45 deg angle. It would be about a 50 yard shot. I know these are some tuff animals but I felt I could do it. So I take the saftey off and there he goes! We quickly get up the mountain to the top and can now look down on the brushy area where he is. We can count at least 3 Wildebeest in a small opening about 200 yards in. But they have all had enough. In a stampeed they all go running down and out the other side where we came from and out of sight. This was my best non-successful stalk. I was pumped to be so close to these awsome animals! Now it is about 5 and it is time to go after another great animal for my dad....The Bushbuck.

These are some tuff little guys. At least on this property. I dont know how they are in other parts of Africa but this was fun. The next several nights of cat and mouse with Bushbuck turns out to be a blast. After driving to yet another part of this farm where the olive trees are we look for Bushbuck. About 100 Yards through the gate in 100 foot tall grass there he goes like a lightning bolt into the bush. He left that field so fast the 5 Kudu cows that he was standing with didnt even move. They watched us drive buy from about 30 yards. But he was gone. The rest of the night we saw nothing. Back to camp to end day 2. I really dont know how I could manage 4 more days of this ..........day 3 next! Wildebeest and Gemsbuck

 

[sestoppelman]

You have some nice animals there! Look forward to more of it. Good stuff!

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Very nice Rick!

 

[James.Grage]

Rick

Great pictures and report...Sounds like you had a great time...

 

[Thunder head]

More i say, we need more!

Congrats on a fine trip with your dad. Cant wait for the rest of the story.

 

[ndbwhnter]

Congrats, can't wait to read the rest.

nd

 

[BRICKBURN]

The Bushbuck.

These are some tuff little guys. At least on this property. I dont know how they are in other parts of Africa but this was fun. The next several nights of cat and mouse with Bushbuck turns out to be a blast. After driving to yet another part of this farm where the olive trees are we look for Bushbuck. About 100 Yards through the gate in 100 foot tall grass there he goes like a lightning bolt into the bush.

Good trophies. You have certainly had some fun so far and more to come.
In that close, on hogs and Wildebeest, wow.

Reading this post about the Bushbuck has me cheering for your dad. I can hardly wait to for the "cat and mouse" hunt for one of these tough little guys myself.

Keep it coming.... Thanks

 

[Bobpuckett]

You and your Dad have some fine trophys and without a daught had a Great Time can't wait for the rest of the story. Who did you hunt with (their website)? I wouldn't mind checking them out myself.

 

[RickB]

Africa Maximum Safaris

You may have to copy and paste the link. My personal opinion it that the websight does not do them justice. I think they are so much better.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Rick how is that Bushbuck hunt going??

 

[RickB]

Ok, it is now day 3. We had decided after my wildebeast stalk and the bushbuck that we saw we would return to the same property for day 3. We get up at 5 today to get to the concession a little earlier. We start off looking for my Gemsbuck. They have been staying in the mountain tops and not coming down to the bottoms. We make our way around the top but see no good shooters. We come down to the main trail on the property and on the left side about 50 yards from where my dad shot his Impala there is a blue wildebeest. Van stops the truck and I get down. We only move about 15 yards from the truck and Van puts up the sticks. We have not had a good look at him yet. Van glasses him and I look through the scope. It took us both about a half a second to say shooter. He is only about 70 yards off the trail quartering away. But before I have the chance to pull the trigger he takes off! My heart sinks! But unlike yesterday, he goes about 15-20 yards and stops and gives me a perfect braud side shot. Careful not to hit him to high I aim low and squeeze. I hit him perfect. He runs another 15 yards an down he went. He is everything I could have wanted! 31 inch spread and I believe an sci gold medal. I could not have been happier! This bull is so old with scars all over his face and horns that are staring to flake. My best trophy! Now I just want my Gemsbuck!......

 

[BRICKBURN]

Rick, that is a nice trophy, scars and all.
Get that Gemsbok out of the way so your dad can chase that bushbuck!

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Well done Rick! Thanks for the daily updates and pictures. :thumb:

 

[enysse]

That's a beautiful blue wildebeest!