huntingbigun
AH veteran
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2011
- Messages
- 246
- Reaction score
- 71
- Location
- Plant City, FL
- Deals & offers
- 1
- Media
- 55
- Member of
- Patron NRA, SCI, KRVSA,
- Hunted
- USA (Fl, Ga, Tn, Kt,Sc, Al, Tx, Nm, Co, Mt, Wy), Canada (Alberta, Manitoba), New Zealand (north & South), South Africa (Kalahari, FreeSate, East Cape & Limpopa)
Off to my 3rd hunt with Louis Van Bergen and Spiral Horns and 2nd for my hunting buddy, Last year after great Leopard hunt we had planned a Tiny 10 hunt as I wanted to see more of South Africa and sound like a challenge so we arrived in JNB with promise of great weather and good hunting on August 1st, Louis was waiting and things went just like clock work as we cleared customs and head to our overnight stay in Pretoria. We got up early the next am and drove to the Free State where we start our adventure. Outstanding lodge Louis had hooked us up with. Coot and I had our own private lodge and we had the preserve to ourselves.
We got in a short hunt watched some great Mountain Reedbuck late in the day but elected to wait till am for better shot. So after a great meal and off to bed we arose to another sunrise in Africa that is always a special time for me as reminds myself how lucky I am to see this great country
We put the stalk on a nice Mountain Reedbuck and managed to get into position for about 300 yard shot, little longer than we hoped for but the 280AI with Barnes TSX 150 grains I knew could do the job if I did mine.
We then got after another for Coot and same results as he also shoots a 280AI and Louis did a great job of stalking, it was a little more challenging as by now we had to push a tab but Coot made great shot on running Buck and Louis's PH did the bulldog on him as he was down but not out lol. Relaxing lunch and spent the rest of the day hunting for Steenbok, man those little guys are fast, next day we went to another ranch and stalked most day but no Coot and I just struggled a tad with getting on target as the little fellows were in high gear most of the day. Louis got his trusty phone out and set up a night hunt for us. Well that was another learning curve looking at a Steenbok 150 yards at night was little diffuclt but Louis is such a great PH and gave me couple tips and before you knew it we had success
Coot also took a nice one and we got to see lot of cool animals like African Wildcat and Bat Eared Fox was a special treat. No rest as we left early the next morning for another ranch to hunt Springbok, as we drove out of the mountain terrain and entered low fence grass lands remind me of Colorado antelope country. What a hunt that was, the ranch was loaded with great Springbok and again the 280AI was tested as I took a nice one at 400 yards, I was watching his mane stand up and forget to take a picture that was just a awesome day
So what next lol, we were back to our lodge and found couple nice Red Lechwe feeding not a tiny 10 but we both wanted one, so after long stalk I managed to take mine, not lot of cover so we had to work pretty hard to find small crop of rocks and yes you guess it 280 time
Coot took one as well so then nice dinner and pack up as we were heading to the East Cape to chase some more Tiny 10, as we drove down the next day Louis stopped and showed us some great places and it was quite the sight to see the Ocean and Mountains as we left the free state and headed south. It took most of the day to drive but Louis made it interesting with his knowledge of the area. We check in to another great lodge were again we had the run of the place great dinner and just before we ready to start drinking the PH said anyone want to go hunt Cape Grysbok as he seen couple nice ones day before. So I was like hell yes now we hunting huge fields and creek bottoms amazing to see the wildlife that hunts at night managed to take mine after stalk and wading a creek
next Am we got up early and headed to mountains what a sunrise as we drove
Up the mountains as sun broke out to this view
We hunted some great ranches and as we headed up for lunch in the rocks a Duiker was spotted so out came the trusty 280Ai and managed to make the shot with Louis on the bino;s calling the yardage as I tried to get the little fellow in the scope, I need to take Louis with me antelope hunting
We were hunting Klipspringers as main target but in Africa you never know what may show up, we hunted hard for couple days but the Klipspringers just playing hard to get the ones we seen no way to make the shot as trophy would not have survived the fall from the vertical ledges. I did break my one shot and kill Africa record by flat missing a huge caracal running one afternoon but we did take another nice Duiker but Louis got out the phone and we packed up headed all the way to Limpopo as he had lined up another great lodge that his Uncle owns. Some may say why drive that far short answer we wanted too lol, so that took couple days but before you knew it we back in the bush
This ranch was full of game and they were pulling down some of the fences to make it over 50,000 acres, Coot hunted a Bushbuck and Klipspringer and I chased Klipspringers around the mountain on another ranch and then 280 did it work again as these little fellows never stay still for long 300 yards uphill, I had seen this one twice but the shadows and I cannot tell you how hard it is to see one of the little fellows long range. Coot took a huge one as well great Bushbuck. We finished out the hunt stalking Zebras for my buddy, watching Cape Buffalo and planning my next hunt
The Tiny 10 are special in my mind so I be back to chase some more and Cape Buffalo next year, I cannot say enough about Louis he just a great friend and Spiral Horns Safari is OUTSTANDING
PS bring good shoes as you will have to work to hunt the Tiny 10 but then you get to relax in warm South Africa sunshine
We got in a short hunt watched some great Mountain Reedbuck late in the day but elected to wait till am for better shot. So after a great meal and off to bed we arose to another sunrise in Africa that is always a special time for me as reminds myself how lucky I am to see this great country
We put the stalk on a nice Mountain Reedbuck and managed to get into position for about 300 yard shot, little longer than we hoped for but the 280AI with Barnes TSX 150 grains I knew could do the job if I did mine.
We then got after another for Coot and same results as he also shoots a 280AI and Louis did a great job of stalking, it was a little more challenging as by now we had to push a tab but Coot made great shot on running Buck and Louis's PH did the bulldog on him as he was down but not out lol. Relaxing lunch and spent the rest of the day hunting for Steenbok, man those little guys are fast, next day we went to another ranch and stalked most day but no Coot and I just struggled a tad with getting on target as the little fellows were in high gear most of the day. Louis got his trusty phone out and set up a night hunt for us. Well that was another learning curve looking at a Steenbok 150 yards at night was little diffuclt but Louis is such a great PH and gave me couple tips and before you knew it we had success
Coot also took a nice one and we got to see lot of cool animals like African Wildcat and Bat Eared Fox was a special treat. No rest as we left early the next morning for another ranch to hunt Springbok, as we drove out of the mountain terrain and entered low fence grass lands remind me of Colorado antelope country. What a hunt that was, the ranch was loaded with great Springbok and again the 280AI was tested as I took a nice one at 400 yards, I was watching his mane stand up and forget to take a picture that was just a awesome day
So what next lol, we were back to our lodge and found couple nice Red Lechwe feeding not a tiny 10 but we both wanted one, so after long stalk I managed to take mine, not lot of cover so we had to work pretty hard to find small crop of rocks and yes you guess it 280 time
Coot took one as well so then nice dinner and pack up as we were heading to the East Cape to chase some more Tiny 10, as we drove down the next day Louis stopped and showed us some great places and it was quite the sight to see the Ocean and Mountains as we left the free state and headed south. It took most of the day to drive but Louis made it interesting with his knowledge of the area. We check in to another great lodge were again we had the run of the place great dinner and just before we ready to start drinking the PH said anyone want to go hunt Cape Grysbok as he seen couple nice ones day before. So I was like hell yes now we hunting huge fields and creek bottoms amazing to see the wildlife that hunts at night managed to take mine after stalk and wading a creek
next Am we got up early and headed to mountains what a sunrise as we drove
Up the mountains as sun broke out to this view
We hunted some great ranches and as we headed up for lunch in the rocks a Duiker was spotted so out came the trusty 280Ai and managed to make the shot with Louis on the bino;s calling the yardage as I tried to get the little fellow in the scope, I need to take Louis with me antelope hunting
We were hunting Klipspringers as main target but in Africa you never know what may show up, we hunted hard for couple days but the Klipspringers just playing hard to get the ones we seen no way to make the shot as trophy would not have survived the fall from the vertical ledges. I did break my one shot and kill Africa record by flat missing a huge caracal running one afternoon but we did take another nice Duiker but Louis got out the phone and we packed up headed all the way to Limpopo as he had lined up another great lodge that his Uncle owns. Some may say why drive that far short answer we wanted too lol, so that took couple days but before you knew it we back in the bush
This ranch was full of game and they were pulling down some of the fences to make it over 50,000 acres, Coot hunted a Bushbuck and Klipspringer and I chased Klipspringers around the mountain on another ranch and then 280 did it work again as these little fellows never stay still for long 300 yards uphill, I had seen this one twice but the shadows and I cannot tell you how hard it is to see one of the little fellows long range. Coot took a huge one as well great Bushbuck. We finished out the hunt stalking Zebras for my buddy, watching Cape Buffalo and planning my next hunt
The Tiny 10 are special in my mind so I be back to chase some more and Cape Buffalo next year, I cannot say enough about Louis he just a great friend and Spiral Horns Safari is OUTSTANDING
PS bring good shoes as you will have to work to hunt the Tiny 10 but then you get to relax in warm South Africa sunshine
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