SOUTH AFRICA: Pawprint Safaris Sable & Crocodile Hunt

[Nyati]

Wish you the best of luck !

 

[Neale]

Safe journey and have fun ridgewalker. Wish it was me.

 

[CAustin]

Ridgewalker should have something to report very soon!

 

[Shootist43]

I was thinking the same thing Charlie. Although today is / was probably his first hunting opportunity. He has time to be a little selective.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Got to Belula about 8:00pm. Put my stuff up and headed to the brai to see everyone and have a relaxing glass of red wine Pieter picked out, Meercat, ...very good! Then Claudious cooked us blue Wildebeest backstraps...mmmm...delicious!

Next morning we checked and adjusted the scope.
Have to go!

 

[Ridgewalker]

Sorry I had to leave for the evening hunt. But, at 10:15 this morning I got
This 41” Sable! Stalking, Max found tracks and we followed them up. Got on the sticks maybe 4 times before I pulled the trigger. I had to shoot a little far back because all the front leg was covered by brush. The sable didn’t run, but hunched and walked maybe ten steps. I readied for a second shot. Crosshairs lined up. He fell over! My sable was down!
What magnificently beautiful animals! I had to just stare at it for a few minutes it was so handsome! Overed in ticks, but the ears were perfect! Nice!

Then we looked for a good warthog, but nothing really I wanted. Had a sack lunch under an interesting looking tree (their interesting when I have no clue what they are). It was warming up, so we headed back to let Max butcher the sable and get him cooled down.

 

[Ridgewalker]

We headed out to a Big Five area for something I like to show up. Saw lots of blue Wildebeest, impala, girrafe, kudu and buffalo (some VERY fine ones!) we bumped around for a while when some Eland showed up 200-300 yards off. We studied them a while, then Johan suggested the lead bull...and what did I say? Well if you insist...NOT! OK let’s go! So moved a ways. The cows finally cleared. The bull quartered toward us. Johan said to aim at the right shoulder and toward the center...BANG! She’ll game on! After the recoil, I thought it went left! Johan said this way. I followed thing we were going to work it upwing. We topped the hill (me huffing and puffing!) and Max points just over the there. Johan turns and congratulates me...I haven’t seen it yet! We walk up and Holley shemoley! They are HUGE! I don’t mean really big, I mean HUGE!

What a day! Unfortunately I cannot hunt my croc until Monday! We’ll see what I will HAVE to hunt tomorrow! Wine time! Later guys!

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Excellent trophies!

 

[Hunting Sailor]

Congratulations!
Well Done!

//Gus

 

[CAustin]

Excellent Ridgewalker! Both trophies are very nice!

 

[BenKK]

Nice memories made so far! Good luck on Monday!

 

[Art Lambart II]

WOW, A great Sable and Eland, good luck with the croc.

 

[slam8031]

Congrats! Awesome trophies and memories!!

 

[CAustin]

WOW, A great Sable and Eland, good luck with the croc.

Art you think your dad would like to have an eland like that one!?

 

[cls]

Congrats, well done. Good luck on the rest of the hunt

 

[Ridgewalker]

Sorry about the auto-correct. I’ll try to take time to read my typing before I post it.
Today I am goofing off until evening. Then we are going out to look for some night critters...a passion of mine. Unfortunately it looks like rain the next couple of days which isn’t conducive to croc hunting. They need sunshine for warmth to get out onto the bank. We’ll see.
Here’s a monitor maybe 3’ long we saw.

Here’s a pic of where the bullet stopped next to the off-side skin of the Eland.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Pieter is picking on me telling me the croc hunt will be in PawPrints cement pond. They will take their 4’ croc and stretch it tonight. It might be a little skinny he says, but it should fit my small space better!

 

[CAustin]

Pieter is picking on me telling me the croc hunt will be in PawPrints cement pond. They will take their 4’ croc and stretch it tonight. It might be a little skinny he says, but it should fit my small space better!
View attachment 228592

That Pieter guy is always working for the client........has the critter right there at the lodge for you. Ask him to put me a hippo in the cement pond.

 

[Ironhorse375]

Following closely.
Beautiful animals so far. Guessing crocodile beauty is in the eye of beholder .
You gotta to be getting ready for a nite critter hunt soon.
Straight shooting my friend
Steve

 

[Lee M]

Very nice Sable and Eland! Your bullet expended 100% if it’s energy into that Eland. Well done!