SOUTH AFRICA: Tootabi Valley Safaris, LBG Safaris & Hunting With Friends

[Royal27]

Looks like a lot of fun. Is that a TTSX you have loaded? Thanks. Bruce

Yes sir - 180 grain.

It was an absolute blast.

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats! Thanks for sharing the stories and pics!

 

[Royal27]

Day Four:

Forgive me guys as the jet lag is setting in....

So we go check baits the next morning and of course the one we set at is the last one.... when we get there and look, no blood is found. It's a miss. How I miss at 30 yards I don't know? I was both relieved and extremely frustrated at myself. I had let an amazing opportunity slip through my fingers....

The hunting continues and it is cold, at least by South African standards, and windy as well. Two constants on the trip for me were less than optimal weather and shooting! It didn't slow us down though and that afternoon and evening definitely turned around a bit. We did make a stalk on a nice mountain reedbuck, but it just didn;t come together. I had one opportunity at a shot and just wasn't quick enough.

We saw a nice bushbuck, or the head of one. It was back behind a little rise and nothing but the head was showing. It had looked towards us, but then turned its head "broadside." I aimed just below the eye and hit it right where I aimed for once. It obviously dropped like a rock and there would be on tracking or looking for this animal. It was nice to finally have a bushbuck as it is another animal that has eluded me. It is also one of those animals that I'll take on any trip over if I could improve, or get a different sub species.

After the bushbuck it was time to drive around and spotlight again. We weren't seeing much other than duiker and more bushbuck, maybe a genet? Then we saw our friend from the night before, the Civet Cat. This time I had a good look and a shot. From what I saw those things never stop moving - constantly on the go, so it is a matter of finding it in the semi open, and in this case trotting away from me. At any rate, he was down, although the bullet did exit through his front right leg, doing dome slight damage.... Sorry @The Artistry of Wildlife ....

Oops...

 

[tarbe]

Sounds like you got quite a bit of hunting in, for this being a "come what may" trip!

Sounds like that night vision apparatus is to blame for the miss on the HB. That would be my story!!

Glad you are home safe,


Tim

 

[Royal27]

Sounds like you got quite a bit of hunting in, for this being a "come what may" trip!

Sounds like that night vision apparatus is to blame for the miss on the HB. That would be my story!!

Glad you are home safe,


Tim

Thanks Tim!

It really was a great trip both places. Time was too short both places for everything that I would have liked, but I knew that going in and it was no surprise.

I won't blame the badger on the night vision though. It was my choice to use it and to pull the trigger. Besides, obviously if Bossie had hung the bait at the right height I would have hit it.

 

[Hank2211]

Some had a similar piece of night vision equipment a few years ago when I was trying for bush pig in KZN. I'm almost glad we never saw one - I'm not sure how I would have done with the set-up - looking, as you say, over the scope at a small screen. A honey badger is not large - particularly if you are taking a side shot - so perhaps not surprising it didn't go as well as expected. I can truthfully say that when something like this happens to me, I'm really very glad when no trace of blood is found.

Nice bushbuck though, and what looks like a very large civet.

A little surprised you are seeing so many genet - I saw two in 12 days of spotlighting. A shotgun can come in handy because like civet, they tend not to stop for long, and they sit pretty close to the ground.

Sounds like great fun, notwithstanding the frustration . . . .

 

[billc]

looks like bossie really came threw in a big way on all the special critters you were after. Glad the hunt went well for you after the way it started.

 

[huntermn15]

Outstanding report Royal, I'm really enjoying the critters. I look forward to future installments and photos.

Mike

 

[Jfet]

Ok, I found your report. Its good stuff.

The thing that jumped out at me is that you are having to wear a coat in July and tomorrow I start football. There is hope though. Cold front may come through Texas later this week and it will get down to 97.

Super Job on these night critters

 

[Wheels]

Enjoying the report Royal.

You have some neat critters there.

 

[Neale]

Thanks for your ongoing report Royal. Good to see some nice trophies after a rocky start.

 

[Lee M]

Nice report on a very different kind of hunt. My wife says I'm somewhat nocturnal, so I would enjoy that hunt. Those civet cats are pretty big!

 

[Bullthrower338]

Nice report Royal! Hell of a flesh wound on that Civet!lol.
Cheers,
Cody

 

[rinehart0050]

Enjoying the story. Congrats on what you got so far. Keep it coming, looking forward to hearing more!

 

[Sand Rat]

Great report @Royal27, love the bushbuck and pig. Hope you saved the pig skull, Dennis told me he'd have dental replica tusk made for my shoulder mount and save the real ones for the euro. @The Artistry of Wildlife should have plenty of practice on the three legged critters, my genet only had three feet when I shot it with Marius so he'll have to get creative with the posing.

 

[cpr0312]

Awesome bushbuck!

 

[Nyati]

A different hunt, and a good one, congrats !

 

[Royal27]

Some had a similar piece of night vision equipment a few years ago when I was trying for bush pig in KZN. I'm almost glad we never saw one - I'm not sure how I would have done with the set-up - looking, as you say, over the scope at a small screen. A honey badger is not large - particularly if you are taking a side shot - so perhaps not surprising it didn't go as well as expected. I can truthfully say that when something like this happens to me, I'm really very glad when no trace of blood is found.

Nice bushbuck though, and what looks like a very large civet.

A little surprised you are seeing so many genet - I saw two in 12 days of spotlighting. A shotgun can come in handy because like civet, they tend not to stop for long, and they sit pretty close to the ground.

Sounds like great fun, notwithstanding the frustration . . . .

I won't blame the equipment. I chose to use it. I do however; think I under estimated the learning curve... I think you're also right on the side shot - that thing wasn't thick...

I'm no Civet expert, but dang thing seemed big to me! Bigger than most pictures I've seen... Here is another one that helps to show.

Seeing genets wasn't the issue, but shooting them was!

 

[Wheels]

I'm no Civet expert, but dang thing seemed big to me! Bigger than most pictures I've seen... Here is another one that helps to show.
View attachment 156267

It would have even been bigger if you hadn't shot a leg off.

That is a big civet!

Big warts on the ole bush pig too. Great looking!

 

[Royal27]

Day 5:

Back to the usual bait checking. The badger had actually been back the night before. Apparently they really don't care.... So we would sit again. I'd decided to use the .300 WSM and if I blew the badger up, so be it.

We took a good walk during the day, with the plan being to having Robert (the tracker) pick us up at a waterhole that we'd walk to.his is where radios are interesting. Not long before we got to the waterhole Robert radioed and said there were a couple of pigs at the waterhole, and one seemed to be pretty big. I was non-commital, but knew I would take a nice pig. As we stalked up and saw him I didn't even need to look through the scope to know I was shooting. Bossie told me after that if I hadn't shot he would have borrowed my rifle and shot himself. I wasn't going to give him the chance!

There was also a chance during the day to use an African tire plug.... Thorn wasn't broken, so don't fix it...

So we went to the blind and arrived about five. And that thorn that wasn't broken? Broke. Right in front of the blind, when we wanted to started sitting... The compressor was brought out and a real tire pluf inserted in record time and we were in the blind and getting settled by about 5:15 I think.

Well, I would spend plenty of time in a blind this trip, but not this evening. At about 5:40 the badger ran in and started to climb up on the bait. it wasn't dark even, not by a a long shot. We let badger get up where we wanted him and let me tell you they are fidgety little things! Per the camera my shot was at 5:44 PM and there was no doubt this time. The badger dropped like a rock when I shot.

I had my badger. Interesting that the pictures make him look bigger. He was actually smaller than I thought. That Civet is way bigger. And @Hank2211 says they smell. Well, he's right. I touched it, but not much and I was glad when the pictures were over. The real test though? The smell gagged the tracker.... that's stinky! Short of a skunk it is the worst smelling animal I've ever well, smelled.

The story doesn't end here though. Remember that miss from the other night? Well.... It wasn't a miss. There just wasn't any blood. And a honey badger really doesn't give a %^$ it seems!!! This sucker got shot and didn't miss a meal....

So after dropping the badger off and putting it in the cooler we went to look for African wildcat. we saw one and I shot, but as I was pulling the trigger it ducked away and down a little rise that protected it. I hot where I was aiming with the shotgun, but that cat simply wasn't there when the shot made it. This was all we saw all night as it was cold and windy. Well, other than Steenbok and duiker, which were everywhere! It was a tough and cold night, but it had been a great day!