What is your most memorable African Hunting moment?

[lcq]

Most memorable moment will always be waking up to the sounds of the lions, leopards and hyenas just beyond where I was sleeping. And the white rhino who walked toward me after my sable hunt. View attachment 158050 View attachment 158051

where were you hunting for that experience?

 

[Gsxrmike]

After dreaming of Africa most of my life every experience was memorable.
Seeing a weaver bird and an Ibis told me instantly that I had finally awakened in Africa. Seeing the red dirt at the airstrip. Being awakened by hyenas my first night in camp. Seeing a crocodile sunning on a sandbar near our camp. My Kudu, my first African animal. Stalking a buffalo and hearing him step on twigs before I could see him. Hearing his death bellow as we walked up to him after he dropped about 30 yards from my first shot. Too many memories to relate but I will remember forever.

 

[gizmo]

Wow is this a tough question. I'd have to say that while lion hunting my lion had drawn us into the thick stuff. He was trying to circle around behind us and at one point he was standing broadside behind some trees waiting for us. I think we came in on him sooner than he expected as we seemed to have caught him off guard. He was no doubt waiting to dose out a real bad day for us. I remember the sun was behind us and as it was in the evening it was making him shine a bit. When he realized we were there, at about 25 feet none the less, he gave us a hearty growl before taking off to try and circle around on us again. That scared the shit out of me. It was flat out awesome. As y'all know we eventually caught up to him. But the picture of him standing there in the sun behind the bush will ever be seared into my brain. The look in his eyes and that growl. Sheesh, I get chill bumps everytime I think about it.

 

[Antanas]

Day before by tracing kudu in low fence area my PH noticed waterbuck. He was astonished, because whis guy escaped from high fence neighbour area 3 years ago!!! Was storm at moment ,distance 222 meters facing front. No chance for shot. Next day was Easter...,but PH say lets try at waterhole early morning. Nothing. By way home we noticed kudu calf cant overjump 1,6m fence , and group of females are waiting just at another side and beautiful Bull with. No stop and we went back by foot after 200m startet tracing , after 2 hours tracks disappeared at rocky ground. My PH with tracker went to made circle and I must stay at small road with low fence 1.3m high about. After some time 6-7 kudu females jumped over fence 80m from me, the last was Bull .I shot in flight over...Thats my avatar,field measurement 55 inch.It was Easter Sunday 2011 Namibia.

 

[CAustin]

Wow is this a tough question. I'd have to say that while lion hunting my lion had drawn us into the thick stuff. He was trying to circle around behind us and at one point he was standing broadside behind some trees waiting for us. I think we came in on him sooner than he expected as we seemed to have caught him off guard. He was no doubt waiting to dose out a real bad day for us. I remember the sun was behind us and as it was in the evening it was making him shine a bit. When he realized we were there, at about 25 feet none the less, he gave us a hearty growl before taking off to try and circle around on us again. That scared the shit out of me. It was flat out awesome. As y'all know we eventually caught up to him. But the picture of him standing there in the sun behind the bush will ever be seared into my brain. The look in his eyes and that growl. Sheesh, I get chill bumps everytime I think about it.

That big guy had a vision of a gizmo snack for the afternoon. To hear one growl that close had to make the hair on your arms stand up!
Good memory for sure Gizmo!

 

[CAustin]

Day before by tracing kudu in low fence area my PH noticed waterbuck. He was astonished, because whis guy escaped from high fence neighbour area 3 years ago!!! Was storm at moment ,distance 222 meters facing front. No chance for shot. Next day was Easter...,but PH say lets try at waterhole early morning. Nothing. By way home we noticed kudu calf cant overjump 1,6m fence , and group of females are waiting just at another side and beautiful Bull with. No stop and we went back by foot after 200m startet tracing , after 2 hours tracks disappeared at rocky ground. My PH with tracker went to made circle and I must stay at small road with low fence 1.3m high about. After some time 6-7 kudu females jumped over fence 80m from me, the last was Bull .I shot in flight over...Thats my avatar,field measurement 55 inch.It was Easter Sunday 2011 Namibia.

He is a fine kudu sir!

 

[gizmo]

On equal terms was when Andri called me and told me that my buff had been found and was on the way to the taxidermist. That was for sure a exciting and relieving moment though I unfortunately wasn't there for it. It certainly makes it a unique trophy in that it is not just my buff but Andri, Beans, and Cabos's buff as well. So many worked so hard and went so far above and beyond for me on that. It's humbling to have such good friends.

 

[gizmo]

@CAustin , great thread Charlie, so many to chose from, but I would say being hit full frontal by wounded buffalo and walking away with two scratches. Was saved by the wet swamp, if it had been dry ground, not sure I would have walked away. Half my body was wet from when the buff was on top of me.View attachment 157947

Simon your certainly the only guy I know to get tea bagged by a buff and live to tell the tale.

 

[Velo Dog]

Hi Charley,
This is a great topic, I'm enjoying everything from each member posting here.

Like others have already said about their experiences in hunting Africa, I cannot really name one singular moment, in regards to hunting Africa that, stands out as Number One for me because, there are just too many.

These include but are not limited to:
(Neither are they in any particular order of preference)
First sunrise in the bush (5.5 hours south of Windhoek, Namibia).
First time I tried a Gin & Tonic was by the evening fire (Limpopo District, South Africa).
First time I heard a lion roar was coincidently that same time and place.
I realize the lions in that area were inside a fenced parcel but, it is 56,000 acres and no doubt, that impressive sounding "King of Beasts" did not exactly consider himself a member of Walt Disney's cartoon characters.

First time I fly fished in The Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa - the trout were taking wet caterpillar patterns and there were eland, zebra, springbok, blesbok, black wildebeest, ostrich and probably others, grazing all around.
The time a leopard ambushed a mature impala ram, between 50 and 100 paces from my hut (Limpopo).
It was 2 or 3 hours before dawn, and the camp dogs went crazy, waking everyone up.
Sitting silently with a Shangan Tracker at night, waiting for poachers to return to where they had set some wire snares (we never did catch any poacher but, I did keep one of their snares, for display in my bar / man cave at home, as my consolation prize).
Taking a warthog by means of a double rifle (it had previously only been an unlikely pipe-dream most of my adult life, until then).
Same for African buffalo with a double rifle, 2 or 3 years later.

Speaking of before dawn in Africa - eating rusks dunked in hot black coffee as the euphoric anticipation of first daylight and another day of hunting / fishing in Paradise steadily increased in my mind.
Hearing the bark of a bushbuck, way down in some steep, dark shady canyon, probably because he saw us before we saw him.
The Go-Away Birds squawking "go away!" at me, presumably because I unfortunately, am not Africa born.
The Nightjars singing their strange song in the evening, as we return through the bush to our bakkie, by battery torchlight.
I could go on all day but, I have already rambled well beyond (as usual) what Charley - "CAustin's" original question was about.

Cheers,
Paul - "Velo Dog".

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

The Go-Away Birds squawking "go away!" at me, presumably because I unfortunately, am not Africa born.

 

[Velo Dog]

That is beautiful music Jerome, thank you for posting it.

 

[Wheels]

Great thread Charlie. Enjoying everyone's experiences.


A couple of my experiences. Not necessarily while hunting but certainly Africa.


Trying to go to sleep on a bright night and hearing elephants 100 yards away. Then opening my eyes to see an elephant's head and trunk sweeping/sniffing over the nylon tent just above me and my family, then realizing his feet were one step away from my head. Elephants can me amazingly quiet.


Walked into the garden to pick beans or okra for my mother. Looked up to see a leopard 10 yards away just inside the long grass staring at me. Walked slowly backwards, while staring at the leopard, the 40 yards to the house. No fresh greens that night.


A nice ripe guava was on a low hanging branch six inches out of my grasp when I jumped. Found a stick and hit the guava knocking it down along with a green mamba or boomslang (not sure which as I didn't take time to examine it) that landed at my feet in knee high grass. I'm thankful the guava was out of my reach when I jumped.

 

[Christina Nyczepir]

where were you hunting for that experience?

In the Limpopo area. That's all I can say. And here I was hoping to finally see Kruger. LOL! Those who do not hunt Africa, have no clue the incredible experiences they are missing. You just feel so much richer as a person having gone through those experiences. Here's to praying there are many more to come. For all of us.

 

[Royal27]

Great thread Charlie. Enjoying everyone's experiences.


A couple of my experiences. Not necessarily while hunting but certainly Africa.


Trying to go to sleep on a bright night and hearing elephants 100 yards away. Then opening my eyes to see an elephant's head and trunk sweeping/sniffing over the nylon tent just above me and my family, then realizing his feet were one step away from my head. Elephants can me amazingly quiet.


Walked into the garden to pick beans or okra for my mother. Looked up to see a leopard 10 yards away just inside the long grass staring at me. Walked slowly backwards, while staring at the leopard, the 40 yards to the house. No fresh greens that night.


A nice ripe guava was on a low hanging branch six inches out of my grasp when I jumped. Found a stick and hit the guava knocking it down along with a green mamba or boomslang (not sure which as I didn't take time to examine it) that landed at my feet in knee high grass. I'm thankful the guava was out of my reach when I jumped.

Bob,

Your stories never cease to amaze me! The leopard... gulp...

 

[CAustin]

Velo dog thanks for posting! You have lots of great memories!

 

[CAustin]

Great thread Charlie. Enjoying everyone's experiences.


A couple of my experiences. Not necessarily while hunting but certainly Africa.


Trying to go to sleep on a bright night and hearing elephants 100 yards away. Then opening my eyes to see an elephant's head and trunk sweeping/sniffing over the nylon tent just above me and my family, then realizing his feet were one step away from my head. Elephants can me amazingly quiet.


Walked into the garden to pick beans or okra for my mother. Looked up to see a leopard 10 yards away just inside the long grass staring at me. Walked slowly backwards, while staring at the leopard, the 40 yards to the house. No fresh greens that night.


A nice ripe guava was on a low hanging branch six inches out of my grasp when I jumped. Found a stick and hit the guava knocking it down along with a green mamba or boomslang (not sure which as I didn't take time to examine it) that landed at my feet in knee high grass. I'm thankful the guava was out of my reach when I jumped.

We will remember this as the no green beans for supper story!
Good story my friend!

 

[CAustin]

Have heard this myself. Thanks for posting Jerome!

 

[cpr0312]

Lots of good stuff here, enjoying reading everyone's responses as well!

 

[johnnyblues]

Hearing leopards growl and grunt in the darkness of my blind waiting for daylight. I swear they were just yards away from us. Fantastic.

 

[CAustin]

Hearing leopards growl and grunt in the darkness of my blind waiting for daylight. I swear they were just yards away from us. Fantastic.

Spots was on to you Johnny! Good thing it wasn't as close as the one licking his chops for @Wheels