What is your most memorable African Hunting moment?

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Marius, please tell us how you got into that predicament, there must be more to the story?

Ditto! I think it has to be a good story.

Gents, Im on safari in Namibia at the moment and the wifi is acting up a little. Will try and tell the story as soon as I get a gap.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

My most memorable moment: It was my first day of hunting in Africa. My PH and I were looking for a gemsbok, as that was the trophy that I wanted most. We had already made a couple of stalks and come up empty, and saw a few different species of African wildlife (jackal, impala, gemsbok, zebra, red hartebeest). We stopped about mid morning and were walking down a road when we saw a couple of gemsbok up ahead slowly feeding and working to our right. So we got a little closer to the edge of the road to start a stalk and as we were slowly approaching the gemsbok, a couple of zebra came out of the bush to our left. Then a couple more......and a few more. Then something spooked them and the next thing I knew there was a whole herd of zebra stampeding across the road in front of me, about 50-60 yards away. The sight was spectacular, and that moment truly made me feel that I was in Africa............

of course, the gemsbok decided that whatever the zebra were running from they should probably run from as well........so our stalk was blown, but it is something that I will never forget!!

 

[PeteG]

Most memorable moment...

My first hunting trip with my Dad, i was about 8years old. We went to Mumbwa West GMA, this was the first proper hunt i had been on and i took my first animal. A reedbuck.
There are a couple of things that stood out for me on that trip.
1) Running out of pellets in my ancient little hand me down air rifle... which i still have sitting here. slightly rusted and not so powerful anymore.
2) Lion rubbing against the side of the tent and ropes we were sleeping in.
3) Taking my first reedbuck with "my" 22hornet, one shot and he dropped on the spot.

 

[Philip Glass]

Mine would simply be the moment I walked up to the most magnificent creature God put on the earth (besides mankind of course!). My colorful wild lion in Zimbabwe this last April brought me to tears. I am not sure I will ever top that experience.
Regards,
Philip

 

[cpr0312]

@Philip Glass ,

Thanks for sharing this amazing experience with us, I hope to be able to have that same experience some day!

 

[lcq]

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.

I always wanted to hear stuff moving around outside but leaving the door open only resulted in the dog jumping on my bed

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

For me it's a tie between these two moments:

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Oops, a tie between three moments:

 

[Wheels]

For me it's a tie between these two moments:

View attachment 158182 View attachment 158183

+1

My son taking his first African animal is super special to me.

 

[oldhoward]

My experience was simple. Me and my two sons arriving in Port Elizabeth and meeting our PH and realizing we were about to live a dream come true.

 

[Scott Slough]

Great thread!

Agree with previous posters ... the fulfillment of a lifelong dream was an ENTIRE memory that will live with me for eternity.

I think like most first time African hunters, I was a bit nervous about performing for my PH and shooting off sticks. What happens if I miss ... or even worse wound an animal and have to pay for it? After being on the sticks 8 or 10 times my first day of hunting in the Eastern Cape only to be waived off by the PH or not quite able to get a clear or steady shot ... I was really starting to get worried. Just at sunset three magnificent kudu bulls appeared in a small opening ... we had a great vantage point above them at less than 200 yards on semi-level ground ... I was absolutely certain that this was the moment and the PH told me that none of them were big enough. I almost had a panic attack ... apparently it showed on my face and the PH and tracker said something to each other in Afrikaans and laughed. The PH put his arms around my shoulders, jostled me a little bit and said not to worry we would find a bigger one and the tracker did a spiral above his head and whispered BIG ... OLD ... MANY CURLS! It was the first time that he had spoken English all day ... we all had a great laugh ... at my expense. At that exact moment, I knew that the hunt was going to be everything than I had dreamed of!!!!

FOLLOW-UP The largest bodied of the three was very tall with tight curls (as opposed to wider curls) and my PH explained that he would only be 47 maybe 48 inchers. Three days later another client was still looking for a kudu on her last day of the hunt and he told her PH about the group and they went back into the valley and shot the tall tight kudu ... he was 48 inches on the nose!

 

[peras]

Definitely guiding my kids on there first hunt, the most nervous I have ever been on a hunt. All ended well.

 

[cpr0312]

Pieter your smile with your arms around your kids says it all!

 

[Aaron N]

That's a proud papa with two great kids!

 

[CAustin]

@Pawprint Safaris the pictures of you and your kids is priceless. No question your a proud father and you should be. You guided them on their first hunt and that will be their great memory as well as yours! Hats off to you my friend.

 

[CAustin]

In keeping with our thoughts about our kids here is Bryson with his first African trophy! That smile on his face is pure joy.....no faking it for the camera!

 

[russ_c]

Mine would be my first African animal, a Kudu. My PH and I had been hunting for 3 full days. On the 4th day, the wind was aweful. We had used a brush blind in an area where my target was passing through. As bad luck seemed to be in my corner for the beginning of the safari, the Kudu bull showed up and the wind changed directions. My Kudu did, too!

Now to the memory: My PH and I decided to make a new brush blind quickly on the other side of the area the Kudu was passing through and keep the wind in our face. So, we moved about 8-10 round hay bales into a circle, with an opening for me to shoot my bow through. We piled a lot of the brush from the other blind on top of the bales to aid with our cover.

About 3-4 hours later, there was the Kudu bull. This time with the wind in our favor while we sat in our edible blind! 17 yard shot and he was down! Great memory to go along with my #1 all-time bucket list animal, and my first African animal!

The Kudu bull is the one in my avatar pic.

 

[CAustin]

Russ the kudu in the Avitar looks outstanding! The picture in your mind of that 17 yard shot will always be with you. You guys with the bow get up close with the trophy. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Ragman]

Such a great thread, and so many vivid memories....how to pick?

I guess the most memorable moment of the trip to Namibia for me was near the end of the first day for me. I had already shot a steenbok just after lunch for my first African animal and with an hour of daylight left we began our fourth (I think) stalk of the day on a herd of gemsbok. From beginning of the stalk to the successful shot took about a half hour. My PH then had to walk back to the bakkie and find a way to get it to my gemsbok, which probably took him 45 minutes. I got to stay by myself with this beautiful animal that I was blessed to harvest as the sun set on my first hunting day in this beautiful land. I pinched myself many times during that alone time.

Honourable mention memories to list:
-Seeing my first African animals from the van after being picked up at the airport.
-Joe's Beer House in Windhoek
-The anticipation of shooting my dream animal, kudu, and the disappointment in not getting one
-The huge dump of adrenaline when I watched the first kudu bull of the trip jump a fence in front of us and slowly stroll into the bush
-The birds. The sounds of the doves, francolin, guinea fowl and "Go away" birds. Seeing the hornbills, bustards, ostrich, secretary birds and so many others
-The anticipation of finding out each evening what my different group members shot that day
-Nearly jumping out of my shoes while waiting in ambush for baboons and having one bark at me from 30 yards
-Seeing leopard tracks in a dry creek bed that we were walking and then hearing one kill a duiker

And finally arriving back home to normal life and driving home from the airport while it was snowing realizing that it was over and praying that some day I will get to return for the kudu that eluded me!

 

[siml]

@Ragman , Joe's beer house, always brings back good memories.