Ok, ok, ok...no patience around here. Remind me not to get in a leopard blind with y'all! Oh wait...it's not leopard time yet. Still working baits.
Eland day
We were actually looking for a zebra bait when the PH handed me the 416 Rigby and said come with me now! We walked quickly away from the truck and he turned and said there is a HUGE eland in front of us. We tracked a bit and saw this eland was joining a small group of eland. We got them sorted out in the brush in front of us and the PH put me on the sticks. He said get ready when it comes through that small opening in the bush. When he called the shot, I let it go and there was a loud hit from the bullet and the eland took off. These Northfork CPS make a loud report upon impact. It’s quite noticeable. As we went forward, there was hardly any blood. I had a funny feeling in my stomach and wondered what had happened. The shot felt good but we were in heavy brush. As it turns out, the bullet had hit a small stick before hitting the eland (possibly as the bullet tumbled). Now we had a real question of where had the bullet actually hit?
What followed was one of those amazing tracker stories that many of us have experienced. Somehow, the tracker stayed on the right track among several eland with no blood to work with. Did I mention it was middle of the day in a freaking oven?!? After over 1 mile, we found a few scattered drops of blood but nothing significant. I kept thinking where did I hit this eland? I was holding on the shoulder at about 60-70 yards and the shot felt good but we had almost no blood trail. At this point the eland pulled away from the group and we started to smile a little more. After close to another mile with a few scattered drops and smears on the grass, the tracker pointed ahead. I thought no way can that be eland horns sticking up above the grass. They were just too long to be an eland bull but in just a few seconds, the eland exploded out of the grass about 30-40 yards in front of us. The PH yelled that’s him! I aimed for the base of the tail and there was an audible crack like a baseball hit hard. The momentum carried the bull forward a few yards and he collapsed. The bullet hit 1 inch from the root of the tail and ranged over 4 feet forward through the intestines and rumen and lodged against the skin on the off side shoulder. The PH started laughing and said that rifle is the Rigby hand brake!
When we walked up to it the PH said yes man, look at this eland! Both PH’s said it was the largest Livingstone eland they had seen in 60 years of guiding between them. I’m not big on measuring animals but to give respect to this madala eland…he’s 41 inches long and would score in the top 25 SCI. I have a photo of the #1 eland and my eland’s horn length might actually be longer than the #1 eland but that tank had more mass. The PH said no one will believe this and they will think it’s photoshopped….or say how did that Lord Derby eland get into Zim! It’s the eland of a lifetime for sure. I’m very humbled to have taken it.
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