So the 2nd full day was the red duiker calling mentioned above and the following experiences. On the way to call red duiker we were driving on a dirt road among houses on the edge of town (Louis Trichardt). As we came around a corner, Dieter said did you see that? I said no...and then he stops the truck and points...there is a caracal standing beside the road. Dieter says I've lived here all my life and never seen one in this area. I said that's the first one I've seen in the wild. It was beautiful standing there so still for a moment. You're used to seeing videos of them jumping 10 feet into the air to pull birds down but just standing there in a suburban area was outrageous.
After calling the red duiker without success, we changed directions and drove up further into the mountains to call klippies. This was a hunt I had been wanting to do for some time. Klipspringers are a really special animal and unlike anything else in the world. I don't think they have any close relatives. They have the most beautiful eyes and I've always loved how they stand on the tips of their hooves looking down at you with their head cocked sideways.
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This area we drove back into was fairly remote and undeveloped. In fact, the landowner was building a road into the back part of his land. This road climbed up into the mountains and back behind them. We would climb a little and call for awhile then keep climbing up and up.
This was probably the hardest physical day of the hunts being up in the loose rocks and cliffs. We thought we would find a target soon but we kept climbing and didn't bring any water with us. We spent hours looking for them and were all surprised by finding none. This place should have definitely turned up a few klippies but not on this day. Still it was a great day calling up in the mountains! It was a real hunt not just shooting. Good times.
Here are a few photos of the area and the sets we called from. Due to longer distances, I was borrowing Dieter's suppressed 243.
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