here are the first couple of days:
Day 2
the day started off seeing a lone burchell zebra at 300 I passed on it because I want the Hartman more. another 10 minutes down the road we see a nice herd of burchell zebra at 280 I still passed on them it is only day 2 and I am holding out for a Hartman.
1/2 hour to 45 minutes later we see a large herd of Hartman zebra but they are at 400 yards across the valley, they spotted us right away before I could get on them. by the time I got on them and had a shot they were at 540 and off sticks I didn't feel comfortable with the shot, there was no wind but this would have been my first shot at a trophy and I didn't want to take the chance so we loaded up and continued down the trail. saw some kudu with no shooters.
We stop to check the water at a cow pen and run into a large pack of baboons. it took me a bit to get situated for a shot with them running across the mountain side. finally they stopped and we spotted the largest male perched on the ridge on a flat rock right at 330 yards, I dialed 2 clicks under 350. Put the crosshairs on mid chest and rolled him. The rest of the pack take off and we think they are gone. 5-10 minutes go by and they have started up the ridge across the valley. Tom takes a shot at one at 330 and misses I then find one perched on top of the ridge at 440 I dial 2 clicks under 450 and smacked him hard the shot was a touch low but it did him in and he tumbled off the cliff. Now they are really scrambling, Bastone -- Jean the ph's son, spotted one sitting on a rock overlooking the valley at 460 yards, I set 450 and held slightly high and dropped him. Man what a sit my first 3 kills in Africa are baboons all over 330, you couldn't script it better but the day is far from over.
down the road a bit we spot some kudu, we stop and watch them, and there was a decent bull in the group they were atop the ridge at 350 yards. we waited and watched for 20 minutes but never got a shot.
these are shots from where i took the baboons 1 on the top of the moutain in the center of the photo 330 yards
2 off this ridge
we then see several more groups of kudu and did 2 stalks -- about 2 miles worth with no shots. we stop by the ranch and pick up a picnic lunch and head out to a water hole for a warthog. On the way we spot one large kudu right in the road I had my scope cap on and never got a shot it happened so quick. we went on a stalk and got on him again but a shot never presented but it was a blast.
We continued on to the water hole and saw another group of kudu mostly cows but one small bull. also started seeing some warthogs -- one very large male but never presented a shot. got to the water hole and ate lunch. We sat there for a couple of hours. We saw a sow with 3 piglets come in and play in the mud for a bit and later another lone sow came in for a drink. It was getting to be around 3 or so, Deon my ph went to check out above the dam in the mean time I put down the shooting sticks and we started to pack. Deon gets back and says he saw 2 or 3 heading this way, a few minutes later another sow comes down and then walks off. by now I am ready to just go then Deon whispers and points to the far left of the water hole -- north side of the dam -- a very nice old boar is walking in. Now all this time there are around 60 head of cattle around the water hole with 2 laying down toward the left edge of the water. The boar comes in to the left of the cattle and is at the water's edge 88 yards away. Deon says he is a good old boar and to take him if I want to, by this time I had quietly set up the sticks again and took a good look through the scope and decided he would look good on my wall. Deon says take him when I have a shot, I looked at the cattle and they were a good 10 yards to the right of the boar and 20 yards back. My angle was good as it was angling away from the cows. I put my crosshairs on his shoulder and sent the 200gn lrx. He did a big twirl and roll and headed up the dam. I started second guessing my shot, Deon said "you hit him good" but as I saw him run up the hill I couldn't help worrying because I was sighted in for 1.5 high at 100 and forgot to aim a bit lower.
Deon and the tracker head out I am not far behind. Deon gets to the top of the dam and says " he is down do you see him? I got to the top and looked down and there he was at the bottom of the dam on the other side, he had ran 30 yards up the dam and then rolled down. My first trophy in Africa I was excited. we took our photos and loaded him up.
We headed out towards camp. A couple miles down and we jumped a large group of kudu with a very good bull and a young bull. we watch them but no shot. We do our stalk and thought we had it right. we had gotten ahead of them and saw the cows going up the valley we set up sticks and I put the cross hairs right on the cows waiting for the big bull. just then we see the bull already up there 50 yards to the right and heading straight up the mountain. He gets to the top and I am on him. He turns at the top but a cow was right there and I had no shot. we head back to the truck regroup and set off to head him off again.
We get around the mountain and spot the cows again but we are too late they were heading over the next ridge. We try again to head them off but to no avail. we found a few young ones and did a stalk but no bulls were to be seen. Still a good ending to a great day. the sun was setting as we turned around to head back to the ranch.
Day 3
We got up early today, 5:45, Deon said we missed the zebras by only 30 minutes or so yesterday so we were trying to get ahead of them today.
On the trail we saw a few gemsbok but no shooters then we found a nice stallion Hartman zebra. He was 1200 yards away on a ridge. Deon and Joan made a game plan. Deon, I and Froel the tracker headed out. At 800 yards things were looking good we were on the back side of a ridge out of his sight. we got to 460 yards and took a peak, he was still there but something on the road spooked him and off he went. this was an hour into the stalk. we continued on to the ridge and down the valley. we see a cow and young bull kudu but never see the zebra again. by the time we got back to the truck 2 hours and probably 2 miles had gone by. Man that kicked my butt.
10 minutes down the road we spot some gemsbok at 150 but I was way too slow and off they went. The rest of the morning we covered a lot of ground seeing a few more kudu and then we saw a group of gemsbok at 400 yards, we got lined up, they were starting to move. I got on the gun, there was a very nice one standing broadside 450 yards. I put the scope on it and just before I pulled the trigger Deon said don't shoot it is a cow. By now the rest are moving off at a good pace, we turn around to try and cut them off. We take a short walk on an opposite ridge but don't see them again.
It is after noon now so we head in and grab a bite to eat, regroup and make a plan for the rest of the day. Tom stayed back for a knap and we head out to check a couple of water holes. We stop and cross a fence on foot to look off into a valley. we spot some gemsbok but they are at 650 yards. and spot us right away. there are also some baboons there. We move around the hill and see a lone kudu at 280 yards It would be a perfect shot but he is too young, he never does see us. We head back to the truck and continue on seeing nothing till just before we get back to the ranch I spot a baboon crossing the road. we take off and Joan gets the truck set up. I take 2 shots off hand at 300 and 400 yards but barely miss both times.
Back at the ranch we fill the water bottles and regroup. Joan is on the phone talking to the neighbor. Now Deon and Joan make the plan for the afternoon hunt we will leave at 3 he says. Loaded up we head out. Next thing I know we are on some very rocky trails. After 20 minutes or so I see some buildings in the distance. We pick up a tracker and head out again to see if we can get my zebra. for about the next 40 minutes we are traveling on what I would call cow paths on the side of a mountain. I literally thing we were in the middle of nowhere or we passed it on one of the ridges. All of a sudden we see some kudu cows across the valley below at 200-250 yards. It takes me a bit to see them -- I just don't know how these guys can see them so well with their naked Eyes and I take binoculars to see the.
Finally seeing the cows they spot a bull and get me on him. Wow he is a very nice bull. he I moving left to right on the side of the mountain. I get into position and Deon says I can take him if I want he Is a very good bull he says. I line up the crosshairs and pull the trigger -- nothing happens I forgot to take the safety of. Now he starts to move again. I get the safety off the trackers make a few calls and he stops. I take the shot feeling a little rushed, he stumbles then gets up we can see I hit a little far forward and hit the shoulder. I get a pit in the bottom of my stomach as I see him stumbling away up the mountain.
We travel down this cow path looking for a spot to turn around, all the time the trackers and deon are making plans -- I can't understand a word they say and await instructions. The truck stops and we get out, vroel, Deon, I ,and the tracker we picked up at the neighbors. The walk wasn't bad at all the adrenalin was pumping. Deon and the trackers find the blood trail after only 10 or so minutes of walking. I see trees and bushes the have fresh scrape marks on them so I am feeling a little better.
In the mean time joan and the others are headed around the mountain to cut him off. We stop trying to find the direction he went. then vroel points, there he is 30-40 yards off. Deon throws the sticks up I get on them and he spooks then we see joan and the others right behind him 150 yards back so I couldn't shoot. he heads right for joan, he starts making a bunch of noise which turns the bull left all the time I am trying to stay on him. He clears the guys deon says shoot I take a shot and it grazes his right side. Joan takes off after him and shoots twice one hitting his left rump and one in the neck. I get up there and he is still alive but laying down 30 yards off. I put the crosshairs behind the shoulder and finish him off. Wow is all I can say, that was a roller coaster. the trackers and rest of the guys start to clear a path to get the truck to us, Tom and Linda start to walk to us.
Deon takes the pictures -- he keeps saying say snake shit but it wasn't necessary I am smiling ear to ear. Tom and linda get there and we snap a few more with them. by now the sun is going down it is around 5 and we have a long drive ahead. Everything is loaded up and we make our own trail off the mountain.
They get him cleaned and skinned. Tom measures him at 54 1/8 inches with 11.5 inch base left and 53.5 10 3/4 base on right. Deon estimates him at 9 years old, the horns have some cracking and just a lot of character what a wonderful trophy.
