MY FIRST SAFARI
MY FIRST SAFARI.
It all started with Bear Hunting up North in Sweden. Because it was over 700km to drive I contacted the Manager of the hunt with a question: Does somebody that lives south of me in Norway want to ride in the car with me, because it is so boring to drive the long way alone. And yes it was. A very nice man, Ola. And then it all began, he had been to Africa on over 20 Safaris, so he filled me up with stories about lions, rhinos, elephants with enourmous tusks and so on. 1400km later we agreed to hunt with my dog and plan my first safari. He arranged for 4 of us first time hunters + himself. The package was: Kudu, Gemsbok (Oryx), Springbuck, Impala, Bushbuck and Stenbuck. He were trying to get Bushpig, Whaal Rebuck and Caracal (with dogs on Lynx)+ some extras
We had a couple of gatherings were Ola showed pictures and films. On departure day I was pretty exited.
On arrival in Port Elisabeth we met the PH Adrian at the airport, and drove a couple of hours up to the cabin in the mountains. It was an incredible wiev from the carwindow and I was amased over the density and different species of animals.
On my first day I shot a big old Oryx after a long stalk. I was lying on the rocks and took him out when he appeared among the STICKY bushes about 180m below us. Incredible. I used my .308 Tikka with a silencer.
The one I remember best was the Bushbuck. I had some trouble getting them because it was very warm so they were lying down under the trees. The last day we spotted 2 lying down ca 600m away, across a valley. It was first downhill and they had a full wiev to were we sat. My PH said that I had to approach him on my own and try to shoot him from about 200m. I walked in a very low position in a very slow speed. Suddenly I heard a bark and looked up. Both Bushbucks were up on their feet looking behind them, not at me. I hurried towards the nearest tree, found a hole beetween the branches and sat down. Then the Bushbucks had started to walk, fast, towards the trees on the other side. "My" buck was second and while I sat down and aimed I felt a bunch of thornes/sticks was making some solide holes on my behind, feeling the blood started to pour, the buck had 5m to freedom, I fired. He fell at the spot but he raised his head and looke straight at me, I quickly fired the second shoot in his neck and he was down in the grass. That was my best feeling so far in my life. It was not an enourmous trophy but I cant count the times I have been dreaming that "situation" over and over again. When we landed in Norway I was already planning my next trip and ways to save up money. At this moment it is 66days, 23hours, 26min until I take off from Norway towards "the land of my dreams".
I am hunting everything else here in Scandinavia, and loves it, but when it is 70cm snow and 25below, I must admit that my head is on another continent.
