SOUTH AFRICA: 7/5-7/14 Eastern Cape With Nick BOWKER HUNTING SOUTH AFRICA

[Deleted member 40394]

Sitting here at the or tambo airport awaiting departure to Newark. Had an excellent hunt with Nick Bowker. I am not going to make this a long report. Let’s get to it.
Day 1:
Lechwe after a 300 plus yard stalk. Quarter towards shot at 160 yards after we found him at the end of the rainbow.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Pic

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 1

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 2 was a good one. After some rain settled in during the morning the skies cleared and we went out late morning with the plan to hunt all day. We have spotted some female Nyala and walked on a cliff to get a better look. A male Nyala appeared and needed a few more years. While glassing we noticed some female bushbuck in the alfalfa fields. We decided to take a ride in the Bakkie and cut around this farm. We noticed some kudu from the highway so we made a plan. They were on this 10 acre plateau and one we knew looked like a shooter. We cut to the backside of the plateau and parked the vehicle. We got out and sent a tracker to slowly walk the plateau and Nick and I got on the backside where we figured the kudu might come out. We got to the spot we though we needed to be in and set up the sticks. 5 minutes later I hear some rocks coming down the hill right beside us. I turned and noticed a cow and calf kudu was at 55 yards and all we had was the one bush breaking us up as it was pretty open. After about 15-20 seconds I could hear more kudu coming. Soon I see the big male kudu coming down right to where the cow was and I heard nick say to shoot him. I used the front half of the quad sticks only and as soon as I settled in the scope was on the kudu as he was standing broadside at 64 yards. I could see a calf beside him but I had clear shoulder shot. I squeezed it and he took off. We saw him fall after going 25 yards. Big bodied kudu but had lots of hair missing and he had calluses all over him. An old specimen.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

We loaded the kudu up and decided to glass the alfalfa fields that were 800 or so yards away. Immediately we spotted a bushbuck ram and decided to make a fast stalk. We covered a lot of ground quickly and got into position on the backside of the alfalfa field close to the river. We could see a female feeding and soon a male appeared which was not the size we would shoot this early in the trip. It was getting close to sundown so we just stood In The thickets on the edge of the field to wait until dark. We weren’t waiting long when a big bushbuck stepped out and ran to the female and smaller ram. I got on the sticks immediately when he came out and at 225 yards he was now headed for the bushes. I put it on the shoulder and squeezed a shot off as he was going into the bushes. I heard the loud thwack and the hit sounded good. It took us 15 minutes to find him but we originally overshot where he was at and quickly found blood. Turns out he went maybe 20 yards and was piled up in a thicket on the edge of the field. Day 2 was one I will not forget!

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 3 we hunted various animals with a gemsbok stalk ending in success at 309 yards on a big male gemsbok. I had to put another one in him at 420 yards while he was laying down. These animals are tough.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 4 was Nyala day and we soon spotted a shooter on a hillside with several young males. At 280 yards I squeezed one off on him but he took a step as I shot resulting in a little far back hit. He ran a few yards and I shot again through the bush and barely skinned the underside of him. He then commenced to running straight at us down the valley. He got to 80 and I was turning the turret down and at 60 I was turning the power down. Finally at 40 yards I threw the gun up freehanded and put one off behind the shoulder and the Nyala piled up and no more than 38 yards. This reminded me of our shots on white tails back home in SC. It was exciting.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

On the afternoon of day 4 we were also successful on an Impala stalk. Took him at 80 yards frontal shot.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 5 we went out again for sable. We had one put the crap on us a few times. Well he outsmarted us again so at lunch we chased a black wildebeest and made it happen. Cool animal and they look much bigger far off then when you walk up to em.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 5 afternoon we again hunted a sable to no luck. We got to within 100 yards but didn’t want to a mess him up so we left him for day 6 am.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 6 AM we spot the elusive sable and make a plan. We actually spooked him after a 500 yard stalk but he had a mistake of stopping at 225 yards and looking back at us. The shot connected and he ran 100 yards. Had to follow up twice behind the shoulder. Man these animals are very tough.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 6 afternoon it started to rain. We found a great common springbok and made a stalk. It took some running around but finally we waited him out and he got to 140 yards and we took him. As soon as we loaded him up it started to pour down.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 7 we traveled to another farm to find a waterbuck. We picked up a local and we’re hunting early am. We spotted a male waterbuck off the bat but was funky horned. We drove up the mountain and soon spotted 6 male waterbuck. We made a stalk and they were all on a mountainside at 290 yards or so. I got on the sticks and nick said the one on the right was exceptional. I noticed the one on the left was really good but soon after the one on the right came from behind a bush and I realized he was very large. I settled the crosshairs on the shoulder and squeezed. The shot connected and at the time we thought a good hit but after jumping him twice we came to the conclusion the shot was low. We tracked the waterbuck for probably 4 miles and jumped him a few times. He called in some help and had 3 dogs on the track. Eventually we caught up to the waterbuck and put the final neck shot on him over the dogs. Turns out first shot was about 2” low maybe. Was a big relief getting this waterbuck. Thank you to Ben Pringle and Ron kolde for joining us to track.

 

[Hogpatrol]

You came in after me and my buddy. You took some nice animals. Nick runs a good operation. Were you using Nicks 300WM?

 

[Deleted member 40394]

You came in after me and my buddy. You took some nice animals. Nick runs a good operation. Were you using Nicks 300WM?

Yes.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 8 was a four animal day.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Day 9 was zebra day. My 15th animal of the trip. Pretty stallion.

 

[Trogon]

You got some exceptional animals @justin wiles!!
I enjoyed sharing the camp with you, it was a memorable trip.

 

[Uncle Sauce]

Congrats - Great assortment of animals!

 

[USN]

very nice and makes me even more inpatient for my upcoming visit to Nick’s