Panielsen
AH enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2011
- Messages
- 287
- Reaction score
- 274
- Location
- Odessa, TX
- Media
- 15
- Member of
- Dallas Safari Club, NRA, SCI
- Hunted
- United States, Limpopo South Africa
Well we are back from S.A. with a lifetime of memories and full of pride. We arrived in Johannesburgh with no clue what we were doing. My 4457 forms were not stamped in the USA as Houston Hobby Airport does not have customs, and in Atlanta they would sign them without seeing them. Lesson learned as I almost didn't get to keep my rifles in Africa. Thankfully the police accepted what US cash I had left in my pocket and I was on my way to Phalaborwa in Limpopo, South Africa!
I met my PH "Joe" at the airport and he took us first to the grocery store to complete his camp supply shopping. My wife took more pictures in there than she had the whole trip to this point! While shopping, I had a chance to talk to my PH about the buff I wanted. I told him I did NOT want a huge young bull, but rather an old warrior with big boss' and worn horns. He smiled and said he likes hunters like that as he feels they make the best trophies. Little did I know that my PH was psychic and would find the bull I had in my head!
The following morning we went out to check the .458 at the range. We shot from 50 meters and I was dead on. My PH was happy with the work I put in on the range and loading bench. He was just as anxious to see what the Raptor bullets would do as I was since he had never even heard of them. I told him I would put the Raptor on top, then solids below just in case the Raptors were dud's. He agreed. We went out that afternoon from the range and look for buff. We found track of a big old bull not far from our camp on the Elephant river. We followed the track for a couple of hours, then our trackers lost the spoor. So, off to enjoy a fire and sundowners!
The next morning before sun up, joe was waiting at breakfast with his .450 Ackley and a hot cup of coffee. After a quit breakfast, we loaded up into the Toyota, and went looking for spoor. After about two hours of driving around we found the spoor of two large buff, one being very old. My PH decided to give a portable radio to the trackers and sent them on the spoor since we were afraid they would be off our concession very soon along the river. We mounted up and drove several miles in the direction of the track and awaited word from the trackers. While we waited, my wife found lots of rocks to bring home and we talked guns and cartridges in the shade. Finally the radio crackled and it was the trackers. They followed the spoor close to our river camp and they felt they would pass our camp and then our concession within the next hour, so we loaded up to meet them.
We arrived by the river where the trackers were waiting. My PH asked them what they thought we had, and they said it was definitely the old bull and a younger one that was also large. We loaded up the rifles again and set off on the track along the rivers edge. While we were walking the crocs, only feet away from us, would splash back into the river. The grass and reeds were now over our heads and I began to smell the cattle smell of our animals. Elephant were in the bush on our right and I will never get used to how large they are. Across the river is Kruger, and we saw a bachelor herd on that side just watching us, knowing they were safe yet taunting us from the safety of the park. We pushed on until the tracker froze and pointed. My PH lifted his glasses, so I lifted mine. All I saw was the back of a big buff, but he saw the horns. He softly whispered that this was a old buff with huge boss', but wasn't real wide. He asked if I wanted him, but since I didn't see the horns myself I asked my PH if it was his tag would HE take him. He smiled and said hell yeah, he is a really old big bossed bull. I told him we would take him then. As we worked our way through the tall grass and reeds, I felt my blood pressure rise as I STILL couldn't see the buff! Finally my PH stopped and said in a whisper, "he is not 10 yards in front of us!" I still couldn't see him! He put the sticks up and I slid my Winchester through the reeds. He whispered, "in the river, hit him 4 inches to the left of his ear on the shoulder." I looked through the scope and the biggest, ugliest, meanest looking bovine I had ever seen was staring right through me into my soul! I felt like he knew every sin I had ever committed and was there to collect on them from the way he looked at me. I calmed my breathing, placed the crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed. I never heard or felt the rifle go off, as water spouted from behind him, his front legs came up and he took off like a sea monster from the river, but what was worse, so did two others we didn't see and the brush all around us came alive with buffalo all up and running now right past us! It was a bachelor herd, and I just whacked the leader! My PH yelled whack him again, I was ready with the rifle, but wasn't sure which was mine at that point, so I yelled back "is that him running away?" He said "Don't shoot now, I lost him" then took off running after the herd. I followed then he stopped and said hit him on the shoulder! I wasn't 15 yards from my buff who was down, but couldn't see him right away. I found him and put a Hornady solid through his shoulder. The my PH started waving is arms yelling, throwing elephant dung and more yelling. I looked on top of the hill and the bulls were coming back at us every time mine bellowed. I didn't know what to do except be ready. Finally after a few minutes of this, the left. My PH and I approached my old bull. I have never shook so much in my life staring in disbelief. This was EXACTLY the bull I had in my head when I had that conversation with my PH in the store.
We looked him over and found the Raptor shank passed through leaving a 3" exit wound. The peddles also penetrated the far side of the buff, one exiting the neck! Joe said he would very much like a box of those Raptors. I told him I would send him a box.
More to come as the family is waiting on me for me to go eat!
I met my PH "Joe" at the airport and he took us first to the grocery store to complete his camp supply shopping. My wife took more pictures in there than she had the whole trip to this point! While shopping, I had a chance to talk to my PH about the buff I wanted. I told him I did NOT want a huge young bull, but rather an old warrior with big boss' and worn horns. He smiled and said he likes hunters like that as he feels they make the best trophies. Little did I know that my PH was psychic and would find the bull I had in my head!
The following morning we went out to check the .458 at the range. We shot from 50 meters and I was dead on. My PH was happy with the work I put in on the range and loading bench. He was just as anxious to see what the Raptor bullets would do as I was since he had never even heard of them. I told him I would put the Raptor on top, then solids below just in case the Raptors were dud's. He agreed. We went out that afternoon from the range and look for buff. We found track of a big old bull not far from our camp on the Elephant river. We followed the track for a couple of hours, then our trackers lost the spoor. So, off to enjoy a fire and sundowners!
The next morning before sun up, joe was waiting at breakfast with his .450 Ackley and a hot cup of coffee. After a quit breakfast, we loaded up into the Toyota, and went looking for spoor. After about two hours of driving around we found the spoor of two large buff, one being very old. My PH decided to give a portable radio to the trackers and sent them on the spoor since we were afraid they would be off our concession very soon along the river. We mounted up and drove several miles in the direction of the track and awaited word from the trackers. While we waited, my wife found lots of rocks to bring home and we talked guns and cartridges in the shade. Finally the radio crackled and it was the trackers. They followed the spoor close to our river camp and they felt they would pass our camp and then our concession within the next hour, so we loaded up to meet them.
We arrived by the river where the trackers were waiting. My PH asked them what they thought we had, and they said it was definitely the old bull and a younger one that was also large. We loaded up the rifles again and set off on the track along the rivers edge. While we were walking the crocs, only feet away from us, would splash back into the river. The grass and reeds were now over our heads and I began to smell the cattle smell of our animals. Elephant were in the bush on our right and I will never get used to how large they are. Across the river is Kruger, and we saw a bachelor herd on that side just watching us, knowing they were safe yet taunting us from the safety of the park. We pushed on until the tracker froze and pointed. My PH lifted his glasses, so I lifted mine. All I saw was the back of a big buff, but he saw the horns. He softly whispered that this was a old buff with huge boss', but wasn't real wide. He asked if I wanted him, but since I didn't see the horns myself I asked my PH if it was his tag would HE take him. He smiled and said hell yeah, he is a really old big bossed bull. I told him we would take him then. As we worked our way through the tall grass and reeds, I felt my blood pressure rise as I STILL couldn't see the buff! Finally my PH stopped and said in a whisper, "he is not 10 yards in front of us!" I still couldn't see him! He put the sticks up and I slid my Winchester through the reeds. He whispered, "in the river, hit him 4 inches to the left of his ear on the shoulder." I looked through the scope and the biggest, ugliest, meanest looking bovine I had ever seen was staring right through me into my soul! I felt like he knew every sin I had ever committed and was there to collect on them from the way he looked at me. I calmed my breathing, placed the crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed. I never heard or felt the rifle go off, as water spouted from behind him, his front legs came up and he took off like a sea monster from the river, but what was worse, so did two others we didn't see and the brush all around us came alive with buffalo all up and running now right past us! It was a bachelor herd, and I just whacked the leader! My PH yelled whack him again, I was ready with the rifle, but wasn't sure which was mine at that point, so I yelled back "is that him running away?" He said "Don't shoot now, I lost him" then took off running after the herd. I followed then he stopped and said hit him on the shoulder! I wasn't 15 yards from my buff who was down, but couldn't see him right away. I found him and put a Hornady solid through his shoulder. The my PH started waving is arms yelling, throwing elephant dung and more yelling. I looked on top of the hill and the bulls were coming back at us every time mine bellowed. I didn't know what to do except be ready. Finally after a few minutes of this, the left. My PH and I approached my old bull. I have never shook so much in my life staring in disbelief. This was EXACTLY the bull I had in my head when I had that conversation with my PH in the store.
We looked him over and found the Raptor shank passed through leaving a 3" exit wound. The peddles also penetrated the far side of the buff, one exiting the neck! Joe said he would very much like a box of those Raptors. I told him I would send him a box.
More to come as the family is waiting on me for me to go eat!
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