SOUTH AFRICA: Heading Off On My First Safari!

[dory]

PS .
Did you practise that smile at home ???
It hasn't left your face all trip . !!!
HA !!!

 

[bluey]

love that kudu , huntermin .
glad you've had fun and succsessfull trip .
your photography ,is outstanding ,mate
enjoying the tale .
keep it coming

 

[Petrus Geldenhuys]

Great report! Looks like you had the time of your life. Well done on all your trophies.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Great trophies, I hope I do as well next August on my first Safari.

 

[huntermn15]

PS .
Did you practise that smile at home ???
It hasn't left your face all trip . !!!
HA !!!

dory,
I still have that smile on my face. It was my first safari and I'll never forget the experiences I had and the things I saw! I'm hoping to head back in 2017.
Mike

 

[huntermn15]

love that kudu , huntermin .
glad you've had fun and succsessfull trip .
your photography ,is outstanding ,mate
enjoying the tale .
keep it coming

Thank you bluey, I'm glad your enjoying it. I have a bit more to post and then I'll start the lioness hunt report in a new thread.

Mike

 

[huntermn15]

Great report! Looks like you had the time of your life. Well done on all your trophies.

Thank you Petrus and I did have a fantastic time!
Mike

 

[huntermn15]

September 16, 2015

Bushbuck was the animal of the day, so it was off to a river property for the morning’s hunt. As I stated earlier, still hunting bushbuck was one of my favorite hunts throughout the safari. This morning would be no different. We slowly made our way through the brush near the river bank, seeing more than a few ewes and young males. As we approached an area where we had seen a good bushbuck some days back we started to scan the area with anticipation. The bushbuck we were looking for was a beautiful specimen approximately 15” long and flaring out at its tips.

About an hour later Sarel spotted him on the other side of the river on the neighbor’s property (the center of the river is used as the property line) and the neighbor did not allow hunting of Bushbuck and steenbok on the property. So we decided we would tail him from our side, hoping that he would cross over and the deal could be sealed. This game of chess continued on for about an hour before something spooked the ewe that had joined him and they both disappeared into the brush, not to be seen again.

We continued hunting the river and spotted another ewe about an hour later. We decided to watch her since continuing on at that point might have spooked her. At times she was 20 meters from us and she had no idea we were there. The wind was finally working for us and it was a treat to watch her go about her morning. After about 25 minutes we heard something in the brush, when I looked in the direction I saw horns! 40 meters away was a bushbuck ram looking in our direction but he hadn’t seen us. He was beautiful and I lifted the rifle to see him through the scope. As soon as I saw him, I knew he wouldn’t be leaving the area under his own power. I had a frontal shot, so I place the reticle high on his chest and squeezed the trigger. At the shot he went straight down like he had been struck by lightning. I had my bushbuck and I couldn’t have been happier.

After getting the bushbuck to the skinning shed and spending some time there with the skinner's we had some lunch and it was off to try to find another monster warthog or a larger steenbok. The afternoon was great and passed quickly. We never did see a warthog that I was interested in, but we did have two stalks on steenbok that wound up being about the same size as the one I had taken earlier in the safari. It was a great day in the field and I was looking forward to the rest of my days in Africa!

 

[LivingTheDream]

Oh man now that is a bushbuck!!!

 

[Art Lambart II]

Wow, nice bushbuck

 

[Velo Dog]

September 16, 2015

Bushbuck was the animal of the day, so it was off to a river property for the morning’s hunt. As I stated earlier, still hunting bushbuck was one of my favorite hunts throughout the safari. This morning would be no different. We slowly made our way through the brush near the river bank, seeing more than a few ewes and young males. As we approached an area where we had seen a good bushbuck some days back we started to scan the area with anticipation. The bushbuck we were looking for was a beautiful specimen approximately 15” long and flaring out at its tips.

About an hour later Sarel spotted him on the other side of the river on the neighbor’s property (the center of the river is used as the property line) and the neighbor did not allow hunting of Bushbuck and steenbok on the property. So we decided we would tail him from our side, hoping that he would cross over and the deal could be sealed. This game of chess continued on for about an hour before something spooked the ewe that had joined him and they both disappeared into the brush, not to be seen again.

We continued hunting the river and spotted another ewe about an hour later. We decided to watch her since continuing on at that point might have spooked her. At times she was 20 meters from us and she had no idea we were there. The wind was finally working for us and it was a treat to watch her go about her morning. After about 25 minutes we heard something in the brush, when I looked in the direction I saw horns! 40 meters away was a bushbuck ram looking in our direction but he hadn’t seen us. He was beautiful and I lifted the rifle to see him through the scope. As soon as I saw him, I knew he wouldn’t be leaving the area under his own power. I had a frontal shot, so I place the reticle high on his chest and squeezed the trigger. At the shot he went straight down like he had been struck by lightning. I had my bushbuck and I couldn’t have been happier.

After getting the bushbuck to the skinning shed and spending some time there with the skinner's we had some lunch and it was off to try to find another monster warthog or a larger steenbok. The afternoon was great and passed quickly. We never did see a warthog that I was interested in, but we did have two stalks on steenbok that wound up being about the same size as the one I had taken earlier in the safari. It was a great day in the field and I was looking forward to the rest of my days in Africa!

View attachment 50542

View attachment 50543

Bongo hybrid.

 

[Velo Dog]

Hello again Mike / huntermn15,

Thank you again for attending my party last weekend and for the bottle of special Scotch.
That was above and beyond the call of duty.
It was great to meet the real person behind your screen name.
You are an interesting character and of course you are very welcome at "The Safari Bar" anytime.

Not sure how I missed this excellent and comprehensive thread describing your First Safari (living my life under a bucket I guess).
Congratulations and thank you for posting it.
All the critters you took are very fine and the bushbuck is outstanding but my favorite is that warthog.
Yours is perhaps the much rumored but rarely seen Lowbush Elephant specie of southern Africa.
He is incredible.

Well anyway, cheerio for now,
Paul / Velo Dog.

 

[Warbird782]

It was my first safari and I'll never forget the experiences I had and the things I saw! I'm hoping to head back in 2017.

Good luck dealing with the disease. You will always want to go back. I have two safaris under my belt with two more planned already in the next two years.

 

[huntermn15]

Hello again Mike / huntermn15,

Thank you again for attending my party last weekend and for the bottle of special Scotch.
That was above and beyond the call of duty.
It was great to meet the real person behind your screen name.
You are an interesting character and of course you are very welcome at "The Safari Bar" anytime.

Not sure how I missed this excellent and comprehensive thread describing your First Safari (living my life under a bucket I guess).
Congratulations and thank you for posting it.
All the critters you took are very fine and the bushbuck is outstanding but my favorite is that warthog.
Yours is perhaps the much rumored but rarely seen Lowbush Elephant specie of southern Africa.
He is incredible.

Well anyway, cheerio for now,
Paul / Velo Dog.

Paul,

Thank you for the kind words, it was also great to meet you and Kelly. Thank you again for hosting! As you know I too enjoyed myself and hope to see you again for a cocktail or coffee and conversation.

As for the warthog, he is also one of my favorites. I never though I would have a shoulder mount done, but once he was down that changed. He will be a shoulder mount with reproduction tusks and the skull will have the originals. After seeing your warthog, I'm glad I made that decision.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[huntermn15]

Good luck dealing with the disease. You will always want to go back. I have two safaris under my belt with two more planned already in the next two years.

Dave,

No kidding! I'm trying to figure out trip 2017 right now. The trip is easy, it's selling trip number two to the wife. Thanks again for the help and information you provided.

Regards,
Mike

 

[huntermn15]

September 17, 2015

This morning started around 0600, the plan was to look for a big warthog, duiker, or larger steenbok. He headed for one of the properties we had hunted in the past. This property had a good population of pigs and steenbok and some duiker. We saw plenty of warthogs, but none that I was looking for. After seeing a few female steenbok we started to see an abundance of waterbuck. We saw a really nice bull and I decided that it was not something that I was interested in. A waterbuck was not on my list and I really wanted another big pig. Before I had even booked the trip the waterbuck was on the maybe if I go back to Africa a second time list.

We continued on and after a few hours of looking for game that I was interested in, we came across another nice bull waterbuck. I really liked his mass and decided what the hell, there’s no time like the present! So the stalk was on, we were able to close the distance and the bull bedded in some thick cover. We sat down trying to find a hole through the thick brush some 60 meters away. There we sat waiting for him to make a move, it seemed like an eternity but it was probably less than a half hour. He seemed to sense that something wasn’t quite right and he stood and started to move to our right immediately. We countered his move looking for a hole to shoot through. Finally two steps later a hole opened up and there was a resounding thump at the shot. He went straight down and was right back on his feet. The shot had broken his shoulder and he was trying to make a getaway. At this point we were running after him through the brush looking for a shot. He hit a small clearing and at the sound of the shot, it was over. He was a fantastic animal and had a beautiful hide and worn heavy cream colored horns. It’s hard to beat a day in Africa!

The waterbuck was loaded and we headed back to the skinning shed. The rest of the day would be spent relaxing and writing in my journal. After 7 days of hunting, even with a few half day off, I had 12 animals in the salt! I had planned on 8 animals in 12 days of hunting, so I was way beyond ahead of schedule and running out of the emergency animal funds!

 

[BRICKBURN]

Nice Waterbuck...

 

[bluey]

mate , thats a cracker bush buck

 

[Warbird782]

@huntermn15 isn't there more to this hunt report?

 

[sestoppelman]

Did end rather abruptly and a bit of a cliffhanger!