SOUTH AFRICA: Hunt with Koedoeberg

[Wolverine67]

Came back from an amazing hunt with Koedoeberg safaris last sunday.
This was my third trip to South Africa and this time I brought my friend Stig with me.
We where picked up at Johannesburg airport by Willem Faul, the owner of Koedoeberg. A comfortable two hour drive later, we arrived at Koedoeberg gamefarm.
A beautiful hunting ground with plenty of animals. Flat areas, both densly bush and open plains gave room for mountains on both sides.

The arrival day we did some shooting and sat in blinds for a couple of hours. A great dinner ended the day.

The first hunting day we did some driving, looking trough the dense bush and the plains before we went into the mountains. We saw a lot of animals, especially kudu and several of them was pretty big. Late evening we caught up with a huge kudubull and Stig got his first African animal. A real heavyhorned 52 inch bull.



The second day Stig and Ricus did some walking looking for gemsbuck and I did a drive looking for waterbuck. In the evening we sat in blinds with bows. I manage to graze a impala female with an arrow and we never saw her again, even after thoroughly searching. Bad shooting from me.. Later we took a trip to a neighbouring farm and looked for bushbucks. We saw several females, but no male.
That night we did a night drive looking for night critters, but did only see a lot of impala and kudu.
The third day we sat in blinds again and I was lucky enough to get a really nice waterbuck in. Since it never came within bowrange I took him with the rifle. A heavybodied and thickhorned, 26 inch waterbuck, one of my main goal for the trip was secured and I was in heaven...



Stig took an impala female with a great shot with the bow.



That day we was invited to dinner at Willems place and we had a delicious meal and a great time. After dinner we drove back to the lodge. On the way Stig did a great shot on a porcupine.



The fourth day started with looking for bushbuck. I manage to miss at a nice ram in the morning and my mood was not too good. After lunch my PH Renier spotted an even bigger ram and I took him with a couple of shots. My nemesis, the bushbuck was finally mine, and I was extremely happy! Renier was exceptional good at spotting animals. I didnt see the ram before I lifted my rifle and even then I couldnt see that it was a huge ram, but I trusted Renier on his word when he said it was a very good ram.



After lunch we went for another lodge, the Wilgekrans lodge. I will come back with that part of the story later.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Congrats on the Bushbuck. thats sounds like the start of a very good hunt.

 

[Blue Skies Hunting Adventures]

Congrats on a good hunt, love that Bushbuck and that Kudu is nice as well.

 

[James.Grage]

Like the porcupine...great trophy

nice recap and pictures...

 

[BRICKBURN]

Waterbuck, Bushbuck and more to come...
Nice Kudu to boot.
Congratulations.
Looks like you did well with Koedoeberg so far.
Thanks

 

[35bore]

I really love hearing about your success. Congrats, Willem is a great guy and loves the hunt.

 

[fvh40]

Well done and thanks for sharing.

Nice Bushbuck:thumbsup:

 

[Wolverine67]

Thanks guys.

Wilgekrans gamefarm and lodge are situated in a steep valley/gorge with a permanent stream running trough. There are waterfalls and dams right next to the lodge. Its a very nice lodge in a scenic location.

We drove up along the gorge and I have never seen than many bushbucks and nyalas in one place before. You could probably easily bowhunt a big nyala by walk and stalk. And bushbucks and mountain reedbucks as well. Amazing.

We was to spend our two last nights in this lodge. Stig was looking for impala and warthog and I was looking for blue wildebeest and impala.

Late evening we came across a very nice impala and Stig took it with one shot after a short stalk.



The next day we drove up in the highveld looking for blue wildebeest and pigs.

We soon conected with a herd of wildebeest and Renier spotted a bull standing by him self to the left in the herd. It was not a big bull, but I thought he was good enough, so I took him with a singel shot. Wildebeest was not my primary goal for this trip, but it is nice to add an animal to the colection...



Just a few hundred meters away from where I shot the bull, we came across a wildebeest cow with a broken leg. Stig and I took her out of her misery with a couple of bullets. Unfortunately I dont have pics of the cow.

We also came across a dead eland cow with some pigs feeding upon it. Stig missed on the biggest of the pigs.

After lunch Stig shot a extremely old sow, skinny and infested with parasites...The PH`s said it was the ugliest pig they have ever seen...:biggrin2:



Later that evening we came across a herd of impalas, with a huge ram. I quickly took a shot at the ram from about 60 meters range. I thought it was a good shot, Stig thought it was a good shot and Renier thought it was a good shot. The ram disappeared over a little ridge and we never saw it again....After tracking blood spoor for about 400 meter, the spoor disappeared. For me it was a terrible feeling, but I realized that my shot had hit the ram too far behind. The ram probably died within a few hundred meter, but with thick bush it isnt easy to find an animal. My only hope is that the local trackers will find it when it starts to smell. Its my first lost animal and its no good feeling.

Late evening we came across a kudu like I have never seen before. A magnificent 58 to 60 inch huge bull. If my little budget could afford it I would have shot that bull instantly. I did have the crosshair on his shoulder...I think his spread between the tips must have been 50 inches...

That evening we had potiekos and local produced moonshine...(plus a bottle or two with Johnny Walker) :biggrin2:

The sixt and last day we went back to Koedoeberg for the final round. I took it easy and wanted to join Stig for a blesbuck hunt.

After locating a herd of blesbuck we tryed several times to stalk upon them, but they was very skittish. Finally we came within range and Stig took a big ram with a very nice shouldershot at 200 meters range.



With this was our adventure over for this time and we lined up for a group photo.



I would highly recommend Koedoeberg as a hunting destination and outfitter. The hunt are amazing, though challenging due to a lot of bush, the food is excellent and the lodges is very nice. The guys at Koedoeberg are very friendly and obviously live for the hunting. Willem stretch himself as far as possible to tend to his clients and I am proud to call him, Renier and Ricus my friends.

Trond

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Thanks for sharing these moments and pictures with us! Glad to hear that you had an amazing hunt!

 

[Nyati]

Congrats for a great hunt and very nice trophies. Thanks for sharing.

 

[spike.t]

wolverine good to see you had a great time with your friend, more great memories to keep you going till the next time. :beer:

 

[BRICKBURN]

Thanks for sharing your hunt.

 

[davidarizpe]

CONGRATULATIONS. WELL DONE.

 

[Stretch]

Very nice memories forever. Sweet.

 

[Wolverine67]

Thanks again guys. It was a hunt that will be remembered.

 

[sestoppelman]

Sounds like you had a great hunt all in all. Very nice bushbuck. I love the spiral horn critters, my favorite. You done good!!

 

[svinejakt]

Grattis Trond
Seems like a great experience. Glad you finally got your bushbuck Bushbuck is high up on my list!!

 

[enysse]

Thanks for the pictures and the hunting report Trond. That's really nice bushbuck!

 

[Bobpuckett]

Thanks for sharing Trond once again you've had another great hunt and you are right that Wildebeest was good enough those are all some fine Trophies Congrats to you and your friend. Bob

 

[Wolverine67]

Thanks guys. Thanks Bob. I think the wildebeest skin will be a nice rug on my trophy room floor...