SOUTH AFRICA: My Hunt With Wayne Wagner

[Uintaelkhunter]

Let me start by saying another great hunt with Wayne and Ion Brown in the Limpopo this was kinda a last minute booking in late march as Wayne's property had 8 miles of river bordering the bulalo reserve of the greater Krugher park and he hunts one elephant per year on it. Wayne and Ion have been friends of mine for about ten years now and Wayne has known I really would like to hunt elephant he call me when he still had this one available so the booking was made money sent and what happens late rain so he calls and informs me the elephant activity is slow would I like a lion or lioness if the ele don't turn up. Well I say it not really in my plans but lets see. Three weeks Befor the trip comes around my wife flys of to see her family over seas as she hasn't seen them in a few yrs. now I'm home alone three weeks to go counting the minutes WOW will this hunt ever get here soon enough. Two more weeks go by now I'm so bored at home going to the range every day just to make sure I'm ready 250 rds later in my 416 my shoulder is starting to look like it has been hit by a baseball make mental note future recommendations take a few days off between shooting that mule. One more week to go now I'm double checking everything can't sleep eyes bloodshot daydreaming at work of far away lands.

To be continued

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

Part two

Well departure day arrives finally bags packed and I'm off set for the long flight from Salt lake to Jo Berg in in about the last row in the back of the plane and have a line of people in front off me im thinking I'm glade Ann at air 2000 has got my gun papers done and I opted for the full meet and help service this time 180 vs 100 for just the papers and what a great way to go after 20 plus hrs and jet lag out the plane door and there is the sign with my name on it straight to customs in a suprize as I have always just opted for the gun paper work only in the past this time I'm walked past the line of everyone of the plane in front of me to an empty customs counter I'm think what now well something in Afrikaun is said and next thing I know is there is someone there passport checked and off to collect my bag I think I was probably the first to clear customs and was at the baggage carasel before the bags even started to come out next to the saps office again first one in the door more talking my guy goes in the back out comes my rifle case in and out in 10 minutes next up the five hr drive time to catch up with Ion as he has met me at the airport and we are driving this trip to save me the day layover in Jo berg its now close to midnight on arrival. Up the next morning about 8am off to make sure everything made it ok a few adjustments to my rifles and we are good to go
Next up lion bait
Impala 1 just to get the jitters out and as I'm there we are planing an culling a few as well we are joking about my shooting I keep saying I can't hit the broad side of a barn Ion keeps saying I remember you are a little better than that. 20 minutes later frontal brain shoot off the sticks at about 120yds impala 2 side brain shoot 30yrs both with my 223 next up the 416 and a waterbuck for bait frontal shoot this time to the hart time to hang baits and day one in the book day two up early and off to look for elephants and check bait not much going on stopped by the river for a quick nap and some lunch not much happening day 3 back at it again this time a male lion has hit one of our bait down a dry river bed so we spend the afternoon making a blind then checking for elephant again day 4 up early and straight to the bait and at what do you know a truelly Awsome brute of a male lion is there. Bang lion in the dirt picture time and then relaxing still not much for elephant activity with the rain they have had this season day 5 we decide to travel a few hrs to lydenberg up in the mtns and try for a 60 inch kudu as it is the rut and we ate hoping some of the old bulls will be out we arrive unpack and have lunch and we are out late afternoon looking for kudu now I'm told this hunt is not for everyone as this property had lots of step hills and is about 25k hectors and only has about five roads on the place it is a old cattle farm way overgrown not much as far as the normal African five star lodges goes as we where in a tent and fire place is all we had and lots of walking up and down those hill great I say just my kinda hunting like elk back home day 6 see lots of kudu great ones to but we are looking for that special one probably pass 10 bulls over 55 and see one great bull we stalk to about 30 yrds watch him for 20 minutes judge him at about 60 but he is still alittle young I'm told wow this place is great days 7 and 8 same thing see lots of kudu almost shoot a 57 incher but pass as we are about 1 mile frome the closest spot we could get a truck but we did find a nice mtn reedbuck so bang 233 strikes again 30yrds and he is down time to pack him to the bakkie and we are done for the day three days of walking up and down those mtns and I think Ion has won those 55 inchers are looking good now and we make a plan we are heading back to hoedspruit today with or without one after all there are impala to be culled so back to camp to pack and head out well just as we round the corner on to of the mtn ready to start dropping down the hill there is a nice bull with a deep curl out we go a quick stalk and we think we have him we run to a small clearing cow cow cow where did he go I'm on the sticks pointed at this clearing and out of the corner of my eye there he is sliped by use a quick 90 deg off had and bang on the run at 50yrd I hear Ion what the hell was that my reply the (barn ) I hit him. Ians reply I hope it was good I didn't even see him is say yes a quick run down the mtn to see if we can see him 50 yds later he is still standing in a thick patch hurt bad Ians said put home down if he runs down the mtn it will take us all day to cut him up and get him out there where no roads or even a spot to cut one to get down there do a high shoulder shoot to break both out and stop him was done down he goes more pics and back to camp to pack will the skinner preps him upon cleaning him we see my first shot was good hart and lung right behind the shoulder and my 416 had its second kill

 

[RickB]

Keep it coming

 

[BRICKBURN]

Good tale.
Keep it coming... and you better have pictures or else!!
"Thump. Lion in the dirt..." You lucky.....

I want proof of these hills to.

 

[Nyati]

Pics....pics....

 

[Buff-Buster]

Ok....enough suspense...where the hell is Part III??

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Well done Uinta, but I have to agree we need pictures!

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

where were we O yes part three. day 9 back in Hoedspruit time for some impala culling and looking for that elephant he has come across the river once and gone right back so off we go to a place Wayne and Ian have set up to cull 75 mature impala rams the only problem was that we were on a reserve and had to have 2 armed game rangers with us i think the both had part time jobs for green peace as i think they blew about half our stalks but i still managed to take impala three four and five all clean head shoots then it happened thick bush and four guys all trying to stalk in on a small group of males in thick bush zing tree branch and a clean miss thank goodness impala 6 my streak is back to zero lunch break and back at it round two and impalas six seven and eight all down from clean head shoots and im back trying to beat Wayne so called record of 29 straight then the worst sound ever number nine impala whack and he is still on his feet what!!! side brain shoot at about 40 yrds just in front and under the eye just enough to stun him a quick rack of the bolt and shoot for his hart but i was a bit worried as in using my 223 and he is quartering toward me and most of my brain shoots have not even passed through but the bullet hits its mark and he only makes it about 60 yds and goes down well truck is loaded of to the skinning shed to prep these guys for the meat market. day 10 back at it again impala 10 and 11 back to head shoots and starting the streak back at 2 by now im starting to think this 29 straight is a african fish story slow day so we break for lunch impala 12 the long shot but its been a slow day he is about 140yrds but has no idea we are there i take my time steady the sticks and prop my arm and body against a tree whack clean head shoot down he goes 14 does the same then again that dreaded sound whack but this time there is no stopping him from the shoot he is on a dead run all i hear is Ian say we have a runner!!and like that 15 was lost we spent a few hrs looking but only a few drops of blood and he was gone my first animal ever lost and now im feeling gun shy to shoot and a little down and mad at my self day 11 well time to take a break the plan is look for eles relax and do some night culling but this time Wayne and Ian will be joining in with the shooting. night rolls around and we have an early dinner and we are off im still a little gun shy as to my( runner!) so i tell Wayne go ahead as he has a shotgun and buck shot. Bang and what do you know Wayne the first impala of the night RUNNER and his count is back to zero lucky though he run straight down the road a fast shoot with my 223 to the neck and Wayne ran up to finish him by now the dinner jokes of my runner have stopped one impala in the truck then the streak comes wow this night shooting is fast if you ever get the chance to watch Wayne work that shotgun its impressive five round in the tube and five impala down over and over again 30 plus impala later 3am its time to stop for the night

pics to come and part 4

 

[enysse]

Ok you are killing me, how big is the kudu? Love to see pictures!!!

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

View attachment 12207View attachment 12208View attachment 12209View attachment 12210View attachment 12211View attachment 12212View attachment 12213View attachment 12214View attachment 12215View attachment 12216View attachment 12217View attachment 12218View attachment 12219

 

[Bobpuckett]

I'm with the Others Great story but we need pics!!! Lets see that Kudu.

 

[Bobpuckett]

Ahhhh! Pics now if Jerome can fix them so I can drool.

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

well he was not the biggest kudu we had seen or my biggest i have shoot but he taped out at just over 56 great deep curl to start he just is thin on the top end never made the last turn up on his curl.
as luck would have it day 13 of a 14 day hunt and finally the elephant start to show up three cows and what looks to be a big track of an old bull but he wandered off again day 14 up early to check for elephant hoping this will be it as it was my last day of hunting well no luck early morning and no new tracks from the river so a 1hr drive and off to find a klipsringer 3 hrs in an a nice klipspringer is down then back to check the last evening for elephant no luck final dinner and talks of trips to come off the next morning to say goodbye to Ians lovely wife and Waynes mom then to Hoedspruit to catch my flight. as luck would have it when i landed in Atlanta and turn my phone on a text from Ian the big track turned out to be about a 60lb ele that showed up the next day as i was on the plane home i am hoping to have more pics as Wayne emails them to me once he is back from Botswana next week.

Until next time Africa my friend you will be alive in my dreams.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

well he was not the biggest kudu we had seen or my biggest i have shoot but he taped out at just over 56 great deep curl to start he just is thin on the top end never made the last turn up on his curl.
as luck would have it day 13 of a 14 day hunt and finally the elephant start to show up three cows and what looks to be a big track of an old bull but he wandered off again day 14 up early to check for elephant hoping this will be it as it was my last day of hunting well no luck early morning and no new tracks from the river so a 1hr drive and off to find a klipsringer 3 hrs in an a nice klipspringer is down then back to check the last evening for elephant no luck final dinner and talks of trips to come off the next morning to say goodbye to Ians lovely wife and Waynes mom then to Hoedspruit to catch my flight. as luck would have it when i landed in Atlanta and turn my phone on a text from Ian the big track turned out to be about a 60lb ele that showed up the next day as i was on the plane home i am hoping to have more pics as Wayne emails them to me once he is back from Botswana next week.

Until next time Africa my friend you will be alive in my dreams.

So Ian did get married finally.