Last year I made my first trip to SA, hunting the Eastern Cape and it didn't let me down. Knowing that first impressions last a life time, or at least 7 years according to the experts, I kept a very detailed journal of it and posted a significant portion of my hunt on a day to day basis. Report 1.
Upon getting home, and after playing catch up with work and responsibilities I started scheming on when and how I would return. Being a big game hunter in the Western States I enjoyed the big country, long shot opportunities, and terrain of the Eastern Cape and decided to return with @Nick BOWKER HUNTING SOUTH AFRICA.
Several of my friends gave me some grief for going back to the Eastern Cape, " its great for first timers" "you'll want to go somewhere else next time" etc. I disagree, and still do after my second trip, nor do I have to justify what experience I want. A part from greater kudu and some dangerous game it gives me most of what I want. Being raised on a farm I love hunting with farmers / ranchers and hearing about their struggles and successes. I think its damn cool that some of the finest wool in SA and the world is raised by my PH. Those are sub stories that make the whole story that much cooler. I LOVE supporting people like that. If it were just about single size "trophy" for say a nyala I'd go other places, but that's not what I'm after and to each his own. At some point I'll explore other parts of the continent for things I can't get in the Eastern Cape, but for now I still have a lot to get done in this part of the world.
In many ways this trip was more enjoyable than last year. Last year I was hunting a package and I refused to deviate too much from that package and in my ignorance passed on a nice bushbuck and a couple other animals that I shouldn't have passed on. This year I had a loose wish list and wasn't rigid in my wants rather focusing on what came our way. I now feel this approach actually created an opportunity for better / older class animals and an overall more enjoyable experience . There were a couple animals that I really wanted like the vaal rhebuck that would require specific dedication but even then, if it didn't happen I would be happy as one western hunter is, being cold in the high country.
Ill spare flight details or pictures of the Afton Lodge, if you really need to research it click on the report 1 link.
Running a business and having good clients makes or breaks me. I'd like to hope that I'm that client for my outfitter and PH- BP.
Day 1
Driving down the road the first day after a failed attempt at some nice gemsbok( first few days we had horrible weather ) BP saw a nice duiker. I said lets roll. Short shot from the .300 win mag and I had my first tiny.
Not the most exciting of animals but I was actually pretty stoked to have taken him. *for those of you who wear matching camo and have OCD I hope you notice that my hat and jacket are different brands and different patterns*
I never had the desire to shoot a gemsbok. I've wanted to hunt Africa my entire life but for some reason the gemsbok never gave me any excitement until I saw one last year and as mentioned I didn't budge too far off my list. This year I had the opportunity and was excited to make it happen.
We had a couple failed stalks earlier in the day due to weather and for whatever reason they were spooky spooky. We just couldn't make it happen. After a good lunch we headed back out.
We located a couple herds and didn't have luck but all is well that ends well. We located a real nice animal that was in condition 2, old, and ready to die lol. With some patience and after an hour we were within shooting range. Just as we were in range the animal decided to bed down, we waited for another hour or so. After some patience it was go time.
Mass and length. What an incredible animal. I still can't believe I didn't want to shoot one of these. I love the coloring and its now one of the few African animals that I will do a shoulder mount on. Im pretty excited to get this one on the wall.
Day 2
Lots of bad weather, and not a lot else to say.
Day 3
Last year I called a late audible on wanting a black wildebeest and it didn't come together. Funny enough this was one of my top targets this trip. These animals intrigue me and I was excited to hunt them. This part of the hunt happened fast, almost too fast. We pulled in to our area and had barely been hiking when the herd appeared almost out of no where and were standing straight on to us at 150 yards. The large bull was the closest and we didn't have to play "pick him out of the herd" game. As if the hunting Gods delivered this one a silver platter. I've hunted a lot, and when these scenarios take place you go for it and don't complain.
What an old boss. Damn these are cool animals with their wide mouths and nostril hair. Just a neat product of evolution or God, either way damn cool!
Day 4
We went back to an area close to my black wildebeest looking for eland and or bushbuck and all we got were nice views.
Picture from high up of an estate that would even qualify as "good enough" for the boss lady ha ha. We went down and had a walk around the grounds. This manor is in some sort of garden show they have here.
Day 5
Back to the area looking for bushbuck. We approached it differently this time and still hunted the river bottom with no luck. We saw some fallow and heard a bushbuck bark but that was it. On the drive in BP my PH said they got a call that they had a caracal treed. I assumed it was in the area we were going to hunt and misunderstood. After a 0 shot morning Ben said the caracal was still in the tree and asked if I wanted to shoot it. "Hell ya where do we walk to?" he laughed and told me it was 1.5 hours away. Shoot man lets get going and hopefully its still in the tree. Between here and there we needed to procure a smaller firearm, which we did.
With a little luck this cat was still in the tree. I shot the small .22 and the cat tumbled and took off. I thought how did I miss. I hadn't missed but the cat did what cats do and gave a good leap before expiring. We had to run up the hill a bit and that sucked some precious O2 from my soul. I was quickly reminded that we were still hunting.
Very very cool animal and not one that was remotely on my radar. ( day 4 and still no bushbuck, I only say that to remind myself that hunting is exactly that)
Later that day we went to an area for bushbuck, we had driven through this area briefly at the beginning of the hunt when we had jet lag and the weather was bad. We found a mature ram 700+ yards away. Using a spotting scope and lots of time we decided to make a move on it. After a decent hike and sitting on the hillside 250 yards away from where we last saw it, the little fella decided to not give us another opportunity and we called it a day.
Day 6
Back to the Bushbuck. We spotted the bushbuck from our vantage point and made a move, long hike later we were sitting on the hill side and the bushbuck didn't give us another appearance, as we were sitting there around 9:30 AM straight across the canyon a herd of cow kudu came out and shortly there after a nice bull appeared. I didn't have kudu on my list but lets not kid ourselves, kudu are always on the list. They are my kryptonite. You could see a big grin on Bens face and when I asked if I could shoot it the grin got bigger. At 300 yards the first shot punched him hard and he start to move away. In the world of elk you shoot until down so I racked another and shot an insurance shot that hit true. If I had to pick just one African animal to hunt kudu would be it.
Later that day we went back to the same canyon to try and relocate that bushbuck. Lo and behold we found him not too far. We quickly closed as much distance as we could and set up on him 340 yards away. Not too much later and I was prone, laying head lower than hips, aiming to an elevation higher than my shoulders. A really hard position for my neck and back and a preface as to why I missed the first shot. Crack goes the .300 and miss. Rack one in and second shot hits a bit far back and the bushbuck is hit but slowly moving down and goes into thick scrub. I hold tight while Ben stays at same elevation and walks around the canyon rim so I can guide him to where the animal was last seen. As I wait and wait he doesn't find blood and calls for Marva and the dog. As I'm still in position and Ben is across the way he starts to walk back into the brush and finds small blood. The dog arrives gets on the scent and what felt like hours were mere minutes and the hound was barking and had found my animal still alive. Ben signals for me to come over and messages me on whatsap to stay at elevation and come across but I figured going straight down and up through the thick crap was the smarter idea. It was a terrible idea on my end but I finally made it to them. The bushbuck was still on all fours and wanting to fight the dog, I put another one in the animal at close range and we were almost done. I'll post a video of the bushbuck wanting to fight the dog later.
He won't break any records but he was old and it sure was an awesome hunt and one I won't soon forget.
If I could hunt mtn bushbuck and kudu each trip Id be ok with that.
Day 7
Day 7 & 8 were set aside to travel high and chase vaal rhebuck. I saw these critters last year and they really had my curiosity. The more I studied them the more I wanted to hunt one knowing they are only in a few parts of Africa and can be a challenge to hunt. We headed out early and packed for the day, expecting to be gone all day. As we climbed in elevation we watched the temperature drop drop drop down to 1c. It was cold. Cold and open country, I felt like we were chasing high plains mule deer and I was loving every second of it. We saw several animals but none that were worth pursuing. After a couple hours we found one that was pushing his little girls around. Man he would cover the mtn side with speed, up and down and chasing off competition. It was so fun to watch. We made a couple moves on him even getting set up on him once that weren't successful and he got within meters of being over a fence and on property we didn't have access to. With some luck he came back towards us. We made a move straight at him, I got prone and at 450 yards missed my first shot, the follow up shot was money and he went down. There wasn't quite the cheering after the shot and I got a bit nervous that I had shot the wrong one or who knows. This time Ben stayed in position and and I went towards the tiny animal while he motioned me to the area. Without too much effort we found him and I drug him up to the road while Ben brought the cruiser around. Upon arriving and seeing the animal Ben got a big smile and was happy we made it happen, all in the first half day of two days set apart for it.
If you combined the weariness of a whitetail, eyes and ears of a muley and speed and stamina of a pronghorn- you'd get the Vaal.
I was a little bummed about my most recent long shots. The gun I was using belongs to the outfitter and its a great gun and shoots great however on these longer shots there is something to be said about shooting your own rig. I'll make up for it on day 8.
Day 8
I had shot most of my list and I spent the day hunting with one of the guys from my group. We spent the morning shooting a couple culls and my first and only shot was at a springbok at 640 yards. Shooting a Sako was a bit more like shooting my Tikka and with a shot like that I decided to call it a safari.
Last year my closing words were sappy and full of sentiment, that still holds true and are still genuine emotion to this day about my first trip to this place. But this year, this year I really only came back for one thing.
Upon getting home, and after playing catch up with work and responsibilities I started scheming on when and how I would return. Being a big game hunter in the Western States I enjoyed the big country, long shot opportunities, and terrain of the Eastern Cape and decided to return with @Nick BOWKER HUNTING SOUTH AFRICA.
Several of my friends gave me some grief for going back to the Eastern Cape, " its great for first timers" "you'll want to go somewhere else next time" etc. I disagree, and still do after my second trip, nor do I have to justify what experience I want. A part from greater kudu and some dangerous game it gives me most of what I want. Being raised on a farm I love hunting with farmers / ranchers and hearing about their struggles and successes. I think its damn cool that some of the finest wool in SA and the world is raised by my PH. Those are sub stories that make the whole story that much cooler. I LOVE supporting people like that. If it were just about single size "trophy" for say a nyala I'd go other places, but that's not what I'm after and to each his own. At some point I'll explore other parts of the continent for things I can't get in the Eastern Cape, but for now I still have a lot to get done in this part of the world.
In many ways this trip was more enjoyable than last year. Last year I was hunting a package and I refused to deviate too much from that package and in my ignorance passed on a nice bushbuck and a couple other animals that I shouldn't have passed on. This year I had a loose wish list and wasn't rigid in my wants rather focusing on what came our way. I now feel this approach actually created an opportunity for better / older class animals and an overall more enjoyable experience . There were a couple animals that I really wanted like the vaal rhebuck that would require specific dedication but even then, if it didn't happen I would be happy as one western hunter is, being cold in the high country.
Ill spare flight details or pictures of the Afton Lodge, if you really need to research it click on the report 1 link.
Running a business and having good clients makes or breaks me. I'd like to hope that I'm that client for my outfitter and PH- BP.
Day 1
Driving down the road the first day after a failed attempt at some nice gemsbok( first few days we had horrible weather ) BP saw a nice duiker. I said lets roll. Short shot from the .300 win mag and I had my first tiny.
Not the most exciting of animals but I was actually pretty stoked to have taken him. *for those of you who wear matching camo and have OCD I hope you notice that my hat and jacket are different brands and different patterns*
I never had the desire to shoot a gemsbok. I've wanted to hunt Africa my entire life but for some reason the gemsbok never gave me any excitement until I saw one last year and as mentioned I didn't budge too far off my list. This year I had the opportunity and was excited to make it happen.
We had a couple failed stalks earlier in the day due to weather and for whatever reason they were spooky spooky. We just couldn't make it happen. After a good lunch we headed back out.
We located a couple herds and didn't have luck but all is well that ends well. We located a real nice animal that was in condition 2, old, and ready to die lol. With some patience and after an hour we were within shooting range. Just as we were in range the animal decided to bed down, we waited for another hour or so. After some patience it was go time.
Mass and length. What an incredible animal. I still can't believe I didn't want to shoot one of these. I love the coloring and its now one of the few African animals that I will do a shoulder mount on. Im pretty excited to get this one on the wall.
Day 2
Lots of bad weather, and not a lot else to say.
Day 3
Last year I called a late audible on wanting a black wildebeest and it didn't come together. Funny enough this was one of my top targets this trip. These animals intrigue me and I was excited to hunt them. This part of the hunt happened fast, almost too fast. We pulled in to our area and had barely been hiking when the herd appeared almost out of no where and were standing straight on to us at 150 yards. The large bull was the closest and we didn't have to play "pick him out of the herd" game. As if the hunting Gods delivered this one a silver platter. I've hunted a lot, and when these scenarios take place you go for it and don't complain.
What an old boss. Damn these are cool animals with their wide mouths and nostril hair. Just a neat product of evolution or God, either way damn cool!
Day 4
We went back to an area close to my black wildebeest looking for eland and or bushbuck and all we got were nice views.
Picture from high up of an estate that would even qualify as "good enough" for the boss lady ha ha. We went down and had a walk around the grounds. This manor is in some sort of garden show they have here.
Day 5
Back to the area looking for bushbuck. We approached it differently this time and still hunted the river bottom with no luck. We saw some fallow and heard a bushbuck bark but that was it. On the drive in BP my PH said they got a call that they had a caracal treed. I assumed it was in the area we were going to hunt and misunderstood. After a 0 shot morning Ben said the caracal was still in the tree and asked if I wanted to shoot it. "Hell ya where do we walk to?" he laughed and told me it was 1.5 hours away. Shoot man lets get going and hopefully its still in the tree. Between here and there we needed to procure a smaller firearm, which we did.
With a little luck this cat was still in the tree. I shot the small .22 and the cat tumbled and took off. I thought how did I miss. I hadn't missed but the cat did what cats do and gave a good leap before expiring. We had to run up the hill a bit and that sucked some precious O2 from my soul. I was quickly reminded that we were still hunting.
Very very cool animal and not one that was remotely on my radar. ( day 4 and still no bushbuck, I only say that to remind myself that hunting is exactly that)
Later that day we went to an area for bushbuck, we had driven through this area briefly at the beginning of the hunt when we had jet lag and the weather was bad. We found a mature ram 700+ yards away. Using a spotting scope and lots of time we decided to make a move on it. After a decent hike and sitting on the hillside 250 yards away from where we last saw it, the little fella decided to not give us another opportunity and we called it a day.
Day 6
Back to the Bushbuck. We spotted the bushbuck from our vantage point and made a move, long hike later we were sitting on the hill side and the bushbuck didn't give us another appearance, as we were sitting there around 9:30 AM straight across the canyon a herd of cow kudu came out and shortly there after a nice bull appeared. I didn't have kudu on my list but lets not kid ourselves, kudu are always on the list. They are my kryptonite. You could see a big grin on Bens face and when I asked if I could shoot it the grin got bigger. At 300 yards the first shot punched him hard and he start to move away. In the world of elk you shoot until down so I racked another and shot an insurance shot that hit true. If I had to pick just one African animal to hunt kudu would be it.
Later that day we went back to the same canyon to try and relocate that bushbuck. Lo and behold we found him not too far. We quickly closed as much distance as we could and set up on him 340 yards away. Not too much later and I was prone, laying head lower than hips, aiming to an elevation higher than my shoulders. A really hard position for my neck and back and a preface as to why I missed the first shot. Crack goes the .300 and miss. Rack one in and second shot hits a bit far back and the bushbuck is hit but slowly moving down and goes into thick scrub. I hold tight while Ben stays at same elevation and walks around the canyon rim so I can guide him to where the animal was last seen. As I wait and wait he doesn't find blood and calls for Marva and the dog. As I'm still in position and Ben is across the way he starts to walk back into the brush and finds small blood. The dog arrives gets on the scent and what felt like hours were mere minutes and the hound was barking and had found my animal still alive. Ben signals for me to come over and messages me on whatsap to stay at elevation and come across but I figured going straight down and up through the thick crap was the smarter idea. It was a terrible idea on my end but I finally made it to them. The bushbuck was still on all fours and wanting to fight the dog, I put another one in the animal at close range and we were almost done. I'll post a video of the bushbuck wanting to fight the dog later.
He won't break any records but he was old and it sure was an awesome hunt and one I won't soon forget.
If I could hunt mtn bushbuck and kudu each trip Id be ok with that.
Day 7
Day 7 & 8 were set aside to travel high and chase vaal rhebuck. I saw these critters last year and they really had my curiosity. The more I studied them the more I wanted to hunt one knowing they are only in a few parts of Africa and can be a challenge to hunt. We headed out early and packed for the day, expecting to be gone all day. As we climbed in elevation we watched the temperature drop drop drop down to 1c. It was cold. Cold and open country, I felt like we were chasing high plains mule deer and I was loving every second of it. We saw several animals but none that were worth pursuing. After a couple hours we found one that was pushing his little girls around. Man he would cover the mtn side with speed, up and down and chasing off competition. It was so fun to watch. We made a couple moves on him even getting set up on him once that weren't successful and he got within meters of being over a fence and on property we didn't have access to. With some luck he came back towards us. We made a move straight at him, I got prone and at 450 yards missed my first shot, the follow up shot was money and he went down. There wasn't quite the cheering after the shot and I got a bit nervous that I had shot the wrong one or who knows. This time Ben stayed in position and and I went towards the tiny animal while he motioned me to the area. Without too much effort we found him and I drug him up to the road while Ben brought the cruiser around. Upon arriving and seeing the animal Ben got a big smile and was happy we made it happen, all in the first half day of two days set apart for it.
If you combined the weariness of a whitetail, eyes and ears of a muley and speed and stamina of a pronghorn- you'd get the Vaal.
I was a little bummed about my most recent long shots. The gun I was using belongs to the outfitter and its a great gun and shoots great however on these longer shots there is something to be said about shooting your own rig. I'll make up for it on day 8.
Day 8
I had shot most of my list and I spent the day hunting with one of the guys from my group. We spent the morning shooting a couple culls and my first and only shot was at a springbok at 640 yards. Shooting a Sako was a bit more like shooting my Tikka and with a shot like that I decided to call it a safari.
Last year my closing words were sappy and full of sentiment, that still holds true and are still genuine emotion to this day about my first trip to this place. But this year, this year I really only came back for one thing.
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