saswart
AH veteran
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2022
- Messages
- 152
- Reaction score
- 587
- Location
- Pretoria, South Africa
- Media
- 7
- Articles
- 1
- Member of
- CHASA, BASA, NHSA
- Hunted
- RSA, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia
Has the wait and patience for my first bushbuck paid off! With a father and grandfather that were both PH’s, hunting has always been an important part of my life. As a kid I used to read all my dad’s hunting books, with one firm favourite a big SCI records book as well as the Rowland Ward books. I could recall the minimums and records of the major species. And this, as I am writing this is maybe the reason for my fascination for Bushbuck.
Yes, my dad may have hunted a lot while I was little, but my first memory of a major trophy animal that he bagged with a client was a bushbuck. He took a French friend and client on an impromptu Impala hunt. I do not remember the Impala, but a very big Bushbuck. It was a 17/18-inch bushbuck and at the time and a top 10 RW. Another reason for my fascination of Bushbuck is the alure of danger. It is always mentioned, how if injured, they would wait in ambush.
I am one of those odd people who, when I have this specific idea of how something must be done, specifically in hunting, that is the way it should be for me, not for others, just for. Bushbuck hunt was one of them. I wanted to hunt my first bushbuck on the banks of a river. Yes, I have encountered bushbuck everywhere but this idea of next to the river is what I held out for. So for many years and many encounters in the bush and mountains I passed on.
In 2021 I started a concerted effort to hunt for a bushbuck. Quite oddly, the previous 20 years, there were a lot of farms where I would have loved to hunt a bushbuck, but 2 of these farms, that fitted my idea of the ideal hunt, did not allow bushbuck hunting. However, in my group of friends I hunt with, David, Dave for short, had similar aspirations. In 2021, on the ideal farm, a farm on the Limpopo River, with Botswana’s Tuli adjacent (thus big five country), neither Dave or I were successful. That brought us to 2021. We arranged a hunt and the target was Bushbuck. The farm we chose this time, was close to the Limpopo River and border with Botswana, that had a large tributary that feeds into the Limpopo River. This farm also ticked the boxes for my first Bushbuck… The only problem for me was that it was on David’s birthday weekend. We agreed, he may hunt until successful. After 3 hard days of hunting, Dave, got got a great 14-inch ram. He was stoked, it was a big dream come true for him. That left the Saturday for me. However, there were actually a few of us left that wanted a bushbuck, so we split the day and I took the shorter afternoon session. Within the first half hour, I bumped a nice-looking ram, but he was already in the thick stuff and I never got sight of him again. That session I saw 2 rams and heard a lot. That ended the 2022, bushbuck specific hunt, at least I bagged 2 impalas and followed the spoor of a leopard kill, but that is a story for another day. Another friend, Ehrhard also got lucky elsewhere on the farm and also bagged a medium sized Bushbuck. That Sunday morning on our way out of the farm, next to road like a tame sheep, stood monster Bushbuck. This was the in the area that everyone walked and no one saw him, maybe he was one of those that barked. We estimated him at probably 16/17 inches and was left with a lot of questions and what if’s! We vowed to return.
Typical scenery on farm next to river
That we did and early 2023 we booked again. This time I made it clear, I was going to take first option on the Bushbuck on the river section. The hunt started somewhat unorthodoxly in that, my friend Andon, needed to do some work at a nearby Town, on our way to the farm. We decided to leave on the Wednesday. This gave me the opportunity to play some golf while he was working and having an extra day on the farm before the rest of our hunting party arrived on Thursday. I greeting my wife very early, Andon picked me up and we left. Ando dropped me dropped off at a beautiful Soutpansberg Golg Club in Louis Trichardt, or Makhado. Being a hunting trip and not a golf trip, I only took half a bag, 7 irons in total, a 4,6,and 8 iron, 3 wedges and a putter. The golfing was delayed a bit, since the pro shop assistant, having more questions than a 3-year-old, ultimately asked my profession, which is an Attorney and Notary. I know doctors have the same issue; you always get asked for a quick opinion.
Reddy for the first hole at Soutpansberg Country Club, note the mist
There was a funny moment during this for me, in that after listening to his legal problem for about 10-15 minutes, he asked me “do you have any time right now for this”. Whoa, that was a loaded question. In truth yes, I had, I was about to play 18 holes of golf, so probably 4 or 5 hours. The legal advice and all worked out in the end, he got his answer, I hope, and I eventually got to play 18 holes. With half a bag and no long irons, I played a decent 87. Andon arrived and we did the last 90-minute drive to the farm.
We arrived on the farm, did a quick rifle check and after oddly for this time of year, waited for a rain shower to pass, we had a quick braai of some boerewors for boerewors rolle (think hotdogs) we set off at 16h00 for the first session. I have another hunting, what can we call it opinion, feeling and that is not to really hunt on the first session. Why not, I feel that I have not yet “work for it” or should I get something, what would be left for the remaining days. And that was a reason I allowed Andon along. Also, it would be great if we (well not me) got something and shared in the memo. We agreed that I would go after Bushbuck, anything else, he would have first option on it. I brought along 2 rifles for the hunt, my new to me 7x57 Brno Mod 22, shooting 170 gr PMP and a 458 Express, shooting 500 gr Peregrine VRG3 at approximately 2200 FPS, topped with a red dot. I grabbed the 458. The session was great, we heard a few bushbucks, walk and crawled through inhospitable thick scrub and bushes next to river. At places it was so thick, we abandoned the river and went more inland to more open terrain. Here we sighted some impala and tried our luck on them, with no success. It was just before 18h00 with last light, when I took out the radio and called the farm owner, Johan, to come and fetch us. His first words, all in Afrikaans, were “did we get anything”, “no was the answer” and we signed off with him on his way. Andon was walking to my left using his scope to look over the river to the left while I was talking. Literally just I said my last word, I glanced to Andon to my left and then to my right down a natural opening in the bushes and big trees on the river. There, in the almost darkness, I saw a silhouetted bushbuck ram. It was an odd feeling, noting he is definitely shootable size, being dark, just spoke on radio, Andon fiddling on the bank with his rifle.
I immediately tried to get Andon’s attention for two reasons. Firsts of all, to stop him from talking, although I just did that on the radio, and secondly for his ears. He damaged his hearing a few years earlier. Me, taking a shot with him not wearing his earmuffs would not be good. I managed to get his attention after starting with soft but intentional “tsssks” which got louder each time. At last, after a tssk that would leave a librarian disgruntled, he turned around and I pointed to the Bushbuck, which was still standing and looking at us! I guessed the ram was probably 80 -100 metres away. Tricky shot without sticks. Between the ram and I was a big tree stump, probably 20 meters away. I moved very slowly until the tree obscured me from the ram and I half crouched closer with the stump as cover. I remember turning around and showing Andon to crouch waiving up and down with my hand, like compressing the air against the ground. He later told he thought I meant him to stop, to which I replied, no, that would have been an upright palm. After what felt like an eternity, during which I also was able to put in my hearing aids, I reached the tree stump. It was made for me for this moment, it had a dead-rest perfect height. I sighted the ram, he was standing looking almost straight at me, a tiny fraction quartering to my left. With him sighted, I realised (an all of this probably a fraction of a second), that damn, this red dot is quite bright in this darkness (I used the function that auto illuminates). I had no time to adjust it lower and just placed the dot centre of mass and pulled the trigger. The shot went off, the recoil pushed me back and to the left of the barrel I saw him drop on the spot. Andon walked jogged his 20 metres and joined me and confirmed, he dropped where he stood as we could not see the ram anymore. I reloaded and we approached the area where we saw him fall. I still showed the respect the ram required. It is the dead ones that kill you.
When I saw the size of him and how beautiful he was, I started to shiver with adrenaline. The only other time this has happened was when I was with my dad when he shot an Elephant. AS the ram lay there, I could tell this wasn’t just a big bushbuck ram, this was a huge ram. We just stood and could not belief it. What was amazing, and I left it intentionality like that for the photos, was how his horns where full of mud. I measured him with my hands, knowing the spread from thumb to pinkie. I stopped, knowing the distance and what I was measuring and sat there in disbelief. Andon took a few photos, and we heard Johan’s vehicle approaching. Andon left me to fetch Johan. I just sat there for few minutes in disbelief and giving thanks for the opportunity. Johan was also astounded at what he saw. A few more photos and we loaded the ram on the bakkie and left for the house. With a proper measuring tape, Johan started to measured him. The tape got to 15 inches, which is minimum for Rowland Ward, and there was still a lot of horn left. His left horn (right on photo) measured 18 & 6/8’s and right (left on ohoto) 19 & 4/8’s / 19.5. I did a quick search; the record was an impressive 21 7/8’s. So, I was 2 inches out, but still 4 & ½ over the minimum. If this hunt took place in 2013, I would have bagged the biggest Bushbuck..
Andon and myself
What a hunting day, a day I would never forgot. I got the hunt I dreamt of, the size is a bonus but does add to it. When I spotted the ram, I forgot about the “first session” obsession I have. I can gladly say I think that is past me. There is a saying we use, “take what is offered”. I realized afterwards, what would have been the difference on session 1 afternoon, versus the same session last day of the hunt? None.
It turned out a great day, I played decent golf, it rained, the night there was a lightning storm and I got to hunt Bushbuck the way and place I wanted too, and I got to share the moment with a friend.
Some photo’s I took of David, sighting in his rifle the next day at evening. Note the photo how light is appears, taking a photo without the “enhancement function” and one without enhancement using a flashlight, just to show how a camera can lighten up the photo.
Dave sighting in rifle - note how "light it seems" and how iphone camera lights up the picture
True reflection of what it looked like - Yes we placed a light at the target
Using a flashlight
Yes, my dad may have hunted a lot while I was little, but my first memory of a major trophy animal that he bagged with a client was a bushbuck. He took a French friend and client on an impromptu Impala hunt. I do not remember the Impala, but a very big Bushbuck. It was a 17/18-inch bushbuck and at the time and a top 10 RW. Another reason for my fascination of Bushbuck is the alure of danger. It is always mentioned, how if injured, they would wait in ambush.
I am one of those odd people who, when I have this specific idea of how something must be done, specifically in hunting, that is the way it should be for me, not for others, just for. Bushbuck hunt was one of them. I wanted to hunt my first bushbuck on the banks of a river. Yes, I have encountered bushbuck everywhere but this idea of next to the river is what I held out for. So for many years and many encounters in the bush and mountains I passed on.
In 2021 I started a concerted effort to hunt for a bushbuck. Quite oddly, the previous 20 years, there were a lot of farms where I would have loved to hunt a bushbuck, but 2 of these farms, that fitted my idea of the ideal hunt, did not allow bushbuck hunting. However, in my group of friends I hunt with, David, Dave for short, had similar aspirations. In 2021, on the ideal farm, a farm on the Limpopo River, with Botswana’s Tuli adjacent (thus big five country), neither Dave or I were successful. That brought us to 2021. We arranged a hunt and the target was Bushbuck. The farm we chose this time, was close to the Limpopo River and border with Botswana, that had a large tributary that feeds into the Limpopo River. This farm also ticked the boxes for my first Bushbuck… The only problem for me was that it was on David’s birthday weekend. We agreed, he may hunt until successful. After 3 hard days of hunting, Dave, got got a great 14-inch ram. He was stoked, it was a big dream come true for him. That left the Saturday for me. However, there were actually a few of us left that wanted a bushbuck, so we split the day and I took the shorter afternoon session. Within the first half hour, I bumped a nice-looking ram, but he was already in the thick stuff and I never got sight of him again. That session I saw 2 rams and heard a lot. That ended the 2022, bushbuck specific hunt, at least I bagged 2 impalas and followed the spoor of a leopard kill, but that is a story for another day. Another friend, Ehrhard also got lucky elsewhere on the farm and also bagged a medium sized Bushbuck. That Sunday morning on our way out of the farm, next to road like a tame sheep, stood monster Bushbuck. This was the in the area that everyone walked and no one saw him, maybe he was one of those that barked. We estimated him at probably 16/17 inches and was left with a lot of questions and what if’s! We vowed to return.
Typical scenery on farm next to river
That we did and early 2023 we booked again. This time I made it clear, I was going to take first option on the Bushbuck on the river section. The hunt started somewhat unorthodoxly in that, my friend Andon, needed to do some work at a nearby Town, on our way to the farm. We decided to leave on the Wednesday. This gave me the opportunity to play some golf while he was working and having an extra day on the farm before the rest of our hunting party arrived on Thursday. I greeting my wife very early, Andon picked me up and we left. Ando dropped me dropped off at a beautiful Soutpansberg Golg Club in Louis Trichardt, or Makhado. Being a hunting trip and not a golf trip, I only took half a bag, 7 irons in total, a 4,6,and 8 iron, 3 wedges and a putter. The golfing was delayed a bit, since the pro shop assistant, having more questions than a 3-year-old, ultimately asked my profession, which is an Attorney and Notary. I know doctors have the same issue; you always get asked for a quick opinion.
Reddy for the first hole at Soutpansberg Country Club, note the mist
There was a funny moment during this for me, in that after listening to his legal problem for about 10-15 minutes, he asked me “do you have any time right now for this”. Whoa, that was a loaded question. In truth yes, I had, I was about to play 18 holes of golf, so probably 4 or 5 hours. The legal advice and all worked out in the end, he got his answer, I hope, and I eventually got to play 18 holes. With half a bag and no long irons, I played a decent 87. Andon arrived and we did the last 90-minute drive to the farm.
We arrived on the farm, did a quick rifle check and after oddly for this time of year, waited for a rain shower to pass, we had a quick braai of some boerewors for boerewors rolle (think hotdogs) we set off at 16h00 for the first session. I have another hunting, what can we call it opinion, feeling and that is not to really hunt on the first session. Why not, I feel that I have not yet “work for it” or should I get something, what would be left for the remaining days. And that was a reason I allowed Andon along. Also, it would be great if we (well not me) got something and shared in the memo. We agreed that I would go after Bushbuck, anything else, he would have first option on it. I brought along 2 rifles for the hunt, my new to me 7x57 Brno Mod 22, shooting 170 gr PMP and a 458 Express, shooting 500 gr Peregrine VRG3 at approximately 2200 FPS, topped with a red dot. I grabbed the 458. The session was great, we heard a few bushbucks, walk and crawled through inhospitable thick scrub and bushes next to river. At places it was so thick, we abandoned the river and went more inland to more open terrain. Here we sighted some impala and tried our luck on them, with no success. It was just before 18h00 with last light, when I took out the radio and called the farm owner, Johan, to come and fetch us. His first words, all in Afrikaans, were “did we get anything”, “no was the answer” and we signed off with him on his way. Andon was walking to my left using his scope to look over the river to the left while I was talking. Literally just I said my last word, I glanced to Andon to my left and then to my right down a natural opening in the bushes and big trees on the river. There, in the almost darkness, I saw a silhouetted bushbuck ram. It was an odd feeling, noting he is definitely shootable size, being dark, just spoke on radio, Andon fiddling on the bank with his rifle.
I immediately tried to get Andon’s attention for two reasons. Firsts of all, to stop him from talking, although I just did that on the radio, and secondly for his ears. He damaged his hearing a few years earlier. Me, taking a shot with him not wearing his earmuffs would not be good. I managed to get his attention after starting with soft but intentional “tsssks” which got louder each time. At last, after a tssk that would leave a librarian disgruntled, he turned around and I pointed to the Bushbuck, which was still standing and looking at us! I guessed the ram was probably 80 -100 metres away. Tricky shot without sticks. Between the ram and I was a big tree stump, probably 20 meters away. I moved very slowly until the tree obscured me from the ram and I half crouched closer with the stump as cover. I remember turning around and showing Andon to crouch waiving up and down with my hand, like compressing the air against the ground. He later told he thought I meant him to stop, to which I replied, no, that would have been an upright palm. After what felt like an eternity, during which I also was able to put in my hearing aids, I reached the tree stump. It was made for me for this moment, it had a dead-rest perfect height. I sighted the ram, he was standing looking almost straight at me, a tiny fraction quartering to my left. With him sighted, I realised (an all of this probably a fraction of a second), that damn, this red dot is quite bright in this darkness (I used the function that auto illuminates). I had no time to adjust it lower and just placed the dot centre of mass and pulled the trigger. The shot went off, the recoil pushed me back and to the left of the barrel I saw him drop on the spot. Andon walked jogged his 20 metres and joined me and confirmed, he dropped where he stood as we could not see the ram anymore. I reloaded and we approached the area where we saw him fall. I still showed the respect the ram required. It is the dead ones that kill you.
When I saw the size of him and how beautiful he was, I started to shiver with adrenaline. The only other time this has happened was when I was with my dad when he shot an Elephant. AS the ram lay there, I could tell this wasn’t just a big bushbuck ram, this was a huge ram. We just stood and could not belief it. What was amazing, and I left it intentionality like that for the photos, was how his horns where full of mud. I measured him with my hands, knowing the spread from thumb to pinkie. I stopped, knowing the distance and what I was measuring and sat there in disbelief. Andon took a few photos, and we heard Johan’s vehicle approaching. Andon left me to fetch Johan. I just sat there for few minutes in disbelief and giving thanks for the opportunity. Johan was also astounded at what he saw. A few more photos and we loaded the ram on the bakkie and left for the house. With a proper measuring tape, Johan started to measured him. The tape got to 15 inches, which is minimum for Rowland Ward, and there was still a lot of horn left. His left horn (right on photo) measured 18 & 6/8’s and right (left on ohoto) 19 & 4/8’s / 19.5. I did a quick search; the record was an impressive 21 7/8’s. So, I was 2 inches out, but still 4 & ½ over the minimum. If this hunt took place in 2013, I would have bagged the biggest Bushbuck..
Andon and myself
What a hunting day, a day I would never forgot. I got the hunt I dreamt of, the size is a bonus but does add to it. When I spotted the ram, I forgot about the “first session” obsession I have. I can gladly say I think that is past me. There is a saying we use, “take what is offered”. I realized afterwards, what would have been the difference on session 1 afternoon, versus the same session last day of the hunt? None.
It turned out a great day, I played decent golf, it rained, the night there was a lightning storm and I got to hunt Bushbuck the way and place I wanted too, and I got to share the moment with a friend.
Some photo’s I took of David, sighting in his rifle the next day at evening. Note the photo how light is appears, taking a photo without the “enhancement function” and one without enhancement using a flashlight, just to show how a camera can lighten up the photo.
Dave sighting in rifle - note how "light it seems" and how iphone camera lights up the picture
True reflection of what it looked like - Yes we placed a light at the target
Using a flashlight
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