African Plains Game Hunt.

[Kapow]

Thought I'd start a new thread on my recent trip to Africa to share some photos and info. The first week as mentioned earlier was spent chasing Nyala around and I ended up getting this young bull on the last day.


After that I rented a car and drove to East London, about a 10 hour trip. I only ran over one dog and just missed a donkey. The only car available to rent was a Chev Spark, a micro car if ever there was one. My luggage took up half the car and I took up the other half. Any discomfort was mitigated by the nail biting ride but at least I got to see some of the countryside.

After a day of R & R I met my P.H. Mark Oberem. He was a fit guy with loads of experience and a serious kudu addiction, something that would eventually help me greatly. We got to know a bit about each other as we made our way to the Baviaans River Conservancy three hours south.

There I met owner of Crusader Safaris, Andrew Pringle. He was a very capable and experienced P.H. having been a guide in Canada, yet a more accomodating and down to earth person you wouldn't meet.

The first day was spent looking for a black wildebeest bull who was on his own on top of a hill. We got to 150 yards and waited him out until he gave us a shot about 1.00pm. Their eyesight is incredible which is why they frequent the bare tops of isolated hills. I shot him low in the heart at about 90 yards.

 

[Kapow]

 

[Kapow]

For the next 6 days we hunted kudu. I had times where I was surrounded by other game - zebra, warthog, blesbok, you name it but I held out, hoping for a chance at a mature kudu bull. There were a few centre fire rifle hunters in camp that were shooting just about everything they wanted but the difference was that I wa working my butt off. We hunted most days morning and night but due to the harsh terrain and thick bush I just couldn't get a shot at one.

I got within range but the luck always seemed to go their way. The wind would change or they would follow a cow into brush. Some of these stalks took up to five hours up and down some of the most uncomfortable ground I have ever walked. My knees were swollen and feeling the strain. I was maxing out on anti inflammatory pills.

On day seven I decided to try for a mountain reedbuck as they are pretty well endemic to the area. They live in the roughest rocky areas in groups of five to ten with one male. After a few failed stalks I went after one on my own to reduce noise and took a nice old male at 25yards.

 

[19 16 6]

Good stuff. Are you getting those heads mounted ?
Did you eat any part of them ? What calibre is that ?
Looks like you had fine weather.
O.

 

[Big Hammer]

That is a really good Black Wildebeast. I would also be interested in rifle and load details.

 

[Spikebuck]

Sounds like a wonderful hunt, despite the pain endured. A hearty congratulations to you! :applause: :hatsoff:

 

[Patocazador]

Nice animals.
If you decide to go back for kudu, try Namibia. They are all over the place there. It should be no problem.

 

[RonRC]

Nice animals!

Success with traditional black powder rifles makes the exertion worthwhile.
Ron

 

[Kapow]

I had a roller coaster ride with stalking kudu. One afternoon I spotted a huge bull and walked up a big hill after him only to get him at 80 yards and lose light. It was s nasty walk out in the dark! A few days later we found him dead on the road after having been hit by a car. Heartbreaking.

Before I knew it we were at the last day of the hunt. Day ten and only two animals. The hunt was proving to be the challenge I had hoped it would be. Nothing good comes easy. Kindly, the PH and outfitter agreed to allow me to use two days I had earmarked for sightseeing for hunting.

We moved to a new area for warthog but the swirling wind baffled us. We spotted a small group of three springbok including an old ram and I went it alone. By only moving when they were feeding and keeping small bushes between me and them I stole yards to a convenient acacia limb for a rest. I made a good 60 yard shot, securing my unexpected trophy.

 

[Kapow]

What a great start to the day! I was very pleased. We were on our way to a herd of black wildebeest when I shot the springbok. That afternoon we made our way back to them. They are extremely hard to stalk close to.

We made a four hour stalk on a herd of about 70 black Wildebeest. We mostly belly crawled through acacia thorns to get to the last bit of brush. At one point I had to get my knife out to dig a half inch thorn out of my knee.

As light faded a warthog walked close to our position and spooked taking the herd with him. A good bull paused quartering away at 90 metres. I took a quick shot aiming for his last rib and the herd vanished in a cloud of dust.

I was very concerned as we found a small spot of blood but no bull. After a nerve racking search we found him dead 300 yards away with a lung shot exactly where I had aimed.


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The rifle I used was my well proven Lyman Great Plains rifle with fast twist barrel. The load was 100 grains of Wano FFg black powder and 450gr Lyman Great Plains bullets. It was incredibly hard hitting and accurate. The PH and outfitter were so impressed they are looking to order the same rifle for themselves!

 

[agill]

Congratulations and thanks for posting! :hatsoff:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Great hunt. Congratulations. Downside is you just made a couple thousand guys very jealous. :wink:
Really, super report and that jealousy is really admiration. :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

That's real hunting! Well done, all the way around.

 

[Kapow]

The next morning to the credit of my PH we were back on the road to a new area in the south. A change of scenery. I have always wanted a nice steenbok and was promised that this area had plenty of them.

We saw a few on the way in and after being greeted by our hosts we were off. After a few km's we saw a nice 'ram' and made a stalk. I allowed too much for elevation on my first shot and clean missed!

He was off and we dogged him for a while before spotting him at 80 yards. A good shot using shooting sticks for a rest secured him. I was over the moon!




The rest of the day we spent playing Kudu chess in the thick brush while male baboons hurled abuse at us from the cliffs above. The backdrop was truly amazing. That afternoon we saw a very impressive kudu bull of over fifty inches. Remember these are the smaller cape kudu which are about 20% smaller than southern greater kudu. We made a play at him but in the failing light we had too many sets of eyes on us including some huge gemsbok.

 

[Kapow]

Finally the dreaded day had come. Last roll of the dice for me to get a kudu. I had a complete sense of calm. I knew I had done the hard yards and the law of averages was in my favour. We got going early to get some elevation, bumping some kudu returning from the flats early. They were rutting and we saw a nice bull mounting a female.

We found a lofty perch to glass from and before long we saw a mature bull with a hot cow. We headed off down the slope after him as I had a feeling she would head for a dam and he would follow. I decided to go it alone to minimise noise. I made it to a perfect bush with a shooting lane and rifle rest incorporated.

After an hour of waiting the female walked straight towards me and the bull followed. At fifty yards they turned broadside and I made a quartering away shot at the Bulls last rib. He bucked and pig rooted for 70 yards, then collapsed. I felt a mixed emotion of sadness and elation, but mostly disbelief at what had just occurred. My PH was genuinely as excited as I was.

 

[Kapow]

I was one happy, tired, sore and satisfied hunter. I was happy to call it off there but the PH gave me 'that' look and said we still had time for another stalk, so I nominated springbok as the area had hundreds of them.

We drove to another part of the property and immediately started seeing groups of springbok in their fluorescent white coats. One group appeared to be all rams so we commenced our stalk through the low brush, trying to keep aloe Vera plants between them and us.

At 100 yards we were out of aloe Vera and they were milling nervously ready to bolt. The biggest ram was side on but had others in front or behind him. When he was clear, he was front on. Shooting a 25kg animal front on at 100 yes was not my idea of ideal but it was all we had. I took a good bead and touched off the Davis set trigger.

The sound of a solid hit floated back, yet the ram ran off with the others for 100 yards before losing oil pressure and collapsing. The shot was right on the money. I was done.

 

[Kapow]

This hunt took place with Crusader Safaris in the south of South Africa. What made it unique is that all animals were running wild in open and free range areas. It was a real hunt, not a contained hunt behind high wire.
http://www.crusadersafaris.com


The area was breathtakingly beautiful. My hosts were very nice people and I had the time of my life. Andrew Pringle, the owner was licensed to purchase and hold black powder and percussion caps, making that side of things stress free and seamless.

He was very accomodating and genuinely interested in providing hunting opportunities for the black powder community. I can't thank him enough for his hospitality and support.

My PH Mark Oberem was the best PH I have ever had, going way beyond what was expected. His enthusiasm and friendship kept me positive throughout the entire hunt.

The laws in South Africa do not consider muzzleloader a to be a weapon, so no licence is required. You may take them through the airport like you would a bow.

I sincerely hope my post inspires some of you to take the plunge on the trip of a lifetime. You won't regret it. Thanks for reading my story.

 

[satx78247]

BEAUTIFUL KUDU. = I hope to take one next year that's even CLOSE to being that NICE.

Do you happen to KNOW if my ML .62x12-bore, SxS, Cape-gun is equally unregulated OR only single-shots???

yours, satx

 

[Kapow]

Send the SA police an email to find out for sure but I believe it is all muzzleloading firearms that are unrestricted.

 

[satx78247]

GOOD PLAN. - THANKS.

yours, satx