10 days in South Africa

[grayghost]

Finally, after dreaming of hunting in Africa since childhood, a good friend and I boarded South African airlines on July 11th and left Dulles Int'l airport bound for Johannesburg, South Africa. My friend and fellow Tennessean, Brad had booked us for a 10 day Plains Game hunt with Bowker Safari Company out of Grahamstown, SA. The 17 hour flight was no problem, since we met many other hunters bound for the dark continent with hunting on their agenda. We experienced a 5 hour delay due to no fuel being available at Dakar, Senegal, so we had to back track out to sea, landing on Costa del Sol Island to refuel. Our plane landed in J'burg late, and our connecting flight to Port Elizabeth had just left. However, once we were in J'burg, we were met by representatives from both Gracy Travel (out of Texas whom we booked our flight arrangements) and Hunters Support (who pre-registered our gun permits) and things went very smoothly. Gun registration was no problem and getting our next flight to P.E. had already been arranged. (The small fee Hunters Support chages to arrange gun permits and other port of entry requirements was well worth it. We will use them again.) Our layover was less than an hour. We boarded our flight down to Port Elizabeth and made the trip in about an hour and a half. If I remember correctly, it was around 11:30 pm when we landed. Once we walked off the plane, we picked up our luggage and headed for the firearms station. There we were met by Meyrick Bowker. He and his brother Denham now run the outfit as their father Frank is semi retired, taking clients on an "as needed" basis. Meyrick had been kept up to date of our delay and was waiting for us. We loaded up our guns and gear and headed off to their ranch. Best I recall it was a two and a half hour drive, which went quickly as my friend Louis and I were filled with too much excitement to be sleepy. Meyrick answered a lot of questions and by the time we left Grahamstown, we were seeing game all over the sides of the highway. Duiker's, Kudu, Spring Hare, Steenbuck and the like were taking every opportunity to grab forage under the cover of darkness. We had to slow down a number of times to avoid collisions with game. I was as fired up as a fox in the hen house! Before we knew it we had left the blacktop highway (which I must compliment South Africa for their excellent roadways) and onto the gravel roads. We arrived at the Bowkers ranch in the early morning hours and after a quick tour of our separate rooms, we were both in bed as our wake call would be 6:30 am. Neither Louis nor myself could sleep. I guess we both woke up about every hour; looked at the clock and dozed off again; only to wake up within another hour. Finally, around 5:30 am, I heard Louis stirring around outside in the courtyard so I got up and dressed. He had already been in the dining hall and coffee was ready. We fixed us some toast and cereal and within the hour Denham, then Meyrick walked in. They laughed at our excitement, and shortly thereafter, we drove off in separate trucks (Toyota 4x4s) towards the rifle range. We were introduced to our Tracker/Skinners: Jackson was to hunt with Meyrick and I; Sundelay would be with Louis and Denham.....to be continued.

[grayghost]

(Due to the length of my report, I will be posting multiple threads in order to avoid making them too long.) After checking our guns at the range (I would be using a .223 with Federal Vital Shok Premium 60gr Nosler Partitions & a .280 with Federal VS Premium loaded with 160gr Nosler Accubonds. Louis chose to use only his 7m/m Mag with 160gr Winchester Fail Safe bullets) we were off to hunt separately. Our first animal of opportunity came when we spied two separate herds of Springbok (buck). Upon glassing, we determined one was a herd of females, the other a herd of bachelor males. Several good males were spotted so we began plan A. Meyrick drove past them about a half a mile and he and I exited the truck, leaving Jackson to return to the area where we first spotted them. Meyrick and I found a large Acacia bush and set up under its thorny canopy. I adjusted my Harris Bipod and got into a comfortable shooting position. Due to a rise in front of us, we couldn't see the Springbok; nor could they see us. When Jackson returned to the original spot where we first spotted them, as planned, they became nervous and began to move in our direction. First the females, then the males. Eventually, we began to see the females. Just their heads coming over the rise, at a distance of 250 yards. However, there was an obvious herd male that didn't like other males getting mixed within the females so he began driving them away. This along with my good camo (I was wearing Spyder Oak "Diamondback") kept them preoccupied and as they passed in front of us, the average range was down to 150 yards. The females came from left to right and they never knew we were there until they got behind us and our wind. They froze no more than 60 yards away in our rear. Fortunately, there was a cluster of Acacia bushes to block their view, so they just stared. The males started to cross my front when all of a sudden Meyrick whispered "There's a very good buck third from the front buck, do you see him?" My reply was "Yes, I see him." Honestly, I wasn't looking at his horns, just his position. The large buck began running after the forward two bucks and went behind a large Acacia. He turned them both and they headed back in the direction they had come from. Suddenly, the herd buck walked out from behind the Acacia. "That's him" said Meyrick. I had him in my sights! Meyrick informed me to remain patient; "He'll stop soon." Meyrick ranged him with my Bushnell Yardage Pro 1000. "He's 138 yards." I placed the fine cross hairs of my original Weaver 4x12 scope behind his left shoulder and a little low (my point of impact was at 200 yards). The Springbok stopped; I let out a little breath; held it and slowly squeezed the trigger of my Remington 700 Varmit Special. Pow....sssssst...thump! The buck collapsed and never moved. The excitement I felt having finally taking an African animal will never leave me. It only grew as we neared the buck. Having been a professional Taxidermist for many years (I retired in 1985 to pursue another line of work) I had the opportunity to mount a good number of African animals; Springbok being one of them many times. I didn't need a book or my PH to tell me what a dandy I had just taken when I walked up on my buck, but Meyrick told me what a good trophy I had just taken regardless. All I could think was "What a high!" Bullet performance was excellent. The 60 grain Nosler Partition had passed completely through my buck. Evidently with enough shock to drop him in his tracks. He measures just over 14 inches and keeps good mass all the way to the tips. For the national animal of South Africa, I felt humbled to get such a nice one. To be continued....

[grayghost]

As we loaded up the Springbok, we headed off again to find other game. We came to an area with high ridges and deep brushed ravines. Meyrick and I headed towards one ravine (Kloof) and Jackson headed the other direction. We found a good vantage point and began glassing. Almost immediately we started to spot our first Kudu. Cow's mostly but then young to middle aged bulls. We eventually found a large, mature Cape Kudu bedded, but the wind would be wrong for a stalk. We decided to wait a while and see if he would get up later in the morning. While glassing the far hillside, Meyrick and I spotted a medium sized, dark animal. "Bushbuck" he said. We couldn't see his head for some time as he was feeding slowing around the point. Finally, he raised his head. And what an impressive head! "He'll go 14 1/2 to 15" Meyrick said. "He's in his prime, sporting his dark phase (almost black to my eyes) coat." This Bushbuck was probably 500-600 yards away but too many Kudu were between us for an attempted stalk. We decided to go back and see what Jackson had spotted. When we arrived at his position, he had been watching a Caracal Cat (African Lynx). It had just gone into the bush, and although we scanned the hillside for about half an hour, we never saw him again. We returned to the Kudu and our bull was still bedded down. We decided to try and slip into shooting range as the wind had changed direction. Although we managed to close the distance, before we could get into a clear shooting spot, a cow nearby had been disturbed by something upwind from her and she took off uphill. This got the bull up and he and a few other young bulls followed. For the rest of the day we scouted for another good Kudu and although we saw some Impala, Warthogs, Duiker, Steenbok, Vervet Monkeys, White and Black Springbok, we didn't find another trophy Kudu bull. I did take a shot at a running male Baboon...missed. I think the sight of such a huge, live Baboon had me unsettled. I never knew they could reach such a large size. The one's I had mounted years ago must have had milk on their lips...this was twice their size. Day 2; July 14th. I saw Giraffe's, Warthogs, Gemsbok and scores of other plains game. Finally managed to work within 320 yards of another trophy Kudu bull, but I shot right over his back. I should have listened to Brad and sighted my guns in for 300 yards instead of 200. As we spent all day after Kudu, I took no game on the second day. To be continued.....

[grayghost]

Day 3: July 15th. The evening before, we had spotted a nice Steenbok just at dusk. Meyrick advised me that he would most likely be with a female, and remain in the immediate area. On the morning of the 15th we returned to the area and I had just noticed the old stone fence where I had seen him the evening before when a female Steenbok jumped up out of the grass. Right after her was the same male I had seen previously. I exited the truck, pulled my .223 out of the case and bolted a round into the chamber. The Steenbok bounded uphill and stopped and a rock ledge, observing us down below. I adjusted my Bipod and centered just behind his shoulder. Range was 141 yards. I fired and zipped right over his back...he stood there. Lowering my crosshairs to the bottom of his chest, I squeezed the trigger and "Thump!" He crumpled. Again, the 60gr Nosler Partition went through this very small Antelope and did mimimal damage to the skin. I'm having him mounted lifesize; standing on a rock ledge for a wall mount. To be continued.....

[grayghost]

Day 3 continues... After a good lunch, we returned to the field. We found a herd of Red Cape Hartebeast so we attempted to slip within rifle range (I had my .280) but too many eyes so they were out of there. I saw a large male down below the ridge we were on and it appeared that his intention was to skirt around us in the heavy bush. We ran to attempt to cut off his escape but he vanished. As we started to make our way back up the ridge, I saw the lead element of the Hartebeast herd heading up the same ridge along another finger. We quickly found some brush to hide in and I readied myself. The best bull was located within the center of the herd (looks like an old Elk trick to me, I thought). When they stopped, Meyrick ranged him at 297 yards, so I held just below the top of his mid-shoulder. He stepped clear of the other Hartebeast and I squeezed off a 160gr Accubond. You could hear the distinct "hiss" of the bullet and a loud thump when it found its mark. The old bull reared up and spun. He only made it about 10 yards and collapsed. My bullet took the heart and exited on the far side, breaking the far shoulder. What a weird looking animal! I've mounted a good number of them but to see one in person is a real rush. They have their own gait when they run, man can they run. The sunlight really brings out the beauty of their coat. Strange looking yes; but a real trophy from the African Cape area. I was very pleased with the performance of Federals Vital Shok load. Even more surprised at how well the penetration was on a medium large African Antelope using the Nosler Accubond. Continued....

[grayghost]

Day 3 continues...After taking my Red Hartebeast at 1:02 PM, we were off in search of Kudu again. This took us to deep valleys and ravines, covered in bush. It's true; about everything over there vegetation wise has thorns. I only managed to get stuck once and that was on the thumb. Finding a good vantage point we glassed several cow and bull Kudu, but none of the mature bulls we were looking for. Later in the afternoon, Meyrick spotted a Bushbuck feeding in an open spot down in the valley. He said we needed to get a better look at him so we began the long hike to where we could get a better view. He set up his spotting scope again and told me although he had a beautiful "black phase coat" he was only pushing 12 1/2 or so inches in horn length. I had hoped to get one with 14 inch horns but once I began looking at that beautiful black coat dotted with white spots, stripes and chevrons, I told him: "If I can get within 200 yards, I'll take him with my .223." He gave me the OK and off I went, leaving my PH to give me hand signals if anything changed with the Bushbucks position or attention. I crept downhill until I reached the edge of the bush. It was a steep ravine and I glassed the buck feeding uphill at an angle; heading towards me. I moved down a little more and as I peeped around the right side of a large bush, the buck was staring right at me. I slowly melted behind the bush and came clear on the left side. I readied my rifle and had to stand to shoot offhand. My gun is somewhat heavy as it sports a bull barrel, but the range I estimated was only 125 yards and downhill so I aimed low at his chest. He was still staring at me. I squeezed the trigger and with the thump of the hit, the buck wheeled and dove straight downhill into the thick brush. I waited for Meyrick and although he heard the impact he asked me if I thought it was a good hit. "Yes," I replied. We carefully made our way down to the spot where the buck was standing, finding no blood. We knew about where he had gone into the brush so Meyrick had two of his Jack Russell Terriers with him and they ran into the bush and barked "Dead" within seconds. My buck had only traveled less than 40 yards. Again, the 60gr Partition gave complete pass through. It was a double lung shot and I was surprised how fast my buck expired. He measures 13 inches and is a very nice trophy with a super nice coat. As per normal, his neck is rubbed, otherwise he has a nice length mane on his neck. He will make a great shoulder mount! Three animals on my third day. This is hard to believe each morning; and the thrill is only beginning. Continued....

[grayghost]

Day 4; July 16th. The early morning started with another stalk on a good Kudu bull. Keep in mind I'm hunting the Southern Cape Kudu, not his larger relative the Greater Kudu. We worked our way to within 295 yards before he stood and stared in our direction. I was slightly elevated above him and steadied my cross hairs on his chest. Another miss. Why didn't I listen to my friend and sight in at 300 yards. It might have helped if I had not been out of breath, and had my rifle sling (I had overlooked them in my luggage and thought they were missing).No frustration however. My Kudu will come; at least I hoped so. We continued to search for Kudu, and although we found lots of other game, we kept to Kudu glassing. By lunch we had decided to drive back to the ranch and eat. After a great meal, soup, salad and Impala stew, we headed off in search of one of South Africa's rarer Antelope; the Bontebok. Bontebok were nearly extinct some decades ago, but thanks to the Bowkers, their family became instrumental in saving this species. Out of a small herd of only five animals within their care, today they number more than 6,000 and growing around the world. Other concerned ranchers and game managers became involved and now the Bontebok can be seen in zoo's and game parks around the world. There is a Bontebok National Park in RSA. Only a few are allowed to be taken out of the Bowker herd each year, and older, mature bulls are the norm. Currently, they are still a listed CITES animal and I must obtain a permit to import my Bontebok into the States. With numbers growing, it is my understanding that the Bontebok should be delisted before long. As we searched the open areas, we began to see small herds of Bontebok scattered about the ranch. Not under much hunting pressure, they are as curious as opening day Pronghorn Antelope here in the States. I managed to close the distance to 110 yards before they showed signs of moving off. I chose my .223 and one shot put him down. However, I followed with a second shot as this is a heavy built Antelope and he did not expire until the second shot. Both Partitions were recovered: one, a small copper cylinder, the other retains the base and a small amount of the nose section. It was very flattened and probably only 10 grains of lead remained. In my humble opinion, this cartridge is too light for medium sized African Antelope in the hands of most shooters. My first shot was 100% in the kill zone vitals, but this animal absorbed it and penetration was not satisfactory, and this animal could have lingered for possibly a little while without my quick follow up shot. My intention on using the .223 was to not damage the skin, as I am having a full size rug made with head mount. Similar to how we used to mount Rocky Mountain Goats. This will show the entire beauty of one of Africa's most colorful Antelope. I recommend nothing less than .270 caliber on this animal. There are a number of quality, well contructed bullets that would prevent hide damage. Just my opinion. Later, we were watching Black Springbok and Meyrick noticed a young Common Springbok running with the herd. He told me to cull that buck. One shot at 210 yards dropped the buck. He will make a nice flat rug. Continued.....

[grayghost]

Day 5; July 17th. We left the ranch very early in the morning in order to hunt Red Lechwe at Nelskraal. I had wanted a Lechwe from the first time I mounted one years ago. I know of three species: the Kafue, Black and Red. I never understood where the name "Red" came from as those I've mounted were more of a golden color with black shoulders and front legs. We arrived in the area as the sun began to rise and I saw Steenbok all over the place. What a great area to hunt them. Upon our arrival at Nelskraal, we were greeted by Dalton who is the area game manager. We discussed our quarry and soon were on the road glassing the creek bottoms and ridges rising up above. Every where I glassed there were herds of Impala, Zebra, Gemsbok, Wildebeast, Eland, Nyala and other antelopes. Finally, we spotted a fine ram bedded in one of the creek bottoms. But after staring at each other for no more than a minute, he rose out of his bed and began a curious motion that reminded me of a Whitetail buck trailing a hot doe. His head was down in a sneak position and as he walked he swung his head side to side. "That's what we call the Lechwe sneak" Meyrick commented. As soon as the ram gained some distance, he took off in a gallop, not stopping until he had put several hundred yards between us. Dalton said we would continue to drive around the country side and glass for more rams. We would look for a mature male, and patience is a virtue when hunting in Africa. Not far down the dirt road we spotted another ram bedded down. He was on my left (passengers side outside the US) and as I turned to comment to Dalton, I noticed a fine Impala ram standing skylined on the ridge. I stuck my head out the window and asked Meyrick what he thought about the ram and he immediately told me to gather my rifle. We were off and trailing the ram in a matter of minutes but he had already moved off at a fast pace. We spent the next 45 minutes trying to play catch up but this ram and picked up four mature buddies and the five of them were giving us hell. If they stopped within range: they would be standing in thick brush. If they stopped in the open, they wouldn't stand long enough for a shot: at any distance. I was heaving for air and ready to call off the race, but Meyrick insisted we stay on this ram. We were bumping all kinds of game, going up ridges and down into creek bottoms. Still the hunt continued. Finally, after crossing a high ridge clearing, the rams went through a brushy finger ridge. By the time we arrived to their exit point they had crossed another open field. But this time they had moved behind a large cluster of Acacia. I stayed directly behind my PH and we closed the distance to just over 200 yards. We could see them faintly through the brush and it appeared they would clear to our left. Meyrick set up the shooting sticks and I readied for their appearance. My eyes caught a fleeting Nyala bull out of the bush and my mind raced as this was my number one animal I came to Africa for. I wanted a good bull Nyala! "Here they come" whispered Meyrick. I snapped back into reality and focused my Redfield duplex cross hairs on the mature rams. "Which one?" I asked. "The second one, that's the one we're after" replied my PH. Just as I settled the cross hairs on the ram, the lead Impala started to bolt. I followed my ram a few steps then pulled ahead of him and stopped. As he trotted into my cross hairs, I squeezed the trigger as his shoulder moved into the X. At the moment of impact, the ram lunged forward, coming up on his hind legs. He stumbled and fell...motionless. My .280 did an excellent job once again. As I closed the 220 yards his horns kept getting larger and larger. All I could say when I walked up to him was "Damn, what a nice Impala." He measures 23.5 inches; a good ram Impala for the Cape region and a great trophy for me. I noticed how clean Impala were and this one has a great cape. Time was now 9:30 AM.....Continued....

[bsterns]

What a wonderful depiction of your experience in South Africa. I would like some help in understanding how to send pictures on this forum. Petey did not offer any solution for me. What did you do? My pictures are 512 megabytes and the the forum has a 500 megabyte limit. How do you reduce them or whatever? I would like to send pictures of my animals I recently shot in Namibia.

[grayghost]

Continued...7-17-06 Around noon we spotted a good Red Lechwe standing on a ridge within some bush. We began our stalk but something spooked him and we never saw him again. We bumped some Eland and they ran off like a herd of Buffalo alarming everything in the area. We walked some distance before Meyrick noticed a good bedded ram above us on a hillside. Problem was; he was watching us as well. We had to continue walking past him until he was completely out of sight. Then we were able to turn into the wind and try to back track out of sight. We covered a lot of ground before my PH could make him out with his Swarovski's. Now the ram stands up, and starts lifting his nose. Fortunately, he wasn't looking our way. We crept forward a little further and closed the distance to 213 yards. Meyrick set up the shooting sticks and I found him in my cross hairs. He was very nervous and about to skeedaddle when I took him in the left shoulder with the 160gr Accubond. He leapt into the air and hit the ground stumbling. He only went 10 yards at most. Complete pass through for the Accubond. I was really becoming more and more impressed with this Nosler bullet. As I approached my ram I began to understand why they are called "Red" Lechwe. The high mid day Sun was shining down on this beautiful animal and his golden shimmering hair had a coppery red tint to it. I was once again awed by one of Africa's beauties. Nice heavy bases and long forward curving horns makes him a favorite of mine. This hunting trip has already surpassed my wildest dreams. I should have been here years ago, but like most of us living in the US, the mere words "African hunting" jerks a knot in our neck and we think "There's no way I could afford a trip to Africa." Check again my wishing friends. You can hunt Africa for less than a good trophy Antelope/Mule Deer combo. Don't get me wrong: I love to hunt here at home and I've been from Canada to many western States, but price a Moose hunt in the Yukon or dare to price a Stone sheep hunt in BC or Alaska and Africa suddenly becomes the bargain of the century. I'll get off my soapbox, I'm just still excited as hell Continued.....

[grayghost]

Day 6; July 18th. We headed for Dikkop Flats this morning to hunt Gemsbok. The day before Louis had taken a fine 38" cow but I would be looking for a bull. We walked a long way across the plains until we found a bend in the creek Denham had told Meyrick about. This area was a bottle neck for game and the Gemsbok would most likely appear in the area sometime during the day. We saw Black Wildebeast, Blesbok and Springbok during the morning and had one Blesbok walk within 50 yards. Later a herd of Springbok came within 20 yards without noticing us. The wind was in our favor. About 10 am we saw the Gemsbok coming around a ridge to our front. We were going to have to close the distance rapidly if I were to have any chance at a shot, so when they went into a deep depression, we were up and fast walking towards them. We were almost to our predetermined spot when they suddenly appeared coming over the ridge. I immediately sat down and readied my Bipod. They were in single file and Meyrick said: "Fourth one from the back." I quickly single out the bull and let him walk into the cross hairs. At the shot he reared up and ran forward, disappearing into a deep dry creek bed. I readied another round but he never came out. We slowly went into the high brush and found him expired. My shot had passed through the inside of the right shoulder and broke the left shoulder. Top performance from the 160 gr Accubond. Range was 203 yards. Time was 10:30 am. Nice, heavy symmetrical horns measuring 35 inches. A fine bull Gemsbok. After taking some pictures, we loaded up and took my bull for skinning. This was accomplished in short order by Jackson, Meyrick and another skinner. They were finished in less than 30 minutes. We packed up and headed off to hunt Black Wildebeast and Blesbok....continued

[grayghost]

After lunch we began searching for Black Wildebeast and Blesbok. We found them out on the prairie/plains and after glassing several herds, we noticed a lone bull off by himself. He looked good to me but Meyrick said he was a real bull. We circled around and hid in some Acacia bushes. He was still coming our way so we waited. I had hoped he would stop but he didn't. Meyrick whistled at him but the wind was blowing and he didn't stop. Again, I let him walk into my cross hairs and fired. He thumped real good but mule kicked the air and kept going. A second shot put him down but it took a third to expire him. All three shots were tight in the kill zone. I had always heard they were tough, but this one was like terminating a Buff. They can really take punishment. Initial range was 220 yards, so I still had considerable foot pounds striking him from my .280. This bull turned out to be everything I could have wanted in a Black Wildebeast. Long, heavy upturned horns and massive bosses. Everyone that has seen him says he will score very high. Don't really know, but he scores high with me regardless. This will conclude my posts for today. I'll get back on it over the weekend and try to finish my report. This is old news to you guys who live and guide in Africa, and some of you that have done this many times from here at home. So please bare with my long posts. I just want some of the guys and gals who've never been to feel some of my excitement. Good hunting, grayghost

[gd357]

grayghost,

sounds like a great trip! Thanks for sharing pics and stories. And congrats on a safari that's been a huge success.

bsterns,
save your images as jpeg files. That should drop their size considerably.

gd

[grayghost]

July 19th. Thanks gd357, I appreciate it. We started this day later than normal, arriving in an area of the Fish River Valley to hunt Nyala. This area is known for its Pineapple orchards and looks more like jungle than the lowland plains valleys. Deep valleys and ravines make up most of the landscape with a beautiful river bottom where the Fish River winds. We found a place to park our vehicle and while I began to gather my gear, I happened to glance across a ravine to a high point above us. My eye caught movement and as I began to focus my attention on it, I thought I was looking at a Nyala bull. Meyrick, my PH was talking to the land owner when he noticed me pointing towards the point of the ridge. He quickly focused his binoculars on the animal and motioned for me to come to him ASAP. I had to go uphill towards him and by the time I arrived he had already set up the shooting sticks. "Do you see that Bushbuck standing in the bush?" he asked. He pointed up towards the ridge line and I saw a Bushbuck standing there, facing a male Impala. "Yes, I see him" I replied. He said: "Take him, now, he's 135 yards!" I settled my .280 in the shooting sticks and aimed a little low behind his right shoulder. I squeezed the trigger and at the shot, the buck leap into the air and hit the ground running; straight down hill. We waited for about five minutes then walked uphill and cut across the ridge line. It only took a few minutes to walk through the maze of brush and to the spot where the buck had been standing. I scanned the area for spoor while Meyrick studied the ground and slowly began following a narrow trail that disappeared into the dense brush. He hadn't gone far out of sight when he called out; "Found him, and what a buck!" The shot had been a good one and the Bushbuck had only gone about 40 yards. When he pulled the buck out where I could see him, I understood why I had thought I had seen a young Nyala bull. Dandy horns measuring almost 16" on one side and just an inch shorter on the other. He had been digging and gouging in the red clay and his horns were covered with it. I had been very pleased with my earlier Bushbuck but this one surpassed any expectations I ever imagined. The rest of the day was spent in search of Nyala and late in the evening we found one. He was coming out of the dense bush and feeding along the edge of the pineapple fields. I set my Bipod up for the shot. Range being 181 yards. Somehow, I again shot over this bulls back. He ran into some nearby bush and stood there for about 10 minutes. Then we saw him start to feed again. He never gave me a clear shot so we decided to try and move around him for a better shot. Just as we were nearing a clear lane of fire, an Nyala cow blew the alarm and he melted into the bush. Sunset was upon us so we left for the long drive back to the ranch. We would return in a day or two. Continued....

[fabsroman]

Great posts. Just wondering how much your taxidermy bill is going to be. Probably as much as the hunt itself cost, or maybe even more. Your taxidermist must love you right about now.