Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Report on my 1st Safari

After years of dreaming about it, my first (I hope) safari has come to pass. I met Scott Van Zyl (SS Pro Safaris) about 10 years ago with a friend of mine who hunted with him a couple of times. He supported a DU event I did for a few years. I figured the least I could do is hunt with him. Glad I did, he put a package together for me and another guy 10 days including an Impala, Blue Wilde beast, Zebra, Wart Hog and Steinebok (how ever it's spelled) for $3500. Sounded good. Put it together and flew over. Course I also wanted a couple of other things but I wasn't real good at the names of some of the animals, probably one of the most ignorant safari hunters you guys have ever met. For those who it's important to I used a Winchester Model 70, 338WM, with a VX-3 2.5-8 X 36 and 210 NP's. I prefer 250s but couldn't find them in either Sportsmans Warehouse or the cabelas where I live.

I got in late July 20th things went pretty well getting my stuff and my firearms license. It was a 3-1/2 hour trip to the "ranch" were we were going to hunt. We got in pretty late but they held supper for us, it was good.


Got around the next morning and sighted in. Not really knowing what the hunting conditions were like I had sighted in 3" high at 100 yards so about 230 yards dead on. I resighted dead on at 100 yards. Probably took one shot over 100 yards.

Then we went hunting. One of the things I wanted was a Kudu so when we saw one I took a shot. There was nothing between me and the kudu (he was looking out at us between bushes) but I couldn't see the angle of the body. I don't like frontal shots but figured what could go wrong... Anyway we heard him come down the hill but he turned off and in the process of tracking a heard of wildebeast had come through and messed up the tracks. We spent the rest of the day looking and came back the next day and even called in a helicopter. No luck. Not a great start $2300 bill for an animal I didn't get plus $500 helicopter bill and two days into the hunt.

The next two days were uneventful, I was leary to take anything but the best shots and you don't get a lot of those.

Day 5 and things changed. We found some Blesbok that didn't know we were there and my partner got one. A little later than morning I got one.

We took them in to the skinning shed had lunch and went back out. We were on a roll, I ended up getting a nice Gemsbok. I think they are cool animals and when we came across them I couldn't pass.

Then we started hunting for Zebra (which was in the package)we saw some but never got a shot, until the next day. In Alaska we never hunted "hot" round in the chamber safety on. In Africa it's common place apparently. We saw several zebras and my safety was on then off then on and when I got a chance, something was wrong I looked at my rifle and it was on safety, I took the safety off and the zebra was gone. A few minutes later I got another shot. This time through brush but the Zebra was close to the brush so I figured I had a descent shot. I shot and the zebra was gone. Not even any blood. We went back to the ranch and got the owner and his dogs and came back. Withing minutes the dogs were on the zebra track and were worrying the zebra he never even realized we were coming up to finish it. We loaded up the zebra and took him to the locker so we could continue to hunt.

We headed out and after a little bit saw some Blue Wildebeasts, we started stalking and I kept seeing the PH glassing, pretty soon he said "I don't see the bull." But we kept sneaking and they were getting pretty nervous but for once the wind was in our favor. Finally he found the bull and I snuck up to a tree. Another frontal shot. He told me to shoot right for the breast bone. As I started to sight he said, "you see the nose, shoot right under it". I did and he fell right over. He said, "I hate telling people to do that cause if you are off sometimes you don't get the animal." Glad he didn't tell me that BEFORE I shot. Nice bull, and a good day.
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By now I'm getting concerned (a little) about getting all the animals I want. But things kept moving along and the next day I got a nice impala
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We were getting down to the wire and I'd seen warthogs but they are some pretty nervous critters. Finally I got my chance and took a shot. He took off like crazy and I'm thinking how could this be happening??? But he only went about 30 yards and fell over.
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