17SEP21 – We began the quest for the kudu as it was the most elusive animal on my list. The zebra had permitted TJ to assess where I was at in terms of skill level and how he would have to guide me. I passed the assessment OK. We drove around looking for the kudu, only seeing numerous cows and calves, and occasionally a teenage or just off the teat male. TJ spotted a very good blesbok which was on Robert’s list. He made a great running shot on the old fighter to anchor him.
After the pictures for Robert, we continued the search for the kudu bull. TJ and I dismounted to drive through a thick area in hopes of kicking bulls out of their hiding spots. I had to unlearn my 5 meter interval programming from patrolling. TJ stopped and told me to stay up on his ass so that when he put up the sticks, I could get immediately on them. My two brain cells rubbed together hard and a light bulb went on. The PH-hunter team is similar (at least in my feeble Soldier mind) to an Army sniper team. The lesser experienced one is the shooter. The spotter/PH evaluates the target, feeds info to the shooter to get him on the target so that he can successfully engage. My focus was to be getting the bullet into the right spot before the opportunity disappeared. I was NOT to be dally-whacking 25 yards behind the PH with my binos, trying to see what he had spotted. I needed to trust that when he threw the sticks up, there was going to be a target that required and merited my attention. This realization enabled me to be a much better hunter under TJ’s guidance. I understood 1,000% what my focus should be and the tasks required of me.
I almost feel like I should have left my binos at home. I used them from that point on for sight-seeing at the lodge watering hole, or very occasionally from the back of the bakkie. On the next trip, to pursue a buffalo, there may be the chance to examine the herd with TJ as we sort out which bull to pursue. In general, however, I took the step learned from reading PH comments on AfricaHunting.com and decided to trust what my PH was telling me. This would eventually literally save my life later in the safari.
Meanwhile, the bakkie with Nico, his manager, and Robert moved to our pick-up point. On the way, they spotted a very nice, mature impala ram. Robert decided to pass on it as he already had an impala and this was my first trip. When TJ & I got to the truck, we headed back to see if we could find the ram again. As the truck neared the herd, they mosied into a huge brush island. Nico took the truck off to the right side of the island. By the time we had circled to about 2 O’clock on the island of brush and bushes, the herd started to amble out of the island towards 10 O’clock. It was easy to spot the ram. I waited until he walked out of the brush into the open to fire. The round entered behind his right shoulder and exited about 2” down his left neck, dropping him in place. I had told TJ I wanted strongly representative animals. I was not going to hunt with a tape measure and did not want to waste days seeking world record trophies. So far, we were perfectly nailing the quality of trophy aspect of the hunt.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the ladies had run off to go 4 wheeling for the day with Natalie, their guide/PH. From the after-action comments, they had an absolute ball.
We continued to search for the kudu bull, but were only finding adolescents that were perhaps ½ to ¾ grown. After lunch, we switched areas. The adjoining property manager, Jock, rode in the rear with TJ. His ranch was a bit more SW desert-like with less trees and more brush. It also contained a generous sprinkling of termite mounds. I described the terrain as if when God finished creating the world, He had a significant quantity of rocks left over. He must have taken a pinch in between His thumb and finger and sprinkled them liberally over South Africa! There were softball to kickball-sized rocks THICK, everywhere.
The winding, switchback bakkie trails climbed up and down the terrain. We passed the ranch’s cape buffalo breeding herd that would not move until we were 10 yards from them. Intermingled with the buffalo were the sable, the stud sporting rubber tubing on his horn tips to protect them from damage, as well as the other males from the same.
After driving for several hours about the ranch, we were climbing a grade along a boundary fence road when we saw an animal 1,000 yards away also using the road. TJ opined that a cow would not use the road, only a bull. His binos confirmed it was indeed an oryx bull, and one worthy of stalking. We continued our steady pace driving up 5 MPH to about 300 yards before he heard the tires on the gravel and whirled to confront us. After a few moments of standoff, he decided to seek concealment in the brush. We drove up to where he left the road and TJ & I dismounted. We stalked slightly downhill 50 yards through the brush. TJ put the sticks up. TJ is a bit taller of a lad than I am – being perhaps 6’2” and my tree trunk physique tops out at 5’10”. I had to quickly whisper “LOWER”, as I couldn’t get on the rifle initially. We got that sorted, and I watched the bull move from left to right, crossing a small opening. I ALMOST squeezed off the round, but was afraid of flubbing the shot as he didn’t stop.
We played the game again. TJ spotted him, plotted his direction of travel, and set the sticks up for me at another opening in the brush, about 70 yards off. This time the old warrior obliged me by stopping to examine who was pestering him. I settled the red dot on his chest 1/3 of the way up and gently squeezed. I was greeted with the loudest sound on the battlefield – CLICK! I had a dud round! Fortunately, I had practiced running the gun prior to coming to SA, so in a flash, I racked the bolt, sending the recalcitrant round spinning away, and resettled the dot. This time the squeeze sent a 270 grain Barnes on it’s way before the oryx had moved a muscle. He took the bullet and
