Bryce hunted with Eastcape & Karoo Safaris in May 2018. A safari gift from his dad on study break – this was Bryce’s first time in Africa. Wayne accompanied his son on safari and all arrived safely on the 25th of May. Wayne and Sarah long time clients and friends were not hunting this time but tagging along and enjoying Bryce’s excitement.
All arrived midday and we set off on the road to our Karoo Lodge. On route we chatted and caught up … reminiscing previous hunts and good times together. We arrived at the lodge well in time for an early dinner and get some sleep after long flights.
The next morning we were up early in anticipation to get going. First we needed to check if firearms were still shooting where they were supposed to be. After a hearty breakfast we set up the targets on the range and got going.
All was good with the guns and we loaded up and headed out into the field. We weren’t far from the lodge when we had our first bit of luck. In the ditance we spotted a couple of pigs enjoying the earling morning son eating close to a creek. A quick glass with the binos revealed some nice white ivory. I jumped out and told Bryce to get his rifle and follow me.
The wind was perfect and all the pigs were unaware of us. We made a good stalk to get closer and Bryce rounded it off with a great shot to get this magnificent pig. First animal in Africa deserved a blooding ! What a way to start the safari.
Day 2 we were going to put in some proper walking. We stopped the truck down one end of the valley and made our way upwind checking all the creeks, nooks and holes as we climbed. Seeing plenty of game, a few kudu bulls that were just too small we held back on firing the gun.
The last hill we got to we were about to sit down and we peered over the ledge. There was this big springbuck ram grazing on his own. Bryce made another great shot and he went down in his tracks.
Day 3 we were still looking for the elusive Grey Ghost. We were seeing a lot of kudu. Rutting this time of the year makes it a bit easier to find the bulls. It’s their “Stupid” time ! Another day with a lot of walking …. we needed to with all the good food we were eating.
Late afternoon we spotted a lone gemsbuck bull enjoying the last bit of sun before the evening closed in. A slow stalk and we were able to get him just before end of light. Another great shot Bryce !
The next morning we were out first thing looking for kudu again. While driving along stopping occasionally to glass the sunny mountain slopes we suddenly saw a few warthogs break to our right. Everyone in the truck noticed the big ivory immediately and by the time I got out the truck Wayne had already got his rifle out and ready to go ! We followed their tracks for a while and came up to a bush where we had las seen them dissapear. The pigs had settled down and were lying in the sun. We got ourselves ready and edged closer. The big pig stood up and Wayne fired immediately putting him down. What a snorter !!
After photos our pig was on it’s way to the salt. We packed up and were on our way searching for kudu again. We entered a bushy revine and soon after a bunch of cows broke cover with a good bull at the back. We watched the group as they covered in excess of 2km dissapearing over the hill. I glanced at the tracker and we both knew where they were headed.
We made our way to the area where they had gone over …. sitting on top of a hill glassing over the valley looking for any movement. We knew the cows would make the bull easier to find. I was confident the kudu were in the bushline we were covering. We made an approach and once close enough sat patiently. Before long my tracker Mabalelo whispered to me that he had seen a horn glistening in the trees. I got Bryce set up on the sticks and ready. He stepped out into the open but was quatering away slightly. Bryce fired and he ran off down the revine. Definitely hit but we weren’t sure how well.
We were exhausted and it was time for a bite to eat and a nap under the tree. After a well earned rest we set off for the afternoon to look for a Black wildebeest. Wildebeest like the flat open country which makes them a bit more of a challenge. We managed to spot a big bull on his own – the less eyes the easier. We made a long stalk and eventually got within distance and Bryce made another good shot on this monster.
Another good day on the ground in Africa – well done Bryce ! We had some excellent trophies so far.
The next morning we were out looking for impala. Mid morning we were again onto a loner and after a great stalk which took this nice ram.
Late afternoon we started hunting our way home. We heard the familiar tap on the roof. We jumped out and a few kudu cows with a nice bull were standing looking at us from a distance. Wayne had an itchy finger and was keen to take another kudu. The kudu ran off and we planned our stalk. There was a large group of kudu and we were busted on the first try. A young bull stood barking at us for a long time making sure the whole valley knew we were there. All the kudu ran off and we tried another tactic and got up ahead of where I thought they might be headed.
Climbing to a viewpoint we peeked around the hill and there the group was standing and looking in the direction we had been. With a dead rest on the rock Wayne made a great shot to bring this old warrior down.
A great day and we headed home.
Another Safari with some great trophies taken. We packed up at the Karoo Lodge to leave the next morning. The next day we were travelling on our way down to Leopard Ridge lodge to wind down and enjoy some of Niki’s home cooked cuisine.
Another beautiful sunset to end our Safari. Thank you for hunting with Eastcape & Karoo Safaris ! Until we meet again.
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