Chuckbuster's Excellent Adventure, Long and Pic Heavy PT 2
Picking up where I left off due to forum post size limits. Be sure to read PT 1
After the excitement of the previous day and the late night we decided to start a little later the next morning. 630 still came plenty early and although tired I felt rested. The plan for the morning was again that Michael would go one direction, Gerhard and I again heading for a section along the river, still looking for a good Impala. The camp Joke was beginning to be that I was going to be the 1st hunter Gerhard had had that got a Good Kudu, Gemsbok and a Great Waterbuck but might be going home without an Impala. But it was only the 3rd of our 10 days so no pressure, just sit back and enjoy the ride. Our hunt along the river that day was another of those “just perfect days” that can be had if you just relax. Impala were almost constantly in view from the moment we left the truck although a good ram continued to elude us. Some zebra, several waterbuck and steenbok all spotted. We came on a good bunch of Wildebeest only 100-150 yards away. They were settled and up wind so we spent some time looking through them for a Bull better than what I already had but could find nothing but cows and calves. As we worked back toward the truck to head for lunch Gerhard spotted a couple warthog. One looked pretty good so we moved closer and set up a shot. The Weatherby did it’s thing and I had my 1st warthog. A great way to wrap up the morning.
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The afternoon was the same plan. After our power naps we head out. Impala still seemed rather scarce, at least of the quality we were looking for and knew were in the area. Kudu cows, gemsbok and more waterbuck. Giraffe staring down at us, bird life everywhere. Then as it so often happens everything started to happen fast. Sentsho says something in Tswana and points at the same time Michael says Eland to me and Gerhard says Eland Bull rather emphatically. He sets the sticks, takes another good look through his binoculars and says “There’s your eland, shoot it”. I am afraid my answer is “Eland, where?” all I see is bush. Then I think I see it, start to line up a shot and confirm with Gerhard. He says “No, that’s a knot on a tree, to the right.” Looking to the right I still can’t pick out anything that looks like an Eland. How can anything that big be so hard to see. Finally Gerhard says “That’s his head and neck right in the middle of that tree that is arched over. He is about 120 yards out. If you can’t see the body, shoot him in the neck.” Finally a “landmark” I can work with. His head and neck come in focus for me, framed under the tree Gerhard pointed out like it was the golden arches. No body shot so I line up on the center of the neck and squeeze the trigger. With the recoil all I see is a couple eland running off. Having only seen the one I shot at I immediately think the worse and say so. “I MISSED!” Gerhard replies “NO, you dropped him like a sack” as Sentsho signals the same. Straight Down!. Not sure if I should believe them although they seemed pretty confident of what we would find, I reload and we moved up. There it lay, just as they said. Although it could not go anywhere, I borrowed Michaels .30-06 to give it a finisher in the chest. What a bull, with a great forehead ruff and dewlap, beautiful gray blue color and slightly worn horns that would later measure near 35”.
https://i.postimg.cc/qq4sJWD6/7Eland.jpg
Saturday the 7th was our 4th day hunting. 6 days left and really down to just needing an Impala to complete my “List”. Gerhard and I spend the morning along another section of the river, seeing lots of game of all types. The morning passes without a shot but no worry. With the quality of the trophies we have already taken we are not lowering our standards yet, especially since we are not really even at the halfway point yet. Stay positive and keep hunting, there are lots of good rams out there. Besides, I thought to myself. Wouldn’t it be funny if the reason I HAD to come back was to get an impala not a kudu or eland.
That afternoon Michael decided to ride along with us, maybe he thought we had been goofing off when his back was turned. He is great company on the truck and an extra set of eyes couldn’t hurt so was more than welcome. As we rolled along slowly checking out different groups it was looking like maybe just a quiet afternoon. Then as another section of the pan we were sort of paralleling came into view we all sort of saw it at the same time. A nice Impala ram with a small group of ewes. A couple hundred yards away and moving away from us but not spooked. Having no idea how to really judge one the only thing I really noticed was his tips flared out which I had come to learn was a good sign. A quick look with his binoculars and Gerhard grabbed the sticks and said lets go. We moved as quickly as we could using some bush to conceal our approach. The cover ran out and about 140 yards of wide open pan still separated us. The animals were still undisturbed though and the ram was standing pretty much broadside. Not a chip shot but not the longest of the trip either and I was confident. Getting on the sticks I settled in, Gerhard standing next to me with his arm bent so that I could use the pocket of his elbow as a brace for my elbow. Between that and my sling with the sticks I was as steady as ever in the field. Couple of breaths, the sear slipped and the rifle fired. The ram stumbled hard then bolted straight away from us disappearing into the bush on the far side of the pan. Michael and Sentsho join us from the truck and we moved quickly across the pan together. Between the black cotton soil and all the tracks a definite trail was not really obvious. Sentsho picked one he liked and the rest of us spread out a bit just looking. After a few minutes Michael called out, “Hey, does anyone want this Impala?” It had gone less than 100 yards, the Swift A-Frame again flawless in performance. A beautiful mature ram, his horns having a nice flare in the tips and showing some age. Just what we were after.
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Although getting my Impala more or less filled the trophy list there was still a lot of adventure to enjoy. A neighboring land owner had contacted Gerhard about perhaps helping out with a problem leopard. There is no trophy leopard hunting in the area but there is also no shortage of the cats and occasionally they have to kill one that is causing problems, killing livestock. Gerhard took me along when he went to look over the situation and I got to see a bait set up. Having read about it many times and seen many videos it was really interesting to see all the theory actually applied. Another day we went and spent with a different neighbor on his property. “Vim” is a fascinating character who along with all his bush knowledge has a masters degree in Astronomy and is finishing his Doctoral in Archeology. He showed us some archeological sites on his property that he had found, describing them with an enthusiasm and teaching style that was infectious, making what for me at least is a very dry subject truly fascinating. We had a “Bush Lunch” there at a spot on the river bank and I took my 2nd zebra that afternoon. Another great day with what had become in a very short time great friends. (that's Vim in the middle and Michael hiding in the back)
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Although there are many other highlights from this trip, telling of them will have to wait for another time. I would like to take this opportunity to say Thank you to Michael for helping make this dream truly come true. Your help was invaluable and your friendship is treasured.
And to my new “Botswana Family”, Gerhard and Maggie Koch along with their daughters and all their staff a very special Thank you for not only making it all happen, but for making this, my first trip to Beautiful Botswana not only unforgettable but truly and Adventure beyond my wildest dreams.
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