https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense AllGunStuff Discussion Board en-US Sat, 01 Aug 2026 03:33:29 +0000 wpForo 60 https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/the-wife-went-with Sun, 31 Aug 2025 06:58:02 +0000
Stunning time, place, but kakkeragge hunt.
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-31 at 14.43.59_1710749c by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

Tea time Saturday coffee, who recognizes the tin mug ?????
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-31 at 14.44.00_deeaf605 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

The accommodation was very cheap, almost free, but there is always a catch ..................
double click to video
WhatsApp Video 2025-08-31 at 14.43.59_7c4ae2a7 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

We hunted 4 walks from 06;30 to 15;00 and went home for lunch, saw nutting, nutting at all, not even a duiker. Between 16:20 and dark I got frustrated, and made a dash for the faaar corner of farm, like 12 -13 gates away. Sometimes I relize why my bakkies always need wheel alignment and new bush's, shocks, but we got to the other spot in like 35 minutes.
The spot is called the pantry and is a raised hill edge that affords one the chance to see over a huge area and then if you see something, walk your moer off to try find it in area 30, 40 minutes later after last visual.
We saw absolutely nothing, the son went down behind the far hills, the day shift clocked out and the dead silence of that between time, before night shift clocks in for sound affects duty.
As we stood up to leave a waterbuck stepped out about a km away and I moaned about how unfair life is while glassing the beast. The area we were hunting has a straight line of untouched Cape coastal forest on the one side of a cattle fence and used farm land on the other. The animals like being in the thick stuff by day and coming out onto the grass lands by night, the best hunting in these dense forest, open patch's areas is when the animals are heading back for cover in the morning or last light when the over eager first movers head out before its properly dark.

While watching the far of water buck, another W/buck stepped out right next to us, almost too close, but with bush's between us and a good shot. I got into a better position , but the shot was that typical W/Buck quartering stance and I wanted a full side shot for meat hunting reasons.
Unfortunately the little dog got just too excited and could not keep still - the W/Buck bolted.

I was furious and jumped up down, swearin very foul ways, wanting to kick my lil boy, but he knew he had made kak , and sat there with beeeg sad eyes, sorreeeee !
I told the wife that we were done, bladdy dog is still too young, still to excitable, hunt over.
No kudu for us.
Wife chirps, " there stands a buck", I look up and ya!, there stands a kudu cow, just checking us out.
A small step to one side and shot sent, thud returned and kudu bolted to my right back into thick stuff.
The little dog found the cow in the dark after a few false starts, dunno how I ever hunted without the dogs.
I carry about 200 m of 250 kg rope with me when I hunt alone or 2 up, that rope really saved us this week end. Forced my poor bakkie in deep and got the rope onto the kudu head and had wife low range out of the thick stuff with me steering the animals head till we got to a open patch. The cow was then gotten closer and closer by reversing and shortening the rope over and over.

Next was getting it onto the bakkie.
With the wife turning the winch and me lifting as best I could we got it onto the bakkie about 20  minutes later making for about a hr and 15 minutes for recovery.
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-31 at 14.44.00_e2bd6c54 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

Shame, the wife weighs less than 60 kg and that winch beat her, both arms, both legs, 2 - 3 clicks and rest, repeat, repeat. Push handle away, climb over rope to get behind handle and push again, repeat, repeat. Really admired her for that.

We were late, farmer had been waiting at base camp since 17;00 to have a braai with us, she been sitting alone for close to 3 hours.

When we got back her and Anita hit it off and Cody I gutted the animal. The farmer said she had brought a steak and that we could all have some of it. Funny that, me sharing a steak ? And Cody?
Then I saw the steak.
Double click to see video.
WhatsApp Video 2025-08-31 at 14.44.00_27d7cede by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

We then went to bed, I was rather on my ear, the beer and being dead tired went straight to my head.

Next day
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-31 at 14.44.00_669adfce by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

Decent cow I would say

WhatsApp Image 2025-08-31 at 14.44.01_c2d8c4fb by David Frank Allen, on Flickr]]> Hunts, Past tense. Treeman https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/the-wife-went-with https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/hunted-with-the-nicest-people-ever-this-week-end Sun, 29 Jun 2025 03:36:30 +0000 In the end we saw another buck and I spoke him through stance, squeeze, and eye - brain, forget trigger. He got a 21 " ram that he saw before me.
But really nice people, really was a pleasure. Cody's guy got 2 of his wish list, but no pigs seen.
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-29 at 12.18.04_6b8a38fe by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

As can be seen shot was real bad, but it fell on spot. We practiced all ammunition finished later.later.
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-29 at 12.18.04_96df9b74 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-29 at 12.18.05_9c52e4c4 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr]]> Hunts, Past tense. Treeman https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/hunted-with-the-nicest-people-ever-this-week-end https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/my-son-has-outgrown-me Tue, 17 Jun 2025 23:02:32 +0000 20250412_114914 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
20250614_113300 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
20250614_141748 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
20250614_172706 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
20250614_172606 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
]]> Hunts, Past tense. Treeman https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/my-son-has-outgrown-me https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/5-year-old-and-going-with Fri, 06 Jun 2025 06:22:25 +0000 Well this guy and his wife could not have children, and it was a shame, he was a natural father and of so much need to be a father. Well 5 years ago there was some miracle and his wife had a medical mishap, her periods stopped and there was fears about the condition she has having caused further female issues.
Turns out she was pregnant  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D
There were a lot more people ecstatic than just him her.
Well that was 5 years ago, that little boy is going on his first hunt with me this week end.
Will keep you posted.
]]> Hunts, Past tense. Treeman https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/5-year-old-and-going-with https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/went-for-a-quick-outing Sun, 08 Dec 2024 01:40:47 +0000 It was hot, hot as hell by 09:00 as predicted, but luckily we were we were nearly 4 hours into morning walk (we call it a walk when the wiff comes with ;D ).
This is the end of the third year that Cody has been trying to get his One Horn, a very special animal to him, VERY. Cody saw a Impala about 3 years ago with one horn only and a huge body, I must say I agree he is huge. This one horn got named, and became legend, it was all he spoke of for a long time. In year two of trying he sold some of his stuff to buy that animal, paid the poor farmer for that one horn and TOLD the serious looking farmer that no one else can shoot his animal. Imagine the 14 year old looking up to the big bearded farmer, handing him a fist full of cash and telling him how things are gonna work ::). Well we were there for One Horn only and if we got him the wiff knew its, bang. load, pack up, and straight home because of the heat.
She also knew that we would likely have a kill free day because finding that one animal would be a needle in a haystack kinda thing - its a big piece of land.
We found One Horn 120 m from where we parked bakkie for start of walk about, and as before, Cody could not shoot because he is just too nervous about this animal, he wants it to be standing dead still, perfect broadside shot with absolutely no grass or twigs visible in scope picture. He has thought of everything that could go wrong and then added "take no chances"
So after I shot one horn at least 5 x mentally, One Horn wandered off and was gone.
We did a 16 km walk about and saw lots of nice things, flowers I had never seen before, flowering after the  drought, true - I still see new stuff. We also saw the most ever number of other game, but we were not there for other game early in the day, just too hot.

We slept and dozed and lay about till 16:30 and then went back into the bush, this time to get an take home animal. We saw many animals, but all were too good for what I needed, I wanted a undersized animal that needed taking off, or a bad horn genetic animal that would be better on a plate than on a ewe. I was hoping for a big bad horn animal.
These little tracking dogs, never knew it, but they can not handle the heat, we really have to nurse them in the bush, they just get too hot. We actually pre plan water trough points for them.
20241207_171424 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

At about 18:00 we spotted a huge herd of Impala, and then saw that there were like 4 herds on the lower ground before us. We chose a likely animal and stared to stalk it, but it was 330 m away and needed some open area planning.(Jan Fred- the spot we called Warthog Valley where you likely bumped your scope)
Between us and the target was a valley we would have to get into, somehow ? When we got to drop off and open to herd area we could see the floor of the valley and  :o  a huge lone bad horned ram - 120 m. I told Cody he could take the shot and it was worth the look on his face, he knew One Horn was his animal and assumed then I would claim the meat animal.
Not much to say, bang, the ram jumped, ran the length of a car and stopped. It stood there looking about before walking off another cars length to the shade under a tree and lying down gently. It held its head up for a while and then lowered it as if really tired and expired.
20241207_184820 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

My new cooler room that I am so exited to use now had a function  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D
I really never thought I would ever have an cooler room.

Tired? Who's tired ?
20241207_214536 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr


]]> Hunts, Past tense. Treeman https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/went-for-a-quick-outing https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/cody-got-his-fallow-deer Sun, 18 Aug 2024 20:06:04 +0000 There is another way,find a farm where there are not enough deer to bring clients out with a reasonable chance of success, but enough chance to actually get one if you hunt for days on end.
but then , these farms usually have the deer reserved for the sons, perhaps family.

I have been trying to get a fallow deer farm for about 8 years now.

I found one, eventually I found a farm with fallow deer and permission to hunt. The farm is really, really hard terrain (third visit smashed my bakkie). The Fallow deer are there, but as per photo's, its hard long hunting.
You need to click on photo to see photo or video properly.
20240817_081257 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
There are flat spots down there, but they farmed, the deer are up here.

20240817_084056 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
We tried hunting them from the top, because they would be midway up mountain, generally looking down.

The gearbox seems to have overheated ? dunno, took 500 ml oil easily. Not sure what the problem is here.
20240817_110300 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

The boy was tired,if you look in background, that long valley ? We had come all way down over that mountain around that round hillock above Cody"s head.
20240817_162849 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr]]> Hunts, Past tense. Treeman https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/cody-got-his-fallow-deer https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/quick-day-hunt Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:21:07 +0000
Between Saturday and Sunday we did around 40km walking, but didn’t get any more opportunity’s to shoot anything.
As usual, the time spent in the bush was excellent.

Around 2 weeks ago a friend suggested I go for a day hunt. After thinking about it, I started looking for a place I could go to not far from home. I settled on a farm in the Brokhorstspruit area. While chatting to a friend, it so happened that he knew the farmer. I asked him to join me and after checking if he could get the day off, he decided to come with, along with his father and a friend.

We left early Wednesday morning as we had to be there by 7:00am. As we approached the farm, we saw a huge jackal cross the road. We reached just as the sun was beginning to rise, what a spectacular sight.

After having coffee and rusks, we headed out to the range to sight in our rifles. Due to the flat open terrain, shooting distances are between 150m and 250m on average. We sighted in at 200m.Lately my scope has been having issues which was also evident at the range. I had already ordered a new one and should get it soon.

We headed off to hunt. I missed my first blesbok, shot over it. We came across a group of springboks and followed them until they stopped. We waited for an opportunity on a female springbok. There was one,standing broadside.Took the shot at 132m and she dropped on the spot.

Next we went looking for a female blesbok. Came across a herd and waited for one to move away. There was one facing us, took a shot at 143m. She ran off and we followed it, till it stopped and I took a broadside shot and she fell where she stood. The first bullet was recovered under the skin at the rear end.

We then went on looking for 2 blesboks for the other hunter. He shot one huge female at around 210m. Not sure what distance he shot the first one at. We seen many species of game on the farm, which I really enjoyed.

I used SBC 150gr which worked very well on this hunt. Need to improve on the velocity a bit, but happy with its performance overall. First hunts using reloaded ammo, first year reloading rifle ammo thanks to a few members on the group.For the previous hunt I loaded 165gr Norma Oryx which also performed well. Seen the entrance and exit on what was left of the blesbok carcass.

Late afternoon approached and it was time to go. It was an excellent day hunt, filled with wonderful memories.

]]> Hunts, Past tense. Mohamed https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/quick-day-hunt https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/my-previous-hunting-experience Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:47:04 +0000 I work at sea and have a very non-fixed schedule. Supposed to be 2 months on, 2 months off, but I could be away for 4 months or 1. I cannot predict what it will be more than perhaps 3 months into the future. And then it can all change with one email. This makes it extremely difficult to book a hunt. All the hunting trips I tried to organise in the past requires booking and payment well in advance. They also do prefer groups over single hunters unless you want to pay a lot of money for the privilege. I do not have a group of friends or co-workers that want to hunt so that option is off the table. The "well in advance" booking and payment also throws a spanner in the works. Not knowing where you will be in 6 months to a year's time makes it extremely difficult to plan.

I have only gone hunting once before, back 2008. A shooting friend asked if I would go on the hunt with them. One of the group got sick hence the opportunity. I asked him what I must take along as was told just my clothes, rifle and ammo. Also, at that time I have never used a scope never mind own one. Thankfully my friend gave me a 4x Tasco which we fitted to my trusty "bulldog" .303 No1 MkIII*. Zeroed the scope with my 174gr target ammunition. Then bought two boxes of PMP brown box 174gr soft point ammo. Took around 5 shots to confirm the scope zero 50mm above point of aim at 100m. All set.

Monday morning around 03:30 a Hyundai Sonata and trailer stops at my house, the ou omie got out and opened the boot for my bags then got into the passenger seat. Apparently he did no see well in the dark, I had to drive. He'll pay for the fuel up and I pay for the fuel back. Bit lopsided arrangement, but at least I had transport. That was quite an exciting drive. If the car was traveling over 108km/h, the whole back-end started to swing alarmingly left and right. My first time with a trailer, but that felt rather dangerous. And I think the speedo was a bit generous. Actual speed was probably 10km/h less. Trucks overtaking us made me fear for my life.

Anyway, 12 hours and change later we arrive at the hunting farm. Some koppies, very few trees and low bushes. Moved into our chalets, unpacked and off to the range to check our zeros. When everyone was satisfied we went to the lapa and started the fire. This was the first bit of trouble. Apparently, "just bring your rifle, ammo and clothes" has an unspoken component that includes food and drink. Thankfully my loving wife packed some instant oats in my bag against my wishes, so I didn't go hungry. While everyone was drinking their beer, brandy and what not, I had to be content with Frisco, black.

Next day, bright and early with a feast of oats, rusks and Frisco we set off. First the farmer took us on the bakkie looking for eland. I couldn't afford to shoot an eland, but the two old men wanted them with a passion. My friend and I were after blesbok. They were reasonably priced and the farm had "plenty". The plan was to take the eland hunters to the eland then drop us off to stalk some blesbuck. And, like most plans, it did not quite work out like that. The eland showed us the farm. We could not get close enough for the old guys to get a shot until around 11:00. One shot later and a death dash of +- 100m one eland bull was ready for the chiller. The other old man had his chance around 17:00 as it was getting dark. 5 shots later and a coup de grace to the back of the head the second eland was ready for the chiller. Until this time, we have not seen anything else except swartwildebees (white-tailed gnu). The 5th member of our party couldn't be arsed about bakkies and stalked off at day break to the closest wildebeeste he could find. By noon he already had his 3 heads for pick-up. he spent the afternoon and the next day processing his carcasses. That night we ate eland liver and onions. At least old omie no2 knew how to cook it and it was great. There was also alot. Eland liver is huge! I didn't even mind the Frisco, black.

Day 2 dawned bright and cold again. The farmer agreed to drop us off at a camp that definitely had blesbuck, then took the old men off searching for more eland. We stalked that camp and saw a herd of rooi-hartebees and a lonely gemsbok. We got to within 80m of the hartebees and 150m of the gemsbok, so our stalking skills weren't too bad. Not a blesbok in sight anywhere. Around midday the bakkie picked us up again. After a quick lunch the farmer told us they saw some blesbuck and will drop us off close by again. Finally, a chance! off we went. Not long after, we saw two standing off into the veldt. The bakkie stopped about 350 m away. As soon as the bakkie stopped, they looked up and started running. And so we set off after them on foot with hope in our hearts. The bakkie left us again in search of eland. We stalked and tracked and listened and watched; to no avail. We did not see another blesbok again. Just before 6 we heard the bakkie and made our way there. Off to the camp for warmed up liver left-overs and Frisco, black. The old men could not get near another eland either.

I went for a shower. when I got back to the lapa everyone was in their chalets?! Apparently my friend and his other friend was getting pissed off at the old men for hogging the bakkie for the whole 2 days so far and let the old guys know. This caused a bit of friction and the old farts pissed of in a huff and a puff. That put me in a bit of a quandary. Old omie no2 was my ride home.

Day 3 was the last hunting day. Last shots to be no later than 13:00 so that there was time to slaughter the carcasses to a manageable size. Once again, after the abominable oats and Frisco, we set out. This time we had wildebeest on the target list. And of course that was when the damn things decided to play hide-and-seek. And once again the old omies went off in search of eland! My friend and I went walking again. What we did not know at the time is that the farmer got his workers to herd the wildebeeste towards us. We saw the lonely gemsbok again, but that was not on the approved list. Suddenly the herd of wildebeeste appeared to our left coming over the hill. I kneeled, found one running outside the main group, aimed for the chest, breathed in then out and jerked that trigger so hard that it was a complete miss. Bokkoors! One of the reasons that the Lee Enfield was such an excellent bolt-action battle rife is that a trained person can run that bolt very fast while in the aim. Any members that have shot the "mad-minute" in the army can attest to that. That is exactly what I did. One and a half seconds later the second shot went and no mistake with that one. The animal just summersaulted and came to rest legs in the air about 70m away. And that was when the excitement started.

When the first shot went, the herd changed direction straight towards me. One lesson I learnt that day is that swart wildebeeste are not very smart. If one starts running, the all run. The direction they run seem very random and unpredictable. And they were all running in my direction. There was a bush close by that I hid behind, praying that the herd run around it and not through it. The herd passed by to my relief. As they crested the hill behind us, two more shots were heard. The old farts gave up looking for eland and shot two wildebeeste. And yes, they were shooting in our direction.

Anyway, recovered the animals to the slaughter shed and here is another point that showed my lack of preparedness. I was asked how to cut up the carcass. As someone that has no meat processing knowledge, this question stumped me. Point was moot anyway, By the time they came to process my carcass there was only enough time to take the skin and head of and quarter the beast; boude en blaaie. And once again my unpreparedness was thrown in my face. "Where are your plastic bags to put your meat in?!" The farmer was nice enough to give me four bags with a flowery fragrance. Beggars can't be choosers. Later that afternoon we paid our dues and prepared for the long road back.

Next morning packed the car and trailer again and was on the road by 05:00. Old Fart no 1 left much earlier. Apparently he tried to convince no 2 to leave me behind. The trailer was around 3/4 full with one eland and 2 wildebeeste, That made me wonder where the second eland would have been packed if old omie no 2 managed to perforate another one? Anyway, I was driving again.* The extra weight in the trailer did not make it handle any better. No matter how we adjusted the balance, it now started to sway at around 102km/h on the clock. At an estimated 90km/h, Cape town was very far away. We got stopped a Worcester and almost got a ticket for a smooth trailer tire. I suspect that the swaying issue was caused by bad wheel alignment of the trailer which also accelerated the wear on the tires. I arrived home around 7 at night. As I proudly carried my prized meat into the house the wife got a sniff of the plastic bags and promptly kakked me out for putting meat in a perfumed bag...

*This is where it dawned on me that the only reason I was invited along was to drive Mr Daisy. If they couldn't find a driver, the whole trip would have been cancelled.

Epilogue
Apparently there were a lot of blesbuck on the farm in March that year. Every hunting party that went, shot more than a few and nobody used silencers. When we got there end of July, there weren't many left. The few left were alive by making sure that they were nowhere near humans. Lekker wild geskiet. All in all, the experience left a bad taste.

Another lesson I learnt the hard way. Unless you want to make mince with all the meat, do not shoot an animal in the run. That meat was really tough. We had to boil it to bits to make it edible. The biltong it made was very chewy.]]> Hunts, Past tense. janfred https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/my-previous-hunting-experience https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/second-hunt-of-this-season Sun, 23 Jun 2024 13:37:11 +0000 When I say nice guys, I mean rarity nice.

I found it so hard talking to a bloke for 5 mins only for him to turn to you and start a conversation about something which leaves you realising that he had no idea you were talking :o

Getting a man onto an animal  :-X , "stop, keep still". nothing happens, chap just keeps going. " STop!" , STOp!!", finally, "FKN STOP !!!!!".
"Huh ?",  ::) "Oh don't worry, they gone" Was trying, but yet so much of a wonderful time was had with these two icons of real men.

I finally got John his first buck, two years after we started trying, like 7 hunts later, and best part was he used the old original other than scope mounts condition .303 I got for him. Made the same year he was born and a sad, difficult moment for me to part with it. John is one of the men that helped me get to where I am, a legend to me.
I will post pictures and storey tomorrow, verrry, verry tired.

Here is a picture of "youth", Cody found out its easier to carry the Impala than to drag it, the boy is getting real strong now.
20240623_110922 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
 
]]> Hunts, Past tense. Treeman https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/second-hunt-of-this-season https://systemz.online/community/hunts-past-tense/first-hunt-2024-season Wed, 12 Jun 2024 13:29:36 +0000 As you guys know, I am a big advocate of "you pull the trigger, you have shot it, you pay the price.
Many guys won't hunt with me because of my standpoint on the matter, last night at the fire we spoke of the kudu you shot at 400 m, you told me of the Springbuck you shot at 300 m, we spoke of our grouping and you said things like " Nee Boet, as ek skiet val die bok". Now, you tell me you fired 3 shots today at Kudu and they all missed.
Bullshit ! you wounded it and could not find the animal.Even if you really believe you missed, you did not, you do not shoot a4 page at 100 m yesterday and then miss a door size animal today.

That said, I know it DOES happen, but perhaps 1 in every 20 miss claims is a true miss - I have found the animals a few weeks later, far to many times.
Well, that just happened to me, first time in 30 years I recon.

Woody Cape, just outside Nanaga behind the sand dunes of the Sundays River area.It rained whole of previous week and week end,it rained Thursday and it rained Friday and Friday night, but there seemed to be a break Saturday and saturday night. We brave, us Manne! We tough as nails when planning, we even pretty roff ouens when leaving  ;D  ;D  ;D
We left in the rain, Cody, I and a rather subdued fellow hunter who was starting to regret meeting us in the first place. We packed under the carport with rain pissing down proper, stood in water while packing, left to the wife's " you mad" comment.
We drove out in the rain, and 4x4ed onto farm road, 15 km of gravel later we saw a Warthog on the road, just standing there. Cody has this unbelievable ability to see a wounded/sick animal, the cause of many a argument and the a me apologising, "you were right my boy" incidents. This child will look at a herd of Blessbuck and point out a sick animal, after arguing and eventually shooting it knowing there is nothing wrong with it, only to find out that it is tick infested or got Screw worm or or or - its unbelievable to witness this ability of his. I swerved around the hog and Cody started up.
So again I argued and he pleaded "No Dad really dad, Pleeez Dad Really Its wounded, I know it"  I stopped bakkie reversed up road with trailer in the rain and mud and the hog just stood there. I took 9 mm out and walked up to it, fell my moer off in the clay and pig kinda ran a few foot away. Ran after the animal, shot it 3 x becourse I was now wet, sore and the moering.
Cody was right, broken shoulder and burst abdomen, must have been hit by a car. I photographed area and messaged the farmer and farmer's family in regard to what had happened.
Started wishing I had just fkn stayed at home dry and warm, maybe even got laid, instead here I was wet with a swollen knee, a over enthusiastic teenager and a very doubtful friend.

"AWE DAD YOU KNOW YOU WILL BE VERY HAPPY TOMORROW IF ITS NICE WEATHER".

We arrived at the accommodation, 4 walls, 4 holes where windows were and 4 holes where the doors were and a good roof, it was still raining and the wind was seriously unfriendly. The wind came off the sea 500 m away entered the south holes and fkd off out north holes carrying with it any hope of comfort or pleasure.  :o
We packed some sheets in front one hole and a half door against one window. Two 210 lt drums were stuck in wind side door hole and things were not so bad then, just terrible.
We build a kaiya fire sommer inside and began to feel better, we even spoke plans of tomorrows hunt.

We woke up and it was a " days in Africa Day indeed, still, warm and 30 km visibility, we went hunting in the mud , saw 20 - 25 Warthog, 3 Impala a Waterbuck and a few Kudu, but no chance was given, all animals on a mission to somewhere, just heading elsewhere at a pace.

After 2 days of trying, Cody and I saw a Kudu that we had seen a few times before on previous days, but always just fleetingly between cover and gone. This time he walked out and started to feed in a clearing about a km away, on the side of a hill at about 15;00 hrs. 2hr30 minutes to sundown. Cody, I grabbed the needs and left the rest of our stuff at the vantage point we had chosen to sit and watch from and headed across the farm to the clearing we had marked using higher trees and noteable different plants etc.
When we got to the area I could not see the Kudu, I knew he was there, but I could not see him. Cody spotted a branch that looked like a horn and we tried every way of looking at it,but it was definitely a horn, or perhaps a branch. After a while the branch moved and we agreed we were gonna shoot that branch, we had a little father son giggle.
Turns out that the kudu had stepped into a hollow in the land and that's why he had disappeared. Only his head and half his body was showing, like a tortoise with horns. We watched him a bit and moved further along the cover we were using till we eventually got to look lengthways up the little valley he was in, just a natural indent in the ground, but now there was a tree in the way, just his head and front of shoulder was showing. Good for a low neck between shoulders shot, into lungs as second target.
He stopped, looked at us as they do and stood dead still. "Don't move Dad, he has got that feeling Dad". I shot, a total simple shot, no doubts, 160 m max large target, larger success area on target, the bull just stood there, "Dad ? what happened? You couldn't miss?" Yet, it just stood there," You hear a hit my boy ?', " no dad, nothing". The Kudu snorted, turned, and cantered off, moving out of the area, but not panicked. I stood up, stepped clear and shot it behind last rib to exit between front legs about 180 -190 m. The hit came back, the kudu buckled, recovered and turned up the hill, it ran 40 m or so and stopped behind a large bush with just neck and head showing, we stood still and I glassed the bush, looking for a hole. I found a v in the bush and it showed the right shoulder of the animal in a 30 cm wide gap - enough to put a bullet through with ease. "Cody boy, I am not going to wait for it to drop, if it goes further we will never get it out" Cody as always "do it Dad". I shot the animal and it fell.
The nearest vehicle point was 340 m from the Kudu, I joined all my recovery ropes and a tow rope and we were 40 m short. Draggin a 140 kg animal in soft ground is not a story of success and I am closer to 60 than 50 years old. We grabbed and lifted and pulled and the animal stayed still while our efforts only pushed our feet into the soft ground. We rolled it, inched it and eventually 18 hrs later, maybe more got it to the end of the rope. Hooked it up and I drove away dragging animal to where it could be loaded. Reversed all the way back and got out van and promptly passed out, dunno why, but ya, I fainted.
After a while I arose to find Cody working, he had not even noticed his Dads embarrassing moment.
We loaded the animal and headed back to collect our stuff left on the high ground.

I just happened to look back over where we had been and surprisingly enough there were two warthog 70 m from us.
Cody said he would take one of them as he has 4 on credit at the farm, off he went. I love this part where I sit up above the hunt and watch him apply himself to the stalk, all the stuff I had taught him playing out.
He got to last cover, and the pigs stayed facing away, no way closer across opening and they were heading away. I just knew what he was going to try, I knew it, he had watched me 20-30 times in his life, in behind last rib through lungs, perhaps across heart. That's exactly what he did, I watched it as it unfolded, the hit, the reaction and the warthog spurt.
The hog ran and I doubted the shot, along valley 20 m then turned away again 40 m, another shot went off, and I who was fiercely concentrating on the running hog, looking for wound or tell tale signs saw the hit exactly.
The bullet entered under the tail, enlarging its rectum, and as it traveled along in body it kicked a dust, wet spray along spine. It was incredible to see, almost a slow motion bullet path indicator.  The pig fell head over heels, Cody had just done his first ever running shot.
When we found the pig, it was the usual story with a warthog, first shot was liver, lungs and top of heart, yet it still ran as if uninjured.
20240608_170628 (1) by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
20240608_170701 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
This pig weighed 41 kg gutted, looks smaller.
20240608_173159 (1) by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
4 days later we are still working the carcase
20240609_122103 (2) by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
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