TravelStream™ news feed for member shawnterlson on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/shawnterlson en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:08:46 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147524480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147524480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147524480/tpod.html Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:08:46 -0400 South African and Namibian Hunting Trip 24-April-06 to 22-May-06

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Near Koes Namibia, Namibia

Hello All,

We all slept in today after yesterdays hunt. We harvested some great Namibian variety of Gemsbuck and Springbuck. After getting up we sat around and talked after picking oranges off the tree that was right out front of the porch were we sat.

I have never tasted fresher better oranges in my life. After much discussion we decided to load up and go sight seeing for the day. Sais one of the guys with us owned a farm about 40 kms from where we were camped and asked us if we wanted to go to his place in the Kalahari today. We all agreed we would love to spend the day on the red dunes of the Kalahari.

Driving up to the Kalahari is an interesting experience. AS you travel toward the Kalahari you see a transition strip between white sand to the red sand of the Kalahari. It is as if someone had drawn a line and separated the red sand of the Kalahari from the other area.

After driving in the Kalahari for awhile we came to our destination San Souci. San Souci is a farm of about 14,000 hectares covered with red dunes and an abundance of wildlife.

We went to Sais' cabin then out on the farm for a BBQ. It was a beautiful day and we all appreciated being able to relax after a lot of days in the field hunting or travelling from area to area.

We found a nice umbrella tree on a dune were we set up for the BBQ. The view from the dune was spectacular. We all walked around for a little while before settling in at the tree for the afternoon.

We spent the rest of the day under the umbrella tree in the Namibian Kalahari just talking, telling jokes, eating and having a few drinks.

It was a great day as part of a great hunt and a great vacation.

Shawn
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147614060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147614060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147614060/tpod.html Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:06:13 -0400 South African and Namibian Hunting Trip 24-April-06 to 22-May-06

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Upington South Africa, Namibia

Hello All,

We awoke at 5:15 am to load the trucks and head back to Upington SA. I tried to sleep along the way waking up to a flat tire at 7:30 am. We changed the tire and continued on to the border crossing between Namibia and South Africa at Rheitfontein.

The roads in Namibia are fantastic and a noticeable difference once you cross the border into SA. Immediately the roads were wash board which made travelling slow after the 140 km per hour speed we were travelling on the Namibian side.

We travelled through a flat pan were you could drive anywhere. The pan stretched for many kilometers in each direction and was framed with hills in the distance. After travelling through the pan we continued on for about 60 kms until we arrived at the Molopo Lodge where we stopped for a beer and to stretch our legs.

The lodge was very stylish with a comfortable lounge with a Lion skin on the wall. The story that accompanied the Lion with a picture of a man indicated he had shot the Lion with a 22 caliber rifle during the construction of the lodge. It appeared that Lion was hunting the workers so had to be disposed of.

After our short stay at Molopo Lodge we drove back to Upington arriving late in the afternoon where we checked into a nice lodge on the Orange River. We would stay the next three nights in Upington.

Shawn
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147435440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147435440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147435440/tpod.html Tue, 13 Jun 2006 08:53:25 -0400 South African and Namibian Hunting Trip 24-April-06 to 22-May-06

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Koes, Namibia

Hello All,

We awoke shortly after 7:00 am to start our day. We went outside and picked oranges from the tree. The skin was tough but the oranges taste was fantastic.

We waited for our guide on the front porch of our accommodations for our guide. At about 9:15 am Johannes our guide showed up which gave us time to sight in our guns.

Tony Vause and I went on the same truck to hunt Gemsbuck with Christoff from Worster, while Tony Drain went on the other truck to hunt Springbuck. After about 30 minutes we spotted the Gemsbuck herd running in the distance. We moved towards the herd of about 100 Gemsbuck. AS we approached we glassed the herd looking for a trophy Gemsbuck.

We had shot bulls in South Africa and were now looking for cows. It is mostly cows that make the Roland Ward Record book. To make the book you need a Gemsbuck to score 40 inches.

It was Tony Vause's turn to shot first. CHristoff and I picked a nice cow out of the herd and instructed Tony on which one to take. As we positioned ourselves to within 100 yards Tony took the shot and immediately the cow fell. Tony had his first Namibian animal.

We went over to the animal to take pictures and measure the Gemsbuck. I measured the animal at 38.25 inches. It was a 1.75 inches short of the book but still a great Gemsbuck.

After pictures we jumped back on the truck and pursued the herd. It was now my shot. I was excited to be hunting in Namibia as was the rest of the crew.

As we approached the herd we were glassing for another long horned cow. I measured the horns of Tony's Gemsbuck along its back to try and get an idea of where the horns should be in relation to body length to help with the field judging.

As we looked at the herd we spotted a nice cow with long horns that when laid back across its back would reach out to the area where the hind quarters meet the mid section.

This Gemsbuck in my opinion was going to be close to book. I took the shot and hit the Gemsbuck at 150 yards in the lungs. We watched the animal as it went down and moved towards the animal. Upon arrival the animal was laying underneath a tree. We pulled the cow out and I measured the horns my Gemsbuck measured 38.25 inches the same as Tony's. Oh well, it was close and a beautiful Namibian Gemsbuck.

We went back to a treed area for lunch as we arrived we herd shots in the distance. At about 1:20 pm the other hunting truck had showed up. They had three Springbuck tied to the side of the truck. It had been a very successful morning.

We relaxed under the shade of the tree until 3:00 pm when we returned to the field. I decided to go back on the Gemsbuck truck to film Tony Drain's pursuit of Gemsbuck. Tony Drain, a dentist from Cape Town named Eitienne and myself jumped on the truck together for the afternoon hunt. As we found the herd Tony Drain and I glassed the herd and picked out a nice cow that we both thought would make book.

We informed Eitienne on which Gemsbuck to shoot. As he pulled the trigger at 125 yards the animal fell immediately. We went over for pictures and to measure the horns. I measured the first horn 39 7/8 inches (1/8 inch short of the book). I measured the second horn and it scored the magic 40 inches to make Roland Ward. We all congratulated Eitienne and took some very nice field photos of the trophy animal.

We pursued the herd again so that Tony Drain could harvest a Gemsbuck as well. We spotted a very thick horned bull in the herd. Tony really liked the looks of the bull and was willing to forgo a cow that would have a better chance of making book. At 150 yards he took the shot and hit the animal hard on the shoulder. We watched as the animal struggled and went down. Tony had downed a very thick horned bull that measures 36 inches. It was a very nice bull indeed.

As we loaded the animals we were all happy with the days hunt and looked forward to returning to our accommodations for the barbeque and the nights festivities.

Shawn
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147350600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147350600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147350600/tpod.html Mon, 12 Jun 2006 08:47:57 -0400 South African and Namibian Hunting Trip 24-April-06 to 22-May-06

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Koes, Namibia

Hello All,

We awoke at 7:00 am to start our next adventure. We were travelling to the area in Namibia I book into for Gemsbuck and Springbok. The area borders the Kalahari Desert at a small community called Koes in South Central Namibia.

It is about a 600 km drive from Kimberly South Africa. On the way to Namibia I arranged to meet up with another group of hunters in Upington that would travel with us to our hunting destination in Namibia.

Today was mostly driving and viewing Namibia we arrived at our accommodations at about 8:00 pm after stopping in Koes for a drink at the local bar. We were all tired so sat for awhile under the Namibian stars and then went to bed to rest up for tomorrows hunt for Gemsbuck and Springbuck.

Shawn
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147262520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147262520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147262520/tpod.html Mon, 12 Jun 2006 08:27:51 -0400 South African and Namibian Hunting Trip 24-April-06 to 22-May-06

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Bloemfontein, South Africa

Hello All,

We awoke at 6:30 am to load the capes and horns and drive the 150 kms to the taxidermist in Bloemfontein.

We arrived at the Taxidermist with 35 animals between the 3 hunters of which 17 made the Roland Ward Record Book. This was truly a fantastic hunt with top quality animals.

We hunted hard for 10 days but got all the animals I guaranteed the hunters in their 10 day 10 animal plains game hunt.

We told the Taxidermist what mounts we wanted and proceeded back to Kimberly.

The taxidermy work will take approximately 4 months then the mounts will be crated and shipped back to Canada which will take another 2 months.

When we arrived back at the Lapas they were was an entire lamb on the barbeque to celebrate our last night and the new friends we have made. We had a great time celebrating and talking about our trip to Namibia tomorrow.

Shawn
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147176540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147176540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147176540/tpod.html Thu, 08 Jun 2006 08:52:26 -0400 South African and Namibian Hunting Trip 24-April-06 to 22-May-06

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Douglas, South Africa

Hello All,

We up at 6:20 am to get ready and go to a private 14,000 acre sheep farm named Sanddrift that was owned by our friend Danie's mother. With all hunter's having their animals that I put in the hunt package we basically had a free day and decided to hunt Warthog at Sandrift for the day.

Danie indicated that they had a Warthog problem and his mother wanted us to shoot as many as possible. They had also indicated that they had Kudu that came and went off the farm which had low fences to contain sheep but not wildlife.

Prior to starting out we negotiated a price on Kudu just in case we came across a good one. (As you may remember from yesterday's entry I traded my Kudu Bull for a Watebuck, so was still interested in a good Kudu.)

We all pretty excited about the Warthog hunt that lay before us. I was lucky enough through out the hunt to have shot two warthogs. One at the place we hunted most of the trip and one at Derrick Corns hunting place at Pineal. So if I didn't shot a pig I wouldn't be disappointed.

After driving around for 2 hour we didn't see a Warthog. If they were a problem they hid well! We continued driving and went through a gate to another part of the property that was primarily grazing land for the cattle. As we made our way through we spotted a Kudu Bull standing in the bushes on a side hill. We could just make out his head and his horns.

Boeta field judged the animal and indicated that he was a good bull but would not make book. I wanted to harvest a Kudu this trip so I took the shot with my 25-06 at 250 yards. As the shot rang out the Kudu went down. All I had to shoot at was the head so when he was hit he went down hard. Boeta said in Boeta style "Nice flippin' shot".

We made our way through the thick African Black thorn that had been ripping at my hands all week. We had to slash bush to get to the Kudu on the side hill. When we arrived we dragged the Kudu to an open spot for pictures and were we could load the animal from.

With the Kudu Bull loaded we made our way down to the Vaal River to look for Warthog and Baboon. On the way we spotted 4 or 5 Warthogs but was unable to get a quality shot at them. When we arrived at the river we glassed for animals but didn't see any. It was probably because there was a number of Bushman that were fishing on the banks of the river.

Danie had indicated that they had lost 92 sheep to the Bushman's theft this year alone. So needless to say they chase off the Bushman.

From the river we headed back to Danie's mothers farm house to pay our respects, thank her for allowing us to hunt and pay her for the Kudu. It was now time to travel back to the Lapa's for the last night celebration B-B-Q.

On our way back Boeta took us on to Bushman land on the Vaal River where Boaeta indicated was very good fly fishing. We stayed there for a little while and continued on. When we arrived back Pieter was preparing the whole lamb that they were going to B-B-Q.

It was the last night before we headed off to the taxidermist in Bloemfountein with our trophies. We had had a fantastic hunt. I was so pleased with the quality of animals and that the two hunters I brought with me both indicated that they had the hunt of their lives.

Shawn
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147089720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147089720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147089720/tpod.html Wed, 07 Jun 2006 09:08:38 -0400 South African and Namibian Hunting Trip 24-April-06 to 22-May-06

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Between Kimberly and Beaufort Wes, South Africa

Hello All,

Tony Drain and i started out at 6:20 am for Pineal. This is the area were the two Tony's harvested 2 Kudu the day before and seen another big bull that Boeta indicated it would make the record book.

We arrived at Pineal at 7:00 am were we met Rob Kemp who owns a sporting goods store in Kimberly and in a PH. He would be our guide for the day on Derrick Corns 20,000 hectare property.

Loaded up on the hunting trucks we travelled around the area spotting a number of Kudu but only small bulls not the monster I was looking for. I was looking for the bull that they guys seen yesterday. WHen I spoke to Boeta he fiquired the bull would score 55 inches. Book for Kudu is 53 7/8 inches.

We covered a lot of territory in our search making our way across the property and towards the Vaal River where we hoped we would find Kudu having an early morning drink. As we approached the river we glassed from the hills directly above the river and spotted 6 Kudu bulls 3 to 4 kms away.

We jumped back on the hunting truck and continued on to try and intercept the Kudu. The trail we were driving on was hard to navigate because it was covered with large and small rocks. In the end we couldn't get to were we wanted to.

I was getting a little dejected because this was really the last day I would be able to hunt Kudu because tomorrow we would travel to another area to hunt Warthog and the next day we have to drive the trophies to the taxidermist in Bleaufontein which was approximately 150 kms away.

Knowing all of this I asked Rob to take me back to Derrick's other place that we hunted at yesterday morning. I knew from sitings that there was an abundance of animals at that location. I knew that he had some very nice Waterbuck and if I couldn't get a trophy Kudu I would maybe have a chance at a trophy Waterbuck. (That's the nice thing about the hunting packages I design you can substitute any animals at anytime.)

At 12:00 pm we were back at the stone house near the gates of Pineal, were we had a quick lunch that Boeata's wife Ann Marie had packed. After lunch we travelled the 60 kms back to my desired hunting spot. We arrived there shortly after 1:00 pm and started to hunt immediately.

We travelled around the low flats looking for Kudu. Within 15 minutes we spotted some Kudu mulling around in the bushes. The bulls love to hide in the bushes hiding their horns in the branches. We studied the animals and decided none of the bulls were shooters.

We drove around the territory for another hour before we spotted a Kudu bull running over a hill. As we approached we seen the bull standing broadside in the bushes at 25 yards. I immediately put the cross hairs on his right shoulder and waited for Rob to field judge the animal and indicate to me to shoot. Rob indicated he was only 2 1/2 twist he wasn't big enough. (The PH's here really know their animals and if you want a book animal they will work very hard to get it for you.)

I thought to myself that this was the third such bull I had put my cross hairs on but have yet to see the monster I was searching for. We continued on spotting herds of Hartebeest, Wildebeest and Springbok. As we crested a hill we spotted a Waterbuck. Rob field judged the animal and indicated he was young and would not make Book.

We decided to glass through the valley and spotted another Waterbuck which Rob thought was a much bigger Buck. We drove away from the Waterbuck trying to get to a lower location that we could try and move up from to get closer for a shot. As we got into position Rob looked at him again through his binoculars and said "he's book". I had already had the cross hairs on the Waterbuck which was 200 yards away. As soon as Rob said he was book I pulled the trigger on my 25-06 and the animal went down immediately and then heard the smack of the bullet hitting the animal.

Rob and I jumped out of the truck and went on to find the downed Waterbuck. We looked back at the truck for direction as we moved through the thick bush and African Black Thorn. Arriving at the beautiful mature male Waterbuck he was still struggling so I put another 120 grain Nitrex Speer Grand Slam into him and his struggling was over.

We positioned the WaterBuck for the all important pictures. Since I traded my Kudu for Waterbuck I had to pay the difference in price for the Waterbuck which is a much more expensive animal than a Kudu. I was happy to do so joking with Rob and saying "well I guess if it doesn't make book its free. . .Right" he just laughed and picked up his cell phone and phoned a Rolan Ward Master Measurer to ask if he could measure the Waterbuck. The individual Rob was speaking to agreed.

Loosing light and with the Water buck loaded we made our way back to Derrick's Lapas where we started the drive back to Kimberly. When we arrived back at the Lapas we were staying at we were greeted by Tony Vause and Boeta. Boeta had taken Tony Vause out for Gemsbuck which was the last animal in his package and the animal he wanted more than the rest.

Tony Vause was successful on shooting a very nice thick 36 inch bull. He was ecstatic and I was very happy for him. Another successful hunting day in paradise.

Shawn
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147004400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147004400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1147004400/tpod.html Mon, 05 Jun 2006 09:14:00 -0400 South African and Namibian Hunting Trip 24-April-06 to 22-May-06

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Kimberly, South Africa

Hello All,

We awoke at 5:00 am for a 6:00 am pickup. We were moving to another area to hunt Kudu. When we arrived at the area we were met by the land owner Derrick Corns.

Derrick's property was beautiful nestled in large plush hills. The wildlife on the property seemed to be abundant. We watched herds of Springbok and Blesbok as we entered the property.

As we travelled around the property in search of the "Grey Ghost" the Kudu, we seen Waterbuck, Cape Buffalo, Sable, Nyala and a White Rhino. It was exciting to see these beautiful animals.

As we moved around the property we spotted numerous Kudu cows and a couple of small bulls but no shooters. The morning was so cold that we had to wear thick jackets and gloves as we travelled around in pursuit of Kudu.

The morning proved to be unsuccessful so at noon we returned to Derrick's lapas to meet up with Pieter and Tony Vause who were on the other truck. Tony and Pieter were already there when we arrived. Tony Vause had been successful on his hunt harvesting a 47" Kudu bull and a beautiful Nyala that would make the Roland Ward Record Book.

We decided to move to another area that was owned by Derrick named Peneal. Peneal was a large beautiful property spread out over 20,000 hectares. Boeta and Pieter were excited to take us there because nobody had hunted there in years.We travelled around the property looking for Kudu after about 1 hour we spotted a bull with two cows. Rob Kemp was my guide he indicated that was not the bull I was looking for we could do better.

We covered a lot of territory in the next couple of hours not finding the Kudu we were looking for. Derrick told me earlier on that if I seen a Warthog to shoot it because he wanted the meat and I could have the hide and head. At mid afternoon I spotted a nice pig standing in the bushes as we stopped the truck I pulled the trigger and hit the Warthog on the shoulder. We dismounted the truck and went and retrieved the pig. The Boer had huge warts on his face and 9 to 10 " tusks. I was very happy with the animal. We loaded the pig and continued on.

As we made our way down the road we met Pieter's truck with Tony Vause and Tony Drain. Tony Drain had been successful on a nice Kudu Bull. We continued on past them making our way down to the Vaal River where we thought we might catch some Kudu drinking. Upon arrival we could not see anything and glassed the hills across the river we decided to make our way back up from the river. At the top of the hill we herd to shots in the distance. As we travelled on we came across the other truck the two Tony's had shot another respectable bull in the 46" range.

It was now 5:00 pm and I knew we only had about 1 hour until dark. Derrick, Rob and I went to a more open area that we had not been to yet. We seen a Kudu Bull running across the road up ahead. We watched him run across the field and stop behind some bushes. I waited for him to come out of the bushes and put the cross hairs on his shoulder. Rob said "leave him he is not big enough". The time was right all the animals were moving we seen a huge Hartebeast bull, a herd of Eland, Gemsbok and Springbok in the distance.

We left the road and spotted a very nice Kudu Bull running with 6 cows. We tried to find the bull for a shot but he had vanished. The light was quickly lost so we called it a day and returned back to lapa's where we were staying. Both Tony's got their Kudu's but I would have to return tomorrow and try again.

Shawn
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1146918780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1146918780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1146918780/tpod.html Wed, 31 May 2006 09:20:33 -0400 South African and Namibian Hunting Trip 24-April-06 to 22-May-06

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Kimberly, South Africa

Hello All,

We awoke at 5:45 am get ready for the days hunt. Tony Drain and I went with Boeta on his truck and Tony Vause went with Pieter on his Land Cruiser.

As we moved through the hunting territory we spotted a herd of Gemsbuck. A nice bull was was on top of the hill cresting the horizon. Boeta indicated that we should try and take that bull he fiquired the bull would score 36 inches.

Roland Ward for Gemsbuck is 40 inches. We decided to shoot bulls because their horns are much thicker than the cows that are longer and thinner. It is cows that usually make book. We knew we were going to Namibia to hunt Gemsbok so we decided we would hunt trophy cows there.

Any ways back to the hunt. Boeta and stalked in on the herd that was on the top of the hill moving as quickly as we could under the cover of the bush. As we moved from tree to tree we got within 220 yards of the bull. Boeta stretched out the hunting sticks and I positioned myself for a shot with my 25-06. Tony Drain was videoing the stalk from the truck.

In position I took the shot and hit the Gemsbuck bull solidly on the shoulder. The Gemsbuck spun around and started running. Boeta seen another nice bull after I had shot and Boeta told me to take that bull as well. Suprized by his request I listened took the shot at 200 yards and with the report of the smack I knew I had hit that bull solidly in the vitals as well.

Boeta and I went to the top of the hill and found a massive blood trial for both animals. As we moved across the top of the hill following the blood we spotted both bulls down in the underbrush in the valley beneath the hill.

We brought both bulls together for the pictures. What an awesome picture. After pictures we went looking for an Impala for Tony Drain.

At this stage Tony Drain still needed and Impala, Tony Vause needed a Gemsbok, Kudu and a Eland. After getting my Gemsbuck I still needed Eland and Kudu. So we continued on looking for the Impala ram that Tony Vause and I had seen after he shot his. The ram we were looking for was estimated at 26 inches (23 5/8 inches is book) and was very wide.

we scouted the same area Tony Vause had shot his Impala. After about 1 hour we spotted a ram in the trees. Tony Drain ha a front shot that makes a very small target. Tony took the shot with his 300 Win. Mag. and the animal instantly went down. We went over and took pictures and retrieved the animal, Tony had shot a very nice ram.

We returned to the lapas for lunch and to meet up with Tony Vause and Pieter to talk about the morning hunt and plan for the afternoon. After lunch back in the field we spotted some Gemsbuck so decided to go on a walk and stalk to try and get Tony Vause his Gemsbuck. We pursued them for a couple Kms but the wing changed and the animals winded us and moved on very quickly.

Boeta radioed Pieter and indicated that he had spotted some Eland. Boeta made his way to us and where he had spotted the Eland. We seen the herd very far off as we made our way to the top of the hill. Tony Vause positioned himself for a shot hoping that the Herd would make their way towards us. We waited for over a hour as the herd moved slowly towards us but the closest they came was within 350 yards. Tony Vause took the shot and hit low.

The Eland moved through the valley quickly after the shot so we started to move again stalking for the opportunity at another shot. We walked on top of the hills for about 2 kms which was all rock. Cresting the top of a hill Boeta put out the shooting sticks and Tony Vause steadied for the shot. The smack was undeniable. Boeta said "give him another" Tony missed on the second shot. He chambered another and hit the bull again. The bull went a few yards stumbled and fell. The bull was down.

We were all so happy that Tony Vause had got his Eland he hunted for one hard for 3 days. Walking and pursuing the herd at a rate of 15 kms per day.

We were now loosing light because it was already 5:30 pm. We decided to make our way back to the lapas for the evening.

Shawn
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1146876540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1146876540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shawnterlson/sa_01-may-06/1146876540/tpod.html Tue, 30 May 2006 21:11:14 -0400 South African and Namibian Hunting Trip 24-April-06 to 22-May-06

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Kimberly, South Africa

Hello All,

The three hunters awoke at 6:30 am to start the hunt. We drove around an area on the low field of the hunting area for about 45 minutes when we spotted a herd of Black Wildebeast.

Boeta, Tony Drain and I decided to stalk in on them to see if we could get a shot. We approached with the wind in our face for about 2 km. We were able to use the bushes as cover all the way in. We stalked within 100 yards when Boeta put out the hunting sticks for my shot. Tony Drain was the camera man trying to get everything on video.

I put the cross hairs of my 25-06 on the shoulder of the bull that was lying in an open area on the ground. As the gun blasted the Black Wildebeast didn't move from his resting spot. We went over to look at the bull and in true Boeta style he said "flippin' big bull this one is in the book'.

We loaded the bull and took it back to the skinning area to drop it off and measure it. It measured 26 inches you need 22 7/8 inches to make Roland Ward record Book.

We had lunch and decided to go to town for the afternoon to pick up some things we all needed for the rest of the hunt. We were in town for a couple hours and all had enough of city life. We returned back to the lapas where we were staying to enjoy supper, a fire, and the evening preparing for tomorrow's hunt.

Shawn
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