Hunting in the Kalahari Desert
Trip Start
Apr 24, 2006
1
10
23
Trip End
May 22, 2006
Near Greikwatown,
South Africa
Monday, May 1, 2006
We awoke at 7;00 am had a quick breakfast at the guesthouse than on the road back to the camp in the Kalahari.
We arrived ready to hunt at 9:00 am. The hunting trucks were ready when we arrived so we loaded ourselves and our guns onto the trucks for the days hunt. We travelled over some terrain by road that went of the beaten path with the Land Cruiser pipe trucks.
After about 1.5 hours we came across a Hudu standing in the tress at about 400 yards. I was on the opposite side of the truck and tried a shot as the truck was still moving. It was a low percentage shot and I missed.
The Farm House of the Property Owner
Pieter the PH and I got off the truck for a walk and stalk to try and follow the Kudu. They are there and then gone that is why they call them the ghost of the Kalahari.
We walked for about 4 km's and seen the bull on a hill with the sun behind him it was an impressive site. Our pursuit was on again we walked about another 2 km's when we radioed the truck. The truck indicated that they seen them moving and they were about 4 km's ahead of us.
We asked the truck to come and pick us up and drop us in a better location. Pieter and I walked in from where they were sited last. I walked to the top of a coppie and glassed the bull was with six cows about 1000 yards away. He was gradually moving the herd forward and I tried a shot at 500 yards, 400 yards and finally at 278 yards.
We are sure of the distance as we used a range finder. I couldn't believe it I was sitting n a coppie with the bull quartering to me and I was out of shells. The bull jumped the fence and stood broadside at 125 yards.
He was a Blue Bull estimated by Pieter the PH to be in the 52 inch range
The Start of the Kalahari Desert
. He was definitely the type of bull I came to Africa for.After back tracking in my anger for my rookie mistake of not having enough shells I heard shots in the distance it was Tony Vause that had a running shot at over 300 yards at a Kudu. The wind was circulating for all our shots making them difficult.
Tony Drain seen a Kudu bull running at a great distance after Tony Vause had shot, so he tried a shot to no avail. We returned to the farm house on the Kalahari for lunch. After lunch we went to camp and dropped our things and got organized in the tents.
Camp was set up on a red dune on a hill over looking a valley it was a nice vantage point. After we were settled we went on a walk and stalk in the late afternoon. We walked about 5 km's and did not spot any more Kudu that evening.
We walked back to camp and pitted in for the evening. Tomorrows another day.
Shawn
