HUNTER: John Nicholosi
Dates: April 25 - May 2, 2011
PH: Owen Smith
Tracker/Skinner: Michael/Welcome
Area: Eastern Cape/ Bedford Area
Rifle: Winchester Model 70 .375 H&H, Weatherby .30/06
This was my first trip to Africa and I was unsure what to expect. I tried to get my hunting buddies to go with me but it didn't work out so I said'"screw it...I'll go by myself".
Flight was long in coach but sleeping on planes is my specialty so no problems. Had to bribe (pay forced tips?) luggage folks in Joberg but finally arrived in Port Elizabeth.
Owen picked me up early the next morning and off we went. Got to camp before noon, unpacked, etc. and off to sight in rifles. Rifles made it through journey pretty much unscathed and the sighting in didn't take long.
Had a light lunch and off on my first afternoon of African hunting. We walked along a ridge into a very strong wind glassing and looking down into the valley. I'm not sure how we missed him but the skinner who was trailing behind us spotted a warthog in the valley. Owen took a look and decided he was worthy of shooting. I never saw him until they had me on the sticks. I finally had him in my sights and a single shot from my .30/06 at 227 yards put him down. Needless to say I was quite excited.
We started out early the next morning for gemsbok. The wind was still blowing like crazy. We spotted gemsbok pretty early but wind was not in our favor. Eventually we got within 170-180 yards but they had smelled us or seen us by this time and were starting to head over the ridge. I don't think they could see us but they knew something wasn't right. In any case, this fellow stopped for one last look back and fell to a single shot from the .30/06 at about 180 yards. He ran about 30 yards just to make the recovery more difficult.
While we were hunting the gemsbok we had seen some zebra and after lunch we went after them. It was the easiest stalk but the longest shot of the trip. The zebra were walking up the side of the mountain when we saw them from the valley. Wind was in our favor and we were in thick brush in the valley. When we got within about 300 yards the females either saw us or smelled us (can't imagine how) and got spooky. The stallion lingered behind and I put a shot in him at about 270-280 yards. I hadn't allowed for the strong wind and my shot was a litle far back. I got both lungs but he took off at a run. Owen said to shoot again which I did and he went down. He'll look good on the floor but I was disappointed that I had to shoot twice.
Owen knew that I wanted to shoot something with my .375 so I was pretty excited when he said we'd be needing it. We went to his "secret spot". Ask him about it if you hunt with him. We sat under a tree overlooking a valley near an alfalfa field. Compared to the stalking and sneaking we had done up until now it was considerably less strenuous. Something rather like Texas deer hunting in my mind. I suppose we were looking for a kudu to stalk but it didn't work out that way. Just as I was starting to get bored Owen got an excited look on his face and said to get on the sticks. At this point I haven't seen the animal yet but he seemed so excited it made me a little nervous. He directed me where to look and eventually a kudu stepped from the brush into the opening. I fired and he was in the brush. I felt good about the shot but Owen wanted to err on the side of caution. He called for the tracker to come up from the truck. He said with the thick brush if we went down and the animal ran he wanted someone at a high vantage poitnt to see which way he was going as we might not be able to see. The tracker took maybe 40 minutes to arrive since we had left the truck some distance behind. Naturally, I got more and more excited with each passing minute. Finally the tracker arrived and we went down to search. The kudu was dead 20 yards from where he had been shot. I was elated with this bull. He is the largest animal I've ever had in my sights. The photos don't do him justice. His neck was huge.
The next morning we spotted a herd of impala on the side of a mountain and after glassing them Owen said the ram was a shooter. This was the hardest stalk of the hunt. We were only a thousand yards or so from the ram but with 25 or so females with him we had to be very cautious in our approach. When we got within a few hundred yards they saw us and started moving out. We couldn't see the ram and he couldn't see us but with the females taking off he had to know something was up. Finally he showed himself. He was following his females but not alarmed in my opinion. He went down for the count at about 170 yards.
I was now hunting a springbok. Owen took this opportunity to try and walk me to death. We had seen some springbok but not anything worthy of shooting yet. Finally we crested another hill and started glassing the valley below. Owen looked at me and said he knew I wanted a springbok but did I want to shoot a monster? Hard to say no to that. He had spied a mountain reedbuck below that was very good. I decided the springbok would have to wait until the next trip and shot the mountain reedbuck. I'm not really into the tape measure stuff as I think it has ruined deer hunting for me but he measured a little over 7-1/2".
Nothing left on my trip except a blue wildebeest. Early the next morning we went in search of one. We found some just none worthy of shooting. Cows and young bulls were pretty easy to locate. We were still hunting but had started to discuss other animals that we might substitute. It was hard to be disappointed after the trip I'd had so far but I really wanted a blue wildebeest. When I decided I was going to Africa it was the first animal I put on my list. As we made our way back to the truck Owen finally spotted a good bull under a tree. We had to do a fair bit more walking in order to approach without being seen or smelled as the wind was still blowing to beat the band but we were able to get within 200 yards. I got on the sticks and made the shot after he walked into the open.
Who knew it got so cold in Africa? Get in shape before you go. You'll be walking a lot. Lots of live and dry firing off sticks helped a bunch. I don't think you can go just one time.
I had a great trip. Can't wait to go back. I want to thank Owen and Rianna Smith and all the staff at Jimbah Safaris.
John
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