My Trip to South Africa

[peckl1]

I just got back from my Safari in South Africa. What a great time. I bought the Safari at the SCI banquet in 2012. It was with Southern Cross Safaris. Chris Cawood outfitter/PH. This was my first trip to Africa. He suggested I go to the Reno Convention this year to meet him. I went and he answered a lot questions and made me feel at ease about the trip. Going to Africa for the first time can be pretty intimidating. The package I bought included four animals Springbok, Impala, Fallow Deer and Ostrich. I wanted to include a few more. When you see the pictures you will find out I got some pretty good animals. The day before the start of the hunt Chris and Mel picked me up at the Kelway Hotel in Port Elizabeth. I went a couple of days early to get over the jet lag prior to the hunt. It was a 3 hour drive out to the ranch. I will call it the Manor from now on. The place has been in Chris's family since 1842. His Great Great grandfather started a goat ranch. It operated as that until Chris's father, Mike Cawood decided he wanted to start game ranching. He was the first to do that in South Africa in 1962. Chris took over the operation after his father died.

The first thing I have to say is I did more hunting in 8 days than I have done in 8 years of hunting here in the states. Here in the states you can hunt for elk or deer for a week and maybe get 1 to 3 stalks on animals in that time frame. We had 3 to 5 stalks on animals each day. If I wrote about every stalk I did on this hunt in Africa you would stop reading after the second day.Chris hunts hard and is very good at what he does. I on the other hand learned a lot about hunting while I was with him. My hunting here in the states will be much more successful after spending time with Chris.

The stalk on the Gemsbuck went like this... We were driving high on a ridge when Bones our tracker spotted some Kudu across the ravine from us. We stopped the truck and started glassing. Also in the ravine I spotted a good Waterbuck bull. The kudu and waterbuck made their way up and over the next ridge. Chris said that we were going to walk down the road and up the ridge and pick up the animals on the other side leaving Bones and the truck to watch from the high ridge. We walked quietly not talking for over a half mile. Then Chris told me to walk quietly and follow right behind him. We went in and around and under brush and trees always keeping something between us and the next ridge. I figured the Kudu had dropped down into the next ravine and we were stalking them. Then Chris stopped, setup the tripod and said get comfortable in the tripod with my rifle. Once I was comfortable he told me to use the scope and find a big tree he described on the opposite ridge. Now he said move about 10 yards to the right see that tree stump? Yes I said . Now move 30 yards to the right and do you see that big rock? Yes I said. Do you see the gemsbuck behind the rock bedded down? No I said. Put the scope on 9 power he said. Now I can see the gemsbuck. Ok he is bedded down quartering towards us. Can you see his chin, he is looking at us? I said yes. Can you see the white spot just below his chin? Yes. Aim at the very bottom of the white and fire. I got steady on that spot and squeezed the trigger. He is down Chris said. It turns out it was a 310 yard shot, and broke the Gemsbuck's back.

I'll add more stories over the next few days. I have posted the pictures on photobucket. I hope this link works.

 

http://s1312.photobucket.com/user/peckl1/library/Safaria?sort=3&page=1

[25-06]

Dang, Lee looks like you killed about every critter there except elephant and lion.

Did you get to bring any of the meat home?

Big Congrats, Terry

[tjhunt2]

Thanks for sharing your African adventure and pictures. Can't wait to hear a few more stories.

 

TJ

[lucky2hunt]

Great trophies, absolutely beautiful, congratulations! South African hunting is unique and gets in you blood! Be prepared... I've been to Africa 3x's and would go back in a heartbeat except for the fact that my husband despises the plane ride!

[bonecollector]

Looks like a good trip. Look forward to more stories.

[peckl1]

Sorry I haven't added more stories yet. Still trying to catch up after being gone so long. We started each day looking for Kudu. The first day out we passed on a good impala that was running with a group of females. Chris wanted to leave him be as we would see impala every day. So we drove up the mountain side and stopped to glass for Kudu. Nothing but a couple of gemsbok cows. So we started to drive around the hillside and came across a couple of Kudu bulls in the next canyon. By the time we stopped and got out of the truck they had made it up and out of the canyon, long gone. Next we came across a group of waterbuck. We stalked into where they were and the bull that was with them was not as big as Chris thought. So we drove around the next hill and Chris said we would be coming up on a flat where there are usually a lot of Springbok. True to his word as the flat came into sight there were at least 40 feeding on the flat. We stopped and walked down the side ridge and worked our way into position at the end of the ridge. We had 7 females below us at 250 yards with a nice buck. I settled in on a rock and got ready for my first shot in Africa. Chris tapped me on the shoulder with the shooting sticks and said your elbow is moving too much. I was a little excited. He slid the shooting sticks under my elbow and on to the rock. Now settle your elbow down and shoot the buck. Were the words I could barely hear coming from Chris. I settled in and shot. I pulled the shot a foot behind the buck. All the animals scrambled but my buck circled and settled down at about 300 yards. Chris got us in position, I set my rifle in the Y of the shooting sticks. Chris said calm down and breath. I settled and shot. The Springbok took a few steps and dropped. I had my first Afircan animal down.

[StickFlicker]

I'm looking forward to the rest of the story! Terry, it is not legal to bring meat back into the U.S. from Africa, just skins/skulls/horns etc.

[peckl1]

Ok here is one of the "no you didn't" stories of the safari. It was the first day. I had taken the springbok earlier in the day and we were driving through an area that might bring us into impala ro ostrich. We went down into a small ravine and just off the road a Kudu was bedded down. As we approached Chris saw it and said KUDU. I looked to my left and the Kudu was getting up not 20 yards from the truck. Chris said get your rifle out and shoot from the truck. Use the mirror for a rest. The Kudu while all this conversation was going on had moved to the top of the ridge and stood behind a small tree. Chris said aim for the shoulder and break some bone. I steadied the rifle and squeezed the trigger. "CLICK" was the sound that everybody and his brother heard from miles around. Someone had forgot to jack a round into the chamber! By the time I realized what had happened and got a round in the chamber the Kudu was gone. We did not see anything else the rest of the afternoon.

[PRDATR]

Great stories. Did you eat any of the Water Buck? I've heard they are tasty but there is a gland in the hide that can spoil the meat if not skinned with great care. How did they cook the Ostrich, man I love that stuff.

[peckl1]

I had Kudu and Springbok. Both were good. I've had ostrich before and it is really good. South Africa is known for their lamb so I asked to eat lamb. Stew, vindaloo, and leg of lamb. The food at Southern Cross was excellent.

[Clearwateralaska]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.