A3 Trophy Hunts LLC : Day 2!! Dad breaks the ice...

Dad sits atop his Land Cruiser and begins glassing with a warming sunrise in the backround

June 25th, day 2 and it's my birthday. I never would've guessed that I would be on a different continent for my birthday and just waking up in South Africa on this day was only the beginning of an incredible day. Joe, Heather, and Andries left the ranch around 4 am headed to a different area in hopes of harvesting the Kalahari, black, copper, and white springbucks. They packed enough gear to stay out 3 days in order to give themselves enough time to harvest all 4 species. Dad, Michelle, and I awoke to strong winds, slightly less than yesterday but still a stiff breeze. We had breakfast with Al, Marsha, and PG before they headed back into Kymberely to begin their travels back to the states. Today's plan would be for Michelle and I to head back to our blind with Daniel in hopes of any number of the plains game to come into water. Dad and Jornam would try spot and stalk targets of opportunity today.

Dad and Jornam began their stalk

Dad would be the first to strike on this trip. As they made their way through the plains, they were able to spot a big herd of blue wildebeest so the two set off on foot to try and close the distance with the hopes of finding a shooter bull. As they picked their way in and out of the brush, they made their way closer to the big herd and fortunately they picked up a couple bulls bedded seperately out in the grass. Jornam studied the bulls and eventually let Dad know that there was a shooter amongst the two bulls. While the bulls were bedded, Dad and Jornam closed in to 171 yards. Jornam had Dad set up on the the shooting sticks and when he was ready, Jornam gave a whistle to get the bulls up. As they stood, Dad took aim, and slowly squeezed off the first shot of the safari. At the report of the rifle, the bulls took off running but the unmistakable sound of a solid hit was followed shortly by the bigger of the bulls tipping over after a 100 yards dash. A perfect shot off the shooting sticks, not an easy task if you are not used to this setup, on a big blue wildebeest and Dad had his first South African trophy. Dad would eventually harvest all but one of his trophies using Chad's .300 WSM. This rifle delivered on accuracy and kinetic energy, both vital as several of these animals exceed the size of the animals we pursue here in the states. As we do here in the states, a photo session ensued in order to capture and share the excitement of this hunt with everyone back home. It was no suprise that the Mt. Carmel crew understands the importance of capturing good photos. Prepared with metal stakes to help hold the trophies in an appropriate pose helped all of us to capture our"once-in-a-lifetime" photos. After retrieving the Land Cruiser, Dad's wildebeest was loaded and hauled back into the ranch for skinning, caping, and hanging in the walk-in cooler. While back at the ranch, Dad and his help took time to have lunch before heading back out for an evening hunt.

Dad's first trophy, a big blue wildebeest bull!!

These two old timers made great hunting partners

The shooting sticks

With a wildebeest down, Jornam and Dad changed areas and moved out of the open plain country and headed for the brushy rolling hills in search of kudu. The kudu are long-legged and masters of using the terrain and brush to hide. Just like our coues here in the SW, the kudu is also called the "ghost" of their country. Dad and Johnam used the Land Cruiser to cover many miles while stopping on high points to use the glass to help in the search. As evening approached, Jornam was able to pick up a good looking bull that deserved a closer look. The two back out of their high point and made a wide loop to cross the open valley floor in order to get on the backside of the ridge where the bull was feeding. As Dad and Johnam closed in to the last place they saw the bull, Jornam quickly picked the bull up again. They closed the distance and Jornam was able to study the bull for a bit. Jornam turned to Dad and said "He's a nice bull. I think we can find you a bigger one but you have a look". Although we would end up taking many "Gold" animals (under their awards program) none of us really knew the difference between a giant and a nice specimen nor did a score determine whether we harvested a trophy or not. We were simply out to hunt the different species and would be happy taking animals that were "Beautiful" in our minds. It took Dad just a split second to look at the bull and know he would be extremely happy if he could harvest this bull. Dad told Jornam the bull was big enough and to get the shooting sticks ready. As Dad once again steadied for his second shot of the hunt, Johnam ranged the bull at 271 yards. The bull was quartering away from the two looking back over his shoulder. Having years of experience to draw from, Dad knew he had to hold far back on the bull in order to drive the 180 grain bullet forward in the vitals. Once again, that unmistakable whack was followed by a 70 yards dash before the bull piled up. A perfect heart shot and Dad had trophy #2. The kudu was high on all of our list as this has to be one of the most beautiful animals that we have all thought of over the last year and a half. This animal, as do many of the others species, just says "Africa" when you see it. What a day for Dad, 2 shots and 2 trophies fall with perfectly placed heart shots. There is always a feeling of comfort when you see your animal tip over. Although legends have been made of the tracking skills possessed by the local trackers, we prefer they practice on other hunts. We are perfectly fine reading and talking about their skills and if we didn't require there skills while on safari, we would return home without remorse. After the photo session, the bull was loaded and hauled back to the ranch to under go the same process as the wildebeest. What a perfect way to end the day. And to top it off, Dad still had many species to hunt and 8 more days to do it in. Enjoy the photos of Dad's first two trophies.