Firebird24
Beginner
- Sep 3, 2024
- 70
- 226
We moved from the main lodge to a somewhat new property they have been working on. Farther north and higher in elevation-in the kramburg mtns on the border of Free State. All plains game here but lots of variety and some real old males. This is flat and grassy valleys with lots of water to rough, rugged mountains with lots of brush. Old more rustic lodge but I have my own chalet and there is a welcome fire in the main yard.
We came here specifically for Tsessebee but there are rumored to be giant impala here which is also on my wish list. The ph wanted me to see the country and what they’ve been working on and I’m glad we came here.
I wandered the last hour of daylight with my Nikon and big lens snatching pictures of random birds and whatever game was willing to let me close. At dark we sat by the fire until dinner which was served indoors as it was quite cool outside. I love the food here and typical-I ate too much. Sat and told stories until I excised myself for bed around 930. Rolling thunderstorms through the night and much welcomed rain. Tap on my door at 0700 brings me straight up. It’s my ph asking if I knew I had left my camera out all night. Well shit. . .
Had a nice breakfast while the mist burns off and the animals Start coming out to warm themselves in the sun. There is a father and son from Australia in camp and they leave with ph Don for the desires of their hearts. We go the other direction. Maybe half mile up the road we find the usual suspects-kudu, hartebeest, wildebeest, springbok. They are all loving up onto the mountain edges from the plain so the sun will hit them sooner. They are far but binoculars make them magically appear. Behind us and up on the high rack in the truck bed, one of the trackers has found our quarry. Shirt drive to put us behind a hill and the. We start walking. Muddy and rocks where there isn’t mud. We get the wind in our favor and move over the hill and into the big T. Four Tsessebee all feeding near a water filled dam. Ph picks the best one and I get settled on the sticks. Camera man gets settled on his tri pod. I’m using my .375 wby sakoIV and a leupold variable scope, custom turret and 235 gr Barnes tsx hand loads. This is my jufdalo gun with a different scope and loads to match. 180 yards and one shot drops him solidly. We are all happy with the result and approach casually. Down and dead, time for pictures. I hand out packs of cigarettes to the trackers as thank you gifts.
They pull out the stomach and intestines and dump the stomach contents. Then they save the stomach in a plastic bag. Hoist the bull up onto a gum wood pole and the. Into the trackers shoulders, one at each end. I offer to help carry and the tracker moves the cigarette around in his mouth thoughtfully. “No Mr. John, no thank you.”
We came here specifically for Tsessebee but there are rumored to be giant impala here which is also on my wish list. The ph wanted me to see the country and what they’ve been working on and I’m glad we came here.
I wandered the last hour of daylight with my Nikon and big lens snatching pictures of random birds and whatever game was willing to let me close. At dark we sat by the fire until dinner which was served indoors as it was quite cool outside. I love the food here and typical-I ate too much. Sat and told stories until I excised myself for bed around 930. Rolling thunderstorms through the night and much welcomed rain. Tap on my door at 0700 brings me straight up. It’s my ph asking if I knew I had left my camera out all night. Well shit. . .
Had a nice breakfast while the mist burns off and the animals Start coming out to warm themselves in the sun. There is a father and son from Australia in camp and they leave with ph Don for the desires of their hearts. We go the other direction. Maybe half mile up the road we find the usual suspects-kudu, hartebeest, wildebeest, springbok. They are all loving up onto the mountain edges from the plain so the sun will hit them sooner. They are far but binoculars make them magically appear. Behind us and up on the high rack in the truck bed, one of the trackers has found our quarry. Shirt drive to put us behind a hill and the. We start walking. Muddy and rocks where there isn’t mud. We get the wind in our favor and move over the hill and into the big T. Four Tsessebee all feeding near a water filled dam. Ph picks the best one and I get settled on the sticks. Camera man gets settled on his tri pod. I’m using my .375 wby sakoIV and a leupold variable scope, custom turret and 235 gr Barnes tsx hand loads. This is my jufdalo gun with a different scope and loads to match. 180 yards and one shot drops him solidly. We are all happy with the result and approach casually. Down and dead, time for pictures. I hand out packs of cigarettes to the trackers as thank you gifts.
They pull out the stomach and intestines and dump the stomach contents. Then they save the stomach in a plastic bag. Hoist the bull up onto a gum wood pole and the. Into the trackers shoulders, one at each end. I offer to help carry and the tracker moves the cigarette around in his mouth thoughtfully. “No Mr. John, no thank you.”
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