I took the plunge and went to South Africa - left June 1st and got back the 20th, took my son and now we both have memories we will never forget.
As the recession has hit the hunting there I found hunting much more affordable than in the past. The guys there put together a birthday party that tops anything I have ever had. The people there are very hospitable, we are all of the same kindred spirit. I feel we are more than just friends now we are family.
If anyone is interested I can put you in touch with the right people for a reasonable priced hunt!
Is that an oryx in pic 5? ...oh, pic 9. Yep, it's a Gensbok. I thought it was gemsbok not gensbok, but I could be wrong.
Awesome that they're recovered enough to hunt. I didn't know. Now that's real conservationism in action!
That kudu...I like, lust after a set of those horns. The things I could make with those...
But wow, what a haul - and zebra! Are they tasty?
*Sigh*, someday...sure, I'll take a post of the info for guides if you have it. Never hurts to plan ahead. That and my wife is outdoorsy, a shooter, and knows enough German and a smattering of Dutch to vaguely understand Afrikaans.
Gensbok is the way I found it spelled, they are also called oryx, plenty of them over there.
I shot the old cow which is bigger than a bull but you will notice my son's bull has bigger bases on the horns much smaller body though.
The cow was fat as any grain feed beef you would find over here, the PH was going to keep it for his winter meat.
The Zebra tastes just fine we ate it along with springbok and gensbok one night some of my friends over there had never tried it before.
Most of the people there know English as they watch a lot of our popular TV shows.
I started out using a Model "M" Styer 7x64 with 150 grain ballistic tips for the small stuff and a Kimber Montana in .325WSM with 200 grain Accubonds for the big boys.
The first couple Impalas I shot with the 7x64 ran 70-100 yards into the brush and we had to go looking for them. I then shot one with the .325 and dumped it, through the course of events I started carrying the .325 most of the time.
Tallied up that I had shot 12 head of plains game with the .325 all with one shot kills, most of them dropped in their tracks.The big boys- Eland and Wildebeast all ran a short way all less than 120 yards than fell dropped, the .325 punches a large enough hole they bleed out - leaves a good blood trail.
Last season I shot the largest Elk in NM with one shot and two deer in Kansas all with one shot.
Benton Davies told me that in 22 years of being a PH he has seen about every caliber used over there and has never seen one work so well.
Needless to say the 7x64 is in partial retirement and the .325 is my go to gun.
Trip of a life time - YES, will I go back YES!
My son will carry memories of this trip long after I am dead and gone.
