Day 19 of 19

Last day — a lone blue wildebeest spoor

Thursday, 6 September 2012

The last day. Permits still in the pocket for an own-use bull, a roan, an eland, kudu, gemsbok, warthog, hyena, leopard, springbok, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest and steinbok. A decent roan would be a handsome close to the trip. We search two hours and find a lone blue wildebeest spoor.

The last day. Permits still in the pocket — the own-use elephant, a roan, an eland, kudu, gemsbok, warthog, hyena, leopard, springbok, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, steinbok. A roan would have been a handsome close.

Two hours of driving. One lone blue wildebeest spoor. We took it for an hour before we accepted he was far ahead of us. We looked for more; we found nothing.

Empty road on the last morning, day 19 — The last morning — a lone spoor, an hour too late

After lunch a pan, a herd of blue wildebeest. An hour of stalking. No bull worth taking.

Herd of blue wildebeest at a pan, afternoon day 19 — Stalking a herd — no old bull in the group

Nyae Nyae is the best place I have found for an old bull elephant. The country delivered. Camelthorn and Felix were as good as advertised — honest, hard-working, no sweet talk, no dream-selling. He never said a bad word about anyone in three weeks.

I would be back next year.

Final afternoon in Nyae Nyae, day 19 — Nineteen hunting days. Two trophy bulls. And a country I would come back to

Thank you for spending time reading this story.