A fifty-inch kudu through the bushes
Friday, 2 May 2014
Two old bull tracks in the morning, two days old. A lone gemsbok we stalk for two kilometers and lose. And, at half past four, a cow herd with a fifty-inch harem bull — one shot, broken shoulder, and a lesson for the PH about the height of the shooter.
Several young-bull, cow, and calf tracks around camp in the morning. No old bulls. We drove south, then left toward the Botswana border, then right (south) toward Hereroland and back onto the gravel. Two old-bull spoors along the way — both two days old. Three young kudu bulls with one older, short-but-thick- horned bull. Ten steinbok along the road.
North again, up the dirt road to the park and then left along the boundary. An old bull track we had seen last year — but this one was two days old. More giraffe, more gemsbok.
At five past three Ralph spotted a lone bull gemsbok. Felix called the horns sizeable. We stalked almost two kilometers before he winded us and took off. Half past four Ralph picked up kudu cows with their harem bull — fifty inches, left tip broken. We worked the wind a kilometer and a half and lost him; the cows were already moving; we pushed another kilometer and caught them again.
They stood a hundred and fifty meters out, staring back. A pair of horns floated over the bush. Felix told me to ready myself — the bull would step into a small clearing. Five meters short of it Felix made a sound; the bull stopped to look. I had to take him through a wall of thin bush. The .416 with a four-hundred-grain Swift A-Frame went through the bush into the shoulder and broke both front legs. He was down on the spot.
Later I asked Felix why he had made the noise. His answer was, “From where I was standing I saw the bull’s boiler room clearly.” I had to remind him that I am not much larger than a pygmy — he could see the vitals at his height, I could only see the head and horns at mine. Worth remembering, I told him. Especially for dangerous game.
Eleven days in. Two decent elephant tracks the whole time. This is not how this country hunts in a normal year. Last year we were finding four good tracks some days, three on a slow one. The late rain has done it — water everywhere, game spread to nothing. Nyae Nyae does not give up an eighty- pounder easily at the best of times. This year you will earn whatever you find — if you find it.
