Somewhere along the line, my son (Tiaan) and Ruhan’s son (Lenz) must have overheard us talking about our hunting plans, because two months before the hunt, we received a whatsapp message from them, basically inviting themselves along on our yearly hunt in Victoria West. 😄😄
The last time the two of them joined us on this hunt was back in 2019.
At one point, we were almost certain that there would be no hunting trip this year, as so many things were up in the air. Our “normal” hunting weekend around the 9th of August holiday had already been booked by other hunters, and things at work were also a bit chaotic.
In the end, we basically ignored all the noise and just went for it. With the boys coming along, there was quite a bit of extra gear that needed to be packed and hauled along.
Me sharpening and testing 🙈 the pocket hunting knives:
Shooting a few rounds at the range (100m) to make sure the rifle was still shooting accurately:
I left my car with someone in Willowmore, thanking them with a bag (or two) of fresh citrus. You also can’t beat a late mandarin as a snack while hunting in the Karoo.
Keeping two young men well fed can easily become a challenge, so I baked a fresh sourdough loaf just before we left.
Ruhan and Lucille sponsored all the food for the trip, and I must say, there was certainly no shortage of it! It was just one good meal after another. Thanks again, guys !!
Finally, the day came and we were on the road again. A quick mention must be made of the lower tyre pressure for better handling on the dirt roads. 😉
The Karoo was GREEN and wet . . . . but later more on the "wet" part.
Ruhan bought each of us a Ketty about 2 months prior to the trip. A long story for another day 😄😄 It was not long before they came out for a bit of "plinking"
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No road trip is worth it's salt without a "wors" braai next to the road.
The perfect "braai-broodjie":
The first night, after everybody arrived safely on the farm, there were lots to discuss and plan. The "kuier" lasted till 01H00 in the morning. 😄😄
The most beautiful Karoo sunrise greeted us the next morning (way to soon for some 😄)
The first order of business was a visit to the shooting range, where everyone could get comfortable with their rifles and make sure everything was shooting accurately. As mentioned before, we believe in making clean kill shots and harvesting our animals in the most humane way possible.
Ready for the hunt to start and tackling the first camp on foot.
With no luck in the first camp we scouted, we had to drive further afield to another camp. This is where the wet conditions in the Karoo once again become part of the story.
On the way there, we came across a drift crossing, and there was some debate about whether the bakkie could make it across. Unfortunately, the answer turned out to be a definite “No” — and before long, the bakkie was properly stuck. 😃
Ruhan volunteered to stay with the bakkie while he waited for the farmer to come and assist. He suggested that the boys and I continue on foot while he stayed behind to sort out the situation.
The next hour became one of the highlights of the trip for me personally.
Some background: Normally, when Ruhan and I hunt together on foot, he takes the lead. That is simply how we established it from our very first hunt, and I am more than happy with that arrangement.
Over the years, I have learnt a lot from him, and now I felt ready to lead the boys on this hunt.
We decided to approach the koppie directly ahead of us, getting some elevation to have a better view of the area on the other side. The wind was also in our favour from this direction.
We moved slightly to the right, allowing us to approach through a natural neck between two koppies. On our way up the koppie, the boys quietly decided between themselves who would take the first shot if an opportunity presented itself.
We approached the top of the neck cautiously and kept low, careful not to silhouette ourselves against the pale blue sky. I was happy with the wind blowing steadily into our faces, and we all started scanning the plains below with binoculars and/or rangefinders. Nothing as far as the eye can see . . .
Then I caught a movement behind a bush, barely 140 metres from us. Two lone springbok rams were standing there. I signalled to the boys and immediately started setting up the tripod I was carrying.
They slowly moved from behind the bush into open space. Tiaan carefully settled his rifle onto the tripod, while Lenz froze on the spot and stayed low. I ranged the first springbuck and whispered the distance to Tiaan as he prepared to take the shot.
Seconds felt like minutes as Lenz and I waited for the shot. I was confident that Tiaan will make a clean kill shot, but I still kept my eyes fixed on that springbuck.
It was a decent size ram. . . .
The gunshot broke the silence and simultaneously and instantly the ram dropped. It literally dropped on the spot in its tracks and did not move again.
The second ram was clearly confused by what had just happened. It ran about 50 metres before stopping and turning around to look back at its “resting” friend.
I saw what was happening and called Lenz over to take position behind the tripod. Everyone moved slowly and quietly, trying not to alert the second ram. Within moments, Lenz was set up and ready for the shot.
Less than a minute after the first gunshot, the second shot ripped through the air. We heard the solid "thud" of the projectile hitting the springbuck. It ran about 30 metres before dropping — another clean shot, straight through the lungs.
What an AMAZING experience, both for the boys and me !
Danny, the farm owner came and pulled the bakkie from it's stuck misery. He also showed us an alternative road to drive and gave us directions to another camp we would go hunt the next day.
Back home, the boys field dressed the buck and then there were empty bellies to fill. Very succesful first day !
