Sorry about the absence, but I've been quite busy with hunting and what not.
Our long awaited Barbary sheep /Aoudad hunt took place last week/end.
CF Roux arranged that Gé and myself were able to go hunt sheep on his boss' farm on special invite. We also asked him to arrange two gemsbuck for the pot.
We left thursday morning at 03h00 from Pta. We collected another friend Carel(Rooies/Reds) on route from his house in Douglas.
Arriving in Prieska at CF's place at around 11h00 we quickly did some last minute SPAR and bottle store shopping.
We then departed for a farm in the Copperton direction that was about 30km away.Here we were to shoot those two gemsbuck.
Arriving in the rain that us vaalies brought to the Karoo we waited a while then did a brief check of our rifles and CF and Rooies got to play with Gé's .338 Lapua sniper rifle a little. After wiping off their ample saliva spillage we headed to the game camp.
CF enjoying himself with the Truvelo.
Rooies(Reds) having a go.
The game camp was around 1200-2000 hectares...I cannot recall exactly.
In this camp we saw gemsbuck,ostrich,blesbuck,red hartebeest,springbuck,black wildebeest,a zebra and eland.
The camp's roads were few and far between and very rough. We were on very limited time as we still had a way to go to the farm with the barbary sheep.
After driving and looking for quite a longtime with no sighting of the gemsbuck. Myself and CF climbed a ridge in the hopes of spotting the gemsbuck, and after a while spotted them a little way off. I had my .204 Ruger and CF only his bi-nocs. At 150m away I could not make out the bulls or even get a shot at one.
As the herd became restless we pushed them down towards the flatter part of the farm.
We eventually were able to shoot two bulls. Gé accounted for one with his .338 Lapua. Shot behind the shoulder at around 220m using 250gr match bullets. He ran a little and passed
Exit wound
After this we looked for another one. The guys joke about my dialogue:"Die trop was nog rustig, en ek het toe my .25-06 gebruik om die trop deur te kyk. Met die,stap 'n bok agter 'n bossie uit. Is dit 'n balsak wat ek sien? Wag nog 'n bietjie, die bul draai, en ek sien die kenmerkende skede onder sy pens. Nou moet hy net gaan staan.
So gemaak, en ek klop hom met 'n 75gr V-max in die brein."
We took the entrails out in the veld as requested by the farmer, and after offloading at the cooler room and paying for the two Gemsbuck we headed out to Carnavon where the big hunt was to take place. Two other young chaps,Jason and Brian,were there already when we arrived. After some braaing and socialising we got to bed.
The old and fully furnished farm house at our disposal was very comfortable.A gas geysor and generator took care of the neccessities.
I even had some good reading material to encourage succesfull relationships :hehe:
We split into two groups on friday morning.
Rooies,Jason and Brian were in one group and myself, Gé and CF in the other.
Gé having a look for some sheep:
We covered around 14km that day in the ridges and ravines,only spotting two steenbuck.The two groups met up at one stage very high up in the mountain and we then headed back to the farm house.
Later that afternoon we had some fun shooting at a crudley fashioned gong at 470m.We had success on the 300mmx300mm gong with the .338 Lapua, Jason's awesome .243 Ackley and my little killer .204 Ruger. Yes a 32gr v-max goes to 470m quite easliy and accurately. We had promised the farmer that we would tackle the jackal in the area that were killing his livestock. We made a few stands that night but the southerly wind blew us back home with no success.
Jason and Brian had some "bussiness" to attend to so had to leave saterday morning,bad move.....
Me, Gé and Rooies took our rifles and CF guided us.
After some decent climbing we came onto the top a small flatted ridge top and split up slightly. Gé and the gunless CF took the righthand side with me in the middle and Rooies far left.
Rooies was having a leak close the the jackal proof fence running along the top of the ridge but on the edge when he spotted our targets.Whether he wet himself or not only he will know but I think we all know aswell
He motioned to me to drop down. Rooies took a 300m shot with his .308 and the shot sounded good. He had seen three rams lying down and at the shot two ran off. After regrouping and marking the point with the hand held GPS we searched for his ram in the rocks but had no success. After ample searching we set off after the remaining two.
We found them about on a far off ridge grazing casually.
We developed a plan and back tracked down into a hidden valley and made our way around to the front of their line of projected travel. The wind favoured us with this manouver.
Once close to the top of the closest ridge Gé opted to stay and lie in ambush in case they took off if they us. We got to the top to find a substantial hidden plateau. I spotted one ram shading itself under a big bush about 200m off.
Me and CF stalked closer using a single bush as cover, blocking the ram's line of sight. At around 130m I asked CF to assume the posistion, using his back as a rest. I sent a 75gr V-max running at 3750fps straight through the rams lungs, it fell on the spot.
We cheered a little only to realise that the other ram was slightly off to the right of the bush where the other one was shot. As it took flight CF fired and his shot slowed the ram, I took 2 running shots, and the ram dropped.
The bush far in the background is where I shot from.
The first ram as it fell:
Me displaying my colgate smile and "happy face".
Myself and CF with the two rams:
The four of us in a group pic,shot was taken with a cell phone wedged into cane shooting sticks and using the self timer.
Me caping with me Gé assisting:
The long trek back about to commence. Capes and selected cuts packed into our rucksacks and shirts.
The backstraps were prepared that night, but sadly I must report that better results can be had using old mine conveyer belting. Tougher than tough and not good in taste.
That Sunday we left for home and dropped Rooies off in Douglas where his lovely wife had prepared a leg of karoo lamb for a quick lunch...delicious,thanks Rooies!
CF, thanks a million for the invite and your guiding skills.
Rooies picked up a huge skull with longer horns than the two we hunted,a replacment for his lost ram maybe
.At least his team won the rugby though.Next year Gé's ram will be hunted...we have learnt how it works now.
Sadly poor Jason seems to have no decent pants to hunt in, but at least his gun is good
Sitting here at work I find myself missing things like: Driedoring, Haakbos, Kapokbos, Dorper, Die indringer Persopis bome, skaaptjops braai oor karee-kole, skaap-bossies, windpompe, die Carnarvon-berg, Slootskraal, Klipgat en Zeekoegat.
Three days without any vodacom signal,views and beauty beyond belief,the Karoo is very special.
If you have never been there, you need to make a plan, God's hand worked wonders here.
