Hunting South Africa
Milt and Steve
April 30-May 11, 2012

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After breakfast, we went to the spot where the kudu was shot the previous day and we found no blood, but followed the tracks over to a spot where the kudu had fallen and slipped while trying to get up. We continued trying to track the animal, but with no blood, the dogs couldn't help and after about an hour, we finally gave up.

Normally if you wound an animal, it counts as a kill in your package and you have to pay another trophy fee if you want to take another animal, but Hennie said since we found no blood, the animal was probably not mortally wounded, so I would get another chance at my kudu with no extra fee.

Now we started hunting kudu again, and it was Steve's turn to shoot. After about 30 minutes, our PH stopped the vehicle and motioned for Steve to get the rifle. He set up the sticks and Steve dropped what turned out to be the best kudu shot in this cape region: horns measured just short of 54 inches. Another Gold Medal for Steve. I don't know who was the most excited, Steve or the PH. Hennie called his boss, all the other PH's in his cell phone directory, his wife and probably the Queen of England. <grin>  

 

Another Gold Medal animal for Steve

But the trick now was to get the kudu out of the bush and loaded into the vehicle. We needed help. Hennie drove us back to the camp, but only two men were there who could help so Hennie drove to a nearby village and got three men from a bar. They had all been drinking, one waayyy to much. He was loaded. I asked Hennie how he found someone to help and he said I just pointed at  them and said, "You, you, and you. Get in the truck." In case I forgot to mention it, Hennie is about 6 foot, 2 inches in height and weighs 106 kg (about 235 pounds). And not an ounce of fat. He trains with weights and runs about 18 kilometers (12 miles) every day. Not a guy to argue with!

Bringing Steve's Kudu Out

After lunch, we started hunting for another kudu for me. Hennie spotted some horns sticking out above the bush and told me to get the rifle. He set up the sticks for a shout from the road, about 150-175 yards. Our plan was to wait until the kudu came out from behind the bushes. Everyone was ready, including the dogs, who were really excited and were making a barely audible whine, as if to say, "Do it, do it." But the kudu wasn't moving. We waited... 5 minutes... 10 minutes... 3 days... well it seemed like it. After about 20 minutes the kudu turned and somewhat emerged from behind the bushes. I could see the top part of the animal and squeezed off a shot and the kudu fell straight down. The dogs and PH immediately began to run to the downed animal with me following close behind. But the vegetation was really dense and I was falling back, so the PH took the rifle over and finished the kudu off. My shot hit him in the spine and the kudu was going nowhere, but Hennie put him out of his misery. Incidentally, this kudu was only about a quarter mile from where Steve shot his this morning.

The horns on my kudu were not as long as Steve's because the curl was not as deep, but the spacing on the horns was more pleasing to me and made them appear longer. I will be happy to hang the shoulder mount in my office.

 

Another Great Kudu