I had not long returned to South Africa from the UK when I got an invitation to hunt my first Eastern Cape kudu bull in a small town called Graaff Reinet.
It was in a brisk winters morning and there was still frost on the ground, unusual in this part of South Africa at this time of year. Regularly getting down below freezing at night and warming up as the day goes on. After hunting in the UK for many years I decided that it would be fitting to wear traditional British hunting attire. This being tweed breaks (plus 2’s) check shirt and tie. On arrival to the farm where we were to hunt was a few raised eyebrows from the staff on seeing these strange clothes in the hunting field.
After a cup of coffee we headed out towards the mountainous area of the property, an area of thick spekboom and acacia. Chris, the farmer, and I scanned the hillsides with our binoculars but only saw cows. We slowly moved to the edge of an open plain, which had an erosion channel running down the middle. We sat and waited. After a short time we heard monkeys chattering from a small thicket, which often signals the presence of a predator. We waited quietly, continuously scanning the area for any movement. Out walked a black backed jackal, a sheep farmer’s biggest enemy in the area. Chris quickly made his rifle ready on his sticks and waited for the right moment. It came and the jackal fell.
We moved back towards the edge of the mountain looking up at the steep bush covered slopes. Then out of nowhere a kudu bull walked out. He moved slowly along, each step full of grace and power. He stopped to browse on a bush. We moved quietly from bush to bush to close the distance. Due to the thick bush cover and intense incline of the mountain we could only get to about 220 meters.
The bull went behind a Spekboom (Portulacaria afra). We sat down and I got ready on the sticks. We waited and waited but nothing. We couldn’t see him but we were both sure he hadn’t left. We waited some more, probably an hour had passed and Chris said suggested we should move on and look for something else as it looked like this guy was down for the day or had slipped out without us knowing. As I lifted the bolt to make my rifle safe a movement caught both Chris’s and my attention.
The bull was on his feet. I quickly made ready and got back down on the sticks. I couldn’t see any vitals, just the top half of his spiral horns above the bushes. Then he turned and started walking up and away from us. The thought that we had sat there for nothing started to come to my mind.
Chris whistled loudly but had no reaction on the bull, he then shouted to try to get him to stop but this also seemed to have no effect. As he went over the skyline, my emotions sank thinking it was over. I turned to Chris and was about to say ‘guess he’s there for another day’ when he reappeared. About 30 meters higher up and looking down to see what had made the noise.
I quickly chambered a round into the 30-06 and put the crosshairs on his shoulder. The sound rang out and the thud of the impact could easily be heard. He jumped and ran vanishing again into the bush. We made our way up through the thick bush to where we had last seen him in the hope of finding a blood trail. There it was and on following it for only about 20 meters, there lay my first Eastern Cape kudu bull.
I sat with him and admired his beauty. From the white markings on his face to the magnificent spiral horns and thought how fortunate I was to be able to have such an experience. After a call on the radio a team of staff arrived to help get him off the hill and back to the cold room. The skinning process then started as I had suggested that a shoulder mount would be great to have on my wall to remember this great day.
Five months later the call came to say the mount was ready for collection. He now hangs in my trophy room looking over me as a reminder of that great day.
If you ever get the chance to hunt in the Eastern Cape of South Africa make sure you try for the magnificent grey ghost. It will be a hunting experience that will remain with you for ever and you will never tire of returning and trying for another.
Hunting and Outdoor Adventures 