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Swaziland hunt

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8shots View Drop Down
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    Posted: June/22/2010 at 04:37
Stuck just west of the Kwazulu coastal province (home to Durban and the surfing mecca of South Africa) lies the tiny kingdom of Swaziland. Yes, complete with a royal king.
Three weeks ago a friend invited me to this subtropical paradise for a hunt. Never one to say no, I packed my hunting gear, minus a rifle. We would be entering another country and to get rifles through is just a hassle. We would borrow rifles from his brother, who lives there.
 
We went through the border with ease, being a rather small border post just south of Nelspruit. We enquired about how much venison we could bring through, the limit being 25kg per person.
 
The 28 000ha farm was just 10 km from the border.
Once arrived, we made a nice welcoming fire.
 
We also snacked on some liver on toast. One of the guys had shot an impala before our arrival, which provided the fare.
 
 
The next morning we set off before dawn to the hunting area. It was rather cold, but soon warmed to a pleasant temp.
 
 
At the designated spot a guide and myself set out on our hunt. The bush is very thick and one has to stalk upwind, treading carefully. Once in a while the bush opens up a bit and "shooting lanes" give one a chance at the buck once spotted. I shot my first ram at a remarkable distance of 158m, given the denseness of the bush. Hitting twigs and branches remain a problem, so one has to take great care a shootable opening exists.
I had a Voere 30-06 topped with a zeis scope and 180gr bullets. I used a power of 4X given the bush.
The ram was looking towards me and I took him in a frontal chest shot, the bullet exiting at the gut. He dropped as if pole-axed.
 
 
The ram above dropped only half and hour into the hunt.
Below is the guide carrying him to a vehicle pick up point. Note the bush thickness and lanes opening up.
 
 
The ram above weighed 62 kg and dressed 33 kg on the butchers hook. (2.2lb = 1kg)
 
The next ram made me work a bit harder. It took about 1 hour of following the herd and trying to get into a shootable position with enough clearnce. But by 9 am I was all done with two rams for the deepfreeze.
 
 
Below are three other rams shot by the hunting party. (in total we shot 11 for the day.)
 
 
 
 
A pic of the thick bush.
 
 
Our most amazing tracker dog in his hunting seat!!!
 
 
That evening we sat around the campfire, nice food and a barbecue or "braai".
 
 
 
 
We were camped next to a very big dam.
 
 
with an open air toilet..
 
 
 
And then we were on our way home. The week end passed all to soon. We managed to get through the border with more meat then our quota. We then went through Nelspruit about 80km otherside the border and we were just telling ourselves how lucky we were, when we got stopped in the South African side in a foot and mouth control point. We did not know that the area was quarantined off for foot and mouth. The Vet Services wanted to fine us $250 and confiscate our meat. We managed to talk our way down to a $90 fine and we got to keep the meat!!!
That took us an hour of negotiating.
 
And then home...
 
Only joking, that is one of our famous black taxis!!!!
 
.
 
 
 
 
 
 


Edited by 8shots - June/22/2010 at 04:39
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/22/2010 at 06:17
Nice 8's.   Thanks for sharing
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucytuma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/22/2010 at 08:13
Great picktures and story "8".
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BeltFed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/22/2010 at 09:46
8 I always love to hear your stories and see your pictures. Another great one.Thunbs Up
Life's concerns should be about the 120lb pack your trying to get to the top of the mountain, and not the rock in your boot.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bigdaddy0381 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/22/2010 at 10:00
8"s, another dream hunt of mine. Well done. Your slowly becoming a hunting idle of mine.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 300S&W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/22/2010 at 21:17
Originally posted by BeltFed BeltFed wrote:

8 I always love to hear your stories and see your pictures. Another great one.Thunbs Up
 
  Ain't no doubt about it!    Excellent
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/23/2010 at 07:14
Thanks for sharing, Wouter!  I always enjoy your hunting stories and pics!
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/23/2010 at 15:12

Great tale.  Great pictures.  Life is good. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/23/2010 at 20:33
The Socialists in control...................Thanks to the ANC.......who used to be the enemy!!!!  
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote neilbilly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/23/2010 at 20:48
Good Stuff 8's Thunbs Up  Appreciate you sharing the hunt with us. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bugsNbows Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/24/2010 at 06:23
Looks like a good time was had by all. Congrats.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/26/2010 at 14:00
As always, great stuff Wouter!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/26/2010 at 14:08
Originally posted by 300S&W 300S&W wrote:

Originally posted by BeltFed BeltFed wrote:

8 I always love to hear your stories and see your pictures. Another great one.Thunbs Up
 
  Ain't no doubt about it!    Excellent


Outstanding!!!   Excellent     Thunbs Up
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" Let's have a dop.............."    
 
 
 
 
 
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