Botse Safaries 2012

Are you a serious hunter or just want to brag about your latest kill. Feel free to shar your hunting experience here.
Post Reply
Traveler
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 5311
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 7:11 am
Town: Springs
Vehicle: Pathfinder 2.5 LE AT
Real Name: Heinrich
Club VHF Licence: X81
Location: Gauteng
Contact:

Botse Safaries 2012

Post by Traveler »

So I went hunting.........................

Some details on my hunt for last week.
We went to Botse Safaries outside of Vivo. It is now my 4th year visiting this gem of a hunting destination. I have been privileged to have experienced a number of hunts across our country, and although many will be in my heart and mind for years they do not compare to Botse for a total experience. The food, the venue, the animals, and the hosts as a total are just one cut above.
As many of you might know I own an original Wilhelm Brenneke, made in Berlin 9.3x64mm Brenneke. It was a bit of a tough road I was lead down, but not one that I now regret. Only RWS makes cases for this old calibre, and reloading is a must. I’ve been working on loads for over a year and eventually landed on a gem of a load that produced the famed velocity as well as the low pressures it was designed for. Meaning that I can shove along a 250gr bullet at speeds higher than the legendary .375H&H. Amazingly you are doing this from a standard length action, it is not belted and it is not a Magnum. I achieved speeds in excess of 2,900ft/sec with this calibre, but I backed off to a more sedate and civilised 2,760ft/sec. I feel at >2,700ft/sec with a 250gr bullet there is few plains game that will feel I am short changing them with 140ft/sec........
So back to the hunt.
We arrived on Wednesday and were settled into camp at about 11h00, it was immediately of to the shooting range to sight in rifles. Of course I had no adjustment to do as my Zeiss Diavari with its German post is only has an elevation turret. Windage is adjusted on the telescope mounts itself, this can be a very tedious process.
After a good solid lunch we were out in the veld by 14h00. Animals were around, but with very thick foliage cover, and plenty dead material under foot stalking was exceedingly difficult, and then a swirling wind meant we walked like drunk people. But I did manage to end my day with two warthog, and one bluewildebees bull. I finished my day very satisfied with the performance of the rifle, and the Barnes TSX. Accuracy was excellent, and all three animals died instantly. The warthog were all shot at fairly short range (less than 50m, and the Bluewildebees dropped to a single shot on the shoulder at about 150m as the sun was sinking behind the horizon.
Day 2 dawned with promise and good weather. We were dropped next to the new fence that splits the property into a breeding and a hunting area. We almost immediately spotted a herd of Livingstone Eland, and went into stalking mode as we hit the ground. After about 20minutes of stalking a kudu bull emerged from the mopanies and stood watching us at about 50m. A single shot at the junction of the neck and the body dropped him into a very undignified position for such a beautiful animal. It was also the first time ever that I have not seen a kudu shed that final tear.
We immediately proceeded further after the now very aware Eland. After about an hour on the trail we again walked into a sounder of warthog. For some time we stood watching them, contemplating scaring the eland again or shooting the very large boar that was with the sounder. During this debate between me and the guide we heard a commotion behind us, and from the cover emerged an expansive heard of bluewildebees, lead by a “large for bushveld” gemsbok. As he stopped about 40 paces from us the shot immediately rang, and he took of as if racing for the Triple Crown. During the ensuing chaos, I short stroked the bolt, and jammed the next round scew between the bolt and the chamber, and watched as the BWB just bolted into all directions. At least we had a lovely Gemsbok, and also found him on my “to-be-shoulder-mounted”list.
After the Gemsbok we were back on the trail of those elusive Livingstone’s. Found them, and glassed the herd for about an hour until they eventually moved off. There was nothing that fell into our very defined parameters of what was allowed for 2012. Shooting a Rowland Ward this year would cost the farm R1mil on the auction market, so it was off limits.
Kind of despondent after so much tracking and having to watch the eland walk away we headed for the nearest road. Just as we stepped into the road a zebra did exactly that approx 200m from us. My guide Bengai did not need a second invitation, and as the sticks went up the rifle was in place, and I sent a Barnes in just behind the shoulder. He darted away (to my surprise), and popped out back into the road about 30m further. Again I sent a Barnes his direction, and again he darted away. So off we went looking for tracks. Found the spot where we shot at him first, and about 20m further found him stone dead inside a sickle bush........... So off we set to find number 2 zebra. After a short track we found the animal standing behind a bush, while she set of running I sent two rounds into her which slowed her down considerably; and shortly after that we found her almost back at the point for everything started.
After another hearty lunch we started the afternoon session on the furthest point east on the farm. A couple of minutes into the afternoon we found a lone Waterbuck cow, and after some minutes decided she was alone, and not carrying a calf, so she also fell to the 9.3.
The rest of afternoon was made up of numerous unsuccessful stalks and animals leaving us in their dust. Again just before 18h00 things started looking up. We walked into a herd of Red Hartebeest, and 2 shot 2 in short succession. But the second one was lost in the night, and to my dismay we had to wait for the next morning to find the remains..........
Friday morning we headed out to where we marked the lost animal. After about an hour and 200m we found her dead, and to my amazement still in one piece. Luckily the hyenas and jackal passed her by.
Of we set, and after shooting someone else’s wounded warthog the rest of the morning delivered nothing; and shortly before lunch time I was shaken out my coma of despair as a kudu bull barked at us from literally the other side of mopanie, and the bush exploded with animals. A kudu cow made the mistake of stopping at 300m and with some Kentucky elevation I dropped her with a single shot (much to my disbelief, and Bengai’s joy), who would have thought there would still be enough energy to break her back at that distance.
After lunch we started our final session, and this turned into my most frustrating hunting session ever on Botse. We found ourselves having to reset for stalk after stalk every 15minutes. Even seeing the horns of a huge kudu meters away, but seeing nothing to shoot at.
With a very unhappy pair heading for 5pm and end of hunt Bengai and I was given another startle by a Bluewildebees bull watching us. He was probably watching us from 30m; I dropped this old 30”BWB with a single shot to the head.

On the other animals, I have photos I’ll share, but they were not real trophy class.
Attachments
IMG_2295.JPG
IMG_2319.JPG
IMG_2293.JPG
IMG_2289.JPG
Image
Image

Know what you don't know.
User avatar
SKRIK NIKS
LR 4WD Full Lockers
LR 4WD Full Lockers
Posts: 603
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2009 12:59 pm
Town: krugersdorp
Vehicle: hilux 3.0kzte
Real Name: jan venter

Re: Botse Safaries 2012

Post by SKRIK NIKS »

Wild is mooi gesond en lekker vet!

ons was ook so 3 weeke terug in die jag veld ,maar dis baie moeilik om sag te loop,rede dat die gras baie droog en hard is!

maar ons het ook darem sukses gehaat!
ImageImageImage
SKRIK NIKS
Traveler
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 5311
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 7:11 am
Town: Springs
Vehicle: Pathfinder 2.5 LE AT
Real Name: Heinrich
Club VHF Licence: X81
Location: Gauteng
Contact:

Re: Botse Safaries 2012

Post by Traveler »

Ja, daar is ongelooflike baie blare op die grond teenwoordig.
Image
Image

Know what you don't know.
User avatar
george
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 6565
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 11:16 am
Town: Velddrif
Vehicle: Triton 3.5l V6
Real Name: George
Club VHF Licence: HC107
Location: Velddrif
Contact:

Re: Botse Safaries 2012

Post by george »

Geluk :thumbup: Baie mooi gemsbok daai
"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.-Saint Augustine"
Traveler
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 5311
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 7:11 am
Town: Springs
Vehicle: Pathfinder 2.5 LE AT
Real Name: Heinrich
Club VHF Licence: X81
Location: Gauteng
Contact:

Re: Botse Safaries 2012

Post by Traveler »

george wrote:Geluk :thumbup: Baie mooi gemsbok daai

Dankie George, hy strek die band na 38"
Image
Image

Know what you don't know.
User avatar
Johannes van die See
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 2194
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 10:04 pm

Re: Botse Safaries 2012

Post by Johannes van die See »

Mensdom dis mooi!
Die klomp wild moes jou sak seker goed geruk het!
http://www.goblacksam.com
Image Link Broken
Langebaan Lagoon & Deep Sea Fishing Charters
Traveler
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 5311
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 7:11 am
Town: Springs
Vehicle: Pathfinder 2.5 LE AT
Real Name: Heinrich
Club VHF Licence: X81
Location: Gauteng
Contact:

Re: Botse Safaries 2012

Post by Traveler »

Johannes van die See wrote:Mensdom dis mooi!
Die klomp wild moes jou sak seker goed geruk het!
;-) ons koop niks weer vleis nie vir die res van die jaar.
Image
Image

Know what you don't know.
Tjokkie
Low Range 4WD
Low Range 4WD
Posts: 247
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:21 pm
Town: Heidelberg GP
Vehicle: 2011 Hilux D4D D/C 4x4 (no mods...yet), Hilux 3.0 KZTE D/C 4x4 with minor mods
Real Name: Rikus
Location: Heidelberg GP

Re: Botse Safaries 2012

Post by Tjokkie »

Mooi so Heinrich!!!!

Daai Brenneke en jy klink na groot pelle!!
Post Reply

Return to “Hunting”