African Safari - Hunt Day 4 - 21 AUG

Rolled out early again this morning - 4:30 wake time, 5:00 am leave time.  Scarfed some fruit, yogurt and coffee and drove one hour west to the mountains.  This concession was 22,000 acres (or 35 square miles) and included the highest peak on the mountain range.  The neighboring ranch also housed lions and elephants.  Our goal this morning was to tag a warthog and baboon for me.

After meeting the owner, James (nice fellow), we drove around the plains and made one stalk on a warthog.  Next we cross the mt range and parked to make another stalk.  We came upon a family of warthogs - two mamas and several piglets.  As we were watching them, big daddy comes trotting in.  I set up to make a shot.  It took a while because the other pigs were in the way, and then mr hog was eating.  Finally, I put a 300 win mag in his chest - game over.

The plains we are stalking in the foreground.
The mountains we are about to climb in the background.


Upon inspection, this poor warthog has led a hard life.  His left eye is missing, his tusks are broken off, his face is scarred, and he's married.  Married, you say?  Yes, married.  How do I know this?  Well, he has no testicles.  Jan thinks that he lost them in a fight.  Poor Jan.  Still single and innocent.  Mrs. Warthog has them at home in a Mason Jar, buddy.  He's married!  We laughed...even though it's not really that damn funny...

Me with my married trophy warthog

We drove most all the way up the mountain range and then parked the truck.  We got out for another "little" hike.  We crossed over a couple of peaks and jumped some klipspringer (rock jumpers) antelope.  The one buck was a record, according to Jan.  He wished he had the $1,600 required for the tag, because he would have borrowed my gun and claimed it.  Jan said they are tough to hunt and only a few are ever taken each year.

We climbed several peaks searching for baboons.  This was the type of terrain that one would find snakes.  And RePhil and I both noticed that Jan picked his steps carefully.  We called him out on this, and yes, he thought there may be snakes in the rocks.  Damn, not what I wanted to hear.  I was hoping it was still too cold for them to be out.  Vain hope.

We drove back down to the ranch for lunch about 2.  Gutted the pig and put him in the cooler.  Lunch was buttered buns with ham slices, chips, and a candy bar.  We hit the road as quickly as we were done.  On our drive out, we spotted this sable, so we stopped to take pictures.  No one picked up a gun - as the price tag on this magnificent animal is $7,000.

The African Sable.  Beautiful, but expensive.

We continued our drive back up the mountains and parked as soon as RePhil saw a baboon.  Game on.

We chased after them, setting up as quickly as we could on each peak.  Those little bastards are much better at climbing the rocks than we are.  We never got closer than 412 yards.  And as soon as I would get one in my scope, they would descend over the ridge and we'd have to go chasing & climbing again.  We did this until sunset.  Ridge after ridge, climb after climb, mile after mile.  And when we finally gave up, they laughed at us.  Baboons 3; Hunters 0.  All we got was tired and sore.

This is the stuff we are climbing up and over, trying to get close to a baboon.
Yes, it's requires a lot of effort.  Yes, RePhil did fall pretty far behind.
No, I will not admit that I am out of shape and Jan kicked my arse climbing today.
Round is a Shape!

Now the owner James told us that the baboons were the first to come steal food in the morning.  He gave us chairs and told us to sit by the trough and kill as many baboons as we wanted.  None of us (Jan, RePhil, or me) felt like that was fair, ethical, or even hunting.  We passed on his offer and instead tried to get one on their terms.  We failed, yes, but we played a better game.  

We were, however, rewarded with a beautiful sunset from on top the mountains.  We are still winning!

Sunset on our walk back down the mountain to the truck - without baboons.


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