The next hunt to become past tense.

[Treeman]

Packed and supposed to have been in the bush already. The plan was to have left about 3 hours ago, but things changed.

I have some boys from one of PE'S private schools that I chaperone for their hunts, parents own farms, but have no interest in hunting, the bush and shooting, so I somehow ended up taking the boys for their first hunts and it just carried on from there. Its been rather frustrating cause the boy for this week end and of course I wanted to hunt first weekend of the season, but it was school exams, so it was wait it out. The exams are now over, but some of the students at the hostel got caught with dagga. The dagga matter spilled over into everybody's lives and then into homes, involved or not. So there has been meetings, confessions,denials and of course some anger at the whole matter. Nearly all, save maybe 5-6 boys do not even know of the dagga matter, but no matter, parents were called and serious discussions were had.
My boys are clean, I know this because of our relationship and trust me I would know because we talk long in the nights around the fire. Drugs, sex and violence are all things asked about, spoken about in the wee hours of the last coals.
So tonight the mother of the boy I am taking out for a Kudu and bushbuck phoned and asked if I would please not arrive tonight, but rather early tomorrow morning, "trust this Mother Dave, he needs to sleep in his home bed tonight and rest properly or you will have a hard time with him tomorrow, he is just so tired"

So alarm is set for 04:00 tomorrow morning and van is packed, just zip the rifles up and go.

 In retrospect, I think this has worked out better, as I was actually feeling rather drained myself, this finishing work, packing, rushing to get going and then driving 150 km to unpack van, build a fire, realize you drained and go sleep kinda stuff is getting to much for my age 
So now my boy and I anxiously await the alarms intrusion tomorrow morning - will keep ya all posted.

[Tripodmvr]

Enjoy the bush.

[janfred]

Have to admit, everytime I read one of these "Treeman off hunting again" stories I get a pang of jealousy.

[Treeman]

Have to admit, everytime I read one of these "Treeman off hunting again" stories I get a pang of jealousy.

****************************
Let me make it worse...............................3 years ago we found a bull that was mystical, the boys named him --- "Mr Wow" , Mr Wow is always seen at about 1 km from some high spot, he is old and has faded colour. When we get to where Mr Wow was he is always gone, 3 years of cat and mouse. I actually hope Mr Wow beats us, watched him regal across open spots for too many a time now, I may be hurt by his demise - but then again a bullet is kinder than nature by a long measure.
Last year Mr Big was found, he is also of light colour, old animal, with a slightly yellowish or tan affect to his color, just like Mr Wow, I suspect he may be same animal, but at 4 - 5 km different location I am not sure they are same animal. Mr Wow is almost magical in his ability to not be where he was, Mr Big is more understandable and we have been on him once, but human error intervened.  We plan to get one of these this week end.
Last year we saw a animal with the biggest neck i have ever seen, he has like 10 cows with him, but the group just pass's through our range, usually at a fast pace. Tonight I need to figure which of these I will target, I have 1 day and 1 morning next day to deliver a result and all mentioned big bulls are last light of day animals, I only have one last light of day.
May be some hard decisions....

[Treeman]

So it was a early morning drive out to the farm, it was about -99 Cel outside and the wind was really trying to impress the storm Gods.
In short it was "kak" weather ! but we were in a beautiful place.

I wore gloves beenie, hoodie, double jacket and sat at glassing the area without much hope of seeing more than penguins, penguin's were actually not that unrealistic a possibility since Bird Island was about 3 km behind my back and the coast about 1.5 km opposed to the direction I was looking. Some Waterbuck came into view including a white Waterbuck ewe, but that was about all. The wind blew and the hours passed.
Around 12, perhaps a bit earlier, the wind stopped, I nearly fell over, it just stopped like a brain shot buck, no dying down, no stop start, just stopped.
This is what we then had, note the moon.
20220616_081633 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
We decided on going to look for Kudu along the forest where the sea sand dunes can be seen in the photo below.
20220616_140241 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
Kudu, B/Buck and B/Pig were on the menu as well as W/Hog, so the prospects were good to find something, but full moon and low temperatures had me doubting our chances.
We eventually saw some kudu deep in a valley where we could not shoot due to recovery just being next to life changing in difficulty. The valley edges are sea sand held by costal forest plant roots and are a both hands needed adventure to climb out of, so we just watched them. Later we saw a decent bull, but it knew about us already and just kept leaving the area. That was it as far as Kudu went, by 14:00 we had seen all the kudu we would see for two days, they just disappeared.We did not even see them later with a spot light when driving night viewing, saw about 20 B/Buck though.

We hunted this valley walking midway along that mountain in picture, trying up hill and glassing valley below where picture is taken from.
20220616_153620 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

Nothing much happened, Cody screwed up on a B/Buck by going full "b/buck b/buck b/buck b/buck !" and ducking back away instead of just stopping standing still. He was a bit upset about that, and kept asking the sky why he did that.
The hunt day was not successful, but we still had the feed lot at midnight, there were B/Pig raiding the calf feeding pen and we were commissioned to execute them.
More about that later, going to braai now...................

[oafpatroll]

Those boys may have an inkling of what they are getting but I suspect that they will only fully appreciate it in 15 or 20 years time. I know that was the case for me and it only really became clear once I began to spend most of my working time with people who had spent their adolescence in the wilds of Sandton City.

[Treeman]

Braai was good, someone produced a bottle of Irish whisky and I am now trying to avoid the wife, I may be in some trouble.

...............the hunt, the day ended and the night settled down into a very still warm-ish evening, a fire was made and more wood was added, was quite a big one. Meat was braaied and the boys sat and spole boys things while I looked at the city across the bay, my home from 45 km across the bay across the sea.
20220616_180155 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
Was a full moon lovely evening.
20220616_180315 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
The boys spoke on till about 22:00
20220616_190651 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
20220616_231250 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
Finally we decided that the raiding pigs would likely be busy with there ANC ways and it was time to go pay them a visit. We were nearing the calf feeding trays using a spotlight to watch for pigs when this fellow lost his nerve and bolted. When at the trough they usually just stand and almost challenge you, like they think you there to take their food, in the day time on foot they even charge you if you approach them - my food human - fkoff!
I surveyed the troughs and saw no pigs, we were too early or too late. The bolting pig was halfway across the field when I picked it up in the sights and held over on it looking for a shot, but it was flat out, and that is fast.
I saw 2 cattle fences ahead, one either side of the road and settled cross on second fence while watching the pig come in across the land. The pig barely slowed for first fence as I closed one eye behind the cross and picked up its reduced speed crossing of the road I lead ahead to other fence and as it faltered in pace at the fence I tucked a 154 gr Hornady Interlock behind the shoulder. The pig jumped back like the fence was electric and stood a moment. The boy on the back said "again" and I answered that it was a good shot. The pig sat down and then fell over, the shot was a double lung shot that somehow also destroyed the heart. 8 seconds maybe to lights out from the shot time, dead before falling over.
Small pig, making roasts from it offerings.
20220616_213743 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
Then it was back to the fireside.
The boys spoke of chickens and working in America.
20220616_230556 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
We still had till 10 the next morning on the farm, but that was tomorrow..............

[janfred]

Wonder if Mr Wow and Big is still around.

[Treeman]

I awoke 05;30 to realize that yesterday's weather was a great day compared to this morning - man-o-man it was blowing properly. I just rolled over and went back to sleep, was pointless. I woke again at 08:30 covered in sand and fireplace ash, wind was howling - we packed up.
We went up to the lookout point and glassed the land we could see, but there was nothing to be seen. A while later I noticed a white packet or sheet of material blowing across the lands and figured to go collect it when it got closer. I watched it come across the long grass and realised it was something, something what? I could not make it out, my brain likely ran all the similarities but came up blank with a answer. A sheep ? what was it, it was alive and self propelled. At about 200 m one of the kids sais "thats a bushpig, a white bushpig".
Truly it was,just that, a snow white bushpig.

We watched it for a while as it came in and went behind a tree, it did not come out behind the cluster, so I went down to look, was it down a hole or was it just standing there? Answer is, it was gone whereto ? I do not know, it just vanished.
I think this white pig sighting will be spoken of for many years to come, it just vanished.

Was time to go, this hunt was over.

While leaving I stopped at the calf feeding station and this fellow net his demise, also a young pig.
20220617_100636 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

Not much hunting, but shot two pigs.

[Treeman]

Wonder if Mr Wow and Big is still around.

**************************
We saw a big Bull at sunset, again at about 1.5 -2 km, a huge animal in a open field. We did not even try for him, as it was perhaps 40 minutes to sunset. Typical Mr Wow stuff, always at a kilometer or two distance.
So I am thinking he walks still ........................

[Treeman]

And so the pig came to its final destination.
20220619_183156 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

First thing I have ever cooked in a Webber
20220620_174131 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

[Treeman]

Farmers sons friend saw the white pig and shot it - I am saddened that this animal is dead.

It was absolutely stunning to see this animal  alive, looked like some religious object.

white pig by David Frank Allen, on Flickr