Hopefully this day will prove more rewarding, the air was cold an crisp as we all headed out after another fine breakfast. Not fifteen minutes after we entered the ranch we had spotted a small group of Springbok but there was no shootable rams. As we turned a corner there in the bush was two nice rams trying to stay warm. They were well within gun range, the Nikon Monarch 800 Laser Rangefinder said 153 yards. We looked them over to pick the bigger of the two, they were both shooters but one was just a little bigger.
Cody got ready an waited for the springbok to come out of the bush an present a broadside shot. We did not have to wait to long as the sun was coming up and they were moving out toward the fields where they feel the most safe. As they moved out into the open they made a mistake and stopped and looked in our location an Cody was ready an fired. The ram spun around 360 degrees, fell down, got right back up an ran to the tall grass we could see the ram now walking in and out of the head high grass. Cody picked an open spot where the ram would appear if he stayed on his same route. When the ram appeared Cody applied the anchor shot and the ram was down for the final time
Springbok Cody an Larry (Dad) 2005
Allot of times when a springbok dies the hair on his rear back will raise which is quite a site. They do this during the mating season an doing this they put off a scent, an if you run your hand through the hair you can smell a sweet aroma.
There are a lot of good things in life but being with your son or daughter an experiencing there first animals just has to be at the top of the list. Even though I have not had much time to bow hunt like I had planned, these times are much more important an memorable.
After we took pictures an loaded the Springbok into the truck we decided to go see if we could locate the Impala ram that had given us numerous slips the day before. He was spotted in the middle of a field amongst the Springbok which would just make things harder, we had hoped to catch him still in the bush.
Chris thought with the wind picking up him an Cody could "leopard crawl" through the high grass an get Cody within a comfortable shooting distance. We dropped them off out of sight of the Springbok an we moved to a high elevation to watch the stalk from a comfortable distance.
As they moved through the high grass on there bellies the Springbok an Impala were actually feeding in there direction without there knowledge as they were staying hidden in the grass an using low areas to make there stalk to where they had last seen them. When they finally came to where they could see out into the field they were surprised to see that the feeding Springbok with the Impala had feed an bedded down some with in 20 yards of them. The high winds today had proved to be good for there stalk, the grass blowing back an forth masked there approach. Now they were locked into there position as they had bedded Springbok in front of them. The Impala also had bedded down facing them head on, now the only thing they could do was wait for the Impala to stand and hope the Springbok they had in front of them would not see them laying in the grass an alert the heard.
As I watched from a distance with my Nikon binoculars we were surprised they had crawled within only a few yards of some of the bedded Springbok an were hoping there luck would hold out. The Impala twas very comfortable laying in the middle of the field with the Springbok around him, than he finally got up to stretch. When he did I could see through binoculars that Chris was getting Cody ready for the shot in the prone position, but a couple of Springbok had also seen something moving in the grass an had stood up looking in there direction. Was the impala going to give Cody a shot before the Springbok who were giving them a hard look decided to bolt and take all the other animals with them?
Impala - Cody & Larry (Dad) 2005
The Impala turned side ways than I could see him buckle an fall than I heard the shot. As he fell he struggled to regain his footing as the Springbok were just bolting in every direction not knowing where the sound had come from. The Impala got to his feet an as he did Cody's gun rang out again and the Impala was down for good. This was a very good day two trophy animals an it was not even lunch time yet. Photo's were taken and the Impala loaded in the truck with the Springbok an taken back to Eland Lodge to be skinned and processed
Africa's Only Bowhunting Magazine Africa's Bowhunter is a bimonthly magazine aimed at a world wide readership interested in bowhunting in Africa. The magazine is a complete guide on how, where and when to bowhunt in southern Africa, with articles such as how to track and hunt African game, what gear to use, and what to steer clear off.
Larry C. Reese, Wildlife Artistry Taxidermy 215 Lands End Road Centreville, Maryland 21617
