Taxidermy - Larry Reese
Day 6 - Live Online Bowhunt In South Africa
By Larry C. Reese Wildlife Artistry Taxidermy
Jul 17, 2005, 06:02
 

Cody's White Blesbok

Today the sun was bright an the skies blue with no clouds which
is normal "winter" weather in Africa. Lucas one of Du Toit's PH (Professional Hunter) was going to take Cody out for a white Blesbok or Blue Wildebeest or both if he were lucky. Rick an Kathy went to another farm (or concession as the call them in Africa) for the Kudu which is living up to his name "the Gray Ghost" and Rick was going to hunt an Impala if they could find them.

Rick's Impala

Lucas, Cody and I rode around the 2,000 + acres an never saw the
heard of Blue Wildebeest but we did locate the White Blesbok heard. After a talk a game plan was worked out, I had set up a couple of Double Bull blinds in areas the animals seem to locate during the day or when on the move away from danger. Lucas was going to place Cody and I inside one at the far edge of some cover the animals go for to get out of sight than hopefully when they move out of the cover and head up the hill for a better view they will pass us in the blind.

Lucas moved to the opposite side of the farm to make his present
known an like clock work as soon as the White Blesbok saw him they all took off in the opposite direction which was were we were all snuggled in the NEW Matrix blind by Double Bull Archery (The new MATRIX gives you 360 degree viewing).

I could see them enter the thick brush from where the blind was located but once they entered I could not see what direction they would take.

Now it was just a waiting game to see what course they would take. They could go left an go up and over the mountain where we figured the Blue Wildebeest had gone or they could turn right an come up the hill where it was a little more open and would give the a good advantage point to view for danger an that is where I had tucked the Double Bull blind under a large tree with over hangingbranches it blended in perfectly.

About 30 minutes after they entered I could see them starting to make there way in our direction. If they came as I had figured it would be about a 120 yard shot. Things seem to be working just right they moved into our area an started to feed on the grass. Now the hard part, finding a nice trophy ram an having a clear shot.

I had my Nikon binoculars trained on the heard and saw 7 or 8 nice shoot able rams, now just one needs to move away from the heard as they intermingled . As soon as I saw one clear I would tell Cody the location like "from the left  look at number 6, head facing right an feeding." By the time Cody could pick him out and get situated another animal would walk behind, or in front, or the animal would walk into the heard. This went on for over 30 minutes, it seemed the smaller ones were always clear but the big rams kept moving around in and out ofthe heard.

We had 50+ white Blesbok anywhere from 80 -130 yards away and still no clean shot at one of the big ones. I think if I had picked out one of
the smaller ones which seem to present a clear shot pretty often I think Cody at this stage would have been happy to get this over as he was at the "ready" for a long time an I could see it was wearing on him. At 13 years old it is hard to stay still an concentrated at the same time an have all of these animals right out your blind, but he was hanging in there.

There was a group of 5 at the tail end of the heard with a very nice ram at the far side of the group, it appeared he was resting according to his head posture, plus he had not moved in a little while. But the other ones around him where, slowly they were moving away from him as the feed.

Now there was only a small female (which also has horns in the species) between him and us. I got Cody's attention and pointed out the Ram, I told him if that female keeps feeding you will have a broadside shot at the ram, using my Nikon Realtree 800 Rangefinder I told him 120 yards. Finally she cleared  the big ram and Cody prepared for the shot an squeezed the trigger, I could see the ram buckle a little than he spun around and ran with the heard. I had Cody put another shell in the chamber as  the Blesbok ran 50 yards and stopped to see where the noise had come from. They did not have a clue where we were as I glasses the heard looking for blood an hoping Cody could get another shot into him.

I could not see any blood as they were very nervous and moving
around amongst themselfs, after about 5-10 minutes they moved out of sight. I knew he had hit the ram I was just sure where. I called Lucas on the radio who was sitting on top of the mountain and was watching the hole thing. he said he also saw the ram buckle and he said after they moved out of our sight he watched them form his advantage point and could see blood high on one of them. It was easy to see the red blood on the white hide of the Blesbok, an Lucas watched and knew what direction they went.

After about 1 hour we had located them again in the thick brush
an could see one had blood on his white hide, it was a high hit but he was bleeding good. Lucas an Cody went through the brush alone an Louie (Du Toit son and designated driver) stayed with the truck. Through our Nikon binoculars we could see the white Blesbok every now and than just ahead of Cody an Lucas who were stalking through the brush.

The white Blesbok started up the hill to a more open plan, an
Lucas must have seen there direction of travel cause I could see him and Cody running up the hill to set up an ambush if they made it out to the open. I saw through my Nikon binoculars Cody laying in a prone position and Lucas on his knees looking in the direction hopefully they would appear.

Lucas got lower to the ground so I knew he must see the White Blesbok, shortly there after I heard the shot, a few seconds Cody an Lucas were on there feet congratulating each other. Than I saw Lucas fast set up the shooting sticks and Cody placing the gun on them an he fired again.

Now they had moved over the hill and I could not see which was driving me crazy, after 15 minutes I had Louie move the truck  to another location so wecould see the field.

What I saw was they would move ahead 20-30 yards and Lucas would
set up shooting sticks and could would get read, than they would move ahead and repeat this, this went on 3-4 times. Finally they were standing sill for a long time with Cody rifle on the shooting sticks than I could see them once again celebrating. Lucas radioed us that we could come an the Blesbok was finally down.

Cody an PH Lucas

The first shot was high but the second and third were with in two inches of each other right behind the front leg a perfect shot. This just goes to show you these animals do not go down easy.

Cody an Dad

Larry C. Reese- Wildlife Artistry Taxidermy

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