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Matsuri Safaris June 2019

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    Matsuri Safaris June 2019

    I figured I’d finally get around to posting about our trip to hunt at Matsuri with Van and Co. it was an incredible trip and I can’t wait to get back to chase some more animals around in the bush. Here’s my recap so far, still trying to get it through my head that this hunt that I’ve dreamed of for so long finally happened. I am in Kenya on a mission trip as I post this, so if there are delays between posts the signal where I am is spotty at best and 3G can only go so fast!!

    Kudu
    We were driving the first morning and seeing some Impala and Kudu cows and a couple of good bulls that didn’t stick around long when they saw the truck, then I spotted a nice bull on the horizon standing perfectly still between 2 trees about 100 yards in front of us. We stopped the truck behind a bush and Van asked if I could put one in his chest since he was looking straight at me and I told him I thought I could. I steadied my dad’s .375 and squeezed the trigger with the cross hairs centered on his chest. At the shot he bucked up and we knew he was hit hard. We picked up the track and found him piled up about 75 yards from where I shot him. For those that don’t know, my dad lost his battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis in September 4, 2015, and hunting with the rifle that he purchased and never got to take on a hunt was a truly emotional experience. It was truly special to have a piece of dad with us on this hunt and for the first animal to be number one on my list and Kristen and Thomas next to me when I got to take him. Words can’t describe the feeling when that first African animal headed to the salt.





    Last edited by tommy1005; 08-01-2019, 12:26 AM.

    #2
    Wildebeest
    As we headed out after lunch to sit in a bow blind, the tracker had seen a nice Gemsbok at a water hole, so we drove to a spot away from the waterhole and started the stalk. Kristen stayed at camp because we were headed to the bow blind and she was going to take a nap. We were able to sneak up to a natural brush blind about 100 yards from the waterhole and we saw the Gemsbok was still there. The tracker threw up the sticks and as I went to put the rifle on them, he let go before I could grab them, they fell against the brush and the Gemsbok bolted. The Wildebeest was also there and just stood still looking directly at us. Van asked if I wanted a good Wildebeest bull and I thought about it and decided to take him. I settled the crosshairs just inside his right shoulder and squeezed. At the shot he nose dived into the dirt, bucked, and took off. As he was running away we could see blood coming out of his side and knew he was hit well. We tracked him for about 100 yards and decided to send the tracker back to the truck to get Thomas and the dogs. When the dogs arrived we sent them ahead and started after them. Soon we heard barking and knew he was still alive, so we started catching up to them as quickly as possible to get a final shot. The PH reminded me that whatever I do don’t shoot the dogs, and off we went to find them. As we got closer we slowed and the tracker stayed with Thomas so we could get into position. We were able to see the dogs had him bayed and he was trying to hook them with his horns and spinning in circles. We got to about 25 yards and I shouldered the rifle and waited. He finally stopped spinning and was broadside and I sent the 300 grain Barnes bullet through the brush. Another solid hit and he spun in Place a few more times and was done. I’m not sure Thomas knew what to think at that point, but it was an experience I won’t soon forget. The first shot went through the front leg, into the lung and buried in the offside under the skin. The second shot got both lungs and finished him. It’s amazing with how good the first shot was that he was able to absorb the energy from the 375 H&H and keep going.

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      #3
      Gemsbok
      The morning started out with spotting some really nice Kudu including one that would’ve been a little over 58”. As we continued moving through the ranch we spotted a herd of zebra. The wind was ok, but swirling, so we thought we’d go for a walk and see if we could close the distance to have a better look. We loaded up and headed into the bush for a morning walk. A mile into the stalk we came across a really nice Impala ram. He was standing looking straight at us about 100 yards away. As soon as I put the rifle on the sticks, he bolted, so we continued following the Zebra tracks. Another 1.5 miles in and we still hadn’t caught up to the Zebra, but all of a sudden as we were about to ease around the edge of a big clearing, my PH spotted a herd of Gemsbock cows. We got setup on the sticks just as a mature cow stepped into the clearing. I squeezed the trigger on the 375 and she was hit hard. We waited for a second, then took up the track. We didn’t have to look too far because the shot was perfect, right behind the shoulder and she had gone about 50 yards and was laying just behind a bush in the middle of the clearing. No zebra for the 5th stalk, but sometimes you have to just take what the bush gives you.



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        #4
        Impala
        After we went to camp to grab my bow to go sit for warthogs. By 1, we hadn’t seen but 3 sows and 5 piglets, along with a young eland bull, Wildebeest, and kudu cows. They picked us up, and we headed to camp for lunch. After lunch, we headed out to try to find the zebra again. About 5 minutes into our drive we spot an impala and the tracker gets all excited. There are about 2500 impala on this ranch, so these trackers see hundreds of rams everyday. For him to get excited, I knew this was a good ram. They kept telling me to be patient on an impala, because when we saw a proper one it would be obvious. Based on their reactions, I’d say they were right. He walked into the brush in the backside of a dam and as we slowly eased around it, he was standing straight away from us. I settled the scope and watched as he continued to walk, he got to about 50 yards and turned broadside and stopped. I placed the crosshairs just behind the shoulder and squeezed. At the shot, he took off, so we climbed out of the truck and took off after him. He was bleeding good, but intermittently, so we whistled for the dogs. The dogs flew past us and we saw them jump him about 50 yards in front of us. We began running after them, and the dogs caught him just as he got back across the road about 50 yards behind the truck. As the dogs caught him, he turned to fight them and immediately stumbled and went down. It’s a tricky thing tracking these animals in the sand here because the blood hits and soaks into the soil, making it hard to follow a blood trail. The shot was right where it needed to be, and I think had we waited 5 minutes, he would’ve been dead where the dogs jumped him from. Still amazed at how tough these animals are, even with a broken shoulder and a 300 grain 375 bullet through both lungs and the heart. For those keeping tally, that’s 4 animals in 2 days. The bush was very kind to us as we got this safari started.



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          #5
          congrats so far. Looking forward to the rest. Nice animals

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            #6
            great pics and write up so far Tommy!

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              #7
              Awesome animals! Congrats!

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                #8
                Congrats on the beautiful animals and what an adventure!

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                  #9
                  Awesome animals, write up and pics!

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                    #10
                    Awesome animals, Tommy!! I enjoyed following your story on Van's FB!! Very nice write up as well. Congrats!

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                      #11
                      Nyala

                      On each of the first 2 days we made atleast 2 passes through the river bed looking up into the brush for Nyala with no sightings except for in the no hunting area around the skinning shed and one at night on the way back to camp at a waterhole.

                      On day 3, we decided to focus first on Nyala and I’m glad we did. After very limited sightings the first 2 days, we drove to where we would normally come out of the riverbed to run it in reverse. As we began to descend into the riverbed it seemed Nyala bulls were running everywhere. We immediately spotted 4 bulls, one was decent, but all 4 were a little young. We began glassing as we drove the riverbed and spotted 2 Nyala cows, then a nice Kudu ran across in front of us. As we continued a little further, the tracker spotted movement in the thick bush and we immediately stopped and started glassing for his horns. He finally hit a small clearing and we could see he was a really good bull and what I was looking for. The only problem was he was walking towards the rear of the truck along the top of the river bank. We immediately turned the truck around and started trying to follow him as best we could.

                      I pulled the rifle out of the case to be ready since it appeared this would happen quickly. At about 75 yards away he stepped into a large opening, Van stopped and shut off the Land Cruiser, and I quickly raised the rifle, confirmed he was the bull we were after, settled the crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. He dropped in his tracks at the shot. The 375 that had belonged to my father who never got to take it on a hunt had done its job once again. I was truly blessed once more to be in the right place at the right time, and to have my wife and son with me for the 2nd animal on my list of wants for this trip.



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                        #12
                        Nice animals!

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                          #13
                          Nice Nyala

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                            #14
                            Awesome hunt!

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                              #15
                              Matsuri Safaris June 2019

                              Warthog

                              The afternoon after I took the Nyala, we went to sit in a pit blind looking at a waterhole trying to get a Warthog with the bow. They had put some chop out there and the pigs had been hammering it. Chop is ground up corn husk, and it is like crack to the pigs there.

                              We had an incredible sit and had warthogs almost immediately. We ended up seeing 5 sows, 12 piglets, then we had a heard of about 15 Wildebeest come in, followed by 12 Kudu cows and lighties, then 7 Eland bulls. 3 of the Eland were definite shooters, but at the time I didn’t think I wanted an Eland. Looking back, that would’ve been animal number 3 of my spiral horn slam, but with going to a different ranch the next day for Sable, I just couldn’t quite decide to shoot one.

                              At that point, they were on their way to get us, so we were starting to put our gear away when a good boar decided to make an appearance. We immediately texted Van to stop, so we could see if we could get a shot off. All the other animals had wandered off except for the sows and piglets, so it became a waiting game of when would I get a clear shot. It finally came and as I drew, a piglet decided to walk in front of him blocking his vitals.

                              I sat a full draw for what seemed like forever, but in reality was probably only 20-30 seconds, before the piglet finally cleared. I settled the pin just behind the shoulder as he was quartering away and hit the release. The shot was true and he ran off to about 35 yards away and stopped and looked at us. I quickly knocked another arrow, settled the pin behind the shoulder and sent it his way. I watched as the lighted nock disappeared through his lungs and he began to trot off.

                              As he was trotting I saw something sticking out the top of his head and realized that my first shot must’ve struck the opposite shoulder and ricocheted out the top of his neck, just missing his spinal cord. All but the fletchings were sticking up and waving back and forth as he trotted in front of a bush about 50 yards away and began to stumble. Stuart and I both thought he was going to go down right there, when he began to stumble around the bush.

                              We called for the Landcruiser and the dogs just in case and they were there in about 5 minutes. We took up the track where it had looked like he would fall and went around the backside of the bush, where we spotted him. He had made it another 15 yards and was done in the middle of the clearing. I once again was amazed at the toughness with 2 well placed arrows and still being able to walk 50 yards. I finally had my first African animal on the ground with my bow.



                              Last edited by tommy1005; 08-04-2019, 06:23 AM.

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