Wel here goes. We cruised slowly down a two-track trail after lunch on the first day. One of my friends had killed a bull in the area from a big herd. We thought we might follow them, check for more bulls. The eagle-eyed tracker spotted fresh tracks, we loadup and start to follow. I have a new Weatherby DGR, Dangerous Game Rifle in .458 Win mag with a 1.5-6 Nikon Monarch Gold in Near rings and bases. PH has a Musgrave .375 with open sights. We sneak as quietly as possible, the tracker sees things I don't and the next thing you know it smells like we are in a corral, poop is wet and slimy. They are close, so are a couple of Nyala but they did not blow our presence. The wind did and we heard a stampede and they were gone. We rest for a while, start tracking again. Obviously they are moving toward a river for water. We saw them twice in the heavy bush and thorns, just black bodies moving along about 35-50 yards from us and oblivious to our being there. Five bulls, not the herd we expected. We stayed with them for some time and the wind never blew us out. Finally we hit a T in a couple of trails, the bulls had to cross - or had they already? Suddenly a big old bruiser strolls across the trail, my best look to date at a live buff. PH said he was the big guy. For some reason he chose to come back to the edge of the trail and stare at his backtrail. I was on a BogPod tripod with a bipod under the butt, very steady but no shot since the thorns were too thick. Finally he moved, PH asked if I could place a bullet between the two little angled trees that formed a V on his lower chest. Bigger tree hid most of his front end but the heart was shootable. Lasered at 80 yards, held for the spot and let it break. He bucked upwards, kicked twice with his back legs like a bucking horse. PH said that is a heart shot, good deal. He disappeared into heavy thorns, then came running down the trail towards us. He was angling a bit, put a little lead on and hit him hard with a 500 solid. PH saw the right leg hanging, bull dived into the cover again.
Tough deal, light was almost gone. We wanted him but he was not down yet. PH said we should walk down the trail to where he was shot, look at blood. Walked a short distance and PH spotted him, he was waiting for us partially hidden in some heavy cover. He was sick but this was not over by any means. One more solid into chest, he ran a few yards and stopped, PH could here him breathing. We went back to the truck, called another crew and waited for them to showup. It was dark, gets dark early and fast over there.
One PH setup a spotlight in a Cruiser, we crawled into the back and they drove a short distance to where my PH thought he might be. Went about twenty seconds only into the bush and he was on the ground. Good deal, lots of guys to handle him and we did not have to leave him overnight.
Recovered some bullets, some of the solids could be shot again. 500 gr. Nosler Partition did a fine job. He is a fine bull, not a monster, not little by any means. I am happy, very happy to have experienced Mbogo. Now if I can get rested up and rid of all the aches and pains from the travel I will really enjoy life.
Really like the DGR, it is big and no-nonsence. You have to train yourself not to ever shortstroke, I practiced quite a bit before I went over. Took a new Icon in .300 Win mag, killed a nice Nyala and a very good Impala at waterholes. Killed a lot of rocks out to 850 yards with the remaining .300 ammo, Win. Accubonds in 180 that shot well. PH and tracker were like kids with a new toy shooting out that long on a huge river flat - Limpopo river between Zimbabwe and S. Africa.
We had a good camp, great hunting and perfect weather. Now if only Africa was not so **** far away, seems farther as you get older believe me.
Hope you guys enjoy that. Hopefully a few stories will be published as I work the info and images I got over time.
Been very ill since Feb. and that made things tougher but Docs said to go and that was a good decision.
