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Eland hunt Hunting area Aanster North East
It is ten in the
morning, we have been following these Eland bulls
for almost three
hours now. Its hot and dry the sweat is slowly running down my back as I turn around to see how the client is doing, with a great smile from him, I turn my attention back on to the track. We have not spotted them yet, but by the track the Bushmen (Frans) is telling me that they are close, our concentration is at an ultimate high looking through every little gap in the bush to try and see if we can spot them before they spot us.
are resting for the afternoon. Step by step we go closer, then we stop, I pick my binos up and look straight into the thicket. We move closer, now less than fifty meters away, still not sure if they are there. Stop again! Look again, go on and then Frans sees one, we all drop to the floor like one man, look at each other with great excitement. We have spotted them first. Then I get slowly up and look to see which one will be the one for my client, he has chosen to shoot a big old bull this year, as this is his fourth Eland with me. He has decided for one with lots of character. My eyes start burning as I try and see which one will be OK, the bush is to thick we have to move closer. On our hands and knees we crawl closer up to a little bush in the game path. Here we have a good view of most of the bulls. As I peak over the bush, I see a grand old bull standing in front of us, immediately I get the client up and ready to shoot on the sticks. I start explaining to him which one, when I realize that he has not yet spotted them in the thicket, for maybe ten minutes we try and get him to see them. At last he spotted them, but to late. With all the movement they have seen us as well and are on the move.
lunch, but I could have told you the answer before I asked him. Being a great hunter and having a passion for Eland hunting. He smiles and say " I am right behind you". Then I tell Frans to go on with the track. We stay on the track for another hour or so, when we hear them feeding in front of us. The excitement builds up with every branch we hear breaking expecting a Eland around every bush. We follow them with great care. Basically moving at the pace that they are feeding we start spotting them in front of us. Every now and again we get a glimpse of one moving away as they are feeding. We keep up with them in the way to try and locate the old bull that we are looking for, and in the same time try and not get to close that they would see us. For a split second we see him and I can locate where about he is feeding in the small herd. We rush forward cutting them of on a angle in order to have them feeding past us. We get to a little opening in the bush where I position Bob tightly against a tree trunk with me right behind him. We wait in great tension for the bulls to appear in front of us. We can hear them getting closer by the bush that they are braking and the clicking sound coming from their knees and front legs taking the tremendous weight every time they step onto the leg. They start appearing in front of us, slowly feeding. With my hands sweaty from tension, I look franticly through them to see the big bull. I do not see him! We wait until all of them has past, but still he is not there. see the same feeling in his eyes. Then with the last bit of hope turn back to the Eland. others, I see the great old bull coming straight into our sight. He comes slowly as always feeding on a bush here and there. I can hear my own heart as well as Bob's ponding of excitement and then the silence is broken by Bobs shot. The bull jumps straight up in the air and takes of like a bold of lightning. Bob looks at me with that fear of wounding! Wanting to know what I think. We go to the spot to where he shot the bull. We start getting small spots of blood which become lots of blood and then we come to the great beast. With tears in our eyes we congratulate each other with this great animals and bring praise to the trophy.
end of his safari he books for his next Eland hunt.
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