Returning to the untamed beauty of South Africa for my second trip felt like coming home. However, this time, the stakes were entirely different—it was my very first African hunting safari.
Stepping into the bush as a hunter changes your entire perspective. The sights, the sounds, and the raw tension of the stalk bring a completely new energy to the landscape. By the end of the journey, I was incredibly fortunate to have harvested an unbelievable lineup of African plains game: a majestic sable, alongside excellent representative trophies of nyala, bushbuck, and gemsbok.
But looking back at the memories, the true anchor of this entire experience was my Professional Hunter (PH), PC.
THE SECRET TO SAFARI SUCCESS: STAYING CALM UNDER PRESSURE
As a first-time hunter in Africa, the adrenaline is impossible to describe. When a target animal steps into view, your heart hammers against your ribs. That is where a great PH makes all the difference.
What stood out above all else was PC’s incredible patience. He was constantly encouraging, reading my nerves perfectly, and stepping in with a reassuring word right when I needed it most. PC operated with a simple, relaxed philosophy:
“We can always get another opportunity.”
That single reminder took the weight off my shoulders. His calm demeanor allowed the anxiety to melt away, giving me the mental space to breathe, settle the crosshairs, and make clean, accurate shots.
HUNTING THE GHOST OF THE THICKETS: A NIGHTTIME BUSHBUCK STALK
The bushbuck hunt introduced me to a completely different side of African safari life, as these elusive animals are primarily hunted at night.
The setup was intense. PC and I stood in the back of the hunting vehicle, scanning the dark African veld while our tracker expertly navigated the truck through the shadows. As we approached an open field, our lights caught them—a group of bushbuck feeding in the dark.
The moment they caught our wind, they broke into a dead sprint toward a nearby riverbed. The pressure instantly skyrocketed:
- The Deadline: I needed to pull off a clean shot before they crossed the fence line.
- The Stakes: The river wasn’t just a physical barrier; it was heavily populated with dangerous crocodiles and hippos.
- The Border: Just beyond that riverbed lay the country of Botswana.
Hearing the deep, booming grunts of wild hippos echoing through the pitch-black night while trying to steady my crosshairs was an absolute rush. I squeezed the trigger just in time, harvesting a beautiful animal under the African stars in an adrenaline-fueled moment I will never forget.
TRACKING THE GHOST OF THE PLAINS: THE GEMSBOK HUNT
Every harvest had its story, but the gemsbok tested our determination to the absolute limit. These striking, masked antelopes are notorious masters of evasion, and this herd was no exception.
The gemsbok slipped effortlessly into the thick brush and completely vanished. For what felt like hours, we played a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek. We would catch fleeting, agonizing glimpses of long, rapier-like horns or shifting grey flanks through the thorns, only for them to fade away again.
Realizing we couldn’t continue to chase them, PC made a tactical move. We picked up the pace to flank their movement, pushing hard through the terrain to get out ahead of the herd’s line of travel.
We set up just in time at the edge of a thicket. Sure enough, the strategy paid off perfectly. As the gemsbok stepped out to cross a red dirt road, the perfect window opened up. Thanks to the confidence PC helped me build throughout the trip, I finalized a successful, unforgettable stock.
THE ROYAL BULL: A SABLE STALK
While the bushbuck was a midnight adrenaline rush, the magnificent sable required a masterclass in classic African walk-and-stalk hunting.
We slipped quietly through the tall, golden grass, keeping a sharp eye out for the distinct, sweeping silhouette of a sable bull. The bush was alive that day—we constantly bumped into ostriches and herds of other plains game, having to carefully maneuver around them so they wouldn’t spook and alarm our target.
Finally, we spotted the herd, and standing among them was a truly breathtaking bull. But plains game have incredible eyesight; they busted our movement and scattered.
We tracked them down again, and the bull momentarily paused beneath the shade of a tree. PC moved to silently deploying the shooting sticks. I locked my eyes through the scope, but my heart sank—a thick, stray branch perfectly blocked his vitals. Before we could adjust, the bull spun around and vanished into the brush again.
We refused to give up. We pushed forward, continuing the stalk for hours. Several times, we threw up the shooting sticks as he teased us with brief pauses, only for him to bolt again.
Then came the climax. The bull finally broke into an open field, spun around, and stopped dead in his tracks to stare us down. It was a classic African standoff. With no cover left between us, I settled onto the sticks, calmed my breathing, and squeezed the trigger. Harvesting that magnificent animal after such a relentless pursuit was the crowning achievement of an incredible adventure.
OVER TO YOU!
Every picture tells a story, but nothing compares to seeing the dust fly and hearing the bushveld come alive in real time. We captured every heart-pounding moment of this safari on camera. Head over to YouTube and follow us @reagleadventures to watch the full hunting episodes drop. Don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a comment telling us which harvest was your favorite, and join us for the next great adventure!
