NitroX asked me in a PM how it goes/went with John Murduch's South African Safari. I do not want to do a "Hunt Report" - that is John's prerogative. In partial reply to NitroX's request I will do a very brief "Client Report":

The Murdoch's are all fine people. Very fine people indeed! Nuff said? Maybe just one more thing for the record: The Murduch men are NOT trophy hunters. Both John and his 14 year old son, Cameron, have indicated a willingness, no, make that an eagerness, to help with culling and herd management hunting in an ethical manner. As things turned out they shot some animals that many others would love to have as trophies!

After a bit of difficulty at the very beginning on the long range blesbok, John steadied and turned out to be a very good shot with his .308 win.! From his first killing shot at a young blesbuck ram, followed by a slightly cripple female blesbuck, then another young blesbuck ram, and finally an old decidedly non-trophy gemsbuck bull every single one was a ‘one shot kill’; either DRT or they ran just a bit before expiring. From his very first shot, young Cameron never had any difficulty in making one shot kills with his trusty .243 win., hand loaded with 100 grain Nostler Partitions. I will leave out the details on their varminting by spotlight, other than to say the local farmer is very happy with the way Cameron shot-for-shot reduced his problem animal population by 10 or so: John also contributed to the success of the varmint reduction exercise. I lost count of who shot how many. Missed shots were a very rare event that evening! That ended their first 3 days long hunting session in the Free State.

The family then traveled as self-care tourists down to Cape Town and the wine routes for a week or so.

Their second hunting period started on Monday 6 and lasted till Saturday 12 October. John made some more one shot kills on a Red Hartebeest, a zebra and finally a blue wildebeest. Cameron made one shot kills on a red hartebeest and a beautiful blue wildebeest using my, for him unfamiliar, .308 win with 150 grain Nostler Partitions. Despite his very good record with his .243 I insisted that he use a heavier caliber for these two animals. He then continued to make three further one shot kills with his .234 on two young impala rams and a female as part of a culling hunt. In all of their bushveld hunting it was a case of “one shot = one dead animal”!

Right now the Murdoch family are on their way to visit farming friends who live near Bulawayo in Zimbabwe for quite a few a few days.

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren