| gwh |
| (.333 member) |
| 08/02/10 08:36 PM |
Wildebeest thread
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Thought a thread for Wildebeest might be appropriate - have to be a few photos and stories of encounters with the poor mans buffalo - Blue or Black
| Mike_Bailey |
| (.400 member) |
| 08/02/10 08:55 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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South Africa, October 2008, spotted on an opposite hill to the one we were on looking for the waterbuck we had seen earlier, about 150 yds, one shot with a .375 H&H custom bolt rifle I borrowed. The reaction to the shot was a bit comical, he jumped about 6 feet upwards and forward stright into a big tree ! Never got up, I think he knocked himself out ! best, Mike
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| gwh |
| (.333 member) |
| 08/02/10 09:15 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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nice Mike, they are an interesting looking animal
| Ripp |
| (.577 member) |
| 09/02/10 01:34 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Shot this on my one and only hunt thus far to South Africa, ..used my HS Precision 300 Ultra-mag--180 A-frames--the black variety are running devils... --took us about 2 hours to finally get close enough for a shot..was a fun hunt..
Ripp
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| MKresinske |
| (.275 member) |
| 09/02/10 02:58 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Ripp is right, those Black Wildebeest are running fools !
My Blue Wildebeest Limpopo RSA 2009
My friend Bryan's Black Wildebeest Free State RSA 2009
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| DoubleD |
| (.400 member) |
| 09/02/10 03:43 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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My turn!
Shot this one with a .338-308 AI I built on a Ruger 77 using Nosler 200 grain ballistic tips during a screaming sleet storm. At the slower 2500 fps velocites the bullet performed superbly. Sure wouldn't use them at higher velocities.
I was hunting with Tollie African Safaris near Somerset East in SA.
We go this animal loaded as quick as we could and got out of the mountians fast. We were driving in snow by time we got back to the farm. The next morning we had 8 inches of snow on the ground. My PH said he had lived all his 35 years in the valley and this was the first time he had ever seen snow on the valley floor. This pictures is a scanned chemical froma point and shoot camera or you would be able to see the snow covered mountains in the background.
I was amazed at how totally prepared the PH always was. When it started sleeting then snowing was the only time he seemed out of his element. All he had for wet weather was a rubber rain coat. When I left I gave him some cash and my gortex rain suit for a gratuity. You know gratitude when you see it and he was deeply grateful.
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| Mike_Bailey |
| (.400 member) |
| 09/02/10 04:49 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Black Widebeest at Otterskloop, again with my PH and now friend, Ricus De Villiers. These things really are the clowns down there, one shot with a Ruger No.1 in .30-06 (Nosler 180 partition), longish for me, about 200 yds, best, Mike p.s note buggered nose, a .416 Rigby with the scope not where it should have been for me !
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| Schauckis |
| (.300 member) |
| 09/02/10 05:54 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Well,
Before the trip, I had not booked wildebeest as I have never thought much of it as game animal.
Upon seeing the herd, I changed my mind immediatelly! As there was quota left, I decided to take one.
This proved to be one of the trip's more challenging endeavours, however! Being a herd animal, the wildebeest is very alert, indeed, and seems to be jumpier than ever the zebra. So if you have zebra and they run off; off go the wildebeest like the wind: far and fast.
We hunted the wildebeest like crazy, crawling, crouching, sneaking, running crouched in a riverbed and finally waiting behind an antheap for the better part of an hour before giving up - only to return to try a crawling approach: the PH just couldn't not try, as the herd was just lying down chewing the cud. Of course, they run off just before the bull was spotted.... So we walked back to the car in 45 degrees (celcius) for more than an hour, with no dead wildebeest.
But then, almost as the sun set, we got close to the herd again! Lying again behind an antheap, the PH was able to spot the bull, and he had me coming all silently around the heap, explaining carefully which one the bull was. Aroud I came, and the bull spotted me and got up - "that's it!" I thought. But he stopped stupidly, the PH yelling me to "Shoot, shoot!" and me replying "No shot!" as there was some shrub. But he kept telling me to shoot, and I remembered his advice that even if the shot is a tad poor and I need to shoot to far back, let drive: we'll find the animal and if it's well wounded, it won't go far. So just when the PH was about to give up, I let drive! Off the bull went like a bullet. I realoaded but got no follow-up shot as he was running too fast and too far. We immediatelly followed, and when we came out of the shrub to a small clearing, the PH chambered a round. "Uh-oh!", I thought; when the PH chambers a round, that's bad news.... And then he asked me where I hit the wildebeest. Well, the distance could not have been 15 meters, but I told him i hit a bit back as that's where I had shot. So we followed the spoor and sure enough, there he was lying under a tree, stone dead, having run but maybe 100 meters or so.
The shot was a bit quartering so it went through both lungs and the bullet exited leaving the entire offside of the wildebeest blood sprayed.
This was very lucky, as we really hunted him hard, and as you can see from the photo, we got him pretty much at last light.
I daresay that the wildebeest hunt was the most fun part of the safari; despite us getting much other game through hard work, too. The jumpiness of the game, the various approaching methods, the difficulty of spotting the bull - and finally, trying to place the shot extra carefully keeping in mind all the stories you've read about the toughness of the wildebeest. I was sure the .30-06 Winchester would be far too little gun despite the marvelous performance of the Speer Nitrex ammo and the Grand Slam bullets.
Oh, yeah; that's something I wish to experience again!
- Lars/Finland
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| SafariHunt |
| (.333 member) |
| 10/02/10 02:46 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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This one almost got us its a PAC wildebeest cow we didnt know it was a cow and the farmer just wanted to get rid of it as it was chasing his workers on the fields. A suppose to be canned easy hunt turned to 2 hours and a charge where luckily my shooting sticks took the force and not us. Closest call I had with a wild animal charging. "Poor man's buffalo" yes I can relate
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| tophet1 |
| (.400 member) |
| 10/02/10 01:31 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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I've shot two. A Black Wildebeast cow as a cull hunt:
and a cull Blue Wildebeast Bull
Both proved very tenacious of life. The Black was not found till the following day despite being transfixed by a .308 165 Woodleigh which took off the top of the L lung, penetrated the liver the paunch and was found in the meat of the groin.
Quote:
I also used some of my .308 165 PPSN handloads left over from last year. Here is the one recovered from the black wildebeast we temporarily lost.
Retained weight was 153.5 grains. Impact was just over 200 metres and it penetrated 42cm+ through lung, liver, all the gut and into the ham.
If there is a marriage made in heaven it is the .308W and the 165 Woodleigh PPSN. In fact with the shot placement I achieved with the 9.3x62, I beleive the above .308W combination would have done the same job, albeit with a smaller margin for error.
The Blue was a very interesting animal. Shot at less than 40 metres head on, I did not realise they have a chest shaped like the prow of the Titanic. The projectile traveled around the outside of the rib cage and was found under the shoulder blade. No vital organs were touched and no blood spilt on the ground. It was found dead 217 metres away (lasered). We assume impact from the projectile stopped the heart.
Don't shoot them low and front on unless you have a massive canon. If shooting them head on, aim for the base of the neck for a neck/central spine shot.
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| AspenHill |
| (Sponsor) |
| 26/02/10 01:50 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Here's mine, from KwaZulu-Natal, he lived on a mountain top and was the only mature bull in this particular herd. Pretty decent, his ears fit inside the horn spread. The PH didn't pay the landowner (turned out to be a crack head) so I never got this trophy.
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| shortie |
| (.224 member) |
| 27/02/10 08:14 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Having made only one trip so far, with Tollie's African Safaris in May of 09, I knew the Blue Wildebeeste had to be on my list, though it was a few days into my trip though before my PH decided to work with me on this. It all started out rather poorly when I pulled my first shot in Africa at about 10AM on the first day of hunting, blowing a shot on a nice Blesbuck and starting what wound up being a very long day of tracking a wounded animal. I started the second day telling him I wanted a Blue Wildebeeste, after witnessing much gibberish(to me anyhow)between the PH and tracker we went to an area where they "sometimes" see wildebeest. After spending several hours walking in the bush we stumbled on very nice Springbuck at about 250 yards, which I managed to take with one very clean shot DRT. After pictures and loading up the Springbuck we began to make our way out when we spotted a herd of Impala moving fast through the brush, my PH and I exited the bakkie and moved a few hundred yards off into the bush to a spot we espected to be in their path, of course they didn't come our way, but still a nice ram moved out into the open on a run and I managed to drop him with one shot. After we loaded the ram up I observed quite a bit of gibberish again at which point I asked my PH what was being discussed and he explained, "James(the tracker)says if you can shoot like that, you can hunt blue wildebeeste". So on my 3rd day in Africa I managed to hunt one of my most desired animals for this safari, and I must say I was a bit nervous, Tollie had explained to me the previous night that the Blue is born sick and that he gets better the more lead you give him, and honestly not being that confident in my shooting has always been an issue for me. So we started out looking the next morning driving and glssing hillsides in a very rocky, almost lunar looking, landscape when a solitary bull stepped our of the bush behind us, downhill a bit and accross a ravine, probably 200 yrds. I moved off to get a better line of sight on him and got into position, all the while my PH keeps telling me emphatically that I must "hit him good", as if I intended to hit him poorly. The first shot was a bit high, went through both lungs but only bruised the heart at this he took off and I put two more into his shoulder, he managed to get to the ridge of the hill and at about 250 yrds I put a final parting Texas heart shot on him which he responded to by kicking in the air and running off. As I watched him run off I felt like I had hit him good and hard, but deflated that he had not fallen, thankfully we found him about 75 yrds down the hill from where I had put the final shot on him, 4 180 gr TTSX's had done their work, to my dissappointment none were recovered. He was a amazing old bruiser, not the widest, but thick and full of character with a broken tip and a heavily scarred body, wouldn't have traded him for anything.
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| BigUglyMan |
| (.224 member) |
| 23/03/10 07:42 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Here's my first African animal. It will always hold a special place in my heart. Photo is myself and PH Leslie Carbutt, formerly of Constantia Safaris, now running his own outfit, Sable Thorn Safaris.
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| Maddog |
| (.224 member) |
| 04/04/10 02:31 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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here is our group's blue wildebeasts, taken in the Limpopo, July 2008.
mine taken with a Marlin 45-70 guide gun.
My son. Taken with NEF Handi Rifle, 30-06.
My buddy Doc. Taken with a Marlin XLR, 308MX.
His son, taken with a .338 WM.
Mad Dog
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| SafariHunt |
| (.333 member) |
| 10/04/10 03:17 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Here's a pic of a very recent one shot by myself on Wednesday, I dont get a lot of chance/time to hunt for myself but if I have an opportunity like this one I take it.
This very very old bull caused a lot of pain on one of the fences of a property we hunt on and I had the go ahead of the owner to sort out the problem. Even if he was very territorial and was difficult to find for others I had some good luck on my side and on my first try climbing some mountain to get above him I managed to find him unaware of myself.
One shot with my 375 H&H loaded with impala mono solids sent him on is way to better pastures.
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| AspenHill |
| (Sponsor) |
| 10/04/10 04:56 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Scrubby ole thang!
| DaktariT |
| (.224 member) |
| 23/06/10 01:40 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Selous. Marlin 45-70, open sights.
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| crkennedy1 |
| (.375 member) |
| 23/06/10 06:16 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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I never realized how different these animals are from one another!
| Blank |
| (.224 member) |
| 24/06/10 03:34 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Eenie - meenie - minee - mo.
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| Ben |
| (.400 member) |
| 24/06/10 05:56 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Well-done, all. Thanks for sharing those.
| pinotguy |
| (.275 member) |
| 27/06/10 12:31 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Anyone here ever taken a Cookson's Wildebeest? If so, would love to see a pic or two. My understanding is that these can only be hunted in a specific part of Zambia and have to be the most expensive Wildebeest available. (The Trophy Fee is north of $2K, IIRC.)
NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 05/11/10 03:47 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Competition entries for the Save raffle ticket totalled and now closed for this thread.
Ladies and Gentlemen, thanks for joining in.
However please post more photos if you wish.
| HogPilot |
| (.300 member) |
| 29/09/11 01:06 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 30/09/11 07:23 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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More great trophies, HP!
| messmate |
| (.224 member) |
| 30/09/11 08:00 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Great Mowhawk on that black Wildie.
| bonanza |
| (.400 member) |
| 30/09/11 08:55 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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I had three days remaining and I told the PH I wanted a Wildebeest Bull on foot with my 115 year old double rifle. Tall order, as we all know how flighty the gnu is. Needless to say we never got closer than 200 yards and they were always on the move. Last chance was to catch one at the watering hole. On the way the PH spotted one bedded down. The PH sent me on a solo hunt that became the most epic 2-3 minutes of hunting in my life. There was only a 20-30 percent change of getting really close. The brush was heavily covered in thorny scrub. That gave me good cover, so it was up to me to remain silent and move slowly. Just as I got under 30 yards he stood and I got a shot. Like a good DR shooter, I reloaded and I was ready with two follow up shots. Both were needed as the first hit some scrub - but the next was instant and fatal.
| CHAPUISARMES |
| (.416 member) |
| 01/10/11 10:58 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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This is my Black Wildebeest that I took on my Safari in August 2011. He was an old bull and was measured at 86 4/8" S.C.I. Scoring.
Cheers,
Jeff Gray
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| CHAPUISARMES |
| (.416 member) |
| 01/10/11 11:03 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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This was my Blue Wildebeest, not as old or as big but still a nice trophy again taken in August 2011 He scored 77 1/8" S.C.I.
Cheers for now,
Jeff Gray
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NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 14/11/11 01:55 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Never took a "trophy" photo of my blue wildebeest as it was only recovered the next day. But here are a couple of live photos from Matapos:
| Frostbit |
| (.224 member) |
| 24/11/11 08:32 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Cookson's Wildebeest taken with Johnny du Plooy in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia in 2010
| Sville |
| (.400 member) |
| 24/11/11 06:19 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Frostbit, it looks like you had a great team with you. This is my Blue Wildebeest, shot at Keerweder Safaris in Namibia march 2011. Blaser R93 9,3*62. North Fork bullet 286GN. It was a fun hunt. /Staffan
| messmate |
| (.224 member) |
| 23/08/12 06:10 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Kwalata Wildebeest. Limpopo
| Rino |
| (.300 member) |
| 30/01/13 08:59 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Here is my contribution to the thread
| Cazadero |
| (.375 member) |
| 30/01/13 03:04 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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One of the best hunts I ever had was for my blue wildebeest in 2007. With PH Izak Kirsten, we spent the morning hunting for kudu with no luck, then stopping for lunch and we cooked some eland liver that he had packed, prepped with onions and buttered rolls, along with some boerwurs over a fire of mopane wood at what had been a lodge that was then closed, having being lost to land claims. We were some of the last people to hunt that property. Sitting on the remains of an old ox wagon, Izak and Benton told me stories about their family's histories and about the Voortrekkers. Then we slept on the green grass in the shade of some lemon trees.
When we woke in the afternoon, we walked out of camp, past a waterhole and then uphill, a gradual slope that must have went on for about five miles. We encountered a small group of bulls and cows, and then proceeded to chase them for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. Of course, they ran uphill all the way, and by the time I shot an old bull, we were several miles from the road. We sat on that hillside while Michael our Zulu tracker ran back for the truck, with the sun going down and the good tired feeling that comes at a time like that, cool and relaxed with our boots off and the first stars showing through the still light but quickly darkening sky. We had hunted hard and fair, we had been frustrated by the light and the wind, foiled by spooking unseen zebras and steenbok, and were tired, dusty, and sweaty, but happy at having persevered and ultimately succeeding.
With the rocks and the rough hillside, Michael could only get the truck within about 400 yards of where we were, so Izak, knowing that I wanted a european mount and a rug, instructed Michael to slit him all the way up and remove as much weight as possible, because the three of us were going to have to spit him to carry him out, which we did. When we we got to the truck, a Windhoek never tasted so good, and I knew that I had burned every calorie from my lunch and then some.
When we finally got back to the lodge it was late, and so I helped unload at the skinning shed, then watched as Michael and Izak tagged him with my name and instructions.
The next day, you can imaging my disgust upon discovering that the camp skinners had cut him in half as if for a shoulder mount, DESPITE the tags and the fact that he had been slit all the way up to his chin, rendering the skin unusable for a shoulder mount, and now cut in half again, it was completely useless.
The South African outfitter blamed the PH and his tracker, and told me he would replace my skin with another "from somewhere."
I refused the offer.
| alabamaed |
| (.224 member) |
| 04/02/13 03:29 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Pic of my wildebeest skull and horns. Shot him with a 308 Win with 165 gr TSX and didn't find him for three days. Very large and heavy horns.
| 2duer |
| (.224 member) |
| 29/04/13 05:37 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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My wife with the Blue Wildebeast. Bloemfontain 2013. .270 Wea Mag
| 2duer |
| (.224 member) |
| 29/04/13 05:40 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Black Wildebeast Ksuduku 2013. .300 Wea Mag
PH Andrew McLaren and Leo
| gwh |
| (.333 member) |
| 12/07/13 05:31 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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My Blue bull shot in 2010, South Africa. Sako Kodiak .375 with 270 Gr woodleighs - 60m shot.
| gwh |
| (.333 member) |
| 12/07/13 05:33 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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My Black bull, shot same trip but in a different spot up on the highveld. Longest shot I have ever taken with the .375!
| Rell |
| (.375 member) |
| 17/07/13 08:54 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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First time trying to post a photo.
Me with my father, we both used a Chapuis 450-400 SxS.
| Rell |
| (.375 member) |
| 16/12/13 11:37 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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I took the first one with my 450-400 Chapuis at about 30 yards. It went down so hard the head bounced on the ground and came back and bounced off of the animals back, it actually broke the neck.
My father decided that taking a Wildebeest with a double looked like fun so he went next. A few dry fires a quick right and left at a rock on a termite mound and he was in business. About 45 yards, right on the shoulder, I think it was dead before it hit the ground.
| Matt_Graham |
| (Sponsor) |
| 17/12/13 04:33 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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My 2011 blue wildebeest - with Crusader Safaris owner and PH, Andrew Pringle. This was near the Tugela River in KZN. A great hunt!!!
| aromakr |
| (.375 member) |
| 18/12/13 09:09 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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On my second bowhunt to Africa, I let a Blue go (not my favorite animal) I took video's of him. Showing the video that evening, the Head PH said "Who shot the Blue" I told him I let him go. I ws told it was possibly a new world record. 4+ inches between the inside curve of the horn and the tip of the ear. Oh well such is life.
Bob
| Matt_Graham |
| (Sponsor) |
| 18/12/13 05:10 PM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Quote:I'd like to see that!!
On my second bowhunt to Africa, I let a Blue go (not my favorite animal) I took video's of him. Showing the video that evening, the Head PH said "Who shot the Blue" I told him I let him go. I ws told it was possibly a new world record. 4+ inches between the inside curve of the horn and the tip of the ear. Oh well such is life.
Bob
| rigbymauser |
| (.400 member) |
| 19/12/13 02:30 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Here is my two "beasts" ....both shot with a .333Jeffery. All oneshot kills.
Black wilderbeast
Blue Wilderbeast
| Fjold |
| (.275 member) |
| 02/02/14 08:37 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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My Blue taken last year on the East Cape with my 375 H&H
That's me, my younger brother and Victor of Karoo Wild Safaris
| FOsteology |
| (.224 member) |
| 21/03/14 08:48 AM |
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Re: Wildebeest thread
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Oldest son shot this one with his 30-06 and 165gr. TBBC in Namibia
I took this one in Namibia 2009 with my AHR 9,3x62mm and 286gr. NP
