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This all happened when I was 17 (1993) my good friend Vernon stayed on a farm bear Beauty close to the limpopo and Ellisras area his father worked for the owner of the farm who had another farm on the limpopo river. His son was adopted and was also in the same year as us at school. His name his Andre. Often farmers were asked to give donations to the high school especially when there was sport events. A lot of the farmers donated game to the school and hostel and you never had a good idea what you were eating in shool

Anyway no questions asked was always better and keep your mouth shut. It was the end of September and we were on a short 10 day school holiday I went up to Vernons house on the farm and we made a killing on selling warthogs to the locals which we shot from the peanut fields with my 303. R80 per warthog was a lot of money for a 17 year old and if I can recall we shot over 20 pigs keeping 4 for our own consumption.

Andre's dad hearing of our hunting spree asked if we could shoot some impala for the school on the other farm on the limpopo and off we went one morning early. Because they were growing moslty crops, the farm was not fenced and game was not easy too find in the veld except for the impala coming from Botswana to drink water in the man made dam they made from the Limpopo and the river bank. The river was dry with water only found in dams or deep gullys in the riverbed. The dam they have built was quite large and the water streched for over a kilometer with the pump in the middle that they used to irrigate their crops. Now of course the crocs would also concentrate in these waters that was left.

Botswana is very strict with poaching and so we had to wait for the impalas to completly cross over the middle of the riverbed first and then drink water at the dam which was about 50 meters further while the water was about 30 meters wide. This is also from what we heard later is not legal as the animals could carry foot and mouth disease and we were not suppose to take the animals back. (Young and reckless as we were we didn't care or knew about it) According to us if the impala was over the halfway mark of the riverbank which was in South Africa's side he was fairgame.

Now seeing that we only had my 303 we had to make turns and we needed to bag 3 impala rams. We drew straws and I was to get the last turn while Vernon the first. We hid ourselves close to the pump and with it running it concealed our noise. About half an hour passed before the first group of bachelor impalas came down from the other bank and slowly moved their way to the water not really concerned. A couple of minutes later and with the yongest drinking water we were waiting for the larger ram to drink. We couldn't take chances on an impala running after the shot so it had to be a head or neck shot. BOOM the impala dropped on the spot and the other 6 impalas went racing up the bank safely into Botswana. Vernon was very happy as it was his first buck and for me that have only shot warthogs one kudu and one impala before, I was very happy for him and was getting exited as we still had a long day ahead with one impala down and two to go. A perfect head shot it was too.

Now came the tricky part the retrieval of the impala first we made sure that no-one was on the other side any official from Botswana of some sorts. Vernon was wearing only his shorts and dived into the dark brown water of the limpopo. While we kept an sharp eye out for any crocs. It took Vernon about 15 minutes and we helped him drag the impala up the enbankment. No crocs was spotted and we were sure they heard the shot and would stay away.

Now it was Andre's turn we settled in and got a farmhand to field dress the impala some distance away. It was now around 11am and we saw a herd come down the bank only females at first and finally an large male who took his time, finally the ram was at the waters edge and I think Andre was too exited waiting for the impala so long and having it in his sights. At the shot the impala fell but tried to get up again I told Andre to reload which he did and put in a finisher it wasn't a perfect shot but the impala went down and stayed down. We waited a while while seeing te others dashing away with some blue wildebeests as well which we een haven't spotted untill they were running. Same as before we had to fetch the impala the impala now 20 meters from the waters edge was a bit more difficult to get back and by 3pm a quick lunch break and some water we were setled in again. My turn at last but time was running out we saw bushbuck blue wildebeest again and two warthogs that cam to drink but no Impalas. Finally a lone ram stepped out onto the riverbank he was on his toes and very alert almost twice did he turn around just because a duck landed in the water. Finally he was close enough and I din't want to wait for him to drink. At the shot he dropped and quivered his legs a minute later all was over I had my Impala our third impala. The sun was just touching the highest trees in Botswana. Same as before I swam as fast as I could draged the impala into the water and pushed it like hell ! Andre and Vernon helping to drag the impala out of the water on the otehr side. Andre suddenly shouted look !! " There across the water a crocodile ! " In disbelief we saw a head of a monster croc not that it was that big but enough to be the boss of you in that water

After that we diecided to rather take on the game in the veld and never to try a stunt like that niether would we when we were finally infromed about the laws and regulations.

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"Sleeping under the African sky I can see nothing wrong with this world!"