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Here's mine!
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Though crowded things went smoothly going through Customs and as I walked through I was met at the airport by the very smiley faces of Frederik, Charmaine and Valie. Everyone kindly grabbed luggage and we were on our way to do battle with a big, bad Klaserie bachelor bull! I have never been to the Klaserie and did not know what to expect. I was just happy to be off that blasted airplane and back in the land of red dust and thorny trees.

We arrived at the camp near dusk and was greeted by more smiling staff with some delicious cool drinks and could see the campfire was beckoning to us in the lapa. The evening was spent getting to know one another around the fire where the first safari meal was also served. Everyone retired fairly early in anticipation of the next day’s adventure.

Day 1 – Up well before dawn as I am too excited to sleep. Coffee tastes good this morning in the lapa and Valie is also ready to get on with the day. I like his attitude. He says he knows of a hot spot near the Klaserie River for the start of my big bad buff hunt. Off in the bakkie we go looking for fresh spoor.

No buff today but we did see some baby crocs and heard some hippos snorting in the distance. I was able to connect with four very nice impala rams. Braai for dinner, fresh impala filets!

Day 2 - Up early again and off to see about a buffalo.
Came in today with a huge waterbuck bull that I could not pass up. He will score number one and beat all previous SCI and Rowland Ward trophy records by several inches! Valie is very happy with this, poor Frederik wishes it was he on safari now. Another good braai at dinner, we get the campfire roaring with tons of leadwood. A good bottle of scotch is being passed around the lapa.

Day 3 - Heard some lions roaring during the night. What a neat sound, you feel it more than you hear it. On our way out we find a dead kudu that was the reason for the lion serenade. Must have been tasty as there wasn’t much left. We finally find some buff tracks and follow along. That evening we find a herd but it is a nursery group of cows and calves. I just want to know where their daddies are. For the evening Charmaine had whiped up a potkjie ( I hope I spelled that right) made of zebra meat. It was delicious.

Day 4 - On the way out of camp while in the bakkie we spot some elephant tracks and follow them down the road a spell. The elephants have sure torn up the trees. See a big heard of bucking zebras running towards the Olifants River. Evening time we find another herd of buff but cannot get close enough. We see some possible trophy bulls but it is getting too dark so we will try and cut their tracks in the morning.

Day 5 - Hear the lions again over night. I shoot a massive kudu this morning that is taping near 70 inches. Frederik looks a little ill. I think he has drunk some bad water or something. I tell him he should have Charmaine make him some dry toast for lunch. Late afternoon we come upon some nice buffalo bulls and spot three shooters. Valie says they are all around 43 to 42 inches but says we can do much better and to let these bulls go. We stay till dark watching them feed with a nearby herd of Zebras. Valie keeps laughing at Frederik for some reason around the campfire that night. Frederik still looks a little sick.

Day 6 - Real early this morning we go back to the Klaserie River to look for some good buffalo bulls. It is still very dark when we leave camp and at the river the dawn is just starting to show and Valie points out a grunting heard of hippos feeding on some short grass on a bank. They have not seen us. Valie says I can shoot a hippo if I want. He says a couple of them look pretty big. Sure enough, one is very big so I decide to go for it. At the shot the rest of the hippos stampede! Watch out Frederik, here they come! My targeted bull drops within 20 yards and on dry land too! What a monster, Valie says it is the biggest one they have ever got. Another record breaking trophy animal for me. I am really starting to like the Klaserie!

It is hot we have lunch in the shade of some camelthorn trees and nap until 3.

We run into some more buffalo bulls this afternoon and see the lions are pestering them. These bulls are estimated to be in the 46-inch range and again, Valie says no, we can do better! So we let them go and head back to camp.
Lots of booze flying around the lapa tonight. I am going to be hung over in the morning. Frederik seems to be in better spirits too.

Day 7 - Valie says don’t worry we will get a buffalo for me today. I say pass the coffee for my hangover and lets get going. We get out again very early. There is a huge herd of elephant blocking the road so we wait them out. Around 7 am some big buff tracks are found. We are now on the track. We find buff at 8 am and it’s a bachelor herd. What luck too! The bad thing is they spot us and decide to see just what we are all about. Valie says pointing, "there’s the biggest one", but there are 5 of them milling around and I don’t know which one he is pointing at. Now the buffalo are getting a bit of an attitude and I can hear their grunts. Valie gets me pointed onto the right bull and then I dropped it with one shot from the old 45-70 I am carrying round. We get a death bellow as the rest of the buffalo clear out in a cloud of red dust. Turns out this buff measures a good 52 inches and has absolutely massive bosses. Wow, what a hunt! Frederik is speachless for a moment but then says, "I told you the Klaserie had good bulls!" What a way to end a 7 day trip to the Klaserie. Thanks to Frederik, Valie and Charmaine!

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~Ann

Everyday spent outdoors is the best day of my life.

Aspen Hill Adventures

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