The Kudu

Photographed from a land rover, this kudu bull is similar in size to the bull on my wall, but this bull lived in the safe haven of Kruger National Park.

Linda was never open to the idea of hanging a mounted animal in our home - until we returned from Africa. A trip to Africa will change anybody and everybody in one way or another. And, although Linda continues to have no interest in hunting, she has formed a bond with the kudu. Being unique and stylish, the shoulder mount of the kudu arrowed in South Africa has achieved a status beyond any other animal I’ve hunted. It hangs over our fire-place.

It has been in that place of honor for five years. We are very comfortable with it and Linda has redecorated the room, making the kudu the centerpiece.

My guide (PH) was very accommodating and I enjoyed his company.

Although the kudu is the most beautiful trophy animal I’ve ever bagged, the hunt was far from the most difficult. In fact, the hunt was very easy. I sat in a blind made out to look like an ant hill. The blind had a vertical opening about six inches wide through which the arrow was released. The kudu bull and the other three animals I killed from that blind, were about 20 yards from me. All the animals fell after one shot and within 100 yards of the blind.

Although not a difficult challenge to hunting skills, the experience of sitting in a blind in South Africa, within feet of many animals never observed before is exhilarating. The hunt was exciting. And, the ability to bring home a representative from a far-away place was appealing to me.

Sometimes a trophy’s significance is based upon qualities of the hunt and other times it’s based upon what it stands for. In the case of the kudu, it’s about the environment of South Africa and the unique animals found there, especially the antelope species, of which the kudu is probably the best known among hunters.

 

Next week we will begin the process of selling our home. We have asked a few people their opinion of the kudu mount and their thoughts about having it on display while selling our home. So far, all have taken the politically correct opinion.

“Take it down.”

“Why take a chance?”

Panoramic view of our family room.

It would be fairly easy to follow their advise. The mount is a bit awkward to store when not on a wall and a picture could replace it, but we have decided to leave the kudu in place. It’s become part of our home and we are selling our house, not a model home. It is the place where we live. It represents a part of us and we want to sell the house in that form.

Maybe we won’t get as much for our house (we probably will) and maybe somebody will be offended (I hope not), but we won’t feel hypocritical by watering down signs of a lifestyle that includes hunting.

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Want to Go To Africa?

Maybe it’s time. MDF Livermore-Pleasanton will have a trip to Africa in the Live Auction this Friday night.

Thormahlen & Cochran Safaris, with camps in South Africa and Namibia has donated a seven-day hunt which includes $1,000 credit towards trophy fees.

Go to www.africatrophyhunting.com and read about them.

Do your homework before the dinner, or you’ll have a hard time making a decision.

Here are the hunt donation forms for South Africa and Namibia: Donations SCI SA Nam13

Here is a list of trophy fees: trophy fees

I purchased my trip to South Africa at an MDF event. It’s a bit of a leap, but we’ll have a representative on hand at the dinner to explain the details.

Here’s a flyer. Only a few days left.

Livermore 2013 flyer

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Decision Time Tomorrow

Looked at a lot of  mule deer bucks the last two days – more four point bucks than I can recount. Not sure exactly how large the largest buck has been. Only one way to know that for sure.

Hunting near Wilson Creek, Washington. Buck Run, the private ranch on which I’m hunting, is managed under a permit from the State of Washington. The 40 thousand acre property is primarily a wheat and hay farm, but a secondary product is great mule deer.

This may be the best-managed mule deer ranch in North America. Food plots provide winter forage for over a thousand mule deer – resident and non-resident. Winter wheat provides green feed while two varieties of spring wheat provide food for the cold winter.

Guzzlers provide water for dry spells and supplemental grain feeding provides calories when the weather is bitter cold.

Saw over 500 mule deer the last two days. Looking for one good one tomorrow.

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BC Deer Hunt

BC was great, the deer were there and the hunting was good. Although I didn’t bring home a buck, I was impressed by the opportunity and also the bucks my friends Jeff and George bagged. The area was densely wooded except where fields had been created by clearing timber and those fields held both whitetail and mule deer.

The forest held mostly mule deer, which were very elusive, even during the rut. The fields were all on privately owned property and the deer there were easier to spot and probably easier to approach as well. Farming and ranch activities somewhat moderated their willingness to accept the presence of vehicles.

Here are photos of bucks taken on the trip. More later.

Jeff and his guide Corey with Jeff's whitetail

Jeff’s whitetail had a gross score over 160 B&C. He shot it from a tree stand while Corey rattled.

Jeff with the head and cape of his mule deer buck

Jeff’s muley had three points on each side, double eye guards, heavy horns, an outside width of 26 inches and a height of 21 inches. It was aged at about seven years old. The buck came to the sound of Corey’s rattling horns.

George "W." with his muley.

Seattle George took this buck during heavy rutting activity. It had typical muley antlers, a width of 23 inches and antler height of  18 inches. Jeff and George took these mule deer bucks within 100 yards of the same spot, two days apart.

I found a buck I would have shot, on the last day of the hunt, but despite huge outside dimensions, the buck was not legal. After the 20th of November, mule deer bucks must have four antler tines on each side and the buck I encountered on November 22nd was only three by two.

Light was poor and he was far away. Here’s the best photo I have. Our outfitter, Kiff Covert of Dome Creek Outfitters took good care of us and I recommend him highly.

This buck had great dimensions, but not enough antler tines.

Kiff has a better picture of this 3×2 and I intend to publish it in a later post. More BC info as I find time.

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After a Great Week in CA, Leaving for a BC Trophy Deer Hunt Tomorrow

The middle of November is both frustrating and exhilarating. Duck season is always ebbing as pheasant season begins. Yesterday morning was classic. After three hours of working at bagging  a mallard, a stiff late-morning wind brought a flock of mallards within range and I managed to bring one down. The final approach duck boat is working well and I’m getting comfortable with it. Hauling the boat is sometimes a lot of work, but when you finally get into position, it’s deadly.

Final Approach duck boat

Expectations of  bagging a rooster were very low. I was surprised when we corralled one right off the bat. Cousin Wes brought him down easily and any one of the four of us would have killed him if Wes had missed. Same thing with the second bird, which brother Rob dropped.

Later in the afternoon, we split up. Wes and Rob finished off their limits and Lola followed a rooster for nearly ten minutes before putting him up at my feet. I too had a bird.

Here's Lola with a rooster from last year.

This was a good wrap to a week that included a very nice grasslands duck hunt at a friend’s club on Wednesday. This morning the birds went into the freezer and now it’s time to conclude my packing for BC which is nearly done.

What does a trophy hunt mean to me? It means the best of everything. Best guide, best food, best equipment and most excitement. I’m prepared to bring home the venison in large U.S. Army duffel bags and insulated soft coolers.

However, trophy hunting often means coming home with the least game, as trophy hunting means selectivity. I won’t shoot a deer this week unless it’s the bigger than any deer I’ve killed of that species.

A mule buck will have to be bigger than my 2008 Nevada buck

For whitetail that doesn’t say much because I’ve never killed one. For mule deer that means a mature, heavy-horned,  four-point buck with very good outside dimensions.

I’ll be hunting  with Kiff Covert of Dome Creek Outfitters. I met Kiff at the Mule Deer Foundation Convention last February.

For me, trophy hunting is just like any other hunting, except it’s usually just a little bit better.

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