My boy is going for his first Kudu tomorrow

**treeman** · 02-11-2019, 19:56

Cody is 11 years 7 months 28 days tomorrow and we going to try again for a Kudu.
We had him on a nice Kudu last year and while I waited for shot through binno's I heard "uh uh no Dad I can't", and pretty close to tears. I did quiet a bit of praising him for not shooting if he was not sure and a few minutes later he was himself again.
We have spoken about it since and he said he just gets to exited.
Its supposedly a driven hunt and I upset farmer a bit I guess with the revelation that we wanted to be dropped off and left alone. Pay per shot at highest animal price.
Cody has made it very clear that he is not interested in a Kudu thats 'not one thats chased to me Dad".
We will hunt in a valley parallel to the driven hunt, we will not be able to hear the other hunters, but I guess their activities may send some Kudu over mountain, or at least cause more movement.
My boy seems very nonchalant about whole thing, said its not important I can shoot if I want he will wait for another time, he seems less exited than I am.
I am wondering now, is he not interested or is he less excitable because of how he grew up, I expected him to be firing questions one after the other.
Oh - by way he won under 16 junior angler for 2018/19 and won his first leg of 2019/20 Super Six Deep Sea.

**Ds J** · 02-11-2019, 21:14

Almost eleven years young and he already had the courage and honesty to man up and say "No!" ??

He deserves a huge ice cream.

And being able to identify his own emotions ("too exited") - he deserves a whole tub.

Maybe - if he doesn't feel like killing it - let him "shoot" it with a camera. Same tension, same stalk etc, with a photo to prove it.

He is slowly arriving at the age where he will be starting to make his own decisions.

**treeman** · 02-11-2019, 22:10

He has a something about Kudu ??
He has hunted Duiker - Blesbuck - S/Buck - W/Hog - Geese - but the Kudu rattles him.

**Ds J** · 02-11-2019, 22:39

Not necessarily something about a kudu, although it could be.

He is in a very sensitive stage of life. Getting into the first steps of manhood, experiencing more mature emotions, and starting to think about things. These all might be too much for him. I remember crying when I was his age because I realised the fish (pompano's) we caught were actually suffocating after we pulled them from the water. Then my dad tried killing them to get me calm, which only made it worse.

I know of several boys who took a break from "killing things" (hunting) for some time.

**Adoons** · 03-11-2019, 06:43

Treeman and Cody, you would be on your hunt already. Enjoy. Relax and, Cody, I am more proud of young men that can say "no, I am not taking the shot" than ones showing pictures next to a bakkie or hide with a rifle for all to see that is not a hunting rifle, like in hunting in walk and stalk.

**treeman** · 03-11-2019, 18:58

We had a good hunt, the two guys I went with were financially ruined within two hours, pigs and Kudu just came walking by before the beat even started.
Cody I walked long and far to various look out points searching along way - we saw plenty, but always some thing wrong - size age sex distance recovery etc. We sat about 2 hours at each spot waiting for movement but always nothing we could use
https://flic.kr/p/2hECLNn
Then he walked into catus and got full of thorns, changed into the wrong hot top
https://flic.kr/p/2hECHnu
Then he just could not any further
https://flic.kr/p/2hEyQq1

We saw and did a lot with out the success of the hunt.

**Andrew Leigh** · 03-11-2019, 20:16

Perhaps he is not ready for a Kudu, maybe take the pressure off until he asks.

**treeman** · 03-11-2019, 20:51

Originally Posted by Andrew Leigh

Perhaps he is not ready for a Kudu, maybe take the pressure off until he asks.

***************
No pressure from me, if there was we would have left after dark

. He wants a Kudu - he wants a bull and he does not want a driven hunt.
He also want to use my rifle - the .270 Win over any other, it has magical properties.
I recon I could have taken more than one Kudu today, but it was his hunt day and we did it at his pace, it was slow, but we did not argue or have tears once today. Was his and I believe my shooting days may be on the decline, I can not afford and do not have need for both of us hunting results - so I think its his time coming forth.
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and I do not think I mind it much.