First, Second and Third Ostrich

[treeman]

This week end was most likely the most miserable hunt I ever had, it was still good, it was still nice, but somehow it was just lacking in many ways.Friday night was a good get together, we got to shack, started a fire at just after 6 and I had some beer, my usual.The client informed me his son (24) had never hunted before and he would be trying for his first this hunt.Woke up to a good hunting, if not slightly cold morning with some moving air kind of day. We drove out to the usual spots, the Impala side of the farm, there were no Impala, not there, nor there, nor anywhere for that matter. When I arrived on Friday just before dark I drove to shack across farm and saw perhaps 40 Impala in 3 groups, just standing around, now they were gone, just gone. We usually hunt open spot to open spot and find them sooner or later in one of the openings or plains, but this time nothing. We then decided to try hunt the thicker stuff and hopefully cause them to move or at least show themselves, other than a fleeing group once, nothing. The cold wind was causing them to hold up somewhere deep in the thick and we were just not enough guys to actually do a sweep of area. We decided that we would try for ostrich, but they were already well aware of our presence due to the impala seeking movements. None of us present had ever hunted ostrich, so there was no behaviour precedent to fall back on, so in the end I realized we were following ostrich point to point place to place, actually just being total amateurs.At about 13:00 we stopped had lunch and I decided to try the furthermost corner of the farm for the afternoon Impala hunt. We found the Impala in the desolate ugly alkaline ground far corner of the farm, they were in deep bush on a hill with just a few heads sticking out, the wind was now howling in their favour. We drove right around farm and clients went in from downwind, but with dad trying to get son on first buck it was just a doomed attempt from start, you cannot stalk under said conditions two up and then still try set a first time shooter up on a thick bush animal, it is just not likely to work. It did not work, we could not find any more Impala, they were just gone - it started raining. Went to the ostrich area, they were also gone, the wind was howling and the rain fell for five minutes and stopped for five minutes, we had shirts on and a whole night ahead of us at farm. I told guys not to use their jackets in the bakkie because we would then have nothing dry to wear after the hunt. It was rather shitty. Worst part is it was, it was not even rain that would help the farm in any way.We headed out of hunt area miserable and despondent. 90 minute before sundown Cody saw ostrich’s faaaaaar away and we formulated a plan. The area where the ostrich's had gone too had many uncross-able donga's which would force man or beast to have to travel long distances to find a crossing spot, we planned to use that in our favour. We would hunt shooting towards each other with a long rectangle "koppie" between us, Cody and I far side client and son near side, which side of hill they would travel would be pure luck.When we got to our position they were gone, just not there - gone. Ag man - I just gave the F"up, had enough, was wet, my back was sore and my ankle injury was protesting that it has only been 4 weeks since.I stood up and Cody called it, there they are, right in front of us under our hill, so against it we were looking over them.I lined up on an ostrich at about 180 m, called it to Cody and asked him to back me. "Ready Dad", "Cody if I wound it you shoot it fast hey?", “I got it Dad”, "Cody!" "Yes Dad" "where you aiming?" "On top of wing" - "Ok, then shoot it”. Till that moment it was my first ostrich hunt, at that moment I decided it would be nice if he has a first before me, something I had not done yet for him to beat me too.The shot spoke out and I was surprised by the loudness of the hit, hitting an ostrich is like shooting water, they really "tHUMp". The ostrich fell and the rest ran along the sloot. One stopped and did a hesitate for a few moments and I told Cody to drop it. I just heard "really! Can I?" and then that same solid "tHUMp". The ostrich fell and lay there, I spoke to Cody for a moment and he started "Dad dad" panic he does when something is not dead, the ostrich was up on its feet and he was guided into shooting it again, it fell down. We were picking up doppies and I was fielding question 1001 and hearing that he wanted a whole drum stick to be cooked so he could eat it like a cave man ????. Fok!!!!!!!!! Really!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, the shit he imagines.As we were about to leave a big male ostrich stepped out at about 240 m or less and just stood there side on surveying the surroundings. We had an order for 3 birds and a cull of 10, so I thought "what the hell" I asked Cody if he was able and he responded by shooting it. It fell down. It struggled it got up, Cody started crying he had no ammo (guess he thought he was in trouble). I gave Cody my rifle he shot it, it fell down. We got up, looked across and it got up, I shot it, it fell down. I got up, it got up I shot it, it fell down, got up walked off, I shot freehand, I missed, I shot now at over 300 m freehand hit it somewhere. I had no more ammo, ran after it with 9 mm, found it grounded, shot it in head. It was not dead, shot it in head again, it died. I did not enjoy myself, I felt bad, it was not supposed to be like that. I have no problem killing something, but this shooting it to death is not right, it sad and undeserved. Cody and I sat and I had some counselling work to do, he battles when things suffer, do not die cleanly.We then fetched the bakkie and drove it through the most horrendous terrain to get to the 3rd animal where it had fallen, I mean up a mountain in a sloot between trees and over rocks and holes, real destroy the vehicle stuff. Cody and I could not get ostrich onto vehicle, we battled. I eventually tied a rope to a tree and by reversing away dragged the creature onto load body. It was raining, it was cold, I felt bad about the bird’s way of dying and the client and his son were lost. Fokkit Gert, what else could go wrong?Cody and I did a before leaving look around and Cody asked me where "this” road went too, "what road?" "This road Dad, the one we on". Guys?, I asked what else could go wrong, well the ostrich had died like 3 ft. from the big road that comes into that area, we had driven the bakkie like a km across pure bush to get to animal when we could have just driven the same road we came in on and stopped next to animal. "If!" If we had known!. We then went to find client, had some luck there, he had found a fence and a water tank and I was able to work out his position. We got to first ostrich shot and it was gone, just fknnnnnn gone. I told everyone to climb into a sloot of their own choice and follow it, I just knew it had fallen into a sloot. We found the dead bird took a photo or two (Cody had as kids are want to do, recovered from his trauma regarding 3rd bird and was all excited about the now). We recovered bird out donga with some swearing, loaded it rather easily with 4 guys and went to find second bird. The second bird was where it was supposed to be, but on the far side of a wash out donga, so great fun was had by all dropping it into the wash out and then arguing about how to get it out the donga. We got it out, but the velt in that area will likely never grow again, the language and profanities have likely fore ever soured that soil.When we got back to the shack wet cold and ever so happy about life despite it all, we made a fire and the world was good again. We saw 5 satellites and 2 shooting stars, a new record for us, I was happy sore and content. Cody was Cody, "thank you for today dad" "sorry I ran out of bullets dad”, "Dad? Did I shoot well?"The bird on the plain photo is the one on far side of ditch, the bird that would not die I did not photograph, that bird will be a shadow on my conscience for a long time.20200815_165535 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr20200815_165535 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

20200815_171619 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

[treeman]

Look how dry it is and it was raining on off all the time.
I am seeing trees that I have known 15 years dying, and patch's that must be decades if not a century old dying. IT IS REALLY BAD.

[Andrew Leigh]

Cody's getting big .

[Againstthegrains]

Thanks for the write up. For those of us that only hunt a few times per year, its always great to read a few other peoples stories. I hunted with a German friend on his first hunting African trip. We had lucked out on the kudu, so we found an ostrich for him to cull. I asked" Why the hell did you shoot it on the thigh." He replied, "I didn't want to damage the breast meat."

[treeman]

Thanks for the write up. For those of us that only hunt a few times per year, its always great to read a few other peoples stories. I hunted with a German friend on his first hunting African trip. We had lucked out on the kudu, so we found an ostrich for him to cull. I asked" Why the hell did you shoot it on the thigh." He replied, "I didn't want to damage the breast meat."

******************
errrr? sorta my take as well

[CZW]

Always enjoy reading about your adventures Treeman.

A few lines inbetween or the story broken up into paragraphs would have made it a little easier on the eye.

[treeman]

Always enjoy reading about your adventures Treeman.

A few lines inbetween or the story broken up into paragraphs would have made it a little easier on the eye.

Noted !!
I will improve on this.

I must say though, I was tired this time, very tired. I should not post when tired and under pressures.

[Ds J]

Treeman, is there a particular reason why the one ostrich didn't stay down and die?

[treeman]

I do not know - I do know they were all shot badly, I thought in front of on leg was the place (as in apposed to on, behind leg with a antelope)
The whole matter is still unclear to me, I can not answer your question.

Forward, - a lot more forward became obvious on slaughter of carcass -------- more forward than you can understand, -----then + some more.

[treeman]

Perhaps this! Shoot it in the feathers in front of leg where there is nothing to shoot.