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Wife wanted a heart
My wife is a biology teacher and she asked me to urgently find her a large and undamaged heart for dissection in her class. Instead of touring the local butcher shops, I had the grand idea of going on an impromptu hunt. On Monday, after making a few calls to find the best prices, I set out with a pal to Bela Bela, about two hours north of where we stay in Johannesburg. I had never hunted on this farm before, but the price for a Blue Wilderbeest was very good (perhaps too good). Anyway, after some delay, we arrived at noon and decided to go out at about three o clock when the heat would be a little more bearable.
As soon as we got onto the truck, it was evident that the farm had been hunted all year round as the game would bolt at the first sound of the vehicle. Our usual method of hunting is to cruise the tracks in the bush in the truck and dismount as soon as a viable animal is spotted, then walk and stalk until within range. This was not working, so I asked to be dropped off in the bush, where I would slowly and quietly move through the bush in an upsun and downwind direction, hoping for a little luck, or at least to come across any animals that the truck may disturb.
I had no luck and saw nothing apart from dozens of wild pigs which I was uninterested in shooting. Toward late afternoon, I came across a disused bow-hunters hide and decided to wait there until last light in the hope of seeing something of the very wary game on that farm. I settled in to the hide and waited, only to be surrounded by many wild pigs, again. I had recently bought an inexpensive Action Camera, and thought that this would be a good opportunity to test it out on my rifle. At last light, I was surprised to see a Blue Wilderbeest appear from the bush very close to the hide. I quickly switched on the camera and poked the rifle out the slit window. Now I was cofronted with a problem. The Wilderbeest has a fair pair of horns, so I thought I would keep them if possible. This ruled out a head shot because my .375 shatters a skull and ruins a trophy. The usual and preferable heart shot was not on because the wife needed an un-holed heart for school and my hunting ploy would be seen for the self-serving scheme that it was. So, what to do? A neck shot was a possibility, but the Wilderbeest has a very strange anatomy, with an extremely thick neck. This makes judging where the spine is quite difficult and a miss of the spine at last light , coupeled to the Wilderbeests legendary toughness would mean a lost animal at last light. Finding it the next morning would not be much good as Jackal and Hyena would have left very little to be salvaged. My choice was to take a high shot, just above the heart, hoping to destroy the main blood vessels without actually holing the heart. Of course, all of this decision-making only took a second or two while I poked the barrel ot the window. I took the shot and the animal jumped up and tore off into the darkening bush. I took my time mentally marking the direction and noise the running animal made and then climbed out of the hide and went to the spot where the animal first stood. The hoof-mark where it jumped up and away was very clear and a small blood-sppor was faintly evident in the darkening bush. I followed the spoor and it confirmed my estimate of its path and I came across the beast lying on its side, about fifty yards from first impact. On slaughter we found the heart untouched and the big blood vessels destroyed. That the Wilderbeest had made fifty yards with no blood pressure is testimony to their unbelievable toughness. The bullet used was a 300gr Swift and it mushroomed well by the look of the wound channel. It exited the animal, so I could not weigh it. I attach the video clip of the action. Sorry that there is not more detail, but when the cam is mounted onto the rifle, it only sees what you point it at. Damn, I cant load it to this site. Will have to try Youtube and see what happens.
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