Well, our time in Africa is over, and it was wonderful. We're now sitting in the airport in New Jersey, with two back to back 10-hour flights behind us, and a few more hours of travel to go.
Our last day and a half were busy and we hunted hard—for kudu. We spent hours looking for a big kudu bull, with no luck. Occasionally, we'd see a group of females or immature bulls, but nothing we could hunt. Then, as the sun was going down, we spotted a group of four or five kudu bulls walking through the thick brush, and we hurriedly went in after them. After stalking for a good while and finally getting a good look at them, Johnny and Louis quietly jabbered in Afrikaans before deciding that they were all too small. Disappointed, we left their trail and walked away, when all of a sudden a herd of Burchell's Zebras galloped by, stopping four hundred yards away. The timing was perfect.
We stalked to within 200 yards, and located a dark, old mare standing about 180 yards away. With a quick shot, the zebra was down, and it was a beautiful, perfect trophy. She was a rich, dark black, and she was so old that her teeth were worn to the gums and falling out, so it was an ideal trophy.
However, still without a kudu, we planned to hunt our last morning before we flew out. Somehow, the ghost of Ernest Hemingway was watching over us, and before the morning was over, I had the most exhilarating hunt ever, chasing full speed after kudu in the African bush before finally getting a rapid shot off at a target mostly concealed by brush. It was the most excitement ever, and a perfect ending to a fantastic adventure.
Sunrise on our last day.
My best non-lethal shot of the entire trip—an acacia tree reflected in the pool.
One more zebra for the family, this time an old Burchell's mare.
While we waited for Aaron, who was stalking kudu in the thick bush, we took a photo.
Looking for that kudu...
Finally! A beautiful kudu on the last morning!
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