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Day 9
July 21st. Today would be a laid back morning. We took our time and didn't arrive in the Fish River Valley until around 9am. From my previous hunt for Nyala, it appeared that very early and late evenings were the best times to hunt them. During the day they evidently like to bed up deep in the "jungle" of heavy bush in the steep ravines that rise up from the river valley. We began spotting the usual suspects, including several trophy size Bushbuck and Impala. Lots of ducks; Cape Teal and Yellowbills mostly, but a few Spur Winged Geese and Egyptians too. Ha-Dee-DA's were making their usual racket, along with too many birds to identify. Red-eyed Doves were cooing non stop. All I needed were bongo's and we'd have a new dance record. It began to cloud up in the late afternoon and then mist rain. I put on my rain suit and Meyrick and I started walking the perimeter roads of the pineapple fields. We were hoping to find the bull I had missed a couple of days earlier. We had only gone about 1/2 a mile when we started around a wooded point. Meyrick suddenly spun around and told me to get ready to shoot. I pulled my Bipod down and as he moved to my right side I saw a mature bull Nyala, head down, feeding at the edge of the pineapple field. I quickly got in the sitting position and found my cross hairs upon his chest, just inside the left shoulder. He was facing me, quartering to my left. Suddenly the bull raised his head and looked directly at us. Meyrick said "Take him" and I fired. Range was under 50 yards, and at the shot, the bull leaped into the air and spun to his left, bounding down into the deep ravine. We waited a few minutes and then quietly proceeded to where he was standing. Meyrick slipped into the bush and I paralleled him, staying in the grass. We didn't go far; maybe 35 yards when Meyrick called to me: "Here he is!" I went into the bush like a Bush Pig. Dodging thorns and vines with each step. When I reached my bull, I was surprised at his body weight. Larger than I had expected. Having only mounted Nyala heads before, they are larger than I expected, and one of the main reasons I was wanting one. They are beautiful animals! This one will be mounted life-size, as he has a very nice coat and mane. Nice horns and ivory tips. My dreams just kept coming true. Meyrick took one fast pic for me, right where my Nyala fell...in the bush. We went and got help and four of us picked him up and carried him out of the bush. This insured we wouldn't rub off any hair since I wanted him mounted life-size. The other pics came with my disposable camera as Meyrick's digital camera had a dead battery. Once again I chose my .280 with Federal Vital Shok 160gr Nosler Accubonds. Excellent performance. Continued...
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