Vaal Rhebok Story/Pics

L

littlejoe

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LAST EDITED ON Aug-04-11 AT 10:43AM (MST)[p]One of my favorites from the trip. A little story below regarding him.

Africa is not all flat and notice the snow in the mtns behind me.



So after taking care of the mountain reedbuck we were off to look for the small and elusive Vaal Rhebuck. I knew the odds were stacked against us as there are not only but a couple taken a year and they have unreal eyesight. They see you from a mile away and are gone.

We sighted a few groups here and there and saw some young rams and one mature ram that we pursued for a few hours but after a long stalk when we got there they were gone and we searched and searched and could not locate them.

We got back to the truck and decided to have lunch and listen to the Baboons. What an annoying noise they make. It sounds just like humans arguing and they are loud and vicious and annoying. They were over a mile away in the canyon below us and they sounded like they were ten yards away.

We started off from lunch and our plan was to hunt our way off the mtn still looking and then head down to hunt bushbuck for the evening.

We were going along when we spotted about a half dozen ewes and one very large ram. They had seen us and jumped off the cliff ledge below them before we could do anything. They had been at only 301 yards and now they were gone.

We immediately started to pursue them and crept to the cliff ledge we saw them go over.

Barry had Puren, Benji and myself hang back while he snuck/belly crawled to the edge to look over. I honestly thought they would be long gone by now but immediately Barry told me to get the gun ready and crawl towards him.

He told me that they were 200 yards below us and the big ram was to the far left feeding. He told me that from the time I put the gun over the ledge until they would be gone would be about five seconds as they have exceptional eyesight and sense of hearing.

I got ready crawled forward and just as Barry had mentioned the ram was to the far left and feeding. He was looking below him but as I lifted the gun over the ledge he immediately swung his head and was on alert.

It was to late. I had the cross hairs settled and touched off before he could run. He immediately collapsed to the ground.

By the reaction of the rest of the team; I immediately knew this animal was very special before we even worked our way down to him.

He might not look like much to most but he is an exceptional trophy. For this species he is very large. Barry told me that the Vaal Rhebuck is the only antelope species in the world that has fur and not hair. His hair felt just like bunny fur. He is beautiful and we were all ecstatic.

What a trophy. One of the best of the trip and one I am especially proud of. Puren told me that it was the first one he had ever captured on film.

We got him taken care of and all felt like we were on top of the world as we headed down the mtn to hunt for bushbuck. The day had been amazing and was not yet over.

He was #9 taken on this trip and the fourth animal taken in 24 hours.

I had hoped to get an opportunity to pursue them on this trip but knew that things would really have to come together to just even go after them and it would be even tougher to be able to take one. I am very fortunate. What a trophy. Life size for sure. He definitely needs to be displayed.

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Great Vaalie littlejoe. They may be my all time favorite to hunt. Very elusive and unreal eyesight. You have to love the terrain they live in as well.
 
Winterburg it is. It is actually for sale right now. The Rudman's would like to buy it to go with everything else that they have but they said the guy that owns it is wanting about twice what it is worth.
 
That really is a great area. Both my Vaalie's have come from that general location. In 2008 we stayed with a gentleman named Roger whose last name escapes me at the moment. What a beautiful place . 2011 we hunted the Bonvais Conservancy.

2008 Vaal

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2011 Vaal

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Fantastic vaalies, gents. Def one of the most elusive and unique species on the whole African continent. Very difficult hunt. They're wilder than anything I know of over there.

My '10 vaalie ram.

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DRSS
 
Thanks for posting your pics. Awesome! I know my cameraman was super excited as he had never actually got a Vaalie kill shot on film. I was lucky and got really good footage of all 16 on film and the edited version and unedited tapes will be home in a couple of months. Awesome little animal. Very unique fur as well. Just a very special trophy for sure.
 

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