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KUDU HEAVEN
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We couldn’t believe
it! We stood awe mesmerized by the magnificent sight before us. It was as if
we had just opened the hatch to a great treasure chest laden with diamonds
and gold.
Sweating and breathing
hard from the exhausting trek through the mountains, the five of us stood
motionless for what seemed like an eternity. Slowly our eyes connected each
with the other. What look on our faces spoke volumes as to what we were
thinking yet not a word was spoken.
At that point my PH,
Savva Engelzakis of Hunters Wild Safaris, stepped forward and laid his hands
on the treasure --- a magnificent kudu with huge spiraling horns --- the
longest and deepest curled horns any of us had ever seen!
Savva called for a
measuring tape and within the few minutes everyone broke into cheers and
laughter as the tape told the tale. We had just taken a kudu measuring 63 ½
inches. His horns were beautifully conformed and silhouetted against the sky
like giant corkscrews. We felt certain that this kudu would rank in the
record book top 15 of the World Class Kudu.
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Amazingly, this kudu
when taken was one of three huge bulls and one of the other two would have
easily measured 55 inches or more. Even more amazing is that this was the
eight day of my hunt and in the first six days I passed up opportunities on
a total of four kudus that would have scored over 50 inches. This was truly
“Kudu Heaven”.
Savva, who operates Hunters Wild Safaris northwest of
Zeerust and about 20 miles east of Botswana,
had an abundance of quality plains game plus good leopard and white rhino.
These animals are located by fair chase over 50,000 acres of bushveld and
over rugged free ranging territory extending across a million acres of
tribal lands.
I entrusted my hunt to Savva for ten days with a big
order for a darted rhino, an nyala, eland, gemsbok and finely a 60 inch or
better kudu. Having previously taken three kudus over 50 inches in Tanzania
and Zimbabwe,
I wanted to take a 60+ or take no kudu at all. Savva accepted the challenge
and Hunters Wild delivered 100%. My kudu measured 63 ½ x 60 ¾ x 11 ½ x 11 ½.
My nyala measured 27 ½ inches, the eland 35 ½ and the rhino had produced a
28 inch horn with a 32 inch base.
Every detail of my hunt followed by a 20 day vacation
through Botswana,
Zimbabwe
and Zambia
was expertly handled by Savva, his administrative assistant, Elana, and his
travel consultant, Peter. My wife, Bobbie, and I thank Hunters Wild for a
first class hunt and a most memorable vacation.
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