Grand Slam in the Free State

We arrived in Kimberly, an old diamond mining community, to hunt on the open grasslands and savannahs of South Africa’s Free State. The plains game native to the region would be our plan. Nick Engelhardt, a friend from work and I were flexible but our interests included hunting several species including Common and White Blesbuck, Common, White, Black and the rarest Copper Springbuck, Mountain Reedbuck and possibly the Black Wildebeest. Having studied the Springbuck, it was my dream to shoot all four species – the ‘Grand Slam’ of Africa. There was so much land, so many options and so little time; I kept an open mind to my pursuit. Being an avid bird hunter, I also wanted to try my luck at the local ducks and geese in the area.

We arrived early and headed straight for Koffiefontein to settle into camp and check our rifles and equipment. Situated on the Reed River, our lodge was a quaint rock and mortar camp with a veranda and camp fire pit facing east above the river and into the hunting concession. Our camp had lots of character and even two friendly goats we affectionately named Billy Bob and Mary Lou – no offense to the southern folks.

We got a quick lunch and set out to zero in the rifles on a huge salt pan. This tradition was new to my friend as this was his first trip to Africa and first time to hunt ever. We each put decent marks on the paper at a hundred yards with minimal scope adjustments.
Paul, the farm owner and jovial host, pulled up to meet us and give us the lay of the land. Leaping out his truck were his anxious hunting partners Eddie & Jennie, two very friendly Jack Russell’s. They wanted nothing more than to hang with the hunters day and night which suited me fine as their great companions.

The Free State is not for sissies. One thing is for sure in this country – it’s dry, it’s hot and it will kick your butt if you’re not prepared. The brush was low and the plains were huge. Martin Van Niekerk, our professional hunter said these plains are so flat you can see your dog runaway for three days; I agree. The hunting conditions were ideal as October brings rain and moderate temperatures. Spread over two locations, this concession has over 75,000 acres and very diverse landscapes from large alfalfa pivots to open plains to marshlands near the river.

We decided to start out on the ranch southeast of Koffiefontein to get acclimated to the surroundings and the game situation and patterns. Quickly we saw several herds of Common Springbuck with hundreds of head. Like Pronghorn in the Wyoming, you can’t get within a mile of the herd without the entire plain becoming a huge dust bowl. This plains game species Swarvkoski’s for eyes as they can detect the slightest movement.

Our hunting strategy had to leverage all facets of the land to our advantage. We used the depressions in the plain, the giant ant hills and the mountain shoulders as cover to get remotely close to the Springbuck. After one failed attempt on a White Blesbuck, we had a nice Copper Springbuck ram on the horizon. One of the dozens of ewes in the herd spotted us as was the case so many times that we had to find a different angle and cover to get a shot at the Copper.

We pursued this herd for three hours up and around several of the flat top mountains on the plain until finally we had a chance to stalk them from 400 yards. This herd had several nice rams including a black, common and copper. Using the scrub brush and shadows, we got into position to shoot the copper ram. Just before dawn I dropped the safety and took the shot. The shot was high but the Copper dropped within 50 yards. He was a beautiful ram with both thick bases and long horns. Shooting the rarest of the Springbuck on the first day meant we were off to a spectacular start. After collapsing in the truck on the way back to camp, we had one celebratory beer and it was off to bed early as tomorrow was to be Nick’s big day to shoot his first animal.

After much deliberation and discussion, Nick decided his first African trophy would be a Black Springbuck. We were off to an early start around six o’clock to a rocky location where the trackers had spotted a Black Springbuck ram. We climbed up to a rock outcropping to glass the area for a black ram. This concession had a marshy area and a water dam for the farm just below our position. The ponds frequently held ducks and this would prove to be a problem later. Martin sorted out the approach and explained to Nick that they should retreat from the rocks and follow the lowlands around the marsh to stalk the black ram. They stalked and crawled along the marsh up to a bush on higher ground that would provide ample cover for the 150-200 yard shot. As Nick moved into position, a pair of South African Copper ducks decided to flee from the adjacent pond announcing their presence to the herd and pushing them out of range. Adding insult to injury, an aggressive copper ram decided to chase the black ram away from the ewes and from Nick’s line of sight. Later we discovered that copper rams are dominant across all other species in the herd.

The black ram fled the lowlands and headed north around the rocky mountainside. Keeping a close eye on the ram’s location, Martin and Nick scaled the rocks to find cover and get an angle. Martin setup his traditional shooting sticks, had Nick get in position and gave him the direction of the ram. (In our preparation for Africa, Nick explained to me that he was accomplished marksman but since he was new to hunting preferred to shoot on a bi-pod or on a stationary rest.) The ram came into his field of vision and within seconds his reflexes took over and the .270 went crack sending a 130 grain Nosler Partition into the heart of his first African animal.

Later that afternoon I shot a Common Springbuck off a rock cropping and a White Springbuck from a high plain. Our day ended in African tradition with a huge campfire and the oysters from the animal. Nick retold the story for us all to relive and enjoy.

With three of the four Springbuck in the bag, our third day started in search of a Black Springbuck. This day was going to be a scorcher as there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We headed off to the great plains south of Koffiefontein and spotted a nice black ram amidst a herd of fifty Common Springbuck. We stalked him for the better part of the day and around 2pm were in position to take a shot. Just as I get ready to squeeze the trigger, I realize my rifle is on lock and load. Argh. Just as I raised the bolt the black ram took off. Six hours of intense strategy and stalking down the drain. The hot day burned on and we relocated to different part of the ranch. After positioning ourselves on a flat rocky mountain ridge, we found another black ram. He looked quite far and was quite antsy but I tried the shot anyways. He was farther than the 300 yards I estimated and ended up shooting straight under him. With salt accumulating on our brows, shoulders and face we decided to call it quits for the day. The black ram would have to wait until the next day.

The fourth day we spent searching for a rare antelope – the Mountain Reedbuck. How the spotters saw them I will never know. There was a herd more than 500 yards from the truck sleeping below a green bush. Nick and our professional hunter Martin unloaded from the truck and got into position. It was another burning hot day so I decided to take a nap on the back of the truck. I fell sound asleep. More than two hours later, I was awakened with a loud crack coming from the bottom of the valley. Looking through the binoculars I saw the herd scatter and no apparent success. Just then the herd came closer to the bush where they were hiding giving Nick another chance at the animal. The angle was wrong and the position awkward so no success. Later that day we found a covey of Guinea Fowl and nick dropped one atop a high mountain ridge.

Our fifth day, I was getting quite anxious to complete the Grand Slam of Springbuck and Martin and I got off to an early start. We decided to shoot some ducks in the morning and pursuit the black ram later in the day. We had one failed attempt at the Copper Shelduck but we would try again that night with great success. Around 10am our final day we left camp to scout the local herd and found a nice ram. After walking, stalking and getting in position, I shot my last Springbuck. It was an excellent stalk demanding a lot of patience and strategy. We sat in the midday heat for more than three hours before finally getting a shot.

I’ve never hunted pronghorn in Wyoming but I assume it’s a similar experience. If you ever consider hunting Springbuck in South Africa, the Free State is the place to be. It will kick your butt but you’ll experience a hunt of a lifetime. This was a trip of a lifetime and I’d like to personally thank my good friend and professional hunter Martin van Niekerk for organizing this amazing experience.