When we started off the hunting season with our TV programme, HunTech Game & Outdoor, we received a call from Abrie Arlow of Pronk Safaris in early March to do a fallow deer hunt. He said it was a hunt not to be missed – the time was perfect, as the fallow deer were just about to start the rut.
I met Abrie in 2016 when he needed a cameraman for a client of his. Since then we have worked on numerous projects together and have a great working relationship. Abrie is well known in the hunting industry, especially for his knowledge of exotic species.
We met up with Abrie near OR Tambo International Airport during the early hours of the morning and set off on our journey to Clarence in the Free State. It was rainy most of the way, but just before reaching the farm, the rain stopped and the skies started to clear. Pieter Meiring, a client of Pronk Safaris, travelled from KwaZulu-Natal, so we stopped next to a lovely sunflower field to allow him to catch up with us. Abrie and I went over a few details of the hunt while we waited. As we were limited to a two-day hunt, we had to make sure all our planning was in order.
Upon arrival on the farm, I was speechless at the awe-inspiring beauty of the Free State. The open grasslands and mountains are a real gem, something you don’t often see in the Bushveld. The farm had good rainfall during the week, causing most low-lying areas to flood. This made travelling on the property difficult and disrupted the normal behaviour of the animals.
This would be the eighth episode of HunTech Game & Outdoor and the first time that an outside client would participate in on one of our episodes. We therefore had to explain to Pieter how the hunt would commence and how we would operate around them during the hunt. We try to capture each hunt in the moment, so we do our best to be as safe as possible during this time.
Pieter was looking for the perfect buck and had a specific preference regarding the character of the antlers. We spent a good amount of time scouting and analysing the buck that made their appearance. Abrie and our PH, Pikkie Coetzee, spotted three buck bedding down in a culvert in an open grass field down below. Pieter, guided by Pikkie, navigated and they made their way down the mountain where we were scouting from. As soon as we reached the foot of the mountain, we spotted the three deer that were bedded down and slowly approached them by walking-and-stalking.
The wind was blowing right into our faces, so we stayed undetected. Upon reaching a grass bush, we used the rangefinder to determine how far we were still out. “Two hundred metres,” Pikkie whispered. He also explained that the deer were just over the hill in front of us, so we had to leopard-crawl to get closer to them. The grasslands were flooded and as we were crawling through the water, we tried our best to keep all camera equipment and Pieter’s gun dry. We spotted another small grass bush and moved towards it as we figured it would be in range for Pieter to take a shot from.
Upon reaching the bush, Pikkie took out his rangefinder again. “Eighty metres,” he said in a hushed voice. Pieter indicated he was happy taking a shot from there. The three buck were lying next to one another, each looking in a different direction. Pieter took his time deciding which one he wanted to take. Just as he was about to take the shot, the buck stood up and turned around. We thought he had spotted us and wanted to run away, but to our surprise, he turned around and lay down again.
Pieter knew this was the time to take the shot. He lined up the sight and pulled the trigger. The shot landed right in the middle of the buck’s neck and he was down. Pieter was really happy with his shot and more than impressed with the buck that he had harvested!
We spent the remainder of the day scouting for more fallow deer, but before we could find a mature buck, the night was upon us and we had to head back to camp. Around the campfire that night, Abrie educated us about fallow deer – when they rut and shed their antlers, how long it takes for their antlers to grow back, etc.
Early the next morning, we made our way back up the mountain to scout for a mature fallow deer. We were now hunting against time and knew we only had one chance left to get this buck. It wasn’t long before we spotted a small herd on a ridge below, but with the fickle wind we had to change our angle of approach.
Our guide, Jacob “Jakes” Letlhakeng, Pikkie and I made our way down the mountain. Abrie scouted from a cliff to direct us in the direction of the herd.
When we reached the foot of the mountain, we radioed Abrie to give him our location and then headed out in the direction we last saw the buck.
We navigated our way around a small peak and spotted the fallow deer. Jacob guided us towards a small bush where we could get the shooting sticks out so that I could take aim. The rangefinder indicated that the buck were 300 m away. They stood in a bunch and I was not happy to take such a shot from that distance.
The wind changed direction again and the animals took off down the small peak, swam through a river and went up another ridge. We waited for them to settle down so that we could resume our stalk. They walked into some brush up on the ridge, giving us the opportunity to take a rest on a cliff just below. I had a perfect view of the buck inside the brush but had to wait patiently for the one I had my eye on to step into a small clearing.
I was using my .303 with 179 gr Titan bullets. I zeroed my gun at 150 m, so I knew I would be safe if the distance was just over or under. The sun was really hot and time was ticking by. If the buck presented me with a shot, I would be ready to take it.
I was busy checking settings on the camera when Jacob said the buck was moving towards the open clearing. I passed the camera to Pikkie, asking him to hit the record button and stay on the buck. We were lying on a cliff and Pikkie ranged the distance at 180 m. I lay down on the rocks and settled my gun so that I could have a dead rest.
“That’s the buck,” Jacob whispered. It was time to take the shot and I felt the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Waiting for the buck to turn broadside, I lined up the scope right on the shoulder and squeezed the trigger.
I immediately knew it was a solid hit as the buck jumped in the air and we heard a “thump”. We decided to wait 20 minutes before going to look for it. As the whole area was flooded, we had to find a place where we could cross the river without being swept away by the strong current. We eventually got through the river and made our way up the ridge.
When we arrived at the spot where I had shot the buck, we heard him jump up again. He ran slowly down the ridge and jumped into the river. I had to run after him to take a follow-up shot. This is where the story really gets interesting! My fallow deer was now in the river, drifting off. We rushed to the river and Pikkie dived in after the buck because there was only a fence separating us from another farm, and with the strong current, my quarry surely would drift out of reach.
Our effort paid off and we recovered my beautiful fallow deer. Upon reviewing my first shot, we found that I had hit him lower than where I had initially aimed, which is why I had to take a follow-up shot.
This definitely was a hunt I will never forget! Eventful and nerve-wracking, it paid off in the end. Everything that happened added to a rewarding hunt that made it all worth it.
