Moving on to this years hunt, we arrived in Johannesburg on 20th May, had a great flight with Air France from Paris but on arrival we only had two bags, all five rifle cases and six bags failed to arrive until the next day. We drove SW in a rented VW Kombi van arriving at New Holm around 7pm. We planed to have a few days hunting the Karoo Plains before going north to the bush veldt. After a beautiful supper of roast lamb and Springbok our host, PC excused himself, to go and check some sheep as he was having trouble with Jackals and Cape Fox after the lambs. I have farmed all my life, first in the UK where hunting rabbits and fox at night from trucks was normal so I just had to go with him to see how sheep were farmed in South Africa and “Can I bring my rifle?” was replied with a big grin. The rest went to bed but Craig and I first had to have a night hunt.
My “light” rifle for this trip was a new Merkel 140 side by side ejector rifle in 9.3 x 74R topped with a Swarovski 1-6 X 24 Z6 scope firing 286 Gr Norma Alaskan ammo. (No time to work up a reload for this rifle) Now this was not the ideal rifle for fox at night but I couldn’t resist trying her, PC brought along his suppressed bolt action .22-250 for back up.
up.
First blood for the Merkel, a marauding Cape Fox who was after lamb for supper.