After a careful stalk , the author downed the lion-scarred bull with a . 470 Nitro Express . It took 12 man-hours to skin the animal and process its meat .
The harvest of all huntable game on the Timbavati is tightly controlled , and a warden must be present to ensure the proper animals are harvested . My safari included a management Cape buffalo bull and hippopotamus . I received a first-rate education listening and learning from those who have lived with the big wildlife species of the African continent . Birch and White knew every bird , animal , insect and plant . They provided an incredible amount of knowledge from their education and days afield . They are prime examples of those who love and cherish all flora and fauna and have developed deep appreciation and understanding for all through hunting .
The funds raised through the value of local wildlife help manage its very existence and even finance an outreach program . The Timbavati Foundation runs and finances programs that help neighboring communities with such things as boreholes ( wells ), sustainable shaded vegetable farming and environmental awareness programs for school children .
Nerves and Emotion On the last morning of my safari , we checked the best giraffe habitats encountered over the week . Finding long-necked animals didn ' t take long , but none were old bulls . We were down to the wire when an ancient bull browsing distant trees appeared . The dark spots stood out , and the bull had a bone growth above one eye where it had broken its skull while fighting . A rippled nose showed signs of several breaks from being struck by the horns of adversaries .
Birch and I used the cover to cut the distance . We hoped to get inside 50 yards but knew the keen eyes of an old bull would make it challenging . Using the thick brush , we closed the distance , and when Albert , our tracker , set up the shooting sticks , I knew it was go time . I shouldered the Krieghoff Classic in . 470 Nitro Express and found the bull in the Trijicon SRO2 sight . The red dot allowed for quick and accurate target acquisition .
The bull sensed something and turned , taking a few steps toward us . Birch instructed me to take the head-on shot , which is ideal for targeting the animal ' s giant heart . Two large muscles protrude on the chest . I placed the red dot between them and squeezed the trigger . The bull lurched forward in a stumbling gallop , and I fired the second barrel , catching it through both lungs . The bull went about 30 yards and crumpled to the ground .
I quickly reloaded , and we carefully approached the bull . I was shaking from the excitement and the sheer size of the bull . It was a new experience that I had not felt before . I asked Mike what the smell was and if we had encountered a polecat . He chuckled and said that the old giraffes are also called stink bulls .
I was in complete awe of the immense bull . It had the scars of lion claws across its flanks . It had lived a long and
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