The day started early in the bakkie (pickup truck, pronounced bucky).  We all piled in while Louie and Johan went off to dart the herd bull wildebeest on Cobus's farm.  The idea was to take him with us when we went later to move a Nyala, and leave the wildebeest at the other farm.  As it turned out, neither of those things happened.  Louie and Johan approached the herd twice, and both times they were sighted or winded and the critters tore off into tougher areas.  Johan later told us that they'd tried just about everything to get that bull, but would have to wait until they started feeding the animals for the winter to nab him.  So, critters win one.

Next was a call to a neighbouring farm for a Kudu, the largest of the antelope (and, oddly, the best jumpers. Fences just can't hold them) who had wire wrapped around his horns.  That, however, was the only thing wrong with him. So when he scented Louie and the other guys approaching, he disappeared just like the wildebeest. Animals 2, us 0.

Next stop was to move a Nyala, a mid sized antelope.  The farm was over the mountains from Cobus's place and we were going to take the Nyala buck up to the top of the mountain, where the nyala girls were hanging out.  We  never laid eyes on him, driving around with the owner and the bakkie, but we did see plenty of impala and a bushbuck.  We also saw the most incredible view we've had here yet up at the lodge at the top of the mountain.  Just an unbelievable vista down the valley and other mountains from this guy's place.  Apparently he's a big shot accountant who owns a firm and split the land price with 5 other people, each of whom have houses there.  The pictures will blow you away.  On the way out of his place, we passed a gorgeous male/female pair of kudu by the roadside, as if they were just posing for us.  That was cool.  The vehicle in front also managed to see a small black mamba, but he was gone when we got there which was a terrible shame... I really want to see something like that in the wild.  End result: Animals 3, Us 0.

Our last stop of the day was at a farm that raises Sable, large straight or curved horned antelope.  Louie and Johan darted a pair of them in a big fenced area, and we dashed in to get them on the trucks and back to the trailer for transport.  They are ridiculously strong in the head/neck area.  We had two guys, myself and the only other guy in the group, holding one horn apiece and another student holding the base of the horns, and the big buck still nearly jerked away from us.  It was cool and exciting, perhaps a bit more than it should have been, because one girl in the group has a severe superiority complex and keeps trying to order people while not paying enough attention to her own responsibilities.  Or, alternatively, trying to take all the cool procedures for herself while telling people how it has to be.  She very nearly got one of our KSU people speared in the face, twice, because she was arrogant enough to refuse help on the horns (with only one other person) AND was trying to order who gave what shots over the orders of Louie and Johan.  If it comes to a situation where I'm on an animal with her, I think I'm just going to walk away because there's no way I'm letting myself get injured for some idiot with a big head.  And that's basically what she is, because she's nowhere near as competent as she believes.  Anyhow.

In the end, we got the sable loaded up and headed for home.  Our one victory ended up feeling pretty good, because they're very cool animals and it was a tough thing to get them controlled as we did.  So, animals 3 and we finally get on the board with 1