{"id":962,"date":"2022-10-26T11:43:15","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T09:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/?p=962"},"modified":"2022-10-26T11:46:39","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T09:46:39","slug":"the-californians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/26\/the-californians\/","title":{"rendered":"The Californians."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Alex and Laura Montenegro and their friend Tony Cruz from California hunted the Laohu Valley Reserve with Big Water Safaris during September of 2022. While Alex is an experienced rifle hunter, this hunt was the first opportunity Tony ever fired a rifle. Although he has hunted quail and is an experienced <em>pistolero, <\/em>rifle&#8217;s and rifle hunting was a new experience for Tony. However, once he got the hang of it things went well and a lot of fun was had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hein Funck was Alex and Laura&#8217;s professional hunter and Thinus Steyn hunted with Tony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG-20221024-WA0014.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-964\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG-20221024-WA0014.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG-20221024-WA0014-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG-20221024-WA0014-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Laura and Tony Montenegro with an impala ram hunted by Alex.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"791\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/0-1024x791.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-965\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/0-1024x791.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/0-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/0-768x593.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/0-1536x1187.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/0-2048x1582.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Tony Cruz with a young impala ram, the first animal he&#8217;s ever hunted with a rifle and also the first animal ever shot with this rifle, a Howa in .30-&#8217;06.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"652\" height=\"652\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_163130_4621.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-966\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_163130_4621.jpg 652w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_163130_4621-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_163130_4621-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 652px) 100vw, 652px\" \/><figcaption>Alex Montenegro with a magnificent sable antelope bull hunted at Laohu Valley Reserve.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"753\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4-1024x753.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-967\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4-1024x753.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4-300x221.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4-768x565.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4-1536x1130.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4-2048x1506.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Tony Cruz with his blue wildebeest bull, harvested after a long stalk. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"635\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8-1024x635.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-968\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8-1024x635.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8-768x476.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8-1536x952.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8-2048x1269.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Accompanied by Hein and Simon, the Cruz, Montenegro party set off up the mighty Orange River to do some fishing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_164845_551.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-969\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_164845_551.jpg 720w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_164845_551-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_164845_551-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption>Alex Montenegro and Tony Cruz after a successful fishing excursion, each with a catfish.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"920\" height=\"501\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG-20221024-WA0012.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-970\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG-20221024-WA0012.jpg 920w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG-20221024-WA0012-300x163.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG-20221024-WA0012-768x418.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\" \/><figcaption>Laura and Alex with a blue wildebeest bull and a springbok ram harvested by Alex.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"689\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2-1024x689.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-971\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2-1024x689.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2-768x517.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2-1536x1033.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2-2048x1378.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p> Tony Cruz with a young waterbuck bull hunted to feed the tigers at the endangered South China tiger project at Laohu Valley Reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"852\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_163756_000.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-973\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_163756_000.jpg 852w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_163756_000-300x270.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_163756_000-768x692.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><figcaption>Alex Montenegro with his blesbuck.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"965\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6-1024x965.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-974\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6-1024x965.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6-300x283.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6-768x724.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6-1536x1447.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6-2048x1930.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Tony Cruz with his springbok ram.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_164331_458.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-975\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_164331_458.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_164331_458-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_164331_458-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Alex Montenegro with his kudu bull. The elusive grey ghost of Africa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"978\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-1024x978.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-977\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-1024x978.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-300x286.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-768x733.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-1536x1466.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-2048x1955.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Tony Cruz with his warthog. A major part of the South China tigers diet consist of these pigs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"853\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_165110_567.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-979\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_165110_567.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_20221025_165110_567-270x300.jpg 270w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Alex with a very good steenbok ram. While these tiny antelope are often overlooked by hunters, they are a challenging quarry and make an impressive full mount for those looking for an unusual trophy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_9552-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-981\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_9552-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_9552-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_9552-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_9552-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_9552-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Tony Cruz with his kudu, shot late on the last afternoon of his hunt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alex and Laura Montenegro and their friend Tony Cruz from California hunted the Laohu Valley Reserve with Big Water Safaris during September of 2022. While Alex is an experienced rifle hunter, this hunt was the first opportunity Tony ever fired a rifle. Although he has hunted quail and is an experienced pistolero, rifle&#8217;s and rifle&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=962"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":985,"href":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962\/revisions\/985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bigwatersafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}