Omujeve Safaris May 2012

predator

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-22-12 AT 11:01PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-22-12 AT 10:17?PM (MST)

First of all, I apologize in taking so long in putting this up. I had stored all my photos online and in order to direct link them, I had to make them publicly viewed. As a result, I had a boatload of public viewable anti-hunting messages posted on my page. So I've spent some time making the photos private.

Anyway! For those of you who are contemplating their first safari and the cost, feel free to ask and I'll answer with what I experienced on this, my first safari. I traveled to Namibia with Blank in mid-may for a mixed bag of plainsgame, and was not disappointed.

We flew Delta from SLC-Atlanta-Joberg, arriving late in the day. Upon the recommendations of many who have gone before us, we stayed the night at Africa Sky. The rooms were very nice, the food outstanding and the proprietor most gracious.

The following morning we boarded SAA for a short flight to Windhoek, Namibia. At first glance, I found it to look a lot like West Texas.

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We were met by one of our PH's, Japsie. A short drive later, and we were entering Omujeve. The compound has a main lodge for dining and bragging, and our rooms more like an apartment than a 'room'. Our laundry was done daily for us while at the main lodge.

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The terrain at Omujeve really reminded me of the brush country of Texas, only with rolling hills. I think laid out flat, there was a whole lot more ground out there than you think.

The view from my patio:

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After settling in, we went to the range to check rifles. I chose not to import my own, as reports of theft at Joberg worried me. Omujeve has many calibers to choose from, and I was offered a 30.06, which made me feel right at home as it is the caliber with which my father taught me to hunt. Blank would be using a .375 that he leaves at Omujeve, affectionately named "Blood and Thunder". It was driving back to the lodge that I saw a most beautiful antelope- sable.

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That night, after paperwork and introductions, the "plan" was revealed. We would spend a few days at Omujeve and the surrounding farms, then head to one of the concessions. We had thought we were going to Omatandeka, up north near Etosha, but Corne surprised us with good news. We would be the first of his hunters to try a new concession in the Namib Desert!

Sitting on the deck at sunset and sunrise became a daily ritual for us. Recalling the events of the day and speculating on the ones following. This is one of my favorite pics:

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The next morning, we split up in different bakkie's. Joel and I would go with PH Pieter, and Paul with PH Japsie. It was not long before hartebeest were spotted, a large herd with several good bulls. It was the mating season for most of the antelope, another added bonus. We made a stalk that was a fight through thicket and hollow and ended with me on the legs of the sticks shooting through a small opening at over 200 yards.

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Soon I was standing over my first African game animal. Beautiful bull, I find the hartebeest a strangely put together guy, but neat nontheless.



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We loaded up the bull and carried on down the road. Saw some zebra:

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Kudu cow:

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THEN we spotted the one animal I really really wanted. Joel thinks I'm nuts, but I find the black wildebeest uniquely beautiful. At first glance, I thought to myself that they look a lot like buffalo or even more like muskox. We dismounted and had a devil of a stalk, having to crawl more than once and wait out a herd of zebra. We had a perfect wind, and came in through a thicket that afforded us cover. The bull fell two steps from where he stood at the shot.

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This was a very good bull, with bosses the likes of which Pieter had not yet seen.

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2 bullets, 2 animals. Pieter declared that I was truly a hunter, and decided to 'blood' me by painting my face with the bull's blood. Little did I know the meaning of this until the end of the trip.


We now had to return to homebase and the skinning shed. A full lunch and a short nap, and it was time to head back out for whatever might show itself.

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Not shortly thereafter, our tracker Jackson very excitedly snapped his fingers for a stop. We all put up our binoculars to see to what he was pointing, completely missing the face of an old blue wildebeest bull staring at us from the brush just a few paces away. He stared long enough for me to get the .375 from Joel, then took off.

What began was a test in patience and the cementing of respect for what I'm told is one of the toughest of the African antelope.

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After a game of cat and mouse through wait and bit and big spiders (I never EVER got used to them...creepy little !@)

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We finally caught the bull standing broadside across a gully. I shot him right through the lungs, even got a complete pass-through, and he took off bleeding out both sides with us chasing after him. Imagine our surpise when we topped the hill to find lots of blood, and no bull. Then no blood and no bull.

After several hours, calling for more trackers and watching the light fade, finally we found him. He had gone over 800 yards with no lungs, then crawled into the nastiest brush he could find. I was impressed!

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It was upon this kill that we found the winch had shorted out. It was not the first animal that required a group effort to load, though I'm not sure the dogs were really helping us. Man, are they fierce little warriors though!

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Dinner was a most delicious fare of medium rare gemsbok and fresh vegetables from Omujeve's impressive garden.

It was hard to believe it was only Day 1.
 
The pictures are there.

The bosses on that Black W are huge. All nice trophies but that Black W is a monster.

Cannot wait to see and hear more.
 
Wonderful start to a great report! Sitting down with the Texans last week going thru photo album made me miss it all over again.
 
The following day we took off in a different direction. Paul would be looking for eland primarily and maybe waterbuck. Joel would shoot culls if some were needed, and I would be just listening to my PH should he see something worthwhile.

Not far from homebase we saw a steenbok. Had I planned better, I would have had one on license, and I think I may be in trouble when it comes to the Tiny 10.

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Then we saw a good group of waterbuck with a very nice bull, which we watched until we could call the other bakkie.

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Then our tracker spotted a warthog, and we were dismounting and on the stalk. After a short while, my PH decided he was not up to par, and we remounted the bakkie to continue on. The terrain in this area reminded me more of Wyoming or Eastern Utah, with a similar species of Artemesia (sagebrush) and more open grassland than thicket.

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After topping a hill, we knew we were near water because there was a literal explosion of all kinds of game! Giraffe, eland, ostrich, you name it, we saw it.

This was the largest herd of giraffe we saw the entire trip:

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The ostrich were paired up and preparing to nest:

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PH Pieter was glassing around the waterhole (they call them dams) and saw a warthog, impala and one-horned waterbuck that he decreed we must go see a bit closer. We got to a better spotting position, and now could only see a herd of impala, but not the whole herd, so we again dismounted and began to work our way along the brushline. Soon we could see the herd, and at first we thought it was just a large herd of ewes until a ram stepped into view. Up went the sticks, and as if he felt my eyes upon him, he moved behind the herd. I swear every single ewe stepped in front of him. This happened twice more, and we had to keep creeping closer to keep eyes on. Finally, FINALLY, only one ewe stood in front of him, and she saw us. Luckily for me I was visualizing him through her, and the minute she stepped clear I fired just as they both took off running.

We ran up ourselves and expected to see the ram on the ground, but nooooooooooo! No blood, either. We split up and in ten paces Pieter found my ram dead inside the brushline with a perfect high shoulder shot. I love the deep rich color of him, and I wish I could describe the intricate pattern of his horn between the ring, because it was really neat.

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We looked for the warthog and waterbuck, but they were nowhere to be seen, so we loaded the impala in the back and continued our quest. We soon found a good herd of eland, and notified Paul and Japsie.

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As we turned toward Omujeve for a noontime break, we ran into a very impressive kudu. We had been warned that a breeding bull had jumped a fence and that if we saw said breeding bull and killed him, we ourselves would be subject to some sort of mutilation and embarassment. This bull was big enough to be the escapee, so all we could do is watch and take a few pics. Pieter said we would email the pic to Corne and see if this bull was the escapee or fair game.

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At lunch, we received a succinct response from Corne: "Hunt him". Boy, were we excited! Everyone wants a big curling kudu bull! We spent that afternoon looking for him, and true to their nature, he flat out disappeared. Also true to Murphy's Law, we saw one even bigger, but ran out of daylight.

Paul got his eland and waterbuck that day. All in all, the lodge was a happy place this night. But the excitement was just beginning.

Tomorrow we were heading to Doro !Nawas. One million acres of wild Africa awaited, and it was all ours to explore.

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AWESOME thread so far. Had to comment so I can get immediate notice when the next chapter comes! Can't wait.
 
Love the pics and the story. Hopefully I can go with the Kruger's to the Caprivi. I have Buff and Hippo fever.
 
The following morning we packed up our gear, loaded up into several vehicles and headed north for the Namib Desert. We drove through Okahandja in the Erongo, then Omaruru and ended up in Uis, where we stopped for a quick lunch.

The roads in Namibia are not what we are used to, in fact the only pavement we saw was in brief sections. The rest of the time we were on dirt, but very wide and well maintained.

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We managed to bag a black mamba on the way. We all thought Paul was nuts for getting out of the truck to take this pic because the snake was still quite alive and most pissed off!

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By late afternoon, we were driving by the Brandenberg Plateau, one of the higher points in Namibia and impressive to see. This was the country of the Himba and Herero people, and there were arts and crafts booths along the roadway at each major crossroads.

Soon, we entered the conservancy. Our first stop was at the office to gain permission to hunt and also to find out the quota, and how many animals we needed to provide to the conservancy itself. That being done, we barely made camp by sunset. This conservancy has 'developed' campgrounds, providing piped borehole water, a sink/food preparation area, toilet and shower complete with a wood-fired hot water heater.

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It is clear that hunter and eco-tourist dollars are well-used in this conservancy.

The couples stayed in large Botswana style tents with actual beds and solar-powered lights. I got my own tent, and it was with the greatest apology that my PH asked if I minded sleeping on the sand. Sure, I thought, no problem. I had to laugh when I got into the tent and realized he meant on a mattress on the floor of the tent, pitched in sand. Seriously. I might have to ditch the Thermarest and just buy a twin!

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The staff RAKED the sand several times a day, and lit up the path with lanterns at night.

We all pitched in to set up the kitchen tent and soon our dinner was roasting over the fire.

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I must tell you that a Namibian campfire is nothing like ours; the wood has no smoke, and no sound. It was like watching a TV fire. Very odd.

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I cannot adequately describe, nor could I ever hope to capture the incredible skyview that night. I don't know that I have ever seen our heavens quite like that, nor could I really believe I was finally seeing the Southern Cross for myself. We shared drinks and the fire late into the night.

The following morning, I stood to watch a the sun rise over the one of the oldest deserts on this planet.

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I was not disappointed, and in fact was really surprised to see how much it looked like Southern Utah.

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I felt like I was home.

After a hearty breakfast, we loaded up and headed out in different directions after picking up our game guides, which are required to be present to document the game taken on behalf of the conservancy.
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The PH's were going to learn this concession as we hunted, so it was a privilege to have this opportunity to truly explore with them, and there was a TON to explore. The vastness of it made one feel so insignificant, like a gnat on an elephant's butt.

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We didn't see game as often as in the southern lands, but we did see game. First a herd of springbok, none of which excited my PH.

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Another hour of exploring and we saw a couple springbok rams and some gemsbok. Both groups looked worth investigating, so we dismounted to get closer.

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It was like being in Wyoming, we were pegged more than a thousand yards out and there was not a thing we could do about it. The gemsbok held a couple of really good bulls, and both springbok rams also looked good. As the gemsbok raced to the top of a plateau, the springbok just walked quickly away toward some foothills. Pieter decided we would stalk the springbok.

By now the sun was high, and the temps were edging into the mid-90s. We loped across the valley and up the first hill only to see the springbok well ahead and going over the next. So this time we ran to the next hill. This continued for several more hills, and the heat was just oppressive. At one point, Pieter put up the sticks above his head, and I walked lockstep with him so they would think we were gemsbok.

It worked, they never spooked and after a few more sprint and waits, we caught up to them as they entered a canyon. One last sprint up the side of the canyon, and we were within 200 yards. Pieter and I were both panting, and we had no time to put up the sticks. So I plunked down into a seated position, tried to slow my pounding heart and time the bounce of the wire while I squeezed the trigger.

The ram dropped in his tracks and Pieter was ecstatic. He squeezed my shoulder and exclaimed, "My God, you are my best hunter! I don't know how you made that shot!". I gave him a slap on the back and said "THAT, my friend, is how we kill elk back home".

He sent me up to the ram, and left to call the bakkie. I was able to get to him just in time to catch the backhair slowly coming down. I found the springbok to be a beautful little antelope, and strikingly similar to our own.

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Joel had told me to sniff the gland on the back, and I really really thought he was setting me up for the dry heaves or something. I was truly amazed at how it smelled; some of you know, but for the others- IT SMELLS LIKE PEACHES AND HONEY.


I lost it as I stroked the baby soft hair and the silence and the heat and the feel of the sun and rock hit me at once. Tears rolled down my cheeks because I could finally grasp that this was not a dream, it was reality, I was here and doing something I have always always wanted to do.

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We loaded up the ram and continued to explore, but the heat of the day was chasing us. We had already driven more than 100 K and only touched a bit of the concession. It was time to shade up and have lunch, a refreshing dry lemon cold from the cooler and great conversation, to include the education that the strange curling aloe vera-type plants we saw all around us were the Namibian people's treasure- this ancient plant lives for thousands of years and is found only in this part of the country. Another privilege to be appreciated.

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We had transitioned to a slightly different terrain, more volcanic in nature with less grass. Nonetheless we stil saw game. Kudu, hiding in plain sight.

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I fell in love with the sight of a big bull staring at you like you hurt his feelings.

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Gustav, our game guide, took us to a hill from which he likes to spot game. You could see for miles and miles from the top of it, but this afternoon no game other than ostrich was seen.
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We returned to camp for an early dinner, as the plan was to go out after dark and try to call in a spotted hyena for Joel.

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That was the creepiest thing I've ever done in my life. Sitting in pitch blackness in the middle of a plain with an infinite amount of stars above while the recorded whoop, howls, barks and gnawing sounds of a pack of hyena echo into the black. We gave up after only jackals came in, and our faces were frozen.

This really was the desert after all, fried you in the day and nipped your nose at night. we all fell into bed, only to get up in hours and do it all over again.
 
We had two black mamba's in Botswana and one crawled in the blind with Erick; glad it was not me.

Great pics.

I want Namibian firewood. The Botswana smoke followed me everywhere.

Tents are just like at Kanana. Way nicer than I expected. Keep on posting. Loving it!!!
 
"It was time to shade up and have lunch, a refreshing dry lemon cold from the cooler and great conversation"

Glad to hear you had that drink! I must of drank a case of that stuff (slight exageration) when I was in RSA.

Loved the springbuck pic. That's definitely on my kit when I return in 2013!
 
Woodruff, I spent the last 5 months trying to find out why Schweppe's does not make it here, and if I could import some, because I really like it.

Ok, the tale continues: We loaded up literally mere hours after we had gone to bed, but who can deny a sunrise like this only fuels the excitment for the day:

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We went into the conservancy by another route so that the PH could keep learning the access routes and what game was held in what area. We came out of a canyon onto the plains and found ourselves a nice glassing hill.

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Joel quickly found a herd of zebra in one of the side canyons, and we prepared for another stalk. I left behind the 30.06 and went on with the PH's 300 Weatherby. We checked the wind and slowly worked our way into a gully below where we thought the zebra to be. Crawling to the top of the ridge, we found we were right on, as there was a very large mare standing 250 yards from us. I laid down and found that I had a very comfortable prone rest, including elbow support. I told Pieter that I could lay there all day long, it was so nice. We stayed that way for what seemed like an hour, and Pieter decided that we were not seeing the main herd, so we backed out and moved one canyon over.

Check the wind, crawl to the top. Bingo! Again I laid prone, putting the stock of the rifle in between two rocks. The scope was completely unfamiliar to me, I had to push a button to range, then a red dot would appear on the vertical wire to indicate where to hold. We watched one large zebra chasing two others around, and Pieter felt it was a stallion and gave me the go ahead to shoot. The range indicated was 341 meters, and I'm not sure what I did wrong, but I flat out missed. The zebra did a 360 and moved off a bit to my right. This time I concentrated on putting the dot right on the shoulder and fired.

No worries this time, and the zebra dropped like a rock. More congratulations and the bakkie was called while we walked down to the animal. Pieter was very surprised to find it a mare, but realistically it will be a better fullskin, and she was only light scarred for being such a fighter. It took all of us grunting and groaning to get her into the bakkie, as the winch was still broken.

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Now we had bait for hyena! Our game guard took us to a developed waterhole, where we could wait while he and the tracker took the zebra quarters back to where we had seen hyena tracks. There was a convenient tree without thorns (I know, I was shocked as well) that we were able to hollow out and make a ground blind. There we sat for some hours to see what might come in, which turned out to only be some ostrich.

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When the guys returned, followed by the other bakkie, it was time for the now daily shade up and lunch up. It was quite enjoyable to be with each other during the day, not just at breakfast and dinner.

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Soon it was time to head out again. We left the other guys to stalk some gemsbok while we continued on our exploratory drive.

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We ran into some giraffe:

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Then we again headed back to camp for a nap and early dinner.

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Once it was full dark, we went back out to a place near a village where a goat had been killed 3 days prior by hyena. We spent ours holding completely still in the chill, with the eerie sounds coming from the speakers.

Nothing. These hyena were either very smart, or very hunted.

Tomorrow we were going in deep to the true desert in search of gemsbok.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-02-12 AT 02:18PM (MST)[p]And... We're waiting!! LOL

Thanks for sharing Lisa - this is amazing. WOW. Keep them coming.



HOOK 'EM!
_______________________________________

Since I am frequently asked about my religion on this site and others, I have created a profile that explains my beliefs. If you are interested in finding out more about my faith, please visit the link below:

http://mormon.org/me/6RNQ/
 
If we could just get her to stop elk hunting long enough, we'd get an update. Hopefully back Sunday night with more stories of success and great tales of Africa!
 
I am having dark continent withdrawals as well. The weather is to nice for elk hunting. She needs to be on the computer giving us something to read.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-06-12 AT 09:47AM (MST)[p]wow! I have like, followers!! How cool is that! Okay, I know it's not me at all, its the Africa bug.

Let's see, where were we? Oh YES, we were heading to the actual desert. We all thought that was a joke, because we felt like we had already been hunting the desert. What this in involved was a multi-hour drive and a whole bunch of game sighting. On the way, Joel began to shoot some of the required conservancy meat. One springbok fell within 15 minutes of camp. I made a couple attempts at two more, but found the rifle still shooting high. In hindsight, I should have just insisted we stop and re-zero it, but we had a lot of driving to do.

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So we all sat back and marveled at the slight differences of terrain as we went deeper into the Namib. I found some of it to remind me greatly of Monument Valley and my own favorite haunts on the Grand Staircase.

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We saw rhino tracks, which made for some very excited conversation between the Africans.

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Saw the now very common giraffe:


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We even raced an ostrich. He kicked our bakkie's butt! It fascinates me that their head remains perfectly still while their body is going so fast underneath. Pretty cool stuff.

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It wasn't long before we saw no game at all. Truly we were heading into the desert.

Hours later, we were grinding our way up a winding rocky track expecting more of the same. Japsie had told us we would know exactly the moment we arrived in the desert, and he was right. Pieter slammed on the brakes of the bakkie and exclaimed "Oh #####!".

Yup, no doubt. This was the desert. What in the world do the animals EAT out here???

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We were all in awe, and for some time, not a word was spoken. Another hour found us approaching what Gustav said was a waterhole known to his people. Indeed, we began seeing heavy trails like the spokes of a wheel all heading to one area. This was followed by finally seeing some game.

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We dismounted about 1/2 mile from the water and started up a small hill. Just as we neared the top, Joel stopped us because he had seen the tops of the horns of a gemsbok in the gully in front of us. Sure enough, two bulls walked out and away. One was good enough for Pieter to give me the indication to shoot.

I was lying in a small depression and once again had a great prone rest. The bull was over 350 yards out, and the wind was very stiff from the right. Add to that some really significant heat waves off the ground and waving sparse grass, and it made it quite the challenge. Not to mention the bull was facing face-on. So we waited. And waited. Finally, he turned broadside.

Now the grass completely obscured the vitals. I was not comfortable with this shot, so I sat up. He immediately stopped, glanced our way and then the tail began twitching. After watching them for days, I knew that he was about to take off on a dead run. I held forward on his body into the wind, just over his back and pulled the trigger.

He dropped in his tracks. You know it's a far shot when the animal is down and THEN you hear the report. Once again I was congratulated, but what I was seeing in the scope confused me-blood was pouring from his ears.

When we walked over to him, the answer was clear. I had flubbed that shot, pulling it further right than I intended. The rifle was still shooting high, and this bull happened to catch a bullet........right between his eyes!!

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Honestly, I couldn't make this up if I tried. But if that's what happens with a miss in the Namib, who am I to complain??

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Once he was in the bakkie, we all walked over to the waterhole. It was the most amazing thing, fellas. It was a group of tiny pools of water that had seeped up between cracks in the bedrock. Gustav said that the pools never got any bigger or smaller. We cleaned one out of a muddy bottom and watched it fill up to the exact same level, then stop.

It was amazing.

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I asked Gustav how long this waterhole had been known to his people. He said before his grandmother's grandmother. WOW. How's that for humbling? He also said they had a geologist come in and survey it to see if they could open it up as an acutal hole. They were told that if they did anything to disturb the bedrock, the water would dry up completely.

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My respect for the gemsbok went up a few notches. Truly warriors of the desert.

We needed to head back to camp, as we had nearly 200 kilometers to go. Joel shot two young gemsbok on the way out, and I a springbok. So if any of you are wondering just how much these little trucks hold-it's 3 gemsbok and two springbok.

I was really truly touched by the magic of this place. I so wanted to spend more time there.

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We left the high desert and descended back into the heat. We were half asleep in the back when suddenly Jackson yelled "elephant!". Pieter looked at me in the sideview mirror and said, "what did he say?" "Elephant!" said I. Pieter slammed on the brakes so hard that I'm surprised we didn't end up on the hood.

We had been told that there were desert elephants here, but hadn't seen a sign of them. We backed up and slowly made our way up a washbed. The first elephant seen was one sleeping. I had no idea they slept on their sides, I had always been under the impression that their immense weight would suffocate them if they laid down.

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I swear he was snoring. We cautiously drove by, and soon spied another ele peering at us.

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We continued on and hit a very special bonanza. We had found a herd of mostly cows and calves, to include one that is probably fairly new. We did not speak, and the cows were amazingly tolerant of us. It was a photographer's dream.

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Finally one of the cows gave us the eye. We took the hint and left very quickly!

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A short while down the road, and we found a herd of bulls. I think they all appeared to be in musth (sp), as all had dark stains on their heads.

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We went on, much satisfied with what this conservancy had given to us. Upon arrival at camp, we had some decisions to make. We had planned a few days rest at an eco-tourist lodge. We could go tomorrow, or stay another day and hope Joel was able to finally get his hyena.

Joel made it for us, we would hunt hyena tonight and then we would all go together for some pampering at Erindi.

I was going to miss this place that felt so much like home to me.

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Wow Pred...I've been working too hard and not checked into this forum for while...this is an incredible post/thread! Thanks for sharing with us...I'll be checking in more while I'm on the road to see what you've posted next. The pics are awesome and the story with them has me fired up for next May. Thanks again!

Bret
 
Congrats on a great Oryx. He is on the salt and that is all that matters. Great story. Great pics. Would love to see a wild ele some day. Special experience I am sure.
 
Lisa,
I have had the opportunity (privilege) of hunting Omujeve with Corne and Nic Kruger. I have enjoyed your essay immenseley. It is almost as good as going back again.

Thank you for your efforts, and please don't stop anytime soon.. Thanks, KattKrapp
 
Thank you Pred for your complete story now. it makes my heart yearn to return to Namibia. Your pictures make me realize that i didn't take enough pics.
 
Predator, where are you? I am having withdrawals but I cannot say much, I have not been able to post much either lately.
 
Sorry guys, I've been pretty much slammed at work. I promise I'll get the final pics/story up this week!

Did you all hear Blank won an RSA safari? That yokel!!

Now I am trying to figure out what I need to sell to go with him!
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-07-13 AT 08:52AM (MST)[p]Yep, sure did. With Charl Van Rooyen and Infinito Safaris. My son David went over to meet him at Dallas Safari Club this past weekend, and will probably do some video work for him and also film my hunt.

Extended it out a few more days and will target nyala, Limpopo bushbuck, mt. reedbuck, and klipspringer on this trip!

The extra large duffle bag is still an option. :)
 
Ok! Maybe this was a good thing, my getting interrupted. Because now I can just fire you all back up for THIS year!

The decision was made that all of us would go to Erindi. Joel would have to add spotted hyena to his next safari list, sadly. It was time to say goodbye to our new friends.

Chef Eric, whom we all say would win a Top Chef Africa hands down:

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Gustav, our game guard who with steady quietude shared the wonders of his land with us:

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The little guy that greeted us every day with his big eyes:

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Then we were in the trucks and off. It was only a couple hours to Erindi, and the time passed quickly with good friends and conversation. Soon we were at the gate.

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For those who do not know about Erinidi, it used to be one of the premier hunting destinations in Namibia. With ecotourism becoming a large part of the economy, the owner decided to capitalize on it and now Erindi has become one of the premier ecotourist attractions. Blank was one of the last people to ever officially hunt at Erindi, and as is his way, he made friends with the Joubert family.

Erinidi is 5-star, my friends. I was afraid to sit on the bed for fear the desert dust would mar the setting!

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There are all sorts of activities in which to partake, the most popular of which are game drives. If you are a photographer, you MUST go to Erinidi and explore the nearly one million acres, you will not have a better platform from which to explore with your camera! These are just a few from the first night:

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Soon we were watching yet another amazing African sunset, and enjoyed a tradition at Erindi, a 'sundowner'. Drinks and snacks with conversation chasing the last light of the day.


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We returned to the lodge, welcoming the warmth, as Erindi was much higher than where we had been, and I have to say I should have packed thermals! The PH's had arrived and had been visiting with friends. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner together and were visited by our host, Mr. Joubert.

Imagine my delight when Pieter informed me that he had made arrangements for me to hunt a nearby property the following morning. A property that was known for it's quality.

Oh yes, my friends, this day ended with high expectations, for tomorrow the Grey Ghost and I would cross paths. Only luck and a hunter's heart would tell how that would end.

*giggle* And you thought the safari was over.....silly boys!

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Just got through reviewing all the brochures for this years hunting shows from both Omujeve and Kanana Safaris that my son prepared. Great photos with a lot of "grip and grin" pictures; lovely animals and happy hunters abound. Our very own Predator is featured in the one for Nic and Corne', with an exceptional kudu bull! Maybe this is a good set up for the "rest of the story"???????

If anyone had a chance to view Nosler's Magnum TV this past week, the area of the Namib desert that they were hunting desert elephants in is where this story of Lisa's took place. We were in the very same camp in the Doro !Nawas Conservancy and it brought back wonderful memories of this past May.

Everyone should be so lucky as to experience this in their lifetime.
 
Glad you are back with us. Looking forward to the rest of the story. Great pictures and trophies.

Going to sit down with Nic and Corne at SCI and see if we can work a Caprivi deal for down the road. I have DG fever and cannot just do a plains game only safari on the next trip.
 
The following morning, we had planned a late breakfast. One downside to hunting out of an ecotourist lodge is that one must wait until the other guests leave so as not to attract attention to oneself! I had stepped out on my porch and found myself eyeballed by Old Toothy. The warthog I had photographed the prior day was now in pieces in his pond. Creepy!!

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One of the nice things about Erindi is that the main lodge overlooks a waterhole. You never know what might come in. This morning, we had a couple of rare treats: wild dogs chasing off a brown hyena and bull elephants sparring.

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Soon it was time to go, so we loaded up and drove a bit to the property we were to hunt. Because we only had a partial day, we chose to maximize our chances by sitting on a waterhole. Once again, a photographer's paradise!! You never know what is going to come to water, I was so excited to have this opportunity!

The accomodations were mighty nice, too. A comfy chair with good company and a wide open view of a little lake in the middle of Namibia. I truly was in God's good graces.

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We settled in behind our netting and began the wait. All kinds of game began to filter through.
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We got pretty darn nervous when the hippo swam right by; we had no idea what we were going to do if he hauled out right into our blind! He crawled out onto an island and flopped in the sun like a Volkswagen bus-damn but they are big!

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This gemsbok bull was everything Pieter had been looking for, and he urged me to shoot him. In fact, we got into a little argument about it. He was literally groaning when I refused.

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But I wanted a kudu. I was afraid shooting now would put the kabosh on anything else coming in, so I let that big oryx walk away. After a few hours of this watching and waiting, Pieter got up to use the facilities and was scampering back within seconds of leaving.

"Lisa, bring your rifle, there is a kudu behind us on the pan; he looks good but I need to see him better". He grabbed Joel and asked him to look as well. All I could see was a kudu bull across the pan in the thicket, and we were in thicket as well. I was kneeling and watching the guys for any signal that it was go time.

The bull turned his head and Pieter told me that I must find a way to "shoot this kudu right now!". The only choice I had was to sit down on the embankment and hope to thread a bullet through the brush. Luck shined upon me again, because I sat down in front of the only opening in the brush, and the bull was centered in it. I fired and we heard the bullet hit, but it sounded odd. The bull never moved, so I fired again, and again we heard the bullet hit, but again it didn't sound right (not like the hollow thwack you would would expect). The bull just began walking up the hill. Pieter took off at a sprint down into the pan, with me trying not only to keep up with him (he's pretty quick) but also trying to reload the rifle while not pointing it anywhere near him.

Joel gave us hand signals until we were where the bull had been standing. Nothing. No hair, no blood, no anything. I was seriously disappointed that I had not re-zeroed the rifle at this point. Pieter turned and began tracking but stopped in about 10 paces.

Turning with a smile, he motioned me to him, then pushed me ahead. "He's right here! What a bull!!". The horns curling up out of the brush was a sight I had always dreamed of, and here he lay, dead as dead could be.

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I had hit him both times, right through the heart. How tough and animal kudu must be, for he didn't even flinch.

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We both lit up with whoops and hollers. Joel came over and we admired the bull while Pieter called for the bakkie. The curl of his horns, the beauty of his stripes and mane. Even the pink ears (I didn't believe that was real on any mount until I saw it this day). It was again a most magical moment.

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It was short-lived, though, for soon both bakkies arrived and we were faced with the dilemna of how to load such a beast without a winch. We pushed, pulled, lifted a dozen times before we finally got it right. Back on the road to Erindi.

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We got back in time for the evening game drive. Joel would be going back out for hyena tonight, so I joined the girls and after shoving a granola bar in my mouth for dinner, we were off! It about killed me that I could not tell the tale of the hunt with the girls, but we were in mixed company and it would probably have not gone over well. :)

You would think the day was as good as it could get, but noooooo. It just got better and better with every photo shot I was presented. I got more 'frameables' in 3 hours than I could have tried to get in a week. I was on one heck of a natural high.

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Then it got one better when we literally ran into a group of lion. The lioness was in heat and taunting the lion, so neither one gave a crap that we were there, making it easy for us to get closer than most of us probably wanted. We followed until they settled in.

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Poor guy was so exhausted. So much work to be ignored!

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We had our sundowner while the sun set. Tomorrow we would leave Erindi and return to Omujeve. I had one more quest, and it was time for Joel to get serious.

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I could hardly sleep I was so full of the events of the day.
 
Miss Predator i expect the conclusion of this post sooner than later. I will keep putting the heat on. Smile.

Awesome to chat with you guys. I would love to get something done with Nic and Corne but need two safari to Zim and Namibia to get it done.

They cleaned up at SCI. Good for them.
 
Workin' on it, Mister Joe!

Let's see, where were we? Oh yes, going back to Omujeve. You'd think we were family having returned from vacation the way we were welcomed back to the lodge! And it was a full house, too, there were several other hunters all coming together at the same time. It made for some really enjoyable nights around the fire and the hunter's table to be sure.

There was a gentleman from Atlanta who was looking for leopard, a couple who had been hunting all over the world for the past 12 weeks (how would that be!!), and a European who had already taken a leopard and buffalo and was now looking for cheetah. I felt like a dime store story in all that experience, let me tell you.

But the beauty of being a hunter is that it is the hunt, not what you do or who you are, that makes you accepted. I had returned not without a reputation regarding my shooting, and it was with a slight giggle that I had to refute the allegation that I might be a sniper by profession.

After settling in and a short nap, by golly it was time to go in search of my last animal. Yup, we needed to find Ugly. Mr. WartFace himself. He was proving to be a challenge, as it's not like he just stands still for you, no way! Pumba runs so fast that I believe he once had hair, but it's worn off from jetting through the bush.

Off we go!

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We drove to another neighboring ranch that was having some Pumba issues, and allegedly some big ones, too. On the way, Joel would start shooting some culls for new leopard baits, and we would check some baits already hung for track.

Don't mess with Blank, by the way. The man can shoot. Within short order, he had taken down two young bulls with a head shot while they were running. Our tracker Jackson took them apart and we dragged a wash and set a bait.

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We checked the old baits, but only jackal appeared interested. On the way back to the lodge, we saw an enormous warthog in addition to an equally enormous steenbok. I told Pieter that if the steenbok was available, I wanted him. We dismounted and began walking down into the wash. No steenbok. In fact, no warthog. We slowly began working each fold of the landscape into the wind. As we crept over one, Pieter stopped and told me the warthog was just over the rise, facing away at under 50 yards.

I shot, and Pumba took off with his tail on fire. Remember the high-shooting rifle? Well, it bit me in the butt this time. I was so disappointed. When we came back to the truck, Joel asked what happened and I told him that I had no idea where the rifle was shooting now. It was a quiet ride back to the lodge, but we all agreed that after lunch we needed to re-zero.

We found that it was shooting nearly 4 inches high and right at 100 yards. We fixed that, and traveled out and began again at an area where Pieter has seen a big warthog for several years. He has managed to elude every hunter, to include himself. We took our time, but were not seeing much of anything really.

Pieter pulled up to a high point with a tremendous view for 360 degrees. He and Joel walked off a ways, and I noticed what looked like a monument on the top of the point. I asked Jackson what it was, and he told me that it was a gravesite of some people Corne knew.

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I had to agree with the site, if this is what they had worked so hard to keep. I wondered at the cause, though, as I noted that the dates of death were only days apart. I never did have the guts to ask Corne about it.

Joel and Pieter returned to the truck and I was told that Joel was going to not hunt nyala after all because Pieter had been honest that it was not really a hunt, because the animal was in an enclosure. In other words, Joel was giving up his trophy hunting so that I could fill my bag. I was at the same time pissed and overwhelmed with the depth of my friendship with him.

It was quiet ride back while I struggled with my emotions and Joel remained firm. Not far from the lodge and with light fading fast, Jackson spied a warthog. Pieter could not get a good look at it, but Jackson told him it was a good one, so off we went again.

The warthog was walking quickly away and we had no cover, so we beelined it for him, but got pegged out in the open. Finally, he walked behind a mound of dirt, and we sprinted to a rockpile where I laid prone. We ended up in an African standoff, with the warthog only showing part of his head and chest, facing us and staring. Pieter told me to take the shot, but I couldnt really see all of the head and didn't feel confortable with the 165 yard shot. So I aimed just below his chin and midway through the chest. The report after the shot said I'd hit him, and he ran full tilt for about 30 yards before piling up in the brush.

We literally took the pics as the sun went down, and I realized that my first safari was in the bag. What a wonderful feeling, but not without some sadness and it hit me that my time in Namibia was nearing it's end.

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You can see by my clothing that it had turned darn cold. I was really thankful I had packed a light pair of thermals, because I ended up everything I had the next few mornings just to stay slightly warm!

Tomorrow was a surprise, I hoped that Joel worked out something with Corne so I could watch him do his thing and be as helpful as he had been to me thus far.

There was quite the celebration that night, as two cheetahs in one day had been taken. I wish I had the photo of the one, as it was over six feet from tip to tail. A beautiful specimen!

I slept well despite wondering what tomorrow held in store.
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Some people say "I'm only going to Africa once, then I'll be done with it". I think it was starting to sink in to Lisa that a proper first safari can make or break a persons desire whether or not to return. We had done all we could on this trip to fuel the fire, and now it will be up to her to keep it going! In the warthog pic above, I think it was the thought of returning home shortly that had her shivering, not just the cold!
 

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