Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Dark Continent => Topic started by: paleFace on August 18, 2007, 05:10:00 PM
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Stories, photos and Film clips coming your way soon......... let's just say for starters we had one heck of a time, harvested some awesome animals and captured some great footage......
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/zebra01w.jpg)
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Rob I look forward to the stories and photos. Looks like it was dry. Lots of water hole action I would guess. Rod
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Rod it was very dry. it will take me a month to get all the dust out of my clothes and gear. my cameras will require some serious cleaning. the water holes were in deed productive. i will be getting the story started here in just a bit after a grab a little shut eye.
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Lets see it all Rob! Sleep when your dead mate...lol.
Looking forward to the pics and story.
A.K.
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i'll or should i say we will get to the day by day version, for now a few teasers. the events that lead up to these photos were me out side of the car filming some landscape scenes a long with some plains game when i here "LION, LION get in the car now". my reply was where is he! "stalking you that's where". :scared:
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/lion01w.jpg) (http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/lion02w.jpg)
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everything in Africa seems big, but this guy really is big!
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/elephant01w.jpg)
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just a quick thanks to some of the sponsors that helped to make this trip great and a little prelude of things to come.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/wesgallery/broadhead01w.jpg)
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wow glad you made it back and look forward to the picturews and video
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Someone killed an Eland, how was my guess?
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Joseph you done good! man do I feel better after a good night sleep. i'm waiting on the rest of the Red Arrow Crew to show up here on this thread so we can get things started.
probably the best way to make it flow is to do a day by day account. as soon as i get the additional video tapes from Brady & Jon i will start putting together some clips to post. i have close to 40 hours of video to weed through and edit.
this photo shows the concession we were mainly hunting on. the little red arrow points to the main lodge/camp. i am standing on the Uchab Terrace which is the edge boundary of Sophienhof. there is a small strip of land between the cliff and the edge of Kudu Game Ranch which the main concession we hunted on. there is approx. 30,000 acres of land on these 2 concessions.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/afrikajagsafari02w.jpg)
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oh yes! this is what im talking about bring on the pics and vids my friend im not goin to sleep for a few days ill bring the kettle and a bucket to my room..no kidding lol
glad you all got back safe!
Andy
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:) ohe yeah!!!!!!!!!! :wavey: :thumbsup:
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Rob, Congrads on the trip. Glad you got home safe. Great photos so far--I look forward to seeing more of them. :)
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Etosha is flat hey? Big too, if you go to weathersa.co.za they have pics of the region and you will see Etosha and the Makgadigadi salt pans.Those mares look about ready to drop their foals. That is a great elephant note the thickness of his very worn tusks, will still have lots of weight. Beware of lions in national parks they are not scared of people! They can do 100 metre sprint in 4 seconds, not on astro turf on their own turf!
Namibia is a gem; empty, clean and wild.
chrisg
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i don't know where the rest of the gang is! i was behind the camera for all but two days and don't want to steal all their thunder....
i will try and set the stage a little with some fill photos. this is a shot of my home away from home for the 16 days that i was in Namibia.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/sleepingquarters1.jpg)
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yip come on Rob dont be shy with the pics now i know your a photographer and thave LOTS of pics... :readit:
by the way did your son go on the trip with you guys?
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Andy my son didn't make this trip but i'm planning on taking him back with me next year. this trip was mostly to do video work, although i did get to hunt the last 2 days.
with it being the first time on the hot seat filming the hunt i had some bugs to work out. i learned a lot on this trip that will help out on future hunts. we did get some really good footage however.
heres a few more pics:
the road leading to Afrika Jag Safari
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape05.jpg)
some shots of the surrounding area:
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape01.jpg)
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape02.jpg)
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more photos of the area the crew hunted:
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape03.jpg)
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape04.jpg)
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Hey Guys, I'm here. Just trying to get everything in order and get back to the "real world". Like Rob said we had a great time, and were able to kill a few nice animals as well. Namibia is a great place.
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Hello Everyone! What a trip we had, it was GREAT! Will get some of my pic's together and post a few and stories. AFRICA, I'm Hooked! :bigsmyl: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Hey Jon you had to leave so quick you didn't get to meet my wife and two of the kids at Dulles
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Hey Ed, glad you made it home OK. Yea when we got to Dulles, I barely had enough time to get my stuff and get on the plane. They were boarding when I got through security!
By the way guys, Ed's new name is "Ed Frye the killin' guy". Ed shot a truckload of animals, and I mean literally, a truckload!
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well since you let the cat out of the bag regarding Ed i guess we better let them in on your new name, "Wart Hog Man"....
i will probably hear from Piet soon that they have a real shortage on wart hogs. thanks to Jon!
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/warthogs01.jpg)
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ok lets start with Day 1:
Ed jump in any time with your story and don't forget to quote me.
me "are you going to shoot"? Ed "i'm thinking about it"!
"how do you miss something the size of a barn"?
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Gangs all here now. Lots of catching up to do in the office today, so I will chime in as able. Have to be careful not to give everything away...we want you to get the video!!!!! We'll add enough to get the mouth watering. How's that sound :goldtooth: ?
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After 36 or so hours travel made it to Windhoek, Namibia. This trip everybody's luggage made it except my treestand. That's a heck of a lot better than my last trip where nobody had a bow or clothes for 3 days. A quick overnight in Windhoek courtesy of our host, Piet Mostert, and we were on our way to camp!
4 hours later we arrived. Camp was a lot drier than when I was there 2 years ago. The grass was very short where it existed. Last trip it had been chest high in most places. It didn't take us long to get out on the practice range and get settled in with bows, arrows, and broadheads. Everybody was in a hurry to get in a hide (blind) for the first afternoon's hunt, so we were set up with our PH's and driven out. My first afternoon I hunted with my wife, Dana and PH, Jorum at a pit blind dubbed Kudu Post. It had been productive for me during my past visit, and I expected no less this trip. Eland frequent this spot, as much as anywhere, and a big eland bull was on the top of my list. It wasn't long before critters started showing up. Herds of kudu cow and young bulls watered a mere 15-18 yards away. We had been instructed to take some cow kudu, eland and wildebeast to help manage the herd in this dry season. My wife was excited and wanted to take her first ever game animal. She had brought along her compound and her recurve, Despite a lot of practice with her recurve prior to our arrival, she had difficulty pulling the necessary hunting weight, so she opted to hunt with her compound for ethical reasons. The 1st herd of animals had a nice mature kudu cow, so I motioned for her to get ready. The watering cow heard us getting set up and was preparing to exit, so I came to draw, focused in the triangular area between its shoulder blade and leg bone, and released. My arrow flew beautifully to the exact spot I was focused upon....it's just that the kudu wasn't there any more. A slow motion replay revealed that the nervous kudu had "jumped string" and the arrow sailed harmlessly over her back. Stike one.
Thankfully another group came in shortly after the first. Dana was prepared to shoot and got into position. The only animal to present a shot was a young bull, so we held off. A few cows stood just 15 yards away, but their slightly quartering towards position didn't lend itself to a high percentage shot, so Dana held off. The best part was that Dana was so excited that she leaned back and whispered, "I feel like I need to sit down." and then later " I feel like I need to pee." She didn't get to loose an arrow, but she was getting to experience what it is that makes us do what we love to do so much.
We watched a few warthogs come and go, then just before dark another herd of kudu approached. Still very slightly quartered, the PH encouraged her to shoot, telling her exactly where to place her shot. I debated with him for a few moments before conceding. She took careful aim and released. The shot entered the front of the shoulder and penetrated about half way. The animal took off down the trail. Dana jumped up and gave out a quiet "whoopee." I turned and said, it was a little far forward, just a second before our PH said, "It's down." Her shot had been flawless, and the 500 pound kudu had gone only about 30 yards before expiring. We were both elated. Not since I had taken my own first animal with a bow had I been so proud. She had not done it with her recurve, true, but she had made a tough decision, an ethical choice to hunt with a bow which she could adequately pull and she had earned the rank of a bowhunter. She will continue to practice with her recurve, and will one day harvest with it as well, but for now, this was enough. In fact, it was just right.
While we were hunting kudu post, Ed and Rob were also having some excitement of their own :) .....
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:wavey: :notworthy:
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The swirling late winter winds in Namibia tormented all of us at times. Winds held true most mornings, but a predawn moon allowed the animals to drink at night just before sunup. This made mornings a little slow, though there were many exceptions. In the afternoons, the winds often picked up and wrestled for a direction, leaving our scent swirling around the hides that concealed us. My first success came 4 or 5 days into the trip. By this point I had done well to provide plenty of footage for the bloopers section of the film. In addition to the string jumping kudu cow, I also had a BIG warthog get out of the way. Warthogs are surprisingly one of the jumpiest animals we hunted. We have plenty of footage of these guys ducking and dodging arrows. I also missed the same steinbok (an antelope about the size of a jackrabbit) on 2 separate occasions from about 20 yards. Wisely, he didn't return to offer me a 3rd attempt. Back to the story....
The wind howled all night and into the morning. I had "refurbished" an old pit blind a couple of days before and opted to sit in it. The wind pushed sand into my face and camera lens all morning. The temperature was a pleasant 45 degrees at sunrise, but promised to rise into the 80's as it did each day we were there. 4 hours into the hunt, I had begun to wonder whether the wind would give a reprieve. African animals depend upon all their senses to survive the many predators that dine upon them. Consequently, they rarely come to water wind the wind is high. Eventually the wind subsided, and the rising mid day heat drove the animals to water. The first to arrive was a group of 4 young kudu cows. I enjoyed them, but didn't shoot. Next came a warthog with a single tusk, four young ones in tow. Not long after a group of five kudu cows came to water. One was a large old female, and I couldn't wait to try out my big 800 grain grizzlysticks and eclipse broadheads. Eventually she turned and showed me her shoulder. My focus was intent as I drew and anchored. Careful to keep the shot forward, as most African game have their vitals lower and more forward than our North American game animals, I continued my focus as I released. The arrow flew true. 800 grains of arrow punched through the near side shoulder and broke the off side shoulder before coming to rest. Dust was everywhere as the startled animals hurried to escape. The kudu travelled about 75-100 yards before dropping just out of site.
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i reckon i'm gonna need to write everyones story for them.... the only problem is i wasn't hunting i was filming. let me just say that even as a the camera man when animals were approaching i would get all excited. my heart would start pounding, hands got sweaty and i needed to take some deep breaths. i don't what's more exciting, shooting with my camera or shooting with the bow. hummmmm! i think i will keep doing both since i can't decide.
well the first afternoon in the blinds the two rookies to Africa would draw blood. there would be some fresh game for our Chef, Clemons, to prepare. Clemons is a native Namibian. he lived in Swakopmund where he learned to speak German as well as cook. i need to make a trip to the mall to purchase some new clothes. after all those delicious meals i weigh in about 10 pounds heavier.
heck going to Africa just to eat some of the wild game is worth the trip. Gemsbok steaks melt in your mouth. dinners consisted of a select piece of meat from the harvested game with a sauce or gravy. the meat was usually cooked over the open fire medium rare, except for Dana, she liked hers well done (dead). then there was the veggies and salad all done with a special Africa twist. both red and white wine flowed at dinner.
after stuffing ourselves to the gill Clemons would stroll back in with desert. each night a new treat of his own design. after dinner came the penalty drinks. this consisted of shots of yegermeister :jumper: one shot for each animal harvested during that day. if i remember right we went through about 5 or 6 bottles since there were only a few days that no game was taken.
after dinner we sat around the camp fire and told the stories (lies) from the day and enjoyed each others company and the beverage of our choice. many nights after leaving the campfire i would gaze up at the night sky. i have never seen so many stars. since we were in a remote camp with no electricity except the generator that ran only for a few hours after dinner, the night sky was black as coal with exception of the zillions or tiny glistening lights. it might be corny but i wonder if any of those other galaxies have planets similar to ours. if so do they have bowhunters roaming around the wilds chasing game during the day and then enjoying good fellowship around the campfire at night as we do? i'd like to think so.
my first afternoon out i would be hunting with my hunting partner of the last 20 years, Ed Frye. i don't know if he will thank me or blame me for being on this hunt. our PH, Lucus, would drive us out to the blind known as "New Post". the drive out was exciting in itself. we would see Kudu, Oryx, Springbuck and several other animals. add to that the dust that accompanies the dry season and the excitement was building by the minute.
before we could get settled in our blind the steady flow of visitors would start. aside from the large assortment of fowls the first to make an appearance were a family of warthogs. these pigs are so ugly they are cute. you know, the kind only a mother could love. i feel that the warthog is the ultimate member of the swine family. with their leather hide and long bristled hair running from the top of the head back a long their backbone. and then than tail that points straight up like the flag on a bicycle when the exit. they are like tanks!
these were our first visitors:
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/warthogs02.jpg)
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for a sow, mama had a nice set of tusk. these hogs are a ball of nerves as you will see later in some of the video clips. anything out of the ordinary will set them into a frenzy followed by a trail of dust.
this group went from 0 - 60 in a matter of a blink. i still don't know what caused them to haul ham!
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/warthogs03.jpg)
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There is more to Africa than just sitting waterholes. It didn't take us long to try some new (to them) tricks. Rob and I had brought along treestands to try some "whitetail style" hunting in Africa. You can't hang a tree just anywhere as the mopane trees don't lend themselves to stands. Still, where bigger trees existed, so did the animals. The bigger trees serve as food, shade, and cover for animals in this hostile land. We wasted littel time in getting a couple of stands hung up along a dry riverbed where a series of trails converged. A trail camera placed along the stand site led us to relocate the stands as it revealed primarily eland using the trails, and this at night. Jon moved one of the stands to a large tree overhanging the riverbed. The other remained in the riverbed as he "ran out of ambition." Jon had spotted a couple of dozen kudu bedded below this particular tree on different days. The spot was promising. I climbed in it one day, only to disrupt the nap of a couple of sleeping kudu. As I climbed up the tree which hung 20 feet above the river, I noticed some very large claw marks going up the trunk along with a worn area on the large branch which overhung the river. It seems that we were not the only hunters that liked this vantage point. No doubt, the leopard who made the fresh marks had also thought this tree fitting for ambushing a meal. I kept my eyes open while I sat watching for both predator and prey. My brief stint in the stand was unsuccessful, though one of my other stand sets produced an easy shot on a kudu cow. I also passed up many warthogs and even a large male duiker from one of my treestand set ups. The duiker was fortunate that I had taken a large male during a past visit, and even more so that I couldn't get my camera adjusted on the tripod quickly enough to get the shot on film, so I watched as it walked 2 yards away. Jon also had some treestand success with a large warthog, one of many that he put on the table during our stent.
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a few images from the trail camera we set up by one of the tree stands.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/cdy_0001.jpg)
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/cdy_0005.jpg)
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/cdy_0011.jpg)
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one thing this trip proved, is that tree stand hunting can be just as productive as sitting on water holes. stands placed a long travel routes or a long trails that lead to the water holes can be just productive as sitting at the water holes and some times a better choice depending on the wind.
the folks we hunted with at Afrika Jag Safaris were very open to trying new techniques with tree stands being one of them. the PH's have already purchased some tree stands and the stands that we brought were left for future bowhunters. since the animals there are not as used to danger from above they don't look up like our white tails do. i would recommend giving it a try if you have the room to carry a light weight hang on. climbers are a waste of time in Africa since most of the trees have numerous limbs and none are straight.
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Ok guys I'll try to make this as long and boring as possible. LOL! After a 4 hour drive from wienhoek to Afirka Jag Safari camp, we were ready to settle in and get out to do an afternoon hunt. Now this was my first time to Africa and little did I know what it was going to do to me. After getting ready my Buddy, I say with some reservation, LOL Rob Burnham(aka Paleface) whom I have hunted with for the last twenty years went out with our PH Lucas to a stand that was called New Post. It was a beautiful afternoon and I had no Idea what was going to happen and how it would change me. We were set up in the Hide (blind) Rob fliming and I ready for a Kudu Bull. This was my primary target. We had seen several animals going to the hide. We watched wart Hogs, Steenbok and then Rob and Lucas heard the sound of something walking to us, as they looked with binoculars they saw two Eland coming to us. As I joined in watching they came closer and closer. Never had I seen such a sight as there was not two but three and the third was a big older bull. Now being a first timer I did not know the cliking sound I was hearing was not them walking on rock but the sound of the older bull's hooves. A sound I found out later was a true sound of a trophy. As they approached the waterhole they went behind it and looked like they were going to go on by and then the older bull just turned and started to the water to get a cool refreashing drink. Now being that I was not interested in shooting a Eland and Rob knew this, At least I was'nt when I got there how quickly that changed, LOL After seeing such a sight and I was already kneeling with bow in hand, I started to reach for my arrow. Rob looks at me and asks "Are you going to shoot?" and with a simple reply I said "I'm thinking about it" Then with out even knowing I was drawing down on the biggest thing I have ever seen or shot at. 18 yards, shaking like a leaf in high wind, heart pounding my arrow was suddenly released and flying. I watched as it flew toward it's target and I started to laugh as I thought I shot to high. Now how do you miss something as big as a friken BARN! Lucas and Rob are asking "Are you sure?" I'm in awe, I can't believe it so we watch the playback then go to look for my arrow. Lucas finds it and then we know, I did not miss. My Eland only went 150 meters. What a thrill, Now for the kicker guy's. This was my first traditional harvest. Thats right I had not even shot a deer or anything with my trad gear up to this point. What a way to start my trad hunting!! (http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/edelandme01.jpg)
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A little more info for you all, I was shooting a 52 pound Assienhimer, 710 grain arrows tipped with Razor sharp Eclipse broadheads. What a combination. Africa, It's not a country, It's a obsession! It has hooked me and I am already to plan my next trip for next year.
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i must add a little more to this story. what Ed didn't mention was the fact that since we were not sure of the hit the PH Lucus decided to wait until the following morning to take up the track. now if you know Ed you would know that he is anything but quiet. normally that is. well he i don't think he said more than a few words the entire night. i still remember him shaking his head when the lights when out as they shut down the generator for the night.
the next morning just after daylight found us on the track and within minutes we were staring at the amazing animal. almost a ton in weight, Ed was beside himself and he wore a smile as bright as the rising sun. to say he was happy would be the understatement of the year. hugs and high fives followed and we were both ready to go back to camp and celebrate. what a way to start a hunt, much less start your adventure with traditional gear.
congrads again bud, you done good!
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/edeland01.jpg)
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Nice job Ed!
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That's a great pic of the hogs. Did someone say 'stringjump'? Fast little devils aren't they?
chrisg
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That is a huge Eland and starting to get some age to him also. Congratulations! :thumbsup: I wasn,t planning on shooting one either until it strood in front of me a little to long. Mine was a very old bull and has one horn rubbed off about 3 inches shorter than the other. Joseph
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WOW, nice Eland.
Danny
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fantastic eland, Well done!
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Wonderful stuff, lads, keep it coming, please!
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Guys, I've gotta leave town for awhile for work. Brady, Rob and Ed, can tell my part of the stories and I will add to it when I get back. You're doing a great job so far guys! Thanks.
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Oops, just noticed something. Rob, that picture of that big female warthog is one of the ones I killed! How cool is that? Ok, now I gotta go. Be back in a few days.
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with Jon on the hunt no "Hog" was safe. the nick name "Wart Hog Man" fits him to a T.....
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I thought I recognized her, as well, Jon.
Also, the big boar warthog I mentioned that I missed in my first story also fell to one of Jon's arrows. He was definitely dialed in for warthogs....and eland.
Let me fill in a little about Jon's eland, especially since we don't have it on film :knothead: :banghead: .
Jon and Rob had been following up on the track of one of Jon's animals. During the track, the two of them had separated with Rob returning to the hide to wait for the search party. When the track was done, just about an hour of light was left, so Jon quickly hopped a ride to the nearest waterhole, not far from camp. The only problem was that Rob had the camera several miles away. As light began to give way, Jon and his PH, Jorum, watched as a huge lone eland bull strode quickly into the waterhole without hesitation. These really old bulls go nearly a ton, and don't fear predators like the smaller antelope. Still, they are often nocturnal and are rare to see at the water. Jon was stuck between a rock and a hard place with a hard decision of shooting without the camera to bear witness or let this big bull leave, likely not to be seen again. Jon did what most of us would and drew down on the massive brahma-like beast. His arrow struck home, perfectly placed in the "vital triangle." It had struck the basketball sized heart. The eland fell into the water and struggled to get up, making it just 35 yards before collapsing for good. His 55# Dakota recurve had performed flawlessly in conjunction with his Grizzlysticks and Eclipse broadheads. Most authorities on Africa recommend 70# or more for large eland, but we now had 2 of these magnificient animals down, one with a 52# recurve, the other with a 55# recurve.
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proof positive that shot placement, heavy arrow and razor sharp broadheads are the key. Jon's arrow would have been a pass through had it not impacted the off side shoulder blade. Ed's arrow was a pass through.
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Great stuff guys, awesome stories, congrats, now that you have baited us were is the video? and when available? I am drooling all over my keyboard with every story.
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Congrats in a huge way Ed!!
I got your message on my phone tonight right before it died. That is an incredible way to start you trad career. You ROCK Brutha!
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Congradulations on an exceptional Eland. I will be going to Namibia in August of '08 and it will be the first time I will hopefully take an animal with Traditional gear since the late 70's and 80's. So I think I can relate to Ed in the blind watching 1800 lbs of Eland walking in. I think we all have some dobts about how are performance will be. But then it is so nice when every thing comes together and we can breath easier.
Again congrats on a great eland and a exceptional adventure.
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"The Video"!!!! well ummmm, i must be honest i have reviewed all of my film. now i'm waiting on the rest of the footage. right Doc & Jon....
we are shooting for the first of December if all goes well. just in time for christmas!
we have close to 40 hours of footage that needs to be edited and then reduced to 2 hours or less. we still have some footage to wrap up as well as some narration segments that need to be recorded.
i will load up some video teasers here shortly....
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Shortly after climbing into my blind after recovering my 1st kudu, I caught movement in my periphery. I slowly turned my head and could see legs moving through the brushed in hide. Just seconds later I had a herd of blesbok in view. A native of South Africa, these animals have been introduced throughout much of Namibia, including the area I was hunting. Their long faces resemble that of a heartebeast. Much like the heartebeast their oddity adds to their beauty. Also like heartebeast, they are constantly in motion. Several moved around my hiding spot, some coming as close as 5 yards away. They jockeyed for position at the waterhole as I tried to ready the camera. On this day I was serving as both hunter and cameraman...not an easy task as those who have done so will attest. I moved the camera into position then ducked back down to ready my bow. The anxiousness that comes with having a group of trophy animals so close was multiplied by the fact that I was also watching the viewfinder to make sure that the shot was captured on film. My nerves were a bit frazzled as the animals moved in and out of position. The animal which I had been watching moved to the water, but a younger animal blocked a safe shot. I silently prayed for the younger animal to move before the other finished drinking. It did, and I came to full draw focused intently on the shoulder of the blesbok just 13 yards away. I couldn't consciously remember the release, but I watched as the arrow sailed through the blesbok. Nearly a dozen animals scattered and ran for the cover of the trees. The animal I had targeted quickly dropped from the herd and fell to the ground just 20 steps from where it had been watering. With the winds had come change. This time in my favor. I had now taken my first 2 animals of the trip in less than an hour!
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man, I thought the Quebec bear crew was slow but this is just draggin on too long fellas!!!! What, you have to work for a living or something????? :bigsmyl:
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cough it up boys... lets see them!!
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well i will try to relieve some of the suspense. if you read the Hope & Faith tread you know that i killed a nice kudu on day 3 with Hope. it was awesome. i don't want to spoil Jon's thunder, but since he is out of town he ask for me to post for him.
i need to back up a little and Jon will need to fill in any details when he gets back. i hope i have my days right, since Jon also has all the hunting notes i'm going from memory. now that's real trouble, i think i lost my mind years ago. well here goes. on the afternoon of day 2 Jon was hunting with PH Francois (sp) at a hide named Long Trough and with light fading a nice bull Kudu came in to water with a whole herd. i can't remember how many bulls were in the bunch, but Jon did say there were multiple bulls that came in.
Jon's PH gave him the thumbs up on this certain bull and told Jon that he would go 52". remember that we don't see the animals on a daily basis like the PH's do so when they say it's a shooter you shoot which is exactly what Jon did. upon reviewing the video the hit was less than perfect but not by much. in any event it was decided to give him the night and pick up the track at first light.
i can't speak for Jon, but i know myself when i have to suck it up and wait over night to give an animal time to die i might as well sit up and stare at the wall cause i know there won't be any sleep.
back at camp we enjoyed yet another wonderful meal prepared by our OK chef Clemons. OK was the letters on his chefs apron by the way and not how good the food was. the food was, well let's just say i need to go out and buy some new clothes because the stuff i have is way to small. i must have gained 10-15 pounds. after dinner we sat around the table and told so many lies it wasn't funny. no actually i think we all told truths just added a little flare to them. desert and some penalty shots ( i will explain later about these) and it was time to hit the hay.
a knock at the door came about the time my eyelids decided to close. i just couldn't get to sleep this night for some reason and hadn't even shot an animal. if you think theres no pressure being the camera man think again. when a shot was eminent i would get the racing heart beat and sweaty palms just as if i was the one pulling back the string.
it's really bad when you don't get the footage to. i'm still catching grief for messing up some footage of Ed's eland. any way the nights sleep was very little and now it was time to go track Jon's kudu. we replayed the tape several times trying to determine which bull was the one Jon shot as they bolted from the scene. as they ran off camera to the left it was impossible to determine which animal we needed to be watching so the trackers went to work the old fashioned way and they tracked.
there were at least 5 kudu in the bunch and the trackers started with the first and followed it for hundreds of yards until they were certain that these tracks were made from an animal that was not wounded. this is really hard to explain in written form. to really appreciate what these guys can do you need to see it in person. i will try to do them justice here if that's possible.
imagine if you will a coral full of cows ready for branding. they are running every which way and of course leaving zillions of tracks. well add to that coral the pigs and sheep and horses and any other farm animals you can think of and then picture what the ground must look like with all those tracks. the soil is sandy to a powdered dust which in my opinion leaves hard to read tracks.
hope you are getting the picture here of what the ground must look like. any way these guys would follow a specific animal for as long as they needed to make sure it was either the right or wrong animal. the two trackers followed if i remember right 5 different animals on this track until they were certain they had the right animal.
i just had to ask for some clarification so i stopped one of the trackers and ask how he knew they were following the right animal. i left a small part out, there was no blood since we didn't have an exit hole. these animals are big with big chest cavities and if you hit a little high you get zero blood which was the case on this animal.
any way they showed me how this animals hooves were not normal when he walked, they would flare out a little. oh, OK if you say so. what the heck are they looking at. i sure had no clue and if i was amazed before i ask the question i felt like a complete knucklehead afterwards because i still couldn't have told you the difference from one to the other.
i have tracked a lot of whitetails over the years and even some really tough trails but this was crazy. so crazy that i just had to open my mouth and ask "are you sure we are on the right track". minutes later i was shown my short comings as a small spot of blood was pointed out.
here we had been following this set of tracks for probably 300-500 yards and these guys (the trackers) pointed out a spec of blood the size of a green pea. wonder if one of these guys would like to some live in the states. bet they could make a fortune tracking stuff.
after making a huge semicircle around the blind they located Jon's Kudu bull. he was a fine animal, not quite 52" though. Francois had made a slight error in inches on this bull and we all got a good laugh although his boss Piet was a little miffed at him for telling a client to shoot a small bull. Jon being the great guy that he is, said the bull was perfect and he was glad he had shot him. i'm with Jon on this one what's a few inches when you are looking at such an awesome animal.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/jonkudu01w.jpg)
Francois inherited the nick name after that 52" and we all had a good laugh at his expense. when i send him a letter or Christmas card i will address it to PH 52. we loaded the bull and made our way back to camp just in time for one of Clemons small meals he had whipped up for brunch. i think brunch was responsible for about 5 of those 15 pounds that i gained. you know the plate they put the thanksgiving turkey on, well that's about how big a plate you needed to fit all the food he would prepare for you. what a bunch of pigs we are.
after brunch we headed back out to the bush. what i really wanted to do was take a serious nap. after no sleep the night before and this huge meal i was ready to crash. but since time was short and Africa is a long ways away i figured i could catch up on sleep when i returned home. what was i thinking, my honey do list turned into a spiral notebook full of chores. o' and they need to get done before the first saturday in october or i will be in the dog house and not up in my tree stand waiting on a whitetail.
that brings me to the afternoon of day 3... it's Jon, Piet, our PH and myself sitting in what would ultimately be the hot hide of the trip. as we sat there in afternoon heat i was asking Piet a lot of questions about his operation there at Afrika Jag Safaris. about how much land they had and the kinds of animals and on and on.
the afternoon moved a long a quick pace with visits from an assortment of birds. then out of no where in comes a huge oryx sometimes called a gemsbok. it was a cow which most of the time have the longer horns. the males usually are shorter but have more mass. this was a fine oryx and Piet gave the thumbs up but i could hear a little hesitation in voice so i ask if he was sure.
in the mean time Jon was tell me if i wasn't going to shoot then he was. after a closer inspection we determined that this cow looked as though she might be carrying a calf in her belly so we decided to pass her up and just enjoy the moment. as she walked away and disappeared into the bush i for a fleeting moment had to question my decision to pass up a chip shot at this beautiful animal. especially since it was the one animal that i had really wanted to take on this trip.
i didn't get to think about it to long however. just moments after she was out of sight in comes a huge warthog boar. now if you know Jon, when he saw this pig coming in he went into DT's. Jon is a true connoisseur of the swine and when he saw this fine specimen making his way in he locked in on him like a fighter pilot a Russian Mig.
as Jon locked in on him with his bow i was doing the same with my camera except this warthog had different ideas of his own. this guy raced back and forth just yards in front of the blind. he would cross in front of me and then disappear off camera to one side or the other. this went on for what seemed like 10 to 15 minutes. i could tell Jon was getting impatient but i was coaching him to wait as i wanted this shot on camera.
back and forth he paced and i thought to myself somethings got to give and then he finally settled down and walked right up to the water. i whispered to Jon that i was on him and to shoot when ever he was ready. the word ready had barely escaped my lips when i heard the twang of his bowstring and then everything went up in a cloud of dust.
this should hold you for a little bit, my fingers are cramping.... i will take up where i left off sometime tomorrow....
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Good stuff Rob! Thanks.
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while Jon was getting rid of his shakes Piet and i stepped out of the blind to check for spor. the shot had been almost perfect, Jon was dialed in on them pigs, so i knew we would find some blood. standing where moments before the warthog had been i said to myself, now this is my kind of tracking.
the ruby red exit trail was highly visible on the tan powered earth. Piet suggested we jump back in the blind and wait about an hour before following up on the mortally wounded hog. so back in the blind we went. we reviewed the tape a few times and then settled in for the wait. did i say wait, well we didn't wait long before a herd of kudu were making their way slowly towards us.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/kuducows01.jpg)
as the Kudu approached our hide i slowly removed one of the footed shafts that i had made special for Africa from the stalkeer quiver. i nocked the shaft to Hope's taught string. her sleek wooden handle felt like an old friend eventhough we had only had the opportunity to shoot a few times prior.
as the Kudu closed the distance i knew the shot was inevitable so i ask God for the arrow to fly true. the Kudu lowered it's head to drank and in one fluid motion i raised Hope. her limbs flexed with ease as the string and arrow were drawn back to my cheek. my eyes were burning a hole through a piece of hair i had selected as my aiming point. as i reached my anchor the arrow was on it's way. time stood still at the tell tail sound of steel hitting flesh and then the Kudu was gone in a cloud of dust.
my body trembling, i lowered Hope with a huge smile on my face. she had drawn blood in Africa. the trackers would make short work of the trail and a fine animal was down. it's meat would be used to feed many and the hide would be donated to the 2008 St. Jude's Auction thanks to Afrika Jag Safaris.
my time with Hope was short lived, but she has given me a life long memory of a place far away but close to my heart. it was a marriage like no other. we will be linked by blood from now on. i hope to some day get the chance to hunt with her again. maybe even return to Africa. But if not our short time together will hold a special place me and my life as a bowhunter.
after shooting the kudu it was time to exit our blind and take up the trail on Jon's warthog. we followed a good blood trail for about 100 yards and then it slowly disappeared. here's where the trackers earn their keep time and time again. they had this guys track down and made quick work following him through the tangle of stickers and thorns. at the end of the trail was Jon's hog and a dandy he was.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/jonwarthog01w.jpg)
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/jonwarthog02w.jpg)
Miss Hope with a fine Kudu
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/hopekudu.jpg)
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The smiles say it all.
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just for an update to the hunt so far. we had taken some fine animals already even though according to the PH's it had been slow in part due to the moon phase and the fickle winds we had been dealing with.
Dana, although not using traditional gear had taken several nice animals. Docs wallet was screaming for mercy after this fine Springbok fell to a perfectly placed arrow.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/danaspringbok01.jpg)
the Red Arrow Crew was having the time of their lives. African sunrises, sunset, great food and good fellowship. i can't think of another place i would have rather been. stayed tuned for more of our 08' safari. just as soon as i can get these guys to spend a few minuntes and type something up that is.
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here are a few more photos from the hunt.
this was my view for most of the hunt. camera at the ready. the camera man never gets to sleep! just imagine if i feel asleep when an animal decided to come in and i missed the shot. talk about catching grief.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/gear02w.jpg)
a shot of my gear. not only did i have all my camera gear, both still and video, but i brought my hunting gear to the field every day as well in the event i got an opportunity to join in on the hunt. my gear list consisted of the following.
video camera: Canon XH A1, with tripod, shotgun mic, video light, blank tapes and extra batteries.
Still camera: Nikon D2x, 3 lenses, flash, memory cards and celaning supplies. it was so dusty i had to clean my gear every night.
hunting gear: Striker longbow "Miss Hope", stalker quiver with arrows, alaska grizzly stiks, eclipse broad heads, arrow wraps from Onestringer, Fire nocks, back pack from Angelo at Bison Gear and our camo for this hunt was donated by Mark Carlton at Camo West. also in my pack was binocs, some reading material ( i think i was able to read about 10 pages the entire trip) and assorted personal stuff like TP. gotta have that on hand at all times.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/gear03w.jpg)
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Thx for taking the time to share with us. Very nice thread. Are we going to get to see some video too?
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while we are waiting for the rest of the gang to chime in with their hunt stories i will post some images from the landscape and animals that we were blessed with seeing.
sunrise view from a blind called "Long Trough"
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/africasunrise01w.jpg)
relaxing in the shade:
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape06.jpg)
this is the place for dove hunting:
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/africandove.jpg)
my little buddy. he can bite in case you were wondering:
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/gecko01w.jpg)
one of the many road checks we had to pass through on our way around the countryside:
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/groundsquirrel01w.jpg)
we were not the only hunters in the bush:
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/hawk01w.jpg)
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WOW!! good stuff guys. Y'all have mw wanting to go back. What a great place to be a bow hunter.
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you should join me next summer, i'll be back there doing it all over again. :archer:
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Hey guys, I came home for a bit, but I've gotta leave for two more days now! Sorry about that. Rob, Doc did a fine job telling the story of my Eland. Go ahead and post the picture if anyone wants to see it. By the way, the animal that Brady is referring to that we were tracking before I shot my Eland was a springbok. I shot it a hair low, and despite alot of blood and over a full day looking for it, we were unable to recover it. This bothers me since I'm sure the animal did not survive. The trackers over there are amazing but sometimes a trail will get difficult to the point where even they can lose it.
Rob, my part of the video is coming to you.
By the way, you're a good writer man. Keep up the good work.
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off again are we? i'm glad it's you holding up the show and not me :biglaugh: . just kid'n of course. hey we will keep plugging a long and hopefully save you a little something to say before we finish.
did you hear from Piet? i sent him your email address and phone number.
sorry to keep you all waiting so long, it's just been tough trying to find a few minutes to write after being gone basically since the first of July i have a ton of work to catch up on. look for the next installment later on this evening a long with some more pics.
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heres a few pics to hold you for a spell:
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/giraffe2.jpg)
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/impala01w.jpg)
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/zebra02w.jpg)
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Rob,
Absolutly Fantastic !!!!
How would you rate your canon vid cam to the gl-2
Just curious as i have a gl-2 and will be doing a video/dvd for a charity while over there.
please keep the pics and stories coming guys, makes the rest of us yearn even more for the experience.
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This working for a living is sure messing up my story telling :) .
Camp thunder, I will tell you that Rob has a HD Canon. It is quite a bit better than the GL-2 and the Sony VX2100 that I use simply because of the HD format.
After taking the kudu and blesbok, I spent a few days just watching critters without firing an arrow. We traveled to Etosha to get a glimpse of some of the animals that we weren't likely to see otherwise...elephants, lions, rhinos, and the like.
The days hunting were not wasted either. Though, I didn't loose an arrow, I stalked eland, oryx, steinbok, kudu, zebra, and impala. Unlike my previous trip to this place, there was little cover because of the drought. This made stalking extremely difficult. I also, set up another stand which would prove to be useful on a later hunt. From the blinds I watched numerous animals every day. Warthogs and guineas filled in the slow times between antelope sightings. I watched as everything from giraffe to the tiny Damara dik-dik which inhabit only this region of Namibia paraded by. I also got to enjoy the company of many friends, both old and new, as we sat together and enjoyed all that Africa had to show us.
The sights of Africa are easily visible through the many photographs that we have all seen. What you cannot see in pictures, though, are the fantastic sounds of Africa. In this world of solitude from everyday human noises, is a cacophony of sound. What is lacking are the sounds of pagers, cell phones, overhead planes, and automobiles. What is present are the sounds of nature. Just before sun up the francolin begin their loud screaching and buzzing calls. Shortly after, the dove begin their arial assult of the waterholes. It is common place to see as many as 100 dove at the water each morning and evening. Their pigeon-like cooing accompanying them. As daylight breaks, guineas fly down off the roost and come to the water in droves. Like barnyard chickens, they chase and flog one another, jockying for position, socially and at the water. The characteristic chattering of guineas was almost always present. Dozens of varieties of birds would soon follow. Each with their own sounds. Some were shrieks, others whistles, still others whirring or cawing. Then the larger animals would arrive. The wildebeast and heartebeast would grunt and clash horns with their like kind. The springbok are also grunters, sounding almost like a young pig. Then their were the pigs. The warthogs seldom watered without adding to the symphony. Grunts, squeals, and lip smacking were their contribution to the overature. Kudu barked when alarmed, a startling noise when you weren't prepared. Eland approached with clicking hooves. Baboons howled, sqealed, hooped, and generally sounded like unruly children. In one instance a baboon even got in a coughing spell which was indistinguishable from that of a human. At night the sounds of jackal filled the starlit sky adding to the sounds of at least 2 varieties of birds which continued through the night. Africa is more than just a visual experience. You also feel it, hear it, and smell it.
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After taking a few days to enjoy the sights and sounds it was time to get back into predator mode. Rob and I spent the morning at Lankrop (Long trough) post. As usual, the morning was slow, at least by Africa standards. A couple of small warthogs, an army of guinea, and a small herd of red heartebeast were all that came calling. As I have 2 big red heartebeast gracing my wall already, I was under strict orders not to shoot another. That's where Rob came in. His wall was and is devoid of a red heartebeast, but the DVD is blessed with another blooper. Everyone had to do their part :) .
Later, my wife, Dana, joined Rob and I at the same hide. We spent the hot afternoon playing with the geckos that slipped into the blind to avoid the midday sun. As the evening approached, so did the kudu. A small herd of females made their way to the water. Another opportunity for game management was fast approaching. Unfortunately, the wind had been battling for direction all afternoon as it had on most of our trip. Their had been no victor yet, so the wind and our human scent just swirled around our hunting area. The kudu noticed the intusion of our scent, but the swirling winds must have diluted it somewhat as the group did not disperse as they usually would. Instead a bold and especially brash cow circled around the water barking, or perhaps more appropriately, roaring at us. She persisted in her assult for several minutes, but the allure of the water proved too much to resist. As she stepped towards the water one last time, she uttered another obstinate bark then lowered her head. My bow came instantly to full draw. I felt the feather touch my nose and continued my intense focus until I saw the orange feathers and the lighted Firenock strike the spot of my focus. The eclipse tipped Grizzlystick again sunk deep into the beautiful antelope and I knew that death would only take a moment. A dust cloud arose as the group scattered. The stricken animal separated quickly from the herd and stopped to bark twice more in defiance. My blood stained arrow hung chest high in a bush 10 yards from the waterhole. Shortly beyond that lay the beautiful kudu cow. The beautiful, but harsh circle of life had once again played itself out in Africa as it has for thousands of years. It was good to be a part of it.
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Rob, Excellent and remarkable photos.
Jarrod
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well allright Doc, i was beginning to wonder if i would get some help on this hunt. truthfully Brady was very nice to me. i had this absolute chip shot on this nice red hartebeest and blew it. i was really hoping to draw more blood with "Miss Hope" but it was not in the cards. honestly i think this hartebeest had a death wish i was just not the one to full fill it. just 6 inches higher and he would have been toast. as it was i think he now sports a bald spot on his chest just below his heart.
Brady was right on when speaking of the sounds and smells of Africa. so much so that the afternoon we sat in the blind together it was down right hot. i would liken it to a sauna.
about half way through the afternoon Doc stripped down to his boxers and was sprawled out on the dirt floor with his eyes closed. i had serious thoughts of doing the same but i thought it best i spare Dana (Docs beautiful wife) the horror. the temp on the floor was probably about 10-15 degrees cooler. you just never know what the temp will be on an African winters day.
i need to back up the hunt just a little since Jon is away again. i guess some of just have to work, sometimes any way. well the morning before Brady and I sat the blind, Jon and I a long with PH Francois were there trying to put an arrow through a springbok. as Jon mentioned he shot a little low but we had good blood. we replayed the tape at least 50 times trying to see exactly where the arrow struck, but these animals are so quick to react we couldn't nail down the exact spot.
i was really lucky to get this shot on film. the pressures of being the camera man. about 10 minutes prior to this nice male springbok coming in we had had a huge herd of them. talk about needing ritalin, these critters bounce around more than 1st graders after a birthday party with lots of ice cream and cake.
i was trying really hard to stay focused on the largest animal in the bunch since i knew Jon would also be zeroed in on him. we didn't have communication since i was in an elevated blind about 20 yards off to Jon's right. this one specific springbok gave what i thought was several good opportunities but as i learned later none of them were good due to other animals or the angle of the shot.
after watering they all filtered away and finally were out of sight. i was looking down at the blind where Jon and Francois were sitting hoping for some kind of sign when i caught a glimpse of something coming in to water. it was a mongoose. least i think that's what this furry creature was. i turned the camera back on to get a little footage of him and then i sat back to relax a little after all the excitement.
about the time i was getting all comfy i noticed movement on my LCD screen on the camera. thank goodness i had failed to turn it off, other wise i would have never seen the springbok that came in from no where. he was a nice mature animal with heavy thick horns and i was certain Jon would be loosing an arrow. i sat up quickly and filled the screen with it's body as i followed him to the water.
unlike the herd of 1st graders that had visited earlier this fellow came right in and went straight for a drink. as the cool water wet his lips i could see the muscles in his neck throb as he gulped up one drink or water after another. to me it seemed like he had been there for ever and then i heard the shot.
at the sound of the shot the animal we off and running. from my view point i couldn't tell if Jon had hit the animal or not but i was intent on following the springbok as far as the window in the blind would allow me to.
we all came out of our hides and met at the water hole. after looking at the arrow and reviewing the shot as best we could we took up the track. Jon was very hesitant to start following this animal so soon but we did. we were joined right away by Jarum one of the trackers. after following the tracks and blood for about 75 yards Jarum advised that we should leave the animal and pick up the track later.
he had found a spot where he determined the springbok had bedded down and then jumped up as we approached. this would prove to be the pit fall on this hunt. when the track was taken back up later they found where he had rejoined some of the others from the herd. this a long with the rocky soil, the lack of blood prevented the trackers from finding this animal.
as good as these trackers are they just can't perform miracles. Jon was really down after this but he shook it off and came back full force without missing a beat.
something to note here is the fact that as bowhunters we at some point during our lives will make a less than perfect shot and not be able to recover an animal. it will happen to the best and worst of us. in Africa unlike here in the states if you draw blood you pay the trophy fee for that animal. this should not deter anyone from hunting but what it should do is charge you with being the best shot that you can be and to not take shots that you do not feel 100% confident with.
if your PH takes you to a blind that has a shot that is outside your range limit don't hesitate to tell him that you don't feel comfortable with that distance. if the PH is worth his salt he will move you to a new location or use some creative ways to get the animal closer. on this hunt we actually had a blind that was a little farther than most of us felt comfortable with so the PH had a temporary brush blind erected.
my hat's off to Jon as he kept his chin up and made some down right beautiful shots on animals after this mishap with the springbok.
as for Brady's kudu cow, the only thing i can add to his story would be that the first time she roared at us i about peed myself. she was only about 10 yards from the blind and looking right at me. if you have seen one of the cartoons where the bear growls and the other characters hair blows back, well that's about how this was. YIKES!!
just wait until you see the video of this kudu cow, you will see exactly what i was talking about. Brady's shot was right on the money and she didn't go 75 yards. i'm still trying to figure out how his arrow ended up suspended in a bush 7 feet off the ground. as we slipped out of the blind at dark you could see the fire nick glowing. it was cool.... back at camp, penalty shots were in order, again!!!
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Several more days past for me without a shot. Then I managed to arrow a nice kudu cow from a stand I had hung earlier in the week. Rob was sitting in a pit blind filming. There was a steady crosswind from his position. The animal were cautious and would always circle downwind of the blind which put them right in my lap. On a previous afternoon, I had a nice male duiker and several warthogs walk right under the same stand. I also had opportunities as the elusive Damara dik-dik, baboons, steinbok,and a plethora of other animals, but past all for one reason or another. I didn't bring enough arrows or wallet to shoot at everything that presented an opportunity.
After days of swirling winds, our hunt was coming to a close, and I was unsure whether or not I was going to be bringing much home with me aside from a lifetime of memories. I felt more than a little pressure to get some more kills on video as that was a big part of my purpose for this trip. I finally convinced myself to lighten up and enjoy my last day of the trip. After all, it is the journey that makes the trip so special, not adding more heads to my already overcrowded walls.
The decision was made that I would hunt the last day alone. Everybody wanted to get out in the field with bow in hand, so we each chose a plan of action and set out on our way. My chosen course was to return to Sophienhof and hunt the "middle hide" where I had already taken 2 kudu cows and a blesbok. I knew that I had several hunting options there given that I had set a stand in the area, constructed a brush blind, and had the existing blind from which to choose. Given the swirling winds that had plagued me every afternoon, I felt like I had options for every possible wind direction. Still, a good plan doesn't always end with downed game. I was nervous that I had placed all my eggs in one basket. Should I have chosen to hunt Kudu Post where most of our trophies had come from this trip? Should I have hunted Roy Post which was the least hunted hide this trip, and probably had the highest concentrations and variety of game given that it was the only water hole for several miles? I kept my resolve and headed out to the "middle hide" before sun up.
The wind had howled all night long which from past experience was a good thing so long as it lightened during the day. I climbed into my brush blind as the sun peaked through the dark moonless sky. The wind was heavy, but the direction was perfect. It was just a matter of time. As dark gave way to light, the guineas flew down from their nearby roost, chattering and clucking like a poorly chalked box call bouncing around in your pocket. I watched them as they chased each other around and spurred at each other in mid air. The noisy francolin were not far behind. An hour passed without another animal coming. I shot at and missed a guinea fowl, a down time activity I had become quite good at. Hours more passed, but the wind never subsided. The direction stayed true, but the ferocity kept the animals tucked away in the bush. Shortly before midday I left the blind and climbed the high mountain that overlooked the expansive property. From the high ridge top I spooted a group of black wildebeast in an open area a few miles away. I contemplated a stalk, but realized that even if I made it to them in time, it was unlikely that I could approach within shooting distance given the wide open terrain they were bedded down in. I spent another hour glassing, spotting only a couple of travelling warthogs. I also spent a good deal of time looking over my shoulder as I was alone in an area known to have a good leopard population. Finally I made my way back down the mountain and to my blind. I had brushed away the tracks from around the waterhole prior to leaving. There were no new tracks when I returned except for guineas. I climbed back into the blind for an hour or so, before making a radio call to be picked up. I had told Dana that I would travel into town on our last day to pick up some items for home. Since the wind hadn't slowed I figured this was as good a time as any. When Piet arrived he told me that Dana had already gone into town, a good thing since camp was 45 minutes away, but my current hunting spot was only about 15 minutes. I travelled into town and did some last minute tourist buying in the small town of Outju. Aftr an hour had gone by, I had fulfilled my obligation and was anxious to return to my blind. The wind was still heavy, but I was confident that it would let up....eventually. After returning to camp I decided to make a stalk. We had spotted some blue wildebeast, and I made my best effort at closing the distance. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived at their position they were gone. I was never able to catch up with them, and eventually decided I was better off sitting than stalking. On my way back to my blind I closed the distance on a female duiker, but passed.
The wind had lightened some when I arrived back at the blind, but still no new tracks at the water. Expecting the wind to switch directions as it had on previous afternoons, I went to inspect one of my treestands. As I was eyeing a limb that I wanted to remove, something got my attention. I turned back to look, only to see 2 warthogs standing 20 yards away...staring at me. My CamoWest camo had them confused as to what I was, so I remain still against the trunk of the tree. My initial movement had startled them, and they trotted off into the bush a little ways before stopping. That was all I needed. I used the sparse shrubbery for concealment and closed to within 20 yards of the smaller hog. The larger of the two remained blocked by another bush, so I made my way towards a clear shot. The first hog eventually figured me out, and both left in a cloud of dust. My heart was pounding, and I was thankful for such a close opportunity.
Crawling back into the blind, I felt the wind on my face. It was lightening up considerably. I expected animals to arrive at any moment, but none came. Hours more passed without another animal coming to water. This had been my slowest day yet, and it was my last. About an hour before my hun't end, I noticed movement coming from downwind. The wind had stayed true allowing me to remain in my brush blind. The prancing motion in the bushes could only belong to a warthog. When they emerged from the bush I could see 2 female warthogs, both with nice teeth. The smaller of the 2 had a few half-sized pigs, the larger had none. In typical fashion, the younger pigs watered first while the paranoid elders stood watching. Eventually the lesser of the two made her way to water. She drank heartily. The larger hog came to water, but was completely shielded by the smaller of the two, the one with the young ones. Given my luck over the past 2 weeks, I knew that the larger pig would leave before offering a shot. My pessimism was in vain. With the camera focused, the smaller of the two hogs backed up, opening the kill zone of the larger. The smaller pigs nervously looked in my direction, and I knew that they would likely jump string at the shot, causing the other hog to also jump away from the water. I focused just back behind the shoulder expecting the inevitable jump. The arrow released and flew true. As expected the hog had jumped back away from the water. My calculations had been off, but my arrow landed squarely in the animal's neck, severing the spine and the carotid artery. The animal dropped immediately and expired seconds later. I worked quickly to move the animal into the bush and cover the blood with sand. My hunt was not quite over.
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here is Doc with his last evening warthog... we finally got him to smile.
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/docwarthog.jpg)
still waiting on my partner Ed to post some of his stories, in the mean time here are a couple more images including one of his nice trophies.
the two Rookies were blessed with an awesome first hunt. you can bet they will be returning.
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/edredheartabeest01w.jpg)
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/littlecritter.jpg)
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/springbok01.jpg)
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on the afternoon that Jon and the trackers were working out the difficult track from his springbok the wind had kicked up as well as the sun. we had been on the track for several hours and we hadn't planned on being out that long. note to myself, always bring water regardless.
we had circled back around towards the road that lead to long trough where it all started with this springbok. since we were hot and thirsty Francois and i decided to go back to the blind and pick up some water and gear. after getting dropped off we decided to just hang tight at the blind and wait for some word from the trackers.
when Jon and I parted i had mentioned to Jon to come pick me up or call on the radio as soon as they located the springbok so that we could do some recovery footage.
as luck would have it, or should i say no have it they were unable to locate the springbok. with less than an hour of daylight left and being fairly close to Kudu Post, Jon and Jarum decided to finish out the day sitting in the blind. meanwhile Francois and i were enjoying the parade of animals that were visiting us.
back at Kudu Post things were getting ready to be very interesting for Jon. as the sun was sinking on the horizon Jarum heard the positive id sound of an eland approaching. it was a huge bull and he was coming in before dark and all by himself. as the bull approached the pool of cool water Jon quickly readied himself for a shot.
the massive 1500-1800 pound animal stood just 18 yards for the hidden bowhunter with his flank exposed in perfect position for a killing shot. Jon still feeling some frustration from his earlier encounter with the springbok was more determined than ever to make a perfect shot.
as the beast lowered his head Jon drew back the string to anchor held, picked his spot and released. the arrow buried almost to the feathers right in the vital triangle. the bull leaped forward into the water hole with a crash and struggled to exit as his side turned a crimson red.
when he finally escaped the water he staggered then attempted to run off. after only 25 yards he fell in a cloud of dust and it was over. the arrow had been placed perfectly and the animal had expired in less than a minute. Jon had redeemed himself in a big way.
the first thing Jon said when we pulled up, "Doc is going to kill me for not getting this on video, but this is awesome". to say he was excited would have been a huge understatement. it took 6 grown men and a wench to load this big boy in the back of the truck and then we were headed to camp all smiling with wide grins, especially Jon.
just take a look at this photo and tell me if you think this bunch is happy... :biglaugh:
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/joneland01w.jpg)
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well all but the little fellow in the back middle, Obrum. that young man is actually 27 years old, but he doesn't look a day past 15 if you ask me. don't worry we got him to smile plenty during our two weeks there.
here is a photo of the gang just before the wench gave away.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/joneland02w.jpg)
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the great thing about making perfect shots on animals in Africa is you get to avoid the wrath of these nasty little devils.
(http://www.burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/jackel2.jpg)
if you don't find an animal or need to wait until morning to take up the track these guys will find you animal and can really make a mess of a nice trophy. getting one with a bow i think would be a real challenge. Brady and I tried calling them in one evening but didn't have a lot of luck. i think it would be possible especially if you were to call after dark as that seems to be when they are most active.
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I found out some interesting information about calling jackals while talking with Francois one evening. Some folks do call them in, as well as hyenas. The primary method seems to be howling, similar to what we would use for coyotes. Francois was quite good at reproducing the jackals howls with his own mouth. Hyena calls can also be reproduced or you can use tape recorded calls over a speaker. Unlike our coyotes which will typically respond in 5 or 10 minutes, jackals may take 30 minutes to an hour to respond I was informed. I still am confident that they could be called in with a distress type of predator call, but timing and location would be important as it is with coyotes. The hardest part was taking time out from hunting plains game in order to target on of these little rascals, but I will no doubt try again next trip.
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In the mean time Jon had been putting it the warthogs. he ended up taking 3 really nice pigs during the hunt. after he took the 3rd hog we had to nickname him the "Warthog Man". it actually got so bad that on one of Jon's last few evenings hunting he saw a nice warthog coming in to water so he removed his braodheads real quick before it got close enough so that he couldn't shoot.
i can just picture him struggling to remove his broadheads quickly while shaking like a smoker trying to quit with a pack sitting on the table in front of them. we have already planned our texas hog hunt for next year.
this is a picture of Jon while out scouting for stand locations... sorry Jon i couldn't resist....
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/jonsign.jpg)
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with the wildlife being so different from what we have here in the states, i was in photo heaven. here are a few more images of the wildlife and landscapes in the area where we were hunting.
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/bird.jpg)
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape12.jpg)
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape13.jpg)
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while the others were busy looking to arrow just one more trophy i was busy burning memories to film and memory cards. however all work and no play or in the case all work and no hunting makes for an incomplete trip. with two days left and almost 40 hours of footage to go through i decided it was time for me to sit in a blind and try my luck.
Piet thought that we should try giving Sophienhof another try so before daylight on the next to last day we were headed that way. once we arrived we checked the wind. as it had been doing all week it was blowing hard and in the wrong direction. Piet felt like it would be a waste of time to sit in any of the 3 blinds available.
after some discussion we decided to hike to the top of the ridge and glass in hopes of finding some animals in a favorable spot for a stalk. the walk to the top found both Piet and I short on breath. mind you most African hunts are fairly easy on the body, but this hike let me know just what kind of shape i wasn't in, good!
sitting on atop a large boulder it didn't take long for us to locate animals. giraffe were the first spotted and they were followed by wildebeest, kudu, warthogs, oryx and finally a large herd of eland. now i really wanted to take an oryx but after looking over all the stalking opportunities we decided that the eland offered the best possibility.
we watched them for close to 30 minutes as they slowly made their way up a draw between two ridges. i was amazed at how well a herd of such huge animals could disappear into thin air. what kept giving them away was the loud clicking of the hooves.
as they continued to move uphill and work their way towards a rock face we could see an opportunity in the making. if they continued on the same path, which we felt certain they would, they would end up on the backside of the ridge behind us. we hurried to our feet and lit out at a brisk pace. we had to travel back down the ridge we were on and then up the next ridge in order to circle in front of them to prevent them from catching our wind.
as we worked our way around the backside of the ridge we would stop every few hundred yards to check the wind. it stayed in our favor and with each step i could feel the anticipation building. i was really enjoying still hunting in Africa and this stalk was getting more interesting by the minute.
the terrain was was very rocky and thick with thorn brush. if i stopped once to pull thorns out of my clothes i stopped 100 times. these thorns are tenacious and don't let go you have to remove them or risk a trip to the alteration shop. the rocky terrain proved to be quicker and quieter than expected allowing us to move faster.
as we rounded the ridge i knew that we were getting close. Piet paused for a few minutes to see if we could hear the clicking of the hooves, but it was all quiet. slowly we moved forward intently gazing at the brush in front of us for any sign of the herd that we knew were some where close. i heard a stick pop and froze for a second. were my ears playing tricks on me or did i hear something.
i should have gone with my 6th sense, but instead we moved forward and there he was. just 30-40 yards in front of us a lone eland bull was standing with both eyes glued to our position. Piet and i both froze trying to melt into the bush, but it was useless he had our number and it wasn't long before he swapped ends and was headed back down the ridge. of course he carried the rest of the herd with him in what sounded like a landslide.
we could hear the breaking branches, rolling rocks banging together as they put some distance between them and us. Piet looked at me and we both burst into laughter. man was that fun i thought to myself. we had invested over an hour to this stalk and blew it all in a matter of seconds. getting that close feeling the rush of blood is what makes hunting with traditional gear such a blast.
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape10.jpg)
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Great pictures! Now I'll have to go back and read the stories and dream of the long grass ...
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Dave be sure and read the story it will get you fired up to go back for sure. i am already planning my return next summer.
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i'll keep posting photos until we get the story finished. hopefully i won't post any more than once.
some of the views around Afrika Jag Safari.....
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape15.jpg)
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape18.jpg)
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just found this shot of Obrum, yep he has a smile....
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/obrum2.jpg)
from the looks of this photo you would think it's cold outside. t-shirt weather if you ask me, but these boys looked like they should be in Alaska.
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Great pics and stories guys! Thanks for taking us along.
Now where is that Ed Frye fella. Ya think Momma's got him doin chores this long? NAA, he's probably workin!
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Great stories and pics! Rob, I can definitely tell you are a photographer. Thanks for taking all of us along on your trip to Africa.
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Momma's surely got Ed working to pay off all those trophy and taxidermy fees!!!!
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well my stalking wasn't over just yet. we hurried up to a vantage point where we could see the retreating herd of eland. they had basically done an about face and were headed right back to the spot where we had originally seen them.
with the wheels churning in my head i motioned to Piet that i had a plan. i told Piet to continue down the ridge at a slow pace but not to worry about being quiet or invisible. i would cut straight across the draw to the opposite ridge and try to cut them off as they made their way up the other side.
i lit out at a quick pace knowing full well they would probably beat me to the crossing. i bounced from rock to rock and tried to avoid stepping on the loose rocks and leaves. i wasn't to worried about the eland hearing me, but i didn't want to spook a herd of kudu or some other animal and send the entire bottom in to a panic.
as i was nearing the bottom of the ridge i spotted a herd of black wildebeest moving straight down the draw so i swung wide to prevent them from spooking. this extra little detour proved to be all the time that the eland needed to beat me to the crossing. as i neared the spot where i thought they would cross i spotted what would be the last eland in the herd as he crossed the dry creek bed.
i stopped and regained my breath and of course i was wearing a big smile. i must be nuts or something, but i get a kick out of trying to outwit gods creatures. when they win i still win. i mean really, think about it. i could have been back at home going through the daily grid, enjoying myself mind you, but i was here in this wild place called Africa putting my best effort against an animal that has thrived in this environment for centuries.
i may not have loosed an arrow, but i was satisfied for just having the opportunity to try. now everyone knows that as soon as you take that deep breath and sigh you let down your guard a little. well i watched the herd as they worked their way to the top of the next ridge and then they were gone. i might not ever see this group of eland again, but the memory of them was burned deep in my brain.
i could have just sat there the rest of the day and enjoyed my surroundings but i needed to keep moving so that i wouldn't leave Piet wondering what the heck i was doing. so i moved on down the ridge to the bottom and out to the dirt trail. as i eased down the trail i heard some rocks tumbling from above. my binoculars would clue me in to the source. it was Piet making his way down the ridge. he waved and pointed towards the location where the tracker had been waiting so i moved out on the trail.
i had gone about 200 yards, maybe a little more when i got this feeling that something was close so i slowed down to a snails pace. as i crossed a dry creek bed with thick cover on both sides i froze in my tracks. there he stood just 15 yards from me and looking me right in the eye. i knew i had been busted so i just relaxed and let the events happen as they would. the huge oryx swapped ends and vanished into the brush leaving me shaking my head.
i stood there thinking to myself,"you knuckle head", if only you had been ready to shoot. well as luck would have it i had slipped my arrow back in the stalker quiver when the eland had left me high and dry. so i was not prepared and i paid the price by not getting to shoot. chalk it up to experience or the lack there of.
if i can give one piece of advise to anyone thinking about hunting Africa and better yet stalking/still hunting in Africa, don't let your guard down for one second. there could be an animal behind every bush. i found out the hard way. no sooner had the oryx disappeared i could hear Piet coming through the bush from the opposite side of the trail.
we stood there the two of us for the next 30 minutes telling what each other had seen and laughing about my misfortune. Piet had seen a group of zebra cross over the ridge in front of him as well as some kudu that were making their way to the water hole that was not to far from where we were. we both were still amazed at how quiet the eland bull had been as we approached. Piet felt bad that we had been spotted, but i assured him that it didn't bother me it's just the way the cards fell on that hunt.
Piet and i made our way back to the truck not as hunter and PH but rather two friends enjoying this grand landscape that god had created for us. it was already a day to remember, but it was not over yet and there would be more excitement before nightfall.
this is a natural spring that has water running even during the dry winter months in Namibia. this specific spring was used in the early 1900's to supply water to a vegetable garden operated by a German fellow. he grew most of the vegetables for the town of Outjo just before the 1st world war.
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape19.jpg)
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another shot from a top the Uchab Terraces. this spot reminded me a lot of our grand canyon only on a much smaller scale. we found a lot of sign up there to include kudu and baboon spoor.
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/landscape16.jpg)
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/nature/photos/africa2006/baboon02.jpg)
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hey Rob did you ever have any baboons come into the hides?
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Andy i didn't but the rest of the guys did. Jon actually shot a nice male. i did see and hear some. they use the same two water holes and i only sat in one of them one time.
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Piet and i drove around to the opposite side of the concession to see what the wind was doing and as it had been for the last few days was blowing in the wrong direction to hunt one of the water holes.
as we rounded a bend in the road we watched as a nice oryx crossed about 300 years in front of us. he never looked our way and the wind was good for a stalk. off we went again. we had both instinctively marked the spot where the animal has crossed. slowly we made our way down the road keeping a watchful eye for other animals as we neared the place we had marked.
since neither of us are trackers we were having a tough time deciding on which set of tracks belonged to the oryx we had seen. there were two trails the crossed within about 20 yards of each other and both had fresh spor from oryx. it was decision time and we opted for the trail that showed the most promise.
we eased into the bush slowly looking and listening for any sign of the animal. a clearing was visible ahead of us and we felt that he might have entered into it for an afternoon nap. pausing to scan the brush ahead with my binoculars we felt certain that the oryx was close by. nothing! we stood there for a few more minutes and then slowly picked our way forward down the path.
just as we started to reach the edge of the clearing we heard a commotion off to our right and instantly froze. it was all for naught as we both watched the oryx exit his bed and head for parts unknown. we had chosen the wrong path, DANG! so close but so far. the oryx had bedding just inside the bush from the clearing and had we taken the right path we would have walked right up on him in the bed. o'well that's hunting.
well it was back to the drawing board as they say. so we hopped in the truck and headed out. with the wind still not favorable we decided to head back to the other farm and give this spot a day.
we spent the mid day doing some sight seeing with a trip up to the Uchab terraces. Piet schooled me a little about the history of the old abandoned farm house and the part it played in the growth of the town of Outjo. after leaving the beautiful scenery we made a quick trip into town to pick up some items for camp then it was back on the road headed for Kudu Game Ranch and an afternoon at a water hole.
by the time we reached the farm it was getting late so Piet suggested that we park a few kilometers away and walk in from the back side with the wind in our favor to avoid spooking any game that may have decided to water early. we hiked up the dirt road a ways and then cut in to the bush following one of the many game trails that weaved through the maze of briars and thorns.
Piet was moving at a good clip then all at once he slowed to crawl telling me we were either close to the blind or he had spotted game. within the next 50 yards i could make out the roof of the elevated blind. as we approached the hide Piet stopped and motioned that he could see some animals at the water. raising my binoculars i could see a small herd of springbok playing about the water.
there were 7 in all that i could count. we watched from a distance while working out our plan of attack. it wasn't long before 3 bucks had split from the others and were playing a game of chase. they soon disappeared off to our right leaving the remaining 4 springbok at the water hole. Piet fired up the video camera as i dropped all of my gear except my bow and one arrow.
i closed the distance to about 75 yards when the 4 animals that were still at the water had drank their fill and started to move off in the opposite direction from the other 3. something inside of me said that the others would be coming back so i slowly made my way to a spot where i would be able to see and have some cover from a green bush.
i was almost there when i caught movement off to my right and i stopped dead still in my tracks. one foot in the air i wasn't about to move a muscle. the star down commenced and the battle of wills had begun. as the pain started to work it's way down my leg from holding the other leg mid stride i knew that i was going need to put my foot down any moment. relief was soon to come as the springbok that i was having the competition with had had enough and with a loud snort he bounded away taken his two companions with him.
that was awesome i thought to myself! just a few steps quicker and i would have been totally hidden and they would have walked right by me within 10 to 12 yards. as it was i would just have to enjoy the opportunity to have worked my way as close as i did. another unsuccessful stalk, or was it. if you are going by arrows shoot or animals taken, i would say yes. but if you go by the experience i was in my heart what bowhunting is all about.
the adrenalin rush, the quickened heart rate and shallow breathing. the butterflies that fill the stomach as the possibilities race through your mind and finally the climax when you sigh to regain your composure. i love this stuff. i will never grow tired of the feeling i get when bowhunting. it's a closeness with the animals that we hunt that only a true bowhunter can appreciate.
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the evening hunt would be blessed with the sight off a nice Kudu bull that wandered in just before dark. there is just something special about watching the sun set with a majestic animal in the foreground. i was really wishing i had been toting my camera, but the video camera would be better than nothing.
of course like most animals that we hunt, they just don't lay down and die for us and sometimes they seem to have this nack or sixth sense when they near danger. he checked up about 75 to 80 yards out and just stood there watching. if he moved at all it was not noticeable.
while watching this bull with his keen senses keeping him safe a herd of zebra had slipped in and were standing about 50 yards off to our left. yep they were standing down wind and they knew we were there. their constant barks told the entire animal kingdom within a mile that we were there. as you can guess nothing would come near the water with the exception of two honey badgers.
as the last few seconds of light faded so did my chances to connect on this day. it had been one of my most memorable days afield even though i didn't loose the first arrow. we would get a nice treat back in camp.
our host/PH had made arrangements for one of the local tribes of bushman to come visit us in camp and perform some of their native dances. one of their dances was called the "Oryx Dance". this depicted a bushman hunting an oryx and the celebration of the hunt.
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/bushmandancers1.jpg)
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/bushmandancers2.jpg)
we were entertained for close to an hour by the group of dancers. what a way to cap of a great day in the bush.
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Dang rob, you took some great pictures. I guess thats why you're a pro.
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i just figured since you guys were busy sending arrows down range that i better get some good photos to go a long with them.
are you ready to go back?
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Yep! What are the chances of getting some of these pictures on a CD?
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real good... so you want more than the ones i already gave you? i hope to have finished editing all of them in the next few days. i had close to 1200 images to go through. probably seems like a lot but i had over 3000 last year. guess the video camera took a lot of time away from the still camera work. o' well the video is going to be sweet.
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well i am down to the last day. it had been a great trip thus far but i was not ready to throw in the towel just yet. at first light you would find me sitting back in the blind at long trough. this hide had been very productive for everyone that had hunted it so i figured i didn't have anything to loose.
as the sky turned from black to a pastel orange and then yellow the wind picked up. by the time daylight was upon me the wind was blowing a gale and it was almost impossible to see out past 30 or 40 yards. it was winter time and up until now the temperature in the mornings had been cool. with the wind on this morning it was down right chilly. it was just a good thing i had added a second layer before leaving camp.
around 8:30am i decided i had had enough of this wind and called for a ride back to camp. i knew that the animals would be hunkered down and it was no sense sitting there in the blind. i would take advantage of the wind and get in a little spot and stalk hunting. i was back in camp by 9am and Clemons had some hot grub on the stove so i gulped down a little and grabbed my gear and bow and headed off down the dry river bed behind camp.
we had been seeing a herd of kudu bedded down on a daily basis about 500 yards away from camp. they had chosen this spot for the cover it provided as well as the shade during the midday heat. i wasn't sure that they would be there due to the lower temps but i knew if nothing else it would be a great place to start. as i neared the bend in the river that would put me within sight of the bedding area i slowed to crawl and went into stealth mode.
i don't know about you but when i get into the stalk mode i need to stop and take a few deep breaths, get my composure and think about my every move from that point on. i think the biggest mistake that most of make, me included, is we want to see what is over the next ridge, just around the bend, behind the next tree and so on. if it's one thing i have learned and this trip was no different, when i slow down and take my time my chances increase ten times over.
i was moving a long the shaded side of the river bed with the wind blowing in a steady direction across my face. as long as i spotted any animals ahead of me i would be able to move down wind and get myself into position for a stalk.
i reached the bedding area without seeing or more importantly spooking any game. i stood there for about 30 minutes tucked in behind a clump of brush and worked my next moves out. the wind was still blowing at a good clip so i decided to leave the bedding area and continue down the river bed in hopes of seeing some game. as i rounded the next bend the wind had changed and i decided to move up onto the bank putting myself down wind of any animals that might be laying in the sun on the opposite bank.
boy did my plan come together quickly. not 75 yards farther down the river i spotted a lone red hartebeest standing on the opposite bank feeding on some green vegetation. i slipped in behind some brush where i could see him without being seen by him or any other game on the opposite bank. i must have watched him for close to 45 minutes before he finally started to work his way down the river bank with the wind at his back.
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/nature/photos/africa2006/redheartabeest04.jpg)
i waited until he had disappeared behind some fallen trees to make my move. i slipped down in the dry river bed and beat feet about 150 - 200 yards down passed where i had last seen the animal. once i was sure that i had advanced far enough to put myself out in front of him i slowed down and began to look for a spot to exit the river bed and move up in to the bush.
my luck seemed to be holding out. i found a dry creek bed that fed into the river just another 20 yards. with the bank to the dry creek going up about 10 to 15 feet on both sides. this was perfect. i could move down the creek bed into position and then slip up on the opposite side from where i expected the red hartebeest to show. my thought was once he reached the creek bed he would turn broadside in either direction to look for a suitable place to continue his journey.
my mind told me i had the green light and things were falling into place. i could almost taste him. i knew i didn't have a lot of time to mess around so i started to ease up the bank on my left hand side looking back over my right shoulder as i moved forward each step. as i neared the crest of the bank i looked back to my left to find some cover. but instead of seeing a bush to hide behind what i saw was a huge set of horns that belonged to a very nice impala ram.
i immediately dropped down on my stomach with my face in the dirt thinking you big dummy. i had violated one of my own rules. always keep you eyes posted for other animals and not just the one you are zeroed in on. it was crunch time and i had to make a decision fast. i wasn't sure first if the ram had seen me or if there were more than just the one animal, but i did know that the red hartebeest was no longer my target. this was a huge ram and i wanted him bad.
i reached down my right side and slowly removed an arrow from my stalker quiver and then slid both the arrow and my bow up in front of me on the bank. i was still lying face down in the dirt about 5 feet below the crest of the bank with the impala standing less than 10 yards away. this is where you have to gamble and make a decision right or wrong. i decided to nock the arrow and slowly get to my feet with the bow at the ready.
i made it to my knees and still could not see the impala so i every so slowly raised my torso up with my head tilted so that my left eyeball was about the highest part of my body. had someone been watching from a far they would have surely thought i was a lunatic. i was almost standing straight up when i noticed the rams horns again. i could only see the tips and i wasn't sure if her was facing me or looking away so i grabbed the bow string and in one fluid motion i stepped up with my left foot and came to full draw.
crap he was facing my way with his head down nibbling on something that i couldn't see. i waiting as long as i could hold the bow string back then i let down. there were 4 other impala in sight of me at this point and believe it or not, not the first one saw me and if they did they had no idea what i was or they just didn't care.
not knowing what the heck to do next i slowly bent at the waist and dropped back out of sight taking a deep breath at the same time. talk about getting the heart pumping. here i had this trophy ram less than 10 yards and i had no shot. i waiting about 30 seconds in truth, but it felt like 10 minutes and then i raised back up just enough to see what they were doing. dang, now there was a second impala standing in front of the ram.
i was starting to feel like a whack a mole, bobbing my head up and down. after two more checks i had still not been detected so i decided i would just go for it and hope for the best. i stayed crouched and took a few more steps to get even closer to the crest of the bank. this time when i stood up i was in for a big surprise. every one of these impala was now about 15 to 20 yards away and walking straight away from me.
what the heck! i quickly moved all the way to the crest of the bank and quickly took a knee with my bow at the ready just in case the ram turned broadside. no such luck they just kept on their course going straight away from me. remembering the hartebeest i turned back in that direction only to see an entire herd looking at me as if to say what the heck do you think you are doing. well they didn't stand there long enough to find out that's for sure.
as the hartebeest exited in a cloud of dust the impala decided that something wasn't right so they to picked up the pace and moved off a safe distance to the base of the ridge that paralleled the river. they milled around in a clump of think brush while trying to figure out what had spooked their neighbors.
not wanting to give up just yet i checked the wind. depending on which way they decided to go i might just have a chance to get back in front of them. with no cover to hide my movement i dropped back in to the dry creek bed and backed out into the river then worked my way down it about 75 yards. finding a good spot to ease back up the bank i slowly picked my way through the brush to a vantage point where i could see the entire herd of impala.
i watched as they groomed each other and played for 20 minutes in the same spot. i knew sooner or later they would need to move on so i kept my cool and played the waiting game. finally they started to move out one at a time feeding with the wind in their face. needing to move to put myself in a position to intercept them i studied the bush in front of me looking for a possible ambush location.
moving into position behind some green brush i dropped to my knees and started scanning the bush looking for movement. through my binoculars i could see the ram bringing up the rear of the group as they headed in my direction. i had my fingers crossed that they would walk by me on a trail to my left that was about 18-20 yards.
as they approached a small group of trees i knew they would either go around them to the right or left and if they choose the later i would be golden. i must have said please let them go left 100 times if i said it once, but it wasn't in the cards as they stayed to the right which brought them by me just out of range about 50 yards away.
i watched them as they filtered by one by one and finally out of sight. another really close call with this nice impala ram. i guess it just wasn't his day to die. i will be back on his turf once again next year i hope. maybe the tide will turn and i will be the victor at our next meeting. if not and should we never cross paths again i am a better hunter from our brief encounters on this windy winter day outside of a little town called Outjo in Namibia Africa. another wonderful memory burned into my gray matter.
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/nature/photos/africa2006/impala04.jpg)
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Hey Rob, no I don't need the ones that you already gave me...but the rest would be cool. Those pics are great!
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can do...
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After shooting my warthog, I drug it off, covered the blood around the waterhole with sand, and climbed back into the blind to finish up the last hour of the last night. I remained standing in the sand pit scanning in all directions. I caught some movement through the brush on the right side of the blind. It was a kudu, and a big one. I turned my attention to the camera making sure to get it running and focused without making too much noise. When I looked up I realized that the kudu bull was indeed an old bull. He had one large horn, but had broken the other, probably while sparring with another younger bull. To some this would be a "cull" animal, but to me the broken horn just added character to this old monarch. I dropped to my knees and crawled over to get my bow ready. When I raised up I was pleased to see that he was cautiously approaching the water. He lowered his head to drink giving me the opportunity to draw back my longbow. The 70# draw weight seemed effortless as adrenaline surged through me. I concentrated hard at a spot far up into his chest. The whole world went away except for a small patch of hair on the side of the bull. I remember seeing my big Grizzlystick Safari smack the animal in the front of the chest. My arrow was slightly higher than I had hoped for, but I knew that it would do the job well enough. The bull stormed from the area, leaving a dust storm in his wake. He roared back at me twice, and my heart sank for just a moment as I wondered if my arrow had pierced his lungs. A second later I heard the loud crash that comes from 800# of animal striking the ground. It was good. I could feel the tremoring begin in my hands then sweep through my body. It is a phenomenon that I have learned to control prior to my shots, but have no desire to control after. It is part of the experience that keeps traditional bowhunting in my blood. I had 30-40 minutes of light left, and I opted to wait it out in the blind...just in case my hunt wasn't totally over........ :)
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Guys, I have kind of missed out on telling some of my stories. I shot a warthog from a treestand which was cool. And I also shot a female warthog with really big tusks. It was great shot and we saw it go down. Then there was a also a stalk on some black wildebeast, but you will have to wait for the video for that one. But let me tell you about my last day.
I was to hunt with Lucas at Kudu post. But when we got there, the wind was howling. As has already been mentioned African animals are not into moving when it is windy. So we decided to try a little stalking.
We were walking down a dirt road when I spotted a kudu bull standing under some Mopane. I pointed it out to Lucas, and saw his eyes get bigger. Obviously it was a good one. The bull was unsure as to what was going on, but he knew he did not like it, so he moved off, but he did so slowly.
We quickly took off, hoping to get ahead of him. We lost track of where he was, but Lucas did a very good job of tracking him. This went on for a mile or so when we finally gave up.
We decided to go back to the blind but the wind was relentless. I told Lucas we should go back to camp and get something to eat, and then we could come back out later when the wind had died down. I could tell that he was glad to hear me say that.
Back at camp we enjoyed another fine breakfast that Clemens prepared. You are supposed to lose weight when you go on extended hunting trips, but I gained a few pounds!
Anyway it was now about noon, but the winds were still out of control. Lucas decided to go join the trackers who were looking for a Kudu that Ed had shot. Rob and Ed and I had a few cold bottles of Tafel, which is good African beer in celebration of what an excellent trip this had been. We were having a few beers and going through pictures, when we noticed the wind was beginning to die down.
Back into predator mode. Rob and Ed went one way, and I went another. I was back at Kudu post.
The time went by slowly, and I was thankful for this since it was my last day. Not much was stirring when I finally noticed movement back in the brush. It was a young kudu bull, and not one that I had any intention of shooting. He came in and drank, and then was accompanied by some cows and calfs.
The calfs came to drink first, followed by the cows. I had a big cow standing there just asking for it, but I could not shoot because she was standing next to a calf, and I did not want to harm the calf. Finally the calf moved out of the way, and I prepared to draw.
The cow was standing exactly where my Eland had been standing when I shot him. I did not think I could make the shot....I knew I could. Extreme confidence is a luxury when bowhunting, especially on another continent, but I knew I could do it. I held for longer than normal, realizing that this would be the last arrow I would shoot on this trip. I was relieved to see it go exactly where I wanted it too. It was a double lung hit, and my arrow was lying on the ground covered in blood.
Just like my Eland, the kudu jumped into the water and then kept going. For a minute I thought I heard her go down but was unsure.
The problem I had now, was that I was a long ways from camp, with no way to communicate with anyone to come pick me up. So I started walking. It took awhile to get all the way back to camp and when Abrahm and China saw me they knew I had shot something.
After a few more celebratory drinks of fine African wines, we set out to track. Luckily the Kudu did not even go 100 meters. What the hell is a meter anyway?
I had indeed heard it go down. China and Abrahm were happy and so was I. After picture taking and all that, we were just standing out there B.S.ing. I noticed Abrahm eying my bow. I asked him if he wanted to shoot it, and he thought I was joking. I said "no, go ahead I'll show you". I showed him how to anchor and how to get the fletching to his nose. He took an arrow and promptly launched it at a bush. His laughter was infectious, and I am really glad I got all of this on video. His father China decided he wanted to try also, so for about a half hour these two shot my arrows at bushes and rocks while just having a great time. My arrows are in bad shape but it was worth it. These two guys are no strangers to bows, but they are strangers to bows that they consider to be very high poundage. The Sans bushmen use poison on their arrow tips, so light bows work fine. Also, they mostly use these bows to hunt small game. Anyway, I could tell they wanted one.
I am looking for a light poundage bow and some inexpensive arrows to send to these guys. If anyone has something available please let me know. I told them I would try to get them a bow, and I want to be true to my word. Nobody would appreciate it more than these guys.
Needless to say, my last day in Namibia was a good one.
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Brady's Kudu: for those interested that right horn taped out at over 55 inches. this Kudu was indeed a true trophy and he will look great in the Hesington home a long side all of Dana's trophies. couldn't resist that one Doc.
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/dockudu2.jpg)
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What a cheesy smile that guy has....
Having heard the kudu crash less than 100 yards away, I was confident that it was down for good. Darkness was closing fast, but it was the last day and I wanted to enjoy the whole of "the witching hour," so I hung tight in the brush blind. I was still hopeful that one of the many wildebeest or zebra that use this water hole might show up before dark. I didn't have to wait long before shadows in the woods turned into critters. Four female kudu slipped into the open and began circling the water and eyeing the blinds for signs of trouble. I held off hoping still that the wildebeest would arrive. As light was fading several more cow kudu slipped from the darkness along the other side of the woods. I watched in the camera's viewfinder as decent shooting light faded away by the second. If I was going to capture anything on video, I was going to have to do it right now. For the first time all day I could feel the breeze on the back of my neck instead of in my face. The cows became increasingly nervous and none would drink. The last few minutes of light were ending way too quickly. Finally one of the kudu turned to leave, offering me a broadside shot. I ripped back the string, but cautioned myself to take my time in taking the shot. The string left my face without a thought. I was surprised to see that my last remaining arrow didn't have a Firenock inside, and consequently was difficult to follow in the dark. The solid "thunk" that my arrow made told me that it connected, and I could barely make out the bright fletchings protruding from the front half of the animal as it turned and ran off. Animals scattered in all directions, scrambling through the thick brush and forest. A moment later I heard a crash, and hoped that it was the kudu. It had ended the way that it had begun, with a kudu cow, from a brush blind, with my seasoned longbow.
With darkness now complete, I called for Piet to come pick me up, letting him know that I had animals down. He arrived ten minutes later. I quickly showed him the warthog, and told him of the two kudu. We began searching for the big bull first. I assured him that I had heard it fall. With only a couple of weak flashlights, he was quick to give up the search, telling me that the trackers would pick it up at first light. I was not so convinced as we were to leave by sun up the next morning to catch our flight, and I wanted to touch the animals that had given their life to make me FEEL alive. I reassured him that the animals were down, so we continued shining our tiny flashlights into the thick brush. A few minutes later Piet yelled out that he had it, less than 100 yards from the blind, the big bull had gone down. Piet radioed for help, and they quickly arrived. While the 8 men worked to lift the heavy animal up onto logs (because they didn't want to damage the animal's cape), I went in search of my other kudu. After 15 minutes Piet came over to help me. The blood trail was scant, but I knew she had gone down. Piet again reassured me that he could have the trackers find it in the morning and deliver the hide to the taxidermist, but I persisted. Finally, while wading through the dense underbrush, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent. I could smell the blood of a freshly killed animal. A non hunter would likely never have noticed the subtle smell mixed with all the other odors of the forest. I had smelled it many times before, however, and my predatory instincts were on high alert. I called for Piet, and was sure that he thought me a fool when finally he raised his head and said, I can smell it too. We circled for several minutes more before Piet again called out. She was down in a trail choked with brush. The shot had angled in from her liver and pierced her lungs. She went only 150 yards before taking her final rest. I was ecstatic about the recovery, and again Piet must have thought me insane for becoming so excited about a kudu cow, but it was the perfect end to a nearly perfect trip. The trackers and I worked for an hour carrying out the whole animals on wooden poles and laying them into the truck. On the ride out an African porcupine crossed the road in front of us. It's foot long, crosshatched barbs making it look 3 times its actual size. The 8 men and boys in the back of the vehicle became very excited, so Piet slowed the truck enough for them to bail out. They chased down the critter and quickly brought him to hand with a few stones from the road's edge. The quills rattled like a diamondback once he was dead. Piet informed me that porcupines were hard on the plastic water pipes on the ranch, but great table fare. The trackers were nice enough to pull many of the quills from the animal for my sons, and the rest they took home to fill their bellies. I had now seen real hunters in action.
There was plenty of celebration to be had in camp that night, but also a lot of quiet sadness for we all knew that we would leave in the morning on the first leg of our long trip home.
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here's that guy again with the cheesy smile :goldtooth:
(http://burnhamphotography.com/galleries/events/photos/africa2007/dockudu3.jpg)
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awesome stuff! thanks for sharing... when do we get to see the video's :D :D
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^^^^^
What he said! :D
Can't wait to get there next year!
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guys i just received some of the tape today from Doc and i'm waiting on a few more from Jon. we got separated at the airport on our way back from Namibia and i wasn't able to get all the tapes then so we have had to send them by mail. since the mail system can loose things were a little afraid to send them without having them copied first. so now that that has been taken care and the master copies are safe i can get to work. i hope to be posting a few clips within a week just to quench the apatite.
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Great pics! Thanks!
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By Christmas I hope!!! ya know the video????? :)
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Marc,
We're working on it. I can promise you that. The Christmas deadline might be tough to make, but we are doing are best to get it out ASAP. Stay tuned. Brady
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:) ....thanks Doc.... :)
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ttt, any breaking video news yet, anxious minds want to know.
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ttt, where are the videos?
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Recently spoke with Doc. Things have gone slower than they wanted but the video is getting close now. Anyone interested in hunting here can contact any of us, as we are planning some more trips. We are working with the outfitter to bring over American Clients. It's a fantastic hunt and is quite affordable. I prefer Namibia to South Africa as it is safer, less populated, etc.