Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Dark Continent => Topic started by: robtattoo on July 14, 2008, 06:25:00 AM
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What a week!
Left to right... Andy Lovell (compound shooter) Allan Ivy, Me, Andy Ivy (Tradtusker) & James Dickinson (Tradman 25)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08088.jpg)
Such an abundance of game, Great food, great companions, stunning scenery, awesome hunting. What more could you want!?!
If you've ever thought of hunting in Africa, just do it! Raid the kids collage fund, (The world has enough Doctors & Lawyers!) forget the mortgage, (Who doesn't enjoy camping?) sell the car (a walk'll do you good!) Namibia is worth it all & more!
We booked a 7-day hunt through Piet Mostert & Lukas Holtzhausen at Africa-Jag Safaris WEBSITE (http://africabowhunt.net/index.htm) after a recommendation from Rob Burnham (Paleface) The service from everyone was utterly First Class.
Piet came & picked us all up from the Airport in Windhoek & drove us the 3-1/2hrs to the Bushcamp.
Well, the bushcamp was really not what I expected! I was thinking about rough shacks at best, tents at the worst. Oh no. Here you get a lovely thatched Rondavel with en-suite bathroom/shower, wardrobes, soft beds (not that you spend much time in them!) & plumbed in electrickery! Better than a lot of hotels I've stayed in! All the camp staff, guides, trackers & skinners/butchers were on hand for introductions & to help us all get settled in.
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08083.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08086.jpg)
First job of the trip was to set up the bows, get changed into hunting clobber & go shoot a few practice arrows. Once everyone was satisfied that their arrows were flying true & long-haul-flight-cramped-muscles were adequately stretched, off we went to the hides for a short afternoon hunt......
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Alright ya British redneck, get on with the story and pics,LOL. Glad ya had a good time.
Danny
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This is the initial view out of the first blind I hunted; Langkrupp...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08003.jpg)
And a few minutes later...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08007.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08006.jpg)
"Well", I thought, "This is gonna be a cinch" Ummmmm, not quite that easy. These are only babies! Everything everyone tells you about African game is true. IT'S FRIKKIN' HUGE!!
I didn't get a shot on the first evening, but I had the privelege of watching a beautiful cow-Kudu come in to within 30yds. Kudu are scarce this year due to a terrible outbreak of Rabies amongst the herds. Only one 'trophy' Kudu bull was seen all week (I'll let James tell you about that one when he gets back :rolleyes: :D )
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08009.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08010.jpg)
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The first afternoon was just a taster of things to follow over the next few days. Just at dark, Piet (my PH for the night) called the 'backie' (pick up) to come & collect us from Langkrupp & take us back in. We walked out onto the track & looked back into the setting sun to see a massive Gemsbok bull, staring at us from around 200yds. It was too dark for a photo, but we stood & observed him for 10 minutes or so. He would return to taunt & finally haunt me, later in the week.....
Dinner that night was prepared by the Most Wonderful Camp Cook In The World, Dina. Huge ribeye steaks & juicy, unctuous mutton chops serves with Pap & sugar. Sublime!
Friday morning saw us up for coffee & rusks at 05:30 & into blinds by 06:15. Again, I hunted with Piet (the guys tend to put the least experienced hunters with the most experienced guides & PHs) this time at a pit blind, aptly named Kudupost. We had a few 'hunting companions'...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08015.jpg)
Tokay Geckos were everywhere! Bitey little buggers they are too, but cute as heck!
At 07:00 we had a visit from a young Springbok doe. Too small to shoot, but amazing just to see so close. She nosed around at the salt-lick, within 8 yards from my trembling hands!
Whew! What a rush :D
We were constantly surrunded by Grey Louries ('Go Away' birds) Namaqua sandgrouse, Cape doves, collared doves, finches & thse little fella; Shaft-Tailed Wyddah....
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08029.jpg)
We were also visited by a HUGE Silver Goshawk...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08024.jpg)
Okay, now I'm going to attempt to post a short video. This nice sized, boar Warthog came into the water at 10:00. Piet told me he was a shooter, if I wanted him. "If I want him?!?!" Well, you don't go all the way there just to look...
I'll apologise in advance, there's a Swear Word at the end of the clip. Sorry. If I knew how to edit it out, I would've but this is all new to me!
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/th_Namibia08002.jpg) (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/?action=view¤t=Namibia08002.flv)
As you can probably tell, it wasn't a 'perfect' hit.
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Good stuff Rob. Keep it comin'. Don't worry 'bout the swear word....it's just a legal term that originated in the British court system. :saywhat:
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:biglaugh: That's funny Ric probably true though!
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We decided to let the hog bed down for a few hours & go back out & track him in the afternoon.
We calld up the backie & went in for a very nerve-tensing brunch.
As we got back into the bushcamp, James came running up full of excitement. He'd made a perfect shot on a big boar Baboon. Unfortunately, by the time we'd got there the skinners had finished their work & I couldn't get a hero shot,although I'm sure James has one or two ;) It's going to make a stunning full-skull mount with perfect, unbroken teeth.
1:00 came around & Piet gathered up two of the trackers (Tokis & Aseer) to help look for my hog. Well, stone me. After fretting & fussing over the possibility of aloooong walk, the guys found him laid out 60 yds from the water. The big 1-7/8" Silverflame having severed the main artery under the spine! Turned out that this would be the first of three very lucky, not-quite-perfect shots...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08017.jpg)
We dragged him out to the truck & carried him away to the skinning shed. Score four nice knife handles for Rob! :D
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After dropping Puumba off with the skinners, Piet took me back out for a short(ish) stalk.
I didn't pack my camera for this (like an idiot!)
but take my word for it; I really, really wish I had.
We made 3 different stalks on Gemsbok (they saw us at 30yds) Eland (20 yds, behind a big bush) & Mountan Zebra (Just changed direction & caught our wind at 12yds!!!) I didn't think my heart coul take much more! Luckily (!) it started to get too dark to safely be walking around in the bush so we madeour way back into camp, bumping into an unsuspecting Aardwolf on the way. We sat & watched him stalking around for a few minutes, until a Jackal yipped & startled it away.
Man! What a day! Allan scored his first Warty of the trip too. There was lots of joking around in the camp that night, at my expense. Jules' (The Wife) last words before I departed still ringing in my ears, "I don't mind you hunting, you know I don't, but you're not shooting any wartys!"
Much Jaegermeister, Brandy & Coke & Tafel beer was imbibed & we crawled/staggered/were carried off to a short but welcome night's slumber.
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As you may have gathered, James, Andy & Allan are still over in Africa. Allan should be home in a couple of weeks & we've told him to come & show his pics on here (He's a professional photographer) James & Andy are gonna be home at the end of August after a few weeks working on the Ivy Safari farm in South Africa. They'll both chime in as soon as possible. I just couldn't hold off for much longer! :D
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Man oh man....give us some more... good job!
Randy
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Saturday saw me out with a different PH. A young, but very, very experienced guy named Gert (pronounced Ghgherrrt. Kinda like the sound you make when you accidentally half-swallow a fly. You get the idea)
He took me for the morning out to an elevated blind called Rhoypost.
Now I'm a fairly quiet guy. Don't do a lot of talking 'specially when I'm hunting. Gert is my polar opposite! You couldn't pay the guy to shut up (If there's no gam around. If there is, he's all business) Well, we hit it off like best buddies! A nicer guy I have never met. We spent the rest of the week joking & making fun of each other like a couple of six-year-olds! :D
I digress.....
Rhoypost is a unique blind, in that it looks out over two waterholes. Kinda handy for all wind directions!
Waterhole 1....
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08032.jpg)
And 2....
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08033.jpg)
We had a quiet morning. Several small wartys came for a drink, we heard Jackals yipping behind us & I got my first glimpse at the most frustrating creature in Africa....
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08078.jpg)
Hmmmmmm, Guinneafowl 2 : Rob 0
Gert on arrow-retrieval duty...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08036.jpg)
*HINT* If you're thinking of hunting Africa & have the chance at Guinneas, take lots (& lots & lots & lots) of old arrows & crappy broadheads. A blunt won't stop 'em & you'll kick yourself if you only have a 4-arrow bow quiver & forget to pack your back-quiver. Ask me how I know :rolleyes:
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Great story Rob...plus some excellent pic's!!! Can not wait to hear the rest.
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Those guinea fowl sure are good eating :thumbsup: But such noisy targets! Great story keep it up!!
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Excellent stuff, Rob! Lookin' forward to the rest of it.
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LOL Lovin every minute of it!! Keep em coming Bro.
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We had a few short journeys out of the blind (arrow retrieval, warming up etc..) that morning. Speaking of warming up, it's the middle of winter in Namibia right now, so mornings & evenings the temp dropped to freezing or below! Brrrrrrr.....
Once again, we took the 11:15 backie in for brunch (toast with apricot jam, cheese, fried egg & boerwurst. All in one mouthful. Wierd.) & found out the James had shot & recovered a beautiful Red Hartebeest (Again, he'll have to post his own pics)
In the afternoon Gert took Andy Lovell & I over to a second farm called Sopienhoff. Andy had gone over specifically to try & get himself a Dik-Dik & there had been more sightings here than anywhere else. We took our turn in the back of the backie, letting Tokis & Gert have a more comfortable journey...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08039.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08040.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08042.jpg)
This would be Andy's home for the next couple of days; Mittelpost...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08046.jpg)
With a lower option...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08043.jpg)
Both overlooking the same water hole.
I would be posted a little further down the road at Farpost...
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The view from Farpost...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08047.jpg)
Again, Farpost is an elevated blind, roughly 20yds from the closest edge of the water & specifically placed with bowhunters (& more recently modified to better serve we traditionalists) in mind. Soon we were at a horrendous score of;
Guinneafowl 5 - Rob 0
Many choice words & heathen invectives were launched Guinnea-wards that afternoon!
Gert has a simple rule regarding guinneas; If you want to shoot nothing but fowl, that's fine. If you want to shoot anything else, stop playing with the birds at 2:30 & let them bring other stuff into the water. Wise words indeed.(from the lanky wingnut ;) )
Right on cue (2:30) we had a group of 3 Black Wildebeest spotted at 300yds & hopefully making their way to us. A half hour later, seven Black Wildebeest & a small, 30" or so Gemsbok came in to the water. There was a little to-ing & fro-ing between the Big Bull Wildebeest & the Gemsbok. Very cool to watch, but not too calming fro the rest of the herd! Both animals came to a grudging truce, with the Wildebeest giving me a excellent 28yd broadside shot. I took it. It was pure poetry. The pink fletched, Magnus tipped shaft whipping toward the perfect heart/lung placement & giving a swift, dignified & honourable end to this noble Patriarch....
Unfortuntely, the sodding thing wasn't there when the arrow landed :mad: It had performed an end-switch that would have left the most gunshy Texas Whitetail wondering what was going on & got itself skewered in the ass. Luckily this wasn't videoed as nobody wants to see a 'Gnusickle' Despite the 'Bum' shot, there was a LOT of blood coming from the Bull & Gert & I both agreed that it looked like a lucky femoral artery shot (2 of 3, remember) We elected to leave it an hour & go see what had happened...
Much hand-wringing & nail-gnawing later (This is a $1000 trophy fee animal, & a bloody good specimin!) we jumped down from the stand & made a start finding his spoor. There was good, if sporadic, blood leading us into an acacia thicket. We unfortunately bumped the Bull right at sunset, with the sun in our eyes, preventing a follow up arrow, or rifle shot from Gert (Which I'd told him to take, if he got the chance.)
The only cool part of the whole stalk being that we managed to get very upclose & personal with a herd of Giraffe, without even realising it! How in God's name do you NOT see a 18' tall Giraffe, standing 20yds away! Honestly :rolleyes:
We decided that the best course of action was to retire for the night & come back in the morning with a couple of Bushmen.
We drove back down to Mittelpost & found Andy looking as sick as a dog. It turned out that he'd shot his Buck Dik-Dik at 18yds & it had jumped, spun & run off, leaving virtually no track, little spoor & very bad blood.
If you can imagine for a moment, a Dik-Dik is tiny. I mean Rabbit-size tiny. A HUGE, old buck may weigh as much as 9 pounds. It has feet the size of your pinky fingernail.
Andy shot it with a 500gn, Silverflame tipped carbon shaft from a 90# Bowtech (300fps, minimum) & it still managed to jump the string. Now Andy is one of the finest field archers in England & if says he was certain of the hit, then you can bet he's right. He'd tracked the animal, along with Tokis until it was too dark to see & decided the same as Gert & I, to back out a return in the morning...
I don't recall much of the drive back to camp, or indeed that night. Andy & I were sharing a rondavel & spent the entire night either awake & feeling sick with worry, on in a fitful, nightmare laden sleep. Andy probably more so than I, knowing that his Dik-Dik (another $1000 trophy) could be easily carried off & eaten at leisure by any number of nocturnal carnivores; Jackal, Spotted & Brown hyena, Aardwolf, Civets, Caracal, Leopard & Cheetah. All are in residence. Not a feat so easily managed by my Wildebeest.
We anxiously awaited the dawn.
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Rob, you are killin me here,LOL.
Danny
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Come on Rob......give it up. It's well past dawn, let's hear what happened. I've got my :coffee: and I'm impatiently waiting.
Danny
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i can see this going as long as the bear quest thread. LOL
doug77
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Oh, go on then. Since you asked nicely!
We managed to get a bit of a lie-in on the Sunday morning. There's no point trying to follow blood & spoor in the dark.
By 09:00 we were back at Sophienhoff. Andy, Gert, Tokis, Timu, Sarel & I. We decided that as my Wildebeest should be easier to recover, Andy & Tokis would stay & try & find his Dik-Dik while th rest of us would quickly run off & grab my Bull. Well, Gert (the big lug) told me to pack very light, just bringing my bow, arrows & water & ready myself for a day-long hike. So no camera then. Bugger.
I'd taken a GPS locationof the last blood we'd found the previous evening. Huge waste of time. The trackers, with neither prompt nor direction, wandered straight out into the bush & straight into the bloodtrail. Honestly, I'd never have believed it if I hadn't seen it! We faithfully followed the trail (I just stayed well out of the way, feeling totally un-nescesarry) for 30 minutes, crossing back & forth over the dirt track until both guys just stood & pointed.
There he was!!! He'd managed a grand distance of around 1/2 a mile. The arrow had severed the Femoral artery in his right-rear leg, continued on into his gut & nicked the rear of his right lung!
I had my first antelope species down! I honestly felt like I could fly, run a marathon & then fly home. I was elated! Handshakes were offered & received & Gert ran off to fetch the truck. We loaded him up & went to help Andy. In the back of the backie I couldn't help but marvel at this beautiful, if odd looking, creature. From the hide, he'd looked huge with small horns. From the ground his body was tiny (compared to the more common Blue wildebeest) & his head looked immense!
We got back to Mittelpost to find Andy still dejected, downtrodden, downcast & generally really, really pissed off. Lucas had arrived from the other farm to help out & had only found a Guinnea that Andy had shot & lost the day before.
We gathered around the backie & everyone congratulated me on my trophy & commented on it's horn-size. Bouyed up by my good news, we all got back to Andy's bloodtrail.
It looked like the tiny antelope had run a full circle & dissappeared. The trackers stood at the last blood lookingtotally bewildered. Certainly something had come in the night & carried off the Dik-Dik. As an inexperienced stooge, I backed out of the way & let the trackers start circling, grid searching & casting around for any spoor. All they found were Caracal & Jackal tracks. Not good. Not good at all.
Whilst standing around, feeling as helpless as a kitten, I started looking around, to see what I could see. Twigs. Dry leaves. Grass. Twigs, Bloodspot. Gra.. wait. WHAT!!! I called for the trackers, assuming that they'd probably seen this spot & being prepared to be made to feel like a fool. Timu & Sarel came up & started talking very quickly in Bushman (lots of chirps & clicks. Amazing!) Shaking me by the hand & diving headlong into thorn bushed. Apparently I'd just found the thing! Well, I was damned if I could see it, but sure enough not 5 yards away lay a perfectly unmolested, intact & perfectly shot Dik-Dik.
Andy was close to tears with relief, Lucas & Gert were both overjoyed & Tokis thought it was hilarious!
Andy reverentially carried the tiny animal out to a clearing for photos (No camera for me, remember :mad: ) and promptly pulled out a 35mm rig. So now I can have the photos & I'll gladly show 'em all to you. I just need to wait until Andy gets 'em developed :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
We took 2 full rolls of film, one each of me & my Wildebeest & Andy & his Damara Dik-Dik. Lucas (an S.C.I. Measurer) got busy with his tape measure & assuredus both that we'd just shot SCI top 10 animals, Andy's probably taking the number 1 spot for bow-killed Damara Dik-Dik! :clapper:
We had a good half hour of back-slapping, handshaking, laughing & playing around at this point. The pressure was off & we could finally relax. Lucas came over & told me that Sarel (a 65 year old Native Bushman) had been admiring my Morrison. Well, any excuse for a stumpshoot! I gave Sarel the bow & let him go nuts shooting at trees, bushes & lumps of dirt. Quite possibly the funniest experience of my life! He was expecting something similar to the short Bushman bows he'd grown up with (25# at most!) not a 57# bow! His pride refusedto let him give in though, until he'd hit something! I think he actually managed a 12" draw, at one point, before nearly blacking out with the effort! Tokis & Timu were, by now, completely incapacitated with mirth. Tears in their eyes, rolling on the floor, nearly choking with laughter!
Sarel finally turned & handed me the bow, making the 'universal Strongman' gesture (stand up straight, arms out, flex biceps & go "Grrrrrrr") before collapsing into fits of giggles himself.
What a morning & still half a day left to play with!
And a very entertaining afternoon it was, too.....
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Great so far Rob, congrats on the fine wart piggy and wildebeast. I can just see the smile on Andy's face when they found hid Dik Dik with your help of course.
Locals sure get a kick out of hunters using bows. Funiest thing I remeber was getting ready to fling a few arras at a target and they all gathered around. Just as I was about to let fly I turned around to see them all standing there with their fingers in their ears expecting bow to maske same sound as gun. It was funny as heck.
Keep on with the great story telling. You have been paying attention to Mr. Lamb and JC's story telling abilities. We don't want to wait till Andy gets back to hear all your adventures, he'll have a fresh batch by then.
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Funnily enough, during my quick break I've had this EMail through from Piet...
"Hi Rob
I hope you all are well. Just a short note to say we enjoyed it to hunt with you guys. At this stage your Black Wildebeest is nr two or three in Namibia. We will have to wait for the dry out period of three months before we can enter it. Will keep you up to date once the entry is on the Namibian top ten. Andy’s Did Dik will be nr one, as there is no other entries in the bow section. If you come back some day I will give an Oryx for free.
Best Regards
Piet"
How cool is that then!
:clapper: :clapper:
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That afternoon we had an amazing array of game, almost to within range. Unfortunately we had badly swirling winds that kept everything away from us.
There were;
2 Blue Wildebeest, a male Steenbuck, A really big, muscular, old Gemsbok buck (Who's horns were worn down to a judged 34"!) 2 male Duiker, a female Steenbuck, 3 red hartebeest, several wartys & a small kudu bull.
All came to within 40yds, stopped, sniffed about for a short while & then retired to a safer distance. Hugely entertaining & equally frustrating! :banghead: :banghead:
Everyone else had had far better luck!
Andy Lovell scored a perfect double-lung shot on a big old Cow Eland at Mittelpost, James had taken a Cow Eland that morning from Langkrupp, Andy Ivy had a red Hartebeest on the ground & Allan had 2 Hartebeest to track the next morning! A very busy day for all hunters! ('cept me :( ;) :D )
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The next day (Monday) saw me hunting with Joram (Camera clamped firmly in-hand!) out at Two-Dams, another elevated blind.
Joram in his 'Early Morning Wear'...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08013.jpg)
The view from Two-Dams...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08050.jpg)
The ever present 'Go Away' birds...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08059.jpg)
And the bloody Guinneas (who, by now were storming ahead at ridiculous lead of 7-0. The swines!)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08056.jpg)
We had a fairly uneventful morning. A few small Springbok came in to water, along with a group of small piggies, but there was nothing big enough to shoot. The highlight of the morning was getting to share an intimate moment with a Yellow Hornbill (Flying Banana!) at around 3 feet!...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08053.jpg)
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Rob you've got me itchin to get off my butt and book a trip to Africa!
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Great story, thanks for sharing. Looking forward to more.
James
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Fabulous tale Rob, was it as beautiful as I said? Wonderful country, friendly people, clean, few people, lots of animals and birds. Them Guineas are champs at the water hole jive!You take great pics and tell a marvellous story thanks for sharing.
chrisg
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Ok Rob, it is time to get up and get on here and finish this story, this waiting 24 hours between posts is getting old,LOL.
Danny
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tap,tap,tap,tap :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
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Rob,
Did you ever eat any guineas? We had a bunch cooked up one night in Zim and they tasted awful to say the least. Do you have any snake stories??
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Sorry guys, had the family round all day!
No Dave,we never managed to shoot enough guinneas or a meal! :D Too cold for the snakes too.
Right, back to it.
The afternoon was only slightly less eventfull than the morning. We had a move to another blind, Neupost...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08064.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08062.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08063.jpg)
One thing we saw and heard a lot of was these little fellas...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08066.jpg)
The finches were turning up to the water in vast numbers! There were so many, that at one point enough of them landed in a Mopani tree to snap off a 6" branch! Jorem told me that they're commonly known as 'Locust Birds' due to the amount of damage they do to crops each year, just by landing on them! They're controlled by dynamiting the flocks as they land in a tree. Apparrently.
The only other game we saw was right at last light. 2 Blue Wildebeest came to the water & immediately started sneezing, snorting & generally creating merry hell!
Back in for beers & supper, we were treated to Piet's Award Winning Elnd fillet steaks. In Namibia they hold Braai competitions similar to the BBQ cookouts y'all are used to in the US. Piet is the reigning National Champion & we got to sample his 'secret' recipe. Mmmmmmmm good! It was simply the tastiest, most succulent meat I have EVER eaten (I packed away a lot that night! ;) )
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Tuesday, very early (who knew there were TWO 4 o'clocks in the day?!) saw Piet& I back to Langkrupp to try & find a Eland. Looking at the spoor around the water, we'd either scared them away with the backie, or just missed them by a few minutes :readit: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Well stone me! I hit him perfectly at the top of the heart, through both lungs, with the Woodsman tipped MFX landing 2yds or so past him, in the sand... We stood & watched him spring & pronk a whole 30feet bfore piling up behind a bush. I must confess, I went a bit 'Fred Eichler' at that point. Lot's of jumping up & down, punching the air etc. Not very English gent at all.
We thought it best to let the rest of the herd move off under their own steam, rather than spooking them, when suddenly Piet grabbed me by the shoulder & clamped a hand over my mouth...
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Rob I hope their is more SOON.
doug77
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...he's milkin' this one like a Jersey cow.... :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
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Just waiting for another video to upload to photobucket. The durn things take forver!
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looks like we will have to make some popcorn
doug77
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Oh balls to it! You'll have to do without until I can get it sorted.
This part two...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/th_Namibia08010-1.jpg) (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/?action=view¤t=Namibia08010-1.flv)
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Part one was the bloody HUGE 36" Bull Gemsbok that came in to water & got itself shot, buuuut photobucket's playing silly beggars so you'll just have to imagine for a while.
Piet pointed off to my Left & whispered "Oryx" a sure enough, a good Bull had begun circling the water, checking the wind to see if he was safe.
He came right in, cautiously bobbing, circling & twitching before finally taking a tentative sip. He remained slightly quartering towards me for a few minutes, with his foreleg cocked & his elbow covering his vitals. I waited & waited for the 'right' moment. This was 'The' animal I'd come to Africa for. I'd seen him on my first evening (remember?) & here he was.
He lowered he elbow & stepped back, then drooped hishead for another drink, I slowly came to full draw & settled at anchor.
I'll admit, I was still trying to control the adrenalin hit from the Springbok of 5 minutes earlier, on top of this second hit & was shaking like a guilty dog. I came down again & tried to regain a little of my ragged composure....
Arm up, string drawn & cheekbone touched, the arrow was away! NOOOO! TOO FAR BACK!!!!!
The excitement had thrown me & I made a poor shot. Too low. Too far back (You'd see on the video, I was 6" low & 6" right. classic short-draw symptom)
The Oryx leapt through the fence, as soon as it heard the string & then jogged out to 60yds, stopped, turned & looked straight back at us. He turned & walked majestically off into the bush, apparently none the worse for our encounter! I recoverd my arrow from the sand -the 210gn Silverflame having performed flawlessly- & gave it a close inspection. Nothing was present to show that it had ever been shot through an animal! There was a very feint 'animal' smell to it, certainly not guts but at the same time there was no blood either. We decided to leave it a few hours & track it later...
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FINALLY got it up onto Youtube!...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx41Q-rzMeQ
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Well, we waited four hours before Gert, Tokis, Aseer & I went back to try and find him.
We tracked by spoor alone for 2 miles with no visible blood. Tokis & Aseer went a further 2-1/2 miles circling, following spoor & circling again, all to no avail.
The guys had a good head-scratch & finally concluded that I'd somehow managed to miss every single vital organ & blood vessel in the animal! A few slow-mo replays of the video seemed to confirn Piet's suspicions that I'd hit it between either the lungs & diaphragm or the diaphragm & gut.
On the up side, he should live a long & happy life!
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I've been assured by all & sundry that the wounded animal will be able to shrug off an injury like this very quickly. At least it's not suffering.
Dinner that night included Andy's Dik-Dik & Milk pie.
Here's a few more random pics...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08029.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08002-1.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08022.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08005.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08100.jpg)
'The Awesome Power of the Silverflame'...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08099.jpg)
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Wednesday saw me accompanied by Andy Lovell & Gert to Rhoypost. Andy was really keen to get a shot at Springbok & I was still after either an Eland or Gemsbok & Rhoypost was consistently the most reliable spot for seeing either species.
Frankly, I'm amazed we saw anything that day. We spent the whole time trying to control some terrible gas, brought on by the previous night's supper. Between the farting & giggling like little kids Andy somehow managed to shoot a really nice boar hog. Talk about perfect placement...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08106.jpg)
Gert went down to retrieve the arrow & came back with a sparrow he'd found dead & impaled on Andy's Silverflame (see previous post!) Well, that was us done for the day. We couldn't move for laughing. We spotted 3 male Waterbuck out at 200yds, but were giggling so hard there was no chance at all of them coming near us!
We decided to just give up for the rest of the day & go get the downed Warty. You'd never believe it, but we had to walk about 800yds before we found the thing! The tenacity of these little hogs is nothing short of astounding. Lucas arrived with the truck & the four of us carried the pig into the back, farting & laughing all the way (especially as we managed to find every rabbit hole & aardvark burrow out there & then step in it!)
The curried tripe we ate for dinner was possibly not the best idea!
The next day was to be our last, so we'd only hunt in the morning. Andy,Gert & I went out to Langekrupp for a last-ditch effort. All we saw that morning was a Black Backed Jackal that teased & taunted us for 4 hours. Getting to 30yds behind the same bush my Springbok had piled up into & then walking away. He did this several times over the morning without once offering a shot. Just fantastic to see!
We made our way back to the camp at 11:00 to finish our packing & say our goodbyes, before Andy & I left for the airport & the Family Ivy & James left for their African tour.
All in all, it was a spectacular experience. I will be going back (in 2010!) & I would heartily recommend Namibia & all at Africa-Jag Safaris to anyone thinking of going.
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/robtattoo/Namibia%2008/Namibia08092.jpg)
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Oh, I nearly forgot. The final scores;
Guinneafowl-8 : Rob-0
Gunnieafowl-6 : Andy L-1
Guinneafowl-6 : Andy I-0
Guinneafowl-8 : Allan-0
Guinneafowl-36! : James-1
A very, very good week to be poultry! :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
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wow that was a good read can't wait to read more from the other group!
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Rob thanks for the great story and photos and congrats!
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thank's Rob
doug77
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Yep, thanks Rob!
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Awesome bud!!
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"AWESOME" i sure am sorry i was not able to join you guys on this hunt. looks like Piet gave you the royal treatment....
one question Rob are you ready to go back next year?
glad you guys had a wonderful trip and from the looks of it you were able to take some really nice animals.
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Thanks!!! I leave for Namibia in about a month (HaNore). I just hope I can be as succesful.
CONGRADULATIONS!!!!!!!!
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Rob,
You're a blessed man to have gone on such an incredible adventure. Nicely done sir!
Thank you for sharing.
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Great reading and super videos...nice job
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What a great hunt you guys had. I just found this I guess I need to visit this forum a little more often.
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Rob, That was one cool hunt. I felt like I was in the blind with you on that Oryx. Great story...Doc
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That was a great read Rob! I can't wait to see the rest of the pics!
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Very good read Rob, sounds like a great time!
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Too cool Rob!
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Congrats Rob!!! Your springbok is beautiful!
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Excellent pictures and story! Congratulations! Africa is addicting isn't it. Joseph
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Good read Rob! Nicely done!! :rolleyes: (green with envy)
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Africa is beautiful. Great pics and even better stories. Thank you for sharing.
John III
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AWESOME BRO AND A BIG CONGRATS!!!
jeff
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Fantastic Rob! Can't wait to catch up with Andy and James in SA next week!
I fly out for my 2 month Africa stint tomorrow evening! Hopefully I'll have some good stories when I'm back!
Thanks for sharing mate! It was a great read!
Catch you in September when I'm back! ;) :thumbsup:
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Great hunt, great story, great pics...congratulations on your hunt!
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Some fine story tell'n there Rob! Thanks
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Great story and pics Rob. I bet Danny is pacing back and forth mumbling something like "let me at 'em!" lol
What a great Springbok. Those darned Guinea fowl would be awfully tempting! Darned birds! What an experience. You guys had your own African version of "Blazing Saddles" on top of it all! lol Really have to watch the wind then!
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Awesome
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Great story! I am happy too see I am not the only one experiencing frustrations over guinnea fowls LOL
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Nice pictures and nicely told.
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Now that's the way to tell a story!!! Great hunt my friend... congrats!!
Africa give a guy a lot of experience in a very short time.
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Great story Rob, thanks.
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great read rob! Congrats again on the great blacky :thumbsup:
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Thanks all. It was a great experience that I can't wait to repeat!
Andy, get your stories on here bro!
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One of the best write ups I have ever read....Well done
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Dang it Rob! I had convinced myself that I never needed to go to Africa and now you've gone and made it sound irresistible. Oh, why did I ever drop in on this Dark Continent forum?
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Yip, this can be an expencive forum to visit. But its money well spent, :)
Im sure when im an old man, i wont regret the money i spend on Africa trips and the impressive taxerdermy bills :)
James
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Originally posted by Trad Man 25:
the impressive taxerdermy bills :)
James
Tell me about it! €460 for the dip & prep work, €646 to ship the dried, un-mounted trophies to the UK!!! There's only two trophies & I'm being hit for 50kg freight costs :mad: :mad: The darned crate weighs 35KG!
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I would have to say that unless you really, really want your trophies, it's a hell of an expensive idea! I ordered mine as 'dip & ship' only. I figured I'd get the mounting done when I got to the US, rather than have to pay a UK taxidermist & then the shipping of the finished mounts on top. Lord only knows what the shipping fees from Africa to America/Canada would be!
I'd say pick your trophies very carefully!
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ya most people pay as much for their taxidermy as the trophy fees :banghead: James and i worked out its prob cheaper for one of us to fly out with a empty suitcase and pick up the trophy's than it is to get them shipped so we may do that. mind you we only get European mounts and make our own shields
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Wonderful read. Fueled some old desires. What is your opinion on minimum bow weight and arrow weight for an Africa trip? These old shoulders aint what they used to be.
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The problem is that once you have flown all the way there and paying day fees you cant be being picky on what tropys because of the Taxidermy fees. As we all now, we just whack what ever walks out, worry about taxidermy later, :)
Now iv got 4 big skulls small horns ;) ,( Eland has a big head :) ) 4 shields, and flat skins.
I ordered shields as i now if i don't those skulls will sit in a box for 10 years waiting for me to make shields.
When I saw the bill and shipping, and first thought was Holy C**p those things are staying there. Then when I told my brother, mother sisters ect about it they all told me the same thing. In 30 years time when i have my big Red wooden house in Sweden. Ill regret not paying money now, to have some cool tropys up on my wall for the rest of my days.
So just going to have to bite the bullet. Yer its annoying but you only earn money so you can spend it:)
And lets face it, its not stooping my planning on putting another trip together. For bigger tropys, Kudo next time, :)
James,
PS im really excited for the mounts, just supper stressed that they give me the right once, they get me the wrong skulls, im going to be on a war path :)
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Old man of the Swamp, I was shooting a 60lb Silvertip, and passed though every thing i shot. Now i don't really get in to this EFOC,Single Bevel Ashby stuff. I'm sure one day i will use it when i go after big stuff, but plains game i don't think its nessesery. And if you hit the shoulder of plains game, with or with out EFOC etc, it aint going to make a difference your arrow still isent going any where.
My arrows were nothing special, under 600grains,
I dont now about shooting with low poundage, personally don't understand why people would spend a couple of years saving for a hunting trip, and then not shoot a proper bow. I completely understand when im a bit older my shoulders wont work so good, but instead of wounding animals ill just shoot compund bow.
You just have to make a choice if your a responsible hunter and will put a clean harvest in front of your day dreams of hunting with a stick and sting. If your bow and shoulders are not up to the job, Just use a compound. Then you now thte job will get done.
After all were still bow hunters and should all stick together show every one that were responsible and put a clean harvest our main priority when choosing equipment.
:)
James
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James I have no problem with compounds, just trying to find out where that minimun threshold might be and when to make that kind of decision. I gather from what you have said about your equipment and shot placement that I would still be O.K. with what I shoot. I would just need to pick my arrow weight up some and get used to that.
By the way, Plains game is big stuff if 125# average weight deer is what you are use to.
Ronnie
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Ronni, Yes every one in the group were shooting similar setups, cant remember any one shooting below 55lbs. And all the problems with not retrieving animals was to do with shot placment, when we hit them in the right place they came down.
So if you have a reasonable arrow, well chosen Broad head , quiet bow and a bit of luck, I'm sure you'll be lagthing. :)
James
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Great read! Thank you for sharing!
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Feels like I went along. Good job with the stories & descriptions; the pH you couldn't pay to shutup, farting Dixie, trophy shipping! Funny!
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Rob, those are great stories. I felt like I was there....probably because I WAS there...the year before anyway. My favorite blind was Kudu Post. I killed a nice warthog , a kudu cow, and a moster Eland from that blind. That trip was one of my favorites, largely because I was shooting very well. I killed 6 animals and double lunged every one. However, I did shoot a springbok too low that we did not recover. I've been to both south africa and Namibia, and overall I think I prefer Namibia.