Last Practice - First Safari

[Reg26]

What a beautiful day here for one last practice off the sticks at distance before departing for my first safari this weekend.

Leave on Sunday for Namibia and nine hunting days for plains game. Rifle on the right is a Winchester in 6.8 Western and on the left is a Sako in 9.3x62.

 

[EarlT]

Im in Namibia right now w wife. We just finished up a great hunt w Hagen at Omatjete Safaris. They are SCI members, check them out.
Its hot here now, think 90 F +-, cool at night.
Uninsulated boots, thin pants and shirt for sure. And sun screen and deet spray. And doxycycline for malaria, your Dr can provide. Start taking 2 days before u leave home, while in country and 4 weeks after u get home. If not too late get the rabies vax.
Its a beautiful country and you gonna love it! Im definitely coming back.

 

[SETH RINGER]

WAIT, I'M COMING TOO! HAVE FUN. GREAT WOOD ON THE RIFLES.

 

[Reg26]

Im in Namibia right now w wife. We just finished up a great hunt w Hagen at Omatjete Safaris. They are SCI members, check them out.
Its hot here now, think 90 F +-, cool at night.
Uninsulated boots, thin pants and shirt for sure. And sun screen and deet spray. And doxycycline for malaria, your Dr can provide. Start taking 2 days before u leave home, while in country and 4 weeks after u get home. If not too late get the rabies vax.
Its a beautiful country and you gonna love it! Im definitely coming back.

You must be pretty far north if you’re concerned with malaria potential. We will be southeast of Windhoek, so no malaria concerns there. Their temps have been mid-80s for highs, upper-40s for lows.

 

[SETH RINGER]

Im in Namibia right now w wife. We just finished up a great hunt w Hagen at Omatjete Safaris. They are SCI members, check them out.
Its hot here now, think 90 F +-, cool at night.
Uninsulated boots, thin pants and shirt for sure. And sun screen and deet spray. And doxycycline for malaria, your Dr can provide. Start taking 2 days before u leave home, while in country and 4 weeks after u get home. If not too late get the rabies vax.
Its a beautiful country and you gonna love it! Im definitely coming back.

GLAD YOU HAD A GREAT TIME. JUST ME BUT IN NAMIBIA I DON'T THINK I WOULD WORRY ABOUT MALARIA UNLESS IN THE CAPRIVI. IF I GET RABIES SHOTS IT WOULD BE AFTER I GOT BIT BY SOMETHING.

 

[EarlT]

There is a rabies vax in US u can get at any pharmacy and it lasts 2 years. I just like to not have to worry about crap like that. Its working through some areas of central Namibia as I have seen first hand this week.

 

[EarlT]

H

You must be pretty far north if you’re concerned with malaria potential. We will be southeast of Windhoek, so no malaria concerns there. Their temps have been mid-80s for highs, upper-40s for lows.

Hunt was near Windhoek but we site seeing now North and then to coast. So yes

 

[Rare Breed]

What a beautiful day here for one last practice off the sticks at distance before departing for my first safari this weekend.

Leave on Sunday for Namibia and nine hunting days for plains game. Rifle on the right is a Winchester in 6.8 Western and on the left is a Sako in 9.3x62.
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Awesome!!! so excited for you! beautiful rifles!!!

 

[Ku-winda]

Great looking weapons you've got there @Reg26 and should be perfect for your PG hunt - I look forward to your hunt report. BTW, where abouts are you located? Looks like some really nice country with rolling hills and appears the Spring rains have been good to you! Good luck and safe travels!

 

[Reg26]

Great looking weapons you've got there @Reg26 and should be perfect for your PG hunt - I look forward to your hunt report. BTW, where abouts are you located? Looks like some really nice country with rolling hills and appears the Spring rains have been good to you! Good luck and safe travels!

Thanks! I’m in central Ohio. This range is eastern Ohio.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Awesome!!! so excited for you! beautiful rifles!!!

Hi Rate Breed having a braai at the old bar, wish you were there.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I would be more concerned about ticks than malaria or rabies. Make sure you start on dioxicycline before the trip. African tick bite fever is no fun.

 

[Hunt anything]

Is the same rabies that kills ungulates the same rabies that we have here in the states?
Good luck on your hunt! It’s going to change your hunting life forever!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Is the same rabies that kills ungulates the same rabies that we have here in the states?
Good luck on your hunt! It’s going to change your hunting life forever!

It's my understanding rabies is deadly for all mammals but bats. Somehow they can live with it. And in a few rare cases people were infected without being bitten. Guano gatherers in South America died without being bitten. Theory is the air in the caves was so saturated with humidity the virus transmitted via droplets. A young man who received a cornea transplant died from rabies. Unknown to everyone, the cornea donor who had died in an accident was previously bitten by something rabid. Our vet told me about these cases when I was a kid. I presume he knew what he was talking about.

 

[Rare Breed]

Hi Rate Breed having a braai at the old bar, wish you were there.

Having dinner with Lon and sharing his awesome experience and wisdom is truly a once in a lifetime wonderful experience!!!

 

[Hunt anything]

Reason I was asking about the rabies. I’ve read it’s hard to get leopard on bait when there is a rabies outbreak because it hits kudu particularly hard and lots of dead ones in the bush. I would think that they would have contact with saliva, brain matter and spinal fluid when eating infected animals but they don’t seem to catch it and die as well. Just curious.

 

[Rare Breed]

Would not worry about that my friend!!! I am going in 25 for leopard. My concerns: 1. can I get a shoot able male to hit my pre baits? 2. Can I supply enough bait to keep him there? 3. Can I make the shot once I am on him and not embarrass myself in front of my PH

 

[HankBuck]

Im in Namibia right now w wife. We just finished up a great hunt w Hagen at Omatjete Safaris. They are SCI members, check them out.
Its hot here now, think 90 F +-, cool at night.
Uninsulated boots, thin pants and shirt for sure. And sun screen and deet spray. And doxycycline for malaria, your Dr can provide. Start taking 2 days before u leave home, while in country and 4 weeks after u get home. If not too late get the rabies vax.
Its a beautiful country and you gonna love it! Im definitely coming back.

@EarlT - why rabies vax? I know that was an option for my safari in TZ years ago but it didn’t seem like exposure to rabies in Africa was any different to exposure hunting or trapping here in U.S. (Fox, Coyote, Raccoon, Skunk etc..) so I decided Not to get that vax. Obviously if bitten or exposed you have 10-14 days “after” exposure to obtain effective treatment. Rabis transmission requires direct exposure into the blood stream - the virus dies quickly when exposed to air making transmission from a dead animal less likely - but possible. I would need to understand the actual increased risk in Africa vs. U.S. before getting that vax.
Also, even with the vax - if you are exposed you will still be required to undergo treatment afterwards