NAMIBIA: Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris 2019

[Dudders]

Day two
We meet for breakfast at 7:30 and head out at 8.00am for the kids to try out the loan rifle and make sure everyone is safe and happy. Everyone was good to go after a couple of shots. We slowly work our way around the farm for the next couple of hours without seeing anything of note. I was not surprised by this. With the late start and the weather being very hot and sunny most animals had already lay up from the heat. we headed back to the lodge for lunch and our afternoon rest.

 

[Dudders]

After our afternoon tea we head back out the sky had clouded over and it felt cooler , It was not long before a nice springbok ram was spotted and as it was the one animal will was after he was away with Hendrick. We climbed into the back of the truck to get a grandstand view of the proceedings. The pair slowly weaved their way through the head high scrub stopping to check the location of the springbok every so often. The sticks went up and we all focused our attention. then came lots of head bobbing scope look up back to scope a discussion between the pair and they we off moving closer to the springbok. This continued for several more minutes until the sticks were set once more then springbok was stood broadside, as we watched we were all whispering go on shoot then boom the dirt kicks up below the springbok and it takes off only to stop a short distance away. the pair quickly change position and another shot rings out again shot went low and the springbok take off again this time they do not stop or look back. the pair make there way back looking a little disappointed. we load up and head off again.

the cover used to approach the springbok.
We continued along for a short distance and as we crested one of the rolling hills below us was a heard of red hartebeest we stop and give them the once over and Philip says there is a nice bull in the group and gives me the look and we are off. The kids pass me the rifle and me and Philip head off down the hillside through the scrub we get as close as we dare and Philip says if you are happy take the shot I wait for the bull to turn broadside and fire. I hear the hit the bull jumps throws out its front leg and takes off all looks good, the heard disappear into a gully and reappear behind some rocks on the next slope over and there at the rear is a bull running on three legs. we watch them go over the top of the slope and return to the truck. we close the distance to where we last saw the heard and set off in pursuit. we followed the tracks for half an hour then spotted the heard under some trees on the next valley over. Me, Hendrick and Philip set off in pursuit while the others went back to the vehicle ready for if we needed it. we drop down to the valley bottom cross the dry river bed and begin to head back up hill as we clear some scrub there is a hartebeest bull stood looking at us. we get set on the sticks. We wait for the hartebeest to turn to see if it is the right one but he just will not move in the end Philip decides I should take the shot after waiting on the sticks for what felt like an age, I promptly pulled the shot and missed completely the hartebeest took off again. We tracked until dark but with no success and called for the truck to come and get us. Over the next couple of days we kept checking for the hartebeest every time we saw some but with no success. But this morning Philip contacted me to say uncle Roy had been out early and had seen the hartebeest. Had gone back to the farm and taken Philips brother back and shot it . It is good to know that just because you have left doesn't mean that they stop looking for animals that for all intent and purposes are lost.

 

[Dudders]

We meet for breakfast at 7am Philip said we had a job to do before we could start hunting. A research team were trying to trap a cheetah to place a radio collar on and the trap on the farm had gone off but the camera was not working so we needed to go and check the cage to see what was there. we loaded up in the truck and headed out to the trap as we approached we could see a female duiker sat in the trap the duiker was released and the trap reset after ringing the researchers to find out how to rearm the trap, all lasers magnetic trip solenoids etc. The kids were disappointed no cheetah but did add to the excitement for a while. Three days after we left they caught a big cheetah male successful collared and released. After this we headed back out after springbok for will it was not long before they had spotted a nice ram in the same area as the day before. after a short hunt all viewed from the back of the truck the springbok was down.

we spent the remainder of the morning checking for the wounded hartebeest and hunting for a steenbok but no suitable ram was found. we went to the old german fort to admire the view.

 

[Dudders]

The afternoon was uneventful will did manage to bag a jackal and as we returned to the lodge a spotted what at first I thought was a jackal but was in fact an African wild cat, looked just like a large tabby cat. Philip was quite impressed with my spotting skills on that one. Tomorrow Philip had to go to Windhoek so he asked would I be ok hunting with Adab and Hendrick I said that was ok as it was about time I hunted with a proper ph. As you can imagine Philip took that all in his stride.

 

[Dudders]

Thursday morning comes with the news that Will is unwell and had been sick in the night and would stay behind to rest Bronwyn said se felt a bit off colour but would come along we went to the truck and met Adab we ran through the animals we were still after warthog, steenbok and klipspringer we loaded up and waited in the truck. Adab and Hendrick milled around the truck as I waiting for something that was when I realised they were waiting for Will as they didn't know he was sick. I get out and say no Will he is unwell the pair almost run to the truck and we were off. we head up into the mountains to look for the klipspringer we stop and glass the rocky sides of the hills that Adab knowns hold klipspringer . we seem a couple of steenbok
but none of which we big enough. we drive to a very rocky area I have been to several times and I know the track ends and the walking will begin Klinendeckar. I may have spelt it wrong but that's how it sounds . We scan the rocks both sides of the small gorge and the Adab says "we walk now" and we begin to climb up the rocks along a small path as we do we cut off a small group of hyrax they run all around us and through us it was quite funny to watch after the gorge the ground opens up less boulders but still rocky. we climb stop view the area and then climb some more. Justas we reach a small gully a pair of klipspringer bound off heading higher up the slope. they stop and look back Adab says good ram sets the sticks and said the one on the left, unfortunately he had set the quad sticks the wrong way around by the time we had sorted them out the klipspringer were off to the top of the hill as they reached the ridge the ram jumped and stood ontop of a large rock and looked back at us. I was still on the sticks and Adab confirmed that was the ram, I squeezed the trigger and saw the ram jump and crash into the scrub below the rock. My quest for the klipspringer was over.

 

[BenKK]

Neat! Any more info on / photos of the old German fort?

 

[cpr0312]

Enjoying the report! Congrats on the Dik Dik and Klippy!

 

[1dirthawker]

Enjoying the report! Congrats on the Dik Dik and Klippy!

+1

 

[Hutch01]

Keep goin Mr Dudders. We’re enjoying your hunt....

 

[Dudders]

Neat! Any more info on / photos of the old German fort?

The fort was more of an inspection point and was built when the Germans moved the administration centre from one side of the country to the other. It was placed halfway between the two areas on the main road. It consists of three rooms and steps which lead up to the roof where you get great views into the mountains so that's what the photos tend to be off unfortunately. They say that all the alcoholics were sent to man this post.

 

[Dudders]

After we climb down which always seems harder than going up for me Adab decides we should return to camp to skin the klipspringer as although cloudy it was very hot again and he was worried as klipspringers hair can slip quickly due to the hollow hair. I agree and we head off back to the farm .About half way back as we cross a dry river bed sat on the sandy bank is a steenbok ram we stop and take a look. It is a nice ram Adab looks at me and asks good yes I agree and we give my daughter the thumbs up. The little ram never moves.

A khomas First klipspringer and steenbok on the same day let alone the same morning. Unfortunately although shot placement was good the 300wm did do a lot of damage the shoulder mount option is out.

 

[BenKK]

Congrats to your daughter!

 

[Dudders]

Will joins us for afternoon tea and say's he is feeling much better now and will join us for the afternoon trip out. We load up and set off after a warthog for my daughter. we drive for about an hour only seeing females with young and some small males, when the tap comes on the roof Hendrick had seen a nice male and we should go investigate. we set off down hill into the scrub Hendrick leading Adab in second position me third as gun bearer and my daughter fetching up the rear of the column. As we worked our way through the scrub Hendrick spotted the warthog behind a bush the sticks went up I placed the rifle ready and turned to my daughter who was not there as I looked back she was sat on the floor white as a sheet she shakes her head and then starts being sick. The two guys were a little confused as to what was happening at first then once they realised what had happened. we headed straight back to the vehicle. After some water and a sit down my daughter felt better and said she did not want to go back to the lodge so just sat on the back seat of the truck. Adab asked what we wanted to do. I told him we would continue to hunt but we would not hunt for my daughters warthog but see if we could find a oryx for me. The guys eyes lit up as I know how much they like oryx.

 

[Dudders]

We head up into the higher ground pull up at a high vantage point and begin to scan the hills and valleys ahead of us. we spot a group of 10 oryx on the ridge of the next valley over hiding amongst the scrub as we scan the rest of the hill sides we spot more and more oryx all spread out grazing and slowly heading away from us. there were a couple of nice bulls in amongst them we waited for them to head off out of sight behind the hill ahead of us. Me Hendrick and Adab sett off down the track as we reach the ridge we slow the pace and carefully crest the ridge nothing we pick our way through the scrub ever so slowly trying to be as quiet as possible expecting to bump into the oryx at any moment. Adab picks up some tracks and says the oryx have gone and we should follow and se if we could catch back up to them. We work our way around the side of the hill and then we see the oryx on the opposite slope they had joined a heard of zebra grazing on the hillside. We back tracked up to a gully that we could use to get us to the floor of the valley unseen then we could approach down wind using some rocky outcrops to hide our approach on the same slope as the oryx were on. We began to move down the gully which lead us to a narrow ravine as we reached the edge we looked down to see another group of twelve oryx feeding directly below us at under a 100 meters, We watched them for a while they were all females so we moved on as if we spooked them they would run away from the group we were after as the ravine was blocked by rocks. We had not gone far when they took off as predicted we dropped to the floor of the ravine turned right and continued along it became very narrow to where it was blocked we climbed up over the rocks and the ground opened up ahead of us. As Adab took his binoculars to look ahead I noticed three zebra had appeared above us and were stood watching us I tap Adab on the shoulder as he turns to look at me he sees the zebra just as they snort and run off across the hillside alerting everything ahead of them, Adab throws his arms in the air in desperation but we continue anyway just in case the oryx have not moved off. it soon became apparent that they had gone. As the light was beginning to fade we called for the truck to collect us. As we stood waiting for the others to arrive I pointed out to the guys where I shot my first Namibian animal two years earlier the only person missing was Philip on this occasion

 

[crudeoildude]

Question after flights,day fees and trophy fees whats left?

 

[Dudders]

Question after flights,day fees and trophy fees whats left?

One happy father.

 

[Dudders]

So I awaken on Friday morning our last day of hunting having had a few hours sleep. After looking up heat stoke and effects on my phone and realising it was a little more serious than I first thought I spent most of the evening and into the small hours getting my daughter temperature down and making sure that she kept drinking fluids. I checked on her in the morning and she felt better but decided to stay at the lodge as she felt very tired. Philip told her if she needed anything just ask the house ladies and they would get it for her. Before we left to start our morning hunt me and Philip said our goodbye's as he was off to pick up another hunter from the airport and heading to their other area to hunt eland so I would not see him again on this trip. It was not long and me and will were off in pursuit of oryx again as we headed out we passed the area will had shot his springbok and a tap came on the roof we stop looking we could not see anything but soon realised that there must be a jackal. A bit of whispering and the shot rang out and will had jackal no 2. We drove on and soon saw a pair of oryx off in the distance. We again left the truck and headed out but after an hour of playing cat and mouse we were busted buy some unusually jumpy cattle. We soon realised why the cattle had been a bit unsettled when Adab found some large and very fresh leopard tracks we called for the truck and went to look at another area. We continued on awhile then parked up and headed out on foot we followed the farm track for a while then headed off into the scrub to check a couple of valleys, it was not long before we found two oryx grazing there was a male and female so we began to stalk in using the scrub to hide our approach we closed the distance. We were within 150 meters and stepped into the open and set the sticks, I followed placed the rifle ready and the oryx turned and stood looking straight at us. we waited expecting him to turn and present a better shot, But after what felt like an age he took off heading to our right. We quickly headed to our right through more scrub hopefully heading parallel to his direction of travel when we spotted him again this time about 100 meters away, the sticks went up the rifle was placed and the shot was sent there was a good solid hit the oryx ran less than 30 meters and dropped.

 

[Dudders]

I have missed out one animal I hunted. The previous evening while in my room and sat on the bed out of the corner of my eye I caught some movement I then saw what at first I thought was a scorpion but turned out to be a spider not a little miss muffet kind but orange brown monster about four inches in length speed of a greyhound and looked real mean. I have no problems with spiders but that beast and me were not sharing the same room. after a couple of close calls it succumbed to a single blow from a well placed size 10 croc.

 

[BRICKBURN]

What was the trophy fee on that baby?

 

[Dudders]

As long as I didn't show a picture of it to Philips partner it was FOC, but if I wanted it skinned I would have to do it myself.