NAMIBIA: My Namibia Hunt 2017

Congrats Bill, that was a great hunt with very good trophies, specially that eland !

Thanks for sharing.
 
Well this has been along time coming and I finally pulled the trigger to go hunt Namibia. I have been thinking of going there since I started hunting Africa. I had been talking with the same outfitter for 6 years and he always answered all my question and stayed with my plan even after years of pushing the trip off. I knew I picked the right place after that fact. I hunted with Pieter delport and it was the right choice in so many ways.

I had Travel express do my airfare and they did another great job. Guns check through from jfk right to Namibia with no problems. I was picked up by Claude and taking right to the lodge and in camp by 1 that afternoon. Claude would be My Ph for the first few days as Pieter was finishing up a hunt with other clients.

Goal was to look for big oryx, springbuck , mtn zebra and eland. I would say goals came through plus some more. I hunted a few areas and the best areas he had depending on what I was after.

We started off on the home ranch looking for oryx the next day. We saw kudu,warthog, red harbeest and plenty of oryx to pick from. After a few stalks and time on the sticks we packed it in for the morning to grab some lunch. We hit the field again by 2 and the search was back on.

After we rounded a corner we spotted a few oryx walking along an open area and we started the stalked. After getting to with in 200 yds I decide I wanted to try my reloads out of the 257. We knew it was not as big an oryx as I was wanting but a very good one. At the prices for oryx I decide I would just take 2 if I saw a better one later. Well I get on the sticks they are 200 yds away and she faces us and just turns enough I knew I could slide a bullet in the sweet spot. I squeeze a round off and down she goes and never moved at all. That 257 amazes me each time with how deadly it can be with that little 100 grain barnes ttsx.

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She came in at just under 37" so a very good oryx for sure and a great hunt to.

The 257 is saucy!!!'
 
The 257 is saucy!!!'

Yeah it is one saucy caliber and when I do my part has worked really well in Africa.
It will make another trip over next year and get some action again. On avg animals shot with the 257 have run far less then ones I have taken with the 300 win mag. Have also had way more animals drop in there tracks with the 257 then any other gun I have used there.
 
I'm assuming this is a 257 Weatherby and not Roberts?
 
I'm assuming this is a 257 Weatherby and not Roberts?


Yes a 257 weatherby with 100 grain ttsx or 100 grain aframes. Going to get some 120 grain aframes to try them also but the 100 grain bullets have done amazing when I have done my part.
 
Hmmm...got your own "laser" rifle. I've always read good things about the 257 Weatherby. Supposedly old man Weatherby's favorite and as such he took nearly every animal (including Cape buff!) with it.
Thanks!
 
So day 4 it is decide we will go back to check for the big oryx. Pieter thinks it is time to switch guns so I get past the springbuck nightmare and I agree. I love my 300 win mag so I was ok switching to it and had no doubt it would get me back on track.

We head off seeing kudu,oryx and hartebeest as we work are way there. First stop nothing much over 37" there so we move on to glass more at another spot 1/2 mile away. We stop and see oryx and hartebeest all over the place. We may have found a bull but Pieter is not sure if he will hit 40" or not. We head out to look him over when I see 4 oryx about 500 yds away from the first group and see what I think is one over 40 for sure. Pieter looks and said that is 40" plus cow and is in a better place to stalk for sure. I am good with that and off we go but still watching the big male to. Well we make it 200yds and the male moves off so big female oryx it is now. We stalk about another 300 yds and then we see one red hartebeest between us and the oryx. We move to within about 50 yds of the red and now have about a 280 yd shot to the big oryx. I decide I will take the shot from there when she turns. She gives me a great shot angle and I take the shot and see she s hit hard but off see goes. I get ready to shot again but Pieter holds me off as he sees she is hit hard and we watch her fall down.

We call the truck to come our way as we go to find her. We look and walking around and can not find her. I am like no way she got away we watched her fall. Then we stand on the back of the truck and see she fell in a small depression and with the tall grass very hard to see.

Lets say when I walked up to her I am sure my smile was from ear to ear. I new she was a monster but she was bigger then I thought. The shot was good and that made me very happy after the springbuck day. She comes in at 42" and was a dream oryx for me.

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Nice Oryx!
 
Well I thought I would share some pictures. I said in my report how I got to help hang some leopard baits for a hunter coming in aug. Well they must of liked my zebra because they have been hitting the baits hard now for over a month. Thought I would share the pictures I just received. 4 different males on bait now.

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Very handsome Mr Spots!
 
Some good animals there. Congratulations!
 
Great hunt. I have been considering Namibia for my 2nd trip. You may have just pushed me over the top. Gemsbok, Springbok, and an old beautiful Eland are my main goals. Yours are all awesome. Congrats on a great trip.
 
Great hunt. I have been considering Namibia for my 2nd trip. You may have just pushed me over the top. Gemsbok, Springbok, and an old beautiful Eland are my main goals. Yours are all awesome. Congrats on a great trip.


Just so you know and thinking of 2018 I have a group going back over in july of 2018. You can Pm me if you want some details.
 
Thanks a lot Bill, but I will still be paying taxidermy from this year. Hoping for 2019 or may have to be 2020.
 
Thanks a lot Bill, but I will still be paying taxidermy from this year. Hoping for 2019 or may have to be 2020.


Well when you ready you can reach out to see if any group trips are in the works. Always nice to met up with new hunters and share camp.
 
Well when you ready you can reach out to see if any group trips are in the works. Always nice to met up with new hunters and share camp.
Absolutely. One of the guys who just got back with me on our first trip have been looking at Pawprints packages already. We will definitely reach out when we figure out our schedule. Will you be at DSC in January?
 
We do not do a booth at the show but maybe there to meet up with people and say. I am not sure yet if I or Pieter will be there yet.

You can tell your friend he will have a great time on a Paw print hunt. I am once again doing a Namibia/paw print combo because of the Africa sickness I have, LOL If we do go to dsc we will make a post on Ah for sure.
 
Here is the start of some of my mounts from this great hunt I had. Cant wait to get back there this july.

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Love that Eland Bill.

That dark face is so cool.

Hope to hook up with an old Livingstone in Zim next year!
 
Exciting to see the works in progress, it will be great to get them home!
 
I like the springbok mount wall pedestal style, shows off the coat nicely!
 

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