joker2400
AH veteran
I flew Delta Premium Select out of ATL through JNB. Overnight at City Lodge was nice. Up and checked in with airlink at 0430 for a 0630 flight to Windhoek. We ended up last in line of the 4 planes which landed, so we stood in the immigration queue for quite awhile. We were met by Divan @DIVAN SAFARIS and Wenzel after and proceeded to pick up the licenses on our way out of town. We stayed at Wenzel's very comfortable house outside of Omaruru. Arrival day was spent at the range getting acquainted with the rifles we would be using for the trip a 308 and 300 win. They already had 2 mature toms feeding on baits at the cattle/goat farm (~45K acres) we'd be hunting.
Day 1: We took a leisurely approach to the day this morning, so as not to get to the baits too early. We checked the first bait, it had be hit around daylight. We found his tracks in the mud next to the pond where he was drinking. We decided to put up a blind here. We spent an hour or so getting things set up. The shot would be 80 yards and based on the photos he would likely approach presenting a broadside shot. We then checked another bait and found that leopard had taken the day off. We also checked a 3rd bait over in the mountains that had been being visited by a younger tom and a female leopard. No new activity there either. Back to camp for dinner and a nap before we trekked out to the blind.
Top: close up of blind
Middle: blind from across the dam
Bottom: mock setup to make sure everything was perfect
Day 2: We arrived very early and were set up with plenty of time for things to quiet down. We sat through a brief rain shower. Just after daylight we saw movement as the cat came around the bait tree from the left after drinking at the pond and hooked around the backside of the bait tree and approaching the bait from the right as we expected. He was tugging on the bait nearly broadside. Divan gave me the go ahead to shoot when he was still. After 30 seconds or so he stopped tugging and relaxed. I fixed the crosshair just behind the shoulder and pulled the trigger. He let out a short growl and impact and ran off. We called the truck and waited until the guys arrived to follow him up. He was stone cold dead about 80 yards away backed under a bush when we found him. We took pictures and relaxed the rest of the day.
Day 3: Today we went to pull cameras from a bait in the mountains and to see if we could find a mountain zebra. We found a zebra shortly after leaving the bait. I shot the zebra 3 times, the first 2 good shots in the lungs. We lucked as he came down the mountain to an area we could drive the truck to before he tipped over. We took it easy the rest of the day. I pulled my bow out and checked to make sure everything was in order.
Day 4: On the way into the farm we spotted a warthog feeding in the field alongside the road. We used the long grass to stalk into 40 yards. I made a heart shot and he expired quickly. Later that evening my dad shot a massive springbuck. He was ~18.5 inches with 7 inch bases.
Day 5 and 6: We hunted hard but were unable to put it together on anything with the bow.
Day 7: We headed to the conservancy to see if we could get a Dik Dik with the bow. We were on the fairly quickly. We spent 45 minutes stalking the first one before he gave us the slip in thick cover. We went on 2 more unsuccessful stalks after that. Around noon we happened upon a group that were resting in the thick bush. We stalked into them and followed them for ~100 yards before a shot presented itself, but he moved as I shot and it was a clean miss. They didn’t spook very bad and we continued the stalk. Eventually he stopped and offered a 15 yard broadside shot. The hit was good and after we recovered him we found ourselves just off the road about 30 yards in front of the truck. Later that evening back on the farm my dad took a decent gemsbuck bull after a good stalk
Day 8-10: Went looking for archery gemsbuck/springbuck and rifle hartebeest with no luck.
Day 11: I took a gemsbuck and springbuck with the rifle
Day 12: Another day of chasing hartebeest with no luck
Day 13: We went looking for a waterbuck that had escaped a neighboring game farm. As we were driving I spotted a waterbuck, we hopped out and made a good shot. We hadn’t thought twice about the bull as to our knowledge only 1 waterbuck bull was wandering the farm and this bull had obviously been mature. Upon walking up on him it became clear to me that this was a different bull, his horns were shorter, heavier, and straighter. He also lack the unique odor that waterbuck seem to develop. A bit later in the morning I added a nice impala to the salt pile. The afternoon was spent packing and preparing for departure.
Day 14: We left for the airport after breakfast.
Comments: It was a great hunt despite missing out on days of checking baits and refreshing them. This trip with Delta and Airlink was one of my smoother travel experiences. The only issue was that we landed in Windhoek after 2 planes from germany and another plane from the region, so we stood in line at immigration forever. Would definitely do it again.
Day 1: We took a leisurely approach to the day this morning, so as not to get to the baits too early. We checked the first bait, it had be hit around daylight. We found his tracks in the mud next to the pond where he was drinking. We decided to put up a blind here. We spent an hour or so getting things set up. The shot would be 80 yards and based on the photos he would likely approach presenting a broadside shot. We then checked another bait and found that leopard had taken the day off. We also checked a 3rd bait over in the mountains that had been being visited by a younger tom and a female leopard. No new activity there either. Back to camp for dinner and a nap before we trekked out to the blind.
Top: close up of blind
Middle: blind from across the dam
Bottom: mock setup to make sure everything was perfect
Day 2: We arrived very early and were set up with plenty of time for things to quiet down. We sat through a brief rain shower. Just after daylight we saw movement as the cat came around the bait tree from the left after drinking at the pond and hooked around the backside of the bait tree and approaching the bait from the right as we expected. He was tugging on the bait nearly broadside. Divan gave me the go ahead to shoot when he was still. After 30 seconds or so he stopped tugging and relaxed. I fixed the crosshair just behind the shoulder and pulled the trigger. He let out a short growl and impact and ran off. We called the truck and waited until the guys arrived to follow him up. He was stone cold dead about 80 yards away backed under a bush when we found him. We took pictures and relaxed the rest of the day.
Day 3: Today we went to pull cameras from a bait in the mountains and to see if we could find a mountain zebra. We found a zebra shortly after leaving the bait. I shot the zebra 3 times, the first 2 good shots in the lungs. We lucked as he came down the mountain to an area we could drive the truck to before he tipped over. We took it easy the rest of the day. I pulled my bow out and checked to make sure everything was in order.
Day 4: On the way into the farm we spotted a warthog feeding in the field alongside the road. We used the long grass to stalk into 40 yards. I made a heart shot and he expired quickly. Later that evening my dad shot a massive springbuck. He was ~18.5 inches with 7 inch bases.
Day 5 and 6: We hunted hard but were unable to put it together on anything with the bow.
Day 7: We headed to the conservancy to see if we could get a Dik Dik with the bow. We were on the fairly quickly. We spent 45 minutes stalking the first one before he gave us the slip in thick cover. We went on 2 more unsuccessful stalks after that. Around noon we happened upon a group that were resting in the thick bush. We stalked into them and followed them for ~100 yards before a shot presented itself, but he moved as I shot and it was a clean miss. They didn’t spook very bad and we continued the stalk. Eventually he stopped and offered a 15 yard broadside shot. The hit was good and after we recovered him we found ourselves just off the road about 30 yards in front of the truck. Later that evening back on the farm my dad took a decent gemsbuck bull after a good stalk
Day 8-10: Went looking for archery gemsbuck/springbuck and rifle hartebeest with no luck.
Day 11: I took a gemsbuck and springbuck with the rifle
Day 12: Another day of chasing hartebeest with no luck
Day 13: We went looking for a waterbuck that had escaped a neighboring game farm. As we were driving I spotted a waterbuck, we hopped out and made a good shot. We hadn’t thought twice about the bull as to our knowledge only 1 waterbuck bull was wandering the farm and this bull had obviously been mature. Upon walking up on him it became clear to me that this was a different bull, his horns were shorter, heavier, and straighter. He also lack the unique odor that waterbuck seem to develop. A bit later in the morning I added a nice impala to the salt pile. The afternoon was spent packing and preparing for departure.
Day 14: We left for the airport after breakfast.
Comments: It was a great hunt despite missing out on days of checking baits and refreshing them. This trip with Delta and Airlink was one of my smoother travel experiences. The only issue was that we landed in Windhoek after 2 planes from germany and another plane from the region, so we stood in line at immigration forever. Would definitely do it again.
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