NAMIBIA: KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS Management Hunt Daily Report

Day one @KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS
Arrived in the afternoon. Checked the zero on the rifle at 100 meters. Dialed to hit high at 100 in order to be zeroed at 200 meters. Then went to look around. Saw a large warthog, but since I’ve already shot a warthog before, didn’t want to shoot another one, saw some Oryx back in the distance, but they ran over the next heel so we kept on driving had very nice food in the lodge. Met Juan, Retief and Hendrick who is my PH and Erick the driver.


Chose the

Sustainable Game Management Hunt - "Conservation Through Selective Harvesting In Namibia"​

Airlink was good.

Two shots close together to confirm zero.

Camp rental rifle. (Actual scope has been changed. Similar to this one.)

Day 2
I shot two Oryx/Gemsbok today. The first was shot on the farm called “Rocky Mountain,” which lives up to its namesake. We were after a female or young stallion Hartmans Zebra. We saw several herds of between 5 and 12 Zebra but could not get close enough to them for a shot. They were very skittish and made for the next mountain as soon as they saw us. We saw several Oryx and around 10am spotted two young males walking up the mountain. I was able to shoot one of them at about 240 meters off the quad sticks. At first I had it in the scope at right at 200 meters but bushes were covering the vital area. Then the continued to walk along eventually stopping for a shot. I forgot to aim a little higher but luckily still put the bullet through the lungs. We cut out the perfectly mushroomed 200 grain Berger bullet right from under the skin on the off side of Oryx. It was shot out of the 300 Winchester camp rifle.

35 inch management meat bull.

The mushroomed 200 grain Berger bullet.

I shot another Oryx in the afternoon. This afternoons hunt was perfect. We spotted a herd at 1.5 KM’s from the top of a Koppie. They were feeding slowly. We walked and got in front of them and 20 of them fed slowly past us at between 225 and 300 meters. There were 2 big 40 inch bulls in the front. So I waited until another young bull like this mornings bull presented a shot at 250 meters. I aimed a little higher and the bullet dropped down a few inches right on the Shoulder. The young bull ran a few yards down and I shot again hearing the “whoop” of second bullet echo back towards me and the bull was down. After those shot a big old cow oryx ran towards us. She stopped at 150 meters. I was just squeezing the trigger for a frontal shot when she turned and ran away. But better that way anyway because I still have 4 days left and 3 more management animals to harvest. I shouldn’t shoot too many the first day. Tomorrow we are going back up into the mountains after Hartmans Zebra.

The koppie we glassed from.

The 2nd young bull.

Looks like a great start to a fun hunt.

Good way to start out for sure,

That Rocky mountain property is a very rewarding place to hunt. So beautiful as well

Day 3
It is just about time to go out hunting at 7am I am eating a bacon, green pepper and cheese omelette in the lodge. Very good. Excellent service and accommodation.
Accommodations are very good.

I’m hoping my next post is a picture of a Hartmans Zebra

Day 3
Hartmanns Zebra.
Hey what a day. I could not have planned it any better. We drove back down to the “Rocky Mountain” ranch. It was a beautiful morning with a clear sky and the sun rising over the hills. We had discussed strategy the evening before and decided that when Zebra were spotted we would try not to pressure them with the vehicle as best we could. The strategy worked perfectly. The first animals spotted were a breeding pair of Oryx. A big bull and cow. Hendrick said the bull was about 40 inches and the cow was longer. I was tempted but was focused on the Hartmann’s zebra management animals. They seemed to know what I was thinking and watched us drive by at about 150 meters. Then we spotted a herd of Zebra. About 600 meters up at the top of a hill. The were relaxed and slowly walked further away along the hill. We drove up to the top of the hill about 300 meters from where they were spotted and began to walk toward them. The wind wasn’t good but we hoped for the best with no other options. After about fifteen minutes we suddenly heard them begin to run. So loud. I saw one trotting at about 40 meters away and thought about a quick quartering away shot behind the shoulder but sensibility took over and my mind said there will be better opportunities. Besides I needed to get the instruction from Hedrick to tell me which animal to take. They ran to the left of us and back passed the truck because the sides of the hill were steep in every direction but that way. Then we watched them run around and over the next hill. Hedrick said that they scented us but it was probably good that we didn’t shoot one there because it would have rolled all the way down into the valley. He said that another client had shot one in a similar steep situation and recovery was nearly impossible. This was an omen. Next we spotted a cow and calf Oryx. After that another breeding pair of Oryx very similar to the first pair. However they ran and never looked back. Soon thereafter we spotted another herd of zebra. They were watching us but seemed calm. We decided to drive all the way around them to get the wind right for a approach. Doing so was much more difficult than expected because one of the many roads was washed out and impassable even for our go almost anywhere Toyota 4x4. Finally after backtracking we drove around behind where they had been. We made our approach and the wind was perfect. About half way up Hedrick spotted a herd of Zebra behind us. They were about 700 meters away. I thought that they were the herd we had spotted earlier and that they had fed down onto a wide flat valley. Instead of going after them because they were feeding away from us we continued up the hill which felt like a mountain to my 49 year old legs. Luckily I had been preparing my stamina for this very reason and I didn’t hold Hendrick up to much. At least he walked slower because of my heavy breathing. The Khomas Highlands are higher in altitude than were I live in Wyoming. Soon we got to where Hendrick thought that they would be and after glassing for a while we admitted defeat and were going to go back towards the herd we had seen and see if they were still within view. About 300 meters of walking Hendrick spotted another herd about 500 meters to our right. The were standing on a old road. Hendrick glassed them and said it was a bachelor herd of stallions and we could shoot any of them. We walked towards them trying to keep bushes between us and them so that they wouldn’t see us. The wind was blowing directly from our right with a cold front approaching. After a while we got to the bottom of a valley and began to walk up a gradual incline towards them. We were now well shielded from their eyes but we could not see them. After a couple hundred meters Hendrick spotted one staring at us through a whole in the bush about 30 meters away. Hendrick set up the sticks. I aimed at him and could only see his head and neck with his body shielded by bush. Hendrick whispered, “shoot him in the neck.” I was uncomfortable with that shot not knowing exactly where the spine was. I had previously shot a Berchels Zebra in the head in a similar situation so I whispered that I was going to shoot him in the head. I aimed straight at his forehead and pulled the trigger. Down he went, however immediately he began to try to regain his feet so I knew I had missed the brain and he was going to get up and run away never to be seen again. I jacked in another round and began to run towards him to get a view of his vital. I saw an opportunity and put a bullet into his chest right as he regained his feet. He dropped and I continued to run up to him and put a finishing shot into his chest and he was down for good. Immediately after that Hendrick saw the herd had stopped further up the hill were a saddle connected with another hill to our right with a steep valley between the two. We moved to the right 20 meters and Hendrick set up the sticks. He said we could shoot two. I put up the rifle and saw several walking slowly to the right. Hendrick said 233 meters. He said shoot the back one that is coming into the gap. I saw him come out and stop. I placed the cross hairs high up on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. “Whoop” echoed back confirming a solid hit. The stallion barreled straight down into the deep valley. Oh no I thought. Recovery is going to be difficult. We watched the bottom of the valley where the bush thinned out but didn’t see him come out. I was ready to put another bullet into him if he did. But he never came out. His buddies stood for awhile looking for him to lead them before trotting off around the hill. It was a long day after that. We were able to get the truck to the first zebra and got him loaded. An old stallion that had lost his place in a herd to a strong young stallion and now joined the bachelor party. Hedrick and I walked to where the second stallion was standing when I shot him and found a massive blood trail going straight down. It was very easy to follow. We found him at the bottom. Then the work began. We had cut him up and carry him up the hill. Or I should say, they carried him up. I carried the ribs. Hey, I’ll do a part when work needs to be done. Wow, what a day! And my first Hartmanns Zebra.

Thank you for taking us along on your adventure! Looking forward to following along for the rest.
The @KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS really does a great job. Congratulations

I'm enjoying the reading, congrats on the zebra's.

Hartmanns Zebra Pictures
My 1st Hartmanns Zebra

Beautiful animal

The 2nd Hartmann Zebra

The shot hit low right behind the shoulder. I think the 90 degree wind pushed the bullet back a little bit and I should have aimed higher up on the shoulder, alls well that ends well I like to say. Better lucky than good sometimes. Upon inspection the bottom of the heart was hit which explains the massive blood trail and epic death run.

Day 4
No hunting yesterday afternoon just a celebration and sharing my hunting stories with the guys. Today is a late start kind of day. Going out at 8am. I have 3 more hunting days an only one more animal to harvest from the package. But I suppose that is what happens when you shoot two animals a day instead of the prescribed one. A good problem to have though. I guess I will just have to add more animals. We will see what today brings.

It’s a very cold morning this morning. Thankfully the chalet has both air conditioning and heat.

Ice in the fountain.

Weather forecast.

Day 4 continued…
Day 4 was relatively uneventful. The cold weather really slowed the pace down. There was an icy start to the day. In the morning we hunted Zone 6&7. In the afternoon we hunted Zone 8. It was fun seeing new country. We were after Oryx/Gemsbok. In the morning we saw Oryx 5-6 times and tried to put a stalk on twice without success. In the afternoon we saw Oryx about as many times as the morning but only tried to put the stalk on a couple of management bulls. Again without success. I saw very respectable Steenbok and Klipspringer rams that just stood very close by the road and looked at me. Tomorrow is also going to be cold.

Frost on the windshield of the cruiser.

Frost on the rack seat.

Hendrick the PH wearing a big heavy coat and shorts. The shorts kind of defeat the purpose don’t you think? Haha

A couple of the Oryx/Gemsbok we saw.

Day 5 of 7 (5 hunting days 2 travel days)
Another cold morning. Another bacon, green pepper and cheese omelette. Started out at 8am. The cruiser didn’t have to be deiced since it was parked in the garage.
On the agenda was finishing out the 5 management animal package with a meat Oryx/Gemsbok.
Lo and behold three young Oryx bulls standing 100 meters off the road as we entered the cattle gate off the main road in Zone 6. I stepped down off the rack and chambered a round. I walked around to the front of the vehicle where I met Hendrick who had set up the sticks. I looked through the scope and saw the three bulls quartering slightly away. They looked like huge Oryx. All Oryx look huge until you see them standing next to a bigger one. They are hard to judge to a novice Oryx hunter like me. I estimated the distance at about 100 meters and thought that I would hit a couple inches high. Hedrick said shoot. So I placed the cross hairs just behind the shoulder and began to squeeze. At that moment the lead bull began to move and all three followed suit. However the squeeze was beyond stopping. Bang went the 300 Winchester and I saw the young bull moving forward. I heard the solid “whapp” of the bullet impact echo back. I also heard the concerned expressions of my companions indicating to me that they were concerned that since the bull had begun to move that it was a bad shot and now we had a wounded Oryx on our hands. Luckily the bull stopped shortly and fell over. A raking quartering away double lung shot. We took some pictures and loaded the Oryx. We drove through Zone 6,7,8. Seeing a 51inch Kudu bull. Not big enough to tempt me. So I am back in camp writing this while I wait for lunch time. On the agenda for this afternoon and tomorrow is looking for a trophy Oryx bull, trophy Kudu bull or doing some wing shooting for Guinea fowl. I have that feeling of satisfaction having all the boxes checked on my hunting plan.


Young meat bull

What a great hunt. Are you keeping any of the animals taken? Also, any plans on going to the coast for shark fishing? Not sure if that was an option on the package you got. Keep going, enjoying the report.

Thanks Para45. I wasn’t planning on keeping any of the trophies but now I am considering tanning and shipping one of the Zebra skins. I’m not going to go to the coast for fishing because fishing is not my thing. The hunting could not have been better. I’m loving it.

Just a thought. I would tan both zebra skins, you never know. I learned my lesson. I left the skin of a cow Buffalo I shot in the Eastern Cape, and I kick myself in the rear for not tanning the skin. When I got home, my wife asked me about the skin, and she said I should have brought it. Oops. For what they charge in tanning, and I'm sure shipping will not be inexpensive.

I hope there is more to your report.

Day 5 of 7 (afternoon)
Bird hunting excursion. When planning this hunt I was hoping that I would finish up the package early enough to get to do a bird hunting excursion. So with the package fulfilled this morning I planned an afternoon bird hunt for Guinea fowl, Francolin, and geese. I had an amazing Guinea fowl hunt with being able to take a beautiful shot at a flying bird. At one point I had two Guinea fowl flying from right to left at about twenty yards in front of me. I aimed right at the first bird and shot. I hit right behind it. Immediately I saw another bird on the identical flight path. But brain slowed down and I knew I needed to adjust my aim to in front of the second bird. Boom! The second barrel of the double barreled shotgun fired and the bird crumpled and fell to the ground. I was elated at making the best with the second chance. I ended the day with 6 birds, 1 Francolin and no geese. The geese were very skittish and flew away long before we were in range. I so enjoyed the bird hunt.

Tomorrow we are going back to the “Rocky Mountain” ranch to look for a giant Oryx or Kudu.