NAMIBIA: College Station Writing Across The Curriculum Kowas

June 21: Kowas, Namibia


I have read on this forum that a well placed shot can trump both calibre and bullet type.


June 20 found us landing in J’berg bright and early in the morning. It is amazing to fly towards the sunrise. We were in J’berg for several hours until our 1:15 flight to Windhoek. We arrived in Windhoek around 3:30 and begin the process of off loading and heading to baggage claim. (Note: At this point tell your 20 year old son to put the GoPro Camera in his backpack. That almost caused a problem before we got into the building. Evidently they don’t want you videoing at this point of the terminal.)

The process of claiming your firearms is very simple just make sure you have a printed copy of the letter of invitation from your host. They are not fond of a digital letter that is on your cell phone. It worked out though. We were able to leave Windhoek with all of our bags and all of our rifles.


Kowas is located about 80Km south of Windhoek. It is a farm that is owned and operated by Danie and Ansie Strauss. The farm consists of 16,000 hectares of land that is part of the 400,000 hectares of the Dordabis Conservancy. It is a grassland savannah that receives around 10 to 12 inches of rain a year on average. It is the average part that can get you. Fortunately, this past spring and summer made up for the previous several years. The grass is tall, the ponds have water, and the animals are healthy. It is a land that requires great people to survive there. People that work very hard all the time. People that will go to great lengths to help their neighbors. People that are extremely gracious to visitors and guest. The Strauss are those type of people.


This morning after breakfast, we headed to the range and checked our rifles. PB put on a shooting clinic. She hates to practice but put her in a situation where she has to perform in front of other people, well step back and enjoy the show. When you stand on the sticks for the first time in front of the PH’s and put the bullet in the very center of the target there are grunts of approval and nods of respect. The looks of concern and doubt were reserved for me and the boys.


After the gun check we toured the farm and viewed the game then we came back for lunch and proceeded to get our equipment ready and head out to hunt. The boys were paired with Claud as their PH. PB and I headed out with Matheus. I have told the boys that they have to submit a report on their trip but you know what its like when dad tells you to write about something. J


Matheus took us to the southern part of the ranch. We were in search of Hartebeest and Zebra. PB did not want to be up first. She really preferred that I kill the first animal but then a big old Burchell Zebra stallion stepped out of the bush and the hunt was on. Matheus simply did not give PB a chance to get nervous. We redirected the truck back into cover and moved into a better position to use the wind but in doing so we uncovered a herd of springbocks and black wildabeest which caused us to have to change our path. We were working through a brushy flat that was easy to walk through but provided adequete cover for the three of us to work to 100 yards from the zebras. We stopped behind an acacia tree. Maltheus leaned around the tree to insure that the stallion was visible but a mare was staring at our location. We were stacked behind the tree and the mare could not see us but with all the rain there is plenty of material on the ground that now goes crunch and pop. She had heard us. We stood quietly for 15 minutes. (This is code for I don’t know how long but it seemed like forever but it was not forever so 15 minutes seems reasonble.) The mare relaxed and Maltheus stepped around the tree, set up the sticks, and PB was up. I was standing behind the tree staring intently at an ant running up the bark. I was not going to mess this up. The tree probably has scorch marks from where I was staring. Then the shot was made. I heard the bolt work and I looked over to see my wife ready to deliver a second shot. She never came out of battery. Then Maltheus quietly whispered, “It is good. We will wait a moment.”


With one well placed shot PB had done what she had worked very hard to do over the last 18 months and that is harvest a zebra.
 

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Awesome next post!!!

Can't see the pics though?
 
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Still working on my posting pictures technique. I think the pictures work now.
 
They do! Great pic!

Question: what happens when you get two Aggies and a Zebra together?

Answer: The hunt of a lifetime!

GIGEM!!!
 
Most excellent start!

The bar has been set!
 
June 22: Kowas


So this report started at a teacher training session dealing with developing writing skills across the curriculum. I am going to give you a series of words and phrases and I want you to use these words and phrases to write a 3 paragraph report on my Hartebeest hunt. All papers are to be submitted to AH by the end of the day. Those of you that have a 504 modification you have until tomorrow.;)


PH Matheus

excellent job

Hunt

beautiful

Sunrise

Sunset

All day

Last moment

Busted

Many times

Hartebeest

Walking

Running

Sticks

375 H&H Magnum
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I'm going to offer up congrats (if you'll accept them from a Texas Tech alum!) You obviously picked a great outfit to hunt with. I was there this past May and had a world class adventure. They don't come any better than Danie and Ansie, and staff for that matter. And Matheus......you've got yourself a world class PH/hunter right there.

Nice start to your story. I'm enjoying it, while at the same time reliving a bit of my adventure, if that's possible. There's not a day goes by I don't think of the Kowas folks, my hunt, Namibia in general, etc........enjoy it and keep up your good work!
 
After getting my zebra the night before, I got to just put my rifle on the gun rack and enjoy the morning ride as we headed out for Coach to shoot something. I was bouncing along reliving how much I had enjoyed my first breakfast in Africa- every m❤️M, wife can relate to just getting stuck on "good morning Madame, what can I make for you?" What?!?!? Was someone else really going to assume the role of short order cook? Note to self- "I think I'm going to like this!"

Matheus (our PH) and Coach were very excited when we saw a small herd of red hartebeests-after "glassing" they really found a great one and decided we should stalk. I had learned from the day before that our fearless leader had long strides to match his long legs so here we went!! The short version of this is we would get almost close enough and he would either see us or another herd of his buddies or friends of another shape/stripe would run him off. Repeat all morning- eat lunch- repeat all afternoon. The fun part for me was watching the brilliance of our PH because he KNEW where this animal would go next and even if it meant another round about 25 min on the truck getting to the other side of the farm , our hartebeest showed up there!

The hardest part of the day was watching my husband really try to convince our PH that just the tracking was fun to him- yes, he'd love the trophy, but we came to Africa for the memory of the HUNT and all that involved. Words I might add to the list for the assignment might include "swearing in Afrikaans, miles, praying, and not enough flash."

It was close to what this Texas girl would call "dark- thirty" and I assumed we were headed in for the night when I saw the familiar hand signal to stop the truck. Mathews gave Coach a "hurry up look" as he jumped from the truck and I chose to just hang in the back as to not be one more thing that could go wrong at this sunset track. The guys disappeared into the brush and at what seemed too dark to shoot I heard it- the shot! At this point on our ranch during deer season, phones would start blowing up with "who shot?" "Did you get something?!" Text messages. Here- I held my breath and prayed as only a wife/m❤️m can, that something good happened. Finally, the radio crackled and I couldn't understand a single word- dang it! But, the truck moved and when it stopped I saw where you should put the two phrases "ear to ear grin!!!!" And "relieved PH!" Yes, Dad had gotten his first trophy of Africa and he was gorgeous- as was the tiny strip of sun left in the pics- thanks God, for a beautiful day- many hearts full and smiles in the camp.

PB (aka the head cheerleader when it wasn't her turn to hold the rifle!)
 
We will welcome any safari hunter from Tech, especially in light of what people are trying to do to your awesome cheerleader because of her hunt!
 
I'm going to offer up congrats (if you'll accept them from a Texas Tech alum!) You obviously picked a great outfit to hunt with. I was there this past May and had a world class adventure. They don't come any better than Danie and Ansie, and staff for that matter. And Matheus......you've got yourself a world class PH/hunter right there.

Nice start to your story. I'm enjoying it, while at the same time reliving a bit of my adventure, if that's possible. There's not a day goes by I don't think of the Kowas folks, my hunt, Namibia in general, etc........enjoy it and keep up your good work!

Texas Tech people are good folks! PB's sister and husband are graduates from Tech.

It is something special to hunt with Mattheus. It is really neat when you understand that Danie had to get the law in Namibia regulating the qualifications for PH changed. According to the story Danie went to several of the ministers in the government and told them that according to the existing laws they could not be PH's. The rules were changed quickly. (y)
Danie will tell you that Mattheus is the best PH in Namibia.
 
We will welcome any safari hunter from Tech, especially in light of what people are trying to do to your awesome cheerleader because of her hunt!

I'm not as cute as the Tech cheerleader and have definitely chimed in publicly on support for her FB postings, but can relate to her fury as my first pic from our Safari was also removed by Facebook. At least it was mine and not one of the boys- that would be ugly- don't mess with a "hunting mom!" Thanks Techsters!
 
Hey PB, cool pic of the zebra and enjoy the reading so far.
Tell me about your 7-08. what model, etc?
Looking forward to seeing more pics and story.
blessings,
Jerry
 
Hey PB, cool pic of the zebra and enjoy the reading so far.
Tell me about your 7-08. what model, etc?
Looking forward to seeing more pics and story.
blessings,
Jerry

Jerry- I shot a Browning A-bolt 7mm-08 with a youth stock. This gun is the same size as my favorite 243 deer rifle. The Browning had a Leuopold 3x9 scope on it. The rounds were 150 grain Core lokt Federal ammunition.

(A little foreshadowing: outside of the shooting range, I shot 3 rounds in Africa and dropped a zebra, blue wildebeest and oryx)

After being able to demonstrate a proper respect for firearms and safety with them, this is the first rifle Santa brought into our home for the boys to use. A gun sling will be made incorporating one of my hides so that hopefully when my grand kids shoot with it one day, they can be told the stories of their Grandmom hunting in Africa. #legacy
 
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I will be heading to Windhoek October/ November this year and after reading about your arrival, I have printed out several copies of my LOI just in case.

Congrats on the report and hunt so far. What's next?
 
Lana just said, "That's so cool, I wanna do that." talking about the sling made out of one of the hides.
Right now, she has a plain brown leather sling that she picked out. But, for this trip, she has a bunch of leather strips she is attaching to the sling.
kind of Indian style.
She shot a remington youth 7-08 for a while, but I bought her the Savage Ladyhunter a couple of years ago that she loves.
 
June 22: Kowas


So this report started at a teacher training session dealing with developing writing skills across the curriculum. I am going to give you a series of words and phrases and I want you to use these words and phrases to write a 3 paragraph report on my Hartebeest hunt. All papers are to be submitted to AH by the end of the day. Those of you that have a 504 modification you have until tomorrow.;)

I'll bite.

Here you go:

With my 375 H&H Magnum in hand I watched a beautiful sunrise and could feel the excitement growing as I made my way to meet my PH, Matheus at the Bakkie. Thus far, Matheus had done an excellent job in guiding me to my desired trophies. If the previous days were any indication I could anticipate plenty more walking and running as we would try to stalk the Red Hartebeest.

Many times throughout the day PH Matheus would spot herds of Hartebeest and for those that were not immediately running, we would "make a plan" and begin our stalk through the bush. We were repeatedly busted by Impala and the occasional Zebra, as we tried to make our way toward that one Hartebeest bull we were after. Little did I know that this hunt would become an all day affair. This hunting day stretched out to provide the proper use of the sunset; a gorgeous backdrop for my trophy photos.

One last time, as the day was closing quickly we were fortunate enough to have the wind settle, and with the sun in our favour, we closed the distance to a range at which I felt comfortable to shoot. We were behind some good cover while PH Matheus was watching the herd in his binoculars, when he suddenly saw the bull we had been after all day. The sticks were instantly thrown up for me to have a proper rest, while the bull moved slowly into the open. Taking little time, I rested the 375 H&H Magnum on the sticks, found the bull in the scope, and settled my crosshairs on his shoulder. At the last moment possible, before the light disappeared, this incredible bull presented me with my only opportunity and I squeezed the trigger. Hearing the bullet strike home, I knew there would be one last short walk up to the trophy. What an incredible end to a long hard day.
 

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