meigsbucks
AH legend
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2011
- Messages
- 2,490
- Reaction score
- 5,025
- Location
- Central Ohio
- Media
- 27
- Member of
- SCI, NRA Life Member
- Hunted
- Zimbabwe and Namibia
I just returned from a safari with Jamy Traut at his Panorama camp. My brother Bruce accompanied me as an observer / photographer. The trip began with a flight from Ohio to Atlanta and on to Johannesburg RSA. We overnighted at Africa Sky. I stayed there on my first safari in 2013. Excellent service and great food. They helped me clear my rifles through the RSA Police both coming and going. If you need to stay in Johannesburg, I highly recommend them.
We shared the ride to Africa Sky with a couple from Mississippi, Bob and Amelia. Nice people, and it's a good thing as this wasn't the last we saw of them. After a good meal which we shared with three hunters from Vermont and a good nights sleep, on to Namibia. Bob and Amelia were on our flight to Windhoek as well. We touched down at Windhoek without issue.
Windhoek isn't he largest airport in the world. The plane parked in front of the terminal. We walked down the stairs and maybe a 150 yds to Customs in the terminal. It was a large room with a few video boards. Then it was the usual SLLLLLOOOOWLY wind thru the ropes to the customs officer. That was quick and easy. Now off to claim our baggage and get my rifles at the police office. While my brother gathered our bags from the conveyors, I went to to the police office. It is a small room in the corner, about 6'x8' with a table outside. I had booked my travel with Travel With Guns (my second time using them and I highly recommend them as well) and they informed me that just for the Windhoek airport you can pre apply for your gun permits on line, which I did. The officer had a stack of permits and I got a little nervous when he was going thru them and not seeing mine. However, it was the bottom one and the rest went smoothly... check your serial numbers. On our way out we said goodbye to Bob and Amelia. Unfortunately one of their bags was missing. We later found out it took a side trip to Singapore. It caught up to them two days later.
We then exited the baggage area. WOW!!! A bright modern concourse! Better yet was a gentleman holding a Jamy Traut Safari sign with our names on it! Harold was his name. He is the head skinner and MR. everything for Jamy. We got a couple of Cokes, packed up the truck and headed for camp. It was a two and a half hour drive. Along the way we stopped for gas in Windhoek. What I saw kind of freaked me out. First was the fact that it was a FULL service station. A guy pumped your gas, cleaned your windows and checked your oil. I though I was in the movie Back to the Future. Secondly, when the tank was "full", Harold rocked the truck to get air out of the tank so they could pump in a few more gallons. Also, next to the gas station, in a fenced in area was about ten guys building furniture. Nice furniture at that. Just out in the open. I guess when it is 70 degrees and sunny all the time, you can have such an operation.
We eventually made it to Jamy's. Upon arrival, Jamy came out and greeted us. His staff came and took our gear to our tents. My brother and I each had separate tents. Now when I say tents, I mean it in the loosest sense. Yes it is a large tent, maybe 12'x20'x 10', but it is constructed on an elevated concrete foundation and has electric. At the back of the tent is an attached bathroom with a tent ceiling but the walls are drywall with a huge tiled shower, sink, vanity and flush toilet. To top it off, the bed has an electric blanket.
After getting settled, we went to the lodge. It is a large semi open thatched roofed area attached to Jamy's house. It contains the bar, dining table and a sitting area. the entire lodge is adorned with game heads and zebra rugs. We relaxed a bit, talked about the hunt. Jamy asked me if I'd take a few cull animals for him for bait and meat. I'm in! Then we went to check the zero on the rifles.
The range is a nice little set up about two miles from camp. It has a metal roofed shooting position with a chair and a MTM rifle rest. The range is 100 meters. I took two rifles, a Montana in .338 RUM with a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X scope and an old Interarms Mauser with a Mannlicher stock in .30/06 and topped with a Leupold 3-9X VX2. I took the .338RUM because I'd never shot anything with it. I took the '06 so I'd have a rifle that could do everything and I could get ammo for if my ammo went to China. As a side note, the '06 was my first centerfire rifle. I think I bought it when I was 18. I'm 61. You do the math.
I loaded three rounds in each. I fired two shots out of the .338 and was spot on but the '06 was hitting 4" left. a quick adjustment and everything was OK. We then took a ride to see some of the property and see some critters.
Dinner that night was chicken and it was delicious. The chef, Collin.... HE CAN COOK!!!! We never had even an average meal. EVERYTHING was great and his desserts were sinful. The only thing negative I can say about the food was was there was maybe too much meat (if that's possible). My brother described it best when he said you get sausage with a side of meat, with another side of meat and then meat in the salad. After the first night, all lunches and dinners included game meat. I was a little worried about my brother as, although he's an adventurous eater, I knew he didn't have a lot of experience with game meat. During our ten day safari we had eland, blue wildebeest, kudu and oryx. All delicious.
While we're on food, breakfasts were usually eggs prepared in different ways, bacon and if you wanted it, cold cereal or rolled oats. Sometimes lunches were dinners: steak with potatoes and veggies but usually something like chili, or an open faced sandwich.
In addition to Jamy and his charming wife Rentia, there was another PH, Emile and his wife Kirsten in camp. Also, for a few days was a couple that come for a month and visit all of Jamy's camps every year, Mike and Ginny. Ginny just started to hunt when she was 65 and is now 71 but has shot just about everything there is to be shot in that short span of time: lion, bears, elk, kudu... you name it, she's shot it.
Day one (July 1): after breakfast we headed out. Bruce is photography fiend. The lens he had on one of his cameras was referred to as a .470 NE camera. The crew and staff were amazed by his camera gear and ultimately by the photos he was taking. Around 9AM Jamy spotted some black wildebeest. One was a monster. The stalk was on. It gave us the slip but we tried another stalk. We closed to 220 yds. I got on the sticks with the .338 RUM and waited for him to turn broadside. When i shot he whirled around and ran about 20 yds and stopped. Immediately after I shot I worked the bolt but when I pulled the trigger... CLICK! Nothing in the chamber or magazine. We surmised that after I test shot the night before, I forgot to top off the mag and pressed down the single round and closed the bolt over it. The bull ran about 300 yds. We closed the distance to 150 yds and I applied the finisher. It was a fantastic bull but what a "WONDERFUL" start. Shot about 3'' back from the shoulder and didn't have the mag topped off.
Day two was much better. However, the weather was weird. It was very cold, 0C, windy and cloudy. We got on a nice hartebeest early. A crawl though the sand dune presented a prone 180 yd shot. At the shot he began walking and I hit him again with the .338 RUM. Down he went.
After a nice lunch we went out again. We put a nice stalk on some gemsbok but Jamy decided they weren't what we wanted. While we were on our stalk, Pete, the tracker / driver, noticed two blesbok sleeping out in the open. Jamy and I stalked to within 140 yds. One woke up and moved off. We were hidden behind a bush and I got on the sticks. Jamy tried to get the ram to wake up but it wouldn't. He whistled, clapped his hands and talked. this guy was sound asleep. We waited a few more minutes and he finally stood up and turned. The .338 RUM did its job. A monster blesbok ram.
Day three was eland day. This was my number one target as I failed to get one on my first safari. Once again it was cold and windy. We found a herd of bulls early with two good bulls in it. As it was fairly open and the bulls were on a brushy rise, it was a tough hour + stalk. We had closed to about 125 yds an a herd of zebras busted us. Dang!!! We got on the herd again. After about a half mile stalk, they moved off again. Jamy called for the truck and we began to walk to the road. Jamy then spotted a white rhino bull about 150 yds away. He said let's get closer. Well we got to about 100 yds away and the rhino decided that was close enough and began trotting over to express his displeasure with our presence. We backed off and he stopped about 60 yds from us. Pete and my brother We then went back to camp for lunch.
That afternoon Jamy and Pete located the herd again. The stalk was on, once again they moved off but Jamy kept with them. They just wouldn't let us get close. Finally, the herd stopped about 175 yds out. The bull we wanted was in the back. I got on the sticks and waited. He finally cleared with a front quartering shot. I thought the shot was good but the blood we found wasn't. We eventually ran out of light and had to return to camp. S__T!!!!!!
The following morning we went to where we last saw him. My brother thought there is no way on this earth that they'll find where he was. I told him WATCH! Within ten minutes they were on his trail. Within 15 minutes I shot him broadside thru the shoulder at 90 yds. But he didn't flinch. I thought I missed but Jamy said you hit him good. Shoot him again. Which I did. Down he went. My shot the night before had been just about 4" to the right and went in just behind the shoulder but angled back. He was a big old dark bull with a nice forehead tuft of hair.
That afternoon we got on a monster springbok. I could tell Jamy wanted him bad. We finally stalked to with 60 yds of him. He was laying behind a bush. I was on the sticks with my .30/06. Jamy said when he gets up he'll step out on one side of the bush or another. Well... he didn't step out. Instead, he shot out of there like a rocket!!! Jamy said something in Africaans which I'm sure was an expletive. We tried to gert on him again but no luck.
The following morning Jamy went looking for that ram. By pure luck we found him again. Jamy and I snuck, crawled, snaked and inched our way toward that springbok. We got to about 300 yds away and he had enough and headed for Zambia.
Gemsbok was number two on my list and we got on a nice 36" female. We stalked to within 90 yds. Jamy set up the sticks and I settled the .338 RUM on them. She was behind a tree. Jamy said OK, she's going to come out on the right. Then she turned. Jamy said she's going to come out on the left. She turned again. She couldn't make up her mind. Finally after about five change of direction, she came out on the right side and I put her right down.
The next day we were on springbok all day. However, in the afternoon, Jamy found a nice old ram. As we were stalking we felt a few rain drops. Jamy couldn't believe that it was raining in July! We continued the stalk and took the old ram at about 130 yds.
The next morning yielded nothing. However that afternoon we got on a herd of gemsbok. It wasn't a long distance stalk but we had to move low and slow as the herd was just over the top of the dune. AS we hid behind a bush Jamy peaked around glassing the herd. He raised the sticks and told me to slowly rise to the sticks. When I got up, I was amazed. I thought there were maybe ten gemsbok, but there must have been thirty. Although Jamy pointed out the one to shoot, there wasn't any question. One just leapt out at me. It was a female with 40" horns at about 75 yds. A single shot from my .30/06 dropped her where she stood.
We dropped the gemsbok off at the skinning shed and headed back out. That afternoon, Emile and his wife Kirsten were with us. Emile yelled for the truck to stop. He spotted a Steenbok. He and I quietly searched the brushy area for it. Emile then set up the sticks and said it's behind that bush just 20 yds in front of us. I couldn't see it at first, then I saw an ear wiggle. But that was all I saw. A few seconds later it stepped out but turned to run immediately. I shot under it. Emile then had me follow him. we went about another 50 yds and the steenbok presented a broadside shot at about 20 yds. He didn't get away this time.
The next morning Jamy informed me that he had some business he needed to take care of up north and that Emile would be guiding me the rest of my safari. Although I was sorry not to complete the hunt with Jamy, Emile was a real nice guy that I got along with well. Besides, for all intents and purposes I had everything I wanted. I only wanted another springbok, but if I didn't get one, I'd be OK with that. Additionally, Jamy and I had talked about letting Bruce shoot something. Bruce shoots but is not a hunter and has never killed anything. Jamy loaned Bruce his Kimber .30/06, a beautiful wood stocked rifle.
After breakfast we headed out. We came upon some mountain zebra. Emile needed a zebra or two for leopard bait at one of the northern camps he would be going to after my safari ended. I shot her at about 125 yds but she ran about 200 yds. We moved closer and I drilled her again with the .30/06 and down she went.
That afternoon we had Bruce take some shots from the sticks and went to look for something for him to shoot. They made three stalks, all on gemsbok and nothing.
The following morning, Emile quickly located a heard of eland and the stalk was on. Bruce and Emile headed out. Pete and I watch from a rock outcropping. After about a half mile stalk, I saw Bruce get on the sticks with Emile giving him direction. Then I heard the BOOM! The eland cow went about ten yards and went down. WOW... My brother shot an eland! He wasn't sure if he could do it but he did.
That afternoon we spotted a good springbok ram. After a long stalk, a 180 yd shot dropped it. What a great day.
Last day! After breakfast we headed out. Emile spotted a herd of zebras with a few gemsbok in tow. We didn't make a long stalk, maybe 300 yds, but the zebra quit moving and pinned us down. we laid behind a bush for about half an hour. Emile said he couldn't see the gemsbok any more but that there were two zebra stallions about 225 yds away. There were probably 20 other zebra but they were further out and stretch over about 200 yds. Emile eased up the sticks and I eased up, setting the .338RUM on them. Emile said take your time as they don't know we're here. Take the first one that steps out broadside. The one one the right came out broadside and a 225gr Swift ended his day. However, at the sound of the shot a whole herd of gemsbok stood up about 30 yds past where the zebra had been. Emile said pick the first broadside one. Gemsbok down. A female but good meat.
After lunch Emile wanted to go out but I said I'm done. Take Bruce out to take pictures. I'll begin to pack.
About 5PM Bruce walks in my tent and says they have a little surprise for us. Dinner on the dunes. So we drove out to the dunes, about a half hour away. There they had tables set up. Stemware for wine, eland steaks cooking on the grill and the most beautiful sunset God could come up with. Truly a great end to a great safari.
The next morning, we ate breakfast loaded up the truck and headed for the airport. Emile helped us get our guns and luggage checked in. Then we headed home. 31 straight hours of travel. We arrived home on Thursday, July 12th. This is Monday, July 16th and I'm still whipped.
My brother was in heaven with this hunt. He was able to take pictures of things he never dreamed of and shot an eland! Me... I loved every minute of it. Jamy runs a great operation with great people.
In addition to Jamy, his wife Rentia, Emile and his wife Kirsten, I'd like to thank his staff: Harold (skinner), Peter (assistant skinner), Collin (chef), Pete (tracker / driver), Maria (housekeeping), Fatima (housekeeping) and Kallie (grounds keeper). All were great.
We shared the ride to Africa Sky with a couple from Mississippi, Bob and Amelia. Nice people, and it's a good thing as this wasn't the last we saw of them. After a good meal which we shared with three hunters from Vermont and a good nights sleep, on to Namibia. Bob and Amelia were on our flight to Windhoek as well. We touched down at Windhoek without issue.
Windhoek isn't he largest airport in the world. The plane parked in front of the terminal. We walked down the stairs and maybe a 150 yds to Customs in the terminal. It was a large room with a few video boards. Then it was the usual SLLLLLOOOOWLY wind thru the ropes to the customs officer. That was quick and easy. Now off to claim our baggage and get my rifles at the police office. While my brother gathered our bags from the conveyors, I went to to the police office. It is a small room in the corner, about 6'x8' with a table outside. I had booked my travel with Travel With Guns (my second time using them and I highly recommend them as well) and they informed me that just for the Windhoek airport you can pre apply for your gun permits on line, which I did. The officer had a stack of permits and I got a little nervous when he was going thru them and not seeing mine. However, it was the bottom one and the rest went smoothly... check your serial numbers. On our way out we said goodbye to Bob and Amelia. Unfortunately one of their bags was missing. We later found out it took a side trip to Singapore. It caught up to them two days later.
We then exited the baggage area. WOW!!! A bright modern concourse! Better yet was a gentleman holding a Jamy Traut Safari sign with our names on it! Harold was his name. He is the head skinner and MR. everything for Jamy. We got a couple of Cokes, packed up the truck and headed for camp. It was a two and a half hour drive. Along the way we stopped for gas in Windhoek. What I saw kind of freaked me out. First was the fact that it was a FULL service station. A guy pumped your gas, cleaned your windows and checked your oil. I though I was in the movie Back to the Future. Secondly, when the tank was "full", Harold rocked the truck to get air out of the tank so they could pump in a few more gallons. Also, next to the gas station, in a fenced in area was about ten guys building furniture. Nice furniture at that. Just out in the open. I guess when it is 70 degrees and sunny all the time, you can have such an operation.
We eventually made it to Jamy's. Upon arrival, Jamy came out and greeted us. His staff came and took our gear to our tents. My brother and I each had separate tents. Now when I say tents, I mean it in the loosest sense. Yes it is a large tent, maybe 12'x20'x 10', but it is constructed on an elevated concrete foundation and has electric. At the back of the tent is an attached bathroom with a tent ceiling but the walls are drywall with a huge tiled shower, sink, vanity and flush toilet. To top it off, the bed has an electric blanket.
After getting settled, we went to the lodge. It is a large semi open thatched roofed area attached to Jamy's house. It contains the bar, dining table and a sitting area. the entire lodge is adorned with game heads and zebra rugs. We relaxed a bit, talked about the hunt. Jamy asked me if I'd take a few cull animals for him for bait and meat. I'm in! Then we went to check the zero on the rifles.
The range is a nice little set up about two miles from camp. It has a metal roofed shooting position with a chair and a MTM rifle rest. The range is 100 meters. I took two rifles, a Montana in .338 RUM with a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X scope and an old Interarms Mauser with a Mannlicher stock in .30/06 and topped with a Leupold 3-9X VX2. I took the .338RUM because I'd never shot anything with it. I took the '06 so I'd have a rifle that could do everything and I could get ammo for if my ammo went to China. As a side note, the '06 was my first centerfire rifle. I think I bought it when I was 18. I'm 61. You do the math.
I loaded three rounds in each. I fired two shots out of the .338 and was spot on but the '06 was hitting 4" left. a quick adjustment and everything was OK. We then took a ride to see some of the property and see some critters.
Dinner that night was chicken and it was delicious. The chef, Collin.... HE CAN COOK!!!! We never had even an average meal. EVERYTHING was great and his desserts were sinful. The only thing negative I can say about the food was was there was maybe too much meat (if that's possible). My brother described it best when he said you get sausage with a side of meat, with another side of meat and then meat in the salad. After the first night, all lunches and dinners included game meat. I was a little worried about my brother as, although he's an adventurous eater, I knew he didn't have a lot of experience with game meat. During our ten day safari we had eland, blue wildebeest, kudu and oryx. All delicious.
While we're on food, breakfasts were usually eggs prepared in different ways, bacon and if you wanted it, cold cereal or rolled oats. Sometimes lunches were dinners: steak with potatoes and veggies but usually something like chili, or an open faced sandwich.
In addition to Jamy and his charming wife Rentia, there was another PH, Emile and his wife Kirsten in camp. Also, for a few days was a couple that come for a month and visit all of Jamy's camps every year, Mike and Ginny. Ginny just started to hunt when she was 65 and is now 71 but has shot just about everything there is to be shot in that short span of time: lion, bears, elk, kudu... you name it, she's shot it.
Day one (July 1): after breakfast we headed out. Bruce is photography fiend. The lens he had on one of his cameras was referred to as a .470 NE camera. The crew and staff were amazed by his camera gear and ultimately by the photos he was taking. Around 9AM Jamy spotted some black wildebeest. One was a monster. The stalk was on. It gave us the slip but we tried another stalk. We closed to 220 yds. I got on the sticks with the .338 RUM and waited for him to turn broadside. When i shot he whirled around and ran about 20 yds and stopped. Immediately after I shot I worked the bolt but when I pulled the trigger... CLICK! Nothing in the chamber or magazine. We surmised that after I test shot the night before, I forgot to top off the mag and pressed down the single round and closed the bolt over it. The bull ran about 300 yds. We closed the distance to 150 yds and I applied the finisher. It was a fantastic bull but what a "WONDERFUL" start. Shot about 3'' back from the shoulder and didn't have the mag topped off.
Day two was much better. However, the weather was weird. It was very cold, 0C, windy and cloudy. We got on a nice hartebeest early. A crawl though the sand dune presented a prone 180 yd shot. At the shot he began walking and I hit him again with the .338 RUM. Down he went.
After a nice lunch we went out again. We put a nice stalk on some gemsbok but Jamy decided they weren't what we wanted. While we were on our stalk, Pete, the tracker / driver, noticed two blesbok sleeping out in the open. Jamy and I stalked to within 140 yds. One woke up and moved off. We were hidden behind a bush and I got on the sticks. Jamy tried to get the ram to wake up but it wouldn't. He whistled, clapped his hands and talked. this guy was sound asleep. We waited a few more minutes and he finally stood up and turned. The .338 RUM did its job. A monster blesbok ram.
Day three was eland day. This was my number one target as I failed to get one on my first safari. Once again it was cold and windy. We found a herd of bulls early with two good bulls in it. As it was fairly open and the bulls were on a brushy rise, it was a tough hour + stalk. We had closed to about 125 yds an a herd of zebras busted us. Dang!!! We got on the herd again. After about a half mile stalk, they moved off again. Jamy called for the truck and we began to walk to the road. Jamy then spotted a white rhino bull about 150 yds away. He said let's get closer. Well we got to about 100 yds away and the rhino decided that was close enough and began trotting over to express his displeasure with our presence. We backed off and he stopped about 60 yds from us. Pete and my brother We then went back to camp for lunch.
That afternoon Jamy and Pete located the herd again. The stalk was on, once again they moved off but Jamy kept with them. They just wouldn't let us get close. Finally, the herd stopped about 175 yds out. The bull we wanted was in the back. I got on the sticks and waited. He finally cleared with a front quartering shot. I thought the shot was good but the blood we found wasn't. We eventually ran out of light and had to return to camp. S__T!!!!!!
The following morning we went to where we last saw him. My brother thought there is no way on this earth that they'll find where he was. I told him WATCH! Within ten minutes they were on his trail. Within 15 minutes I shot him broadside thru the shoulder at 90 yds. But he didn't flinch. I thought I missed but Jamy said you hit him good. Shoot him again. Which I did. Down he went. My shot the night before had been just about 4" to the right and went in just behind the shoulder but angled back. He was a big old dark bull with a nice forehead tuft of hair.
That afternoon we got on a monster springbok. I could tell Jamy wanted him bad. We finally stalked to with 60 yds of him. He was laying behind a bush. I was on the sticks with my .30/06. Jamy said when he gets up he'll step out on one side of the bush or another. Well... he didn't step out. Instead, he shot out of there like a rocket!!! Jamy said something in Africaans which I'm sure was an expletive. We tried to gert on him again but no luck.
The following morning Jamy went looking for that ram. By pure luck we found him again. Jamy and I snuck, crawled, snaked and inched our way toward that springbok. We got to about 300 yds away and he had enough and headed for Zambia.
Gemsbok was number two on my list and we got on a nice 36" female. We stalked to within 90 yds. Jamy set up the sticks and I settled the .338 RUM on them. She was behind a tree. Jamy said OK, she's going to come out on the right. Then she turned. Jamy said she's going to come out on the left. She turned again. She couldn't make up her mind. Finally after about five change of direction, she came out on the right side and I put her right down.
The next day we were on springbok all day. However, in the afternoon, Jamy found a nice old ram. As we were stalking we felt a few rain drops. Jamy couldn't believe that it was raining in July! We continued the stalk and took the old ram at about 130 yds.
The next morning yielded nothing. However that afternoon we got on a herd of gemsbok. It wasn't a long distance stalk but we had to move low and slow as the herd was just over the top of the dune. AS we hid behind a bush Jamy peaked around glassing the herd. He raised the sticks and told me to slowly rise to the sticks. When I got up, I was amazed. I thought there were maybe ten gemsbok, but there must have been thirty. Although Jamy pointed out the one to shoot, there wasn't any question. One just leapt out at me. It was a female with 40" horns at about 75 yds. A single shot from my .30/06 dropped her where she stood.
We dropped the gemsbok off at the skinning shed and headed back out. That afternoon, Emile and his wife Kirsten were with us. Emile yelled for the truck to stop. He spotted a Steenbok. He and I quietly searched the brushy area for it. Emile then set up the sticks and said it's behind that bush just 20 yds in front of us. I couldn't see it at first, then I saw an ear wiggle. But that was all I saw. A few seconds later it stepped out but turned to run immediately. I shot under it. Emile then had me follow him. we went about another 50 yds and the steenbok presented a broadside shot at about 20 yds. He didn't get away this time.
The next morning Jamy informed me that he had some business he needed to take care of up north and that Emile would be guiding me the rest of my safari. Although I was sorry not to complete the hunt with Jamy, Emile was a real nice guy that I got along with well. Besides, for all intents and purposes I had everything I wanted. I only wanted another springbok, but if I didn't get one, I'd be OK with that. Additionally, Jamy and I had talked about letting Bruce shoot something. Bruce shoots but is not a hunter and has never killed anything. Jamy loaned Bruce his Kimber .30/06, a beautiful wood stocked rifle.
After breakfast we headed out. We came upon some mountain zebra. Emile needed a zebra or two for leopard bait at one of the northern camps he would be going to after my safari ended. I shot her at about 125 yds but she ran about 200 yds. We moved closer and I drilled her again with the .30/06 and down she went.
That afternoon we had Bruce take some shots from the sticks and went to look for something for him to shoot. They made three stalks, all on gemsbok and nothing.
The following morning, Emile quickly located a heard of eland and the stalk was on. Bruce and Emile headed out. Pete and I watch from a rock outcropping. After about a half mile stalk, I saw Bruce get on the sticks with Emile giving him direction. Then I heard the BOOM! The eland cow went about ten yards and went down. WOW... My brother shot an eland! He wasn't sure if he could do it but he did.
That afternoon we spotted a good springbok ram. After a long stalk, a 180 yd shot dropped it. What a great day.
Last day! After breakfast we headed out. Emile spotted a herd of zebras with a few gemsbok in tow. We didn't make a long stalk, maybe 300 yds, but the zebra quit moving and pinned us down. we laid behind a bush for about half an hour. Emile said he couldn't see the gemsbok any more but that there were two zebra stallions about 225 yds away. There were probably 20 other zebra but they were further out and stretch over about 200 yds. Emile eased up the sticks and I eased up, setting the .338RUM on them. Emile said take your time as they don't know we're here. Take the first one that steps out broadside. The one one the right came out broadside and a 225gr Swift ended his day. However, at the sound of the shot a whole herd of gemsbok stood up about 30 yds past where the zebra had been. Emile said pick the first broadside one. Gemsbok down. A female but good meat.
After lunch Emile wanted to go out but I said I'm done. Take Bruce out to take pictures. I'll begin to pack.
About 5PM Bruce walks in my tent and says they have a little surprise for us. Dinner on the dunes. So we drove out to the dunes, about a half hour away. There they had tables set up. Stemware for wine, eland steaks cooking on the grill and the most beautiful sunset God could come up with. Truly a great end to a great safari.
The next morning, we ate breakfast loaded up the truck and headed for the airport. Emile helped us get our guns and luggage checked in. Then we headed home. 31 straight hours of travel. We arrived home on Thursday, July 12th. This is Monday, July 16th and I'm still whipped.
My brother was in heaven with this hunt. He was able to take pictures of things he never dreamed of and shot an eland! Me... I loved every minute of it. Jamy runs a great operation with great people.
In addition to Jamy, his wife Rentia, Emile and his wife Kirsten, I'd like to thank his staff: Harold (skinner), Peter (assistant skinner), Collin (chef), Pete (tracker / driver), Maria (housekeeping), Fatima (housekeeping) and Kallie (grounds keeper). All were great.
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