Velo Dog
AH legend
Ladies & Gents,
Today is Sept 29, 2021.
My wife and myself have been here with @KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS now since Sept 22.
Namibia had suffered a drought about 2 years ago and subsequent bush fires as well.
However most of the bush is untouched by the fires and there is game still present here.
But now, it requires a bit more finesse to sneak up on it this time.
In other words, the hunting has been a bit of extra work to keep the braai sizzling.
Also, since it rained last season, the burned areas are beginning to turn green.
Animals are often seen out in a burned area, munching away on the new grass and sprouting bushes.
Likewise, since some of the thickest part of the bush was burned, at least the initial spotting of game at distance is much easier.
Be all of that as it may, and thanks to my excellent PH, I have taken 4 very good antelopes between Sept 22 and Sept 28, so far.
Being as computers hate me personally and my phone is indeed a computer, I have no luck posting photos.
Perhaps DoubleLunger or 1dirthawker might have mercy on this old man and let me text or email photos to them for posting.
1.
Steinbock (German) or steenbok (Afrikaans) or steenbuck (Hillbilly like me).
I shot a long of horn one, as it jumped from its bed and ran away.
The shot was only about 30-40 meters so, although running, at that short of range, it was not an especially difficult shot.
I spent a lot of time and rifle ammunition as a young fellow, learning to shoot running Jack rabbits in California and Nevada, USA.
The 300 gr RNSP hit just ahead of the right ham, then crossed him and exited through the left shoulder.
He expired instantly.
Exit hole was quite small, due to the bullet being too tough to expand in such a small animal.
Predictably, it performed much like a solid through the little ram.
My wife was just behind me as the ram bolted and I fired.
Then upon examining him closely, she declared that he deserves to be preserved as a shoulder mount and placed in an honorable spot, presiding over our dining room.
So let it be written, so let it be done.
2.
Impala:
The PH (Ralf Liedtke - born & raised on a 20,000 hectare = 50,000 acre ? farm here in Namibia) spotted a group of about 15 or 20 impala, perhaps 400 meters beyond and above us.
After we had been watching them for about 10 minutes, Ralf quietly announced “there is a large old ram among them”.
We had initially left the vehicle after I had spotted a waterbuck bull in thick foliage, as we ground along slowly in 4 wheel drive.
After staling a bit closer to the bull and Ralph getting a good look at him, he decided it was too young.
We proceeded on foot to see what else we could find.
The mentioned impala were seen initially after we abandoned the waterbuck and while we were walking slowly up a small valley, glassing the hills above us, as the sun was just peaking over the mountains.
They were browsing in fairly thick bush.
But as they were busy feeding, we could occasionally get good looks at them, as individually they would walk between bushes from time to time.
When one or more were not glaring at us, we would remain crouched down, below the thorn bushes between us and the impalas, “duck walking” forward to our next hiding place each time.
They obviously could see us but not very well.
And presumably, since they definitely had the high ground, I figure they believed they were safe.
Had they realized that Velo Dog himself was stalking them, undoubtedly they would all have certainly dropped stone dead from blind terror (right).
Anyway, after about an hour or so of this, we stopped for keeps, behind a big green thorn bush, perhaps 75 to 100 meters from a perhaps 15 meter wide opening, above and slightly to our right that, some of the other impala had already walked across.
Ralf set the sticks, whispering “I’ll tell you when he is about to cross the opening”.
After 10-15 minutes, Ralf said “he’s there”and the big ram started hot footing it across the opening, left to right.
I was already on him when Ralf made an “impala sound” with his voice.
The old ram stopped and twisted his neck around to stare at the source of this challenge.
Bang flop, 300 gr round nose soft through both shoulders.
Death was quite swift, if not instant.
The exit hole was only perhaps about .40 to .45 inch, very little meat or skin damage.
Kelley of The Kalahari (me wife) happened to be sitting on the cruiser bench and coincidentally watching the impalas as they were crossing the open place.
Her range was perhaps 6 or 700 meters and I was delighted that our Tracker “Glenn” had told her to watch that spot as likely we might be shooting an animal there.
Kelley saw clearly my ram, as it went down and then heard the delayed boom of my .375 Mauser.
Glenn drove the baaki as far as he could and then walked with Kelley up to the place where my ram lay.
Again she announced that this animal must be shoulder mounted and placed in an honorable spot on our wall at home.
Meanwhile, some days have passed and two more antelopes after the impala have fallen to the .375 (a 2,000 pound, elderly old blue bull eland and an also quite “senior” springbok ram) but, I will have to post details at a later date.
Because, we are now at this moment finished with breakfast and packing up to drive down to the Atlantic coast for at least 2, maybe 3 days of fishing in the sea.
Cheers for now,
Paul & Kelley
(Mr. & Mrs. Velo Dog)
Today is Sept 29, 2021.
My wife and myself have been here with @KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS now since Sept 22.
Namibia had suffered a drought about 2 years ago and subsequent bush fires as well.
However most of the bush is untouched by the fires and there is game still present here.
But now, it requires a bit more finesse to sneak up on it this time.
In other words, the hunting has been a bit of extra work to keep the braai sizzling.
Also, since it rained last season, the burned areas are beginning to turn green.
Animals are often seen out in a burned area, munching away on the new grass and sprouting bushes.
Likewise, since some of the thickest part of the bush was burned, at least the initial spotting of game at distance is much easier.
Be all of that as it may, and thanks to my excellent PH, I have taken 4 very good antelopes between Sept 22 and Sept 28, so far.
Being as computers hate me personally and my phone is indeed a computer, I have no luck posting photos.
Perhaps DoubleLunger or 1dirthawker might have mercy on this old man and let me text or email photos to them for posting.
1.
Steinbock (German) or steenbok (Afrikaans) or steenbuck (Hillbilly like me).
I shot a long of horn one, as it jumped from its bed and ran away.
The shot was only about 30-40 meters so, although running, at that short of range, it was not an especially difficult shot.
I spent a lot of time and rifle ammunition as a young fellow, learning to shoot running Jack rabbits in California and Nevada, USA.
The 300 gr RNSP hit just ahead of the right ham, then crossed him and exited through the left shoulder.
He expired instantly.
Exit hole was quite small, due to the bullet being too tough to expand in such a small animal.
Predictably, it performed much like a solid through the little ram.
My wife was just behind me as the ram bolted and I fired.
Then upon examining him closely, she declared that he deserves to be preserved as a shoulder mount and placed in an honorable spot, presiding over our dining room.
So let it be written, so let it be done.
2.
Impala:
The PH (Ralf Liedtke - born & raised on a 20,000 hectare = 50,000 acre ? farm here in Namibia) spotted a group of about 15 or 20 impala, perhaps 400 meters beyond and above us.
After we had been watching them for about 10 minutes, Ralf quietly announced “there is a large old ram among them”.
We had initially left the vehicle after I had spotted a waterbuck bull in thick foliage, as we ground along slowly in 4 wheel drive.
After staling a bit closer to the bull and Ralph getting a good look at him, he decided it was too young.
We proceeded on foot to see what else we could find.
The mentioned impala were seen initially after we abandoned the waterbuck and while we were walking slowly up a small valley, glassing the hills above us, as the sun was just peaking over the mountains.
They were browsing in fairly thick bush.
But as they were busy feeding, we could occasionally get good looks at them, as individually they would walk between bushes from time to time.
When one or more were not glaring at us, we would remain crouched down, below the thorn bushes between us and the impalas, “duck walking” forward to our next hiding place each time.
They obviously could see us but not very well.
And presumably, since they definitely had the high ground, I figure they believed they were safe.
Had they realized that Velo Dog himself was stalking them, undoubtedly they would all have certainly dropped stone dead from blind terror (right).
Anyway, after about an hour or so of this, we stopped for keeps, behind a big green thorn bush, perhaps 75 to 100 meters from a perhaps 15 meter wide opening, above and slightly to our right that, some of the other impala had already walked across.
Ralf set the sticks, whispering “I’ll tell you when he is about to cross the opening”.
After 10-15 minutes, Ralf said “he’s there”and the big ram started hot footing it across the opening, left to right.
I was already on him when Ralf made an “impala sound” with his voice.
The old ram stopped and twisted his neck around to stare at the source of this challenge.
Bang flop, 300 gr round nose soft through both shoulders.
Death was quite swift, if not instant.
The exit hole was only perhaps about .40 to .45 inch, very little meat or skin damage.
Kelley of The Kalahari (me wife) happened to be sitting on the cruiser bench and coincidentally watching the impalas as they were crossing the open place.
Her range was perhaps 6 or 700 meters and I was delighted that our Tracker “Glenn” had told her to watch that spot as likely we might be shooting an animal there.
Kelley saw clearly my ram, as it went down and then heard the delayed boom of my .375 Mauser.
Glenn drove the baaki as far as he could and then walked with Kelley up to the place where my ram lay.
Again she announced that this animal must be shoulder mounted and placed in an honorable spot on our wall at home.
Meanwhile, some days have passed and two more antelopes after the impala have fallen to the .375 (a 2,000 pound, elderly old blue bull eland and an also quite “senior” springbok ram) but, I will have to post details at a later date.
Because, we are now at this moment finished with breakfast and packing up to drive down to the Atlantic coast for at least 2, maybe 3 days of fishing in the sea.
Cheers for now,
Paul & Kelley
(Mr. & Mrs. Velo Dog)
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