The Namib Small Five

[Leica Sport Optics]

On the Eastern boarder of the Namib desert, there is a jewel named Wilsonfontein where the hunter can live some exclusive experience in the middle of these 29 000 hectares of private arid land which is totally wild and open. After a first trip 4 years ago, we’ve decided to come back to chase 5 small games that you can find here: the jackal, the warthog, the baboon, the steenbuck, and the klipspringer.

End of March you have still very warm temperatures that can grow up to 40°C at noon, but also very heavy storms and rainfalls. Those drops of water give the opportunity for the plants to grow and we hunt in a green desert where we could enjoy the colours and smells of thousands of flowers. This was a clear advantage for the wildlife, as it was very difficult to spot them, but we had our guide Simeon who was like us equipped with Leica Optics and that made a difference when it was time to identify the trophies like horns no taller than 10 cm at ranges of almost 200m!

All the animals we have shot had to be as old as possible, because Ingo Gladys the owner of Wilsonfontein, is very careful with its property and runs a very sustainable hunting. The first day we’ve got the jackal with a shot at 150 meters from the shooting stick, but it was the only time where we used this equipment. The other animals were all shot in a prone position, first because we hunted in very steep places and because of the shooting distances. Stalking in those mountains is quite tough as the temperature makes it difficult to breathe normally, the stones are very sharp and if you fall it can be very harmful. Our second hunting day gave us the possibility to experience a unique moment. We saw a very old lonely baboon at approx. 350 meters and could stalk it at 290m, but impossible to get nearer. Thanks to the Geovid we had the aiming compensation and succeeded by placing a perfect heart shot which dropped the monkey immediately, but it was not finished yet! Simeon saw 2 warthogs on our right side at 235 m. Running as they were disturbed by the shot on the baboon. One more time the Geovid gave us all the vital information in such a crucial moment and the Magnus 56 went on magnification 10. Our RWS EVO Green bullet in caliber 7×64 made a perfect job – instant kill.

On the two last days, we had to walk around 30 Km each day, and all those efforts were crowned with two N.A.P.H.A. (Namibian PH Association) gold medals – a 29.6 points klipspringer shot at 180 m and a 29.2 points steenbuck shot at 191m. But as we are not hunting for medals, we dedicate the medals to the Wilsonfontein hunting farm, probably one of the most beautiful places to hunt in Namibia!

Did you know that the klipspringer hoof’s articulations are very specific and give those animals the possibility to stay with 4 legs on no more than a square from a 3 cm side? They are the only antelopes that walk on the tips of their hooves. These are worn down to create cylindrical hooves that leave a distinctive, two-circle track. This specific shape of their hooves gives klipspringer a better grip on smooth rocky surfaces. As a second adaptation, their fur is firm and thick. Each individual hair is hollow and bristle-like. The fur provides good insulation against the temperature extremes of their high-altitude habitats. It insulates against both extreme heat and severe cold and plays the role of an airbag if the animal falls. Some African guides say that a klipspringer can fall from 20 meters and stand up again without any damage.

AUTHOR Philippe Jaeger