May 26 – A Gift Presented
I awoke early to speak with my wife again. This time, she didn’t answer the phone as it was getting late in the US. I prepared myself for the day, gathered all my hunting gear, and met everyone at the truck. Roy was waiting and ready to go at 5:30. A person up and ready at this time of day shows they are dedicated to their work.
We got everything setup for the day. During the previous days, I had been placing action cameras around the waterholes, but I discovered yesterday that it was spooking the animals. Something so small and trivial to us can easily spook our game. The animals refused to go to the water with the cameras there. They stood at the edge of the pool, but would not take a drink. Today, I would not set out the action cameras.
Early, we spot a female steenbok and soon after a male warthog. I was willing to take the warthog, but he was immature and small according to Roy and Kobus. Another year or two and he will make a fine specimen. About 9:15am, two gemsbok approached. I had high hopes one might be a male, but my luck is not that good. Both were beautiful females, and they were pregnant. This negated them from the trophy selection. The wind was blowing every which way again today, not quite normal in Namibia for this time of year.
I soon realized this wind was not going to let up and was giving away our position on a constant basis. After a little more waiting in the blind, I asked Roy if he wouldn’t mind us going back to the lodge to eat lunch a little early. As we stepped out of the blind at 10am, I had a wild hair and said, “Let’s try a quick spot and stalk before lunch.” He agreed and we were off.
We went from the blind to a semi-open area with a large water tank near a natural rock formation. As we crested the rocks, Kobus spotted a lone gemsbok bull about 75 yards ahead. The gemsbok was moving around us it seemed, so I got an arrow ready. We were discussing our plan of attack when I noticed something black and white out of the corner of my eye. The gemsbok had slid around some bushes and was now about 100 yards to my left. Too late, he was in and out of a little clearing where I could have had a shot if I was ready. Another 5 yards and the gemsbok stopped. The wind had changed direction for the 100th time, and the gemsbok winded us. He took off back the way he came. We tried desperately to continue the stalk, but to no avail. We simply could not out run the wind.
After a delicious lunch, you must ask for Celia to make the pumpkin pancakes as they are superb, we headed back out to try another spot and stalk. We drove to another section of the ranch looking for worthy game. This time, I stood up in the bed of the truck while Kobus drove, carefully I might add, unlike the Ferrari safari way Roy drives. I spotted two impala rams that looked good and tapped the roof of the cab. We stopped and took a look as the impala ran off. We drove further trying to get slightly ahead and down wind of the impala. Once in position, the stalk began. As I said before, spot and stalk in Namibia is rather difficult to near impossible. Every step crunched, partly because everything is so dry, and partly due to the thorn heads that get stuck in the bottom of your boots. We were only able to get to 100 yards on three occasions and that was further than I would like to shoot. We backed off from the impala and went back to the blind to cool off and hunt there the rest of the evening.
The rest of the afternoon was amazing as warthog, impala, steenbok and a young male giraffe came to the water. One after another they came as if on a long chain. At 4pm, the wind stopped and all the animals left. I turned to Roy and said, “This is it. It’s going to happen tonight at last light. We’re going to get a gemsbok or impala.” As 5pm approached, I was worried my positive attitude would be proven wrong as nothing had come to the water hole for almost an hour. The feeling of hopelessness started to set in, but I decided to look out the back of the blind one last time. When I did, I spotted the large gemsbok bull we tried to stalk earlier making his way past the blind to the waterhole. My heart jumped out of my chest!
The bull slowly and cautiously, as all gemsbok do, approached the waterhole. I started my video camera and grabbed my rangefinder to measure the distance, 31 yards. I knew I could easily make this shot. I drew back steadied my pin and pulled through on the release. SHWACK! The sound of the arrow hitting the gemsbok was deafening. But something was wrong. My shot was too far forward! My arrow had barely penetrated past the bone it broke. My heart sank as the bull ran off. Kobus quickly got out of the blind and said we must begin tracking it. As we started tracking, Roy got Bullet, their trusty Fox Terrier, onto the track. We found my arrow about 50 yards from the waterhole. The broadhead looked like it was shot into a brick wall. One should never underestimate the strength and toughness of the gemsbok. They are built like tanks.
Bullet was off like a rocket, and as light was quickly fading, we decided Roy would finish the gemsbok quickly so it would not suffer. Bullet tracked and cornered the gemsbok three times, and after a rapid chase for about a mile through tall grass and thick brush, one shot from Roy’s .338 put the bull down. Everyone shook hands and congratulations were said. I was happy, but disappointed in myself. I made a poor shot and put everyone in harms way with a wounded gemsbok, not to mention the wild chase through Namibia’s brush in the fading light. Photos were taken, and the gemsbok was loaded into the truck. Back to the lodge for drinks around the fire and dinner. What a day in Namibia!
My buddy John was not having much luck. He shot at two impala, missing both. We came back to the lodge mid-day and realized his QAD broadheads were planing his arrows six inches low. He readjusted his sights for the afternoon hunt.