Day 7 of Hunting
The next morning we headed out to hunt the Khomas right after breakfast. We were feeling strong and confident knowing that we still had plenty of time to hunt and the only animal left on the list was a Greater Kudu Bull.
And sure enough, just within minutes into the hunt we spotted a Kudu standing under a tree just at about seventy yards from the truck. "It's a bull" I said to Errens as I could see both horns with the exception of the upper portion of his right horn extending into the branches of the tree he was standing under. "Shoot it!" Errens replied with enthusiasm. I quickly chambered a round and didn't waste any time getting set up with the rifle resting on my non firing arm which rested across the window seal of the passenger side door. I knew it would be only a second or two until he bolts which hurried me to get the cross-hairs on the large animal's left shoulder as he was completely broadside facing towards our left yet looking right at us. I gave the trigger a good steady squeeze and sure enough the rifle fired causing the Great Bull to slightly jump as if he were trying to shake off a lion. He then bolted directly away from us and disappearing into the brush.
I chambered another round once we stepped out of the truck. WE began to walk into the direction in which he ran. Before I knew it Errens, who was walking ahead of me, looked back and smirked as if he were saying good job just by facial expressions.
And there he lay, dead on the ground up against a large bush. We could see where he stumbled and crashed as one previous bush was nearly broken over yet it appeared as though he managed to nearly get up on his feet and stumble nearly twenty feet before his final collapse where he lay completely expired with a bullet hole directly through the lower portion of the shoulder, right where my cross hairs were as I squeezed the trigger.
One horn was broken off near the top on the right side from fighting. We agreed that this was a bull with character. The base of the horns were thick with rings close together and they came out and extended very wide as well as tall. I couldn't be more happy with this rather large and mature Greater Kudu Bull.
I cuddled with "Kudu Chaser" (couldn't remember the tracking dog's names so I just nick named them depending on what animal they tracked/chased for me that day) next to the giant Kudu of course while Errens and Hendrick went to get the truck. After I helped(very little) load the Kudu, back to Farm Heusis we went..... just in time for breakfast beers
Greater Kudu Bull rifle kill 70 yds.
Right horn broken from fighting
Happy bow with his Kudu. Yes I was laughing as Errens kept cracking jokes while taking pictures.
"Kudu Chaser" posing proudly with the Remington 700
The rest of the morning was spent just relaxing with a couple of cold ones as Errens and I talked about bows. He showed me his Hoyt Carbon. It looked extremely well put together. He informed me of the testing that Hoyt put the bow through and how you could adjust the bow up to eighty pounds if someone were to use it for dangerous game. I was sold on the idea of this bow for a possible replacement if my Mathews Creed were to never be in my possession after the airline company had misplaced it.
That afternoon we hunted again but just for meat. Philip, the main guide and head of the operation, would give us a list of whatever type of meat was needed for the kitchen. Today it was a young Blue Wildebeest bull as I believe they are good eating. And of course, like always, Errens had us well within gun range and momentarily the meat for the kitchen was loaded into the back of the truck.
Hendrick(our tracker) gives two thumbs up over our "meat for the kitchen" two young Blue Wildebeest bulls
Since my list was now complete my hunting for the remainder of the trip consisted of searching for whatever game was needed for the kitchen. Normally young Blue Wildebeest or a young Oryx. And of course any Baboon or Jackal that was within gun range was a "green light" for pulling the trigger.
Since our plan for the next couple of days(depending on how the hunting was on my Father's attempt to harvest a large male Eland) was to travel to the Kalahari, I decided to tip my guide and tracker due to the possibility of not being able to hunt with them again. I felt as if they not only worked very hard in getting me on some of Namibia's finest game, yet they made the trip very exciting and a great time to say the least. Therefore I gave them thanks as well as the high end of the recommended gratuity.
Baboon skull that Dale found in the creek bed behind the farm.
To our surprise, that evening at the sundowner, Philip informed us that we qualified for metals based on the size of the Kudu that each of us had harvested. I'm not exactly sure as to what the medals mean nor how the point system works. I was just excited to be there to hunt with my Dad and our friend Dale. But to qualify for an award based on good animals taken for all three of us was a bonus.
From left to right...Dad, myself, and Dale smiling to a successful hunting trip
To be continued..........
