NAMIBIA: From The Smallest To The Greatest

[mark-hunter]

SMALL PRINCE OF THE SAVANNA

Girrafes were all around the hill, with their necks sticking out of bush like periscopes.

Another day started by morning climb to the highest hill and observing the bush, then following the eland tracks, but without success.

We did come close to some young elands in the bush, but all were too young and we let them be. Another half of day was spent. And we went for lunch.

On this n-tieth day of eland hunt, I was with Filip. After the lunch we were again stalking, looking for Eland.

Suddenly, at some distance from us, out of tall grass a steenbok appeared! Good horns!

Schießen? I asked Filip.

Safety is off and there is no time to set up the sticks, but neither is steenbok to far away.

Filip looks, from different angle, and takes time to observe the little animal.

Schießen?

Ja, schießen! Guter Steinbock!

O Diana, Hubert, and all the saints.. let my aim be true, and so on.

I was shooting from the hand. The distance was about 40 meters and my hands were hard to steady.

I wanted the stick or any kind of rest badly, but that was not an option. The crosshairs came up at perfect position, but still, the crosshairs were moving too much. Holding the breath in sweat after entire morning in the bush was hard.

Slowly, I squeezed the trigger, to the best of my ability.

The rifle went “Click” instead of “Bang”, followed by the moment of silence that lasted for ever!

There and then, totally frozen, I thought the world will stop!

Then I cycled the bolt….

The unfired round was ejected out, with typical click clack sound of mauser heavy bolt. New round was chambered.

Steenbok kept looking at us, frozen.

Can in this hunt anything go in a routine manner? First I missed the waterbuck! Twice!

Eland is constantly on the move!

Then Norma premium cartridge failed to fire! How can that be?

I wondered what is next?

If the situation with “click” instead of “bang” was eland instead of steenbok, this would be a catastrophe!

I quickly worked my shooting mental process in my head, breathing, aiming, trying to hold the aim as steady as possible, squeezed the trigger.

On shot, the steenbok disappeared in a grass. I had a feeling of good hit.

Soon, our quick search found little animal, in high grass. On same place where he was standing!

One of the tiny ten, steenbok, small prince of savanna was in the bag!

When taking a photo, a thought has crossed my mind, that it would be great to have eland and steenbok during same hunt, the smallest and the greatest antelope together…

But that was just a wishful thinking. Then we went on. The search of bull eland continued.

But the rest of the day was spent without result.

Eland was not to be found.

But with steenbok, in the bag, i was positive with high hopes waiting for next day.

In camp I told them, boys sorry - I thought this was Eland!

 

[mark-hunter]

No chance on a baboon either?

They are smart. They move around, in groups in their areas changing waterholes. One in the group is always on guard, around. Ready to raise alarm,
And unless for a lucky opportunity, baboon will need different approach. One of the hunters in my gruop did take baboon.
Several groups of baboon seen, but taking a shot during eland tracking, wouldnt be smart.
But for them, I had by now, different thing in mind. Will revert later on that.

 

[Jörg Krüger]

Well Mark, this is an awesome write up of your hunt. One of the best ones I've read. You got me glued in front of the PC. Congrats on the trophies bagged so far.
Weidmans Heil. Echt schoener Steinbock. Kann nicht warten um Deinen Bericht weiter zu lesen

 

[mark-hunter]

Waidmannsdank, her Jorg Kruger!

 

[mark-hunter]

THE LAST DAY OF HUNT.

Tommorow, the group of hunters will go to Windhoek to buy souvenirs. Some will take PCR test before travel home. My plan was to say goodbye to the group, and go with Filip to Etosha for photo safari, and photo quest for black rhino and elephant.

So, eland was not found. Big eland bull must be lucky,for one more day only.

In the morning of last day, I was with Christian and tracker Tian. We found eland tracks on the road. Wind was not good (a usual), so we circled the area with the car, and got in the bush from the lee side, with wind to our face.

A long stalk followed. From bush to bush. The sun was hot, and soon high in zenith. I felt the sweat under the cap, and down the neck. We pressed on.

Then, a movement in the bush!

A Zebra!

We stopped.

Looking around.

Then we heard a wildebeest snorting from the right. Very close.

This was followed by wildebeest snorting on the left. Very close.

Then quietly, we moved to the next bush, where a bit of clearing opens, for better view.

On the left, and on the right, two wildebeest on each side where standing on guard, and testing the wind, which at the moment was still at our favor. Although the bush was thin, they did not see us.

At 150 meters, under large acacia tree few wildebeests were laying and resting. There were few of plains zebra around.

And Eland! Actually about 5 young eland are grazing around.

But behind one of the wildebeest, a large horns of eland was very visible, and great spirals on the horn were reaching to the sky!

That eland was laying on the ground, and resting. So, we kept observing. Sticks went up, and I placed the rifle on the stick. By measuring there was 148 meters to that eland.

Now we waited for him to stand up. Till now, he was not clear from wildebeest, and we were not certain of his age and size. But on first glimpse he looked very promising.

Minutes passed.

Then, movement!

The animals are repositioning. Group of young eland moves to left, and kept grazing. Young elands are in clear, but none of them shootable. Big one is still covered by that wildebeest

Other wildebeest moved around for better grass. All game game animals repositioned like on the chess table.

Another snort of nearby wildebeest on the right, looking at us, but not seeing us.

Finally, “big” eland, stood up. I kept the scope power at 6x. Crosshairs were on the shoulder. Crosshairs were slightly moving, but satisfactory steady, within vital area. And I felt confident about rifle and myself as if all my planets aligned in the universe for this moment.

His hair, on chest is looking bluish. The horn is impressive.

Gut?

Silence.
Long moment of silence followed.

Nein. This one is very perspective, very good size, but two years two young. We will let him go.

I felt the tension in me relaxing. No shooting this time.

We kept observing quietly for next minutes, then we came out of bush. Zebras and all elands run to left, all wildebeest to right. We were left alone.

And the morning of last day of hunt is gone. Now is lunch time.

Maybe I really do not get eland this safari.
Nevertheless I tried to keep positive spirit, as we still had one more afternoon to hunt!

 

[mark-hunter]

 

[VertigoBE]

Like Jörg said it, I’m glued to my screen for updates on your hunt Mark!

Congrats with the Steinbuck and a wel deserved Waidmanns Heil Herr Mark for you and the PH for both making the right decision on that eland that needed a couple more years, although it was your last day! Not many would have such steel conviction!

Well done!

 

[mark-hunter]

THE LAST HUNT

All these days, a full moon is rising early, during late afternoons. As I was told, this keeps game more active at night, while days the animals spend in the bush. One of the reasons of hard tracking and locating eland.

After the lunch, we went out early at 14 pm. New hunting area, at neigbours place. Christian, Tian, and Gregor in the car. On the way to the place we collected another tracker, Thomas.

A large part of this area was burned last year, and this gave opportunity to observe from car at large distances without bush.

But the back side of this coin, is that we can be seen by eland, as well. Nevertheless, I liked the option of longer view that covers much larger areas.

Soon, we saw some elands. Approach on foot was very good, and unnoticed. We came by stalking at 150 meters. But, all of them in herd were too young. Older bull was not with them. So we moved on, back to the car. Two hours of last hunting afternoon were spent. Time is running short by each minute.

In the second scouting we found 5 or 6 eland at large long clearing at some 1.200 meters away. This was too far, to estimate the age and size, and the wind was at our 6. So, we circled with car to get from another side.
20 minutes later, the stalk was on. We went out of car solid distance away for quiet and careful stalk, with wind from good direction.
But when getting to the clearing, it was all empty. And all elands were gone!

How? Why? They must have sensed us? Or was it just a bad luck?

Whatever it was, they were gone!
So we kept stalking hoping to get a glimpse of them again, but to no avail. Only a single springbok kept looking at us from far distance away.

It was late afternoon by now.
The sun, was quietly setting. It was no longer hot. The temperature at 1600 meters above sea level required a light jacket now.

The last day of hunt, was coming to an end. And a week safari, is about to end.

I checked the watch. If I am lucky, I will have only one more try, and that’s it.
If not found, Eland makes another day. Or another year till my next visit.

So, as the sun was closing to western horizon, and the shadows became longer, we made last attempt.

And this was already so late, that I have already lost all my hopes. But, as pure luck would have it, and thanks to thin bush, the herd was spotted.

And full moon was already out with last rays of sun.

To get close, we had to be fast, and to be that we were not particulary quiet. With distance closed, our approach to the herd was not unnoticed. The herd was largest that I saw during previous days, and was maybe two dozen or more. Most of them young and cows. We had no time to lose, as the darkness will come soon. The herd split in two, and first group separated.

A large bull showed up on the left from the remainin herd. And that group was also in movement.
Following happened in next two to four seconds.

Large bull, first on left! Shoot!

It was clearly the largest bull in the group. The strongest. Bluish cape. Strong horns. A mane on top of the head.
I lifted the rifle, to get the aim. He run away from us, turned and then showed his right quarter.

I tried to get the aim just behind the ribs, hoping for diagonal pass through to the vitals.
Then, while getting ready to shoot, when I was just about to send the pill, in my scope vision suddenly a young eland entered, and covered full body of large bull!

I cannot shoot!

They kept running in same quartering direction, away. And the bush cover is only meters away from them!
I raised the point of aim, to the large wide neck of eland bull. Now I could shoot but at that moment he was not fully in clear from young askari. Wounding young was not acceptable.

I heard the voice saying, to shoot!

I would if I could, but my focus was now totally narrowed to the crosshairs and bulls neck, now only obstructed by young elands horn tips.

Then, in lower end of scope vison, I noticed the horns and shadow of body of young eland moved aside to the right, putting large bull in clear.

But the bush in front where to they were running looked too close, and I had no time to change my point of aim, to wider area behind the bulls ribs.

The window of opportunity was short, and when croshhairs where in the center of the neck and unobstructed, I fired!

The large bull, dropped down!
Immediately I worked the bolt, and chambered another round, not losing the sight in the tall grass where he fell.

But all remained still, as the last rays of sun, have disappeared behind the western horizon.
Still looking through the scope, I heard voices in the back. Go! Go to the bull! Check him!
So, I went, with rifle at ready.

And there he was. Majestic animal. It was all over.

My bullet went throught the center of his high neck, and went out through his lower jaw, braking the spine. Dead in tracks.

One week safari, 13 outings and stalkings for eland, ended succesfully in last minutes of daylight, on last hunting day!

Eland, with full moon shining, above the tree.

While the boys were pulling eland to the truck in my mind I summarized the last week. The events, that were still fresh in memory, and picutres that I am still seeing when closing the eyes. Waterbuck, the swamp antelope, and the misses, steenbok one of the tiny ten, of the smallest tribe of antelopes, faulty round in chamber, long stalks, climbing the hills, and heat in the sun, and eland the biggest of the spiral horns!

Now I could have a beer. But, first I needed a cigarrete, and I was out of cigarettes for last two days.
Tian then came to me, and said, master take a cigarrete (he rolls his own), and offered me from his pack, so I did.

This was a perfect end of a week in the bush! A perfect safari!
And, then came a moment of sadness as soon I will be going home.

However, in a comforting thought I reminded myself I still have few days left in Namibia, to visit Etosha. And now I looked forward to it.

 

[mark-hunter]

A few notes, before the next leg of the trip.

The faulty round, that failed on steenbok, I put in pocket to keep separated from other ammuntion. On arrival to my room I examined it more closely.
There was only a hardly visible firing pin scratch on the primer.
The round did not go off, because primer was too deeply seated in the casing.
I took it back home, and will try to test it on next range session.

It has to be noted that besides me, there were 5 other hunters in the camp, with their own packages and wishes. The organisation of daily hunts was nothing less then perfect with all of us.
It was my third visit to same place. And certainly, I am coming back, on first chance to same place!

The hunt was conducted on Aurora jagdfarm, Namibia, with PH Christian, PH Filip (Lupo), - Christians brother and accompanied by two Christians 16 year old sons, two fine young men soon to be great PH's themselves, tracker Tian and fantastic cuisine handled by Grace!

The future plans that I have in mind are (Yes, there are more plans):

1. Come to same place, and hunt small predators, including baboons. Maybe, some old sable with one broken horn that nobody wants to take home.

2. Buffalo hunt in Zim

3. Nyala, reedbuck, mountain reedbuck and bushbuck in South Africa.

I am sure the list is not exaustive and final, I might be coming to few more ideas....

 

[gesch]

Excellent writing. It is so exciting to get your prey on the last day; the last minutes! I enjoyed your appreciation of God’s creation. “When I consider the heavens the work of your hands…” Psalm 8. Congratulations on a great safari. Your friend, Brian

 

[mark-hunter]

Thanks, Brian, appreciated!

 

[cls]

Congratulations on your success, really enjoyed your report. Perseverance paid off with an excellent Eland.

 

[Ridgewalker]

WOW! I’m exhausted just reading this excellent hunt! Congratulations!

 

[WyoBull]

Great write up of realistic happenings in the field. Congratulations to you!

 

[HuntingGold]

Fine hunt. Fine writing. I do indeed hope we meet over a beer in September.
All the best,
Randy

 

[Firebird]

Was on the edge of my seat willing your hunt to be successful! A last minute magnificent trophy-congratulations with all my heart!

 

[Scrumbag]

Wonderful my friend! That truly is hunting!

 

[Primal]

Just awesome! I really enjoyed your story.

I'm glad it all came together for you at the very end.

Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.

 

[mark-hunter]

Thank you, cls, ridgewalker, wyobull, huntinggold, firebird, scrumbag, primal. Appreciated!

 

[mark-hunter]

So, the next leg of this trip was visit to Etosha National park.
5 hours drive.
A lunch break was on a crocodile farm. Restaurant is nice and part of the farm.
(croc steak on the menu)