I just returned from hunting Namibia with Karl Stumpfe-Ndumo Safaris, I think his website is www.huntingsafaris.net. I arrived in Windhoek, Namibia on 14 Aug. 07. I had booked a package hunt with Karl including 12 Springbok of which 10 were to be culls and two trophy animals that were exportable. In addition, two trophy Gemsbok and a trophy Kudu. I had let Karl know that I might be interested in Eland and Hartebeest as extra animals.

Fifteen days before I left for Namibia I managed to hurt my back. Apparently the C5 and C6 vertebra were brought a little too close together. I also managed to tear muscle and tendons from my right shoulder all the way down to my hand. A good portion of my right hand was numb, including my index finger-trigger finger. The upshot is that when I left for Africa I had not fired my rifle in over two weeks. The final load development was not complete. I was in a significant amount of pain, I had a lot of weakness all the way down my right arm and was pretty heavily medicated. It was a really strange way to start a safari.

I landed in Windhoek on schedule and just after sunset. Karl had provided me with the Namibian police form for my rifle and it was ready when I went to the police nook to complete the paperwork. I paid a $10 bribe to the police officer at his suggestion and was on my way. Karl met me as soon as I left the secure area.

Karl had made arrangements for us to stay in some tented chalets on a hunting farm about an hour or so from Windhoek for the first night. The accommodations were pretty lush for tents. Concrete slabs, permanent individual bath/restrooms and comfortable beds. The food was great and there were all types of beverages and refreshments. The next morning after breakfast, we started in Karl’s Landcruiser for the hunting property in the Kalahari Desert. It is a substantial drive from Windhoek.

The hunting camp was a very nice building with two private bedrooms with individual bath/restrooms. There was a full kitchen and a very nice porch area.

The first morning we started off just after sun-up. We had a light breakfast and did most of the mornings at my request. I am a pretty light eater and did not really wish Karl or the cook to go to much trouble or time for a breakfast that I would not eat.

The hunting area that we were in was huge. I don’t know that I saw more than a modest portion of it. One border of it was the boundary of Namibia with Botswana. In this location it was a double game fence. For the most part that was the only game type fence I saw in the area. There were misc. livestock fences for cattle and sheep but nothing that had an effect on game animals. There was no livestock in the area we hunted.

We immediately saw herds of animals. I think the first was 30 or so Hartebeest. There were Springbok everywhere. Karl wisely picked out a Springbok for me to cull almost immediately. I promptly made a poor shot on it. Karl and his two trackers spent the next 1 ½ hours and about 2 miles tracking it. They finally sorted it out of the 50 or so other Springbok that we came across and I shot it again and got it on the ground. In general terms I did not shoot well the entire trip. I probably shot 30% of animals well, 30% mediocre and the remainder poorly. To his credit Karl and his trackers found every single animal from which I drew blood and they worked their tails off to get me in a position to finish animals that I had wounded. Outstanding work on their part.

Here are a couple of the 12 Springbok that were taken, the two biggest ones were 14†and 13 10/16ths RW respectively:





The rifle is obviously a Martini and Hagn single shot. It is chambered in 300 win mag and has a S&B 1.1x4 Zenith Flashdot scope on it. The scope worked wonderfully well with that little red dot over the cross hairs. I turned the scope on and left it every day and had to change a battery exactly once. I suppose the 4x maximum power was a tad of a disadvantage on the 200yd+ shots, but it was not bad. The load was 69grs of H4831 in Winchester brass with WLR primers and 180gr Nosler partitions. I did not intend to take 180gr partitions to Africa but that was the last load I had tried before I hurt my back and had to stop load development. The bullet was running at 2875fps and the load was a pretty honest 1 ½†shooter for three shots. The 180gr Nosler partition was a bit fragile on Springbok and did more damage than necessary on them. For the larger game it was pretty much adequate. A better constructed bullet might have done a nicer job, but the Nosler was not too bad.

I shot two Gemsbok, a cow and a bull. The cow was 39 15/16ths and the bull was 34 3/16ths RW. The cow was shot pretty poorly but after about 2 hours and at least two miles Karl and his guys got me in a position to finish here. Here they are:






The Eland was running with 4 other bulls. Karl took one look at the big one I eventually took and said we have to get that one. At one point the whole bunch cleared a goat fence by about 5 feet. I have never seen animals that size jump so high. As they ran, Karl told me to shoot and lead the Eland by 2 feet. It was headed away at a very slight angle. I lead it by about 18 inches and the bullet went in behind the last rib and angled forward. It must have traversed the heart because the Eland was down in just a few steps with a great deal of blood coming from its nose and mouth. I would never have lead the Eland that far if Karl hadn’t said something. It went 38 4/16ths RW.

Here is the Eland:




On the evening of the same day the Eland and the bull Gemsbok were taken Karl located a lone Kudu bull. He immediately said it was a good one. I am glad he didn’t tell me how good or I would have been really nervous. It was standing looking at us and I shot it too far back. The bullet entered just behind the shoulder and angled back toward the off side rear leg. The Kudu went down in about 20 seconds or so. The trackers recovered the bullet when they field dressed it. The front core was gone but the rest of the bullet intact and seemed to have performed pretty well. The Kudu was 56 11/16ths RW. Here is a picture:





We had been at the Kalahari only five or six days but had pretty well hunted out everything I had come for. I had literally seen game animals that numbered in the thousands. Most were Springbok but there were herds of Kudu, Eland and Hartebeest as well. It was just an amazing experience.

We started back toward Windhoek but did stay one night in Gochas at the Stoney Country Hotel. It is a beautiful place and the food was great. Amazing to find a place like that so far from anything in a small town.

We ended up at a farm about an hour or two from Windhoek. This place was huge, maybe 50,000 acres. Karl told me that there were probably 1000 Hartebeest on it and the new SCI #1 had apparently been shot there in the last few months. A man named Oliver Hunter I believe and there was a story in a local paper about it. Something like 28†RW. Karl pointed a lone bull the next morning and I actually made a good shot on it. It was quartering away from us at maybe 200yds and I hit it back in the ribs and the bullet broke the off side shoulder. I was proud of myself for finally doing a good job. At least the last shot I fired in Africa on this trip was good. The only bad side was that when I pulled the trigger I felt the recoil in the toes of my right foot. Nothing like a right side back injury to help. The Hartebeest I took was 23 10/16ths RW. The picture is here:





Karl took all these pictures with my little Cannon SD1000 camera. He also took pictures with his big SLR type digital. He is going to burn a CD and send it along presently. I was amazed at the care and trouble that Karl and his guys took to arrange the pictures, clean up the animals and insure that the photos were of top quality. He obviously understands how important the pictures are once the hunter is home. A class act all around.

I had an amazing trip. I consider myself very lucky to have taken the animals that I did. Of course hunting with someone of the professionalism of Karl Stumpfe might just have a hand in that luck.

I took 17 animals total, 10 were Springbok culls but it looks like 4 of the remaining 7 might qualify for the Roland-Ward, Napha or SCI book. I don’t know that I’ll have them officially measured, maybe so but I do know that I am going to hunt with Karl again.

Josh

Very nice hunt report, Karl put you on some nice animals! All are nice and your eland is my favorite of the bunch, good shooting!

Congrats on a great trip. That is a very nice looking kudu. They are such a beautiful animal.

Josh,

Nice report and your Kudu and Eland in particular are outstanding.

Cheers,

Blair.

Hi Josh. Sorry to hear about your last minute injury and troubles but it sounds like you gave it your best and made the most of it.

The cull hunt with Karl is one that I have pondered myself. Do you have photos of the camp or scenery? Also, PM to you.

Great report and great pics.

Great report and animals Josh,

I left Karl the day before you came in and can only agree on you that Karl made a great effort in everything he did.

I'm glad you took that great Kudu, we saw that oneafter that I took mine and it was a magnificent sight.

And as you say the Stoney Country Hotel in Gochas is a nice place that you would not expect so far away from everything!

Thanks all for the kind words. Karl told me that I would hunt a long time before I got a chance at another Kudu or Eland in that size range. I guess I got lucky on my first trip. I do know that I am ruined as far as hunting in North America goes. I'd rather save my money and go back to Africa. Maybe with girafe on the ticket. I'd also love to take a hippo and a crock someday. Lots of trips to plan for the future.

Josh

quote:

The 180gr Nosler partition was a bit fragile on Springbok and did more damage than necessary on them. For the larger game it was pretty much adequate . A better constructed bullet might have done a nicer job, but the Nosler was not too bad.

I don't think I have ever heard of Nosler Partition bullets called the equivalent of flimsy or frail; even in the 300 Win mag.

Dave, maybe fragile was not the perfect word to use to describe the situation. The point I was trying to make is that the Nosler did unnecessary damage to the little Springbok. My impression was that something like a Barnes TSX would have exhibited less explosive effect on the Springbok. As for the larger game, I don't have much of a complaint with the Nosler, it performed as expected. The one that was recovered from the Kudu had shed the front core with everything else staying intact. Just what I would expect.

If not for the injury to my neck and arm, I would have had time to complete the load development on either the 200gr partition or the 168gr/180gr TSX. The 180gr Nosler was the only bullet for which I had a decent load before I got hurt.

In all, I am not displeased by the Nosler partition. They delivered good to excellent performance and I am comfortable and confident in them. I'll eventually have an opportunity to try some of the other premium and super premium bullets on game and see if there is one of them that I like better than the partition.

Josh

quote:

unnecessary damage to the little Springbok

Used for biltong? Otherwise, who cares? You can't bring the meat home to Texas anyway.

Josh,

Looks like you had a nice trip!

Your comment that you gave the firearms registration guy $10 is a bit worrisome. I haven't checked through Windhoek all that often, but have a few times over the past couple years. I've not heard of such a suggestion before. Was the implication you weren't getting through without the "tip?

Dave, the extra damage to the Springbok is not really that much to worry about but my personal preferance would be to have a bullet a little better matched for the game at hand.

Kernel, there was a definite implication that the "tip" to the Windhoek police officer would make things go much smoother. I was tired and didn't want any trouble so I made a business decision.

In all it was one heck of a hunt.

Josh A.

Josh,
I loved the photos and the report......and great trophys but the Kudu and springboks look spectacular.

Next time some DG is in order I hear!!!!~

Vapo, DG is on the program in the future. I am not certain if it will be the next trip or not. I have quite a ways to go before I am comfortable with a heavy caliber rifle that would be suitable for dangerous game. Maybe a 416 Ruger will help me decide?

Josh