Maybe, in the next two years, I will get to hunt Namibia
I was planning an August or September hunt, but looking at some post, it's quite windy at this time of year.
How big a factor is this when hunting Plains Game? I want to hunt Gemsbok, Hartebeest, Springbuck, Impala and hopefully no more than a 200 yd. shot.
What about the months of June and July?
I understand the earlier months of the hunting season; March-April; there is the threat of rain.

Thanks for any suggestions

Mauser

I have hunted in Namibia about eight times, spending about 180 days in total.July and August are most likely the best months to hunt the areas north of Windhoek and south of Caprivi.

The weather will be cool in the mornings and warm in the afternoons. The wind will not be an issue on most days but it can get a bit windy the day a front passes through.Not so much as to be a big deal.

Leaves are off the trees and visibility is good. Snakes and insects are not likely to be a big problem at this time. Water is beginning to get limited to permanent water areas and the bush will normally be pretty dry.

Caprivi, of course, has much more water and may be influenced a little because of this. However I still like this same time frame. My experience with the country south of Windhoek is nil.

I hunted in Namibia in August in 08. The problem with the wind is, the animals did not move alot. We actually saw them bedding down out of the wind for the whole day.
Shooting in the wind was not a problem. Most shots were at or under 100 yds.

It was not windy every day either, maybe two out of ten.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Lozano:
Shooting in the wind was not a problem. Most shots were at or under 100 yds.

It was not windy every day either, maybe two out of ten.

I have hunted Namibia 3 times. In the Khomas the wind is not much of a factor. The mountains and trees stop a lot of it. In the Kalahari it is wide open and wind can have an effect. In the kalahari your shots will be 200 to 400 yards, NOT 100! The shortest shot I ever had was a warthog while waiting at a water hole, 85 yards. Even in the Khomas many shots are in the 300 yard range. In the Khomas you can stalk closer, but the terrain is very difficult, rocky. Don't plan on close shots. I like the August time frame the best. I will be there August 2012........Tom

Mauser 98,

I've had the same experience as Chris Lazano in Namibia. June/July when I was there was cool and very windy. We got our game but it was obvious we were not seeing the game we might because they were huckered down in the heavy cover out of the wind. I think if I went again it would be much later in the year.

Mark

Mauser 98

I spent 8 days in the Khomas in late August of 2008. We had light frost on the vehicle most mornings but shirt sleeves by 10 a.m. Mornings and afternoons after 2 p.m. were calm but we stayed in camp from around noon until 2 p.m. because we experienced strong wind for about two hours in the middle of the day. Shots were 80 to 200 yards due to the topography.

I spent 10 days in Southern Namibia in 2009 in late September. Wind was light but constant and I had to allow for it on the longer shots. Shooting was 150 to 400+ yards because the area was very flat and open. Cool first thing in the morning but quite hot in mid afternoon. Experienced no heavy wind during the trip and the animals were always up and moving each day.

If you have ever hunted proghorn in Southern Wyoming you won't have a problem with the wind in Namibia.

Thanks everyone for the information.
I should have said I was looking at two areas; 50 miles north of Windhoek, and the other 150 south.
Conditionone45, I know what you are talking in Wyoming. We hunted around Devils Tower and I took a nice Goat at 250 yds.

Thanks again.
Mauser

I hunted near your "150 miles south" location in mid-June and the weather was brilliantly clear with very little wind. June is mid-winter, while September is spring. As with most climates, spring is windier than winter. Of course, a cold front comming in from the Cape can make any day windy.

I hunted Namibia in July of 2008 in the Khomas region and in the Kalahari. It was windy many of the days that I was there.

On a 300 yard shot on a zebra I held 10" into the wind with a 300 grain TSX (375 H&H) and 6" into the wind on a 260 yard shot on a springbok with a 180 grain partition from my 300 WSM.

I turned down a couple of 250+ yard shots because the wind was rocking me on the sticks so much that I wasn't comfortable with the shot.