Hunter: Mr. MauserK98
Observer: Mrs. MauserK98
Outfitter: Omujeve Hunting Safaris--Corne and Nic Kruger
PH: Japsie Blaauw
Tracker: Titus
Dates: May 25 - June 2, 2013
Rifle & Ammo: Weatherby Mark V .300 Mag. Barnes 180 gr TXS Bullets
Travel: Steve Turner--Travel with Guns
Animals Taken: Blue Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Oryx, Hartmann's Zebra, Blesbuck, Springbuck, & Impala
Animals Seen: Waterbuck, Kudu, Giraffe, Baboon, Jackal, Burchelli Zebra, Warthog, Eland and Sable
Shooting Distance: Between 75 and 230 yards
Special Thanks: Blank, a contributor on Accurate Reloading, who helped immensely by putting me in contact with Omujeve and providing so much helpful information.
We left Atlanta on 5/23/13 at 7:40 p.m. on Delta 200, arriving Johannesburg on 5/24/13 at 5:30 p.m. (local time). After "Meet & Greet" at the airport, we were off to Africa Sky for a good night's sleep. Africa Sky is the place to stay--great accommodations and food!
Day 1 (Saturday): We departed Johannesburg at 9:30 a.m. for Windhoek on SAA--arrived Windhoek 10:30 a.m. (local time). We were greeted by Japsie (PH) and Titus (Tracker) and transported from the airport to Omujeve where we had lunch. The lodge at Omujeve is wonderful with "out-of-this-world" food. We started hunting around 2:30 p.m. The first animal spotted was a Blue Wildebeest and the stalk began. We got to within 75 yards and put the cross-hairs on his shoulder. The Wildebeest went down and got right back up! We tracked a blood trail and got another shot as he ran out from some thorn trees. Down he went and right back up! This shot was across the top of his back. We were able to get a close shot and he went down for good, but was not done for. The last shot was the coup-de-gras. We found out later my first shot was placed perfectly in the shoulder. He should have stayed down! One tough animal!
Day 2 (Sunday): We had an outstanding breakfast then went out to hunt around 7:30 a.m. Since this was my first safari, I had to learn a few things; e.g., have your rifle ready at all times, don't have your gun in your case and on the rack. I missed a good Impala because I was not ready. Around noon we started back to the lodge for lunch. Some Red Hartebeest were spotted and a stalk was started. On the way to the herd, a large Hartebeest was spotted lying under a tree. He was about 100 yards away, and my PH said to get on the sticks. He whistled, the Hartebeest stood up and I put one in the shoulder. Down he went and stayed down. After lunch, we were looking for Impala. The ones we spotted were very wary and we could not get in shooting range. Thus ended day two.
Day 3 (Monday): We hunted all day and saw lots and lots of game, but none we wanted to take. No trophies this day.
Day 4 (Tuesday): After breakfast, we departed at 7:00 a.m. for Schonbrunn Lodge, a 3-hour drive to the south. The lodge is beautiful and the terrain more rolling and open. We hunted the rest of the day for Oryx. My PH wanted to look for a bull Oryx because they have more horn mass at the base. We looked over quite a few, but couldn't get the one we wanted. About 5:00 p.m., we spotted a herd with mostly females. To our surprise, one of the female Oryx was HUGE with LONG HORNS and a LARGE horn mass at the base. I got on the sticks and she went down in one shot. This Oryx was HUGH.
Day 5 (Wednesday): We started hunting around 7:00 a.m. for Hartmann's Zebra. We got onto a herd around 8:30 a.m. and picked a large male bringing up the rear. He was about 230 yard away when I took my shot. My PH said, "You hit him in the ass!" We got back in the truck and we were off to see where he went. We pulled up on a ridge and spotted him walking out of a ravine behind us. The tracker and I hopped off the truck and put up the sticks, and I put one more bullet in him. Down he went in a cloud of dust. Titus, the tracker, and I did a "High 5." Then Titus said, "Look!" The Zebra was up and walking off! One more shot and he was down for good. We were on Blesbuck for the rest of the day, but none to our liking.
Day 6 (Thursday): On this day, we hunted Springbuck. We started out early, around 5:30 a.m. Around 11:30 a.m., we got into a herd of nice Springbuck and picked out a big male. Each time I would get the cross hairs on him, he would walk behind a bush. We did this "cat and mouse" thing for about five minutes, then he gave me a broadside shot. I downed him in one shot at around 180 yards.
My PH said on the way back to the lodge that we would look for a Blesbuck. We spotted one standing on a ridge way, way away and my PH said, "See if you can hit him." When I shot, I heard the "thud" then the bullet ricochet. I found out later the shot was a through-and-through neck shot. He went down into a ravine, and the chase was on. To our surprise, he appeared on our left side at about 50 yards. My PH said, "Take a shot." I have never in my life taken an "up-to-the shoulder jump shot."
Luck was with me, and he went down with one in the shoulder. He was a nice, large Blesbuck. After lunch,My PH said we would go back out around 4:30 p.m. to look for some Impala he had spotted that morning. They are very wary animals and he said they might be easier to approach in the afternoon. He was right. Around 5:00 p.m., a herd was spotted and a large male was picked out. He would walk with the females around him. Smart animal! When he stepped out from his female protection, I got the cross-hairs on him at about 200+ yards and he was down in one shot. One more footnote about this day. We were on a ridge glassing a herd of Blesbuck when my wife said, "What's that coming out from under that bush?" Well, it was a 5-foot Cape Cobra! My PH didn't want to shoot it because it would scatter the Blesbuck, so he ran over it--twice! Then the damn thing started chasing us and catching up! A little more gas and we left it in the dust along with the Blesbucks.
Thus ended my 7-animal safari, but not my stay in Omujeve.
Day 7 (Friday): Departed Schonbrunn around 7:30 a.m. for Omujeve Lodge. On the 3-hour ride back, we passed a sign that made me realize how far south we were. It said "Tropic of Capricorn." Wish I had gotten a picture. We arrived back at Omujeve for a "kick-back" two-and-a-half days of good eating and socializing until we departed for home.
Footnote: My wife surprised me! She is not into hunting and fishing, but went with me every day, all day long. She took most of the pictures of the trophies and her comment was always, "poor thing." She was a trooper!
I can't say enough about Omujeve. We were treated like family! Corne and Nic's family included everyone in the evening gatherings. We learned a lot about "Rugby." No one was allowed to change the channel on the Satellite T.V. on Friday and Saturday nights because of Rugby. We hunters from the U.S. didn't know what was going on and had to ask a lot of questions. Out-of-this-world lodge, out-of-this-world accommodations, and the food, OUT OF THIS WORLD!
My wife and I have great memories that will last us for a long time. You see, this was our first trip to Africa and probably our last. I'm 73 and she's 72, but in good health. Now if the Lord opened a door for us, we would be back at Omujeve in a heart-beat!
Everybody shoot straight!
MauserK98
