06 May 2017, 21:26
Bud MeadowsFourth Trip with Sebra Hunting Safaris
Just got back from another awesome hunt with Jan du Plessis of Sebra Hunting Safaris. It will take me a couple of days to download a few dozen pictures from my I Phone, but here are a few teaser pictures until I can write a complete Hunting Report:
LOCATION: Sebra Hunting Safaris, near Kamanjab, Namibia with PH Jan du Plessis
BOOKING AGENT: DIY through British Airways
DATES: April 18, 2017 To May 3, 2017
RIFLES/ AMMO: Suppressed camp Ruger 77 Tactical in .308, topped by Leupold Vari-X R in 3X9X40 shooting 150 grain TSX, and camp Mauser 8 X68 mm topped by Leupold Vari-X III in 1.5 X 5 shooting 200 grain handloads. The Mauser was used for Eland and Waterbuck, the Ruger .308 was used for everything else.
ANIMALS HUNTED: Eland, Waterbuck, Jackal, Baboon, Rock hyrax and Impala
ANIMALS TAKEN: Eland, Waterbuck, Jackal, Baboon, Rock Hyrax
This was my fourth hunt with Sebra, and perhaps the most fun. Inspired by Hunt Reports from Ross Murphy (Dogcat here on AR) I developed an interest in hunting a big old blue bull Eland. I also was intrigued by Hunt Reports that showed pictures of mature Waterbuck, and decided I'd take one given the chance. Booked my flights directly with British Airways, and got roundtrip from ORD to LHR to JoBerg to WDH for only $1225 all in. Got a free upgrade to "Economy Plus" with more legroom and Filet Mignon for Dinner! Had the usual 9 hour layover in London, so took the "Tubes" to Piccadilly Circus after stocking up on Cuban Montecristos at the Duty Free Store at LHR. The Tubes trip from Piccadilly Circus back to LHR became a Circle Jerk. I left 2 ½ hours before my flight, but the train I was on had an electrical fire and died at the Boston Manor station. After considerable time clearing the tracks, the next train arrived but was overflowing with people and nobody allowed to board. Thirty minutes later, same thing- overflowing, nobody can board. Long story short, I missed my flight and had to book another flight 3 hours later to JoBerg at the additional cost of $275. Even though I showed the British Airways Customer Service Rep an account of the Tubes breakdown on my I-Phone, she said she still had to charge for the flight change. Called my PH Jan du Plessis from London to tell him I'd be arriving at 1:00PM instead of 10:00AM, and he understood.
The 300 mile trip from Windhoek to Jan's farm south of Kamanjab met torrential rains, compared to my previous two trips where not a single cloud was spotted in two weeks.
Arrived at Jan's ranch and was treated to the usual world-class fare prepared by Jan's wife, Mariesje: Gemsbok Lasagna, washed down by ice cold Tafel Lagers.
Here are a few "Touristy" pictures from London:
Here's the "London Shard"
Another iconic London landmark:
For Brandon Gleason, here's another view of the Waterbuck. There was no "Photo Trickery"- these pictures were all taken with my I-Phone 5, no special lenses or techniques
DAY 1 HUNT, FRIDAY APRIL 21:
Slept in until 7:00 AM, then zeroed Jan's 8 X 68 mm Mauser, with a single shot, printing 1" high at 100 yards. Drove to the Otjitambi Farm, which is located about 30 miles east of Kamanjab. Met the owner, Juergen, and his lovely wife. Juergen is a Master Guide himself, and is a clone of Ken Harrelson, the former MLB player for the Boston Red Sox, and current announcer for the Chicago White Sox. Thirty minutes into our hunt, I was tempted to shoot a large Waterbuck, but he had a deformed right horn, and I passed. We then climbed a high koppie, and I remembered how much I hated them, with unsure footing and 70 year old legs. Nothing was spotted, so Jan climbed the next koppie alone and spotted a herd of 50+ Eland about half a mile away. We put a stalk on them, and found the herd in short order. The size of the cow Eland on this ranch are MUCH larger than any I've seen in my three previous trips. There were at least two MONSTER bulls in the herd, but no clear shot was offered in the thick brush. After 15 minutes on the sticks, a curious cow spotted us and the entire herd boogied. We drove around for a couple of hours, and saw 200+ springbok. Ate a field lunch at a beautiful lake on the ranch. We then conducted what I call the "Kamanjab Death March" (KDM) of 3-4 miles, tracking fresh eland tracks. Hunted until dark, no shots taken, but 15 minutes on the sticks watching 50+ Eland at a distance of less than 100 yards made a great day. Returned to Jan's ranch for a dinner of Gemsbok fillets with Mushroom Gravy and fries.
DAY 2 OF HUNT, SATURDAY APRIL 22:
Up at 5:30 AM, breakfast of omelets, coffee and pastries. Met Juergen at his ranch and drove around. Drove within 20 yards of a trophy Black Faced Impala, but I'm after a Common Impala. Saw two nyala cows and took their picture. We conducted a second KDM following three Eland bull tracks. We caught up with them, but they joined up with a herd of Giraffes, who spotted us and they all boogied. Spotted countless springbok, and I was sorely tempted by the herd buck. Returned to Juergen's ranch house for lunch of meat pies and Diet Fanta, and by 3:00 PM we decided to rest my legs for our Day 3 Hunt on Farm Beulah for Impala. Headed back to Jan's ranch for a dinner of Gemsbok Stroganoff, squash and Pears with Wine Sauce. Jan's son Lourie joined us, and he is now taller than Jan and has really filled out. I miss seeing Jan's beautiful daughter Yandi, who is away at college in South Africa.
DAY 3 OF HUNT, SUNDAY APRIL 23:
Up at 5:30 AM, headed to Farm Beulah for Impala and possible Eland. We track a bull Eland for several hours, but could not catch up to him. We then tracked a large Impala for an hour and DID catch up to him- but he was a mature buck with a broken horn. We spotted 4 Damara Dik-Diks and numerous skeletons of Red Hartebeests, Blue Wildebeests and Kudu. The Drought of 2016 took a devastating toll of Farm Beulah's plains game. Returned to Jan's ranch for a dinner of Gemsbok Schnitzel.
DAY 4 OF HUNT, MONDAY APRIL 24:
Up at 3:30 AM, on the road by 4:00AM to Otjitambi Ranch. We meet up with Juergen, and drive to a waterhole where both Eland and Waterbuck have been captured on game cameras. Only a single Gemsbok bull showed up after sitting a little over an hour. Driving around, we spot a few Kudu cows, another Black Faced Impala and a lone Ostrich. Driving further, we spot about 50 Springbok and some Waterbuck cows. Came in for a late breakfast at Juergen's ranch, and we're back out by 11:00 AM. We climb two koppies with no Eland sighted, but on the third koppie we hit the jackpot. We spot a herd of 19 Eland bulls, of which 3 or 4 are definite shooters. The climb up this third koppie was difficult on my 70 year old legs, but I made it in one piece. I set up on the sticks on a very sharply angled boulder, and took a 225 yards shot at a large Eland bull. We hear the THWACK of a solid hit, and I called the shot a perfect "X" from my years shooting for the All Army Reserve Rifle Team. The herd ran off, minus my bull. He went perhaps 75 yards and bedded down. Juergen's tracking dog bayed him up, and I administered a finishing shot at close range. Numerous handshakes and pictures take place, and poor Juergen must now walk ½ mile back to retrieve the truck. We winch him onto the truck, and head back to the skinning shed at Juergen's ranch. Half way back, we are rudely interrupted by a trophy Waterbuck, but I was slow getting on the sticks, and he eluded us. We finally reach the skinning shed, unload the Eland and head back out to track the Waterbuck. No luck in finding the Waterbuck before dark, but still one of the best hunting days of my life. Tafel Lagers were shared when we got back to Jan's ranch, plus our customary Jaegermeister toast.
Here's another view of my Eland, truly a trophy of a lifetime.
Here's the 200 grain bullet that dropped my Eland:
Dinner was Gemsbok Filets, stuffed with Cheese and wrapped in Bacon. Desert was a delicious cheesecake with a graham cracker crust.
DAY 5 OF HUNT, TUESDAY APRIL 25:
Sleep in until 7:00 AM after our eland success. A hot shower never felt so good after yesterday hikes and koppie climbing. I now know why "Dogcat" of AR fame raves about hunting Eland- I'm hooked now too! As a side note, I had a dozen "SEBRA HUNTING SAFARIS" tee shirts printed up, saved 3 for myself, and gave the other nine to Jan as a gift. One of the tee shirts is earmarked for "M3Taco" here on AR, who is a long time Sebra client, and whom I correspond with throughout the years. Michael is a retired LTC from the US Air Force, and is hooked on hunting at Sebra as I always will be. We head over to Jan's father's ranch just north of us with a motorbike needing repair by Luigi, one of Jan's dad's Italian friends. After that, we head out and cruise around, and spot a herd of 200+ springbok on Jan's ranch, containing at least 15 shooter bucks.
Here's a picture of Jan's Springbok herd:
We also spot dozens of Gemsbok. zebra and kudu cows, and have a close call on a baboon. Back to Jan's house for lunch and a nap. We then check for leopard and hyena tracks, and find a VERY large tom leopard track. Shoot a Rock Hyrax with the .308 and continue looking for baboons and a possible warthog. At dark, head home to Jan's house for BBQ Pork Bellies, another suberb meal.
DAY 6 OF HUNT, WEDNESDAY APRIL 26:
Up at 5:30 AM, breakfast of bacon, eggs, coffee and juice. Head up to Farm Beulah, seeing 4 more Damara Dik-Diks, LOTS of Springbok, and 3 young Warthogs. We walk 2-3 miles, looking for Impala, but no volunteers. I shoot a baboon at 160 yards, and we then spot 4 kudu cows.
We then spot a HORNED ADDER, whose picture appears below:
We also spot a Rock Python later in our walk.
At 5:00 PM, Jan drops me off at an old dirt ranch road, and he'll walk the ½ mile+ back to the truck, and save my legs for the next day. I hang my loaded .308 up on the shooting sticks, about 5' behind me, and light up a Montecristo to await Jan's return with the truck. At 5:15 PM, a trophy Impala walks right up to me at 30 yards and a 5 minute staredown starts. Finally, he decides to amble off, so I stand up, grab the .308 and commence a stalk. I tracked him for 100- 150 yards, but he decided he wanted no part of me and trotted off. Had I been more vigilant, I would have bagged him. Driving out at last light, a trophy Eland bull is trotting in the dirt road ahead of us for about ½ mile, but finally veers off. Dinner that night was Gemsbok Stir Fry, cooked by Jan in his Harrod's of London Chef's Apron. The Stir Fry was served over couscou with Monkey Gland Sauce, and desert was Chocolate Cake with Amarula sauce.
Here's Jan making a bold fashion statement:
DAY 7 OF HUNT, THURSDAY APRIL 27:
Up at 7:00 AM, head to my favorite blind on Jan's ranch where I shot my first African animal, a 40" Gemsbok, back in 2012 and my first "Ration" animal, another gemsbok. At 11:00 AM a jackal pauses at 100 yards, and the suppressed .308 drops him like a bad habit. Here he is:
I'm proudly wearing my "US Army Marksmanship Unit" hat which I earned over 40 years ago serving at Fort Benning, GA.
Head in for lunch consisting of a biltong omelette with Outjo Bakkery apple strudel, topped by whipped cream. We drive the 30 miles into Kamanjab to drop off a trailer load of Jan's goats for sale at auction the next day. We drop Mariesje off to shop and Jan and I head to PEET ALBERTS KOPPIE, a world famous site of ancient rock engravings. Most of them are thousands of years old, and depict giraffes, gemsbok, rhinos, wildebeest, etc. It's a killer climb for my aging body, but well worth the effort. Here are some of my many pictures:
Dinner is Flamed Broiled Gemsbok filets, Buttery Mashed Potatoes, peas and Lime Mousse.
DAY 8, FRIDAY APRIL 28:
Up at 4:30 AM, heading to Juergen's farm, Otjitemba for Waterbuck. Spot a Nyala bull, which is WAY out of my price range, several Gemsbok, Kudu, Ostrich and Black Faced Impala. In at 9:30 AM for Sausage and Eggs cooked by Juergen. Go on a 5K rolling stalk for Waterbuck and spot a big one at 10:45 AM. He's 400+ yards out, but walking down a ranch dirt road in our direction, so we tuck in behind a big tree and hope he keeps heading our way. When he's at 150 yards, he turns broadside and I call the shot with the Mauser 8 X 68 mm about 4" back from my point of aim, but a lethal hit. We give him ten minutes and let Juergen's two tracking dogs go to work. He bays in about 200 yards, and I quickly administer the coup de grace. LOTS of pictures and handshakes, and we winch him up onto the truck. Drop him off at the skinning shed, and Juergen BBQ's some German Sausage, washed down by a generous amount of Tafel Lager.
Here's what he looked like:
The skinners do their work, and Jan and I head 30 miles west to Farm Beulah to try for an Impala. Lots of game spotted, but no mature Impala rams. Dinner is Gemsbok rollups, stuffed with peppers and onions, seasoned potatoes, and squash. Desert is a chocolate peppermint mousse.
DAY 9- A NON-HUNTING DAY, SATURDAY APRIL 29:
To avoid burning out after 8 straight hard days of hunting, we take a break and attend the Annual Game Auction held every year in Outjo. Talked with Danie Jansen Van Vuuren, whose farm I have hunted on in past years. In 2015, I shot a trophy Blue Wildebeest on Danie's ranch, while hunting with a young PH named Lourens Grobler, who I also ran into at the Auction. I introduced myself to yet another PH named Lukas Holtzhausen, a PH whom a friend of mine from Wisconsin (and AR member) Chuck has hunted with for many years. It turns out Lukas and Jan were classmates in high school, and now their two sons are also high school classmates. Lukas also coaches the boys' school rugby team, as he was a member of the Namibian National Rugby team in his youth. Ate some great German bratwurst, and attended the auction for eland, rhino, sable, gemsbok, roan, and other captured game animals. Topped the afternoon off watching a Namibian Rodeo, complete with Brahma Bull Riding. Only one cowboy lasted the required 8 seconds to qualify for score. Here's pictures from the rodeo:
DAY 10, SUNDAY APRIL 30:
Up at 6:30 AM, breakfast, and head to Jan's best baboon blind. Spotted two trophy warthogs at 800+ yards, a lone baboon at 1000 yards, 2 big herds of zebra and a bunch of gemsbok. No shots offered. Dinner was gemsbok fajitas, complete with sour cream and chives.
DAY 11, MONDAY, MAY 1:
Drove to Farm Beulah at first light. Parked the truck and a big male baboon tempts us at less than 100 yards, but that would have spoiled our impala hunt. We walk to within 80 yards of a trophy Eland, and Jan himself is tempted to take him. Saw 4 Impala does, but no rams. Saw numerous Springbok, kudu cows, and a herd of 8 giraffes. Great day afield, topped by a dinner of Gemsbok filets wrapped in bacon, stuffed with cheese, and apple strudel from the Bakkery.
Here are some of the giraffes:
DAY 12, TUESDAY MAY 2:
Up at 6:00 AM for drive to Windhoek (300 miles). Stop in Outjo for Bakkery Apple Strudel fix, then head down to Okahandja for carved animals for my four grandchildren and my wife. Spend the night at Casa Piccola after a nice dinner at Joe's Beer house. I gave a piece of strudel to Claudia, the owner of Casa Piccola, and hopefully earned brownie points for future visits. Flights home were long but uneventful, and thanks to "Trusted Traveler", there was no Customs inspection and I waltzed through the kiosk in 5 minutes. My son Ed picked me up at ORD, and we were home in 20 minutes. Another great trip with Sebra.
Congrats on another successful hunt! 
