I hunted in Namibia Africa for plains game 3 years ago with a good group of guys, and one of them, a very good friend in the Army, last year kept the heat on me to go back with him for another hunt. Actually didn’t take much needling, so I started the research for a good place to go. Narrowed it down to a couple good places, questions, answers, etc, finally decided we’d go to Gras Hunting Lodge, about 3 hours South of Windhoek. All I can say is it was fantastic!! Great people who really know how to make a hunt enjoyable and memorable. Trouble was, my good friend who got reassigned here to another command thought he’d be here 3 more years, but just a few months after booking got shipped out to Kansas and had to give up the hunt. I still feel bad for him, as I know first hand after giving up a few hunts myself due to service life. Memories for a lifetime, everyday a new adventure, heck, we couldn’t remember what we did 2 days ago!! Action packed and loved it, the sunrises, sunsets, countryside, the hunt, the food, the quarters, all was super. A special thanks to Jannie and Anri Spangenberg! And I can't forget Meli and Bolie, as well as all the staff -- they put out a first class operation.

We went as a group of four guys, we all know each other very well. I think it is great to go with guys you know and trust and it worked out great together. We'd take turns going out with each other so we all got to experience a lot of fun and enjoyable time together. We all had a great sense of humor!

I took a Blaser R93 with two barrels, 300 Win Mag and 243 Win. Shot the larger game with the 300 and the smaller with the 243. All handloads, H4831SC pushing 200 gr Swift A Frames out of the 300 and Varget pushing 95 grain Nosler Partitions thru the 243. Both bullets performed excellent. A few pics from Namibia, and I can't rule out that it was my last trip to Africa either! You just get a lot more bang for the buck unless you got connections or private hunts, Waidmannsheil, Dom.





Gras is known for quality Springbock!


Jackal, after a couple sight in shots at him on the run to get my range , he made the fatal mistake of stopping.


Who can go and not get another Warthog or two?


Gras also has excellent quality Gemsbock, this one well in the Gold class.


One in our group, in fact a fellow AR member, slept in so he gets his picture here, eating breakfast alone! He's famous now.


As you all know, the sunsets and sunrises are really spectacular, but I have to post one anyway, taken on Gras from my room.


The Gray Ghost, quite elusive, but Jannie spent the entire day with me looking for a good Bull. Late in the day, after a hard hunt, we got lucky. Thanks Jannie!


It was a bit chilly, I like to call it refreshing. I actually didn't take much for cold weather so I wore everything I took on a couple of those days! Here in front of Gras Lodge.


Had a great time, one adventure after another! Jannie is incognito here. I kept telling Bolie he was a famous Australian, sure reminded me of one!


Did I mention Gras has an outstanding population of good Springbock?


We kept the pressure up on Gerry to shoot a 'community' Giraffe, in fact we were downright nasty to him. Didn't matter, we couldn't watch one fall, he kept muttering "I ain't got no room for no Giraffe in my Apartment, besides, what would I tell the better half?"


Another trip to the Dark Continent came to the end, at least until I get back again. Hope you enjoyed the report!

Great pics, thanks.

Congrats on a great hunt

My wife and I took our first safari to the Gras in 07 IMO you couldn't hunt with a better group of people.

Congratulations! Looks like a good hunt.

Brett

Very nice! Congratulations on a successful safari!

Thanks for the hunt report. Plains game hunting is downright fun.

You would be remiss for not telling of the overwhelming quantity of ROCKS lying about. At least that was my remembrance of both northern and southern Namibia. Ankle-twisting ROCKS everywhere.

Thanks for the comments guys.

onefunzr2, ROCKS? What are those? Never seen a one . . .

Congratulations.
looks like Gras does have nice Springbok

Waidmansheil Dom!!

I had all but given up waiting for the report of you and that late-sleeper's trip to Namabia!

Thank you for the write-up.

Regards,

A

Dom

Waidmannsheil my friend!!!

Great photos and it looks like you all had a great time.

Wish I could have been with the HD gang on this trip. Have been waiting for "G" to do a write up - something about a broken computer, he tells me.

Love the photo of "G" with a mouth full of breakfast. Saw more photos on the HD R&G Club site this morning - great.

Don

Waidmannsdank Don, Ya, couldn't resist posting that one! He's says he's scraping his last few Euros together to get a new computer

Hey Dom,
We could not agree with you more. We were the Canadians that were just leaving when you and your hunting party were just getting started. The Gras is a 1st class operation with plenty of plains game everywhere you look. You are treated like family by everyone.Meals and accomodations are top notch. Jannie, Errol and Bolie are excellent PH's that can judge a gold medal animal very quickly. Would recommend this ranch to anyone. In fact we plan on going back in the future

I am sorry that I missed the hunt with you. Had to go and attend my son’s wedding in Ireland. Thank you for the report and nice words about Gras and its staff. Hope to see you in Germany in February.

GREAT HUNT!

I think that the drier, more open southern Namibia where the Gras is located is even better plains game hunting than the north. The shots a longer, but wow, do you see the game!

Three of us hunted Nomtsas, which is neighbors to the Gras about 25 miles to the west, in 2007. Nomtsas is huge, even a bit larger than the Gras, and has similarly great stocks of game. We took gold medal springbok, kudu, black wildebeest, oryx, red hartebeest, mountain zebra, warthog, and all of the baboons and jackals we wanted. Three of us took 27 head of game and couldn't have been happier with our hosts and accomodations.

I agree Stonecreek, that's a great area!

Hope to see you Errol, we missed ya! Glad you enjoyed your son's wedding though, Dom.

So I suppose sleepy was on the scotch and Cigars the night before...

Great report mate but you need to have a look at the company you keep...

FB

Kiri,

You know me; "Sleepy?" (WTFO?) I'm not coherant before 11:00, just a stray Dog that'll go hunting with anyone who'll have me - don't get alot of invitations though.....mouthwash, deodorant, social skills.....I've drawn up a matrix and am working on the improvement areas.



I do know the difference betwen single & double malt & how to light a Cohiba, so there are a couple redeeeming factors involved. Don't need these skills at Gras though; they just pour that blended piss Grant's in water glasses hoping quantity will overcome quality. I didn't refues any top-offs though......