Friends and slightly interested parties,
I hunted Namibia from May, 17th through June 1st with Omalanga Safaris. My PH was Dirk Rohrmann.
My post is long for folks only interested in my experience with the outfitter. Therefore, I'm going to summarize the particulars of my experience for those looking for recommendations first. Omalanga Safaris is a first class operation. Dirk is a likable, an extremely knowledgeable and an experienced PH who aims to please. Rita provided great communications before and after the safari and is is also a great hostess. I stayed in the Omburo lodge and the Oryx tent camp. I was glad I got to stay at each camp. The Omburo camp as as comfortable as any lodge. The Oryx tent camp was a taste of rustic Africa but still very comfortable. Both concessions had good quality animals. The food at both camps was excellent. However, chief Leopold provided more memorable meals at Oryx camp. I plan to return to Namibia at some point and will definitely try to book with Omalanga Safaris again..
My starting point of my travel to Namibia was the Atlanta airport on May, 15th. I flew overnight on Delta to Gatwick to catch the Air Namibia overnight flight 14 hours later. I intended to get a day room at one of the airport hotels However, it took over 3 hours to get through immigration and I decided just to stick it out at the airport. I arrived at Windhoek the following morning after an uneventful flight. I cleared Namibia immigration, claimed by baggage, got my firearm permit in less than half an hour.
Dirk met me in the main terminal and we were off to the Omburo camp. I was originally slated to hunt the tented Oryx camp but Dirk said that they had been a rabies out break that had affected the Kudu population and that the Omburo camp offered better opportunities. On the way, we discussed my expectation regarding what animals I wanted to hunt. Among the animals I cited was Leopard. Dirk let me know that he had several hunters started out for Leopard which soon changed their minds because it detracted from the plains game hunting and I should decide if I really wanted to devote my time to the effort. I assured him I was willing to dedicate as much time as needed in pursuit of Mr Spots. We arrived at Omburo around noon and were greeted by Rita (Dirk's wife) as well as Jordan and Krystal (the lodge owners). The Omburo lodge consists of a main house with two guest houses. I was shown to a comfortable room in one of the guest houses then called to the first of many excellent meals.
After lunch we headed to the range and confirmed my 300 and 378 Weatherby's were still shooting 1 ½ in. high at 100 yards. I put he 378 back in the room and loaded the 300 into the gun rack in the back of the land cruiser. We picked up our driver Joseph and headed into the field. After about a mile we spotted some Kudu cows on the right and stopped to see if a bull was nearby. Out of the corner of my eye to the left, I saw a large cat slip into some near by brush . I told Dirk I thought it was a Leopard. He said it was unlikely but started glassing the brush. We pulled up about 100 yards and Dirk told me to get my gun out of the rack. He could make out the Leopard crouched down in thick brush watching us. I had a clear shot to the right which would put more distance between us and cat if he went that way. But, he move slowly to the left into thicker brush and disappeared. Upon reflection, I would have been disappointed if the Leopard had been taken within 15 minutes of the start of my first day of hunting. In any event, I had seen a Leopard in the wild during daylight hours and that was something most people will never witness.
I was lucky to arrive in the middle of Kudu rut which meant that if we saw any Kudu cows, the bulls should not be far away. We searched a small section of the 25,000 acre farm for Eland as well as Kudu. Dirk directed Joseph to head toward a fence line where a large Eland bull was know to walk regularly. As we eased over a hill, we saw the Eland bull about 800 yards ahead. We glassed the beast and decided to move a little closer. Unfortunately, we were noticed and the bull jogged off out of site. Shortly afterwards, we spotted and took a nice Kudu bull. I told Dirk on the ride to camp would favor Kudu with horn tips which pointed straight up or, if I was luckily, I would find a bull with a full 2 ½ curls where the tips point out. I just didn't want horn tips which point inwards. This bull's horn tips pointed straight up.



The following morning we rode around the property checking the roads for Leopard tracks.. We spotted a fresh set of tracks near a water hole and decided to look at the water hole a little closer. We found multiple sets of tracks at the waters edge. So, it looked like a promising area.



We then headed towards the area where we have seen the Eland the evening before but he was nowhere to be found. On the way to the lodge for lunch, Dirk spotted a impala dam for bait. I shot it and Joseph loaded the bait into the back of the truck. After lunch we headed back to the water hole with the drawn impala and a guts in a bucket. We found a suitable “Leopard†tree in a clearing about 70 yards from the water which had a large low hung branch about 4 feet off the ground. Dirk and I wired the impala carcase to the limb while Joseph dragged the guts around the area and left them under the carcase. According to Dirk, if we got a hit on the bait that night, the leopard would probably eat just little. Then the next night, we should not expect a hit. However, the cat would probably inspect the bait but not eat. If the cat came back the third night, he should settle in and eat a good bit. If that happened, we would set up a blind and hunt on the fourth night.
The next morning we wondered back to the water hole while also looking for Eland. However, that morning weather turned fickle for Namibia in the winter. The skies were partly cloudy and the the wind was blowing hard. This drove the animals into the thick brush where the laid down and did not move around much. As such, I didn't see much plains game over the next few days. As we walked around the water hole, Joseph pointed out some new leopard tracks. At first glance the impala seemed untouched. However, closer inspection showed something had a light dinner on one of the hindquarters.
The following day showed that the bait had not been hit just a Dirk predicted. We decided to try out a new trail cam Dirk bought last time he was in the states. On day three we headed back the bait hoping to find the cat had settled in and had a big meal. As we rode in, Dirk noticed there were two set of tracks on the road near the water hole this time. One set was large and the other somewhat smaller. This seemed to indicate the male was walking with female. As we approached the tree it became apparent the bait had been hit hard. In fact, it was gone. I looked at the wire and it had been bitten through. We looked for tracks and found a few spots where the impala carcase dragged the ground along with few clear leopard tracks which lead off into the high grass. The trail cam showed 12 photographs had been taken. But, there were no images. Since the cats took bait, there was no telling when they would hit a replacement bait..So, we needed to go back to camp and come up on a new plan.
The next day, we identified another set of large tracks on a road near a second water hole. Walking the waters edge, we could see this Leopard watered there regularly. The following day we ran across a young Gemsbok which we would use for bait. Our plan was to cut the Gemsbok in half and bait the original waterhole again as well as the second water hole.
http://www.buzzsimmons.com/safari/images/image/leopardbait2.JPG
The following day, the first water hole bait had been hit and this time there were images on the trail cam this time. The Second bait had not been hit. After lunch, Dirk downloaded the trail cam picture to a computer and we saw several pictures with a Leopard on the bait shortly after 1:00 AM. At 5:00 AM or so we got a couple of images with two Leopards. After seeing these pictures, Dirk decided we should build a blind and hunt that night. Right after lunch, we headed back the bush and built a ground blind about 35 yards East of the bait just inside the edge of the high grass. Afterwards, we headed back the lodge where Dirk pulled out “The Perfect Shot:†and asked me to study the Leopard's anatomy pictures. Dirk sent me off to the range with instructions to sight my rifle in to be dead on ad 100 yards. Six clicks down and 2 to the right put two shots through the same hole a t 100 yards.. As it turns out, Dirk isn't very fond of the 180 gr. Triple Shock bullets I was using. But, I simply forgot to bring any soft points with me so we would have to make due.
On the way to the blind, Dirk told me he would signal me that Leopard was around with one tap and the Leopard was on the bait with two taps. If he tapped one time, I should quietly bring the rifle to my shoulder and be ready to shoot when Dirk tapped twice and he would then turned on the red spot light . We settled into the blind at 5:30 PM just as the light started to dim. My rifle was set up so I would only have to move slightly forward to be ready to shoot. By 6:00 PM it was totally dark and I could just make out blurry silhouettes through my small peep-hole in the blind wall. I could hear the clicking of hooves walking around the blind from time to time. About every 10 minutes Dirk would take a look around with is night vision monocular. At 7:40 PM, Dirk looked through his scope and I got a tap on my thigh and I moved into position to shoot. After sitting in an uncomfortable position for at least 30 minutes,. I slowly dismounted the rifle and settled in for a another tap. While in the shooting position I could hear the faint rustling of high grass behind us. At 11:00 PM , Dirk spoke up and said it was time to head in. He asked me if I had seen the cat. I said “Noâ€. He said he that when he gave me the tap, he had looked through his monocular and saw the Leopard sitting like a dog 10 yards directly in front of the blind starring directly at us. Just after Dirk spotted the cat, it ducked into the tall grass. The rustling I heard was the cat moving behind the blind to get a better look at us.
We check the trail cam the next morning which showed the cat waited about 30 minutes after we left to hit the bait. We also found a surprises later it the night. A Brown Hyena visited the bait. According to Dirk, the Hyena was about 400 miles from it's normal range. But none the less, the Hyena was there. Now this caused us a dilemma because Leopards and Hyenas don't mix. Then, there was the issue that our blind had been identified by the cat. So, the question was “ Do we continue to hunt this bait or do we move on to another area?â€. To complicate matters, the bait the second water hole got hit during the night. After dinner that night, I enjoyed a few adult beverages while Dirk contemplated the situation. As I announced I was done for the day, Dirk proclaimed we would build another blind at the same at same water hole and sit tomorrow night.
The next morning we went in search of Kudu and Eland while still keeping an eye on the roads for fresh Leopard tracks. The wind was still blowing wildly which drove the animals into the bush where they simply laid down. But the rut was on. A spotted a half a dozen Kudu cows crossing the road about 400 yards head followed shortly afterwards by three mature bulls which were battling each other. Dirk yelled “Stop†and we were off on foot. We walked few hundred yards to a cross roads where we heard limbs being broken and sounds resembling rocks banging together. As we walked up the road towards the noise two of fighting bulls crashed through the brush into the road 30 yards ahead. Neither beast was aware we were there. Dirk said to shoot the one the left but they were twisting and bucking against one another so fast I couldn't get a clear shot without the possibility of hitting both. The bulls bolted back into the thick brush. We followed them and caught glimpses but never go a clear view of them again as they quit flighting and chased the cow into the river bottoms. So, we loaded back into the truck and headed into the river bottoms ourselves. We rode around for about half a hour before spotting a Kudu cow 100 yards head and stopped the truck. Soon afterwards we saw more cows and finally a big bull was spotted moving away from us. We dismounted and started he stalk. Dirk set up the sticks several times for me but the bull's chest was obscured or the angle was wrong. Finally, we set up on the bull at about 150 yards. He facing us but has chest was hidden but brush. As I complained to Dirk, he said take a neck shot. I lined up on the middle of neck and squeezed off the shot. The big bull dropped like a rock and was dead.


We had a quick lunch and headed back to the water hole to build a new blind. Dirk walked around the bait area trying to find a suitable location where the wind would not be working against us. Dirk finally settled on a location about 60 yards from the bait. Dirk stated this was a little far for a Leopard blind but we didn't have any other options. So, we spent the next three hours setting up the blind.


After completing the blind we went back to the lodge. I had a short nap and a light dinner before making our way back the blind about an hour before dark. On the way in Dirk said he suspected the Leopard might be able to see the infrared glow of his night monocular. So, we would not use it. Dirk had brought an empty tin can which he put coin in and wired to the carcase so it acted like a bell. We settled into the blind. As twilight set in, I positioned my 300 on the rest as close as I could to towards the bait and set the illumination level on Leupold 4.5x14 scope to “4†and confirmed I was 4.5x while Dirk aligned the fixed red spot light on the bait. At 6:00 PM Dirk told me to hide the illuminated dial on my watch under the sleeve of my jacket. Soon after as we sat in complete silence in the darkness. I could hear animals walking by us as they moved around the water hole. As I looked up at the stars, it occurred to me how quiet it had become. Then I heard “klink, klinkâ€. I froze trying to decide if I had actually heard what I thought I was hearing. Again I heard “klink, klink, klink....†which was swiftly followed by two taps on my thigh. I quietly leaned forward bringing the rifle butt to my shoulder and the scope to my eye. Dirk whispered “Are you ready?†and I replied “Yesâ€. The spot light was blazed and the scope was filled with the image of a spotted animal. I moved the illuminated cross hair up perhaps an inch to where I though the shot should be. As I recall the vision of cat in my mind, I can make out the shoulder and elbow in crystal clarity and I recall the cats head moved but it is a blur as was the back half of the cat. I explicitly asking myself “does this shot look right?†three times. Upon the third confirmation, the gun recoiled and I hurried to recover my view of the Leopard. When I regained focus, I saw the cat make a what seemed to be a fully controlled landing on its front two paws and then slink into the tall grass and out of sight just to the right of the tree trunk. Somewhere in there I had chambered another round but could not recall when that movement occurred. Dirk moved the spotlight around the area trying to spot the cat but it was not in the open. We waited about 20 minutes before deciding to take a look around. We exited the blind and made a wide arch to the left the bait tree to see of the leopard happen to laying behind the tree. But, the cat had gone into the high grass and we were not going in after it tonight. As we headed toward the Land Cruiser, I pulled my watch out from my jacket sleeve and it was just past 7:15 PM..
On the drive to the lodge, I laminated the possibility that the cat was wounded and now extremely dangerous. I recanted to Dirk my recollection that the cat seemed to make a controlled dismount after the shot. Dirk's recollection was much different. He said he saw the cat jump up and away and then crash through some branches just before hitting the ground. Although this sounded like I hit the cat hard, it did not mean I made a fatal shot. Once back at the lodge, Dirk arranged for Gunter – another Omalanga Safaris PH - to bring in some tracking dogs from another concession the next morning. The rest of the evening was spend replaying the visions of the shot in my mind. I concluded cross hairs were where they should have been when I pulled the trigger.
Gunter arrived with three terriers at first light. Soon after, we lit out for the water hole where the Leopard had been shot. After arriving, I was handed a 12 ga. Semi-automatic shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot. Gunter sported a double barrel 12 ga. loaded with slugs while Dirk carried his 458 Lott sans scope. Dirk and Gunter studied the area below the limb where the bait was located looking for any blood but didn't see any. A 10 foot high ridge lies to the right the bait tree where the cat exited the area. Tall grass covered the mount and beyond. We pointed the dogs in the general direction and headed towards the top. We were separated by 3 or 4 yards with Gunter to my left, Dirk to my right. The other side of mount dropped about 10 ft and the grass was still very thick. As soon as we reached the top, we saw the dogs in the bottom with their back hair standing straight up as they slowly inspected the area. This was a signal that we shoulder our firearms and be ready for a charge. After a few seconds the dogs reached a consensus and started moving cautiously to the left parallel the ridge. We moved up the ridge with out guns still at the shoulder. After 4 or 5 steps Gunter lowered his gun and said “There he isâ€.


Needless to say, I was greatly relieved.. My worst fear was having someone injured by this cat. A closer inspection showed the shot was just behind the armpit. It was a good heart shot which was confirmed by the autopsy at the skinning shed.. The cat was found less than 15 yards from where he was shot.
The next 4 days where spend concentrating on the Eland bull we saw the first day but Baboon and Gemsbok were also on the agenda. As I mentioned before, the weather was quite fickle. The wind was blowing strongly, the skies where cloudy and we were rained on one morning. For sight and stalk hunting this was clearly a challenging situation. As such, we also moved to the thick bush. We traveled obscure trails which barely passed as roads. The game was there. But they were too close and slipped out of site with a single step or two. We were fortunate enough to come across a group of Gemsbok which were clear of the really thick brush. One of the group was large bodied and that is the one we were after. The Gemsbok spooked twice but we finally were able to set up the sticks on the big Gemsbok side at 50 yards. I lined up the shot and pulled the trigger. The Gemsbok bucked and ran out of sight to the right. We looked around the area where the Gemsbok stood but found no blood. It was not until we were 200 yards from where the animal stood that we found the first blood. This was followed by a difficult mile long track to where the animal lay. The shot hit the animal just behind the shoulder joint and exited at an angle exiting about mid-chest on the far side.. This shot wasn't perfect by respectable. I suspect the Barnes bullet failed to open up unto impact and behaved like a solid.


Since I couldn't get a flight out immediately after my safari ended, I asked if I could book a another day rather than stay in s hotel in Windhoek. Dirk had a client coming in that has to arrive two days prior to starting his safari because if flight issues. So, I agreed to move to the Oryx camp and hunt with a native master guide and let Dirk go ahead and start the hunt with the next client for the other leopard we had been baiting. So, the next morning, Rita and I were off and a 2 hour drive to the tented Oryx camp which sat on 175,000 acres. Upon arrival, we were met by Leopold the camp chief and a cool refreshment. I was shown my tent which was quite comfortable. The back of the tent was mated to a brick walled toilet and shower area. It was a bit chilly in the mornings when I showered. But, I admit, it quite a sight to look up a the milky-way while enjoying a hot shower. Stepping out of the shower was very invigorating.
After Leopold served a tasty lunch, I met my master guide Joseph and a driver. I switched over to the 378 Weatherby tipped with 270 gr. Triple Shock Bullets at this time since Eland was my primary focus but Springbok were also of interest.. That afternoon, we saw a couple of Eland cows but no bulls. We came across a group of Springbok and I took one at just over 200 yards.
We spent the majority of next day stalking a mature Eland bull who was accompanied by 30 or so females and youngsters. We initially spotted the bull in the open just before sun rise. The entire herd of Eland was headed towards the thick bush. So, Joseph and I entered the bush after them. I was astonished by Joseph's tracking abilities. We stalked this herd for miles but never got the jump on them before they stampeded off. Just after sunset we tracked the Eland back into the open at about 250 yards away. They were walking slightly away from us. Joseph glassed the herd and set up the sticks saying the second animal was the bull. I got on the sticks and got on the second animal in line. By now they we at least 300 yards way. I lined up a on the leading edge and a little high on the chest of the second animal and let off a shot. A half a second after the gun blast, we heard the thump of the bullet. The Eland I shot went right while most of the rest of the heard went left and away. After short track, we found the Eland cow I shot. Apparently the bull and this cow switched places between the time sticks were set up and I got set up. In any event, I wanted to add an Eland cow to my trophy collection at some point so I was happy with this animal. I would not have attempted the shot with any rifle other than my 378.


I had seen a number of black wildebeest on the concession. Although I had not planned to hunt one, I thought I might be temped by a good trophy. The next next day would be last of my 15 hunting days. So, that morning we spent the few hours searching for the right trophy. This guy presented himself broadside at about 150 yards.


At this point I had taken every animal I set out for except baboon. Thus far, the only baboon sighting had been tiny silhouettes high up in the mountains. We could hear the “hoots†a mile or two away when they spotted us approaching.. As it happened, I decided to ride to the skinning shed to process the gnu. On the way back to camp, Joseph pointed out baboon sitting on top of a fence pole at about 150 yards. I shot my 378 offhand from the back of the truck and missed. The baboon had a hasty retreat. Joseph immediately pointed out another baboon in a tree top about 250 yards off. Joseph set up the sticks in the bed of the truck and I aimed for a neck shot. A split second after I let off the shot, the baboon dropped from the tree like a sand bag.


After another of Leopold's delicious lunches, we headed out for a particularly spectacular Wart hog we came across during one of the Eland stalks. We scoured the area where this Wart hog was sighted and stalked several until we determined they we not the one I was looking for. As the sun set, we spotted one large hog and set off after him. We go close enough to glass him and he was the one I was after. We bumped him two or three time when he took to a road and Joseph set up the sticks at 200 yards. I lined up the 378 as the Wart hog started to slowly trot way in the twilight. I took a breath and decided the safari was over. I had made several difficult shots without loosing an animal and wasn't going to start now. I lowered the 378 and told Joseph I was ready to go to back camp. That night, I enjoyed an excellent meal which included Leopold's escargot and Gemsbok tenderloin.
The next morning, Rita and I took off to Windhoek for some shopping and general touring. I was flying Air Namibia to Frankfurt to catch a Delta flight to Atlanta. Rita suggested I check on the price of a business class upgrade which was $400 US. I gladly coughed up the money and enjoyed a very comfortable overnight flight. Rita stuck with me through the firearm inspection process and ticketing until I departed through immigration. I had a short 3 hour layover in Frankfurt before I boarded the Delta flight. We arrived in Atlanta on time and had my boots sprayed and guns inspected by customs. So ended an excellent adventure.

Congrats on a great hunt! Nice report as well.

I didn't get my leopard. Good to see you had better luck, congratulations and thanks for sharing. Adrian

Congrats on a fine hunt and thanks for the report!

Congrats on a great hunt! I long to be back in Namibia. Was there in 05 and 07 and simply can't wait to head back to enjoy the incredible hunting and country.

Thanks for sharing story and photos! ...and congratulations! Especially on the leopard.. Nice cat!

Congrats on a beautiful adventure...

Thanks for sharing and great story and great pics too!

Congratulations on your hunt and thanks for the report. I will be hunting with Dirk in 09 June 15th to the 30th and will be at Omburo and Mopane camps.

RO VERY NICE RECAP WITH GREAT PICTURES.
I WISH I WAS THERE.
TRIG

What a great report. Beauty of a cat.
Congrats

RS,

Were you shooting handloads or factory ammo?

What bullet in particular?

Congratulations.

Thanks for sharing

Blair,
I was shooting hand loads. The 300 was loaded with 180gr. TSX and the 378 with 270 TSX. I was a little disappointed with expansion. This was my second safari using Barnes bullets. I had too many animals run a long way with proper shot placement. I'm switching to Accubonds, Partitions or A-frames. Dirk didn't have a high opinion of Barnes bullets and let me know it every time we looking for blood.

Regards,
Robert

Congratulations on a nice hunt, a lot of good shooting, very nice tom! I have to agree with your PH Dirk on the bullet issue, get yourself some a-frames or partitions and don't look back.

Dirk

Robert:
Congratulations on a great hunt.
My group hunted right behind you with Dirk and Weggies in Omburo and then Oryx camp and I was able to see your trophies. They were all very nice and the leopard skull was great. I will try and post a report in the next week or so.

Jay

Jay,
I look forward to your report.
Regard,
Robert

Nice leopard. Congratulations on your success.

Excellent!

Thank you, Robert! Excellent report and pic's. I think it's safe to say if Dirk has an opinion on something hunting related, he's more than happy to "share" it with you.
And, your mention of Leopold's cooking brought back memories of pounds long lost, but not forgotten. The man very quietly cooks up a storm.
Having hunted with Dirk at Okanduka Siebe I can't wait to see the new concessions when Almostacowgirl and I return next June.
Dave