I just returned from Namibia hunting plains game on the Gras Ranch with Errol Lambrecths PH. This was the best hunt anyone could imagine. The game was abundant,the food was wonderful, the service ,top notch. On a 10 day hunt I claimed a big Blue Willdebeeste, an old but still good Kudu, a huge Eland, a Zebra, two nice Gemsbok , two matching Springbok, and a male and female Blesbok. I think all this came out to be six Gold trophies, two Silver and a Bronze. special thanks to my outfitter Wendell Reich at Hunters Quest International
Originally posted by dogcat: Glad you had a great trip. Wendell is very good and a great guy.
Now, you need to write up a great trip report to match your hunt!!!!
And we need pictures!
Frank
"I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money." - Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953
NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite
Posts: 12548 | Location: Kentucky, USA | Registered: 30 December 2002
I hunted in 2007 on a very similar neighboring ranch just upstream on the Fish River from the Gras called Nomtsas. Three of us hunted for only five days but killed 27 head of game, most of it Gold. As far as I'm concerned, this area of Namibia is an outstanding place to hunt. The wide-open country reminds me of far West Texas and New Mexico -- just covered up with springbok, oryx, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, hartebeest, warthog, baboon, ostrich, kudu . . .
Posts: 13236 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
One of our group is a native of Las Cruces, NM. When we went just a little way to the west to the Naukluft Mountains to hunt Mountain Zebra he said "I'm home."
Posts: 13236 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
Gras Ranch is a great place to hunt. Being my first time to hunt overseas they took care of my every need and answered all of my questions. Having never hunted plains game before I looked into their sizes and weights. I decided to take my Ruger M77 300.Win. Mag. and a Rem. 700 BDL 30.06 for a backup. My brother and I started working up loads for the 300 win. Mag and settled on a 200 grain Nosler partition at about 2800+ ft. sec. Having spent all of my life hunting whitetails,pigs and coyotes I was afraid that I was in over my head on this hunt. Then I met Errol Lambrecths,Super PH. The day I got there we shot my guns and I shot ok. We went out after a good breakfast the next morning and I shot a Blue Wildebeeste that scored 213,after lunch I shot a Springbok that scored 102,later near sundown Errol found me an old Kudu bull that turned out to be 12 years old. The next day I shot 2 Gemsbok and 2 Blesbok and also had 2 or 3 misses. I was not used to shooting past 200 yds. even though I dropped a walking Blesbok at 292 yds. Errol took me back to the range the next morning to practice at longer ranges. After the practice session we went after Hartmanns Zebra .I took mine walking away at a 45 deg. angle at 315 yds. The next day I had a day off to see where I was going to go to hunt Eland. At Gras they don't let you sit idle, they sent me out to kill a Springbok for the kitchen and any Jackals I could find. No Jackals but I nailed a Springbok at 350 yds. I think I am loosing my fear of distance. We had to go to a nearby ranch to hunt Eland and after a long chess match like chase I was forced into making a freehand running shot of 75 yds. or risk loosing a big bull,a shoulder/lung shot did nothing to slow him down,but a shot to the hip did. One more to the neck finished him off, my bull scored 242. My last day hunting was spent looking for another hunters wounded Gemsbok with no luck. On the way back to the Lodge, Errol spotted a Springbok that was almost a perfect match to my first one. He was standing on the far side of a pan and I ask Errol if that was about 400 yds. He said "At least". I took my time and lined up the shot. The Springbok never knew what hit him, the range finder said 465 yds. I do think I am now over my fear of distance. My hunt was over but will never be forgotten. I was challanged on many levels and was able to develope my skills to meet those challanges. This was the best hunting trip I have ever been on. The only advice I will offer a first time Plains Game hunter is "Keep both eyes on the game and one ear on the PH and follow instructions"
G D Lindsey, I'm glad you had a great hunt. Gras Ranch is a wonderful place and all the people there are simply terrific. It sounds as though you shot very well. Look forward to seeing your pictures.
When my wife and I hunted with Errol in 2008 we did a bit of video of Errol teaching the use of shooting sticks and impromptu field rests. My wife played the role of the student while I ran the cameras.
If you're interested in seeing them (or just seeing Errol on video) they are at www.davesgunpages.com under the "Shooting" subheading. (Hope I'm not breaking any forum rules in mentioning my modest web site).
I hope to hunt with Errol again soon, he's good company and a great PH.
G.D.: TO post photos, first upload them to a site like Photobucket (free for a limited, but generous, number of photos). Then all you have to do is copy and paste the link (the bottom one of the four that pop up when you put your cursor on the photo thumbnail) in the text of your post. It is really simple once you figure it out.
Posts: 13236 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
Bill C ,thanks for the help, Bobby B the guy in the blue is Christian he was our guide at the Kruger ranch where I hunted the Eland, it is about 30 k west of Gras , I think one of Jannies cousins owns it. And I could sit and listen to Errol tell stories for another 10 days
Waidmannsheil G D Lindsey. Sounds like you really enjoyed Gras and some great times. Great trophies, great times, great food, great people, and a beautiful place to spend some time! I was there last year, had a great time, Dom.
-------- There are those who only reload so they can shoot, and then there are those who only shoot so they can reload. I belong to the first group. Dom ---------
Posts: 728 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 15 March 2005
Thanks Gary for the kind words. That goes for all the other hunters that I have guided as well. As a PH I have one goal. That is to make a hunter’s dream a reality. With the economy as it is to-day many hunters save for a long time for that once in a lifetime hunt in Africa. We at Gras Hunting Ranch collect you at the airport as a hunter/client, during the hunt you become a friend and hopefully leave as family. I can honestly say that in Namibia most outfitters have the same philosophy.
It was good to see you today at the DSC convention!
I'm glad your experience at the Gras turned out good. When I recommended it to you, I had no doubt that you would enjoy it 100%.
What a super wildebeest!!! I thought mine was pretty good but you easily passed it!
Congratulations and Becky and I hope to see more photos!
JDS
And so if you meet a hunter who has been to Africa, and he tells you what he has seen and done, watch his eyes as he talks. For they will not see you. They will see sunrises and sunsets such as you cannot imagine, and a land and a way of life that is fast vanishing. And always he will will tell you how he plans to go back. (author: David Petzer)
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