I just returned from a plains game hunt in Namibia with my father, and two hunting parners. We hunted about an hour and a half east of Windhoek, about 20 miles from a town named Dordabis with Danie and Ansie Strauss of Kowas Safaris. For me this was my fourth trip to Africa but the first plains game only safari. My father has been to Africa twice and this was his first plains game only safari. For our two hunting partners it was there first time to Africa. Between the 4 of us we took 33 animals during the 11 days of hunting. Since there are so many pictures I wll do the report in sections.

L to R myself, Ike Mcclendon, Mike Coon, my dad Bennie

We arrived in Windhoek on Oct 1st. We were to hunt for 11 days starting on Oct 2nd. The camp was a very nice camp. The camp is built around Danie and Ansie's house. There was two thached chalets built about 100 yards from the Lapa where we gathered to eat, drink and sit around the fire pit each night.





These are some pictures of the dining and firepit areas of the camp. The areas had a traditional African camp feel even though it was more or less a lodge with a pool and hot tub.


This is Scrumba a 9 year old Warthog that comes and goes as he pleases. He would normally pay a visit every night to eat the green grass around the fire pit. Except for the rediculous tusks he could have passed for a dog.

The hunt started each day with breakfast around 6:30 AM. The PH"s and drivers would pull up about 7:00 and off we would go. We had roghtly 400,000 acres to hunt on. Danie who is a past president of NAMPHA is also the chairman of the conservancy that they hunt on. Our hunt was the last plains game hunt of the year for them so there were certain ranches that had no quota left for certain animals. This was really of no concern, we just had to move around a little more than usual to get certain species.
I learned a lot about the management of certain animals like Zebra. They are very particular about the Zebra they take out of a herd. After the PH's explained the way Zebra herds work, it is obviously very critical to the perpetuation of the herds that only specific animals be taken, if the wrong animal is taken it could mean several years of low to none, as far as offspring numbers are concerned.

The ranches were all cattle fenced with slick wire, it was interesting to see that there was very little barbed wire on any fences.

Kowas is very unique in that they employ two native black PH's as their main hunters, Mathews and Immanuel. Before the hunt I was curious how this would work as I have never hunted with a native PH. These guys are two of the first Native PH's in Namibia, and they are as good as any PH I have hunted with. Mathews and Immanuel were both very intelligent, personable, knowledgable and spoke fine english, they could track as well as any tracker I have hunted with and of course both had eyesite like a pair of Swarovskis. I have hunted with PH's that without their trackers were useless and I have hunted with PH's that were as capable as any out there, Mathews and Immanuel would rank in this group. I would be hesatant to put them in this group with dangerous game because I did not hunt dangerous game, but for plains game they were professionals.

I was glad for the tracking skills of Mathews and Immanuel. My two hunting partners that had never been to africa got to see, first hand, what tracking is all about. There were quite a few of the animals taken that were done in the traditional tracking manner, not see it from the truck, get out and shoot it manner that happens sometimes with plainsgame. I have always been fascinated with tracking and my friends were as well.

We normally hunted from around 7:00 AM to noon. Because of the heat we would come in to the camp for lunch and a nap until about 4:00 when it would cool off a bit then we would return to hunting until dark. Some days we would be too far from camp to come back so a lunch would be made from a cool box or sometimes a fire would be made and meat cooked under the shade of a Camelthorn somewhere on the various ranches. The temperature was as low as the mid 40's at night and as hot as mid 90's toward the end of the hunt in the afternoon. For the first 7 days of the hunt the heat was usually around the high 80's to around 90.

Because of the number of animals taken by all of us I will not go into detail about all of the actual hunts of each animal, just a short description.


I took this Bull Oryx the 3rd day of the hunt after a close to two hour stalk. I took him at 203 yards with RSM 375 and 300g Barnes TSX.

I took this Springbuck on the 4th day of the hunt after a long morning on foot looking over many Springbuck in the Wait a bit thickets. The shot was just over 100 yard with a 338 RUM and 225g barnes tipped TSX.


This Blesbok was also taken on the 4th day of the hunt after a good stalk bringing us to 70 yards for my 338 RUM. I put the sunset picture in because I though it was unique.

This was a Cow Oryx taken at 20 yard on the 5th morning of the hunt. We stalked this cow for the better part of an hour and could not find the herd, then she walked out of the bush right in fron of us. I used my 375 RSM

This is the second Springbok I took. This one was takn at 84 yards with my 375 RSM.

This Hartebeest is probably the best trophy taken by me on this hunt. This Hartebeest was 24 1/2" long and just rediculous with mass. He was taken at 160 yards with a 375 RSM, in the red sand hills.

This Black Wildebeest was no easy task. These guys stayed in the open and were all but impossible to get close to. I took this one with one perfect shot through both shoulders at 348 yards with a 338 RUM.


I took this little Duiker the last day of the hunt at 30 yards with a 375 RSM.

The PH's and skinners at Kowas were very particular about the trophy care and preparation. There was never any rushing during the picture taking. They always carried a 5 gallon jug of water to clean the trophies prior to photographing. The animals had the stomach removed immediately and put into the shade if it was not practical to take the animal back to the camp.

The trophy skinning and preparation of skulls at the camp was a good as I have ever seen in any safari camp. The skulls in the skinning shed were as clean and white as a european mount straight from the taxidermist. I was very impressed and felt comfortable that our trophies would be well taken care of until they were shipped back to the states.

Give me a coupple of days and I will post some of the other trophies that we took on this great hunt.

Excellent report! Looking forward to the next installment.

CONGRATULATIONS to all the hunters. Excellent photos and report.

Looks like your session at Alpine had you properly sighted-in.
Dabney

Hello,
Did we meet there just before I left? Do you have the Tanzania buffalo hunt booked? Just trying to put a face to the name.

Thanks

Yes, I am the old gray-haired guy.
Dabney

Old grey haired guy with nice rifles.

Silwane
Great hunt report! Looks like you had a great time! Also good to see another Texan having a great time in Africa!

Here are some pictures of the trophies my father took. He had a very successful safari. On our previous trips to Zim he has never had the luck to take many plainsgame species after the dangerous game was over, I have been, so on this trip I let dad shoot first every chance there was. It was very satisfying getting to hunt with dad and getting to watch him hunt all the animals he wanted. I was also able to video most all of his stalks and shots. We have some really good video. Anyhow here are his trophies.


This is dads first trophy on this hunt, taken the first morning of the first day. A 235 yard shot with his model 70 375 and 300g Barnes TSX

This Hartmans Mtn Zebra was taken the afternoon of the first day with a 200 yard shot with his 375. The Zebra was not recovered until the next day and the Jakals had eaten a bit of the belly and leg so he will have to do a shoulder mount on this one.

This Big guy was taken the morning of the second day of the hunt also with dads 375. What a good trophy.

Dad took this nice Bull on the evening of the second day of the hunt. 188 yards with his 375.

The Blue Widebeeste was probably one of the best trophies dad took on this hunt. He was 29 1/2" wide with good bases. A very good bull, also taken with his 375.

This great warthog was taken at about 30 yards with dads 375.

Dad and I took both of our black wildebeeste on the same day within ours of each other. Dad took his at 160 yards with his 7mm Magnum and 160g Nosler Accubonds.

All three of the above trophis were taken the same day by my dad. This Hartebeeste was taken at 130 yards with his 375

The Oryx cow was taken the last day of the hunt on the last evening with his 375.

Dad was unable to take a Blesbok on this trip. We did get to hunt for about two hours the next day in the morning before we had to leave for the airport but he was unable to have it happen in that little amount of time. It would have just been a bonus as he had a great hunt and was more than satisfied with his good fortune. It will probably be next week before I continue with our friends pictures as I do not have all of them yet.

Very nice trophies. Well done.

Well done, congrats to you and your Father.

That is one heck of a steenbuck that your father took. Mattheus and Immanuel are both very good- I prefer to hunt with Immanuel because he is more outgoing. The best part about Kowas is the people- my wife and I really enjoy spending time with Ansie and Danie.

Great father and son pics.