Hunt Location: Okarumuti Game Lodge just west and north of Hosea Kutako International airport

Outfitter and Okarumuti ranch owner:

Nadia Savoldelli ( a great hostess)

Namibian professional hunter: Hendrik Jacobs



This was my first hunt to Namibia and a plains game only. Ten days after animals never seen or hunted before.
Highlight was seeing a leopard in daylight a big male and chased eland for 5 consecutive days. Ph would say Mike there's a baboon, the hell with him, I am after eland only.
The delay with my report had to get my desktop repaired, but will get right on it after new hard drive.
Had a great time, Pierre van Tonder organized the safari, the ranch was 50 sq. miles and not kilometers. A vast holding with cheetahs and leopards occurring naturally to the land.
My target animals were eland, very large wart hogs, mountain zebra, oryx, black wildebeest, and red hartebeest.
Shot two slammer wart hogs handle bar ivory 11 inch and second one 12 inch.

Rifle was a Kimber Caprivi in 375 with hand loaded 300 gr cup point solids. Chronoed at 2530fps. You could hear every bullet slap into each animal shot, with great results.

Pics will follow and more about the hunt.

Hunt dates... May 2 thru 11... 10 days one before and one after before flying back to home.

Game... after mature big animals eland, mountain zebra, real big wart hog, red hartebeest, black wildebeest, oryx, and jackal, and baboons.

Rifle... Kimber Caprivi 375H&H 300gr North Fork cup points.
Travel Delta non stop Atlanta..Joberg...Winhoek SAA

Okarmuti Lodge arrangments by Pierre van Tonder Big Game safaris

Nkanga lodge Joberg 2 nights and one night after return to Joberg.

Arrived Okarumuti Lodge settled in and unpacked.
Pierre van Tonder arranged the hunt specifics for me and I know I was in good hands. No bumps before, during, or after. My Namibian ph was Hendriks Jacobs, a very capable and hard working fellow hunter.
We sighted in the rifle after unpacking and it was right on 2 inches high at 100 meters.
I have to interject here I was hunting but also enjoying my time in Namibia and looking at all flora and fauna.
My first animal to be was a mountain zebra stallion. A classic shot, up on the top of a rocky outcropping and the sun behind me lighting him up. On the sticks rock solid I waited as they were milling around and he stepped out and Pierre says Mike the one broadside. I put the dot of the VXIII German number 4 config on the chevron and touch the rifle off and you can here the smack as the bullet hits right where I was aiming. A 30 foot circle and down for the count, my first Namibian trophy.
Having major problems with google with their new upgrade. frustrated.
Mike
Mountain zebra


One of Namibia's unique bugs












These hook thorns were terrible!!!
more pics daily

Retreever,
Looking forward to photos.
One year ago today (5-24-13) I was into my second day of hunting of a seven day hunt at Omujeve Lodge, Namibia.
The only down side to this hunt is I came down with the "I've Got To Go Back Disease". May not be in my future because I'm 75, but you never know.

MauserK98

Mike: We're all waiting! Congrats!

Looking forward to this Mike

Welcome home Mike and Cherie...we await the details and photos with anticipation.

Paul

Mike,
good to hear you had a great hunt

Mike,
You are slacking...
You tempt us, you bait us with stories of massive porkers...
Time to type and paste!
Get that report out here!

I love Namibia. What part of the country were you hunting??

My safari was in Namibia and I can't wait to go back. That will probably be next year with three friends, two who are regular hunting companions.
Probably at DSC this Jan, will talk to Pierre.
Max

I've been on three dangerous game hunts and two plains game hunts. The dangerous game is challenging, but the plains game is where the REAL fun is. I know you had a great time. You didn't use any Barnes bullets this time ?

These ivories are 12 inches in length. Shot this wart hog 100yds approx. runnning but North Fork cup point caught up to him.
Having some difficulty with new picasa program . Cursing at puter. More pics and report to follow

I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Mike in the ATL airport for the afternoon as we were both headed over to hunt Namibia (separate outfitter). I can say without hesitation that he is a first rate guy, and his wife is first rate as well. I'm anxiously awaiting the pictures too Mike, and glad you had a great hunt.

And just when I was getting ready to post the Dreaded "it didn't happen without pics"!
Nice warthog.

Mike,glad you had a great time...look forward to seeing more photos and stories..

After the mountain zebra, we headed back out on the back side of the property and we have just scrapped the little of the vastness of the property. The next animal I had an oportunity for was a red hartebeast. Again a fairly long shot of maybe 150yds. Skinning shed and back out to see what is next. I told Pierre and Hendrik I was after a handle bar wart hog and I knew what I was asking and what they look like. Passed one up in the Selous in 09. Pierre still laughs at me, wanting to take of picture of it before shooting it. I looked up to the right of a hill and said wart hogs but glassing they were small and no big ivory. At the same time Pierre says below the pigs in front of the green bush and I saw him at the same time PVT was telling me. I could see the pig smiling at me way out there. Up goes the rifle and I am swinging at him running, the dot is in front of his nose when I fired and Pierre says excitedly you rolled him. Hendrik says Mike 205yds. to the bush. Sometimes I even impress myself. The trackers were smiling and laughing and having a good old time.



11 inch ivories, is still magical to me.





They know I am not hunting them!


Looking back at Cherie on truck from where I shot off sticks at oryx, oh yea I got him.

Great photos Mike and your wart hog is fantastic. Share more when you get a chance.

beautiful hunting and trophys!!!!
Congrat's!!!!!

Mike;

Congrats on another fantastic hunt! Your pics are excellent but I want more!
Well done!

Best regards, D Nelson

Some great trophies, Mike. Congratulations on a great Namibian trip. I go back for my third Namibian trip next June with my 11 year old granddaughter. Those hook thorns bring back some painful memories. I left a chunk of one of my ear lobes on them while climbing a kopje pursuing a giant kudu. Had a tough time stopping the bleeding but I gutted it out.

Excellent Mike. I have always wondered what it would be like to go back and do a plains game hunt after hunting dangerous game for a number of years. If your experience is any indication, looks like it can result in a wonderful time.

Glad you had a great hunt. Thanks for the report and photos.

Is it an optical illusion or did the one warthog have only three legs?

No he had 4 legs. It is buried underneath.

Here is another pic it is bent under...

Well, I have to tell the truth this safari I was into the hunting mode and everyday had to ask the banker, my wife what day it was. This was every day. Time played no part on this hunt. I was there for 10 days and never wondered what day or what time. Totally relaxed and at home in my surroundings. Going to post some pics of lodge and my chalet.

This is the lodge.


My chalet the back one tiled floors and bath


Fresh tomatoes daily.


the porch bag and coat before the hunt.


They used Bavarian blood hounds for tracking wounded animals. Lucky and Pluto


It is amazing with the oryx some stand and look at you for 3 seconds and away they go. With the sun shining their white and black faces are so kool to look at and pick out. I have to admit I saw on average a 100 animals daily. some in range and many out but visible.

Springbok did not want to shoot one, my choice






I like this pic


Some of the rocks, I colllected for my grandchildren. Had fun doing this.


Mommy and baby.


A special note!!! Clothing???

I wore a Cabelas wind shear jacket kept me warm and not bulky. A light fleece vest would have worked also, but it was cold in early morning and in evening or when sun went behind clouds.
Boots, Leather is a must the damn weeds with pickers worked their way right thru the tongue of the shoe and into skin. A real pain. Was like puling slivers from skin.
A pair of gloves also important. A rain poncho a light weight one. Got pounded by a ice cold thunder storm.



I also had the pleasure of harvesting some meat animals. 2 oryx and a blue wildebeaste.


Neck shot D.R.T.


instant replay




The smiles tell it all...



A Namibian sunset, beautiful.

Michael,
Great pictures! Love all the game pics and the rundown of the hunt.

Okarumuti is a great place. Nadia is a great host. I have hunted there twice and was great friends with her husband Giacomo before he was killed in a plane crash. I see Nadia when she is in the states but I need to get back!

Looks like you and Mrs had fun. I would have put a cap in that wildebeest.

Congrats Mike. Looks like a wonderful trip...

What a grand adventure! Happy for ya!

Great report Mike! Glad y'all had a great time!

Love the pics Mike. Thanks for posting and sharing them with us. I love Namibia.

Great trip report, Mike. Love the last pic of you and the lovely missus.

Congrats Mike!

Hi Mike, looks like a great time, so nice to be able to share it with your lovely wife. Namibia certainly does provide a lot on bang for the buck!

Enjoyed the pictures, thanks for fighting through the computer/posting issues.

Did you get into any eland?

Mike,
Beautiful lodge and some nice trophies obviously equaled a great time for you and your wife! Well done, my friend.

An interesting photo


This hunt was a totally different from my first safari and different from dangerous game. I knew what I was looking for and really did not wonder or worry if I was going to get a shot or take home the trophy. I just wanted to hunt hard for 10 days and see what the Red Gods were going to give me. I set the bar for mature animals and having the experience of 4 previous safaris, I wanted to have fun and glass and glass and pic and choose what I wanted.
My first oryx really game me a time. I knew the males have heavy horns and that is what I looked for. I looked at least 3 dozen by guesstimate and was on the sticks numerous times and they would stand still until I climbed off the truck and then and only them did they give me a Texas heart shot target, I passed. Finally one stood at over a 100yds. and the 375 barked and smack a hit. Took off running another 40yds and I saw him go down.

My first oryx a pass thru big in body


My trackers Erastus and Ebson


My second bull was taken after they looked at us I got on the sticks and they started to move and he stopped for a broadside final look and that was enough time. It was a long shot to say the least, being a ground hog hunter from Pennsylvania small targets the game and I am up to it. I held in the middle of his chest and hit him low the bottom of the heart. He made no more then 30yds after the shot and it was a long walk thru the bush to him. The earlier photo is of my wife at the truck and I am standing at the location where I hit him. Cherie rode the truck around the mountain up to him.

The rifle is unloaded...


Eland was the game we were on them a couple of times but I was after a big mature animal. So the glasses were off and lots of time looking at them.
I invested 5 straight days chasing eland and covered miles of territory every day.
Tomorrow the rest of the story.

Daily we saw black wildebeest and I cannot say how many we saw but lets leave it at many. Sometimes they stood and other times a glimpse and take off. So finally one stood long enough and the ph's agreed it was the one to shoot and he faced me at a 100yds and I let the North Fork cup point do its job, knocked him down got up ran a circle of maybe 30yds and case closed on my first one. They are in my opinion the weirdest looking antelope I have ever shot. Pierre told me, when god was making the animals he had to leave and carry on some other business and the angels were helping him. so they put a mane on his neck, his face, and his chest. Then they put his horns on, but upside down and a white tail. We all had a good laugh at that story.





Shot this guy one morning as you can see I am dressed up to stay warm on the truck. Jackals are real predatory on the small antelope. Three will pull down a springbok and kill it. There skin is really cook to look at, but alas the 375 really tore them open, shot 5 and scared the heck out of a few more and maybe even took hair off a few.



Cat terrain and plenty of it on the property.

Well done!

Oblivious of what day and time it is... that is pure bliss my friend.

Congrats and thanks for posting.

Fantastic Namibian warthog ! And great looking black wildi too ! Congrats on a successful hunt and good pictures. Enjoyed reading / looking.

Charlie

Mike,

Thanks for the report! I'll be in Namibia in about four weeks chasing leopard and damara dik dik.

Congrats Mike, it looks like you had a wonderful time.

Some very nice pictures, some great animals and a great report. The smiles tell it all. Congratulations.