Just got back today from two weeks in northern Namibia. I'm pretty tired from the trip, so I'll post a few teaser pictures and post a full report tomorrow after sleeping off jet lag.

Here's a 55 ½" Kudu Bull, my best of three I've ever shot:




Here's a 30" per side Waterbuck, my best ever:




Here's a 16" Springbok, my best ever:



Here's a pretty nice Warthog. That's it for today, a complete report to follow tomorrow






LOCATION: Sebra Hunting Safaris, near Kamanjab, Namibia, with Jan du Plessis

BOOKING AGENT: DIY thru British Airways, $982.00 all in roundtrip from ORD to LHR through JoBerg to WDH

DATES: May 8, 2019 to May 22, 2019

RIFLES: Suppressed Camp Savage .308 shooting 150 grain TSX for Baboons and Warthogs, camp Mauser 8 X 68 mm topped by a Leopold Vari X III in 1.5 X 5, shooting 200 grain handloads for Eland, Waterbuck, Kudu and Gemsbok

ANIMALS HUNTED: Eland, Waterbuck, Baboons, Springbok, Impala, Kudu, Ration Gemsbok

ANIMALS TAKEN: Waterbuck, Baboons, Sprigbok, Kudu and Ration Gemsbok

This was my fifth hunt with Sebra and it just keeps getting better each time. With my long layover in London, I decided to treat myself to a decent meal downtown. Took the Tubes from LHR to Piccadilly Circus, and had a 100 yard walk to Brasserie Zedel, a Bib Gourmand restaurant at very modest prices. Had the Prix Fixe three course meal for 13 Pounds, and it was excellent.
Here's the outside of the Brasserie Zedel:



Enjoyed a post meal Cuban Montecristo outside the restaurant in the rain. Knowing London, I wisely carried an umbrella to keep dry. My youngest grandson Lapo is a soccer player, so I bought him a Manchester City game jersey while in Piccadilly Circus. Flights were for the most part on time, although mind numbingly long. Seven hours ORD to LHR, ten hours LHR to JoBurg, 2 hours JoBurg to WDH and a six hour drive from WDH to Sebra's camp near Kamanjab. Since it was dark during the end of our journey, we had to dodge Warthogs, Zebras and other critters. Stopped along the way in Outjo to pick up some German Apple Strudel and arrived in Camp around 8:00 PM. Jan's wife Mariesje served her usual first night dinner of Gemsbok Lasagna, and as always it was gourmet quality.

I've discovered the source of my addiction to hunting with Jan at Sebra: He sprinkles some kind of addictive drug on his dried mopane logs, and when ignited, the smell is worse than crack cocaine in getting you hooked on coming back. Here's the campfire working its magic:




Of course an iced cold Tafel Lager and a Cuban Montecristo consumed around the campfire only enhance the effect


DAY 1 HUNT, SATURDAY MAY 11TH:

To overcome jet lag, slept in until 8:00 AM. Headed to a blind on the side of a koppie, and on the drive in and out saw 2 Steenbok, a young Kudu bull, 2 Klipspringers, a small boar Warthog and a lone 40" Gemsbok bull, which we passed on.
Came in for lunch and a brief nap, and headed back out to a different elevated blind. Walked 500 yards to the blind, and saw numerous Guinea Fowl. At 5:30 a lone Gemsbok cow with crooked horns appeared, but she drew a pass. Next came a herd of 6 Springbok cows, then a 40" Gemsbok cow, then 6 Zebras with two very young nursing foals. A borderline shooter Springbok next came in, but Jan said "We can do better" so I passed. On the drive back to camp at dark, saw 4 Bat Eared foxes and 2 young Warthog boars. Dinner was Gemsbok Steaks with Mushroom Gravy, Seasoned Potatoes and peas. Dessert was Caramel Custard. If Mariesje were my wife, I'd weigh 1000 pounds with the quality of the food she prepares every meal.

DAY 2 HUNT, SUNDAY MAY 12:

Breakfast at 7:00 AM, drove to same elevated blind as yesterday afternoon. Saw a 40" Kudu bull, a 35" Gemsbok cow, 6 Zebras and a Springbok cow from the blind. Swirly winds finally spooked the Zebras, who were replaced at the waterhole by a flock of Guinea Fowl and a 38" Gemsbok bull. When the winds stabilized, a new herd of 4 Zebras came in, watered and left. We drove back to camp for a lunch of Gemsbok HotPockets, apple strudel and Diet Fanta. We napped from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, then headed out to a new waterhole frequented by Leopards, Kudu and a number of Warthogs. Saw a Black Mongoose near the waterhole.
At 5:15, shot a "Ration" Gemsbok bull, very old with poor quality horns. His tail was 50% grey hairs.Here's what he looked like:



On the drive back to the skinning shed, saw numerous herds of Gemsbok, some Springbok and a Kudu bull in the high 40" range. Hung two Leopard baits at a honey hole with good Leopard tracks, and headed in for the night.

DAY 3 OF HUNT, MONDAY MAY 13:

Breakfast at 7:00 AM, drove the 60 miles to Otjitambi Farm, owned by Juergen a close friend of Jan's. Once loaded up in Juergen's Toyota, we cruised around his vast ranch. Spotted a herd of Kudu cows, then a Damara Dik Dik cow with a newborn fawn. Here's what they looked like:




Neither Jan nor Juergen have ever seen a Dik Dik fawn that young, and we guess it was a couple of days old at most.

At 11:00, we spotted a sounder of 5 or 6 Warthogs, with no boars initially spotted. When they ran off, a MONSTER Warthog boar appeared and stopped in the clear at 75 yards, but I never saw him. Unfortunately, I kept my eyes on the departing sounder and never saw the boar. Both Jan and Juergen were loudly whispering "Shoot, shoot" but all I saw were sows and piglets obscured by brush. Bummer, but that's hunting. We drove around and saw lots of Kudu cows and calves and did a long stalk of a waterhole, but saw nothing worth shooting. At 12:45, we drove back to the area where we spotted the sounder of Warthogs, and stalked up on a trophy Warthog. One shot, and it was lights out. Here's what he looked like:



He was not as large as the monster that we messed up on earlier, but still a nice boar.

Drove back to the skinning shed and dropped the hog off. Had a delicious lunch of Pizza and Diet Fanta. Napped in a hammock until 4:00 PM and headed back out. At 5:15 PM, spotted a herd of Waterbuck containing a GIANT herd bull. They stayed in thick cover, but after getting within 100 yards of them, I had a shot through very thin brush. I called my shot a perfect "X" and after running only 150 yards, he collapsed. Here's what he looked like, the largest Waterbuck I've ever seen:





DAY 4 OF HUNT, TUESDAY MAY 14:

Back to Juergen's ranch, arrived at 8:30 AM , grabbed a quick coffee and headed out for Eland. The full moon and 95 degree + temps limited the daytime movement of the Eland. While driving around, spotted the following: 30+ Red Hartebeests, 10 Zebras, 40-50 Springbok, 2 Duikers 4 Steenbok, 2 Baboons, 4 cow Eland, 15 Gemsbok and two trophy Black Faced Impalas. Caught two native poachers red handed who killed a Warthog using dogs and the National Police came, arrested them in a paddy wagon and took a sworn statement from Jan. Here's Jan with the National Policeman, giving his statement:



It turns out one of the poachers is a convicted murderer, recently released from prison. He'll be using "Soap on a Rope" in prison as a repeat offender. With the poacher incident and the giving of sworn statements,the afternoon of Day #4 was effectively shot.

DAY 5 OF HUNT, WEDNESDAY MAY 15:

Hunting on Jan's ranch for Baboons, and checking Leopard baits. Saw a young Warthog boar, several Gemsbok, a 40" Kudu bull and several Kudu cows and calves. In checking Leopard baits, only one was hit, and it was hit by a young female. We then spotted a group of 6 Kudu bulls, 5 of which were 50" or larger. Went to my favorite waterhole at 10:00 AM called Verpos saw two 35" Gemsbok bulls, then a lone Kudu cow, then a herd of 4 Kudu cows and calves. Baboons were calling from a koppie about 500-600 yards upwind of us. When the wind shifted, the herd of Kudu boogied. At 12:10 a lone 36" Gemsbok bull appeared, and he kept looking back in the direction from which he came. Sure enough, a troop of 30+ Baboons came into the waterhole, and after waiting over 30 minutes for the entire troop to come to water,I shot the dominant male. Here's what he looked like:



Jan killed two lions from this very same blind in the past year. We then went to another blind located on the side of a koppie called Genadewater where Leopard baits are hanging near a water trough. Two years ago, we saw two jackals from this blind, and we hoped to repeat our sighting. At 6:15 PM, 2 Gemsbok approach, and one of them is a legitimate 43" cow, maybe even 44". They watered for 10 minutes and I had the safety off the entire time, but practiced trigger restraint.

DAY 6 OF HUNT, THURSDAY MAY 16:

Back to Juergen's farm for Eland. Ran into FRESH very large male Leopard tracks, dragging a heavy kill. We tracked for almost a mile, then it was decided that Jan would continue to track and hopefully find the remains of the kill hanging in a tree. Jan would then return to that tree and set up a blind for the Leopard hunter from Malta who is hunting with Johann, Jan's neighbor who runs Shona Hunting Adventures. Juergen and I returned to the truck, and come upon 4 fresh Eland bull tracks. We follow them for almost two miles, and came upon the 4 Eland bulls the same instant they spotted us. They were last seen heading north for the Angola border. While tracking, came upon an 8" Milliped. I wish I would have taken a minute to snap his picture, but we were hot on the tracks. Back to the truck, we spotted a trophy Nyala, numerous Springbok, a big Warthog boar and a cow Kudu. Back to the ranch at 12:15 for lunch and a brief siesta. After returning to pick up Jan, Juergen hopped in his ultralite airplane to see if he could spot the large herd of Eland bulls he had located earlier in the week.After our lunch and siesta, we drove around some more and spotted a Warthog boar, Eland cows and numerous Springbok, but no shooter animals.

DAY 7 OF HUNT, FRIDAY MAY 17:

Checking Leopard baits for Johann's client and while checking Genewater blind, we came upon a stallion Zebra hobbling badly from a poacher's snare. Jan dispatched it with a single shot from his Ruger Hawkeye .375 Ruger. Jan got "scoped" due to the severe uphill angle of the shot, and bled a little between his eyebrows. Jan called two of his workers on his cell phone, and they later came and quartered the Zebra for use as Leopard bait. While looking for tracks, Jan came upon a HUGE hyena track, as well as a small male Leopard track. Driving around, We spotted a trophy Springbok grazing in the distance. We put a stalk on him and got within 90 yards. I shot him with Jan's camp .308 and he ran perhaps 50 yards and lay down. Since he was down but still had his head up, I administered a coup de grace, the only second shot I required on all of the game I shot this trip. Here's what he looked like:






DAY 8 OF HUNT, SATURDAY MAY 18:

Up early to Juergen's ranch. Passing through Kamanjab, dozens of Police vehicles are spotted, as the President of Namibia is visiting and spending the night at Oppi Koppi, a local B&B. When we arrive at Juergen's farm, his brother Callie is there visiting. Callie is the Namibian Minister of the Treasury, and a very influential guy on the national level. Later that evening, had a chance to chat with Callie, and he consented to having his picture taken with the grey haired old American hunter. Here we are:




Hopped in Juergens' truck looking for fresh Bull Eland tracks. We found a group of 3 bulls' tracks, and proceeded to track them for 2-3 miles. Finally, a large Hyena decided to track them too, then shortly he was joined by a large male Lion. We got close enough that we could hear the Eland Bulls running off, whether they were chased by the Hyena, the Lion or both. Back to the truck, saw LOTS of Warthogs, Springbok, and another male Lion's tracks. Had lunch at Juergen's lake, saw 2 Waterbuck cows and a calf, 3 young Warthogs, and a troop of 15+ Baboons on the opposite side of the lake. After lunch, we got back in the truck and ran into a 40" Sable bull- a beautiful but very expensive trophy. Here's what he looked like:




After a long day at Juergen's, we made the 60 mile drive back to Jan's ranch, dodging numerous critters in the dark. The most interesting close call were a pair of Honey Badgers, who looked like giant Skunks to me. We also saw 2 Aardwolves, who are pretty rare in this part of the country.

DAY 9 OF HUNT, SUNDAY MAY 19:

Slept in until 8:00 AM, went out checking Leopard baits and looking for more Baboons as fresh bait. Went back to a waterhole that had both fresh and old baits and at last light saw hundreds of Sand Grouse coming to water. Also saw numerous Kudu, including a 55" bull, a 45" bull and a 50" bull I videoed rubbing his horns in the mud near the waterhole. Dinner tonight was my Springbok from 2 days ago, which Mariesje marinated and then grilled on an open fire. While it was tasty, the texture was much more chewy than my favorite wild game, Gemsbok backstops.


DAY 10 OF THE HUNT, MONDAY MAY 20:

Went to the blind where we saw the 55" Kudu yesterday. on The way, we saw two Klipspringers, 1 young Kudu bull and a lone Steenbok. A troop of Baboons approached from a koppie to our east, barking all the way. Two large flocks of Guinea Fowl watered, then at 10:15 a Kudu cow circled the waterhole, as did a Steenbok. A Black Mongoose nibbled on the Zebra Leopard bait we had hung earlier. At 11:10, a Kudu cow, a 40" Kudu bull and a 52" Kudu bull came in to water. At 11:55, a trophy Duiker came in and tempted me, followed by 7 Kudu cows and calves. At 12:15, a troop of 20+ Baboons came to water at a trough only 20 yards from our elevated blind. Finally a 55 ½" trophy Kudu bull joined the cows and calves, and when he was clear of the others, I made a perfect shot. He ran less that 75 yards and keeled over dead. Here's what he looked like:





We loaded him up on the truck and delivered him to the skinning shed. That afternoon, we headed to Orpheus, a farm nearby owned by a PH named Danie Jansen Van Vuuren, whom I have met on two prior hunts. Danie offered us a 50% discount on Black Wildebeest, who he is trying to cull down due to the draught. We saw a single herd of about 12 Black Wildebeest, but they lit the afterburner and were heading out of Dodge. With no luck at Danie's ranch, my 2019 hunt was officially over. We headed home to Jan's ranch for Gemsbok filets, mushroom sauce, seasoned potatoes and crepes for dessert. Had two Jaegermeister toasts, plus a couple of Tafel Lagers.

TUESDAY MAY 21, ENROUTE TO WINDHOEK:

Up at 7:30 AM, ate breakfast and squared away my bill with Jan. Mariesje was to drive me to the Casa Piccolo B&B in Windhoek, and we stopped on the way to pick up Mariesje's Mom, Tinkie. We stopped along the way for lunch at "Hungry Lion" the Namibian equivalent of KFC. Also stopped at the Outjo Bakkery for a supply of German Apple Strudel, an annual ritual for me. I was dropped off at Casa Piccolo, which I highly recommend when staying in Windhoek. For about $65.00 US, you get a clean spacious room, free WiFi and free breakfast. I gave Claudia Horn, the Owner, my annual bribe of German Apple Strudel, which she much appreciates. Ate a delicious meal at the Stellenbosch Winery of Filet Mignon, potatoes, two Tafel Lagers and tip for about $18.00 US. It's only .8 mile from Casa Piccolo to the restaurant, so I walked there at 5:30 PM, but cabbed it back after the meal with the sun having gone down and sketchy natives lurking about. Claudia called me a cab to the Airport the next day, which I split with an attractive young female American Veternarian named Kate who just finished a two week assignment at Etosha. Since we split the cab fare, it came to about $12.00 US for each of us. Flights home were all on time, and my beautiful wife, Dr. MT Meadows picked me up at ORD. I have to admit the grueling flights over and back take a toll on both my back and my energy level. I've tried using OTC sleep aids, but am unable to sleep more than 5 minutes at a time. I already miss Jan and Mariesje, as I consider them almost like family. They are wonderful God fearing Christians who work hard but enjoy their way of life. If you've ever considered booking a plains game hunt, at VERY reasonable prices, Sebra is the ONLY place to consider. Getting a trophy Kudu, Trophy Gemsbok, Trophy Warthog and trophy Springbok are about a 95% to 99% sure thing. The only reason we struck out on Eland was the full moon and the 95 degrees+ temperatures limited the amount of miles I could track in that heat, as well as limited movement of Eland during the day.

I'm looking forward to the report once you rest up. Very nice trophies.

Bud,

Very nice! Interesting as the kudu appears to be in top condition. I would think all the big bulls by this time would be a little lean following the rut.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Bud,

Very nice! Interesting as the kudu appears to be in top condition. I would think all the big bulls by this time would be a little lean following the rut.

Mark

MARK: During my ten whole days of actual hunting, I saw at least 15 Kudu Bulls of 50" or more, and 5 were at least 54". All were in excellent shape, despite the prolonged draught that northern Namibia has suffered through the past year. Jan is a true steward of his land, and his ranch and that of his father are sufficiently large that the Kudu and other plains game can wander to wherever there is available food and water,

Some great trophies there, Bud. That waterbuck looks as wide as he is tall.

Thanks Bud, it's like being there all over again. Jan and Mariesje are wonderful folks to be with - and I have to agree about the 1000 pounds part, I've never eaten so well!

Tell us more!

Looks like you had a hell of a good time! I have to say I miss my trips to Namibia. I’ll live vicariously through you!

congratulations

How did it go when you encountered the poacher? Him being wanted for murder makes the circumstances a bit more dangerous.

Thanks for the kind words. Although I failed to score on a Trophy Eland, we gave it our best shot and got within a few seconds of bagging one.

Jeffrey: The poacher wasn’t just “wanted” for murder- he had already been convicted and served a lengthy sentence in prison. Had he chosen to shoot it out with us, he would have died. I’m a Distinguished Rifleman and shot 4 years for the All Army Rifle Team. My PH, Jan is no slouch when it comes to dangerous situations.

Ahh... the German bakery in Outjo. That apple strudel there is the best that I have ever eaten in my entire life .. anywhere … I am not given to depression but a couple of times I have gone there and the place was closed because it was Sunday or after hours or some such thing .. Bad times for a while moping and feeling miserable …

I am so glad that you had a great hunt. I hunted there during the last drought and it was so sad to see the game suffering.

SCRUFFY: While you are correct that the Bakkery is closed on Sundays and early (5:00 PM) on weekdays, here’s a pro tip: The Bakkery is now owned by the SPAR Supermarket right next door to it. SPAR is open weekdays until 7:00 PM and Sundays until 5:00 PM. Their bakery products at SPAR are made next door at the Bakkery! This was true as of last week when I stocked up before heading to the WDH airport.

Looking good Bud. Glad you had a safe and successful trip. Did you have any issues with guns in London with the long layover? Nice trophies.

Clark: I stopped bringing my own rifles after 2013. I use camp rifles supplied by my PH: a suppressed .308 and a Mauser 8 X 68 mm for Eland and Kudu. I carry on a single Red Oxx bag so I don’t worry about lost or pilfered luggage. I cleared customs at ORD in under two minutes.

I am going on an AR group hunt with Andrew Baldry in Zambia in October. Even though I have perfect, much loved rifles that would be perfect .. I am so tired of the bloody hassle and charges bringing them all the way over from Canada. Bah! Luckily my great friend is also doing the same hunt and will not hunt with other folk's rifles so will be bring a pair of left handed guns .. I also am left handed. He is such a good man!!

Very nice trophies Bud!

Wonderful trophies Bud. Thanks for taking me along. I hunted in that country a dozen years ago with Shona Adventures. Would love to go back.

Thanks, Bill. Jan and I supplied baits for Johann of Shona and his Leopard hunter from Malta. We hung two Baboons, 4 Zebra quarters and a domestic cow’s quarters and checked them daily for Johann. He seems like a good guy, and his lodge is literally across the street (C35) from Jan’s ranch.

Well done, Bud!!! Marvelous trophies!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Bud, that's awesome. In fact, does Jan still have and drive a Unimog? Might have seen him back in 2007.

Bill: Jan still owns TWO Unimogs, although he uses his Toyota Landcruiser much more. It gets much better mileage and is a lot quieter when approaching game from a long distance.

Bud, yup, pretty sure I saw Jan driving one of those beasts so many years ago. Small world. Johann also loves his Toyotas. Such workhorses.

Thought I'd add a couple of post hunt pictures. Here's the courtyard at Casa Piccolo- I highly recommend it when staying in Windhoek.

And here's a picture from my table at Stellenbosch- only a .8 mile walk from Casa Piccolo. Easy walk when the sun is still out, but since they don't start serving meals until 6:00 PM, the sun will be down by end of dinner. Recommend cabbing it back after sundown.

Great trip very nice Kudu and getting a baboon is always icing on the cake

With the scarcity of new Hunting Reports due to travel bans, I thought I’d resurrect my 2019 Report from my fifth Safari with Sebra Hunting Safaris. It brings back fond memories just reading it again. Hope my fellow AR members enjoy it.

Congratulations on a perfect hunt and memory.
Cal

Second time's the charm Bud! I hadn't seen this report before now. Looks like you had a wonderful experience and made some wonderful memories. I too, loved the apple strudel from Outjo, on my one hunt in that part of Namibia with Westfalen Safaris. Loved hunting Mountain Zebra, Damaraland Dik Dik,Gemsbok and Damaraland Springbok. Plenty of other trophies there to take as well. One morning we saw one of the biggest Steenbok that I have ever seen just 5 yards out in front of where we were walking. Never spooked and I could have shot him, but I already had one with 5 1/2 inch horns. Toured Etosha and the local Himba Village. All in all, Namibia is a wonderful place! Many thanks for sparking some old memories!

UEG: Talk about a small world. The owner at Westfallen, John, has a beautiful daughter named Juretha. Her best friend for many years is the daughter of my PH, Yandi du Plessis. They went to Moria High School together and attended the same college in South Africa.

Fantastic hunt report!

So glad you had such a great time!

quote:

UEG: Talk about a small world. The owner at Westfallen, John, has a beautiful daughter named Juretha. Her best friend for many years is the daughter of my PH, Yandi du Plessis. They went to Moria High School together and attended the same college in South Africa.

Yes, Juretha and her mom had just attended some international talent/beauty pageant in Los Angeles before we arrived. She was in high school at that time and was in love with some kid from the U.S. who had, with his dad, hunted with John. John's wife Juliana is one fantastic cook. Never had better gemsbok and zebra receipes ever! I'll tell you what, the hunt for Mountain Zebra with John was one of the hardest hunts I have ever been on-bar none.

UEG: Mountain Zebra can be either the hardest or easiest hunt in Namibia. The one I shot in 2012 was super easy. We spotted the herd off in the distance, got the wind right and I made a perfect shot at 150 yards. That Zebras rug is a truly striking trophy. I donated all of the meat to the Himba Orphanage in Kamanjab- really made me feel good to help feed those poor little kids.

First night, way up in the hills we spotted a huge Stallion. I had the cross hairs on him and John said: Not sure how we'll ever pack him out. Don't shoot. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. He was the biggest mountain Zebra I've ever seen. Five days later after a number of what I would style "Bataan death marches" we finally found another nice Stallion at the top of a mountain. I shot him. and they had to go back and cut a primitive road/trail into the area to even get "close" with the truck. I then walked out two hours to where the truck had gone as far as it could, while they skinned and quartered the zebra. His rug sits in our entryway. And, to this day, I believe that it would have been much easier getting out that first big Stallion than the second one. Would I hunt Mountain Zebra again? Yep.

Great report Bud and thank you for posting. I’d really like to hunt Namibia in the future.

Well done! Thanks for posting.

Very enjoyable, Bud. Hard to go wrong with any of the folks you mention there in Namibia.

Many thanks for the kind words from the recent posters. With all the CV crap going around, it’s refreshing to look back to prior hunts. Special thanks to our host Saeed for supporting this great website.

The first mountain zebra that I ever hunted, both the guide and the landowner warned me that they never shoot the stallions. (Because the survivors fight). I was also told that the mares were all pregnant.

What a frickin' dilemma for me. So I shot one that was slightly smaller than full grown. It was a stallion and I was happy enough. The landowner offered it to me at 1/2 price and then we could go and shoot a mare. I declined.

The next day my hunting partner shot the biggest wildest looking scarred up ancient stallion that I could even imagine.

I still have not figured that one out.

I miss those apple strudels from Outjo.

I also, Bud, just found out that Flip, who owned the general store in Kamanjab and lost his wonderful wife a few years ago has retired, sold the store and remarried.

And life goes on, I reckon.

scruffy: Do you happen to know Flip's last name? I knew a Flip over there a few years back that lost his wife to either cancer or an auto accident. Just checking to see if it is one and the same.