Namibia, where dreams are made.

[xlr8scotty]

Been busy with work and stuff but have finished my story on one hell of an african adventure from this time last year.

I still have a few photos to upload to photobucket then copy in the links to the story and try and post.

Hopefully post up the full story in a couple of weeks, i have a day of work left and then a 9 day holiday with my little princess Jordy then back to work for a week before i will complete it.

Its the most photos i have ever posted in a story so i hope its worth the wait. But heres a snippet of a great big 38.5 inch oryx bull taken from 20 meters with one very sharp VPA.



Enjoy.

[Daktari]

Good on you Scotty you must have worked hard for your African hunt, congrats mate cheers Keith.

[dean-yowie]

epic!! see you soon on your holiday

[Aaron]

Wow, what an animal, those horns are really something.

[MattDriscoll]

Nice one mate,
Thats a fair ol' critter
Look forward to the rest.

[Brooster]

Great looking trophy. Well done and thanks for sharing.
Cheers Bruce

[xlr8scotty]

Africa, where dreams are made.

I’ve long dreamed from when I was young and starting out in archery more pacifically hunting of heading to the dark continent that is Africa. A calling if you will that lied dormant for many years as the time slipped away with football, girls then family and work commitments taking over. But just like a volcano when it erupts, well so did my calling and a new in vigorous and strong sensation enveloped within me where I just had to visit the dark continent with my bow and arrow in hand and fulfill what I was destined to do.

After doing many phone calls and face time talking to hunters that have traveled abroad in particular in Africa, I settled on Namibia and went about getting a crew together with some like-minded hunters. I also happened to meet Harold and Liezel of Osombahe-nord safaris in 2016 at the wild deer expo and we got on really well so we liaised and settled on some dates in July of 2018.

The crew consisted of myself and Rick Turner both bowhunters and Danny Vanbrugh and John Hollenbeck both rifle hunters. Over the ensuing months Danny and I organized flights and accommodation with us having a few days before the hunt was to start to sight see the capital Windhoek and get over some jetlag before being picked up and heading out to Omitara to Harold’s property. We hunted here for a week before then moving down into the Kalahari to Liezel’s parents place for another week of hunting.

Rick and I then had time to visit Erindi private game reserve for 3 days before we returned to Windhoek to fly home to Australia. Meanwhile Danny and John with Danny being a taxidermist and having his Quarantine license for Australia visited some Taxidermists in and around Windhoek to establish some contacts and acquaintances within his industry. It sure did help having Danny onboard with his knowledge of the ins and outs with the trophies in regards to getting them home safe and with his license in a very quick manner. He should be your very first contact when you decide to head oversees on a hunting trip.

We got picked up and headed out to the property where we were greeted with first class accommodation and amenities where it didn’t take long to settle in and get the bows out for a quick check then have a few bevvies around the fire pit that afternoon. I’ll never forget my first night out in the wilds of Africa and listening to the resident Jackals howling and calling to each other through out the night, every avid hunter needs to experience that first hand to see and feel how surreal dreamlike it is.





















It is the dry season at this time of year where temps could drop down into the minuses and get up to the mid to high teens on a good day. Because it’s the dry season and with limited water we mainly hunted from blinds or tree stands with a little spot and stalk. Harold is pretty easy going and will go out of his way to accommodate whichever way you wanted to hunt.

Up early and eager we had a big breakfast before heading out to some blinds for the day to target, well what ever you wanted. Both of Harold’s locations had ample plains game and you just never know what may walk in. I was with David who is from the Damara tribe who are descendants of the sun people or bushman. We were in an area that had many warthogs, blue wildebeest, oryx but as said anything may come in when hunting free range.

I was excited and taking in everything I could hear, touch, see and smell. David, I learned over the two weeks hunting was quite the bushman alright with the things he explained and showed me when we had a hunt together, it was a true highlight to be amongst such people with such skills and attributes that a hunter strives for.



We were in a pretty big blind set up with the video camera ready and the 80-pound Hoyt carbon Spyder tuned and on song with the ever present 2 blade 175 grain VPA up front in combination with a ctrpunch footer on the end of an Easton axis 260. One hard hitting set up and ideal for the animals that I was to hunt.

Many warthogs came and went, but were only families with no mature boars. The ever-present Guinea fowl were always around playing and looking for food to eat as well as a cool looking female steenbok. The excitement was growing as the hot time to hunt usually in the middle of the afternoon was soon upon us and I was chomping at the bit.









Soon a nice blue wildebeest came in alone but he was young so I was happy just shooting him thru the camera. It sure was exciting to see them in the wild and referred to by many as the poor mans buffalo. They are such an ugly animal that they are beautiful and when seen from the right angle the stripes they have on their chest, the nice blue coat down to the lion tail, not to mention the gnarly looking horns and bosses.



Check out their stripes, truly are a pretty animal.


Not long after 4 nice blue wildebeest came in where David expertly suggested the second one. I too had done some research on trophy assessment and could tell he was a great representative so the waiting game was on. Man, they sure a fidgety and only made worse by a group of warthogs that came in at the same time with murphy’s law having a smaller bull between us.

My heart was pumping so much I’m surprised they couldn’t hear it. Waiting and waiting what felt like eons but was in reality only a few minutes the warthogs that made them uneasy soon got the better of my bull and he went to chase them off and returned in a much better position for a shot. Now just like in slow motion the breathing slowed and heart rate decelerated with the anticipation of a shot.

He stops at a nice quartering away position and soon I was in anchor and visualizing my exit which in turn gave me my point of impact where the top pin was hovering nicely and I cut the shot. Now these things are tough with millions of years of evolution deeply engrained with how to survive and escape the ever-present danger that is Africa. Well that razor sharp VPA did the job with a well-placed shot and my first African critter was on the deck within a hundred meters or so. To say I was overwhelmed and ecstatic was an understatement.

Where he fell with the blind in the back ground.














https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_fwoJglby/

[xlr8scotty]

Heading back to camp that night was an awesome feeling, the boys had come out and helped set up the area for some photos of my wildebeest and taking him back to the skinning sheds where I was greeted by rick and he had had a bomber day taking a nice warthog and a cracking steenbok. We certainly celebrated the days events that night with a few duty-free rums.







The next day we were up early again with Rick and I swapping blinds. I was with Frans today a great fellow from the north of Namibia who is part of the Kavango tribe, this man can skin and cape a critter, let alone track of which you’ll read about later. Today’s blind was a little pop up blind Harold had put up in an ideal spot for wart hogs over a little water hole. This spot was the go-to spot for wart hogs and I was ready and willing to let some carbon fly at them.









Ever since I was a we tacker with bow hand I wanted to get a warthog and today was the day that that dream would come true not once but twice. The number of warthogs seen was unreal, it was a steady stream of them all day. Once again, I started licking my lips when the afternoon came around and the activity increased and I knew it was just a matter of time before I flexed the muscles of the Hoyt.

Soon a mature boar came in and I was getting ready to pump him when he spooked and took off, did the wind change or did he hear me? I was disappointed but not for long as a small family mob came in directly after which I assume, he had heard and rattled him a bit as he soon returned sneaking in behind them and then nestling in amongst them like he knew I was there waiting to put a hole in him.

Video camera rolling as they all drank and one by one the family mob got their fill and left. With each departing warty my nerves grew until it was just the hog and me. Right this is it, I had time to pre-range him and flip open the option 6 sight to the single pin and dial it into 25 meters, the cams rolled over and settled and then the shot was away, my first impression was low and I though what have I done.

We reviewed the video footage, luckily I had it and we both thought it was low, we stayed positive or I’d like to think I did for 20 minutes to give him some time before we went to leave the blind and follow his trail, but alas right on picking up my bow to leave another good boar came in and full of determination and purpose I let him have right in the air bags. This time Frans said “mooi skoot” which means great shot, I too was very confident of that shot so we took up the trail of the first hog.

We had only walked about 50 odd meters in the direction that he traveled and Frans located him up about 15 meters in front on the game trail down for the count. He turned to shake my hand to congratulate me and that hog jumped up to life and took off. It was bitter sweet knowing I had one down for sure somewhere and this one was injured.

Right at about this time a storm started brewing with some strong winds coming in from the north east as we went to locate the second hog while Frans called the lads to come out with the sniffer dog to find the first. Sneaking along the game pad the second one was on I happened to notice the first laid up to my left with the wind in my face I said let’s go get him.

We put on a sneak aided with the strong breeze while Frans stayed well back while I progressed on, he may have thought I had no chance or just didn’t want to have to dance with the big toothed warrior, either way I closed the gap substantially to around 20 meters and put one right where it counts with the hog not even getting up, seemed as though my first shot must have done some damage, thank heavens for a razor sharp VPA.

My second warthog.






https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl5daxsBnl9/

My first hard fought for warthog









As it happened both hogs were only a short distance apart and while I was getting photos of my first warthog, Frans went and got the second and bought it over. I did not even know he was going to do it until he showed up with it on his shoulder, I thought he went to the toilet or something. I was going to suggest us both getting it for a fitting photo but such is the service from Osombahe-nord safaris, first class and once again a few beers and hunts retold around the fire pit that night.

[xlr8scotty]

Day three seen me move over to a neighbor’s cattle ranch to a tree stand for the day with Frans. It was a good stand with a water trough near bye and a salt block being that it was a working cattle ranch. And there sure was some cattle about. There a motley colored lot and sure had some beef on them.



It was a cold day up in the stand and I’m sure glad I did some homework on the weather front and bought along my thermals for the day up in the stand. It took awhile with many warthogs seen but no shooters and a several gemsboks as well with me getting plenty of video and photos of the game. Unusually we seen plenty of jackal all day long and when explained later that night it was suggested that there might have been a carcass close by attracting them and with the stand being placed at the nearest water source attracting them also.



I was contemplating trying for a gemsbok here but opted for later in the week while down in the Kalahari where I was told they are much more plentiful and bigger. During this time the oryx ruled the roost shunting the cattle off the water and salt with there long dagger like horns. I also took this time to see what movements I could get away with and to grab a selfie with the many critters seen as well.





The jackals were sure switched on, either seeing the slightest movement from afar and always circling down wind and catching some sort of scent, it didn’t help when I later seen about 30 meters from our stand a dead jackal under a tree that maybe the owner had shot? Either way they were tough and I was determined to slip an Easton axis into one. Soon enough I would get my chance and I did.



I had learned what they were doing from watching and reading their movements and so spied one from afar circling down wind and when it went behind some trees, I quickly grabbed my bow and turned in my seat ready for the direction at what I thought it would come from. This worked a treat as it came under a fence not entirely downwind but slightly from the side and as expected stopped at about 22 odd meters once it smelled the dead jackal.

Wham my arrow darted out on a mission of seek and destroy, it tried to do the matrix on me as it was alert due to the smell wafting in its direction but it wasn’t attuned to me sitting high on my perch within the camel thorn tree, I had accounted for this alert reaction and collected the wily varmint where it matters by aiming low down on its chest, with a yelp and a twist it soon high tailed it out of there. We descended from the tree and found it about 120 odd meters up game trail.







https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl85TT1FJOh/

The rest of the day we seen plenty more warthogs and several gemsbok including a bomber female that was off my radar as she was seen to be heavily pregnant. Later in the afternoon some red hartebeest with a real wonky horned female in the mob that came in for a drink but the only bull had busted off both horns midway.





The next day I travelled down about 60 kilometers to another property to chase kudu that had a good mountain range on it with plenty of kopjes surrounding it as well an ideal spot to hopefully find a good bull. Upon checking into see the owners, a family member who was visiting showed us a picture of a very nice kudu he has just seen 15 minutes prior to our arrival a few kilometers from the house.



After checking the photo, Harold decided he was a shooter and we would try and track him spot and stalk. I was really keen to try it so we went down to where he was last seen and the master tracker David was soon on the trail like a blood hound, he could track a rain drop in a river that man. The country was flat with a scattering of black thorn trees and some mangetti trees with the odd camel thorn thrown in. Just about everything has a thorn to stab or grab you over here.

The bull was heading west straight towards the mountain range so we had a cross wind as the wind was coming from the north. We were silently sneaking along weaving in out of some small shrubs scanning the horizon ahead for kudu horns glimmering in the sunlight for about 25 odd minutes with David following the tracks easily with me picking up the odd bit of spoor or sign. All of a sudden, the bulls tracks turned south towards some taller bushes and we put the brakes on as we now had a tail wind.

And you guessed it not 10 seconds later from about 30 meters away behind some cover the big bull got a whiff of us and he bounded out of site in half a dozen leaps never to be seen again. It was disappointing but oh so cool to put on a sneak in a spot and stalk situation that I’m so used to doing back home.

Back to the tree stand for the day it was cool to find the remains of a guinea fowl being a leg while climbing up into the stand. The rest of the kill was stashed high atop of the tree we were in, looked as though it was taken by a caracal cat only that morning or during the night. The day was slow with us being entertained by some resident ground squirrels and a mean little red mongoose always growling and sneering at us.



Later in the day David informed me a very big snake he seen at a water trough behind us, it was a huge black mamba and so we quickly climbed down to get some photos from a great distance believe me and were sprung half way down from a small family mob of warthogs, sure was funny. Any way with the prevailing wind swirling everywhere not much game was seen until very late in the afternoon but it was to dark to shoot by then.





Day five seen me and David driving ourselves to a spot on another property where Rick had got a monster red hartebeest. It was a good spot for some kudu, red hartebeest and the occasional Oryx and the ever-preset warthog.



Not long in the stand and the grey ghost of Africa appeared just like that, a ghost. This thing literally turned up out of nowhere and was suddenly only 30 meters from us in the tree stand. Unfortunately, it was only a young bull abut boy oh boy it was surreal to see even him from less than 15 meters.





He was very skittish and jumped at the slightest sound or breath for that matter. Not long after him a family group of hartebeest showed up followed by some cattle, some more cattle and then some more cattle. They sure ruined any chance of some wild game coming in. The ever-present red mongoose and guinea fowl were about, but as for larger game they were pretty much a no show until late in the afternoon when the cattle moved off and some more hartebeest came in as well as a large mob of blesbok but they came in from downwind and soon scattered.

[xlr8scotty]

The last two days were quiet on the hunting front and the next would be the same but that’s Africa. You never know what will come in, it is still always better then work and I was still having a great hunt with great people. Harold was working tirelessly scouting new spots for game as some species are more suited to areas then others, much like water buffalo are found in the northern territory and mainly feral goats are found in south central west Queensland and down into New South Wales.

Today I was at such a spot Harold found on a neighbor’s place and it was really suited to kudu with many tracks seen including that of a few mature bulls. In the tree stand I covered 3 out of 4 points of interest to the game and once again we were entertained my many warthogs coming and going and the usual ground squirrels. One hog in particular came in and he was an absolute monster but murphy was on his side and he came to the spot where a shot was not possible. Another hog came in all busted up where David informed that they get from fighting each other for the ladies.





We seen about a two dozen or more kudu for the day but most were females and young and the odd immature bull. Late in the afternoon a large family came in with several cows and I hoped a bull was in toe. They came in ever so slowly and light footed, how they could jump some nearby fences with such grace and ease will amaze you. Most came in and were getting a drink or just milling around still with one or two out the back but a big bull never showed. A slight tickle on the back of the neck indicated a shift in the wind and just like that, a half dozen leaps and bounds and all was silent.

The next day we were to leave to the Kalahari a drive of around 170 kilometers. I said some good byes to some of Harold’s personnel as some would not be coming down. Thanking them for there hospitality and help in whatever was required, truly are a nice people. I sure was glad that Monica the best cook in all of Africa was coming down along with her little granddaughter, she was such a little cutie and lucky for me I had bough along some chocolate’s and candy and was giving out some each day. It made your day just to see that smile and her little face light up and shine.



Now down in the Kalahari we unpacked and got sorted out in our rooms. This place had a large mansion type house that was double story with several rooms all with en suites, dining and lounge area, fire place along with an array of buildings for staff, skinning and feed for some stock as it was also a large working cattle farm.





After unpacking we quickly got out the bows and had a quick bite to eat before heading out for the afternoon for a hunt. I was to go with Harold to a blind called Jackals in the middle of a big open area. On the drive to it and especially at the open savannah we seen many animals including Zebra, black and blue wildebeest, red hartebeest and heaps of oryx and a few blesbok and springbok, looked like it was going to be a good afternoon.





We settled in after fixing up a few minor things to hang the bow from and set up for some video. We only had a couple of hours of light left. Soon enough an old oryx bull came in, he certainly could tell some stories. His horns were worn down to around 25-26 inches but he was still in good nick and not what you would call a shooter, more of a cull so to speak. Just arriving in the Kalahari and needing some fresh meet Harold asked if I would take him at no charge.

No worries I whispered and grasped the Hoyt from its hanging position already with a rayzor-VPA on the string. The bull came in slowly and soon settled at the water quenching his thirst. The heart was racing a little but soon calmed down as I rolled the cams over into anchor and settled the top pin a couple of inches below the horizontal midline and cut the shot.

The shot was perfect and he was dead on his feet as he galloped away about 100 odd meters before crashing to the ground in cloud of dust. We got out and inspected him and I was so surprised at how big they really are, especially as we moved him some 30 meters over to some shade and set him for some pictures. Harold called it in and the boys came out and collected, looks like dinner was on me tonight.



https://www.instagram.com/p/BmEnTWSHW4Y/

Upon leaving we were greeted with another cracking Namibian sunset, with a cool weaver birds’ nest nearby so I grabbed a few pictures before we set off home in the bakkie. It was a great day travelling down and seeing some more of this beautiful country on the way and finishing it off a nice bull that will feed us in the coming days, it surely is a great tasting animal.



Up early the next morning I was with Frans and we were out at jackals hide again chasing whatever came in. It was a cool morning being in the middle of the dry season in Namibia and we had a good cross breeze from our right to our left. All was quiet with each of us taking turns to peep out of our hide from deep within its confines to limit the chances of being seen by such wary critters that reside here in Africa.

It was mid-morning around 10 am when Frans said get ready as a great impala ram was making his way in. One of this beautiful eating antelopes was on my radar and as soon as he said grab your bow, I was ready and willing to stand and deliver. The anticipation of a shot grew and grew with each impending step he took towards us as did the sound deep within my chest of my racing heart.

Soon he was in the shooting lane at 25 meters, renowned for being string jumpers and with time I flipped open the option 6 sight and dialed into 25 meters and was soon in anchor holding low on the bottom of his ticker anticipating the drop. Whack the arrow smacked home on point smashing his shoulder and pulverizing the humorous bone with the VPA penetrator punching on out the other side. Pays to shoot the right gear.

The big ram darted out and skittled away about 100 meters before stopping and going down near a small shrub on the open plain. Checking the video, the shot looked good but I still gave him piece and time before we broke cover to go and inspect him. Boy they sure are beautiful with a nice shiny and gleaming coat.









https://www.instagram.com/p/BmDGfPtDTYZ/

The Spyder strike again.


After photos and being early still and not wanting to spook anymore game we carried the impala back to behind the blind and put him in some shade to recover at lunch time. I was over the moon and reliving it over and over. You dream of such adventure and journeys, but unknown to me the day only gets better not long after lunch.

For the last week and the last couple of days I was after a blesbok. Seeing plenty, I had had some chances but they were of animals that were either too small or didn’t give me an ethical shot to take. I checked out of the blind about an hour after lunch by the way was my oryx from the day before and was spaghetti and meatballs which was delivered warm and holy smokes it was divine.

Anyway, I spot a nice blesbok ram coming in, already with an Easton axis 260 on the string I grab the bow quietly and ready for a shot. He circles around and comes I on the right and stops for a drink at around 18 meters. I slightly maneuver my feet when a bomber springbok enters the fray but at 15 meters. It had come from our blindside and from nearly behind us.
Frans quickly whispers the springbok so it is the target now. Two great critters within range and the adrenalin starts coursing thru my veins in over drive. Video rolling and I soon had the pin down low once again and cut the shot. Now this thing took the spring out of springbok but that Rayzor-VPA had already sliced thru the vitals. Two great rams for the day it couldn’t get any better.







https://www.instagram.com/p/BmMXUAugRx_/

That night was a good night by the fire with a few rums celebrating. A bit of friendly banter on my behalf as well towards one of the PH’S and a trainee PH who were rugby boys and with me playing the game for 14 years myself, I took some pride and smugness in getting one back for the wallabies in taking down a great springbok which is South Africa’s national emblem.