Up at 6:00 a.m. today. Dressed and ready for adventure. Breakfast at 7 a.m. was typical Farm Garib hunting breakfast -- scrambled eggs, bacon, 5 pound bread*, banana, apple, were all very good. We went first to the rifle range to check the zero on our rifles. We had just traveled 8 - 9,000 miles and who knows where our scopes would put our shots fired. Dax shot first and his rifle was more or less right where it had been on the other side of the world. I shot and my rifle and the scope needed to be moved down 2 clicks (1/2 inch). My point of impact at 100 yards is about 2" high. That puts me right on at 200 yards and only 8" low at 300 yards. We are off . . .
We drove around and saw some but not lots of game. We got down from the truck and went on a springbok stalk for about 2 - 3 kilometers. The springbok kept moving and hiding among the bushes so we could not get a shot. There were also dozens of hartebeest intermingled in the area watching and counter moving on us so getting a good shot on a springbok was tough. There were too many game eyes and noses around for us to get in close. Sigi, the PH, and I went after a "management" (meat) springbok stalking. We kept behind some big bushes (almost 6' tall) for some distance, like 400 yards, and finally arrived within 200 +/- yards of a springbok ram that thought he was a great lover. He had a harem of about 6 ewes with him and was in the process of romancing all of them at the same time. I looked through the scope on 9X and he had layered horns denoting age but the horns were not so wide, not "gold metal trophy" grade. Sigi, said he didn't want that particular springbok to leave so many seeds behind in the herd on his farm so I was tasked with harvesting this Romeo. He was all around the various ewes running back and forth. He was trying to mount them for breeding and I couldn't get a clear shot for what seemed like a real long time. Actually it was only about 10 minutes, but when you are poised on the shooting sticks and watching through the scope it is a real long time. Finally the springbok gave me a front quartering shot and I took it. He went down on the shot. I quickly reloaded and waited for him to get back up, but he had expired. The Barnes 225 gr. .338 caliber bullet traveled from his front shoulder through his entire body and was up against the hide on the rear opposite quarter. Great performance. I felt fortunate to have harvested this springbok for meat and also fortunate the bullet was recovered. We gave the animal his last bite ritual and showed respect to a worthy opponent in the hunt.
 |
| location 23º12.903'S 17º36.439' E |
At 3:00 p.m. we drove out to hunt parking at the base of a hill that offered a view in all 360º of the veld from on top. The hill was very rocky and hiking up was slow and deliberate. We saw from the hill top warthogs, oryx, and springbok. We noticed one of the oryx was a big bull. We watched as the oryx grazed from 399 to eventually 310 yards. Only problem being the bull oryx didn't get close only two females. There were springbok intermingled with the oryx. Sigi saw a nice trophy ram in the group of springbok. We waited and watched with lots of patience. The springbok were headed in our direction. We were on a hill top about 150 yards higher up than them on the veld floor. The sun was starting to set and the darkness comes quick in Namibia at this time of year. I was laying on the rocky hill top and in a position that a person could consider as painful. If I had not been hunting and just working I am sure my feeling would be classified as pain. I had cut my finger on the rocks and was bleeding some. When I adjusted my scope I left a blood trail on the eye bell. I was waiting for Sigi to give me the OK to shoot the big trophy springbok. We watched until he gave us a broadside view and Sigi told me to take him. I had lazered the range at 222 yards so I held right on his shoulder and pressed the trigger while in sudo-pain. The rifle went off and the springbok jumped and ran to the south some. I had missed ??? I call it a warning shot. I reloaded and fired again this time anchoring the animal. I had an illuminated red dot in my Leupold VXR scope and it really helped in this particular low light shooting situation. We hiked down the hill to the animal and gave him his last bite rites and took some photos. He was a good one. Later, we found out he was considered a gold medal springbok. I was very pleased with my all springbok day in Namibia. Dax had not fired a shot at an animal and I felt badly for him. He was there to hunt too. We had been waiting for the oryx bull to come in for Dax a shot but the springbok ram was the only game that came into range. I am thankful.
 |
| location 23º12.748'S 17º38.104'E |
It has been a long and fruitful day. Tomorrow will be even better I bet, I am off to shower and to bed. 6:00 a.m. will come real soon for me an older man.
*5 pound bread is full of seeds and whole grains. It is sliced real thin and is wonderful. It is dense and heavy so I named it 5 pound bread because a standard sized loaf could weigh 5 pounds.
 |
| Barnes .338" 225 gr. bullet post springbok |
No comments:
Post a Comment