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The hunting season is well and truly here now in Namibia, and winter has come at last, the nights have been cold (for us) of late but during the day it is very pleasant.
The rainy season is now past, we had very good rains at the house. We measured over 625 mm and in the bush 550 - 650 mm. It was the best season for rain in about 30 years and the best we’ve seen since being in the Kamanjab area, which is 8 years now.
The grass cover is excellent, being thick and plentiful (for a change). I was on top of one of the ridges the other day pulling the tyres behind the Landcruiser to clear the grass off the roads and for a change I stopped to take in the view. Words are not enough to describe the view, it was beautiful and most of all to see a herd of Oryx (Gemsbok) with very small calves grazing below on the plain, where over the last few years it was always bare.
It is always a beautiful sight to watch the calves, lambs and foals playing and exploring while the rest of the herd is grazing. Something which some non hunters do not realise is that we do make time to appreciate wildlife and its surroundings and make for better conservationist in the short and long term.
I would like to wish my brother Tim, and his wife Jo, all the best, as they got married at the beginning of June.
Now on a sad note, Amelia’s Grandfather past away at the beginning of May. Oupa Willie Alberts was 85 years old and was born in Angola when the Afrikaners were still living there (the thirst-land trek). They left Angola in 1928 and moved to Namibia. They then settled in the Kamanjab area.
He always had stories to tell, especially about the Kamanjab area when they arrived and from over the years (lions and elephants). He will be deeply missed by the whole family and it is an end of an era.
Now for some great news.
Up to now Vieranas Safaris (I) have conducted Bowhunting on my own
property and rifle in the conservancy. Well due to the lack of interest
for the rifle and the demand for Bowhunting only, I am doing away with
the rifle side of the operation next year and will ONLY be doing
Bowhunting….!
The rifle page on the website has already been removed, Amelia (my
better half) is changing the look of some of the pages.
We are trying to promote the combining of a hunt with an excursion to
the coast or Etosha National Park.
Please visit the website and if you have any questions, please let me
know and I will happily answer them for you..
Africa’s Bowhunter Magazine Challenge...!
- The Africa's Bowhunter will be held from 11 to 17 July.
Cost: R15 000.
Place: A game farm of 8,000 ha close to Schweiser-Reneke. (It might also
be on a farm on Thabazimbi, depending on negotiations).
Organiser: SAHU Safaris - Zak and Louise Grobler who did the African
Challenge successfully the last few years. The Africa's Bowhunter
Challenge will replace the African Challenge.
Host and co-organiser: Africa's Bowhunter and Archer Magazine.
Sponsors: Bladerunner, Camo Joe.
Each competitor will receive a Bladerunner bow (which is currently the
talk of the town), camo shirt, pants, jacket and cap by Camo Joe, arrows
and broadheads. Included in the package is two game animals, daily rates and
catering. The whole hunt will also be video taped and each hunter will
receive a copy.
The rest is as stated in the advertisement. The sooner the hunter bags
his game the more points he/she gets. The hunter also gets more points if
the animals were stalked rather than shot from a treestand, and more points
if shot from an open treestand than from a blind. Points for the kind of
animal hunted also differs, for example killing a kudu bring in more points
than killing a blue wildebeest. The bigger the trophy the more points, of
course.
The first animal to be hunted is for meat and the second for the trophy. It is in truth only a symbolic hunt for meat, but it is for the hunter to prove he can get his meat that he is to live from while continuing his hunt. Only when he has hunted his meat animal can he go for the trophy. At the start the competitors each receives a GPS and a map. The different blinds are indicated on the map. The hunters sleep in the camp on the first night. Early the next morning he takes off in the direction of a blind of his choice. When he reaches the blind he raises a red flag, indicating that he has claimed this hide. This hide is now his for the duration of the hunt. He can hunt from this blind or simply use it as a base.
At sunset he can decide to either sleep in the blind or return to camp. Should he decide to return to camp, he will be picked up and taken back with a vehicle. At the camp he can shower and have supper. However, he will have to leave the camp by foot the next morning.
Should he decide to stay at the blind, his food will be taken to him.
The downside is he will not be able to shower and he will probably sleep
uncomfortably. The advantage is he will stand a chance of shooting an
animal early in the morning from the blind, or he will have a head start on his
way to the area he plans on ambushing or stalking his prey.
The winner will be entered free of charge in the next year’s competition
in order to defend his title. There will also be other prizes, such as a
prize for the hunter who makes the first trophy kill, etc. We do not know what the prizes will be yet
Tips, something to think about for when you walk and stalk.
Here are some pointers for when you next walk and stalk in Africa.
Firstly, remember that the Game do not wear watches, so you have to be patient and if the stalk takes 3 hours, it takes 3 hours. So do not rush it and make sure you do have water with you / your guide has water for both of you.
Bow hunting ethics and respect.
The other day I was asked why I take so long in taking the trophy photos of the animal that has just been harvested.?
My answer to this was that you respect the animal before you make the shot, by practising at home before you go hunting and know where to aim on the animal (shot placement), so when you harvest the animal you know where the vitals are and that is where you aimed. You’ve given the animal enough time to expire.
So when I take the trophy photo, I am paying respect to the animal harvested, by cleaning the blood off, so it not on the photo and plus I can respect the hunter who harvested the animal. This in turn by taking time over presenting the harvested animal nicely for the photo and positioning it well makes for a great photo and plus the memory of the hunt for the hunter and myself is captured in the photo.
Remember a photo says a thousand words. It can give a good impression or a bad one..! I want a good impression, hence the time it takes to take the photo. To view more on the "Fair Chase" principle I recommend you visit the following website: www.huntfairchase.com
Or visit the Boone and Crockett club website. They were the first to
write down the Fair chase statement. The Boone and Crocket club, which
is a non profit organization, was founded in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt.
This website is well worth a visit.
www.boone-crockett.org
Hunting story- An Oryx (Gemsbok) stalk.
When Thomas Ljungberg hunted with me in February this year, he wanted to walk and stalk which is what we did, as it was in the rainy season and with water lying in the bush, it was perfect for it.
It was late afternoon with a few hours of the day left to go. We had
just finished stalking a good Oryx (Gemsbok) Bull, which decided to stay
just out of Bow range for Thomas, as it had stopped under a Leadwood
tree in the middle of the river and would not be coming any closer to us
(that’s hunting for you) plus the wind was being difficult.
We then decided that as there were still a few hours of the day left, we
would carry on walking slowly along the river and see if there would be
another chance on something else.
Being careful as we walked.
After about 150 metres, Piet (my trusty Bushman tracker) saw another
Oryx Bull walking across the river (which was dry at that point). There a thunder
storm was pending as well, but our minds were fixed more on the hunt
than the storm.
As the Oryx (Gemsbok) emerged up the river bank, we all crouched down
amongst the grass. Piet stayed behind a mopane bush. The Bull was on a
Game trail and I thought Thomas might have a chance, but the Bull just
walked on past.
I asked Thomas if he was up for another stalk for that day, even though our hands and knees (knee pads next time!) had had a hard day at the office already, he said " yes, let’s give it a go". It was a Big Oryx Bull, I thought it was about 39 inches, a good old Bull, as you could see wear on the horns.
By now the thunder was close and the wind was getting up a bit ( enough
to make some of the branches sway a little), so when there is a clap of
thunder we could close the distance to the Bull.
Luckily for us there were some granite outcrops close by and we were
about to use them for cover. Each time we heard the thunder clap, it was
time to move again.
Piet stayed a little way back from us.
The adrenaline was starting to pump, as we got to the granite outcrop,
another clap of thunder. Moving quickly we ran to the far end and
luckily stopped.
As I peeped round the corner, I saw him still walking in between the
granite, at about 50 yards.
Then it was a question of going back down on our hands and knees. Slowly
moving forward still with the claps of thunder over head and the grass
moving from side to side, we edged forward.
It was hard going (painful), then the Bull stopped in a river bed, just
on the other side of some trumpet thorn bushes facing away from us (a
bum shot).
We were hiding behind a granite outcrop about 75 cm high, which was just
enough cover, Thomas asked me to range it for him, so I did and the Oryx
(Gemsbok) Bull was at first 49 yards, but looked a lot closer so I ranged
it again.
Then it moved behind the trumpet thorns and we both thought, here he
comes. Thomas had worked out where 30 yards was in the river bed. The
Bull remerged only 2 yards closer than before.
He did this a couple of times, it was as if he knew we were there (if
you know what I mean). The Bull went behind the trumpet thorn bushes one
more time, but never came out again, all we saw of him was the tips of
his horns as we left the riverbed.
After 5 minutes of waiting we slowly moved forward to where the Oryx (Gemsbok) had been standing. The reading that I had been getting on the rangefinder was right. As we came out of the river bed, about 50 yards away I thought I saw the tail of the Bull as he ran off. So the Bull had been waiting to see if he was being followed, he had that one right, and we were left thinking about what could have been.
However, it was a great stalk and if we did not sustain injury and pain
in our hands and knees, it would not have been hunting.
African Sporting Gazette
.
African Hunting Directory
A database of accredited African Outfitters
"No unpleasant surprises for the visiting international hunter"
Objectives - To provide hunters with an accurate, impartial database of
African Outfitters.
To provide hunters the opportunity to verify all relevant details about
a Prospective outfitter they wish to hunt on a direct basis, knowing the
information is authentic
Background - What hunters need more than anything is peace of mind. A
guarantee that what they have booked is what they will receive. From
the accommodation facilities, to the equipment and infrastructure at
hand, to the hunting area and most importantly, the availability and
likelihood of representative trophy species.
This is a tool to help the future of African Hunting. Do we want to
promote every operation in Africa? Unfortunately no.
Not every outfit will want the truth told. Not every outfit deserves to
be accredited. This is not a grading system. It is impossible to grade
hunting facilities or the hunting experience without being subjective.
How will it work?
A detailed questionnaire will be completed by the hunting operation
(outfitter or PH). Every outfitter will be personally visited within a
three year period to verify all data.
Upon acceptance of the terms and conditions, and necessary details of
references being validated, an annual fee will be levied.
The annual fee includes - Annual updating of data which is available
freely on the website - www.africanhuntingdirectory.com Costs to visit
the property every three years.
International promotion of the accredited outfit which includes:
Full page profile in the African Hunting Directory x 35 000 copies
Full page on the Website: www.africanhuntingdirectory.com
Promotion on the hunting portal: www.africanhuntinginfo.com
Annual Fee - R 7 500, N$ 7 500,
Pula 5000 or US$ 1250
For more information please visit: www.africansportinggazette.com or Email: adriana@thefuture.co.za
" The publishers of the award winning Texas Hunting Directory since
1988, have teamed up with Future Publishing located in Jo’burg South
Africa, to bring to the US market and the world, for the first time ever
a new and exciting directory dedicated to all those who hunt the dark
continent". Kim Hicks Texas Hunting Directory.
Napha.
The Bowhunting top ten lists at NAPHA are coming along slowly, but
surely.
To view the bowhunting top ten lists at NAPHA go to the NAPHA website at
www.natron.net/napha.
The bowhunting records are just below the rifle list, so you have to
scroll down.
Please remember to use a Registered Bowhunting Guide / Outfitter with
the Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism for your Namibia Bowhunt..!
For more information on bowhunting in Namibia, about NAPHA and the medal
system please contact the office or view their website.
Tel: 061 234455.
E-mail: napha@mweb.com.na
www.natron.net/napha
The Grootberg Children’s Fund
.
Esstof Pre- School - They received tables, chairs and some more
mattresses the other day from the Namibian Government. We also delivered
some books that were donated by the Windhoek Library for the children,
plus some toys and clothes from the Kamanjab Ladies Club, last but not
least I gave them a water tank and long drop toilet, which the parents
of the children
have to put up themselves, as it requires a hole in the ground to be dug
and then cemented..
Still needed: The whole roof (corrugated iron sheets) and some glass for
windows that needs replacing. Because of the heavy rain the children are
battling to keep their beds and school books dry and we would like to
fix this for them.
The Kindergarten still has a lot of work that needs doing to it for the
children and any donations no matter how small will help the children
get onto the first rung of the ladder, which will help when they have to
go to Primary School.
Please contact me if you or your company is interested in helping these
previously disadvantaged children of rural Damaraland
News from the Bowhunting World.
OR visit Karim Alameddine personal website: kalameddine.com
If you have any tips that you would like to share, please let me know so that I can include them in the next Newsletter, I would appreciate it very much.
Sunny regards
Roger E. Coomber
Po Box 46
Kamanjab
Namibia, Africa
vieranas@iway.na
www.vieranasbowhunt.com