Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Namibia April 2024

Here's a quick little recap how this trip to Namibia went.

It started off, the morning that I left home, my button popped off a brand new pair of pants that I intended to hunt in. No big deal. Made it through Joberg and arrived in Windhoek without much issue but broke my sunglasses upon arrival. Again, no big deal. But I forgot to pack a spare. Thankfully I had left a spare pair with the PH 3 years earlier so I just got them back and was back in business.

Day1 was a travel day, Day 2 gave me a nice springbok ram. By the end of day 2, the PH and I started getting chills and just feeling rather weak, along with frequent bathroom visits. By the end of day 3 both of us were pretty down and out. He recouped within a day, however I stayed down until day 6 and really into most of dsy 7. Couldn't eat without puking, kept using the bathroom, just a mess. My diet for those 3 days was plain noodles and salt, tomatoes and salt, egg whites and salt along with electrolyte supplements. Trying to replenish what I was rapidly losing. I do believe I came very close to dehydration.

By the end of day 7 I was on the uptick and while I was still too weak to hunt much, I was able to sit around waterholes. Those didn't produce much other than some photo opportunities of non target animals and birds.

The day before I left I was feeling good enough to get out and burn some boot leather and try to get a gemsbok. The PH spotted a herd with a good bull in it and we began making a stalk. Crawling 200 yards through the hot burning sand and thorns we closed the gap to 170 yards undetected. The bull dropped at the shot and for that I was thankful because that slow crawl through the hot sun and sand took most of what I had left out of me. I would like to have gotten a warthog and a couple other things but getting sick put a damper on things plus the severe drought that NW Namibia is facing has really taken a toll on game numbers. But the gemsbok made up for by giving us a really good hunt.

.308 Win
Barnes 130TTSX at 3200 performed beautifully. Bang flops and exits on both.


The springbok, zebra, and gemsbok did seem to be doing well or at least better than the warthogs, kudu, baboons and jackals.

Thanks for the post and pictures.

Bummer about being sick for the trip that really sucks.

Both great animals in the photos.

Sucks you got sick. But the Springbok, and Gemsbok are both fantastic!

What area were you hunting. Perhaps give the name of the nearest town.
I plan to be in Namibia middle of May.

Glad you got at least a few days in. Both very nice animals. I carry a small medicine kit when I go anywhere off the beaten path and get a Zpak in case of something like this happening. Tell your doc where you are going and they may help you out. I'm lucky my GP used to be a tropical disease specialist for the Air Force.

Bear with me here. I'm just gonna rattle off what I know.

NW Namibia. Around Kamanjab. Outjo district.

+1

ya!

GWB

Did you go to the Outjo bakery? I always make it a point to go there.

I got sick once in Namibia. Bought some food from a grocery store which was prepared in a deli. Was sick for a couple of weeks. Should have gone to a restaurant near that store.

I love Namibia. I like hot dry country.

I have been to the Outjo bakery before but I didn't stop there on this trip. I did however stop in and have dinner at Joes Beerhouse.

Went to Joes once. Memorable but not because of the food. Some guys at the next table were from Texas. One had a lot to drink and decided he was going to get himself entertained by a local lady. His buddies were attempting to convince him that it was a very bad idea. Mayhem followed. Don’t know what happened to that guy. It was memorable however.

I think a Springbok shoulder mount is one of the two most handsome trophies. My other favorite is pronghorn antelope.

Yours is very nice.

Ewwww. I couldn't imagine.

Saw some local "ladies" trying to drum up business this go around. Not sure if they were successful or not. Didn't stick around to find out.

Glad you had a "mostly" good time. Being sick anytime you're away from home sucks 100x as much as being sick at home.

You managed some very good heads in a short amount of hunting days. Chasing mountain zebra on foot up in those mountains is damn tough even when healthy. Maybe next time.

Yep. No worries. It sucked being sick, but it could have been worse. I'm happy with how it all turned out considering.

Only touched the African continent once in Djibouti on work but I’m a dreamer about African hunts. However such opportunities were never in my financial reach. Only once when I could have moved in the early 70’s to Rhodesia under Ian Smith to take a railroad job. Anyway I’ve traveled all over the world on assignments and been sick more than once including lifelong bouts with Malaria. My advice to anyone venturing offshore into rough third world countries is this. Go to your doctor, explain your travel and ask for some rescue drugs and antibiotics. You need enough to get out, if you have to, or best case hole up and hope they get you on your feet. Terrible story and circumstances but frankly it could have been worse than it was

Rick

Nice animals.Next time will be better.

At least you weren't sick on the ride home. That would've horrible living in the airplane bathroom. They maybe wouldn't even let you on.

KY 221: Did you hunt with Jan at Sebra Hunting Safaris? Being sick and not being able to eat Mariesje’s gourmet cooking would be torture for me.

I think I’m gonna go next summer.