Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Namibia Hunting Season Update

GRF - no worries at all. I truly love the Namibian country and it's people. Now getting to know Botswana and loving it just as much. As I've stated multiple times, my goal is to encourage everyone who's wanted to go on an African Safari to DO IT! If they don't have anyone to go with them, I'll go with them if they book with one of my friends in Nam or Bots, If not, I'll still do what I can to help them make the trip. Both countries are changing SO FAST. Some for the better and some....not so much, Point being, if you've never been and want to get there as soon as you can.

Vicarious Leopard Hunting Report: I realize I'm hijacking my own threat but, Jan said on the way back from the blind this morning, near Rondowal, they actually saw one of the two BIG toms in the April photos. He was sitting up in the rocks up on a koppie. VERY rarely see them in the daylight there. Jan said he's only seen cats during the day less than a handful of times, living there his entire life. They were about 230m away and they watched each other for about 10min. Client was not willing to risk a shot at that distance. Good point is the cat was relaxed and likely will hang around (was just wondering where is meal was :D). If he had shot and missed, that cat would be gone like the wind and NEVER return. I hope his patience is rewarded!!

Vicarious hunting report update.

They are hearing cats come close but not coming in. Couple of nights ago, Jan said a cat must have made a kill not too far away as a kudu barked and a troop of baboons went a bit crazy.

While the late season leopard hunts have some good points like not freezing your butt off at night and most game is routinely coming down out of the mountains for water etc., one of the trade-offs is baits have to be refreshed more often in the warm weather.

Besides a couple of cull bait animals, the client did take a really, really good gemsbok bull.

I'm sure you've heard, but Qatar Airlines cancelled all flights to Namibia until 2021. Given the hunting season over there is essentially over for 2020 that's probably not a big deal, but something to watch.

Interesting.....just checked on the Qatar Air website and they seem to still be accepting bookings from Doha to Windhoek three days a week. At least you could select days and flights both ways. I didn't go thru and try to complete a booking but it did let me select the dates for both directions from the end of Oct thru Dec.

But as you say, the official hunting season ends in a few days anyway so it's all pretty moot at this point. Fingers and toes crossed for near "normalcy" after the first of the year and before the season opens on 1 Apr.