Day 7
My last day of hunting dawned, the week having gone in the blink of an eye, time really does fly when you are having fun. The previous evening Steph and I had sat drinking a beer whilst gazing up at the huge variety of game heads lining the walls of the lodge. The question was asked “What do you want to do tomorrow?”. I had managed to hunt all the animals I had planned, due to a mix of good luck, hard hunting and the skills of the Bergzicht team. There was no pressure, no hard sell, if I wanted to relax by the pool or simply go on game drives, that was fine, but temptation is a terrible thing!
“What about trying to find a really old blue wildebeest?”. The words tumbled out of my mouth as I gazed up at an impressive bull staring down at me. Steph’s face lit up. This was the sort of challenge he loved, trying to find one particular animal, a wily, challenging old boy that has outwitted everyone for years. He knew of just the animal. He had evaded many hunters over the years, and now was in his twilight years, having worn down his horns and most likely his teeth. Obed also knew of this bull and the plan was hatched to drive out to a hill near where he had been spotted in the past and glass the surroundings for him in the morning.
The morning dawned and after yet another delicious breakfast we set off before the sun had fully risen. On our way into the bush, I asked Obed about this bull. I was told he was very old and very clever and another hunter had missed him in the past. This sounded like a great challenge for our last day.
We arrived at the base of the hill and climbed upward, enjoying the rising sun on our backs. Once we reached the summit, utilising the broken rocks to ensure we weren’t too heavily sky lined, we started glassing the surrounding area. I made sure to drink in the beauty of the vista before me, something that still blew my mind every time we made elevation and it spread out before me.
Suddenly Steph called Obed over and the discussion was very animated. Next thing I knew, the game was on. Steph had spotted an ancient Wildebeest bull, even older than the one we were looking for. He was standing in the shade of a tree quite some distance away, mostly hidden by the shade, just one horn poking out giving him away. Steph and Obed were excited, they had never seen this bull before, he had one broken horn and from his body shape, seemed to be incredibly old. The perfect animal to hunt on our last day.
The question was, how to get to him. The wind was not in our favour, nor was the approach. An area of open ground between us meant there was no way to approach him covertly. He had evidently got old for a reason; this was a smart bull!
Having marked his location by the oddly shaped tree he was under, we decided to loop round and down off the hill and see if we could find an alternative way to close the distance.
This bull had other ideas though and set off walking away from us. He couldn’t have spotted us or winded us from such a distance, could he? Never mind, he didn’t seem unduly worried and perhaps this was the chance we needed, if he wasn’t looking, perhaps we could cross the open ground without being seen!
What actually happened was a game of cat and mouse for over an hour as we covered over a kilometre before a shot became possible. In the end, it happened fast, he paused just a second too long and Steph threw up the sticks and I took the chance given, placing the bullet straight into his shoulder. I had been warned before of wildebeest’s tough reputation, they are often known as the Poor Man’s Buffalo and we watched him react solidly and bolt out of view. We immediately set off in pursuit, Steph instructing me to take any follow up shot that was safe as it presented itself.
We started spotting blood almost immediately and a good amount too. Shiraz excitedly helping in the tracking. In the end a second shot was not needed, the first had done its job and he was stone dead at the end of the blood trail.
When we reached him, we marvelled at this ancient bull, a face covered in scars, hardly any hair left on his face at all, one eye ruined by a huge scar, the other with the start of a cataract and one horn broken. A true warrior who had led a life full of battles.
On our return to the lodge, news of this bull had spread and Hannes drove over specially to view him. The skinners and other camp staff also admired him and quickly discussions turned to how old he was thought to be. His teeth had been worn right down to the gums and the consensus was that he was over 19 years old!
Having originally thought to just have a skull mount of the wildebeest, the decision was made to preserve his cape as well to do justice to this true definition of a past prime male.
With the wildebeest now being skinned and butchered, we were taking a late lunch when Steph was approached by the head cook Sara. She had seen a troop of baboons coming down off the hills at the back of the lodge and was worried for their sheep and goats. The baboons do a huge amount of damage, both to the property but more importantly to the livestock, often killing the young and maiming the lactating mothers. Their presence was certainly not wanted.
To that end, Steph retrieved the rifle from the gun room and asked if I wanted to sit out and wait for the baboons to show themselves on their way down towards the livestock. It wasn’t long until they were spotted, a long way away and seemingly waiting until nightfall to make their final approach. We spotted one large male, sat in a tree acting as lookout at around 500m. “What do you reckon?” asked Steph. It was quite a distance for a gun I did not know that well, but I found a vaguely stable post to lean on and having checked his ballistic app, we clicked in for distance and I braced my legs to get as stable as possible before squeezing off a shot. The fence post was not as stable as I had thought and I lost the baboon with the recoil, however Steph was impressed, he saw it take the shot straight to the chest and tumble out of the branch.
The rest of the troop were now scarpering back up the mountain away from their fallen comrade. We set off in pursuit to see if we could get a second shot at another to hasten their departure but they were gone before we had chance.
Having returned to the lodge after ensuring the baboon was dead and not wounded, I was approached by Sara who wanted to know if I had been successful. I answered in the affirmative whilst noting I only got one. “They will be back” came the reply, “but thank you for protecting the livestock”.
After our final sundowners, we returned to the lodge for dinner and I noted that I got an especially good portion of dinner that night…
Day 8/9
Having finished our hunting trip, it was time to make the short journey back to the capital Windhoek. Marie-Louise needed to drop some things off in town and kindly offered to act as tour guide and show us where the best shops and restaurants were.
The journey was quick and uneventful, albeit blessed with stunning scenery and more wildlife. On arrival we checked into our hotel, the Weinberg, which is heartily recommended. Afterwards, we re-joined Marie-Louise for lunch at the renowned Joe’s, a real destination where many P.H.s take their clients at the end of their safari and also an institution for the locals, given its unique décor, game meat menu and free flowing beer. Definitely worth a visit when in Windhoek.
Finally, a special mention must go to the Bushman’s Art Gallery, an Aladdin’s cave of African artefacts, some antique, some of recent manufacture, but with something for everyone and definitely the place to go for souvenirs. To give you an idea of the variety of goods on offer, I brought home with me some bushman arrows, a painted ostrich egg, hand carved wooden animals and a pair of springbuck skins for the bedside. All were reasonably priced and well packaged for my journey home, along with the correct paperwork for the skins.
Having Marie-Louise to guide us ensured we crammed a lot into our short overnight in the capital and also visited the best places. These side trips are on offer to all visitors to Bergzicht and can also include visits to the National Parks, the hot springs, the Skeleton Coast or anywhere else you may wish to visit alongside your hunting safari, or for accompanying members of the group if they don’t wish to hunt too.
Day 9
With a heavy heart and after a great breakfast at the Weinberg, we departed for home and brought the experience of a lifetime to a close. Yet I knew that I would be back to Africa, back to Bergzicht and back to hunt with Steph and his crew.
It is true what they say, Africa is addictive and one trip is simply not enough!
Anyone wishing to experience the hunt of a lifetime in Namibia should visit www.bergzichtgamelodge.com or reach out to the Bergzicht team on info@bergzichtgamelodge.com
