Safari in Namibia

Instead of taking a fiesta siesta this afternoon, I am writing. I hunted hard this morning and it was the most fun I’ve had, even though I didn’t ever pull a trigger. In this area, zebra are extremely skittish, and they are difficult to find and even more difficult to hunt.

The PH, Louis, and I followed a herd of zebra for hours on foot today through dense hook-thorn thickets and into the plains. We would find tracks and follow the herd, constantly looking ahead so we wouldn’t spook them. But the bush is so densely populated with animals that it is impossible to walk undetected, and whenever an Eland, or an Oryx, or a Wildebeest runs off, it scares away all of the zebra.

So Louis and I did this for a long time, until finally we chased the zebra out of the bush into the flat lands, where somehow the herd disappeared. Then we turned our attention towards a large Oryx bull, which I had in my crosshairs for sometime. We followed this bull for some time, sneaking around in the tall grass trying to get a clear shot between bushes. But when I finally aimed at him, he was turned away from us completely, giving me no shot whatsoever. Had he turned broadside for even a moment, he’d be en route to my wall, but he bounded off.

I’ll be back out this afternoon and I’m sure it will be great. Namibia is one of the safest countries. They have only been established for 20 years, and they have a well-run government. All of the meat that is obtained goes to the local schools and communities. They use every bit of it, and they love the hunters!

The school we visited today was incredible, we first went to the primary school, which is kindergarten for us. They were adorable and in such need. Then we went to the elementary school to see all the kids from first to seventh grade. They loved to have their picture taken; they were just swarming around us. They are in desperate need of winter clothes. It is bitterly cold here right now in the wintertime. We are going to be gathering lots of clothes and school supplies to send to them when we get home. We are going back on Monday to put on a little music show on for them.

More to come later. I hope you all enjoy reading this. It’s amazing all that we are learning here. We love the people; they are so kind and humble. We couldn’t ask for a better family vacation.

Adam’s latest news: I just shot a fantastic oryx bull this afternoon, also big enough to make the record book. I was so excited. We stalked a long way through the brush, slowly following a small group, getting closer and closer until finally we had a shot in a clearing. It was a fantastic hunt!