Namibian Kudu Story
This photo was taken June 22, a month ago. Namibia is in the southern hemisphere so it is winter now.
It took five days to find this big one. He earned me a silver medal from SFI.
I had spent days stalking him but couldn't get close enough to take a shot.
One day I got within 200 yards and a bunch of baboons scared him off. They were taunting me and barking at the kudu. I wanted to shoot one but I was afraid I wouldn't get a shot at him if I spooked him too badly.
I was beginning to see his patterns of sleeping , feeding , and going to water.
I picked a water hole where I saw his huge tracks and then found place to hide about 100 yards away and down wind and waited . Then waited some more.
Just before dark he appeared out of nowhere . He was about 80 yards away and was looking to my right and apparently hadn't seen me.
I slowly lifted the rife and aimed behind the shoulder so the boat tail bullet would go through and leave a blood trail I could find in the dim light and track him.
When I fired he arched his back and stepped to the side before running.
The blood trail was there and he was lying dead about 100 yards from where he was hit.
One shot from the 8MM Mauser was all it took.
By the time the PH radioed the trackers to bring the truck with the camera it was dark enough to need a flash.
The PH took a branch from a certain type of plant, dipped it in the animals blood and said I was to where it in my hat back to the camp so all would know who made the kill. This is a German tradition and he did it after each animal I took.
It was a great time. I felt as though I was fifteen years old again,
