Red sands treasure
Wildlife biologist and outdoor Larry Weishuhn heads to the red sand dunes of Namibia’s Namib-Naukluft Desert in pursuit of long-horned gemsbok.
I spoke with my PH, Fred Burchell, “Larry tomorrow, gemsbok on the Kalahari!” As we sat down for the evening meal over grilled eland steaks, Fred explained, “We will be leaving at three in the morning.” During the past week I had been traveling throughout the southern part of Namibia with Fred helping with gemsbok culls, removing what Fred considered undesirables in gemsbok herds on different properties. At the time my friend was deeply involved in developing herds of “golden oryx”, considered by some a separate subspecies of gemsbok oryx. The “golden oryx”, sometimes referred to as “Burchell oryx” have a reddish gold color where regular gemsbok are colored black, even their horns and hooves are the same lighter color.
After dinner, while enjoying an excellent port, Fred mentioned we would be looking for a couple of mature rams, with horns approaching 40-inches. It sounded good to me. I knew cow gemsbok tended to have longer, though not as massive, horns compared to those of bulls. I had taken my first gemsbok oryx several years earlier hunting with the Burchell Family’s Frontier Safaris. It had been a really nice mature bull or ram, with horns approaching 37-inches in length.
The Kalahari hunt with Fred proved to be fun and successful. I was able to shoot a 38-inch cow and a 37-inch massive horned bull. Gemsbok I had shot earlier with Fred were covered under a special permit held at the time by Burchell. Namibia allows the taking of two gemsbok on license.
Each time I returned to Namibia hunting with the Burchell family I took two gemsbok.
When Fred Burchell retired from professional hunting, I started hunting with Corne Kruger and his family’s Omujeve Safaris. Like with Fred I quickly developed a dear friendship with Corne and his family. Each time I traveled to Namibia, at least once a year, I hunted the wide variety of species available in Namibia, from buffalo, hippo and elephant in what was then called the Caprivi Strip down to kudu and other plains game on the Fish River, and, from Namibia’s eastern border with South Africa to the deserts along the Atlantic Ocean on the west.
While at an annual DSC Convention, catching up with Corne and his PHs in their Omujeve Safaris booth, “This coming hunt, I want us to hunt the red sands of the Namib-Naukluft Desert. We recently signed an agreement to do so. It’s a truly unique area with very sparse vegetation, and huge red sand dunes that stretch for miles. It’s an area known for truly long-horned gemsbok. Too, the Naukluft Mountains are home to a variety of species from rhino and mountain zebra on top to klipspringers and kudu in the canyons, springbok on the edge of the mountains and lots of big gemsbok on the sands surrounding the mountains. It’s an area I think you will find most interesting!”
I agreed. Years earlier I had ventured into the Namib Desert with Fred Burchell in search of a herd of springbok that reputedly numbered over 50,000. Fred and I had driven many unchartered miles. We failed to find the huge springbok herd, but had the adventure of a lifetime. When we left the expansive red sand desert I made myself a promise to return. Now finally I would.
Back in Namibia, Corne and I decided to camp under the stars during our desert hunt. Thus, properly loaded and outfitted we drove numerous hours, arriving just in time before dark to set up our tents. Cooking in Dutch ovens, we ate fried potatoes and grilled eland steaks, washed down with strong, delicious coffee. We would eat “our vegetables” once we returned to Omujeve’s headquarters.
Dawn was merely a hint in the eastern sky when we left camp. Corne wanted to be near a “seep” when it was light enough to see. Several miles later, the Cruiser parked, we eased to the top of a red-sand dune overlooking the only known “standing water” for miles and miles.
“See those six gemsbok to the far left, those farthest away?” questioned my PH. I grunted a positive. “Look at the second from the left. He has extremely long, massive horns. How long do you think they are?”
I appreciated Corne asking me, but he also knew I had over the past numerous safaris to Namibia had gotten reasonably good at guessing horn lengths. “Mmmm, I’d say they’re over 40, likely 42-inches…”
“Not bad for a rookie! I think you’re right. That’s the one we want if at all possible!” With that we slid down the backside of the dune and planned our approach. “If we can get within 400 yards, be ready to shoot. He’s monstrous!”
When we spotted the “holy grail of gemsbokdom”, he and his companions were nearly a mile away. Hidden behind the sand dune ridge, we took off at a run, but not fast. Running in loose sand is next to impossible and extremely tiring, but we managed to cut the distance to 1,000 yards. After catching his breath, while I continued wondering if I would ever do so, “We gotta go..” And once again we were off to the races.
Next time we peered over the red sand ridge we were 800 yards from the small herd of bulls with the monster. As we glassed the bull herd, we spotted an extremely long-horned cow 250 yards away, “She’s got at least 46-inches — huge!” I blurted, then glanced at Corne. I really wanted the long, massive-horned bull, but a 46-inch cow, which was legal, too was truly impressive.
While I waited on my PH’s reaction, I loaded a 300gr Hornady DGX into my 375 Ruger topped with a Trijicon AccuPoint scope, which I cranked up to 12x. I could see Corne going back and forth between the long-horned bull and cow.
Just then as if stung by a bee the cow took off running, heading directly to the small herd that contained the bull we were stalking. I watched in horror as the cow covered ground at an amazing pace running directly towards the bulls. As she neared the bulls stared in her direction, then they too started running. Mere heart beats later, they all disappeared over a distant red dune and out of our lives forever!
We spent the next two days stalking huge gemsbok herds, some with more than a hundred. Each contained bulls approaching and surpassing our lofty goal of 40-inches. The third morning we again spotted a tremendously long-horned cow, but it was as if she read our mind and took off running and disappeared into the red dunes.
“We seriously should try to shoot a bull this afternoon. We’re scheduled to hunt the Naukluft mountains tomorrow for klipspringer. While there I need to hang a couple of leopard baits for the client coming in right after you leave.” Announced Corne.
I agreed! Our hunt for a 40-inch plus bull had been fabulous fun. I had traversed red sand dunes I doubt seriously had been hunted in the past. I had seen huge herds of gemsbok, and had passed up five cows with horns well beyond 40-inches. I would try to take the next mature bull we encountered.
It did not take long till we spotted a massive horned bull. “He’ll go at least 38-inches, maybe a bit more. Let’s get closer. If we do, shoot him. We’ll keep one loin for ourselves and give the rest to the game scout and his family.”
I grabbed my 375 Ruger loaded a 300gr Hornady DGX round, which my particular Ruger Guide rifle dearly loves, then followed Corne who carried my shooting sticks. Taking advantage of the back side of a dune we quickly covered 200 yards and cut the distance to 175 yards. There I rested my rifle on the sticks, cranked the AccuPoint to 10x and settled the crosshairs on the bull’s shoulder.
At the shot the bull bolted. “He won’t go far with that properly placed bullet!” commented Corne.
The PH was right. My gemsbok ran no more than 30 steps before he was down.
My red sands gemsbok hunt had been nothing short of fabulous, but little did I know my adventures on the Namib-Naukluft Desert had just begun…
Photo credit: Larry Weishuhn Outdoors
