Day 29: Back to Okaue...

Today's Thursday started as usual with a shared breakfast with Karsten and Sylvia just before 7 o'clock. After breakfast, Jakob and I prepared everything to spend the day in Okaue. There we were supposed to meet the butcher from last week and sell him another beef. Then, as last week, it should be slaughtered, weighed, and loaded on-site. After that, we were supposed to go hunting with hunting guide Absalom. Goal: 3 Oryx antelopes, because fresh meat was urgently needed. Sylvia first needed a whole Oryx to donate the meat to the local nursing home. There, money for good meat is scarce and they always appreciate donations from the surrounding farmers. The meat of the second Oryx was needed for a hockey tournament. As usual with us, every "mother" brings a small donation to the event to support the clubs. Instead of cake and sausages, they donate an Oryx antelope here. By the way, Jens will play himself in the tournament. The meat of the third Oryx was needed for the weekly rations for the employees. To feed all the workers and their families here, almost 165kg of meat is needed per week.

So we loaded the car with boxes for the meat, the scale, weapon, cooler box with water, and sandwiches for lunch, as well as some groceries for the coals that were "sold out" on the last store trip on Tuesday. Then we started...

When we arrived at the meeting point at the cattle enclosure, our customer had not arrived yet, so we started setting everything up for the slaughter. Unfortunately, it would still take some time until our customer arrived... we waited at the enclosure for about 1 1/2 hours - then finally the white pick-up appeared on the horizon and we could start. He quickly chose one of the bulls, and Absalom killed the animal. The bull was quickly slaughtered and we could weigh each part. With almost 300kg of meat, it was a medium-sized bull. While Jakob and the workers loaded the meat, I received the money. This time too, the fist-sized bundle was packed in a plastic bag from the Spar supermarket. I always feel like I'm at a movie drug handover...

With everything packed and paid for, the wholesaler headed back to Walvis Bay. Before we went hunting, we first strengthened ourselves with the sandwiches we brought along.

A village of the coals

The cattle enclosure and the well

Afterwards, under the guidance of Absalom, we went through the area in search of the Oryx. Alternating, one of us drove the car while the other walked with Absalom through the thicket. Around 4:30 p.m., at this time I was waiting with the car at the meeting point, the first shot sounded, shortly followed by a second...

My first thought was that Jakob had only grazed the Oryx and Absalom had reacted before the wounded animal could escape. But my first impression was completely wrong. Jakob had safely killed his first animal and Absalom took the gun and chased after the fleeing herd to kill a second animal after another 300m. The two animals were quickly loaded because the day was coming to an end. Next, it was my turn again, and I stalked through the savannah with Absalom. At some distance (about 400m), Absalom spotted another group of 3 Oryx. First crouched, then on all fours, and finally crawling on my stomach, we approached the animal until we were about 100m away. So far, the old Oryx buck had not smelled anything, as he was still very relaxed in the shade. Absalom then gave the command: I loaded the rifle, aimed at its shoulder, targeted the animal, took three deep breaths... and shot. Thanks to a well-aimed shot in the neck, the Oryx fell right away - I had killed my first big animal. If you had told me that 4 weeks ago in Germany, I would never have believed it!!

An Oryx antelope at the waterhole...

As the sun approached the horizon, we hurried back home and arrived at the farm exhausted around 7:00 p.m. An exhausting day came to an end, and after dinner and a shower, I went to bed around 9:00 p.m.

(Source image Oryx: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryx)