Day 11: The first shot, lots of meat and new guests

Today started for us at 8:30 am with a delicious breakfast in a small group. While Jakob took care of smaller IT tasks on the farm, Jens and I went to the cattle camp to bring them food. The cattle here receive a mixture of salt, very energy-rich (especially from sugar), and highly mineral-rich feed, which is mixed on-site in the feed trough. However, the arrangement is only a feed supplement, as the main food is the wild grass growing in the camp. After delivering the feed mixture to two different camps, we returned to the farm. After lunch, it was time: we went to the shooting range. At the farm, we quickly gathered some targets, packed rifles and ammunition, and off we went. Shooting range means that somewhere on the farm premises there is an earth wall (to catch the projectiles) and in front of it a large piece of styrofoam with pre-drawn targets made of old egg cartons. In addition, there is a small table with two chairs (right and left-handed) built at a distance of 100m, where you can place the rifle support. Since Jakob and I had never shot before (excluding air rifles), Jens started by explaining the basic rules and basics. After that, I took position, put on my hearing protection, loaded the rifle... Bang: The shot landed somewhere in the air to the right or left of the target, but for the very first time at least my shoulder remained unharmed from the recoil. Then it was Jakob's turn... he also managed the handling and the shot even landed on the edge of our egg carton. So we shot closer and closer to the target. In between, we changed the distance and shot from 50m from the car at small plastic animals, water bottles, and melons.

In the evening, Jens, Jakob, and I planned to drive to another rock for a sundowner. After a short logistics stop at the farmhouse, we set off again immediately after returning home. Instead of targets and rifles, we now had beer, music, and almost all 8 dogs with us. When we arrived at the rock, we tackled a small climbing adventure, but it was more than worth it for the view at the top. Below us: Savannah as far as the eye can see. In the cloudless sky: The sun on its journey behind the horizon. A view that you can't find anywhere in Germany...

While the dogs took over the entire area around us, we raised our glasses to a successful afternoon and Jens' last day of vacation. In his school, the school years are divided into trimesters instead of halves. This means that from tomorrow, Monday to Friday, there will be lessons instead of hunting and driving cattle. Since the school is located about 100km away in Otjiwarongo, he lives in a boarding school there during the week. The lessons are taught in English, but German is taught as the mother tongue and is common in everyday school life.

After the sun gave way to the breathtaking starry sky, we headed back towards the farm. On the way, we were supposed to pick up the back piece of the slaughtered bull from the refrigeration room. With a length of nearly 2m and a proud weight of 103kg on the scale, transporting it became a real challenge. Because 103kg of meat is still 103kg and requires a lot of strength to be carried. The piece was even so enormous that it didn't fit into the kitchen for cutting, so we had to break it down on the terrace despite the darkness. Finding a suitable container is also a challenge... in our case, a laundry basket helped. After the laundry basket, along with one half of the back piece, was in the kitchen, the 'rest' (meaning another half, just as big as the piece in the laundry basket, and the bone) still had to be placed in the cooler in the farmhouse. Although there were about 30kg less to carry, the piece remained unwieldy.

We were helped by a laundry basket...

After a refreshing shower, we prepared the reward for our work. A part of the cut piece was sliced, marinated with oil and pepper, and fried.

At around 9 pm, Sylvia arrived with groceries and the two new guests. Greeting the guests, unloading the luggage, and putting away the groceries should be the last tasks for the successful day. Then off to bed, because tomorrow it would be time for hunting again at precisely 7:30 am.