Ferns Namibia Hunt
2005

Africa planning started in the winter.  Fern started working up her loads, and decided she liked the Barnes triple-X because of its accuracy.  She shoots a 7mm x 08 and uses the little 140 gr. bullet.   Here is a sample of the group she was getting at 100 yds. and those are 7 mm diameter holes.

Next cardboard life size targets were made and set up at 200 yds for practice.  You can see them across the river in the photo at the left, above.

The first thing she had to do in Namibia was to prove to the PH  (Boet Nel) that she could shoot well enough to hunt.  Boet put out an 8" target at 100 yds.  Dad made him stop and put a 1" dot in the middle of the target.  Once given the go-ahead, Fern dropped to the ground and let off two rounds.  That was enough proof ... one hit in the bull and one an inch away. Boet threw his hands in the air and said "OK, OK, she can shoot better than her dad!

The first Trophy she took was a nice Kudu... 185 yds and one shot. Which you see on the left.  She followed with the Klipspringer seen on the right.  This was an uphill shot at 185 yds.  The trophy is an old warrior, heavy long and broken.

One evening right at dusk, on the way home for the evening, Fern took a nice wart hog.  She spotted it herself, and shot it in short order.  When she first pointed it out, Boet took a quick look and told her;

"Shoot it fast, and shoot it in the right shoulder."  She shot fast, and it flipped. 

"Where did you hit it Fern?"    

"Right between the eyes." She responded. 

"I asked you to shoot it in the shoulder."  Boet admonished her.  

"Boet, you are taller then I am, you could see over the grass and I can't!    I could only see the top of his head, so I shot him between the eyes."  

Good Point Fern.

Next on the list came a very nice Springbuck at about 190 yds.  The shooting was somewhat of a challenge because Fern had done most of her practicing prone, sitting and from a bi-pod.  Africa did not lend itself to any of these positions.  It was kneeling, or from long sticks.  But, as one observer noted after seeing her shoot ... "She shoots like its her job!" 

Boet's son, Liam, was skeptical at first, but he watched her sight in her rifle, and then he took her hunting Rock Hyrax. She got 5 shooting off-hand.  "Gosh, its an amazing thing to see!"  Liam reported. 

She may only be 9 but she manages.  :-)

All the above was fine...but only for fill in on a hunt.  What Fern really had dreamed of for months on end, was a Gemsbok.  It took awhile, and there were several missed stalks, and sometimes she was just not fast enough to get the shot off, but eventually, with Boet's wonderful help and patience the goal was achieved.  Fern eventually took two fine Gemsbok trophies.

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