A flash of horn in the sunlight

Eland are special. Few animals are as powerful and magnificent as an old eland bull. He is big and grey and his spiral horns shine in the bright Namibian sun. And he is at his most beautiful when he turns and effortlessly trots away from you with muscles rippling and the massive head and neck held high. He makes it look easy, disappearing into the dust and the bush before you can even raise your rifle. Faster than you can get a good look. Maybe he spotted you stalking him, or maybe one of the half dozen cows in his company noticed you first. Then they all disappear, leaving behind only the noise of breaking branches and powerful hooves pounding the sunbaked earth. You got busted.

Bruce J. Mincher

Eland are also special because to hunt them you really have to hunt. If you are unfortunate you might shoot one from the car or maybe at a waterhole, but that’s your bad luck because it’s not the way to get your eland. The value of a trophy is in direct proportion to the effort spent bagging it, and with eland it usually isn’t from the car or at the waterhole. It often starts by spotting a flash of sunlight reflected from a far-away horn as the bull turns his head while browsing. Then the stalk is on. Or sometimes it starts by checking the waterhole for the spoor from the night. Then it’s a game of tracking that may last all day. I’ve hunted more eland than I’ve shot.…

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Huntinamibia (Digital) - 1 Issue, Huntinamibia 2020 (English)

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