Schultheis enjoys hunting experience in Africa

Last summer, Maria Schultheis traveled to Windhoek, located in Namibia, on a hunting trip with her father, Greg. This was her second trip to the continent.

“We were kind of open minded about what we were hunting for since the area is so rich with wildlife,” said Schultheis, a sophomore. “I initially wanted a Springbok, but I ended up getting a lot more than that.”

Hunting all day long, stopping only for lunch, the duo were accompanied by Kurt Düvel, their guide from Germany.

Schultheis hunted and successfully gained a Kudu, an Oryx, and a Hartebeest, compared to her Impala and Bushbuck on the first trip.

Schultheis posing with her Kudu

Schultheis posing with her Kudu

Schultheis posing with an Oryx

Schultheis posing with an Oryx

At the end of the day, the animals were brought back to Schultheis’s lodge to be cleaned. The meat would then be donated to restaurants or local villages.

“I guess I could say I fed a village.” Schultheis said.

When it came to their meals, the food was prepared by Düvel’s  wife, Kate, who made “amazing gourmet meals,” including lamb chops and “fancy custard that filled your mouth with amazing flavors that your never expected.”

“We even got to eat native dishes too, like squash, pea soup, and dried chipped Oryx,” she added.

The climate was “unbelievably dry” due to the winter season on the continent. The temperature would range from 40 degrees in the morning to the mid-70’s in the afternoon.

“The biggest challenge was most definitely walking in the heat for hours on end while carrying my gun and trying to keep up with the guys,” said Schultheis.

“One of the coolest experiences I had was when we were stalking once,” Schultheis said. “We walked up this rock embankment and once we reached the top the view was amazing.”

She described the view as “miles upon miles of endless shrubs and dirt that only ended when it met the sky.”

An image of the African landscape

An image of the African landscape

An image of the African landscape

An image of the African landscape

“We sat up there for a while and suddenly these baboons came out of nowhere,” she said. “It was awesome seeing them watching us from the trees and carrying their babies on their backs.”

Schultheis also spotted leopard prints “big enough she could fit her whole hand into it.”

On their way back to their lodge, Schultheis said she had a “unique encounter” with a puff adder snake.

“They’re extremely venomous,” said Schultheis. “All of a sudden the truck stopped and Kurt jumped out of the driver seat. He grabbed this big stick and started hitting this big puff adder.”

Calling the situation “crazy,” she said Düvel acted violently because “he had too many dogs killed by those snakes.”

“It really puts into perspective the dangers of Namibia,” said Schultheis.

Besides hunting, she and her father also went on game drives and shopped in the airport gift shops, as well as playing with Kai, the Düvels’ son “who loved to teach her about snakes.”

Schultheis said they plan on returning in 2017 while uncertain what to hunt next. “It all just depends on what we see, I guess.”

Mia Rocco

I am a junior at Southmoreland High School, where I participate in Art Council and Spanish Club. When I'm not writing stories for the Tam O'Shanter I'm spending my time writing other literary works, such as novels and short stories, or zoning out to Pandora. I aspire to be a published author by the time I graduate and plan to go to college for creative writing.

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About Mia Rocco
I am a junior at Southmoreland High School, where I participate in Art Council and Spanish Club. When I'm not writing stories for the Tam O'Shanter I'm spending my time writing other literary works, such as novels and short stories, or zoning out to Pandora. I aspire to be a published author by the time I graduate and plan to go to college for creative writing.

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