Last night for dinner we had hippo tongue. It was excellent. It was so good we're going to have it again tonight, although technically I was the only one who tried it or ate it.

Got up this morning early and went out for Neumann's hartebeest. We got out there and the very first herd we found this morning took off running. So we watched them go, and then they stopped. So we went after them and got within about 300 yards and saw that there was a great big bull with them. So we skirted along the side of the herd. He ran and then he actually circled back to the herd, but we had cut between them and when he circled back he was within 155 yards. Perfect shot. Huge hartebeest. He'll be world's record for muzzleloader for sure. So everyone was thrilled.

We had our lunch and then all of the local natives carrying AK-47's were everywhere, so we offered them meat in exchange for us being able to videotape them. Then four of their wives showed up. They had lip plates, where they knock out their bottom teeth and then they use these plates and their bottom lip hangs way out and way down. Crazy, wild. They don't look very happy and they work very hard.

Our professional hunter, Jason, wanted me to say hi to his girlfriend who is reading the blog to keep track of us. We're taking good care of him. Jason is an exceptional professional hunter, so it's more like he's taking good care of us.


The Next Day ...

I'm standing out here in the pouring rain and thunder. Drove seven hours today from the Sala camp to the Omo camp across the Omo river. Fantastic place, unbelievable, just like walking into National Geogrpahic. The women are walking around and are just wearing beads and a loin cloth of leather and that's it. The drive was beautiful. We saw dik dik's (the tiny antelope) with the long noses ... they can't be hardly bigger than a rabbit. We're here to hunt Northern Grant's gazelle. We went out this evening when we got to this camp which is absolutely beautiful right on the Omo River. It's spectacular. The glossy starlings are just loud, and there are desert rose bushes blooming everywhere around here ... just spectacular; I never saw a camp so nice. There are beautiful tin roof cabins all along this river.

I had this afternoon and I read and looked over the river. It was beautiful. Also one of the most famous places in Africa to hunt. All of the famous hunters of days gone by have all been through here. Since 1996 Jason and his dad have been the only ones outfitting in this area at all and are the only ones who offer the Northern Grant's gazelle. We saw hundreds and hundreds of them and one really big one, but Jason decided it was too early and we could probably do better. We also saw lesser kudu today and ... the bird life is spectacular. We are having a great time. Jason is an absolute professional; very passionate about his hunting and outfitting. He is the new younger generation of outfitters coming on board. Thank goodness for guys like him ...