Out of Africa: Couple goes on dream safari

By Ryan Howard (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published 11:29 a.m., March 19, 2010

Ryan Howard

Daily Journal

“I’m an adventurous person,” said Ranae Edwards, Grant County’s 4-H program coordinator. Now that she, along with her husband Mike, has risked life and limb hunting big game in Africa, she’ll be hard pressed to find many people who would disagree, and any naysayers are welcome to come to the Preserve the Tradition Natural History Museum in Dalton on April 10 to see evidence of her bravery for themselves.

The Edwards traveled to the Republic of Namibia last August after hearing Steven Slack, the curator and owner of the museum, talk about how fun it was hunting game in Africa. Slack has hunted in Africa on 14 occasions. Namibia is on the southern Atlantic coast of Africa, just north of the country of South Africa.

The Edwards were in Namibia just under two weeks. While they were there, they stayed at various scenic safari resorts, toured the Etosha National Park, and saw all kinds of wildlife, from elephants to rhinos to giraffes to lions. “My husband and I love wildlife, and we love hunting,” Ranae said.

They got plenty of both. When they were hunting, they spent every night in a special ranch that accommodates hunters. Six other Americans were also there to shoot game. Mike bagged four different animals, and Ranae shot three.

While some of the animals have names that would sound familiar to most Americans - Ranae shot a zebra, and Mike downed a blue wildebeest - most of their quarry were not animals made famous by stories, movies or Discovery Channel specials. Mike killed a blesbock, a member of the antelope family; a greater kadu, a large, horned, striped creature; and a gemsbok, a horned desert creature that can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. In addition to her zebra, Ranae shot a red hartebeest and a springbok, both antelopes.

The Edwards got to keep the skulls and pelts of their kills, and they also dined on all of the animals’ meats- except the zebra, which Ranae described as having a sweeter taste. They also enjoyed eating the meats that the other hunters brought back, and the variety was such that they ate a different animal every day of the trip. Ranae’s favorite was the eland, an antelope found in southern Africa’s savannas and plains. “It tastes much like American beef,” she said, “but it was tastier than any prime rib you’ve ever eaten.”

There were a few times, however, when even the adventurous Ranae was a bit spooked. Once evening, she was too tired to shoot anything, so she left her gun at the ranch and trailed along after Mike and their hunting guide. When they spotted some prey that went off into a wooded area, she chose to stay behind.

The two men left, and pretty soon Ranae began hearing the sounds of various predators in the woods. “I could hear these jackals howling, and they were getting closer and closer,” she said, adding that she was certain they viewed her as a scrumptious dinner. Thankfully, Mike and the guide came back just before nightfall.

Another frightening moment came when the Edwards were touring the Etosha park. Their jeep stopped to let a herd of elephants cross the trail, but one elephant milled around by the road, becoming visibly annoyed that the Edwards’ jeep was so close to him (the jeep couldn’t back up because other jeeps were behind it). Suddenly, the elephant looked at them, spread his ears out and began to charge. Fortunately, the animal was bluffing and soon called off his attack.

The final intimidating incident came when Mike, Ranae and the hunting guide were stalking a herd of blue wildebeest. The three of them followed the tracks and were disappointed to see that they led into some brush where they couldn’t follow. They waited for a bit and then were surprised to see a group of the wildebeest burst out of the brush and charge straight towards them. Ranae quickly hid behind a tree, but the guide and Mike stayed out to try to get a good shot. “I thought they were going to die,” she said. However, the wildebeests ran around the two men, and Mike ended the day with a bagged wildebeest.

These stories and more will be shared at the special “Out of Africa” event at the museum. The Edwards will talk about their adventures and show pictures, and Slack, in addition to sharing his own stories about his Africa journeys, will provide a tour of the museum, showcasing the game he has shot in the continent.

There will also be traditional African foods and appetizers at the event, as well some special entertainment: six students from North Dakota State University well versed in forms of traditional African percussion, singing and dancing. The six students are all originally from Africa.

The event will take place at 1 p.m. on April 10. If the event sells out, another showing will take place at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for adults, $10 for children age 12 to 17 and $5 for children under 12. Tickets must be reserved in advance by calling 218-685-4820. Visit www.ptmuseum.com for more information and directions.

“It’s kind of a unique, one time thing that we’re doing,” said Ranae. “It’s going to be fun.”

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