| Rell |
| (.375 member) |
| 12/10/15 06:51 AM |
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Mozambique Hunting Report.
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Just got back from a 10 day hunting trip with ZDS in Coutada 11.
It was a buffalo package and I committed to a forest Buffalo hunt not a shoot in the swamp. A bit of tough sledding, I think they way over hunt the forest buff and the herds are pretty picked over. They do have a ton of swamp buffalo but the forest buff are pretty thin on the ground and very heavily hunted.
I managed to take a bull out of the forest but while it was a great hunt, it was a buff that quite frankly was to young.I fell prey to the curse of the buff package, I took a bull I probably would not have for trophy fees. I'm not sure how I feel about this decision, but I'll hopefully come to peace with it in time.
The hunt was great, looked at 4-5 herds and took the biggest bodied bull. The PH told me it was a shooter and I only saw the side profile. When the bull moved into a gap I took him on the shoulder. Th buff broke with the heard but slowed after 30 meters, we ran and caught him in another gap and I tried slipping one in on a quartering away angle. Got him in the gut and then put another in low as he broke and ran.
We saw him going into a think piece of bush and left him for 15 minutes, light was failing so we started in on him. The tracker saw him lying down facing away and while he was pointing it out to the PH and I, he turned and started in our direction so I put another 3 shots from the 375 into him. The buff turned another 180 degrees and the PH fired and tried for the base of the tail. We circled back and found a hole. He was lying down broad side and I put another 2 shots into him as his head was still up. The death below followed.
Rifle was a 375H&Hon a GMA action by AHR. Load was 300gr Barnes TSX and 300gr Nosler banded solids.
| Rell |
| (.375 member) |
| 12/10/15 07:07 AM |
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Re: Mozambique Hunting Report.
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The eland hunt was a test of perseverance and bad shooting. We found tracks of a big bull and followed him for 3 or 4 kms and slipped up on him. He was in a burnt pan and we walked 10 or so meters inside the forest and got within a couple hundred meters. An unseen warthog bust from the forest and the land moved off. He stopped Ina gap and I took a shot from the sticks, I said 200 meters and the PH said ya maybe a little further. Well when we paced it off it was 300m. I hit him low in the brisket. He took off and I fired a second shot but missed low.
We tracked and cast about for him for 4 days, tracked him for an estimated 40kms and drove 120kms trying to find tracks. We found fresh tracks on the last days and after 3 kms found him in a clearing. Another 250m shot but his time I put oneinto his shoulder and another into his gut as he ran.
I wish it was a clean kill on the first day but it was supper fun tracking one animal and was an education on tracking and hunting eland. I might be addicted to eland after this.
| Rell |
| (.375 member) |
| 12/10/15 07:15 AM |
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Re: Mozambique Hunting Report.
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The sable was actually pretty easy. We say several herds each day and some days saw literally hundreds of sable. There is a debate as to where they are common or Roosevelt sable but even the old males have a little red in them, not like the few sable I have seen in RSA.
This was about the best we saw, pretty straight forward stalk and a good shot to the shoulder ended it.
| Rell |
| (.375 member) |
| 12/10/15 07:18 AM |
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Re: Mozambique Hunting Report.
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To round out the trip I took a couple of Chobe bushbucks and a really old warthog.
| thetexasrifleman |
| (.224 member) |
| 12/10/15 08:01 AM |
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Re: Mozambique Hunting Report.
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Looks like a fantastic 10 days... Quite the variety of trophies. Very well done!
I particularly like that old warthog. Looks like he's led a rough life.
| Claydog |
| (.375 member) |
| 12/10/15 08:25 AM |
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Re: Mozambique Hunting Report.
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Looks like a great hunt. Thanks for posting. Some nice trophies in there for sure.
| Cazadero |
| (.375 member) |
| 12/10/15 01:10 PM |
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Re: Mozambique Hunting Report.
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Rell, Don't second guess yourself on the shot, at least you weren't hunting behind a fence!
Guides usually want you to shoot, and it's tough to spend so much and have to worry about their individual integrity at the same time. Please name the guide/outfitter.
No one can truly judge a buff from the side, and I'm sorry to see that you are having some doubts about what you did.
The only way I managed to personally recover from the DISASTER that was my first trip to Africa, (thank you South Africa) was to return and hunt in Zimbabwe with real PH after a real wild buffalo.
Otherwise your report looks great. Congratulations!
Also - Lets see another shot of that buff. Does he have a white stripe or is that sunlight?
Great Eland and Sable and fantastic warthog!
| gwh |
| (.333 member) |
| 12/10/15 10:01 PM |
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Re: Mozambique Hunting Report.
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Looks a great hunt indeed.