I saw something the other day about mine fields on the Mozambique border.

Questions is anyone have any experience while hunting with land mines?

Thanks Jerry

There are more potholes on Route 1-9 than there are landmines in Mozambique.

George

Then there must be well over 5,000,000 potholes on I-9. I have no idea if they are near the hunting areas but Mozambique is in the top five for UEO/Mines

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
There are more potholes on Route 1-9 than there are landmines in Mozambique.

George

George,

Although I don't specifically know what the landmine situation is in hunting areas in Mozambique, I do know that in many regions of northern Mozambique they are still a problem. My wife and I were warned quite often by locals regarding bushcamping while in northern Mozambique (north of the Zambezi), especially near strategic places such as bridges etc. We also saw a large number of people missing legs (young people too, so the accidents had to be reasonably recent).

But then I haven't driven on Route 1-9, so maybe you're right!

However. I agree that I would not be too nervous about mines in a Mozambique hunting area since they were obviously not of much strategic interest, and thus stumbling across a mine would be like winning the lottery. Not very likely...

Btw, we had to cross a minefield on the border between Mauritania and Western Sahara (occupied by Morocco). The unmarked track vanished now and then due to the shifting sand dunes, and we were naturally quite nervous. Passing several wrecked 4x4s that had been blown up in the last few years didn't help ease the tension! So I do have a lot of respect for mines. And I think they are useful defence tools, but that's another topic.

thats pretty much old news...they have cleaned Moszambique up..Last mine that I know the blew up a Safari car was in the 50s...

just checked this out with jumbo moore, who is opening an area in northern moz. yes there are areas where there are lots of mines yet. Mostly along the border near swaziland. He says most of this areas are cordended off and people just stay away from them.

quote:

Originally posted by Minkman:

Questions is anyone have any experience while hunting with land mines?

Personally, I have never hunted with landmines, but I'm willing to give it a try.

Russ

"According to Handicap International, an estimated 20 people step on landmines every month in Mozambique."

Landmine Monitor

CBC

quote:

Originally posted by Russell E. Taylor:

Personally, I have never hunted with landmines, but I'm willing to give it a try.

Russ

I saw a camel in Iraq that found a landmine on accident. There was camel parts and pieces for 75 yards in all directions.

I saw a photo of an elephant that found a land mine! Horrible!! to say the least!

I know it isn't really on topic but might give a laugh. When my dad was in Nam there was an incident while he was driving a dues and a half at the front of a convoy. All of a sudden the rear drivers side of the truck was thrown up into the air and he about pissed himself thinking he had hit a mine. When the back end came down and he looked in the mirror he saw his spare back off the side. it had come loose and gone under the rear tires. Scared him real good at the time but was a funny story later.

Red

Perhaps Michael Moore should start his cardio routein in Mozambique to clear up a few areas for us hunters. he needs to lose about 600pounds so he could cover alot of ground and actually do a good thing for himself and us.

A few years ago most of the mined areas in Mozambique had been found and at least marked ......then the floods came and moved many of them around...... now no-one is very sure where they went. Most people theorise that many/most probably got washed out to sea.

......but if 20 people a month are still stepping on them there then they obviously didn't all get washed out to sea!...........Maybe you should consider getting a couple of trackers to walk in front of you!

The problem of land mines is acute in Mozambique and Angola, although it is localized.

With 20 years of guerilla warfare, there was plenty of time to place them in quantity.

Much of the problem stems from the fact that in many cases no one knows where they are and finding them is hazardous to say the least.

The mines are in the Southern reaches of Mozambique, not in the safari areas according to my sources, and I am sure they are on top of it....Herds of elephants run all over that area in the North and a herd of elephants will clean a mindfield..Edi Amein was know to herd thousands of elephants over mine fields and then sell the Ivory for his pocket for whatever thats worth.

My PH in Botswana had a brother in RSA who stayed busy and well paid as an expert in this mine removal business, throughout the world. Apparently business can be good in parts of Africa yet.

.

Mines continue to be a problem- the parks station at Malapati in Southern Zimbabwe ran out of water pump 9 years back so the staff have to walk through the uncleared minefield to get water from the river! Lost one child a couple of years back.

The Rhodesian Government planted huge minefields along the borders- plastic South African made jobs. The mine maps were destroyed at independance and in any case the small mines move far underground on hilly terain in wet weather.

I hit an AP mine in a landrover in '93, driving down a faily well used road. It had just rained hard and I served onto the edge of the road to miss what looked like a deep puddle and there was a very loud bang, and a landrover spinning down the road. Trashed a wheel but that was all.

Must have been at least ten trucks or busses a day that used that road... Ever since then I have reguarded 200m as the nearest I want to go to any minefield - cleared or not.

Have hunted fairly extensively in northern Moz. Just about all the old AP mines have been found and used or destroyed by now and the AT ones are marked. Clearing operations continue.

Last clients who I heard about having land mine trouble were two spanish clients of Brian Marsh (now hunting editor of Magnum magazine) who went bang in chete in '78 - so the chances of finding one are considerably less than getting gored, stomped or catching an interesting tropical disease

Alf,
I agree with Ganyana...

My question to you is there anything that your not afraid off, like reloading, Mozambique, Tanzania, Malaria according to one of my clients, not living in RSA..Jeez give me a break, life itself is a risk, you can get killed walking across the street...

Ray,

FWIW, I think one of ALFs points was that the mine problem was largely in the north where RENAMO was consentrated, and not in the south as your source informed you. (from reading ALFs first sentance)

I worked near Vilanculo almost midway up Moz, we constructed a gas refinery. They did get some mines but fortunately also cleared a small private area for us to have our Barbiquis. Nice place but with a warning not to move uotside the markers. Even when totally drunk the guys/girl remembered to pee in the road. My personal view is that you have a better chance to get bitten by a snake than stepping on a mine.

.

Gotta agree with Alf