10 months from my buff/sable/tuskless safari and I am getting fired up. For those of you who have hunted sable, any tips on field judging them. Clearly I will look to my PH, but am also interested in the collective wisdom of those here who have hunted these majestic antelope. Thanks.

If it looks like this one below, SHOOT!







Sorry I ain't much help. But I saw no-one else was helping, and it seemed like a good excuse to re-post a couple of my favorite pictures.

Cheers,
Canuck

I'm far from an expert, but if you check back aways in this forum that question has been answered before. Your PH knows - listen to him. I look at the curl mostly, the more curl, the further back the better the sable. beware of tight curls they can be smaller than you think. also if the spread is narrow, they will appear smaller than what they are. I shot a 46" that was a nominal curl, and my son shot one that was really narrow and looks much smaller, but is actually a 41" only other thing about this beautiful animal is that it has the greatest ground shrinkage of anything I know. you think it's a 800# antelope on the hoof, only to walk up and find out its really 400

Thanks guys. I think I will forward that picture to my PH so that he knows what I am looking for!!!!

I think that's an Angolan Giant Sable

The area I hunted in Zim last time was full of sable (but I did not have one on license). We spent a fair amout of time comparing them. The PH's opinion was that the "higher" the curl the longer the horn. The giant sable above is an extreem example of "high" curl.

Personally, I would have been happy with any mature bull. They are the king of plains game in my book.

Best regards;
Brett

Where will you be Hunting and who will be your Bwana-sitter? Tell us more so we can get fired up with you!

quote:

Originally posted by MAU MAU:
Where will you be Hunting and who will be your Bwana-sitter? Tell us more so we can get fired up with you!

I will be hunting buffalo and tuskless elephant in Chirisa and sable and misc. other plains game in Kwekwe. My PH will be Myles McCallum of Charlton/McCallum Safaris.

Sounds excellent. Chirisa is Beautiful and very rugged. I remember my first night there in Nyati camp which overlooks the Sengwa river. I was looking at a Cape Buffalo in the distance and noted that something was wrong with it. The PH looked through his binoculars and said "The only thing wrong with it is that it has a lion on his back". KweKwe is great too and I am sure you will have a fantastic time. Myles just returned from Tanzania and unfortunately has Malaria, but his beautiful wife is taking care of him. He requested a wet-nurse, but the wife says no!

Couple of points about sable:
You will never forget your first sight of a good sable bull. The first clue is black. Mature sable are black. Second, a good bull's horns are heavy and they go far back. The only sable I've hunted successfully so far was amazing (45 inches) and met both of these criteria. Luckily my shot went through and through the lungs at about 35 yards in Zambia's Mumbwa East hunting area back in the mid-80s. He wandered off very sick and my second shot, right on the shoulder with a borrowed 7mm magnum blew up, knocking the animal down, but merely creating a flesh wound. I've been a heavy for caliber, premium bullets, and under 2,500 fps guy ever since...
Regards, Tim

I've shot only two sable, so I'm no expert. However, I will pass on my experiences with this most beautifull of Africa's antelope.

My first sable was taken in Zimbabwe in 1983 with a .30-06 and a 180-grain Nosler Partition bullet. The bull was running, but I managed to put it down with my third shot. (I missed the first two.) It ran less than 30 yards after taking a lung shot.

My other sable was shot in Zambia's Mumbwa (West, I think) in 1994, and I used a 175-grain Nosler Partition in a 7 mm Rem Mag. One shot high in the shoulder from 60 yards, down and dead in its tracks.

I wasn't lucky enough to collect a 45-incher, but the Zim sable was a bit under 43 inches. Its horns made a tight curl (even tighter than that wonderful giant sable shown above) and does not look as spectacular as the 40-incher I shot in Zambia. The Zambian sable's shorter horns had very little curl and look significantly larger, even when the two heads are close together.

Incidentally, my Zambian sable and several other sable my friends have taken from various places in that country have facial markings identical to those on Angola's giant sable. Facial markings are supposed to be what separate the common and giant subspecies, but that doesn't hold true in my limited experience.

Bill Quimby

Canuck has it right. When you see a big sable, it will look big, and there will be no doubt.

The biggest I've seen was in Chirisa, on the fringe of the park. I was so tempted.....

"The first clue is black".

Most locations this would be right. There's an area in NE Zambia/WSW Tanzania/SE DRC (all bordering Lake Tanganyika) where they seldom get jet black but are more mahogany. I shot a 41" there (Tondwa Kaputa concession in Zambia) in 1980.
Rich Elliott

Thanks Rich. Can't be too definite when it comes to shooting and hunting. Envy you the two sable hunts, Bill. They are special and watching a herd of mixed females and young move away is also a treat.
Regards, Tim

"They are special and watching a herd of mixed females and young move away is also a treat."

My most memorable experience with sable was on that first safari in 1983 in Zimbabwe.... We were entering the Westwood concession in the Matetsi when a herd of at least two dozen young males walked across the road about 30 yards in front of the outfitter's Land Rover. What a sight!

Bill Quimby