05 June 2004, 08:15
SlingsterMy Zambian Sable
Just got back from Zambia and South Africa yesterday. I was mostly along to accompany a group of four first-time African hunters on a plains game hunt that I arranged for them with Schalk van Heerden of Bush Africa Safaris in South Africa, but I got to make a three-day side trip to Zambia to hunt a sable at the beginning of it while the group got started on their hunts. I hunted on Chaminuka Ranch about 45 minutes outside of Lusaka, a 10,000-acre game ranch. Except for the first few hours in the morning, it was quite windy, so game got very scarce for most of the day. On the first morning, only five minutes after confirming zero and beginning to hunt, we saw a bull sitting in the shade of a tree next to a large termite mound. We drove past, stopped behind the mound, and sneaked up on it. My PH estimated it at 38" and it was an easy broadside shot at maybe 40 yards, but because it was so early in the hunt and there was a good chance at 40" or better on this ranch, I passed.
Then the wind picked up mid-morning and we didn't see a single sable bull (and very little other game) until almost dark when we were coming back to the lodge. There was a bull and several cows in a field near the lodge, and we planned to return the next morning to see if they were still there.
In the grey dawn before sunrise we approached the field through the fringing trees to find the herd still there. My PH estimated this bull also at 38", but then we saw what looked to be a second lone bull standing off to the right. We backed away through the trees and moved over to look at him, and as we emerged from the trees my PH said, "He's a big one; take him."
Distance was about 60-70 yards, and he was facing us, angling about 10 degrees to his right. I hit him with a 286-grain Nosler Partition at 2335 fps from my Blaser R93 in 9.3x62 just inside and slightly above the point of his left shoulder and he collapsed where he stood. The trackers and my PH seemed surprised that he went down immediately; grins all around.
Quick field measurements put his horns at 38" with 10" bases. He's a big old guy and I like the shape of his horns very much.
