This is not an "official" report or valuation of my hunt just sharing.

I arrived in Addis Ababa about 7:30 AM on Monday Oct 7 and was met by Nassos Roussos rep.. We cleared the guns etc and then met Nassos in the parking lot and went to his office to get the National Game Scout and then a 4 hr drive to camp. We were hunting the Munessa concession. We arrived shortly after noon and had a nice lunch and the rested until about 3:30 at which time we checked the rifle - one shot spot on. We then drove to an area and set up to glass for a while during which time we saw nothing. We then went on thru the concession and did see a bushbuck and a couple of Mt Nyala females. The area was beautiful with thick green vegetation. To make things more interesting it is the dry season as the rainy season ended the 25th of Sept or so it is said to be but no one told mother nature. The truck was fully chained up i e chains on all four wheels just to get around. The Munessa concession is 120,000 Sq K. There is little if any hunting pressure in the area as there are only 3 Mt Nyala and 3 Bushbuck license per year. I was the first hunter for the year.

The next morning it was up at about 5:00, breakfast and out to hunt. We saw about 40 Mt Nyala - 37 female and 3 very young bulls. The morning hunt ends about 8:00 or 8:30 and back to camp. Nap, lunch, nap and then back out about 3:30. Nothing in the afternoon.

Wed morning up as usual and out looking. I didn't mention but there are about a dozen trackers scattered in the area looking and glassing, if game spotted it is relayed to us. We got word about 6:30 a couple of nice bulls were spotted and off we went - by truck as the area is large. At app. 7:00 AM I connected on a a very nice 33 3/8" bull. It is not the largest but a beautifully shaped Mt Nyala with nice old ivory tips. That evening we successfully hunted the Colobus monkey. He was a very nice large male. Nassos was concerned because I only had Barnes X bullets loaded but the bullet never opened and made a very nice entry and exit wound (well not a wound killed him).

The next morning we were off looking for a Menlick bushbuck and we found a very nice 13" ram with a nice 122 yrd shot and he was in the salt. Interestingly enough he was on the other side of the ridge where we had taken the Mt Nyala the day before and in the same valley we had seen females the first evening.

We then hunted a couple of night for Hyena with no success.
Then on Sat we flew to the Omo Valley camp.

It was a 2 hr drive to the air field and the an hr flight to camp. We hunted the evening for Gerenuk and Grants Gazelle and I had a thick brush shot on a Gerenuk (my nemeses on this hunt) but fail to connect. They are very deceiving game with very long legs and long neck and a very slim body.

The next morning it was up, breakfast and off to the plains. We got on a nice heard of Grants and I connected with a beautiful 26"" ram. This was about 7:15. Luckly at about 9:00 we spotted a good Gunthers Dik-Dik 3 3/16". You may have noticed Nassos carries a tape and measures every animal on the spot. Then back to camp for the usual lunch and nap before the evening hunt.


Next morning up early and out looking for Lesser Kude and about 7:00 AM we found a nice 31 4/8" nice and close at about 80 yds and he was in the salt. That evening after looking for Gerenuk on our way back to camp we crossed a Genet cat and once more license is filled. Only one tag to go.

The next morning we were off to a totally new area about 2 hrs from camp. Once again I failed on a Gerenuk and depressed headed back to camp and the evening proved unfruitful.

The next morning we returned to an area we had hunted before and I was saying to myself damn am I going to be doing this for a week. I just felt this animal had me in a jinx. Well some times luck just changes and at about 8:00 AM I connected on a good Gerenuk 13 7/8" - again the tape. Well the hunt was done as all tags were filled (I could not use the Hyena tag in the Omo) and a week left on the hunt so I called Kathi and got my return flight changed. Spend a day just looking around as it took a day to get the charter changed also.

It was a different hunt and a fun time. The big difference was the quick success on the Mt Nyala, they plan on 8 to 10 days for success on them and we lucked out on the second day. It is also really nice to hunt and area where there is low pressure on the game It is not shoot, shoot but you can take your time and relax and really enjoy the moment.

So only one little guy but two GREAT spiral horned.

It was fun and Nassos is a great and very knowledgeable hunter.

I ask him if he would be in Dallas and he said he doesn't do many shows. I guess not when you are booked thru 2016 for Mt Nyala.

That's all folks!

Fantastic! Can't wait for the pics!

+1

Sounds like an interesting hunt with some special trophies. Well done and looking forward to the pix.

Congrats! Sounds like an amazing hunt

Congratulations, you hunt a lot of different places Always great to read about. Hope we get som pics soon?

Thanks for the report, looking forward to the pictures, sounds awesome!

If someone will provide me with an email address that can post the pics I will gladly provide same.

borderlineadventures@gmail.com

Congrats Ed. Some really top shelf animals on your hunt Look forward to seeing you in January.

As an interesting aside to this hunt which I forgot to mention in the org post. All of the trackers in Munessa carried umbrellas. We had a good bit of rain the first two days. I had rain gear but Nassos said I didn't need it as they had an umbrella for me, which they did and it came in handy. There you are sitting and glassing while holding an umbrella. They were black but some of the handles were pink or tan some black it was neat. Ethiopia is so different from other hunts. My last two hunts have been really different Ghana and Ethiopia.

Been waiting for this one! Can't wait for the whole story/pics???

Thank you for the great report(I kinda like the concise reports).

I can't wait for the pictures!

quote:

Originally posted by mbogobutch:
Thanks for the report, looking forward to the pictures, sounds awesome!

I second that!

Impressive trophy list - and congratulations on your great success across the board.

Well, Congrats, Ed. Glad it worked out so well.
This was a very thorough report. Jason and I will be at SCI/LV.

Rich, you got to come to Dallas!!!!!!!!!!!

It was good and Nassos is great.

quote:

Originally posted by Die Ou Jagter:
If someone will provide me with an email address that can post the pics I will gladly provide same.

Ed,

If you send them to me I will be happy to post them for you.

saeed@eim.ae

I sent them to Lane Easter and he is trying. If he can't get them up I will send the to you Saeed. Thanks

Congrats on a successful safari! Those East African species certainly have a certain mystic lure to them!!!

Can't wait for the pics!!!

DOJ (Ed) Congrats on a great hunt and report. Also looking forward to some pics. Will try and meet up with you in Dallas.

Larry Sellers
SCI (International) Life Member

Larry, I just saw you post re double and elephants. It reminded me of this hunt. I COULDN'T carry mine. The first morning after breakfast I said I would get my rifle and Nassos said "he will get it" and when we got off the truck a tracker would always carry my rifle, just wouldn't let me. First time this has ever happened. I guess I could have thrown a temper tantrum and insisted but it was easier to just go with the flow. Oh yea the tracker was always right beside me.

Congrats again - beautiful animals!

This Dik Dik must have been the inspiration for the Star wars creatures with long snouts etc.! Really cool animal!

Thanks for sharing a fantastic hunt and great trophies.

Great trophies and looks like a great hunt! Would love to hunt in Ethiopia. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Congrats on some truly great trophies! Well done.

Thanks for sharing the hunt. Sounds like a great trip. If you need any other photos up, let me know.
Glad to see you got another little one! So your new goal should be the elfin eighteen?
Bfly

I know the Mountain Nyala is the big animal in Ethiopia, but I'm really digging the rest of the bag, especially the colobus monkey.

This hunt went well and rather quickly. It was not because we were taking the first animal seen. For the record they are all exceptional representative heads. I know many don't care for scores but that being said, green scored 3 are Gold and 3 are Silver.

Amazing bag and amazing nature it seems. Would love to go, even just to safari. Ironi since I was asked if I wanted to go on safari there in 2014 Thanks for posting

Beautiful trophies!! Congratulations....(love the Nyala)

Fantastic! What rifle and scope were you using? (Make and caliber) I see that you are a fan of thumb holes!

UEG, it is a old Win model 70 in 338wm. Restocked with an MPI thumbhole stock. Barnes 225 X. Scoped with Leupold 2.5X8. First rifle I bought after college in the fall of 1963. It is a 64 push feed.

Regarding thumbhole stocks, I have a 375 and 416 Taylor and a Ruger #1 in 400/395 with TH. You know those big bores with TH stocks will just rip your thumb off.

UEG,

I'm envious! What a nice bag of uncommon trophies. Well done.

Mark

Ed...You are the Man!!

I always look forward to your reports of Outstanding and unique Trophies from out of the way locations.

Congratulations on the fine Trophies you took this time!!

Congratulations Ed....... Not only nice trophies but also nice pics.....

Well done Ed
Another interesting adventure
Looking froward to catching up at DSC

Great stuff there. This is a dream hunt no doubt. Thanks for sharing.

George

Really nice animals there!

Maybe someday I will get there... I am envious!