Hunt Dates: August 22 - September 3, 2014
Travel Agent: Steve Turner/Travel With Guns
Country: Mozambique
Outfitter: Thierry Labat Safaris / Roger Whittall Safaris
PH: Thierry Labat
Trackers: Taru (Roger Whittall Safaris), Mudini, Ishmael (also driver), Shorty (also skinner, Roger Whittall Safaris), Paulino (Roger Whittall Safaris), Roger (Rogerio, helper, Roger Whittall Safaris)
Friend's PH: Peter Wood
Area: Roger Whittall Safari area in Niassa Province (Nungo), 2.5 million acres
Rifle: Sako AV LH in .338, Schmidt & Bender 3X12 scope, Swift A-Frames loaded by Superior Ammunition

Animals taken: sable, hartebeest, bushpig, eland
Animals hunted, but not taken: leopard, reedbuck, Niassa wildebeest, hyena
Animals taken by accompanying friend (1st timer):sable, hartebeest, eland, Niassa wildebeest, reedbuck, kudu, hyena

We overnighted in Jo'berg at Africa Sky Guesthouse. They've made more improvements since I stayed there in 2011 and I am always impressed with this place. We wound up overnighting there coming back due to a missed connection and they were like coming home to family after a grueling, frustrating day.

My friend that came with me is the son of a very dear church friend of mine that hunted with me on the Bubye in 2011 and passed away due to Mesothelioma the following May. We had talked about getting him a sable in Moz "next time", so it was especially poignant for his son to kill a beauty of a sable. We both hunted leopard; our PHs and teams setting 25+ bait sites over a 35+ mile distance, changing camps once and hunting hard. It just wasn't in the cards. Thierry and Peter did everything they could to get us a leopard. We had several females feeding.
[IMG:left] [/IMG]

We named her "Deep throat".

I managed to badly pull my right calf muscle just beginning to hike up one of the granite hills to have a look around. While riding around in the back of the truck with ice on my leg, immediately after, we came across a lone, good sable. Not knowing how much hunting I'd be able to do and with Thierry saying "It's a gift," we got down and did a short stalk, me hobbling behind Thierry. We thought he'd given us the slip and I started to take a round out of the chamber when Thierry and Taru spotted him behind us, off to the left. We got a little bit closer and I was on the sticks.
[IMG:left] [/IMG]
This is the area for sable. We saw them every day. And one or two bigger than this one. After this incident, I acquired the nickname "Wojo" for the rest of the hunt, which stands for "Walk-one-jive-one."

We had several encounters with hartebeest. On a very large, old bull with a herd I was just too slow getting out and around. On one long, crawling "proper" stalk they were all females. Driving up on one lone hartebeest standing in a vlei, Thierry, Taru and I got out in front of the truck and then convened a "sexing committee" meeting over the next 10 minutes to discuss whether or not this hartebeest did in fact have ball bearings hanging off of him. After Taru using my binoculars, Thierry looking through my scope turned up, and the hartebeest apparently incapable of making a decision to flee, the confidence building order of "I'm 99% sure it's a bull" reached my ears and I fired. Walking up to the animal, for the first time in my life, I was very glad to see male genetalia. All three of us were relieved.
[IMG:left] [/IMG]

My calf muscle got better and we took to "leg hill" again to look for Niassa wildebeest. Thierry spotted some from the top of the hill and we descended. Walking around a termite hill, Taru and Thierry spotted a group of bushpigs. Thierry saw the male coming around the hill and got me around in front. They spooked a short distance, but stopped. I freehanded it at about 15 yards and a nice male was down.
[IMG:left] [/IMG]

We immediately trailed the wildebeest, but they turned out to be all females.

We continued to check baits, Mudini checking the furthest baits on a dirt bike. Since we had set a few baits in the south area (Merimeri), we switched camps with a couple of other hunters and moved from the Messalo/north camp to the Merimeri/south camp for the last 2 nights. Both camps are traditional tented camps. Meals were very good and the accommodations were adequate.

We'd jumped one reedbuck and were unable to get a shot. Then I'd blown one stalk on reedbuck, only seeing the buck as he moved to run. So we continued to look for reedbuck in the south area before or after checking our baits for the day. After walking a bit in one vlei, sitting a bit and waiting, and then standing and glassing for reedbuck, Mudini was sent around to our left to look over the vlei from a different angle. He whistled for us to come around. Expecting him to point out a reedbuck, he said something in Shona that Thierry translated as "big f-ing eland". When we saw him Thierry looked at me with that boyish, excrement eating grin and said "You have to shoot him." I already have one eland and had wounded and was unable to recover two before that, but I knew this animal was something special. I asked Thierry if a .338 was enough and he assured me it was and reminded me where to place it. Probably due to the tall grass, my shot was a little high, but it wound up spining him and he went straight down. (Otherwise, I'd probably have puked right then and there.) Thierry ran across the vlei to him, but gracefully waited for "Wojo" to hobble across and he allowed me to put the grand old bull down. This is Mudini's bull as much as it is mine.
[IMG:left] [/IMG]

Our final checking and cutting down baits was of course bittersweet. One last walk for reedbuck was without a sighting or kill, but allowed me to smell and feel Africa one last time until next time. Guy Whittall drove us to Pemba and stayed with us throughout our extremely delayed departure and was a very big help.

Thierry and Peter are a couple of the funniest young men I've ever met. We had a blast telling jokes and stories. I'd hunt again with either of them in a heartbeat. The third time wasn't the charm for me and a tom leopard, and I may or may not have the "yips", but it'll take at least one more time to prove conclusively that I'm not meant to have a cat. You take what the Almighty allows the land to give you, and you're thankful for it.

[IMG:left] [/IMG]
Mudini - remote bait checker extraordinaire.


[IMG:left] [/IMG]
"I'll be back."

[IMG:left] [/IMG]
The view as we waited for the plane to come up to Pemba to pick us up. Not too shabby.

[IMG:left] [/IMG]

[IMG:left] [/IMG]

Sone great looking trophies - congrats. AIU

Congrats on a great hunt! I hunted with Guy and Taru there last Sept - Oct and had good luck also. Taru is fantastic
I don't know Thierry but heard great things about him. Would like to talk with Thierry about hunting lord derby or bongo a couple years down the road

Wish I was hunting that area in Moz right now. Can't wait to go back

That is one of, if not the overall, best Livingstone eland that I have ever seen! Comgrats!

Bushpig on foot, quite a treat. Nice, black sable too.

I bet Mudini has a ball riding that Honda, I'd love to ride dirt bike in the bush!

Beautiful trophies! Congratulations on a successful hunt. Sable and leopard, plus as many more buffalo I can take are still on my schedule.
Well done.

Beautiful trophies indeed!!!
Congrats to Thierry and the team

That eland might be Patterson's am not livingstones. SCI has the sable wrong there per genetic testing and maybe the eland too

Great report and hunt. The eland is a monster.


I am very envious of that rifle. Looks like a beauty.

Mike

First class and the eland is a pig. Beautiful trophy.

Good to see that Leopard are still outsmarting us humans and that is why they are so interesting to hunt.

Great report and photos.

That Eland is something of mye dreams. That color, damn! Congratulations

Undoubtedly one of the best Eland I have ever seen!

If you are meant to get a cat your time will come, just think of all the great things you are experiencing as you wait

Great report. Absolutely fantastic Eland. Well done to all.

Well done!

Congrats on some great trophy's and a excellent Safari.
To think I was only 100miles north of you at the time.

Great report, thank you for sharing it. I love the coloration on that eland. Outstanding. I think the only plains game I have a desire to continue to hunt is eland. A very worthy trophy.

Wow... sorry about the cat but the consolation prizes were off the chart! Like Mike, I love the blue bull. But the Sable, Bushpig and Hartebeest certainly weren't lacking. Well done!

I'm with Mudini, that IS a big fxxxing eland!!!!

Nice report, Thierry is the man for sure.

Nice report Kent and thanks for the compliments. We will have to get even with Mr Spots one day. Great shooting

Cheers

Kent: Congrats on the Jaws Eland! Certainly worth the trip just to get a madala eland like that!

Nice hunt! Congrats!

I thought every hunter with Thierry shoots leopard

GREAT SAFARI CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations sounds like a wonderfully hunt Mozambique Is my favorite African country . Went there in 2008 to hunt crock and hippo. Better luck next time on the Leopard it took me the night after the last day of my fifth hunt to close the deal . I am sure you will do better.

That eland is a double meat with extra cheese!!!!!
Way to go!!!!

Kent,

Excellent in all respects. Mr. Spots is never a slam dunk and you do get a do-over!

Mark

Kent,
Did Peter Wood do the card trick that he tells a story while he brings up the right card? He is a blast to be with in camp. Your eland is a trophy of a life time, I have owned Charolaise bulls that weren't that big.

Pity about the leopard, but that's cat hunting. The eland is spectacular, and the sable very nice. Loved the report and photos.

Thanks to all for all the kind words.

Peter didn't do the card trick, but it was obvious that he had a lot more material. His snoring did carry across camp quite well and I'm indebted to him for making mine not seem so bad.

A few minor things I forgot:

According to Guy, the small game is protected in Moz. We could have killed at least one honey badger on bait.
[IMG:left] [/IMG]



This is the first time I've tipped a ferry man. Alas, I could never catch it when sundowners were served. The booze cruise it ain't.
[IMG:left] [/IMG]



Final detail at one of our bait sets. PHs sometimes get frustrated too.
[IMG:left] [/IMG]




And finally, as I got out to relieve myself, Taru quickly warned me of buffalo beans hanging close to what would have been my crotch area. I'd like to publicly thank that gentleman for saving me from having a dicey at best time explaining a strange rash to my dear wife.
[IMG:left] [/IMG]

There are some bad Buffalo Beans in the old crop areas of Nungo that's for sure.

Good report. You took some great animals, but that Eland, he is extra special with a cherry on top. I'm green with envy over him. Congrtats and thanks for sharing.

Theirry and team congrats. You won't find a better looking eland anywhere.

That's the finest eland I've yet to see.
Glad to see Thierry still keeps the buzzard feathers on the grill of his truck.

Wow! Great trophies!

Thanks for the report.

Great safari and report. Eland was over the moon, a better bull you will never see. Wonderful trophies all around. Good job by all involved!

Thanks for the report. I would love to see more close of pics of the eland

Thanks again to all. Samir - I'm sorry, but we were losing light fast, the camera was picking up any dust particles, and the team still had a big job ahead of them before we could head back, so I'm afraid no close-ups were taken. Thierry might have some on his camera.

Kent,

A super eland love the big mature bull and sorry about the cat.

Mike

Yours is the perfect example of what sport hunting is all about: The targeted species may not have been taken, but no one can deny that this was a SUCCESSFUL hunt! Congrats on overcoming your injury and harvesting some fantastic trophies!

Judging from your humour in this post, I bet there were some good laughs around the fire with Wood and Labat!!

Great report and like everyone's said - that Eland is a SOD!

To say that is an INCREDIBLE Eland bull would be the understatement of the century. I am speechless!! Congratulations on the trophy of a lifetime...

makorokoto .... some great trophies