Boddington and I just returned from a filming tour in both Zambia and Mozambique.Both trips were wonderful and we shot some great stuff for next seasons TV shows. My main goal was a really good sable,and I was fortunate to take a beauty. We hunted with our friend Pete Fisher at Nchila, a true paradise in Northwestern Zambia.
I have been lucky to hunt some pretty good sable country over the years, but neither Craig or I were prepared for the number of bulls, or the trophy potential we found at Nchila. I videoed two bulls over fifty ( not a typo) that were overseeing breeding herds, and thus off limits ( Pete hunts only bachelor bulls to limit distress within breeding herds) but a thrill to see. We filmed so many bulls over 40 I lost count, it was simply astonishing the quality of sable there. On day four, we found a bull that had been wounded in a fight the year before. Due to his age, and the wound that had kicked him out of the breeding fights, his coat had lost much of it's black, but Oh My the horns were just what I was looking for! He was a very old bull, massive at the base, and when measured pushed a tape to just under 45 inches. The bull of my lifetime for sure.
Safari Classics will be booking for Pete Fisher this year and if you are looking for a sable hunt, I can promise you a trip you will have to see to believe. We took several other great trophy's with Pete and when time allows I will do a more in depth report. It has been a busy year of filming, but I think the 2010 season will be our most exciting to date.
I just wanted to share the pic with my AR buddies of a critter I have been dreaming of for a long time.
Cheers

well done!!!

Congrats on a proper sable taken by a proper hunt!

Very nice.

which gun did you use and details on it please?

The gun I used was a Ruger #1 in.300. The other rifle was Pete's. A Hornady DGX through the heart and stone dead within 25 yards. Quite a thrill!

The Sable is a grand animal.

Congrats on your trophy.

ddj

Congratulations on a beautiful Sable. I'll be looking forward to seeing your hunt on TAA

Yah-boy!

Fantastic Bull Dave- huge Congrats!

Some animals have the F**K factor which is when a PH takes his first look through the binos and says F**K.............. and that animals has it in spades!

Nicely done bwana!

Great bull, Dave!

Wow... a 45" sable is a real sod! Congrats my friend, well done!

What is the largest sable you have seen in the Valley? Just wondering since Zim, primarily Matetsi, used to have some pretty incredible sable as well.

The bull of a lifetime! Great pics!

Dave-Very nice! Question: Is it general condition of the sable that causes the coat to fade, age, genetics or the wound? I have seen a couple of places where the sable seemed to be a bit lighter in color, even prime age bulls. Could you tell us a bit more about Nchila? Thanks!

Great trophy, that bull seems to have characterstics of Giant Sable.

Beautiful Sable Dave,
I noticed on their website they call it a game preserve, is their land High fenced? If so , how large a property is it?

Never mind, On further review of their website, it is high fenced , 10,000 acres. It looks like a Beautiful place that has been well managed and the trophy quality is outstanding. It also looks like they have good Buffalo in a addition to the Huge Sable. I think it would be a fun place to hunt.

Jerry
They actually have two places, both under fence. The total is roughly 25,ooo acres. The management Pete has in place would be impossible without the fencing, but like a good whitetail ranch with room to spread out, the fence plays no part in the hunt. Besides sable, there are several other great species at Nchila, including Forest sitatunga ( they are indigenous to the area and were there when Pete fenced) of which Craig shot a beauty. I have been to most of Africa's game fields, and we were so impressed with Nchila and the Fisher family that we have entered into a marketing partnership to book Nchila through Safari Classics. If anyone wants to visit, buzz me at the office 214-360-9599 and I will fill you in on details. We will be going back next year and I am counting the days,truly an exceptional place to safari.

Congrats Dave , he is a real beauty!

Dave, beautiful sable. Bases look really thick.