I am now attempting to make this a bit more of a real hunt report and will keep as thorough as possible...

After our great family trip to SA with Infinito, I hopped over to Mozambique to again hunt with Kambako Safaris in Niassa. I was to hunt lion, buff and PG. On this trip, I also had Greg Shubert and Frazier Jones with me. This is Frazier’s first trip to Africa.
I am going to attempt to write this as we go along in camp, so some may be in present tense, and some may be in past. Please excuse this…Paul Wellock is my PH. I have known Paul for a while and he is a great guy and quality PH. He is always funny and very hard working.

We arrived in camp just before dark after a bit of mumbo jumbo at the Pemba airport.
Day 1- Shot my rifle just after daylight, and all was good. I am using a new TC Icon in .416 Rem. shooting 400 gr Nosler solids and partitions. The gun is topped with a 2.5x10 Nikon Monarch X scope with illuminated center crosshairs.

We got on buff tracks about 8:00. Eventually zebra were walking on buff tracks and Paul and I decided we would shoot first thing we saw for bait. Within 10 minutes we heard a Zebra, and we began working toward them. Eventually we could see a herd a bit below us in a wooded area with some thick spots. We watched for some time, and I think the wind shifted, and you could tell they were about to leave. I could see the triangle on the shoulder between two trees, and I hammered it with the .416. It slammed the zebra off its feet and the herd ran off. One came back and stood around the fallen one, and not thinking about bait, I didn’t shoot, and it eventually left. Not a good move when you need lion bait.


The afternoon was spent hanging the 2 halves. Greg took a nice bushbuck and Johnson’s impala. Frazier took his first African animal early morning with a nice kudu. I am stoked for him for sure. Tomorrow, check two baits early and try to find a buff.


I will do a full hunt report at some point, but it is only day 2 here in Niassa, and I killed a great old lion this morning with Paul Wellock. We hung 2 zebra baits yesterday, and we walked in on one this morning about 7AM. This was the same spot I passed a pretty decent cat last year because we were not sure he was 6 years old.

Anyway...there were 2 sets of tracks in the road. A good one and a smaller male. When we could see the bait, there was a dark lion there, and he slinked off to the other side of the riverbed. We moved in a bit closer and were glassing the bait when a lion roared some 300-400 yards sort of behind us.

The cat across the river began roaring, and then they both were going constantly back and forth.

The cat across the river was about 200 yards upstream, and we could tell he was moving our way, so we ran about 50 yards up on some rocks and we could see him coming. It was fairly thick, but if he kept going, he would cross the road at 80-90 yards. I got on that spot, and when he stepped out slightly quartering away, I hit him with the .416 Rem. He began rolling and growling, and I pumped two more into the mass of fur, and then he was out of view.

A couple more grunts and all was quiet. We waited a few minutes, the guys brought the truck up, and we rode toward him. He was piled up 5 yards off the dirt track.

Everyone here thinks he is at least 8 years old but maybe as old at 10. He is heavily scarred, has super worn teeth, one canine was only a half. He was a no brainer, and this is about as good a mane as you will find in Niassa. I will get more proper photos later...getting ready for a party!








[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/TimHerald/media/LionNose_zps8bbaef54.jpg.html]

Frazier killed a zebra as well.


Day 3, we had a slow start. We went and checked the lion bait again hoping for some footage, and 2 leopards had fed on it. We moved the bait 10 yards to a better tree, and went back for lunch.

Knowing we had many days for a buff, we all decided that we would not shoot one unless we had it in the open with good footage. I have never had that happen here as the old guys usually are in the thick.

So we decided to go walk the river looking for a bushbuck or bish pig. Just before we got to where we wanted to start, David Page (running camera) spotted 3-4 buff about 500 yards away across a huge high grass field. We saw it was 3 big bulls and a smaller one, but obviously not sure of bosses. The wind was decent, so we decided to give it a try.

20 minutes later, we were sneaking from bush to bush and trying to make sure one was a shooter. They were spread out feeding, and Paul and I both thought the farthest left and right were both good to shoot. The left bull walked into the wide open broadside, and I decided that was plenty good enough. I went up his front leg and held the crosshairs low, and gave him a 400 gr solid.

The group came barreling toward us, but they did not know we were there and eventually turned for the thick stuff. A couple minutes later, we heard the sweet sound of the death bellow, and the old guy was done. I had hit him square through the heart and he was DOA.


When we got back to camp, we found that Frazier had taken his first buff ever, so obviously, we had a buff party! Tomorrow we are going to see biologist Colleen Begg and see if she will age my lion and give us an interview...


Day 4- We didn't do much today. Met with biologist and drove a river in afternoon. Greg Schubert's #1 animal on the trip was a suni, and this afternoon he got a good one out of a blind they built in the jesse. He put in 3 days for a suni, and I was glad to see him be successful. I guess we will have a suni party tonight.

Congrats on a fantastic lion!

Torbjorn

Awesome cat. Well done Tim. Looking forward to your report.

Proper Cat !!!
Big Congrats

quote:

Originally posted by mboga biga bwana:
Proper Cat !!!
Big Congrats

+1

Awesome to see this report this morning!! Very nice dark mane.. Glad it came together for you and can tell by that grin that you are pretty tickled! Congrats to you and the team!

Beautiful lion, congrats Tim.

Well done Tim,nice Lion.

A big congradulations Tim !!!
I know you have realy wanted this one.

Tim
Great lion!
You are making hard to wait until next year.

Chris

Right on Tim. Great lion. I'm jealous. Hope to see it on the show

Well done Tim. Congrats.

Well done Tim!!

Good job on a gnarly lion. You look like one happy camper!

Tim, my friend - I am just over-the-moon for ya!!!! What a spectacular Lion, great story - and a better guy it could not have happened to. Congrats buddy, huge congrats.

That is one of the finest Lions I have seen posted here and you are to be congratulated.

Taken on foot as well. Does not get any better mate.

Proper.

Congrats Tim!

What are you going to do with your time now?

Would like to get an update on the overall game situation there if you are going to stick around for a while..especially elephant.

Thanks all. I have 15 days left to get over the hangover, kill a buff, and then maybe go for a suni! I have only been here 2 days but have seen a ton of game...

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Herald:
Thanks all. I have 15 days left to get over the hangover, kill a buff, and then maybe go for a suni! I have only been here 2 days but have seen a ton of game...

Enjoy the rest of your time and congratulations!!!

Brett

Nice lion! Congratulations

Tim,
Great cat, congratulations!!

Butch

Well done.

.

Really nice cat Tim, comgratulations!

Congrats Tim, beautiful lion

Tim,

I suppose I could be happier for you but I don't know how. Well done my friend!

Mark

Great cat Tim and I love the way that you took him! Seems like a whole lot more exciting than just raising the gun in the blind and shooting. If only we could bottle our feelings at times like that and open it when we get old...

Tim

Very good!
I guess the pink on the nose is OK

Good Hunting
CF

Congrats on the lion Tim.

I leave in 7 days to hunt with Kiri and Adam in England for roe buck and muntjac. This trip all got started from a video I saw of you hunting muntjac with Kiri.

Congratulations Tim, the smile says it all!

Wohoo!!!!
Great cat!!!!

Huge Congrats! Fantastic lion for sure. Well done!

Congrats and very well done.

Beautiful cat Tim! Pretty narly looking.

Wow Tim...Congratulations...exciting indeed!
I couldn't be more happier for you buddy

Soak it all in

Roland

Tim, please tell David hello from me. He is a great guy and I loved having him on safari with me in Botswana.

Great cat. Congrats!!! What dreams are made of.

Justin

Great lion. I think that is the darkest mane lion I have seen.

Great looking old Lion Tim. Well done. Quite the feeling afterwards eh?

Move over, Mark Sullivan, Tim Herald is here!

Well done Tim! Terrific old boy.

Not sure how they grow up in Niassa, but Moz has world class Suni down in the delta and you now have time to look them over. Best of luck.