Monster Sable in South Africa?

I'd like to add a couple of points here. First, Tap said "I'm just hoping sable are as difficult as the grey ghost". Lots of people have way more experience than me, but in my experience, sable are a far more aggressive animal than kudu. As a result, they tend to look at you before running off, and often stop before they get too far to look back. I recall one very nice sable who stared at me from about 100 yards, snorting and stamping his foot. Great show, and it lasted about 5 minutes! Kudu though tend to be in thicker stuff, and to run without looking back if disturbed.

Secondly, I'd add my vote for the Matetsi area of Zimbabwe as a great place to hunt sable. I've seen large herds - up to 25 or so animals, and a reasonable number of large males, on a number of hunts. In fact, I was lucky enough to get one there two years ago - 44 1/2 per side - good enough for an SCI gold. Daily rates are quite a bit higher than in South Africa (though lower than Zambia), and trophy fees, while high by Zim standards, tend to be very reasonable by South African standards (I think around $4000 is about average). And there are no fences. Just lots of wild game.

Here's a picture of mine.

Hank 2211, your sable is excellent in every way possible! I have heard the Matetsi area on Zimbabwe is very good area for buffalo and sable too. Congradulations on your fine sable. And thanks for the post!

That is good to know. I may consider trying to take a sable with a bow for a while just to add more challenge to it. I'm also considering the mattes for next year. I have settled on a Zambia hunt this year just prior to my wives south African leopard hunt. Thanks for the help everyone and thanks a million for the pics of those monster sable. I will post some pics when we get back.

You dont think getting a 46" sable will be challenge enough for you, but you want to make it more challenging by using a bow? Really? Judging by your luck so far I suppose its realistic but holy cow, I wish my hunt luck ran that way!

You are totally right. With the luck I've had I'm definitely holding out for a 48" sable and I think I will borrow a blow gun from some of the natives to make it somewhat of a challenge!

Just messin with you.
I'm just hoping I don't see any kudu this time. I absolutely love the mystique of a kudu and am beside myself every time I see a bull. I just know I'm gonna be paying for a kudu if I see one, and that's what the bow is really going to be for not the sable.

here are more pics as requested

the kudu that was 59 3/4" is shown, his shape is definitely not the most beautiful but man was he big. The 3 kudu skulls are as follows. The one with the tight curls that points out at the top is the smallest of 54 1/2", the one on the other side of me is the one full body mounted of 58 1/4 inches. The one I am holding was the 59 3/4 incher. The springbuck taped out at 16 3/4 +/- 1/8" I cant remember his exact size as I've never been into shooting springbuck and don't know much about them.

Hi tap
this year I am opening up our ranch to hunting, we are on the kafue river - zambia, fenced ranch 3500 hectares with 16 km river front and only 12 km fencing. We mainly breed zambian sable but also stock kafue lechwe, zebra, eland, waterbuck, puku, bushbuck, warthog, duiker, blue duiker and many more. As we have not hunted before on the ranch I am hesitant to commit to a size but would estimate around 45". I live on the ranch with my children, my son Byron - 9 - is an avid hunter and bush boy! so can easlily accommodate your family - offering fishing, fly fishing, canoeing, game drives, walks etc - I plan to open the lodge in July if you would be interested -
cheers
Patsy

thanks for the offer. I would love to come hunt your pace. However I have already booked a hunt with an outfit in zambia. I wish you would have said something earlier as I have always wanted to shoot a kafue lechwe. However I don't want to pay the outrageous prices everyone advertises for these animals. I guess hunting the kafue flats is pricy. However the money I'm dropping on my 5 day sable hunt in zambia is turning out to be pricey as well. I could have paid for an elephant and lion hunt for what this south african/zambian safari is costing me now.

Gonna be a loooooooong time before I bring the entire family to africa again.

Hi Patsyzambia. PM sent to you. Bruce

Patsyzambia, you should put a price out on AH...maybe you'll get some business.

Hi enysse
thanks for the reply, all new to me and most of the time am at the ranch and no comms at all! This year we are hunting for the first time on the ranch - 3500 hectares - no dividing fences as very important to me not to do any form of canned hunting. We have 130 sable so only taking off 3 bulls this season, now decent age and size. I am in the process of doing my PH license so this season i would have to arrange PH. Am doing 2 x 7 day hunts - and then a few additional animals - sable only $12000 - dont price by trophy but this would be 44" and maybe above.

Thanks, that gives everyone a idea of how much the hunt will cost. If the $12,000 includes the daily fees, I think you will get some customers.

I can't afford it this year...but I'll keep it on my radar...for a possible future hunt!

thanks and we will only be hunting 2 - 3 times a season to ensure quality animals and minimal impact to our ranch- cheers pats

Originally Posted by patsyzambia

thanks and we will only be hunting 2 - 3 times a season to ensure quality animals and minimal impact to our ranch- cheers pats

He's a giant for sure! Thanks for the awesome picture! It's pictures like this that keep me motivated to go to work!

various, finns bushbuck 451.jpg cars, euro disn,finns lechwe, sable 292.jpg cars, euro disn,finns lechwe, sable 280.jpg

here are some animals my son finn shot on TAKERI PRIVATE RESERVE in which i am a share holder with patsyzambia. the bushbuck he shot last year just after his 11th birthday (which he had at patsys wild life camp in the luangwa). the sable and kafue lechwe he shot there in2010, the sable was one of our small ones just over 38 inches, but as i told him you have to have something to look forward. he is already trying to persuade me to let him go for a bigger one, i said when you have saved up you can! his first animal was a puku but cant find the photos on the computer.apart from the odd animal i have shot for meat this is just about the only hunting there has been on the property since i bought it 6or7 years ago. we had to buy and reintroduce all the game apart from the bushbuck, duikers and grysbok, as everything had "dissapeared". i am going to try and put some more photos of the reserve on my profile page.

Hi spike.t those are some outstanding trophies! I really like the kafue lechwe.

thanks finn was a very happy and proud boy when he shot those trophies. the lechwe and puku he shot with his .22 hornet, one shot each. the bushbuck with his .223 jeffrey rifle he got off santa! (he was never that good to me!) he used my 9.3x62 for the sable, finn is thin build and the rifle went one way and he the other, wasnt impressed but laughed when he saw it on video.

well i get on a plane to fly back home in about 3 hrs. the safari was good. a neighboing property to us in the natal area poached both male leopards we were after. the property goes by wildebees lodge but its pronounced wildebees in africans. anyways thats another long story i will be posting shortly in order to warn people of his operation. the game warden is currently handling that one. i went to zambia for a sable and thought we had shot a 43" sable. the ph and myself were both really happy but when we put a tape on him he taped out at 48" and will probably be the new #12 sci. talk about a suprise. and to take a sable that size for about $8000 is unbelievable. when i get home i will post pics and a safari update. i will also post up a pic of the 29" nyala i shot. hes almost as beautiful as my sable.

Tony,

Once again congratulations on your Sable. We look forward to planning your return trip to Zambia.

He's a very beautiful Sable Tony! Beautiful in every way! Congrats!

I told you would want to nyala hunt, sounds like you got a very nice one!

Looking forward toward your hunt report!

thanks charles for posting the pic. why didnt you warn me you had such monsterous sable. after i shot mine i saw another one that i thought was bigger and offered phil a substantial sum to shoot him and phil wouldnt go for it. he said quota was done and that was that. gonna have to give the wife a go around next year. fhnny thing about this hunt is that we never saw any of the bulls we were after till my sable was dead. talk about a tough and great area to hunt.