michaelhh375
AH veteran
First Man-eaters at Nhenda Cahora Bassa Mozambique
Late one evening in September, my friend Bernhard at Nhenda Hunt and Fishing, called me and asked if I Was interested into try to get an female lion that had been snared by the locals, and escaped, but of cause she was very hurt around neck and had severe problem to eat and breath. Finally she couldn't get food at normal way, so cattle and people came on her meny. Same time there were some crocodiles that had attacked fisherman's in their canoes and a few was missing, so, can I come to Cahora Bassa very quick ? I asked my friend Anders if he was interested to come with me, and we both decided to get necessary docs and find a flight asap. We was ready for Africa and on the 10/10 we left from Gothenburg via Frankfurt ( with new airbus 380. Fantastic flight.) to Johannesburg and from there direct to Tete in northern Mozambique. We left a cold and fresh Sweden and arrived into +39 and that was a real temperature shock ! Anyway, into jeep and of to Cahora Bassa southern shore, a drive of about 4 hours. As usual we had a lot of fun so 4 hours passed very fast. When we arrived to camp, we met rest of family Bernhard van Dyke, meaning, wife Brenda and kids, Jeanine and Lenka. Fantastic meal, good sleep and next day, we went to our first fly-camp, "Tetentsi", met our PH Walter and "little" PH Gerard. Time for sight in our rifles, Anders with his Blazer 9,3x62 with Impala LS bullets 10,7 grams and 940 m/sec, and me with mine Sako TRG-S HH375, with Impala roundnose 17 grams and 840m/sec. PH Walter was satisfied and we all went to the boat to try to find a good hippo bull so we had some bait for Lion and crocs. To make a long story short, we didn't want to shot anything in water, and we looked for tracks were we could find hippos when they went up in afternoons and back at early morning. PH Walter made a plan, and we decided to try early early next morning. We went up next morning at dark and slowly with the small boat we paddled over a small bay, and slowly slowly we approached were we seen a lot of tracks the day before. Bad luck cause when sun started to come up the wind turned a little bit, and we heard to hippos run to water, we just rounded a corner, and in very low light, sun just start to wake up, we saw one big bull standing half way in the water, Anders immediately got the shooting sticks under the stock, and with no time at all, he shot a perfect brain shot and hippo fell were it stood ! This was Anders first animal in Africa, and happiness was total ! We got help and within 3-4 hours we had some bait for our lion hunt. Afternoon, we baited on 4 spots and at evening, we took some small bait, just cross the bay, in case of the "Big Croc" would show him self.
Next morning we rather tired after checked all baits and stay up late with hope to hear the lions, but Africa always wakes you up with some surprises.... suddenly we saw this monster croc coming slowly into the bay, and after just and hour climbed up an lay down right on top of our bait ! Now, planning was very urgent, PH Walter took us to boat and slowly we crossed the bay and in perfect wind condition and hidden from high grass we came into position, about 120 meters from croc, and Anders asked me to make a backup shot as soon as he fired first one. Crocodile looked like a dinosaur from 120 meters, and i wundered, 4 or 5 meters ? 500-700 kilo ? This will be one of the really big crocs. Anders aimed to spine and I also aimed to spine, we decided to have next shot in front shoulder and at tail, so we were going to get ballistic ! Anders shot his first shot, and almost in same second, I fired, then we had 4 shots each, and I promise you, that this 4,4 meter and 700 kilo crocodile was "IMPALIZED" ! Thanks Diana, 2 great animals in 2 days ! Anders looked at me and said, hey Mike, this is not so difficult, lets get the lion to night ! I just smiled and told him hes just been very very lucky !
Back to camp, food plus rest and around 1700 we took the jeep to check the baits. After 4 hours drive we checked all baits and no hit, we decided to go back to camp, and after 20 minutes PH Walter braked hard and went out to check to new tracks in our 4 hours old car tracks.... HYENA, LEOPARD and 2 BIG BIG lions ! We drove very slowly, and after 30 minutes we could see back side from one lion. Stopped the jeep and jumped out, walked about 50 meters from jeep, and started to make sound like a hurt duiker ! In 2 minutes SHE came and yes she came running, no fear of anything and about 30 meters in front of us she stopped and turned a little bit to the side, and PH whispered : SHOT , Anders fired immediately and I want more than 1/2 sec after, SHE jumped straight up in the air and that growl I will never forget ! We started the jeep put all lamps on, 2 guys on the back of jeep with spotlights, and we slowly started to walk against the lion, suddenly, we heard the other lion call, and now we was really exited, one lion that we shot at and another one also couldn't see, but hear very well. After 40 meters we could see the big lady on the ground, PH told Anders to shot her once more and about one feet back from the eye, but Anders made little misstake of feet and inch, and shot her 1 inch behind the eye. We came up to her and she was enormous, and suddenly our game ward shouted : LION LION ! we looked in the direction of his spot light, and 3 rifles were aiming, and when animal came out from the bush it was a beautiful silverback jackal ! We took some pictures of the lioness, and then 6 guys to get lion on jeep, and back to camp ! What a day ! After these first 4 days we moved to head camp " NHENDA " ( Home of Lions ) and my self hunted one 4,9 meters croc + one Chobe bushbuck 16,75 inch.... but this is another story ! Dear fellow hunters, be carefully out there and God bless.
Late one evening in September, my friend Bernhard at Nhenda Hunt and Fishing, called me and asked if I Was interested into try to get an female lion that had been snared by the locals, and escaped, but of cause she was very hurt around neck and had severe problem to eat and breath. Finally she couldn't get food at normal way, so cattle and people came on her meny. Same time there were some crocodiles that had attacked fisherman's in their canoes and a few was missing, so, can I come to Cahora Bassa very quick ? I asked my friend Anders if he was interested to come with me, and we both decided to get necessary docs and find a flight asap. We was ready for Africa and on the 10/10 we left from Gothenburg via Frankfurt ( with new airbus 380. Fantastic flight.) to Johannesburg and from there direct to Tete in northern Mozambique. We left a cold and fresh Sweden and arrived into +39 and that was a real temperature shock ! Anyway, into jeep and of to Cahora Bassa southern shore, a drive of about 4 hours. As usual we had a lot of fun so 4 hours passed very fast. When we arrived to camp, we met rest of family Bernhard van Dyke, meaning, wife Brenda and kids, Jeanine and Lenka. Fantastic meal, good sleep and next day, we went to our first fly-camp, "Tetentsi", met our PH Walter and "little" PH Gerard. Time for sight in our rifles, Anders with his Blazer 9,3x62 with Impala LS bullets 10,7 grams and 940 m/sec, and me with mine Sako TRG-S HH375, with Impala roundnose 17 grams and 840m/sec. PH Walter was satisfied and we all went to the boat to try to find a good hippo bull so we had some bait for Lion and crocs. To make a long story short, we didn't want to shot anything in water, and we looked for tracks were we could find hippos when they went up in afternoons and back at early morning. PH Walter made a plan, and we decided to try early early next morning. We went up next morning at dark and slowly with the small boat we paddled over a small bay, and slowly slowly we approached were we seen a lot of tracks the day before. Bad luck cause when sun started to come up the wind turned a little bit, and we heard to hippos run to water, we just rounded a corner, and in very low light, sun just start to wake up, we saw one big bull standing half way in the water, Anders immediately got the shooting sticks under the stock, and with no time at all, he shot a perfect brain shot and hippo fell were it stood ! This was Anders first animal in Africa, and happiness was total ! We got help and within 3-4 hours we had some bait for our lion hunt. Afternoon, we baited on 4 spots and at evening, we took some small bait, just cross the bay, in case of the "Big Croc" would show him self.
Next morning we rather tired after checked all baits and stay up late with hope to hear the lions, but Africa always wakes you up with some surprises.... suddenly we saw this monster croc coming slowly into the bay, and after just and hour climbed up an lay down right on top of our bait ! Now, planning was very urgent, PH Walter took us to boat and slowly we crossed the bay and in perfect wind condition and hidden from high grass we came into position, about 120 meters from croc, and Anders asked me to make a backup shot as soon as he fired first one. Crocodile looked like a dinosaur from 120 meters, and i wundered, 4 or 5 meters ? 500-700 kilo ? This will be one of the really big crocs. Anders aimed to spine and I also aimed to spine, we decided to have next shot in front shoulder and at tail, so we were going to get ballistic ! Anders shot his first shot, and almost in same second, I fired, then we had 4 shots each, and I promise you, that this 4,4 meter and 700 kilo crocodile was "IMPALIZED" ! Thanks Diana, 2 great animals in 2 days ! Anders looked at me and said, hey Mike, this is not so difficult, lets get the lion to night ! I just smiled and told him hes just been very very lucky !
Back to camp, food plus rest and around 1700 we took the jeep to check the baits. After 4 hours drive we checked all baits and no hit, we decided to go back to camp, and after 20 minutes PH Walter braked hard and went out to check to new tracks in our 4 hours old car tracks.... HYENA, LEOPARD and 2 BIG BIG lions ! We drove very slowly, and after 30 minutes we could see back side from one lion. Stopped the jeep and jumped out, walked about 50 meters from jeep, and started to make sound like a hurt duiker ! In 2 minutes SHE came and yes she came running, no fear of anything and about 30 meters in front of us she stopped and turned a little bit to the side, and PH whispered : SHOT , Anders fired immediately and I want more than 1/2 sec after, SHE jumped straight up in the air and that growl I will never forget ! We started the jeep put all lamps on, 2 guys on the back of jeep with spotlights, and we slowly started to walk against the lion, suddenly, we heard the other lion call, and now we was really exited, one lion that we shot at and another one also couldn't see, but hear very well. After 40 meters we could see the big lady on the ground, PH told Anders to shot her once more and about one feet back from the eye, but Anders made little misstake of feet and inch, and shot her 1 inch behind the eye. We came up to her and she was enormous, and suddenly our game ward shouted : LION LION ! we looked in the direction of his spot light, and 3 rifles were aiming, and when animal came out from the bush it was a beautiful silverback jackal ! We took some pictures of the lioness, and then 6 guys to get lion on jeep, and back to camp ! What a day ! After these first 4 days we moved to head camp " NHENDA " ( Home of Lions ) and my self hunted one 4,9 meters croc + one Chobe bushbuck 16,75 inch.... but this is another story ! Dear fellow hunters, be carefully out there and God bless.
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If you perhaps thinking about bipods, these can be on or of in 30 seconds. If caliber choise, HH 375, can be used, if correct ammo, for everything from Blackbirds to Elephants.
