ZAMBIA: Zambian Adventure At Takeri Game Reserve

[Bobpuckett]

a little side track but bluey asked patsy if she wanted him to bring her anything , so she asked him to bring her a new pair of blundstone boots as she buggered her last pair fire dancing....... now when bluey went to the store and asked for size 4 boots for his african ph the salesperson asked if he was hunting with a pygmy....... well they were correct as here is the photo to prove it. there was humour all the way on this trip
View attachment 50080

Dang bluey you forgot to camo those toes! put some paint on those nails see how if Pasty climbed a tree they would look like cherrys.

 

[bluey]

woke to thunder at 0200, then it started to rain .
laid there thinking , good it might be cooler today, at just after three it settled down to a spit.
ready to go just after four, for the slow entry to the blind , hoping that the hippo in the area aren't feeding in the flat , patsy just said start yelling if he comes ,
as we approached we could hear the locals pulling their illegal nets right beside our blind ,
as the dawn won over the night , we could hear them finishing up their poaching for the night ,and listened to them heading up stream to their village on the other side of the river
you could feel patsy was pissed , pissed right off , as the day broke and gained momentum we could start seeing the baits were untouched even tho we could see the slides where either one goodun came up twice , or two gooduns came up once each

our entry path to the blind
the guys spent a couple of hours with a sickle cutting this track for us

at right about now , I thought this little fire cracker is about to light up the sky
and she spat it .......on went the war paint ......
she stormed out of the blind up to the guards , and she let them have it , about ignoring the illegal fishing activity , letting these two guys , know that they had let her down ,
specially knowing how much efforts going into this croc hunt .
why didn't you go over there and arrest them , why didn't you beat them !!!!
she went back to see tinnus ,and he was off confiscating their nets and trying to get arrests .'all day there was a hoo -har on the river .
she got two more guards up stream a bit , and anyone on the river after dark with a net . was to be arrested
once she got that off her chest , we stalked for a bush buck .........….

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

woke to thunder at 0200, then it started to rain .
laid there thinking , good it might be cooler today, at just after three it settled down to a spit.
ready to go just after four, for the slow entry to the blind , hoping that the hippo in the area aren't feeding in the flat , patsy just said start yelling if he comes ,
as we approached we could hear the locals pulling their illegal nets right beside our blind ,
as the dawn won over the night , we could hear them finishing up their poaching for the night ,and listened to them heading up stream to their village on the other side of the river
you could feel patsy was pissed , pissed right off , as the day broke and gained momentum we could start seeing the baits were untouched even tho we could see the slides where either one goodun came up twice , or two gooduns came up once each
View attachment 50117

at right about now , I thought this little fire cracker is about to light up the sky
and she spat it .......on went the war paint ......
she stormed out of the blind up to the guards , and she let them have it , about ignoring the illegal fishing activity , letting these two guys , know that they had let her down ,
specially knowing how much efforts going into this croc hunt .
why didn't you go over there and arrest them , why didn't you beat them !!!!
she went back to see tinnus ,and he was off confiscating their nets and trying to get arrests .'all day there was a hoo -har on the river .
she got two more guards up stream a bit , and anyone on the river after dark with a net . was to be arrested
once she got that off her chest , we stalked for a bush buck .............

I hope you managed to keep quiet and not stir this lady up more?

 

[bluey]

of course not , phil .......

 

[gordon-kruger]

Nice to read your Zambian adventure blue, I hear about the missing bow...

 

[bluey]

tinnus ended up getting two nets that day ,all mosquito mesh and one was over fifty metres long .
the local seen whats up and hit the road leaving the canoes and nets there .

young lackson found us a cracker and on three occasions over near an hour , we should of claimed him as ours . once we were with in 70 metres of him ,but I couldn't find him in the scope.
with that bit of rain , it was like a different place to walk off the roads , everything had softened up a treat , as the morning was warming it was drying out pretty quick .
and the breeze was picking up smartly ,too.we met mike at the pre arranged place .
had a coffee and a roll .
befiore looking for that big blue eland ,we seen the second day .
on the way lackson tapps patsy and points , as we idled along patsy says theres a real big reed buck ,on that ant hill .
oh yeah how big ,pats .
she say have a look , as we were past him .l looked and my hart just melted ,
she said do you like him ?
l said l think we should ,go get him ...
so we got off ,the ute
and went back the way just come , with the strengthening wind , in our favour , for once .
he was up and gone before we got near him . he stopped a couple of hundred metres out , to an agitated walk .
we went in a ways .at about 150 he was in amongst a tree and some shrubs , but the sticks went up and I was trying to find a clear shot , only really a spine shot was there or I would of hit branch
boom
l said that should be good , but looked like a miss
patsy said do think we should go and look ,
yup we better
unless it hit wood that should of spined him .
so we wet to look for blood , about half way there ,he appears to the right of where we last seen him .at around 130
necked him , dead.......
the first shot had hit him in the spine and looking at the wound , lm not at all sure how his legs still worked .
but the second on in the neck broke everything .

he could run easily with that spine shot , buggered if l know ,how

After the, at the kill snaps , we do the patsy hann, number , which look way better than my half assed effort

we then pack him up and return home .the same way we walked earlier , on the same ant hill ,at the same time , is the same bush buck we put up yesterday.....
guess were we will be this time tomorrow morning ???
we will be making another teabag ,for our lizard , with his gutbag .
once he is sorted. we head straight back to the blind , once its in the river we decide to sit and relax for a couple of hours , in the rising heat and humidity , after our rain in the middle of the night
at 1300 we back out of there ,
man o man , this bait must be just about right , with the wind trickling towards where we are seated.
home for reed buck shniztels , patsy is spot when she said that reed buck ,is some fine chewing ......this was yet another fantastic feed .
wont be loosing any weight here ......with all the great game meat meals we are eating .
had a nanny nap , and went for a good walk for the rest of the afternoon , trying for a bushbuck we are struggling here on these guys , not from lack of good animals , the biggest down fall is the shooter isn't seeing them well enough .
mate ive had atleast six golden opportunities , and just cant make the animal until its moving , usually at a great rate of knots ....
shit it was hot now after the rain and the humidity was enough to make your hair curl .
the only bush buck we seen here this arvo was a bueatiful female ,one .
patsy thought it quite funny when we are sneaking along the road and two francilion got the jump on me .. I near shit meself, and she near wet herself . we timed the walk home perfectly , arriving at the butchery at last light
had another shower , because we all must of smelt like an ass, with the sweating in this humidity
another corker of a meal .
and into the liquid refreshments , seeing as its Saturday night .
I broke my three drinks a night rule ,while hunting
but wee got to be hunting early tomorrow , .........

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

of course not , phil .......

Okay, that's it. Been thinking this for some time now. I don't know where the name 'bluey' came from. If a nickname from your buddies, I'm sure it applies somehow, but I'm thinking a more accurate name is out there......

Damn fine reedbuck!

 

[bluey]

every kid with red hair ,down here is bluey , phil.....

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

every kid with red hair ,down here is bluey , phil.....

Is that a bit like a tall guy being called shorty?

 

[gizmo]

Keep it comin Bluey u got me on the edge of my seat!

 

[bluey]

im back at sea now ,giz.
just got to make sure some of this stuff is working .
had a tach guy from ,japan running around on here this morning .
buggered if l know what he was saying , but it looks like he knows his stuff....

 

[gizmo]

Be safe

 

[bluey]

thanks mate , that's the plan ............

 

[spike.t]

gday mike, so you got home ,ok
must be a sudden change of pace , mate
I knew that pygmy ,bit was going to surface ,sometime soon.

no that was from joburg airport....at gatwick after car journey from heathrow. only another 3hrs if no delays and will be there. . was looking at the photos and that one jogged my memory

 

[BRICKBURN]

Hellishly good Reedbuck. Must have been down and up with that first shot.

Nothing like a Poacher to interfere...

 

[bluey]

the takeri mcnabb........
woke at 0300rolled out of bed ,with a heavy head , not feeling real agile,this morning
left in time to beat sparra fart,into the blind
got in there nice and stealthy like.
had a wee bit of time for our eyes to adjust, as a warm sunday morning came to life in bird and frog song , what a dawn
since the rain ,night before last , the sky has really cleared up , patsy says now we will be warm , all the dust and smoke has been washed down , makes sense as its the best sunrise ,weve had so far. the wind is perfect in our face again .
and its a lot quieter with out the locals after dark adventures, going on at our croc baits.
we sat ever so quiet watching as day light strengthened and we could see all the teabags were trashed but the big bait wasn't touched ,
we make a new plan ,and move the big bait down to be just enough in the water to make our croc a tad bolder .see if we can get it in during the day.
then we snuck out for a few hours .thinking its watching us leave.on the way back to the ute , chattering away like monkeys , patsy has a lung buster going , we get click ,crunch ,scatter....
into the cornflakes we go , every step sounds like someone rattling a milo can half full of coins,with in 100 metres we see the bush buck and he is a stayer , all im seeing is his head poking up every now and then , lackson says use my shoulder ,bwana (don't like that bwana ,shit , not even a little bit )so im trying to guess where his body is from watching through the scope , l say his not as big as some of the rams we've seen , but he will do.
boom right in the head .
and me and lackson are off like its a race .
patsy just watches ,and says why ?
boys , why ?
not real sure pats.
this guy isn't that big , but l say ,can l upgrade if the chance ,presents itself ?
that will be fine ? she answers
he has the most perfect coat, it just shines , and the spots are like beacons , his neck is still hairy and the black and the white on his legs ,just blends like Picasso painted him ,and just look at his tail .
we carry him out ,and meet mike in the ute ,half way .
he smiles and said I wondered what you's were up to .
certainly fixed , my heaviness,from last night
on the way back home , mike gets the rem ,870 pump action out (another fine hunting tool , we oppressed aren't allowed to own ) and says we need some guinea fowl for the pot.
we stop and get a couple out the first group.
that's when the P.H says right, today we are going to get our takeri mcnabb
we havnt done that before , but instead of trout , which we don't have , ours will involve a bird , an antelope , and a crocodile .(game on )
shit yeah im up for that....

these aren't the first guinea fowl of the morning , for some dumb reason we never thought to photograph them , these were taken late in the afternoon

the francilion were fun , I only seen one ,and just as l shot the other stepped out and coped it aswell
we head back home , its not quite half seven yet , and ask the skinners to make him a full mount .
have a quick coffee, and head out to walk up another ,bush buck .
so far we've put up another 7 blue duiker ,and could of taken most of them ..............
by now the wind is fairly puffing away, and swirling like a drunken sailor.
lackson spots another one , and the stalk is on ,
instantly he is off only to stop up a way ,and for the life of me I cant see him , he is off again , and I was looking in the wrong spot ,he is a good one .....
and we slowly ,slowly head in the thick stuff , hoping he will do something dumb , but its getting real loud in here and the last we seen him he was going and not looking back .
patsy call the end . mike drive further down where we've been seeing a thumper bush buck at the same place , 3 days in a row .
where we hope out ,patsy says to mike if get him we will call , if not we will walk back to the house .
the wind is now right up there, and we keep walking up towards home, lackson jumps and says snake , he and patsy goin the grass to look at what ever cobra it was , me I just step over to the other side of the track and keep walking , never even looked back ,
much to patsys amusement .
they said it was a metre and ahalf ,long
l say to that , so bloody what ........
the next time we drive past that spot I slide right over to patsys side , of the ute ,again to their amusement ........
when we get back home , pats wants the guts from the bush buck and the ribs. tyo break the guts into wee pieces and tossed all around the bait area , in the water , to see if we can , get this croc done .
we drove the ute right into the bait sight as it always seems to come in after we drive in there ,and leave .
it seem to asocsaite the ute with food.
lackson tosses handful of gut contents out into the water and dices of intestine as well.we all walk up to the ute together ,but me and patsy , slipp behind the wall of our blind
lackson jumps into the ute and drives off. to park a few hundred metres away ,and sneak back in .shit its bloody hot in the blind , even with the wind rushing over the tops ,of it ,
after half an hour im nodding off , lackson has already dozed off, and patsy is on watch , flicking through some old gun porn , our water bottles are like bath water ,
we are looking through the glory holes every so often .
another twenty minutes , and in comes the guest of honour .
patsy give the hand signal to stay seated ,not to stand up until its rolling on the bait then wait for the shot at the end of the smile .,
its really weary , she surfaces and submerges , only to surface at another angle , then turns and and swims away , then appear again on the other side ,of the bait .
goes down again and pops up twenty feet away
only to submerge and pop up five feet away from the bait , looks up at the blind , in a paranoid sought of way . then slips back under the water .another ten minutes of this and she comes straight into the bait , you could she wasn't jokjing this time stops just before the bait and looks straight at us again , the clamps on to the bait and pulls back on it , im thinking its going to come tight in a second, but it doesn't .it keeps going into the water with her , its about ten feet out in the water now ,it comes up against the wires , im expecting her start thrashing at the wired bait , the first fair dinkum pull and the wires wrapped around the star picket slipp straight over the top of it and the bait is now at her disposal. I think once she started rolling she felt the wires and released the bait . about fifteen foot out in the river , you could see the weeds and branches we covered it with just in a pile in the river not going anywhere.
we just look at each other dumbstruck .
about point 8 of a second later . she tells lackson to go get the ute and drive straight up to here
a couple of minutes later we hear him coming .as he pulls up and opens the door we all pop out together .
me and patsy have been watching our croc , pop up and submerge all around where the bait is sitting , In the river , up and down ,around this side ,and down , up again then look towards the blind im still thinking she doesn't like the wire .
once lackson stops the ute we walk oujt together and she is still about ten metres out ,looking at us and diving to check the bait .pops up half way between us and the bait
pats wants lackson to go and get the guards canoe ,as fast as he can ,and get back here
within five minutes he is near plaining around the bend
get the wire with a couple of drags of the spear , and we pull the bait up and around a wee bit further ,
this time we anchor it around a big log stuck in the dried mud
we throw the bait back out in the shallower water and get our length right ,
laughing at our mishap . and im thinking today is done ,. right
hey patsy are we goping to come back this evening ,again
she looks at me and says , im not going anywhere , you can go if you want , im staying right here ,
she will be back .this very day....
righto then ,
we all turn and walk back towards the ute we go in ,. lackson drives off.
I thought no way , today is finished ,
lackson returns , and we are all sitting awake and alert
the wind is real hot now at near midday , and starting to swirl ,right on time ,it seems to do this around now everyday...
about twenty minutes later , bugger me .....shes back , weary now like nothing else poping up and down , and up over there .down again ,and up near the bait , you could see she was going to have to come right in shallow to take the bait , this is the perfect place ,where we should've done it from the start .
if only hey,,,,we can see this now .......
for maybe half an hour she is playing cat and mouse , and looking a lot up toward the blind , up ,down , here ,down ,up there you can see in the body movements shes getting pissed and starting get bolder
shes coming at the bait this time ,
patsy gives the do it ,signal ,
as shes coming In at the bait , I stand up shoulder the 06 ,and just as she opens her mouth to grab the bait ,
BOOM, ,I say one dead croc , patsy says again bluey
I think she dont need another one .
and the shakes started , l see patsy going fpor her 30 .06 m, so throw the gun up and shoot the croc right in the side of the head again , this didn't look so pretty.
patsy is pissing her self laughing , im shaking and laughing
we head down to check her out , patsy said , bring your gun ,bluey
were all giggles and adrenaline right now .laughing like school girls and playing around .
once we get there it moves with nerves , and patsy says whack it , BOOM, right dow through the neck towards its lungs.we stuff around knee deep in the mud to get a rope around it and loose a shoe in the meantime , which lackson some howwith his feet as we were dragging the croc out of the water .
once its on the bank , patsy intructs him ,go fetch the guys , and tell bwana to bring cold beers

 

[K-man]

YYEEAAHHH............... I have been quietly following along on this read, I knew you would get it eventually. You make us feel like we are in the blind with you, except for the heat. All I can say is congrats, and thanks for the post.

 

[bluey]

my two favourite girls...

 

[bluey]

so like a fool ,l agreed to drink some ,of that vinegar with bubbles in it , tonight , with patsy .
the beer we had down by the river , after the croc hunt is right up there with on of the best beer I have evr drank .........

 

[bluey]

we are chufed
once the crew arrived , with mike and the beers in the lead.
pats ,does the move him here , lay him this way thing , we are getting used to
not the biggest croc , but we worked pretty hard for her , and we got her with a day to spare......
ha ha ha ,when we got her back to the house
patsys big dog ,he is boerbull cross great dane , and weighing in at about 80 kgs, is ,as always the first to come see what we got ,
as the tailgate was lowered , and since he had survived a croc attack ,in the past .
as soon as he got a whiff of the croc , he shit himself ,dropped backed pedalled and flipped ,his shit from a safe ,distance. which set the other three dogs off in sympathy.
the whole time we were putting her where old afruiniki wanted her so he could full body her .
the dogs were carrying on like this

THE TAKERI MCNABB , COMPLETED BY 1300
today we were treated to an excellent serve of peteG famous bream , for lunch
with chips and salad
as a fisherman I don't usually eat freshwater fish , but these fillets were bloody good tucker .after lunch we chillaxed for a while before , going out to try and upsize on the bush buck .with out any sucsess.
it didn't matter ,this has been a trip of trips , and we will be lucky to top it in this lifetime .
patsy decides ,lets go get some more bush chooks for the workers.
so we off again .
a nice francillion was on the track ahead of us ,pats says there s our a starter for tomorrow,as I let rip with the 870 ,another one chose the wrong time to walk out on the track
and now we have both
once we collected them we had a quick photographic hunt on some warthogs
then seen some guinea fowl ,and we were off, shit shooting , four of the last five shells for one flapper ,which had to be chased.we stopped near the big dam ,to glass all the birdlife ,
theres a heap of spur wing ,and aplan is hatched to chase some tomorrow , and theres pelican and a big stork ,I cant remember the breed .
we seen some nice lechwe , girl bush bucks, water bucks and the ever present puku.
with only one shot shell left , we tried another bush chook
this time l got a two for one deal
and we spent half an hour recovering one of them from the river .
then we went home and had some beers and crock tail entrée, which sorta tasted alright but then left an after taste in your mouth that never went away ,like mud .
only tinnus and myself indulged
patsy and mike wernt going to try it ,
followed by my newest favourite bird meat bush chook stew, sensational .
after a few beers ,and at 2130 ,I said my goodnight and off I went to bed ,again with a huge smile on my face
that not even that vinegar ,patsy likes could wash away