MOZAMBIQUE: Little Rock To Tete

A mature Eland Bull is so massive!!!

Here’s some pictures of the location of the lion!!

Lion Encounter

The arrow points to the location the Eland Bull was bedded when I shot him.

This is the V I had to shot through in order to hit the Eland in the vitals. This shot hit him in the lungs!!

That’s a great Eland And Hog.

What broadhead were you using ?

Really excellent Eland. Old, broomed, just a perfect bull to shoot. Congratulations! Lion encounters enrich safaris.

Eland are so much bigger on the ground!

Day 6



This morning we headed to a new waterhole, where our blind was perched high in a massive mahogany tree. The elevated platform wrapped completely around the trunk, providing a spectacular, panoramic view of the surrounding terrain. Our first visitors of the morning were a rowdy group of warthogs and baboons. A short time later, a majestic 49-inch kudu stepped into view, but I already had a bull this size from another trip so opted to pass on him. I could tell Doug, was growing a little impatient with me passing up all the quality sable, nyala, and kudu bulls but he was understanding. I can’t shot every good animal that walks into range or I wouldn’t get the main animals I’m after this trip. I also try not to shot an animal unless it’s bigger then my previous animal of the same species. I felt we would harvest plenty of animals with I stayed the course. The morning hunt turned challenging as the wind began to swirl unpredictably, carrying our scent and spooking several animals.



Out of nowhere, we spotted a massive, heavy-tusked warthog making his way toward us. Just as he approached, a nearby group of impalas caught our wind, began sounding their alarm calls, and scattered—spooking the giant warthog right along with them. It was a heartbreaking moment.

Another grueling hour and a half passed before we spotted a new herd of impalas working toward us, led by an exceptional ram boasting tall, sweeping horns. The pure excitement in Doug's eyes gave away just how big he was. Without even asking, Doug leaned over and whispered firmly, "You're shooting this impala!" I knew he meant business.





The shifting winds kept the herd on high alert, but we lit a pile of elephant dung, and the pungent smoke masked our scent just enough to keep them guessing. They appeared to be in the peak of the rut, with aggressive males grunting and chasing females all around our tree. The prize ram finally stepped within 45 yards, but between the steep downward angle and an impala’s legendary, lightning-fast reflexes, I decided to play it safe and wait for a better opportunity.

The ram began circling behind our tree into an area where we hadn’t cleared any shooting lanes. Doug slowly and meticulously snapped a few small branches to open a tight window. A vigilant female spotted the movement and blew sharply in our direction, but amid the chaotic grunting and chasing the ram completely ignored her warning.

He finally stepped directly into the narrow opening at 30 yards. Knowing how violently impalas can "drop the string," I intentionally aimed low near the bottom of the heart. Looking back at the video footage, the ram jumped the string and ducked an incredible 12 inches. Because I aimed low, the arrow impacted high, but the steep downward angle allowed the arrow it to clip the top of both lungs. He bolted, began to run a circle and performed that unmistakable, short-lived "death circle."



The adrenaline hit us instantly, and we celebrated with quiet high-fives in the tree. We took our time capturing high-quality photos of a truly magnificent trophy.





For the afternoon hunt, we shifted tactics to a spot-and-stalk approach. At the very top of my wish list was a Nile bushbuck, a species I had never harvested before. Before dusk, we successfully spotted two Nile bushbucks, including one absolute giant of a shooter. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side, and we couldn't close the distance into bow range before light faded. Still, it was an unforgettable day, anchored by an incredible 24-inch trophy impala.

This warthog reminds me of the pencils that had a troll on top and when you spun the pencil its hair would stand straight up!!

Impala’s acting a fool!!

Nayala

Impala Kill Shot

Slow Motion