I first came across this hunt through @spike.t "Make an Offer" hunt deal. After a bit of back and forth, we came to an agreement.
Takeri Private Reserve is a truly fantastic place. The game is plentiful, and there is a huge variety of species. I was hunting with Mike Billy Miller as my PH and mike accompanying. There was a great atmosphere from the beginning, and plenty of humour between everyone. For the hunt, I rented Mike's M12 in .30-06 which proved to be a great rifle for the variety of game we were hunting.
Arrival
There hadn't been much traffic on the road so we arrived promptly at 14:45.
We hadn't even been through the gate for very long when we saw our first bushbuck.
It was a good indication of what the next week was going to be like. After dropping the bags off we sighted in the rifle and drove out. We drove around for a while when we saw a one horned Puku slowly get out of the cruiser and onto the sticks and then shoot. It wasn't long until Ernest found the Puku. My first African animal.
Day 1.
We set out at about 06:00. We spotted a bushbuck around an anthill, but unfortunately a group sable managed to spook and give our position away before we could make anything happen. Later in the day we got another opportunity. A bushbuck ran across in front of us, and we started tracking it. Eventually we caught up and could see the head and shoulder of the animal in the grass.I took the shot. The bushbuck disappeared into the long grass, and I initially thought we'd have to put in a serious tracking job to find it. But we didn't have to search long to find it, which was a great relief. We saw some waterbuck later towards evening but decided to pass as it was day 1.
Day 2.
We started the morning looking for a Blue duiker, but had no luck. Later we were heading after Kafue lechwe when we came across three warthogs. We watched them for quite a while, and they were incredibly close around 30 metres. One of them started moving towards us. We sat there watching it, waiting to see what it would do. The warthog would hesitate, move behind a termite mound then move again, and gradually close the distance. It was one of those encounters that becomes more entertaining the longer it goes on, because nobody wants to move and ruin it. Eventually the opportunity came and I took the shot. We spent more time looking for Kafue lechwe that afternoon. We had a couple of stalks, but the lechwe were simply too quick.
Day 3
The following morning we came across another waterbuck.
We tried to close the distance, and in my enthusiasm to get into position with Billy, I managed to make too much noise. The waterbuck spotted us and bolted.
Day 4
We finally got another opportunity at a waterbuck in the morning.
It wasn't the easiest of situations and it took two shots before the animal was down.
We found the waterbuck down on the anthill.
Later we came across a reedbuck. Began the stalk and had to change position a few times as it was moving. The shot was around 190 metres. Billy described it as a long shot, and I knew I had to take my time and get everything right. I settled down and took the shot. It was a great feeling when we recovered the reedbuck, particularly after the missed opportunities and failed stalks earlier in the hunt. By this stage I was beginning to realise how much I was learning from Billy and Mike. It wasn't simply about getting the animals. Every stalk taught me something about reading the wind, moving quietly, judging distance and perhaps mostimportantly knowing when not to rush.
Day 5 and 6
There was a shadow-stripe zebra available as an option instead of the blue duiker, and I decided to take the opportunity.It turned out to be a decision I was very happy with. They are very tough animals.
The lechwe, however, proved to be a very different story. We had been trying to get onto them throughout the hunt, but they were proving extremely difficult. Eventually we got the opportunity after Billy led 3 stalks anticipating where the group would be after the prior attempt. Unfortunately, my shot wasn't as good as I initially thought .We tracked the lechwe for the rest of the daylight, but eventually darkness caught us and we had to stop.I was disappointed with myself.. The following morning we continued the search. After tracking it for 3 hours we eventually found the lechwe. It was a difficult moment, but the priority was making sure the animal did not suffer any longer. .
Day 7
By Day 7 we'd got all of the animals we were looking for, so we spent the remaining time driving around, observing the game and enjoying the reserve. We also hunted some impala and warthog for meat.
People and Camp Atmosphere
A huge part of the enjoyment of the hunt came from the people. Mike, Billy and Christian made the trip what it was.
Mike was very good at making the whole experience feel relaxed. Having met him through AH it was great to see that the deal we'd made online translated into a genuinely enjoyable experience on the ground.
One thing that really stood out to me about Billy was how patient he was with me throughout the hunt. There were plenty of times when I was probably too slow to get into position or was still figuring things out, but he was always willing to explain what he was seeing, why we were doing something a certain way, or why it was better to wait rather than rush a stalk. I learned a lot from him over the seven days, not just about stalking but about slowing down, reading the animal and taking the time to make the right decision. Looking back, I think his patience probably saved me from making quite a few more mistakes than I did. Ronald's cooking was excellent throughout the week. After a long day coming back to a good meal was always something to look forward to.
Ernest also deserves a special mention. His tracking skills were extremely impressive throughout the hunt. Watching him work out the trail and pick up signs that I would have completely missed was fascinating.
Final thoughts
Overall, the hunt was everything I had hoped a first trip to Zambia would be (this short report wont do it enough justice). Takeri is a beautiful place, the combination of the hunting and the people made it a trip I won't forget. Most importantly, I came home having learned a huge amount from Mike and Billy and with some great memories.
Takeri Private Reserve is a truly fantastic place. The game is plentiful, and there is a huge variety of species. I was hunting with Mike Billy Miller as my PH and mike accompanying. There was a great atmosphere from the beginning, and plenty of humour between everyone. For the hunt, I rented Mike's M12 in .30-06 which proved to be a great rifle for the variety of game we were hunting.
Arrival
There hadn't been much traffic on the road so we arrived promptly at 14:45.
We hadn't even been through the gate for very long when we saw our first bushbuck.
It was a good indication of what the next week was going to be like. After dropping the bags off we sighted in the rifle and drove out. We drove around for a while when we saw a one horned Puku slowly get out of the cruiser and onto the sticks and then shoot. It wasn't long until Ernest found the Puku. My first African animal.
Day 1.
We set out at about 06:00. We spotted a bushbuck around an anthill, but unfortunately a group sable managed to spook and give our position away before we could make anything happen. Later in the day we got another opportunity. A bushbuck ran across in front of us, and we started tracking it. Eventually we caught up and could see the head and shoulder of the animal in the grass.I took the shot. The bushbuck disappeared into the long grass, and I initially thought we'd have to put in a serious tracking job to find it. But we didn't have to search long to find it, which was a great relief. We saw some waterbuck later towards evening but decided to pass as it was day 1.
Day 2.
We started the morning looking for a Blue duiker, but had no luck. Later we were heading after Kafue lechwe when we came across three warthogs. We watched them for quite a while, and they were incredibly close around 30 metres. One of them started moving towards us. We sat there watching it, waiting to see what it would do. The warthog would hesitate, move behind a termite mound then move again, and gradually close the distance. It was one of those encounters that becomes more entertaining the longer it goes on, because nobody wants to move and ruin it. Eventually the opportunity came and I took the shot. We spent more time looking for Kafue lechwe that afternoon. We had a couple of stalks, but the lechwe were simply too quick.
Day 3
The following morning we came across another waterbuck.
We tried to close the distance, and in my enthusiasm to get into position with Billy, I managed to make too much noise. The waterbuck spotted us and bolted.
Day 4
We finally got another opportunity at a waterbuck in the morning.
It wasn't the easiest of situations and it took two shots before the animal was down.
We found the waterbuck down on the anthill.
Later we came across a reedbuck. Began the stalk and had to change position a few times as it was moving. The shot was around 190 metres. Billy described it as a long shot, and I knew I had to take my time and get everything right. I settled down and took the shot. It was a great feeling when we recovered the reedbuck, particularly after the missed opportunities and failed stalks earlier in the hunt. By this stage I was beginning to realise how much I was learning from Billy and Mike. It wasn't simply about getting the animals. Every stalk taught me something about reading the wind, moving quietly, judging distance and perhaps mostimportantly knowing when not to rush.
Day 5 and 6
There was a shadow-stripe zebra available as an option instead of the blue duiker, and I decided to take the opportunity.It turned out to be a decision I was very happy with. They are very tough animals.
The lechwe, however, proved to be a very different story. We had been trying to get onto them throughout the hunt, but they were proving extremely difficult. Eventually we got the opportunity after Billy led 3 stalks anticipating where the group would be after the prior attempt. Unfortunately, my shot wasn't as good as I initially thought .We tracked the lechwe for the rest of the daylight, but eventually darkness caught us and we had to stop.I was disappointed with myself.. The following morning we continued the search. After tracking it for 3 hours we eventually found the lechwe. It was a difficult moment, but the priority was making sure the animal did not suffer any longer. .
Day 7
By Day 7 we'd got all of the animals we were looking for, so we spent the remaining time driving around, observing the game and enjoying the reserve. We also hunted some impala and warthog for meat.
People and Camp Atmosphere
A huge part of the enjoyment of the hunt came from the people. Mike, Billy and Christian made the trip what it was.
Mike was very good at making the whole experience feel relaxed. Having met him through AH it was great to see that the deal we'd made online translated into a genuinely enjoyable experience on the ground.
One thing that really stood out to me about Billy was how patient he was with me throughout the hunt. There were plenty of times when I was probably too slow to get into position or was still figuring things out, but he was always willing to explain what he was seeing, why we were doing something a certain way, or why it was better to wait rather than rush a stalk. I learned a lot from him over the seven days, not just about stalking but about slowing down, reading the animal and taking the time to make the right decision. Looking back, I think his patience probably saved me from making quite a few more mistakes than I did. Ronald's cooking was excellent throughout the week. After a long day coming back to a good meal was always something to look forward to.
Ernest also deserves a special mention. His tracking skills were extremely impressive throughout the hunt. Watching him work out the trail and pick up signs that I would have completely missed was fascinating.
Final thoughts
Overall, the hunt was everything I had hoped a first trip to Zambia would be (this short report wont do it enough justice). Takeri is a beautiful place, the combination of the hunting and the people made it a trip I won't forget. Most importantly, I came home having learned a huge amount from Mike and Billy and with some great memories.
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