ZAMBIA: spike.t's Epic Wonderland At Takeri Reserve Zambia

[Vanguard2279]

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Really enjoying reading your report and your writing style.

Glad you were able to get your hunt in this year. Fantastic old sable. Your puku is very special.

Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones and Paul Cook. I don't see Mike anywhere.

 

[thriller]

Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones and Paul Cook. I don't see Mike anywhere.

Well he might have taken the picture

 

[cpr0312]

Wow, you had a heck of a 5 days!! Congrats on the nice sable and reedbuck!

 

[spike.t]

Great write up so far.....and thanks for some interesting theories on my earlier life.....

 

[Jfet]

That is an amazing adventure!

 

[Chago]

Awesome write up and amazing trophies.

Spike you need to keep the porno rumor going. Makes you sound so interesting, hunters would have so many questions around a camp fire lol

 

[WAB]

I think you shot the perfect sable! Nothing like an old warrior.

 

[gillettehunter]

Great trophies. I really enjoyed Mike and Takari when I hunted there a few yrs ago. Great place out in the middle of nowhere.
Bruce

 

[Nevada Wapati]

Very enjoyable reading. Congratulations on some great animals. Looking forward to the rest of your report.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Great report.

 

[Red Leg]

Great report. You may shoot a longer sable someday, but you will never shoot a better one. Just massive worn horns.

The puku and Lechwe are spectacular as well. I am really looking forward to reprising your experience (less the Covid nonsense!) next August.

 

[Vanguard2279]

I'm back!

We headed out around 1430 on the last hunting day to see if we could find a big Sable. Not too long into our search, we came across a herd in the forest. Billy started glassing and advised me that the herd bull was probably the big one we had seen on the first day. I climbed off the truck and Billy and I began our stalk. We managed to get to about 125 yards of a large bull. I settled onto the sticks. Billy advised that the bull was behind a tree. I told him that I had a complete view of the bull's vital zone. The bull was facing left and was fully broadside to me. I settled the crosshairs on his left shoulder and fired.

The bull ran about 25 yards and piled up dead. Upon reaching him, I discovered that the bullet had hit perfectly on the left shoulder and had broken the skin but did not exit behind the right shoulder. The bullet is actually visible in the photos. After examining the bull, Billy related to me that he was surprised by how old this bull actually was. He wasn't as old as the bull the day before, but he was close. I would later learn that he measured 44"/44.75". I had found my big Sable.

 

[PARA45]

Wow, what a great trip, and some fine animals you took. Congrats on a wonderful and successful hunt!

 

[Vanguard2279]

That was it. The hunt was done. We loaded this majestic bull into the Landcrusier and headed for the lodge. Amazingly, we had found seven great trophies in five days. I attribute this to a great PH in Billy Miller and a great outfitter. I also think we were lucky. I was the only client for the year so the animals had experienced low hunting pressure. There are great genetics at Takeri and I benefited from that.

What could we have done with three additional hunting days? We might have found a bigger Bushbuck, but not better. We may have found a bigger Reedbuck. We might have found a bigger Sable, but I doubt one as old. There are monsters out there if you have time to find them. Regardless, I'm completely happy with the animals I was able to take. A friend was teasing me about taking two Sable bulls. Yeah, things got a little out of hand, but that's okay. This was my greatest hunt and the top of my three favorite hunts.

In September 2016 when I went on my first safari to South Africa, I was a neophyte and didn't know better. I also realize that there are many of you with vastly more experience than I have. However, with five safaris I think I get an opinion.

You get what you pay for. I have a friend who hunted four times with the same high fence SA safari company. It's a nice place, but you come nowhere near experiencing real Africa. My second hunt was in the Eastern Cape with African Cape Safaris/Western Safaris. My life was changed then when I saw what largely open range could be. Zambia at Takeri Game Reserve was the wildest place I have been. It's the Africa of my dreams and the hunt I'm glad I didn't do first as nothing would have ever bettered the raw experience of it. This is real Africa.

Mike's place is rustic. I only complained about having to unzip doors to go to the bathroom. However, keeping cobras out of my tent (or the Python we stumbled across) was a priority for me. If you want to experience a little of what it may have felt like hunting in the 1950's (with flush toilets, hot showers and WiFi), Takeri is a place to go. The journey to Lusaka is more difficult than one to Johannesburg especially with Covid wreaking havoc on all of our lives, but the trip is worth it. Hunting there is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. The amount of animals with great genetics abound.

 

[Red Leg]

I'm back!

We headed out around 1430 on the last hunting day to see if we could find a big Sable. Not too long into our search, we came across a herd in the forest. Billy started glassing and advised me that the herd bull was probably the big one we had seen on the first day. I climbed off the truck and Billy and I began our stalk. We managed to get to about 125 yards of a large bull. I settled onto the sticks. Billy advised that the bull was behind a tree. I told him that I had a complete view of the bull's vital zone. The bull was facing left and was fully broadside to me. I settled the crosshairs on his left shoulder and fired.

The bull ran about 25 yards and piled up dead. Upon reaching him, I discovered that the bullet had hit perfectly on the left shoulder and had broken the skin but did not exit behind the right shoulder. The bullet is actually visible in the photos. After examining the bull, Billy related to me that he was surprised by how old this bull actually was. He wasn't as old as the bull the day before, but he was close. I would later learn that he measured 44"/44.75". I had found my big Sable.
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Nice. Very nice. You did shoot a longer one. But I liked the other one much better.

Great hunt. Thanks for taking us along.

 

[Vanguard2279]

Sunday and Departure
We got up and I helped make breakfast. The skinners were busy gathering all of the skins and skulls for the trip with Billy to the Dip & Pack outside Lusaka. Baggage was loaded and we got ready for the long drive to Lusaka.

The night before, I had sat with Mike, Billy and Sid and figured out how much to tip staff. I like to think of myself as generous. I really should have changed another $100 into kwacha. Sid provided me with envelopes to make distribution easier. I regretted forgetting the ones I have in my desk at home. I even managed to tip the Game Scouts a bit as they have an incredibly hard job and get shot at occasionally. Speaking of which, we recovered buckshot pellets from the hide of the old 38" bull. Apparently, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Such is the war with poachers,....

Top photo: Spike T
Middle photo: My skins and skulls.
Bottom photo: Boston, Kelvin, Kalenga, Dorothy, Billy, Me, Trump the Wonder Dog, Benson, Mary, Mike and Sid.

 

[Brent in Az]

Looks like a truly magical place to hunt. Some fine trophies!

 

[wesheltonj]

Great report. You may shoot a longer sable someday, but you will never shoot a better one. Just massive worn horns.

The puku and Lechwe are spectacular as well. I am really looking forward to reprising your experience (less the Covid nonsense!) next August.

So am I.

 

[spike.t]

Thank you for the really great report....it was a pleasure having you come and spend time with us...and thank you for persisting and finally actually getting here after all the ups and downs with flights etc...was a big shame you couldn't have a few days more relaxed with more fishing. ...but with a little bit of luck we managed to get everything in the 5 days ....at least you got to visit the gunshop I use we are looking forward to your return some time in the future...possibly with a trip to kingfisher so you can try for tiger fish...thank you again...and Mani we have converted him to gin and tonics

 

[IvW]

Superb......