ZAMBIA: Ntengu Safaris Hunt Report

[AZDAVE]

Thank you for taking the time to write up your adventure. You took some very nice animals. I especially like the bushbuck.

 

[MontanaPat]

Thanks for the report and congrats on some beautiful trophies. That bushbuck will be one awesome full mount

 

[TKessel]

Great trophy’s and report. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Pheroze]

What a great adventure!

 

[Justhunt]

Great report! Thanks for writing it up. Congratulations.

 

[Nyati]

That was a dream hunt, Scott, with very good trophies taken.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Safari1]

I can really only speak to elephant in Kansonso and what Fico shared with me about both areas. We saw a good number of elephants in Kansonso as well as tracks of elephants we did not see. Obviously nothing like Botswana or parts of Zimbabwe or Tanzania but more elephants than several other areas I have hunted. They are making a comeback. As for size, we saw one good bull and it surprised Fico a bit. The overall age structure is not there yet even though the poaching has slowed. As you know, it takes four decades to grow decent ivory. I believe there’s a minimum size of 33 pounds in Zambia and Fico said the age and quality are not up to his standards yet. They are on quota but not booking elephant much, if at all. On the contrary, he said the Luangwa Valley areas are starting to produce some good bulls again.

Fico has hunted a lot of elephants in his career and had some great stories.

I have heard the same about Luangwa.

 

[Ridgewalker]

WOW! A grand safari indeed Scott! Thanks for sharing it with us, but you only made me envious of all the fine trophies!
That serval had my heart pounding! I love hunting cats! So at my age I need to get with you about a mountain lion this season.

 

[WAB]

I have heard the same about Luangwa.

I flew a 206 on the deck from Chikwa to Mfuwe a number of years ago. I saw some VERY good bulls!

 

[LivingTheDream]

What an awesome trip!!! You took some amazing animals, had to pick my jaw off the ground a couple of time. Definitely a trip of a lifetime!

 

[Safari1]

I flew a 206 on the deck from Chikwa to Mfuwe a number of years ago. I saw some VERY good bulls!

They are there. They took 3 good bulls in Sandwe in a months time this year.

 

[Gemsbok45]

Fantastic Safari!, That Sable!

 

[Scott CWO]

@Scott CWO sounds like you had a great and overall successful hunt, Roan can be more skittish than many realize.
Also probably one of my favourite of the bigger PG around.

Next time you're out here I'll teach you how to say no when mike offers you a drink ... Not that it helps much, but its always worth a try!

Hello @PeteG and yes, I will need your help to say no! Mike can be very convincing!

Yes, roan are also one of my favorites as well. I saw some in Moz in 2014 but they weren’t on quota yet in that area.

 

[Randy F]

Wow! What a fantastic report! Congratulations on some outstanding animals!

 

[WMU05]

That's a hell of a safari. Congratulations, and thanks for sharing!

 

[Scott CWO]

Timing is everything! Fico with a 28” giant roan they just got. He is guiding an American married couple right now.

 

[375Fox]

View attachment 485049

Timing is everything! Fico with a 28” giant roan they just got. He is guiding an American married couple right now.

I really think people underrate roan as a trophy against sable. Your huge sable definitely falls into a different category, but given roan as a trophy or sable as a trophy I think roan are more impressive and a much more difficult hunt. They can be deceiving in photos because of large skulls and bigger bodies. This one is a great trophy.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

July 30 continued - After lunch, we headed west looking for roan and sable along the many dambos. The roan like the wide open dambo and plains areas. Sable are found just about everywhere in the dambos and the forests in between. The swamps are sitatunga habitat with puku and lechwe along the edges.

Just before dark we arrived at the area called the Luama dambo, where we had stalked the wide sable the evening before. I spotted him and the same other bull. They were feeding and had not seen us yet. Fico and I backtracked on foot and made a flanking move inside the forest with the wind in our favor. It was impossible to be quiet with all the dry leaves and grass and the sable heard us coming and started walking off. They got into some high grass and were heading for the forest to our right. Fico said we should shoot the wide bull and that he should be about 47” long. The bulls were in high grass and we could only see the top half of their bodies. They were just about to disappear into the forest when I shot. The sable dropped and was spined. I ran up and finished him in the vitals. It took a while for the trackers to bring the cruiser through the trees and termite mounds so the pictures were taken just at dark. We also had to move him to get good pictures. Fico said the bull is the widest bull he’s ever guided. I was happy to hear that fact. Later, we taped him at 47 2/8” by 46 3/8” long. Wow!

View attachment 483165
View attachment 483166

View attachment 483167

Congratulations on a Beautiful Sable Bull

 

[Gemsbok45]

I like both! Something about a big Sable bull!

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Thank you for the excellent write-up and report. Congratulations on all of your fine trophies.