Land borne hippos

[ActionBob]

One of the guys in our group killed a Buffalo one evening. The crowd of people that showed up for the meat got into such a frenzy that they were climbing all over the truck trying to get to the small amount of meat that the PH had set aside for his trackers and camp staff! They had to all get in the truck and take off to get away from them! I guess hunger will make people do crazy things...

On my elephant hunt, the PH wanted to hustle and get the trophy parts off before the villagers arrived. They did drive into town and discretely as possible got 6 young men to help cut a road into the elephant. We had all the skin and feet off and got the head cut off just as the main body of villagers showed up. We couldn't get the head loaded so the game scout stood up on the carcass and with some authority got everyone to stop cutting and told them no more cutting meat until the head was loaded. Several men loaded it and the mayhem resumed! Every manner of knives from paring knives to pangas where being used. And yes they crawled right inside the chest cavity. They left some ofthe larger bones, the penis, and the stomach contents. But they ate the asshole

The PH told a story; years before the villagers were in a frezy cutting up an elephant and a panga went through the rib cage and killed a guy inside. They drug him out, laid him in the shade, and continued cutting meat!

 

[michael458]

Hippo steaks are pretty spiffy as well........ very tasty. If you are lucky enough one day to take a hippo, do try the steaks, I don't think you will be disappointed. Another thing, if you take a hippo, have the leather tanned there, dyed dark brown. It is wonderful leather and you would be able to make many nice things from it, if you have a good leather smith...... Which I do not anymore........I love the leather both elephant and hippo, followed by buffalo.............

How about hippos in the mud? Does that count as Land? Well, I suppose so, but not really "Dry Land".............. We found a huge group of hippos wallowing in the mud having a big time. I think if one had to shoot in this scenario it would have been a major problem on many counts................ We did not have to shoot fortunately, but not for lack of provoking.......

 

[michael458]

The last hippo I took was a big bugger......... We were not even hunting hippo, we were skirting the edge of Lake Kariba hoping to sneak in on a big croc. We were 50-60 yards inside the bush moving slowly and watching the edges closely.

I was carrying my beloved 18 inch 458 B&M, loaded in the chamber with a 250 Socom from CEB at 2900 fps. Followed up with 450 #13 Solids.

Creeping through the bush, we became aware are of a big sleeping bull hippo, 15 yards up the hill from us, and we were now in between him and the water. He was snoozing like a baby, and at this point unaware of us.

There was no way possible to change out the loading, it would have simply been too much noise and activity this close, I had to go with what I had, 250 Socom at 2900 fps, not exactly hippo medicine, I longed for the bigger 450 bone crunching solid.

Yes, we decided to investigate a little further, closing the distance with extreme caution, but not enough. The bull jumped up and was facing us. He still had not come completely to his wits yet, possibly trying to identify what had disturbed his nap. I turned loose the 250 Socom straight between the eyes and he went down like a wet sack, and then hit him again on the point of the shoulder with a 450 Solid, end of story.......... except..........

Very exciting there for a few seconds I assure you. As we approached there was brain matter squirted out of the ear holes in both directions over six feet from the head. The 250 Socom had hit so hard, and just literally exploded inside the brain cavity, sending blades in all directions and with such concussion it caused the brain to squirt out of the ear holes, it was totally amazing. In the end, we found the base of the bullet just behind the skull, which was busted all to hell on the back side, half of the left part of the rear skull was separated.

The second shot was not needed at all, it was over well before that, but always pay the insurance, its cheap, and why carry all that ammo back home still loaded........... The bullet had traversed from the front point of the shoulder, busting it all to hell, and was found in the far right rear in the hide. That is a lot of travel, but no surprise at all and did what it was designed to do....................