African Outfitter is an independent bimonthly publication promoting
fair hunting and ethical business practices within the hunting industry.
From a hunting perspective, the preservation of biodiversity on the
African continent is the first and foremost priority. The emphasis
is however also on the sustainable utilisation of wildlife.
Rediscovering Mozambique - Anton Muller
Mozambique is slowly recovering from the effects of the war and quite frankly it still is a country with breathtaking beauty and unspoilt beaches where one can walk for kilometres without encountering any people.
Like most hunters I have read some of the books written by the old-time hunters. Harry Manner's Kambaku has left a rather permanent impression on me. As a result I have yearned for years to visit Mozambique and use this prime hunting destination.
During August 2006 I managed to secure a hunt through Sable Hills Safaris of Mozambique. I was to be guided by professional hunter Hanke Hudson and Mark Smith.
I decided to travel by vehicle through Zimbabwe to Mozambique, entering Mozambique at the Mukumbura border post. From there my wife Amanda and I drove to the hunting camp in the Thuvi area.
For this trip I decided to use only one rifle, namely a Sako .375 H&H Magnum. Ignoring the advice of my hunting friends, I loaded a 270 grain Barnes Triple Shock bullet to a velocity of 2 540 feet per second. Although I also intended to hunt buffalo, I was convinced that the relatively light 270 grain Barnes bullet was fully up to the task of cleanly taking buffalo if the shot was placed in the proper spot.
Day one started with a one-shot kill on a warthog as well as a beautiful Sharpe's grysbok in the late afternoon. I also managed to anchor an impala just before the darkness enveloped the Mozambican bush.
Day two, apart from the buffalo hunt, proved to be exciting huntingwise. After locating many crocodiles on an island in a large river, we waited for more than two and a half hours before I was able to take a clean shot at a very large crocodile. The crocodiles were extremely wary and at times would disappear into the water within seconds, only to reappear a few minutes later. I shot this crocodile at ±100 metres through the neck where it joins the body. One shot with the 270 grain Barnes bullet proved to be more than sufficient.
Days three to five were spent looking for buffalo and to this end we covered many miles by vehicle and on foot. Countless times we would pick up fresh buffalo spoor and would start tracking only to be given away by the wind.
On day five, near a rather wide river, we spotted a lone hippo bull near the edge of the water. With some careful coaching from Hanke, this hippo bull was neatly taken with a heart shot. The shooting distance was just over 170 metres. Again the Barnes 270 grain bullet did some lethal damage to the heart.
For the next five days we really worked hard to get a mature buffalo bull. I was quite prepared to settle for a bull with a horn spread of around 35 to 37 inches, as long as the bosses were hard.
On day eleven, after picking up the spoor of a herd of buffalo, we finally caught up with a relatively small group of them. Watching them through our binoculars, we spotted a rather impressive bull amongst the herd. What followed certainly was the longest, most arduous stalk I have ever undertaken in my hunting career.
It took Hanke, Mark, the game scout and I over an hour to progress to about 60 metres from the buffalo. The big bull was lying in the shade, obviously trying to escape the intense heat.
Again we waited for the bull to stand up to be able to get a decent shot. The buffalo were quite relaxed and in no hurry to go anywhere. As the wind was blowing in all directions, some of the buffalo would at times suddenly jump up and stare in our direction with flared nostrils, obviously looking for confirmation of human presence.
For over an hour and a half we had to keep a low profile with the searing sun beating down mercilessly on our backs. All of a sudden the whole herd got up and started to move away from us slowly, straight ahead. Somehow I thought that all the waiting was in vain and that I wasn't going to get a chance at such a magnificent buffalo bull again.
Our luck changed just as abruptly as everything that seemed to be going wrong. At around 120 metres the bull stopped in a clearing and presented me with a broadside opportunity. The lung shot caused the buffalo bull to soon succumb to the lack of oxygen. The horn spread measured just over 40 inches and the bosses were measured at 15 inches. I could not have wished for a better buffalo bull under these difficult hunting conditions.
What made this buffalo hunt even more special was the lack of skin on my elbows and knees as well as Hanke's colourful vocabulary as he too was losing skin on his arms and legs while pretending that stalking in this way was a sort of everyday occurrence for professional hunters.
Day twelve turned out to be another special day. For many years I have been searching for a bushpig without success. Just before dark a huge bushpig boar appeared out of nowhere. Soon afterwards the boar succumbed to the mighty roar of the .375 H&H Magnum.
As this man was running ahead of us we slowly followed him into the village. When the terrified inhabitants spotted this "wild man", they panicked and fled into the surrounding bush. The "hunter", on the other hand, must have thought that the Land Cruiser was some sort of devil and was desperately trying to get away from it.
Mozambique truly is a wonderful hunting destination with a lot to offer any hunter. One can only wish this country all the best on its road to recovery after a terrible war.