Thread: My first Zambian Freezer shoot

Well I had a great day out but I will label it as a Freezer filling hunt as the hunting side of it was quite easy compared to deerstalking at home.
I guess you could compare it to going to farm at home that caters for a hunting weekend with a cost per animal.
Got home to Kafue from work in Tanzania and picked up the 308 I had changed my 22-250 for from gun shop.
Takes 2 weeks to buy a gun in Zambia as the rifle is documented with the owner.
you are also given a limit of ammo which you can purchase for year.
Mine is 200 rounds but unlimited for range use so there is a way around it.
308 is a old Winchester lever action with a mag with a new barrel ( not a choice I would make but only second-hand one that was not going for $2500 US.
Had a Hawk scope on it which after a internet search I came to conclusion that it was a el cheapo designed for a 22 or air gun so based on that and a total lack of trust in a name I don't know grabbed a $300 Bushnell which again was only choice unless I wanted to spend US dollars and to top it off it is camo.
But least I trust it.
Down the range and managed to borrow a proper gun rest for the bench which made it a breeze to sight in apart from having to lift it up to crank lever.
Got it sighted and then knocked down some steel gongs off my bi-pod working it out from 100 to 300m so was happy with purchase.

The farmer I had met and arranged to hunt with got me to meet me at the gate to a very large family owned estate about 40 min, drive from home.
Bloody huge property with sugarcane, beef ,dairy, corn and huge amounts of game running right thru farm which was a mixture of open crop paddocks and typical Zambian scrub and tree blocks
We met the owner and one of his game wardens who was to keep a eye on us and say yes and no on what we could shoot.
I got strict instructions that I was not to shoot until ok had been given.
The idea being only to shoot males and apart from bushbucks make sure they were young with small horns unless I wanted to pay a large trophy fee.
Off we went and any romantic ideas of any real form of bush stalking were long out of the window as the animals were everywhere as its dry season.
Spotted a few Impala thru the trees and got off truck to walk in a bit and found a good rest lined up and first animal was down
I would like to say that I carried it back to truck but we got right up to it and game warden and his offsider grabbed it and thru it on back after a photo and a handshake.
Impala


Right next on the list was a Bushbuck so off went.
Got on to a couple but they were not hanging around waiting for me to line up.
ended up finding one right on the edge of a cropped paddock and after a spell got a shot using bi-pod on to of roof.
I don't think I allowed for angle down to him and the distance was a lot further than I guessed so hit him low and he bolted into bush.
Now they say a wounded Bushbuck is quite a angry little fella not to be taken lightly and many a hunter or dog has come off second best.
Anyway in we went with me thinking Christ hope there are no lions ( there is none ) found him parked up and they all most sound like a dog growling.
We sorted him out and number two was on the truck
Bushbuck small but great stalking on right property and some guys only target them

This Kudu and Impala were in same spot as Bushbuck but didn't hang around as they thought I might have the money to shoot them .


On this hunting safari trekked
A Puku was taken in a open paddock among a mob of about 30 animals and a bit of time was taken to get one without horns or a female anyway into the truck he went.

Back to killing shed we went where 2 guys came out and proceeded to skin and gut my hard earned animals while I watched.
my meat came to 75 kg including bone so the day out cost me about $300 NZ.

My boy was happy with haul.


Ok I said I was going into this with a open mind and would see how it would sit with my ethics
I would be happy to do this a two to 3 times a year to get my fix and to fill the freezer up with good meat for a good price.
Next time I will go for a couple of Bushbuck as the meat was unreal and a bit more of a challenge and hopefully as I build up some trust maybe be allowed after some time be able to walk and stalk some impala in the scrub blocks but we will see.
Had a good time and will put some money away for a decent Kudu trophy as long its a true walk and stalk which is available in Zambia at a cost.

Onto the meat side of it .
The bushbuck we cut down into steaks and stewing meat.

Impala half to my good mate and local cop and the rest for mince.

Puku I cut down and my wife salted and dried meat over charcoal .
Then sun dried over a 3 day period .
when you soak it in water for a few hours then stew it melts in the mouth

The boss eyes up the meat.
She has convinced me that from now on in NZ if we get a deer on first days of a trip she is going to strip dry it with Tee tree.
After tasting her skills she has the nod.



Cheers

Excellent thanks.

Thanks for posting up.

Sent from my SM-G800Y using Tapatalk

Thanks for sharing, the salting and charcoaling of the puku sounds primo.

Model 88 Lever Action? Cool gun.

Great write up mate, good luck on the trophy Kudu....

Good read and nothing wrong with the type of "hunting". Food is food !!

Originally Posted by JoshC

Model 88 Lever Action? Cool gun.

That was my first

Originally Posted by Gibo

That was my first

Dad's got a minter in .284, with a pecar 4x scope on it. I've been looking for a tidy one for a while to add to my collection.

Originally Posted by JoshC

Dad's got a minter in .284, with a pecar 4x scope on it. I've been looking for a tidy one for a while to add to my collection.

Mine was in 308. Shot well, never forget my mate taking a standing shot on a goat at 250 yards.......smoked it. It wasn't a Dundee rangefinder either

A good read, what's it taste like compared to our deer in NZ?

Bloody nice gun just taking a while to get used to lever action.
Meat does not smell as gamey as our venison but after a week and a half in chiller in started to have it.
Bushbuck was my pick of the 3.
they tend to live alone and I think browse more among the bush.
Salting and drying the meat works well.
Only work at home during the hottest parts of summer but well be worth it.
My wife told me off on her first fly in trip with me during Feb when I got back to hut empty handed and told that I had sat and watched a hind on first morning of week long hunt then let it move off because I did not want to waste meat.( missed a shot 2 days later and got nothing for whole trip)

crank up the BBQ and hoe into those steaks, thanks for the photos.