It is hard to express how much fun and at times how difficult this hunt was. Coutada 10 is a magical wild place such as exists in very few places in the world today. It is bush Africa in its purest form and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Special Thanks are due to Johan, Mara (PH), Shorty (lead tracker) and the entire staff for giving me wonderful memories to sustain me until I return.
JERRY DOLLAR WRITES:
I am sending this from the Air France departure in Johannesburg, awaiting my Delta flight home in a few hours. Details to follow but the short version of the safari is; I shot a 39" sable, 14 ft. croc (the main target), bushpig, suni and red duiker, plus a bushpig sow and reedbuck for camp meat and croc bait. I tried to get a baboon that the PH wanted for it's skull but they were too clever! The hunt was with Bahati Adventures and the outfitter is Johan Strasheim and was absolutely superb. My PH, the camp staff, accommodation and food were all first rate and Coutada 10 is as wild as Africa gets. There is something about elephants waking you up at 2am trumpeting just behind camp that stirs the soul! Right now I think I am the most depressed person in Africa as this adventure ends but reality beckons.
I am a slow typist, so this report will be somewhat brief and to the point.
Dates 1-10 Oct. 2008
Area: Coutada 10, Mozambique.
Outfitter: Bahati Adventures
PH/Guide: Marius Verster (Mara)
Rifle: 30-06 Remington 700 with Leupold scope (camp rifle)
Game taken: red duiker, suni, bushpig, sable, crocodile
Day 1: We decided to start small and work up, so I began with red duiker. We saw several in the morning but no shooters. After a mid day siesta, back out and 1 hour later I got lucky – a quick shot at 50 yards and first trophy in the salt. Off to a good start.
Day 2: We left camp early for a 2 hour drive to chase suni. This is a very interesting affair done with a shotgun and #5 shot. A Russian client in camp and his PH accompanied us. Basically you drive through VERY thick forest VERY slowly with the PH and client sitting on the tailgate of the vehicle and 2 spotters/trackers in the back. When a suni is spotted, the hunter and PH slip off tailgate as the truck continues forward. The PH evaluates the trophy, client makes (or misses) the shot - did I mention how THICK the jungle is? 2 shots later and the Russion guy - Sergey - had his suni. My turn now. 10 minutes and 1 shot later, trophy #2 is DRT. A fun day.
Day 3: Chase the wily bushpig. While driving on the flood plain, a large pig breaks cover and runs from one palm island to another. My PH - Mara, who is driving only gets a quick glimpse but is assured by the 3 trackers that it is a very large pig. The trackers go around the island and we wait on the opposite side for the pig to come out when they push in. The trackers go in and the pig comes HAULING ASS OUT 20 yards away and already in high gear. My first shot was at 40 yards (hard to find the bastard in the scope) and a clean miss! I quick reload, with the second shot lead the SOB more!. I think miss, but the tracker thinks I hit the hind leg. We go over to area and find ONE small drop of blood. Uh-Oh. BIG PROBLEMA. We follow tracks in and out of 2 palm islands and there is basically no blood trail. We get to the third palm island and the tracks go in and don't come out. Suddenly, an instant replay of round one! The trackers go in, pig comes blasting out. My first shot goes past behind (Wy can't I figure out the lead?! ) Second shot, I hit enough to at least slow it down. My third shot … and finally got the lead right. The bush pig is down and dead. We walk over - second problema. My running boar turns into a very large dry (but fast) sow!! Interestingly enough, bush pig boars don't seem to have large scrotums protruding out the back like our pigs here.
Day 5: We have been looking for nyala every day but bushfires have chased them away from their usual pans and into thick forest. Johan (outfitter/owner) has graciously consented to let me shoot a sable in place of the nyala - even though i am on a 10 day hunt and sable usually requires a 14 day hunt. Sable are everywhere, so today I get my chance. We spot a large herd (30-40) on the floodplain near the forest edge. While driving slowly closer for a better look, we jump a nice bull that was asleep on a palm island by himself. We get off the truck, start following the bugger from one palm island to the next. The sable thinks he is hidden in one island when we sneak up into the adjoining one. My only shot available is a modified Texas heart shot as he is quartering VERY slightly away. I aim at the back of the hip, hoping to rake his opposite shoulder. I miss the hip but stagger him good. He starts to lope way but my next shot puts paid to the bill.
Early that evening while walking around base camp wearing flip-flops, I caught my foot on a tent peg and ripped a deep gash in the webspace between my third and fourth toes extending up on to the top of my foot. The cut was deep enough to expose the tendons. Luckily I had brought some Dermabond (medical grade sterile super glue) with me to give the PH for his first aid kit. I cleaned the wound out with Betadine (somewhat painful process), washed it out with bottled water, sealed the cut with the glue, and taped the third and fourth toes together to take pressure off the skin edges. Had it not been for the Dermabond, I would have been in big trouble as we were headed to fly camp the next morning in the river system (can you spell mud and muck?) and the cut definitely needed a dozen stitches. Anyway, on with the hunt!!
Days 6-9: We hunted hard for 3 days in flycamp but the weather had turned cool (a mixed blessing) and the crocs were staying in the river and off the mud banks. We saw a number of 7-9 footers but no real shooters. Oh, well- back to base camp and Plan B
Day 10: My last day and my last chance. We headed out early to a different river system. It is HOT weather again and the crocs should be out getting a tan. One and a half hours by Land Cruiser to the fly camp where the Argos are kept, then 2 plus hours by Argo across the flood plain to the river where the Bahati company mokoro resided. We get into the mokoro and head downriver. We quickly spot several nice crocs out on the mud. We beach mokoro, hike (climb?) in through to mangroves and head out onto the floodplain to get away from the river and head downstream and downwind to find some sunning crocs. We walked about a quarter mile inland and 3/4 mile downstream, then another quarter mile back to river edge.
The old fisherman acting as guide knew exactly where to head to river's edge to put us on the crocs (how the hell do they do that?) We sneak to water's edge, croc across river, no shot through the mangroves and the wind shifts - croc disappears. We head back up river to a place where another, slightly smaller croc is sunning. While getting into position, the wind shifts and the croc is gone. We look back downriver, and find the first croc back out. We head downstream and get into position. The croc is lying on a mud flat and with no elevation (we are at water's edge and can't get any higher while still having a opening to shoot through). PH Mara says aim as high up his back as you can (can't see his neck or head at that angle) and give it a go.
Realizing this will probably be my only opportunity, I take the shot. I miss the spine by one and a half inches (later confirmed on post mortem exam) but the bullet travels up into his lungs near his back. The croc wheels around and PH throws a snapshot at his body with his .416 - later found to be a broadside chest/lung shot also. The croc disappears and we stand on bank looking for bubbles. Suddenly the croc explodes out of water about 12-15 feet away, swinging his head, looking for trouble and searching for air after the lung hits I take a quick snap shot but the beast is so close that he is completely out of focus through the scope! I can't see shit but at least I scare him back into the river. We wait again. 5 minutes later the croc again climbs onto mud bank across the river but this time he comes far enough up that I can see his head and neck. I make a brain shot, his head rears back and flops forward – DRT - FINALLY.
The boatman hikes back to the mokoro and some real work begins. Question - how do 3 people (boatman must keep boat steady) get 800 plus pounds of croc into into a canoe!? Answer - with a lot of sweating and swearing! We go back to the fishing village. We had brought a skinner with us (positive thinking) and next 2 hours is spent at that task. We then load the Argo with 4 people and the croc hide and back across the floodplain we go. The croc was shot at 11:30, home about 5:30. What a way to end the hunt!!
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