http://www.africanhuntinggazette.com 51oneeye.Wewatchedhimforquitea while
untilhe finallyambled off.Fromthesight
oftheclawmarksonhisback,it lookedas
thoughhehadliveda toughlife.
Anothertimewegotwithina 100yardsof
a smallherdthathadseveralnicebulls.But
as we goton them, they had just finished
wateringand werestarting tofile outaway
from us.IantoldKayleigh togetreadyon
thesticks- hewasgoingtoblowa predator
calland,hopefully,makethemstopintheir
tracks.Buttooursurprise,at thesoundofthe
squealing,allhellbrokeloose,andthewhole
herdranoutofsight.Wemarchedbackto
thetrucklickingourwounds!Thiswenton
dayafterday.
OnemorningourPHIan,twotrackers,the
gamescout,andKayleighandI werescouting
along a huge backwater swamp bordered
with vegetation, as well as some nice-sized
crocssunningonthebanks.Wewerewalking
singlefilewhenwecametoa largetreethat
had fallen across thegame trail. I diverted
to the right uphill to walk around it,and
everyoneelsewalkedtotheleftclosertothe
watertogetpastthehugetree,whenI heard
shoutingandyelling.ThenI saweverybody
running in all directions, and one of the
trackers kept yelling, “Mambas! Mambas!”
Apparently we had interrupted two quite
largeblackmambasthathadcomedownfor
a drink!We later foundtheir tracks where
theyhadcrossedthedustyroadupabovethe
watercourse.Onceourheartsstoppedracing,
wedecidedtoheadbacktocampearly and
regroup- sofar,thebuffswerewinning!
We wereall exhausted, wearyfrom days
and days of tracking and stalking buffalo.
Long,fruitlesstrackinghikeswerestartingto
taketheirtollonus.Ourlegsandfeetwere
sore,andourbackshurtfromdrivingmiles
onbackroads.Kayleigh’sa trooperandloves
thethrillandexcitementofbuffalohunting.
Shetookthenumerous daysofnotgetting
a shot allinherstride.Upanhourbefore
daylight,(mornings incentralMozambique
arecold),blackcoffee,breakfast,thenoffto
thebushandbacktocampwellafterdark.
Onedaywetracked a largeherdupand
down steep hills covered with thorn bush
sothickwecouldonlygetglimpsesofparts
of buffalo. As we were glassing the herd,
KayleighandI felta faintbreezeonthebacks
ofournecks.Asthewindswirledtheherd
pickedupourscentandbolted– cows,calves
andbullsallpoundedoutofsight.Thenit
wasthelongtrekbacktothetruck.
OurheadtrackerWillynevergaveuphope-
healwaysheldhisheadhighandkepta positive
attitude, and his determination to succeed
was obvious. He basically had our chance of
Mozambique: 2017
Kayleigh and Darby in the hunting area.Happy Kayleigh with her buffalo trophy.