Myles McCallum

Dakota 375 H&H

Federal trophy bonded bearclaw and nosler softs. Solids were trophy bonded sledge hammers and Woodleigh. All 300grn.

Merkel .470 NE

Federal 500 grn. Woodleigh solids and 500grn Woodleigh softs.

We went out and shot a buff cow for bait. Perfect quatering on shot at 25mts. With .375 bearclaw. Cow went 30 meters and collapsed. 2 lion baits hung with this cow.

drove around looking for lion tracks etc…

Steve shot zebra stallion at 150 meters with .375 0730 am. Perfect shot. 2 more baits hung. We now have 4 baits – 3 along the road in to camp for the big lion Myles saw last year.

Checking baits – no lions but leopards on all 4 baits. Sat on one bait late PM and videoed a female leopard.

Checking baits -  no lions on bait yet. Big male we are looking for has not reappeared.

Lions fed on one bait (half buff cow). Blind built even though no mane hair found. Suspect females only but we are hoping that they  will eventually bring in the big male.

In to the blind early to look at lions. Sure enough 3 lionesses and 2 cubs seen and videoed. Steve suggests we close the door but Myles says not to worry! Well Steve was right as when the cats leave they do so via our blind. All 5 sniffing blind etc… and one youngster sticks its nose in thru the back!! Lions run off and female leopard immediately starts feeding on the bait – nice footage. That afternoon off to the Ruii river looking for tuskless cows. We make a last light (full moon ) approach on a big herd of cows. There is one big tuskless with no dependants. The closest we could get in the noisy grass is 35yds. Steve shot his cow quatering on frontal shot with hi s.470. Perfect shot. In just above eye and exited through the ear hole!! Day 8 – first job to recover the cow = more bait!!! We do that and hang up another 4 good baits in other areas.

Checking baits. We need to do 220 kms per day now to get to them all and re drag every single one every day.

A lion and lioness have fed on the elephant carcass near the Ruia river. Reasonable mane hair found so we decide to build a blind and have a look.  We walk in at 4 pm. Bad wind so the lioness runs off but the male stays behind for 2/3 minutes. He is big bodied but still young with short mane so we decide to pass him up.

Check all baits – only leopards and the 2 groups of lions – no trophy males.

Check all baits – finally… a big male has fed at one of the baits near camp. Good 8/9 inch mane hairs found! Blind built. We also go and shoot a buff cow to replenish the bait with. Steve shoots her with his .375. We decide to drop the entire cow at the base of the tree and tie it there.  The blind is 85 meters away. The approach is a 1 km long path marked with toilet paper  so we can get in early am easily and quietly.

Up at 4am. Out of camp at 4;30 am. In to the blind by 0545am. The lion is feeding on the buff but it is still to dark to see properly. He is also lying behind the cow.  At 0600 am you can finally see color now and I can see that it is a very good lion so tell Steve that as soon as it stands up and presents a good shot…. Go for it! Well he does at 0605 am and Steve makes a perfect shot with his .375. His lion only goes 30 mts and we hear it groan a few times . It takes no time at all to find him.  A very nice blonde maned lion 6/7 years old. Full of scars and porcupine quills. He also has a fresh 14 inch scar along his back from fighting.

a bit of a late start (3pm) with something of a hang over – nothing shot.

begin taking down baits and blinds etc… We are now hunting a buffalo bull and a sable primarily.

lots of buff seen every day but nothing over 40 inches yet.

We decide to go for a long walk in the Ruyese area and hope to find a big dagga boy or sable. As we are driving in Steve shoots a klipspringer with his .375 (solids). A good 4.5 inch male. We leave Sam skinning it and start our walk. We have gone 3 hours and are actually climbing some hills after chasing  good 55 + kudu to start heading back when Bongi sees a sable sleeping below us at about 90 yds. First shot a bit low, 2nd shot Texas heart shot.  An excellent 43.25 inch OLD sable bull with beautiful worn horns.  We have left our cameras in the truck so Norest goes off to fetch them. We expect him back in 1 hour – but 3 hours later he arrives! Well we take lots of Pictures and then cape the bull. We reckon we can carry all the meat and trophy so load it all up. Myles with +/- 50lbs in pack. Bongi with skull cape and b/ skin.  Norest two shoulders. Sam one b/ leg. Shout one leg and brisket. 3 hours later we finally made it at last light to the road!!!

another slow start after a rather generous celebration!  In the PM we hunt the camp herd of buff. 7 dagga boys have joined it and one is a beauty. We have him at 5 paces twice but cannot get a shot. The herd runs off and stops at about 40 yds. Our bull stands forward and clear all the way to the left of the herd.  Steve makes a perfect free hand frontal heart shot with his .470 (soft first) followed by a Texas heart shot as he runs off with a solid. The bull only manages 70 yds before collapsing. A good 41 inch bull with 14 inch bosses.

nothing. Looking for impala.

No impala am. But PM we go for a walk and Steve shoots a 3.5 inch duiker and then just 20 mins later a 14 inch reedbuck.  Luck counts!

Beautiful 20 inch impala ram am a the Ruia.

- Steve Townzen, July 2008