Wimoweh!!

FOsteology · August 19, 2012, 10:18:11 PM

A wimoweh, a-wimoweh a-wimoweh, a wimoweh
In the jungle the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle the quiet jungle the lion sleeps tonightâ€¦.

This Friday afternoon will once again find me boarding the big metal bird for the long trip across the pond to the dark continent.

I'll be hunting with legendary PH John Sharp out of the Lamulas Camp in the Bubye in the lowveld area situated in the south east of Zimbabwe on the old Pioneer wagon trail between the famed Tuli Block and the Shashe River. This is the renowned sweetveld region, purchased by Liebigs (later Lemco) at the turn of the 20th century. It is where the "Great White Hunters" such as Frederick Courteney Selous came to hunt in the late 1800's.

Our main quarry will be lioness and cape buffalo.

I've done sorted and pack all my gear and equipment. For this safari, I'll be relying on the following firearms:

Winchester M70 .458WM shooting 450gr. North Fork Softs, Cup Point Solids, and Flat Point Solids. All bullets shoot to the same POI.

Kimber Talkeetna .375 H&H shooting 300gr. TBBC and 300gr. Barnes Banded Flat Point Solids.

Only the .375 H&H is scoped. I have a Leupold VX-6 1-6x24mm illum. German #4 in Talley QD rings. In addition, I have a Kahles Helia CSX 1.5-6x42mm illum. P-dot in QD rings (sighted in) as back-up.

One never knows what lions will do, but our goal and objective is to find spore and track them down on foot. Should make for an interesting and exciting adventure!

Should I survive, pictures and stories upon my return.

FinsnFur · August 19, 2012, 10:23:42 PM

Quote from: FOsteology on August 19, 2012, 10:18:11 PM
Should I survive, pictures and stories upon my return.

LOL!!

Your gonna survive.

I would be so stoked I wouldnt even be able to go to bed.
Do you have a gun caddy?...you know like a guy that carrys your guns from stand to stand like the guy that carrys the golf clubs? Cause mannnnn thats a lot of weaponry to be packing around.

Good luck. Please stay safe.

FOsteology · August 19, 2012, 10:46:12 PM

I'm sure I could get one of the trackers to carry a rifle for me. However, I'm not real fond of others messing with my rifles, and I do prefer to carry my own stuff.

I'll predominately hunt with my .375 H&H as the lioness is my true intent. However, if we bump a dagga boy while harrowing the local lions, it'll serve. Thus, the reason I have some solids for the .375 H&H "just in case".

Should I put my lioness in the salt, then I'll switch to my .458WM and go in search for an old, lone bull.

I've had insomnia ALL summer.... this week is going to crawl by excruciatingly slooooooooow.

Okanagan · August 19, 2012, 11:40:54 PM

Have a GREAT hunt and a great time, Fos. Tracking a lion is something I'd love to do, so just for a moment, in some place safe to let your mind wander for a few seconds, think of us and look ahead along the track for me and for us!

Looking forward to stories and pics on your return.

Hawks Feather · August 20, 2012, 07:06:01 AM

You will have a great trip, but really should watch the movie that stars The Ghost and The Darkness several times before you go. They are now at the museum in Chicago and I have seen them several times. Their eyes seem to follow you as you walk around them. But I am sure there are some "wanna be" replacements waiting for their chance to make a name for themselves.

Jerry

coyote101 · August 20, 2012, 07:19:45 AM

Good luck and have a great time FOs. Be careful and take many pictures.

Pat

Dave · August 20, 2012, 08:18:42 AM

Quote from: Hawks Feather on August 20, 2012, 07:06:01 AM
really should watch the movie that stars The Ghost and The Darkness several times before you go.

I was thinking the same thing. It does Africa like "Jaws" does the beach! The book was really good, "The lions of Tsavo," I think.
Have fun and be safe. Will be looking for your posts

KySongDog · August 20, 2012, 09:08:07 AM

Wow! That sounds like the trip of a lifetime to me! Besides the fire power be sure to take LOTS of really good cameras with you.

FOsteology · August 20, 2012, 05:21:55 PM

Yes, the Man Eaters of Tsavo. Kenya petitioned the Chicago Field Museum for the return of the lions a few years ago. I believe them to still be on display in Chicago.

They're in extremely bad/rough shape. There is a sign on the exhibit with the lions saying that they were larger in real life and that the skins were in bad shape when Col Patterson sold them to the Field Museum in the 1920s for $5,000. The taxidermist removed some of the skins that were damaged in mounting them.

The Chicago Field Museum has a small blurb about them online:

http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/exhibits/exhibit_sites/tsavo/default.htm

FOsteology · August 20, 2012, 05:55:10 PM

Quote from: Semp on August 20, 2012, 09:08:07 AM
Wow! That sounds like the trip of a lifetime to me! Besides the fire power be sure to take LOTS of really good cameras with you.

My kit will be rather spartan/basic due to weight allowance restrictions as I'll be going alone.

I plan on taking my Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 with a lens or two (maybe three) and the Canon S95 will always be in my shirt pocket.

FinsnFur · August 20, 2012, 05:58:15 PM

I KNOW those cats look better in person then they do in those photos.

Ok...I HOPE they do.

Cats are not photogenic at all.

FOsteology · August 20, 2012, 06:23:09 PM

Well, in addition to the hides being in bad shape when sold to the Museum, if memory serves correctly, they were originally rug mounts. So, they're smaller than they actually were due to removal of hide when making the rug mounts.

Taxidermy in general wasn't near as good in those days as what's available in our era. Thank goodness!
I'm thinking if I manage to ventilate a lioness, I'll have my Taxidermist recreate one of these mounts:

If I had DEEP pockets I'd love to have this mount created!

FinsnFur · August 20, 2012, 07:20:45 PM

Absolutely. Now thats some art!

iahntr · August 21, 2012, 07:06:54 PM

Very cool !! Enjoy !! Have a safe trip

Hawks Feather · August 21, 2012, 08:23:44 PM

Yea, the lions there are not "top" quality works of taxidermy, but what they did get right are the eyes. They really do seem to follow you as you walk around them. Then when you read what they did (eat people) you get a little more uneasy. I am sure that your mount will look MUCH better. Just don't let her start her life as a man-eater with you.

Jerry

FOsteology · August 24, 2012, 08:41:20 AM

On my way!

coyote101 · August 24, 2012, 09:21:05 AM

Good luck, have fun, be safe, take pictures.

Pat

HaMeR · August 24, 2012, 11:57:55 AM

Yeah what Pat said FOs!!!!!!!

Hidehunter · August 24, 2012, 01:21:45 PM

Soooooo very jealous. Have Fun Fos and take care.

FOsteology · September 11, 2012, 10:34:31 AM

John and I just pulled into Bulawayo. Spending the night at his casa and then flying out tomorrow afternoon.

Lions didn't get me..... But it was close! Had a lioness pop up seemingly from nowhere and charge us in the thick brush from 14 yards. It was extremely fast and intense. She was quite serious and intent on causing bodily harm. Definitely NOT a mock charge....

More upon my return....

Tally: Three giraffe (one black beauty of a stink bull and two for added bait), old bush pig, and two lions.