The Giant, or Angolan, Sable is about as mythical today as the unicorn, but new research suggests there may be a few that have survived the decades of war in Angola.

Here's an image of the world record.
http://www.hunt101.com/img/416141.jpg

Kind of makes mine look like a dink! Although mine is the Typical Sable and a very good one from Zimbabwe's lowveld.
http://www.hunt101.com/img/332086.JPG

Sure wouldn't throw yours away, Alyeska!

That's a fine looking animal.

Your's looks as good as a 180 B&C Whitetail. A fine trophy indeed.

Bye
Jack

Members should take note of my "lucky" hat in the photo. Direct from Marshall.

It might not be the worlds record but anyone who don't like that one is sick. Thats a fine sable thats one of the most wanted animals from Africa. Next to Buffalo . Congats

Thanks. That was one hard-earned sable, made a real tough shot on a running sable right as he kicked to overdrive. I'm real proud of him.

That is a nice sable! Did you take him this year?

Last year (2005) before the prices went up on the trophy fees. We would find sable every day, but getting a shot was something totally different. Took 5 days to get a shot on him and that was an offhand shot as he was running into the mopane thicket about 120 yards, so it really wasn't much of shot. Wonderful animals.

Here's the hunt report:
http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=23826

Just read your hunt report. It was an exciting read. Congrats on taking such fine specimens. It is a lot of work but your rewards are evident in your pictures. Are you having them mounted at home or in Africa? grayghost

I'm having them done here in Alaska. We have a good taxidermist for African game in Anchorage. When I was visiting his shop to see what his work was like, I saw a full body Nyala mount that looked real enough that if I heard it breath, it wouldn't have surprised me.

There's another thread about the shipping and taxi work I am having done. Here it is: http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=28962

You might check this thread as well: http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=24041

alyeska338: That's an interesting subject. Having been a professional Taxidermist for years (retired to pursue another business), I've seen the good, bad and ugly when it comes to exotic taxidermy. Many times I had clients who would spend unlimited funds overseas only to return and search like a bloodhound to find the cheapest Taxidermist in town. Many times they would entrust their trophies to persons that had never touched anything from Africa, let alone mounted game heads. We would wind up having to salvage what was left. Now a shop must be licensed to handle imported fauna and the US F&W, Dept of Agriculture and the USDA is involved. Not only does your trophy horns get boiled in Africa, they get boiled again for 15 minutes and redisinfected here as well. They supervise this action. I understand the concern for preventing the introduction of dread disease, but some game horns will split, chip and turn to mush if "too much time in the pot" occurs. I am shipping my trophies to the States as well. Some are looking only at the savings of mounting fee's in Africa, not realizing the cost of shipping mounted trophies home and the VAT tax added to the Taxidermy work will boost the price up higher than anticipated. I think you picked the best route. You can be advised and inspect any problems if they occur and in the long run the taxidermy forms that are now available in the US are far more varied than anywhere in the world. GH, grayghost

I did want to have it done where, if something goes wrong - or if the taxi had any questions, I could stop by in a day or two. I do know some folks that have their taxi work done in Zimbabwe and RSA, but I wanted my stuff out of Zim as quickly as possible, because of the economic and social ills infecting that once great nation.

I'm pretty excited to see the mounts, but not excited to pay the bill!!!

AW, relax, Alyeska -

Since the Asian sheep hunt is out and all the other hunts in your home state this year, you've got money to burn (well, may have to toss a few coins to the surgeons down in Kalifornie, though). :p

This year just ain't what it used to be...