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The Experience
Our life size Cape Buffalo Shooting Target was far and away the hit product on the convention floor. Everyone who looked at it gave rave reviews, with many of you telling us, "Finally it's here." Like Bwana Moja says always, "Perfection takes time." Nevertheless, we thank everybody for their patience as this target finally made its way to market. Bwana Moja had been developing it for three years.
Our new book, "1 & Done", was touted as the best bargain on the convention floor. For $20.00, "The Big Game Hunter's Guide to Sniper Accuracy," is a great bargain. Marc penned the book because he wants to see other people enjoy the same consistent level of shooting proficiency that he's enjoyed.
Our new DVD, "Back to Africa: The Best of Bwana Moja," had a running start by the time the convention rolled around and we were happy to see strong sales of it continue as well. Marc says "Back to Africa" really is his best DVD ever.
Besides meeting all of you and seeing lots of our current friends again, the highlight of the convention for my sister and I, was getting to take a picture with former President George Bush on Saturday. He walked close past our booth and as he and Marc exchanged pleasantries, he motioned for my sister Pam and I, to stand alongside him and take a picture. Later that night at the Peppermill we enjoyed his speech as well.
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Our new book, "1 & Done", was touted as the best bargain on the convention floor. For $20.00, "The
Big Game Hunter's Guide to Sniper Accuracy," is a great bargain. Marc penned the book because he wants to see other people
enjoy the same consistent level of shooting proficiency that he's enjoyed.
Our new DVD, "Back to Africa: The Best of Bwana Moja," had a running start by the time the convention rolled around and we were happy to see strong sales of it continue as well. Marc says "Back to Africa" really is his best DVD ever.
Besides meeting all of you and seeing lots of our current friends again, the highlight of the convention for my sister and I, was getting to take a picture with former President George Bush on Saturday. He walked close past our booth and as he and Marc exchanged pleasantries, he motioned for my sister Pam and I, to stand alongside him and take a picture. Later that night at the Peppermill we enjoyed his speech as well.
Toward the end of that evening, Marc was auctioned off for a safari hunt for a third successive year. This time the bidding climbed past $150,000 before a ranch owner won the auction for a whopping $155,000. This is believed to be the largest auctioned hunt in the history of SCI. We also want to salute our auction partners, Rigby Guns and Rungwa Safaris.
Now comes the task of unpacking boxes and putting the office back in order. Just about the time we finish, it will be time to start packing up for next year's convention. We'll see ya' in 2011. Until then, safe travels, perfect shots and happy hunting.
Sincerely,
Agape Redwood
Executive Producer
Sable Trail Productions
Our new DVD, "Back to Africa: The Best of Bwana Moja," had a running start by the time the convention rolled around and we were happy to see strong sales of it continue as well. Marc says "Back to Africa" really is his best DVD ever.
Besides meeting all of you and seeing lots of our current friends again, the highlight of the convention for my sister and I, was getting to take a picture with former President George Bush on Saturday. He walked close past our booth and as he and Marc exchanged pleasantries, he motioned for my sister Pam and I, to stand alongside him and take a picture. Later that night at the Peppermill we enjoyed his speech as well.
Toward the end of that evening, Marc was auctioned off for a safari hunt for a third successive year. This time the bidding climbed past $150,000 before a ranch owner won the auction for a whopping $155,000. This is believed to be the largest auctioned hunt in the history of SCI. We also want to salute our auction partners, Rigby Guns and Rungwa Safaris.
Now comes the task of unpacking boxes and putting the office back in order. Just about the time we finish, it will be time to start packing up for next year's convention. We'll see ya' in 2011. Until then, safe travels, perfect shots and happy hunting.
Sincerely,
Agape Redwood
Executive Producer
Sable Trail Productions
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| Jason and Marc with the 42 1/2X 42 1/2 incher! |
This Might Be His Best Ever
We're glad to have him back in the office and he can't stop talking about his wonderful time in Ethiopia. The people, the culture, the camps, the food---he won't stop talking. And oh yeah. Did I mention the #2 (pending) mountain nyala he shot? He hasn't stopped talking about that either. I don't blame him. He pushes himself to personal challenges beyond our belief and this time he was rewarded with a trophy that's never been seen before.
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| Southern Gerenuk from Omo concession. |
It climaxed a monumental climb up a mountain peak in the Damaro concession of Ethiopian Rift Valley Safaris, few had ever ventured before. The PH, Jason Roussos, who Marc hails as a legend already at age 31, spotted the world class trophy along the skyline of a mountain at 9300 feet the day before. It was too late in the day to go after him at that point, so Jason, the trackers, and Marc set out for him the following day at 4:30 a.m. under the cover of darkness. Halfway up the climb, heavy fog rolled in and Jason suspended the hunt until the flog cleared. But in between the clouds, Jason spotted the impressive nyala for a second time. It was a specimen he had never seen before.
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| Trackers said its horns looked like that of a kudu. |
Onward (and mostly upward) the hunting team proceeded. At one point, Marc describes a harrowing maneuver along the inner face of a U-shaped mountain cliff. The path was only ten inches wide and opened to the depths of the canyon below on Marc's right hand side, at least a 5000 feet drop! Slowly and meticulously, the climbers plodded until reaching the other side. Once there, they climbed along another saddle, then back around through another canyon, and spotted the spectacular trophy. Along the way, Jason utilized the fog to their advantage because detection could have meant an end to the stalk.
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| Handsome record book Tiang from Omo concession. |
They finally spotted the impressive bull with two lesser males. A shot presented itself briefly and he trotted into the cover of thick vegetation, but Marc and Jason waited it out another twenty minutes and he emerged from thick bush with the two lesser bulls. The final shot was from 125 yards and Moja executed it from a fork in a tree. As always, Marc longtime videographer, Emaneul "Kappie" Kapp captured the entire sequence on his hi-def SONY videocamera. The fatal shot dropped the record book bull off the cliff, and hearts stopped, fearing his horns would shatter. But when they recovered their prize, he was all intact.
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| Only the great Nassos Roussos has shot one better. |
Shouts of exclamation and joy could be heard all they way back here in Chicago! Each horn measured 42-and-a-half inches long. With 10-and-a-half inches bases, he green scores roughly 106 which easily catapults him into the second ranking (SCI) of all time. It's the largest mountain nyala ever taken by a hunting client. Jason's father, Nassos, self-shot the number-one several years ago. Marc says he's honored to have his name mentioned underneath Nassos Roussos.
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| Marc reflects on history-making hunt. |
"The mention of Jason and Nassos are synonomous with hunting excellence in Ethiopia. It's fitting that Nassos remain at number one, and his son's name and mine will now stand at number two. I'm honored to be second to a hunting legend. In many ways he was there with me, because who do you think taught Jason how to hunt? Jason was nothing short of phenomenal."
Other animals taken along the 21-day adventure included a Menelik's bushbuck, bushpig, hyena, northern Grant's gazzelle, tiang, and a southern gerenuk. But this safari will forever be defined by the monster mountain nyala. It's somewhat of a modern day phenomenon, given that most of the other top thirty were harvested in previous decades.
Other animals taken along the 21-day adventure included a Menelik's bushbuck, bushpig, hyena, northern Grant's gazzelle, tiang, and a southern gerenuk. But this safari will forever be defined by the monster mountain nyala. It's somewhat of a modern day phenomenon, given that most of the other top thirty were harvested in previous decades.
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| Marc's Menelik's bushbuck. |
The debate now continues over which spiral horned animal, the Lord Derby Eland or Mountain Nyala, is Africa's greatest trophy. When it comes to both animals, Marc has now collected the biggest of each of both animals by a single hunter.
"I salute Jason and his team of trackers for motivating me and leading me up that mountain. For hunters who refuse to believe that there are any great ones left, just remember how this animal got his name. You're not going to shoot a big one in camp. A hunter must be willing to elevate his game to monumenetal heights to be rewarded like this. I told Jason beforehand, I don't care how we hunt. Just take me to a place where the big ones are."
A well-earned trophy is the best kind to have, and Marc has decided to bring him home "life- size." He will stand alongside Marc's impressive giant eland taken in March 2007 with PH Andre Roux, and Moja will be able to debate himself for the rest of his life, which one is the better trophy. But just based upon the volume of conversation, we here at Sable Trail Productions, have a hunch about which one Marc prefers the most.
SABLE TRAIL`S LONGTIME CAMERAMAN CARJACKED WHILE DRIVING COMPANY`S LANDCRUISER
The Sable Trail Productions Landcruiser, featured in our recent DVD, Delta Royale , has been destroyed as a result of a car jacking near Ellisras, South Africa. Fortunately there are no injuries to report, but it was a frightening experience for my longtime hunting companion Emanuel "Kappie" Kapp who was behind the wheel at the time the incident occurred.
It happened at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8th while Kappie was driving on a tar road to meet up with Marius Kotze at Rhinoland Safaris. The driver of a BMW sedan drove sharply in front of Kappie on the narrow road, blocking the path of the Toyota Landcruiser and forcing him to stop. Four bandits, one armed, got out of the BMW and demanded that Kappie hand over his guns.
Kappie truthfully told them he wasn`t carrying any guns, just his camera equipment. The gunmen seized his vehicle, then forced Kappie into the back seat of the BMW, and the vehicle`s driver proceeded to an unknown location, while the other two bandits drove off in the Sable Trail Landcruiser.
Kappie was dumped off on the side of the road and tied to a fence post with steel wire. A farm worker later rescued him. He was not injured or tortured. Authorities later found our cruiser, but it was burnt to the ground. They determined it was set on fire with diesel fuel, resulting in a blaze so hot that even the iron reinforcement bars were bent and melted. It was a total loss, but the most important thing is that Kappie is alive.
He had the presence of mind to surrender, fearing for his life, alone on an unlit road, when assaulted by the bandits. Our suspicion is that Kappie was mistaken for someone else, perhaps a Professional Hunter with access to guns and ammunition.
A search party formed by Marius, Phillip Bronkhorst and other fine gentleman in the safari industry searched for hours trying to track the suspects down, but were unsuccessful. Trackers were even employed to follow tire tread marks, but as of today police have no clues as to the whereabouts of the four carjackers.
Kappie, still a bit shaken up by all this, believes two to three of the bandits were from outside the area, because he didn`t recognize the native language they spoke during the incident. Kappie speaks several of the bush languages commonly spoken in South Africa.
The irony of all this, of course, is that Kappie almost lost his life while minding his own business on his way to work; this is notable because we`ve spent hundreds of days in the bush hunting and tracking dangerous game, and he`s never even got a scratch.
Sable Trail Productions Announces Plans for Next Video
"I salute Jason and his team of trackers for motivating me and leading me up that mountain. For hunters who refuse to believe that there are any great ones left, just remember how this animal got his name. You're not going to shoot a big one in camp. A hunter must be willing to elevate his game to monumenetal heights to be rewarded like this. I told Jason beforehand, I don't care how we hunt. Just take me to a place where the big ones are."
A well-earned trophy is the best kind to have, and Marc has decided to bring him home "life- size." He will stand alongside Marc's impressive giant eland taken in March 2007 with PH Andre Roux, and Moja will be able to debate himself for the rest of his life, which one is the better trophy. But just based upon the volume of conversation, we here at Sable Trail Productions, have a hunch about which one Marc prefers the most.
It happened at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8th while Kappie was driving on a tar road to meet up with Marius Kotze at Rhinoland Safaris. The driver of a BMW sedan drove sharply in front of Kappie on the narrow road, blocking the path of the Toyota Landcruiser and forcing him to stop. Four bandits, one armed, got out of the BMW and demanded that Kappie hand over his guns.
Kappie truthfully told them he wasn`t carrying any guns, just his camera equipment. The gunmen seized his vehicle, then forced Kappie into the back seat of the BMW, and the vehicle`s driver proceeded to an unknown location, while the other two bandits drove off in the Sable Trail Landcruiser.
Kappie was dumped off on the side of the road and tied to a fence post with steel wire. A farm worker later rescued him. He was not injured or tortured. Authorities later found our cruiser, but it was burnt to the ground. They determined it was set on fire with diesel fuel, resulting in a blaze so hot that even the iron reinforcement bars were bent and melted. It was a total loss, but the most important thing is that Kappie is alive.
He had the presence of mind to surrender, fearing for his life, alone on an unlit road, when assaulted by the bandits. Our suspicion is that Kappie was mistaken for someone else, perhaps a Professional Hunter with access to guns and ammunition.
A search party formed by Marius, Phillip Bronkhorst and other fine gentleman in the safari industry searched for hours trying to track the suspects down, but were unsuccessful. Trackers were even employed to follow tire tread marks, but as of today police have no clues as to the whereabouts of the four carjackers.
Kappie, still a bit shaken up by all this, believes two to three of the bandits were from outside the area, because he didn`t recognize the native language they spoke during the incident. Kappie speaks several of the bush languages commonly spoken in South Africa.
The irony of all this, of course, is that Kappie almost lost his life while minding his own business on his way to work; this is notable because we`ve spent hundreds of days in the bush hunting and tracking dangerous game, and he`s never even got a scratch.
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| Marc reflects on history-making hunt. |
Slated for release in the first quarter of 2009, Back to Africa: The Best of Bwana Moja will mark the 8th DVD release in the "Perfectly Shot" video line. After much thought, Marc has decided to head back into the bush and the editing room to produce another safari hunting DVD. The Best of Bwana Moja will consist of more than 30 hunts throughout Africa, that Sable Trail fans have never seen before. Every hunting sequence is brand new.
Moja heads back to Africa, crisscrossing the Dark Continent in pursuit of challenges like he has never faced before. Without a doubt, this release marks the most extensive travel and journey a safari hunter has ever endured, in the production of a single safari video.
In this video, Marc hunts in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and twice in Tanzania. He takes six buffalo, three eland, and two great cats, just to name a few. There is also a feature of the "Top 10" best Bwana Moja kill shots of all time.
Moja heads back to Africa, crisscrossing the Dark Continent in pursuit of challenges like he has never faced before. Without a doubt, this release marks the most extensive travel and journey a safari hunter has ever endured, in the production of a single safari video.
In this video, Marc hunts in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and twice in Tanzania. He takes six buffalo, three eland, and two great cats, just to name a few. There is also a feature of the "Top 10" best Bwana Moja kill shots of all time.
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| Marc's Menelik's bushbuck. |
There was speculation that Marc`s safari career on "video" was over, with the completion of his big five, and the release of Delta Royale earlier this year. He told close friends and allies that he was weighing a decision on whether to accept a mega-offer to return to the network television news industry. It appears now, that after much soul searching, Bwana Moja has made the decision to go back to Africa and produce yet another video.
Sable Trail spares no expense making sure the company`s DVDs look a lot different than all of the rest, even in comparison with other releases within its line. As a rookie rifle hunter years ago, Marc remembers thinking that all hunting videos looked the same.
"Excellence in creativity and production has always been high on our list of importance with whatever we do in regards to the media," Marc says. "With Best of Bwana Moja we`ve truly gone out of our way to make it look unique, right down to the look and feel of the front cover."
Sable Trail spares no expense making sure the company`s DVDs look a lot different than all of the rest, even in comparison with other releases within its line. As a rookie rifle hunter years ago, Marc remembers thinking that all hunting videos looked the same.
"Excellence in creativity and production has always been high on our list of importance with whatever we do in regards to the media," Marc says. "With Best of Bwana Moja we`ve truly gone out of our way to make it look unique, right down to the look and feel of the front cover."
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Of course, some things will always be the same, like Bwana Moja`s dead-on marksmanship behind the gun. In Tanzania, he one-times a buffalo through an opening that a regular person would barely be able to get his fist through, from 95 yards away. During another sequence, the PH is convinced Marc has completely missed his target. Marc shakes off the PH`s suspicion insisting his shot was true.
They walk up 105 yards, from where the initial shot was fired to find the buffalo on its back, not breathing. In another scene, Marc executes a lethal shot on an East African eland, in which he threads the needle underneath the chin of an eland calf standing in the foreground.
Marc and Kappie hunt with good PH friends Marius Kotze and Johan Calitz in Southern Africa. Legendary PH, Gerard Miller is coaxed to come out of semi-retirement to hunt with Moja. He would later proclaim Marc the finest shot he`s ever seen in 35 years of hunting.
Many thought Marc saved his best for last in Delta Royale, but now Bwana Moja writes a new chapter. A double DVD, action-packed adventure slated for release in the first quarter of 2009!!!
They walk up 105 yards, from where the initial shot was fired to find the buffalo on its back, not breathing. In another scene, Marc executes a lethal shot on an East African eland, in which he threads the needle underneath the chin of an eland calf standing in the foreground.
Marc and Kappie hunt with good PH friends Marius Kotze and Johan Calitz in Southern Africa. Legendary PH, Gerard Miller is coaxed to come out of semi-retirement to hunt with Moja. He would later proclaim Marc the finest shot he`s ever seen in 35 years of hunting.
Many thought Marc saved his best for last in Delta Royale, but now Bwana Moja writes a new chapter. A double DVD, action-packed adventure slated for release in the first quarter of 2009!!!
*The Mane Event has been rated as #2 of the top five African hunting videos! Click here to view the article.