HELP

This morning I was on a varment Hunting and a large african animal walked out in front of me on the lease we think it was ether a blesbok or a sable I shot it two times with a 30.30 what I need to know is that enuff to take something like that down

A blesbok and a sable don't look that much alike. Blesboks are redish brown with small horns that kinda go straight up. A Sable is dark blackish in color, bigger, with longer hair and curved horns stretching out over its back.

Either way, if they were good shots, they'll definitely take either one down or most other African game for that matter. African animals are tougher than the normal whitetail, but a 30.30 is plenty of gun to do the job.

A. You should know what you're shooting before you shoot it.
B. If you shot a sable you've just killed a $10k+ animal.
C. Yeah a 30-30 would kill them.

Thanks CrownG but I have not had much time to study up on my african game not the thing your going to see on a hunting lease in bell co

I really hope it wasnt an oryx addax or damas gazell but hope you find it and get some pics. Sweet bonus if your legal for sure.

What do you mean by saying legal ??

Meaning the list of animals that BBD84 stated require a permit to kill.

You are required to have a special permit to hunt those animals and its not a permit you can buy from TPWD, it's a Federal permit.

It was my understand if its exotic and it on your land and you did put it there your good to go

Blesbok and Sable don't even remotely resemble each other in the slightest bit. Which was it??

Blesbok (150-175 lbs)


Sable (500-600 lbs)

For the most part, yes (in the case of the more common exotics like Axis, Blackbuck, Fallow, Sika, Aoudad, etc...)

However, there are a few exotic species that are listed on the Endangered Species list (which require a federal permit to hunt):

- Scimitar Horned Oryx
- Addax
- Dama Gazelle
- Red Lechwe
- Arabian Oryx
- Barasingha Deer
- Eld's Deer

I am sure it's a sable

Sable are pretty tough. Sure hope you find it.

If its a sable and you do get it you hit the jackpot.

......or an Ibex?

Might be. I shot an ibex that looked just like a small sable.

Where did you shoot the critter at?

Do you know if you hit it of not, or you just shooting at it?

Two hits, both in the shoulder with a marlin 30.30. This was a once in a life time chance, I would never be able to afford this hunt and not being able to find it breaks my heart.

You probably shot him too high. They can soak up a bunch of lead, even with good hits. I hope you find him. Not only are they an awesome trophy, but they are fantastic table fare.

Like Paco said, you probably shot him too high. African animals have vitals that are significantly lower and a bit more forward in the chest than whitetails.

Either way, hope you find it and if you do, post a pic or two!

Just a quick question, is your property/ranch next to or close to a exotic game high fence ranch?
How does a $15,000 highly sought after exoctic sable just wonder onto your ranch?
If there is a exotic ranch close why wouldn't you at least call them to see if there was a chance it got loose or if they even had a sable?
Shoot first, ask question later I guess.
Sure hope you find it whatever it is, a shame to waste it

x2

I recovered my kill today, and I shot him directly in the heart. It was definetaly a sable. I decapated it today and I plan to get it mounted. I was right about what the certain type of animal it was and knew I was right originally in my gut. The loss of an animal happens to even the best of us, I would expect the members of the Texas hunting form to be more understanding. There were no high fences in a 50 mile radius and today we walked approximately 5-8 miles and finally found him. This was not even further than 300 yards from the original shot. I feel such a huge accomplishment. Thank you for all the support, even the ones with the negative comments b/c I succeeded in the end.

Congratulations!! Any pics??

Wow congrats. That is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Pics dude!

This just sounds way too good to be true IMHO, no HF for 50 miles ????? and a Sable walks out of all things, now somethings are just damn near impossible but not 100%. Show some pics for your fellow THF members, where was this shot at ?????

Not sure how to put pics on THF

you can email them to me Im at work and will put them up as soon as they get here.

Someone PM me an email address and I will send you some pics

Come on man...show us the picture...seeing is believing...I cant wait!!!

Glad you found him. Having killed them in Africa and really having to hunt hard for them, killing one in Texas free range is probably a one in a billion.

Well here it is and its damn sure a sable lol,

how long was its horns, for me to buy that animal alive for a stocker it would cost about 5K. You got your self one hell of a freebee and I would be looking and searching for a cape to do a shoulder mount on that dude allthough the cape is almost impossible to find you may be able to find one.

Damn dude congrats. That's awesome.

Very nice Shawn.....check Taxidermy.com for a cape.

I am doing a European mount this is the good side the other side the cheek is missing

Congrats on the FREE sable, even though you ruined a once in a life time shoulder mount. At least you'll have a Euro.

I could not measure it but there where 17 rings ???

Well I'll be damned!!! That could very well be the first free-range Sable EVER killed in Texas....(at least I've never heard of one)

You need to go buy a lottery ticket brother!!

Well.....he's not huge, but I'd say he's somewhere around 28"-30". Like Jeremy said....he's a $5,000+ animal live.

I put him about the same Wade, I ahve him at 28". damn sure bad [censored] for free and on my dream hunt list.

Wow! All I can say is "WOW!"

I notice a lot of brown behind the horn above the ear. I haven't seen that many sable on the hoof, and even fewer roan - so this is a question for the guys with more first hand experience - but could this be a roan?

That would make it even rarer find. I have heard a story from a guy in Rockspring that is friends with a taxy down there - supposedly he shot a free range sable on a huge LF ranch in west or southwest Texas.

Somebody, somewhere lost a nice expensive animal off their ranch and Chief Shawn definitely has himself a trophy, whatever the size. Once-in-many-lifetimes dude, Congrats!

Definitely not a Roan....Sable males that aren't fully mature, as well as females, have brown (chestnut) behind their ears and on the backs of their heads.

.....plus Roan have slightly different facial markings.

Yeah John it could be a Roan easy, they are very simular in size and facial markings but this one has the more red tinting to the back of its head like most sable do and the roan is a grayer brownish tint behihnd its head and comes down between theyre eyes usually and for the most part. Allthough Texas winters and weather can change color tints in most exotic coats I just have a even harder time putting a Roan out in free range but hell who whould guess a sable would either LOL.

Yeah the free-range thing has me blown away too - especially for that neck of the woods.

I know that in south texas, where the ranches are large, and the fencing easily gets washed out, there are a LOT of free range escapees. I have seen all sorts of stuff - but never a sable - but just about everything else that is remotely common. Saw a group of scimitar grazing an field with LF. I've seen a blesok once - and a wildebeest once - and I swear I thought I saw a hartebeest, but I can't be sure.

I guess it's possible that a sable could make it all the way from south texas, but more likely it is an escapee from some place much closer - but who anywhere close has sable? I can't think of anyone.

And how did he get out? Was it break in the fencing? Did he hop a fence that wasn't high enough? Or did someone just plain let him out? I know that some ranchers opened their fences when the scimitar mess was going on. But a sable?

This is just an incredible story.

I would have given him 2K cash money if he darted him LOL, heck id give a couple $100 for just the head I think

That's awesome. Congrats on finding the sable. A trophy is in the eye of the holder, BUT if I were in your position I'd damn sure be paying good money for a useable cape rather than a euro. Once in a million lifetimes opportunity right there, bud.

x2

yep, i agree with the guys above. It may take a while and be a bit pricey but you just saved 7-10K for the hunt might aswell spend a little $$$$ on mounting the once in a lifetime trophy.

But he has no cheek or jaw on the other side?

find some taxidermist on here and have them try to locate you a cape, it may take a bit or be a little high but well worth it and alot cheaper than the kill fee of a sable.

x3

Sable for sure. Roan are much bigger than sable and the coloration is different. Congrats again.

He doesn't have to have the cheek or jaw for a shoulder mount. All you will need is a usable extra cape.

Where could I find a cape?

taxidermy.net is a good starting point

Thanks Aaron but they don't have one?

Go to the want to buy section on taxidermy.net and say you need a sable cape. Someone should contact you within a week.

The cape I found was almost $3000.00.

Still cheaper than the $10-15k trophy fee.

I have read this thread several times . It just blows my mind.

I got my sable mount back from Millers in Belton, Dylan did a great job!

Lets see a pic. I just caught up on the thread. Looking forward to seeing the mount.

X3

Sure wish I could of found it the day I shot it there would be more to see

Still very cool and a once in a million life times free range animal in Texas.

I dont know how I missed this the first time, one of the craziest things Ive ever read on THF. Just goes to show you never quite know what you'll see while hunting. Congrats to the hunter.

Thanks that means a lot to me coming from great hunters

Congrats

here you go- sable cape FOR SALE- it sounds a bit risky based on age of it. Like seller says experienced guy could pull it off. i have mounted capes that were 10 yrs old- they have dry rot tendencies and can tear easily if not handled correctly
http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php/topic,345324.msg2346956.html#msg2346956

Totally confused and new to exotics...is the original coat not usable on these animals? Not sure why shooter was encouraged to buy a cape when it was a live kill.

Or is a cape needed to make the mount better?

Original poster...why was the cheek missing? Animals feeding on it before you found it?

Thanks all!

An amazing story! I'm just hoping for a free range axis next month!

Animal was recovered a couple days later and the hide was bad by that time.