In Zambia, we've received a delightful hunt report on Nchila Wildlife Reserve. Nchila is a hunting game ranch. Subscribers who purchased The Hunting Report's Zambia Country Report (on clearance at our website's online store) know about some of the game ranch hunting available in that country. Still in its infancy there, game ranching typically offers supplemental hunting for those on a safari to a Game Management Area. But subscriber Rick Bonander says Nchila Wildlife Reserve is worth hunting on its own. Nchila Wildlife Reserve is located in the North West Province, near the source of the Zambezi, where it encompasses 10,000 acres. Although the place is fenced, Bonander says the hunting there is the real thing. The property features a variety of creeks, rivulets, brush, swamps, thorn bushes, meadows and rolling hills. Bonander says the place is first rate, with nice lodging, a great PH in owner Pete Fisher, and good trackers. The real allure, he says, is that you can hunt quality sable and roan here without committing to the 21-day safari required for these species on the GMAs.
Bonander reports seeing a herd of more than 1,000 sable, including a bull he swears was 50 inches. He and his daughter succeeded in taking sable measuring 41 inches and 44½ inches, in addition to roan, puku, a 39-inch Cape buffalo, blue duiker, Kafue lechwe, Angolan duiker and Burchell's zebra. Although Bonander struck out on forest sitatunga, a friend hunting at the same time took what he says is a really big one. Also available are Livingstone eland, Lichtenstein hartebeest and numerous other species.
Bonander says Fisher does not allow the shooting of herd bulls, which are his breeders. He targets only solitary animals or old bachelor groups. Bonander says the lesser game is reasonably priced. And although the sable and roan are more expensive, he says the trophy quality and the hunting experience are worth it.
As this was the first time I'd heard of Nchila, I contacted Fisher to get some more information about his operation. Here's what he sent me in........(continued)
