Mitch Mitchell

Mitch Mitchell is a bow hunter, outdoorsman and the author of several books on African wildlife and survival

Fer au Vin is translated as “snake with wine”. This dish is not for the squeamish or faint of heart – but it is delicious!Almost any snake will work, but the adders are nice and fat with lots of meat.In this case we will prepare and eat mamba.Justice will be done – we are killing and eating them for a change.Cleaning your mambaIngredients15ml (1 tablespoon) Vegetable oil, butter or fat75g (3 oz) bacon, rinded and chopped175g (6 oz) mushrooms – make sure they are not poisonous1 onion, skinned and chopped1 medium-sized mamba or other snake, cleaned and cut into 3cm/1½” pieces60ml…

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We South Africans just don’t get it.You guys in the USA, New Zealand and other places simply cook up the shrimp (we call them prawns) and hope for the best.Why spoil such a great meal that way? They taste – well – damn awful. Unlike you guys, we cannot convince ourselves that this is food fit for for a king.So, welcome to Taste Central.Here’s how we do it in spectacular Mozambique – the Portuguese way.What you need:About 2 kilos (4 pounds) of nice big prawns.Half a liter (one pint) of virgin olive oilA generous scoop of butterA liter of beer,…

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“The charge of a wounded buffalo does not faze them too much. Give them the snarl of an angry lion in the Mopani and they can deal with it. They know what to do with the grey avalanche of an Elephant charge.” But when a professional hunter finds a black mamba in a hide or one stands up at face level next to a trail with its neck flattened in a narrow hood, the bravest of Africa’s hunters become – what is the right word- extremely careful. No, let me just say it – they get scared. And well they…

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This dish takes about 14 hours to prepare – but it definitely is worth the effort! Ingredients A Springbok, Impala, or any venison leg Marinade 5 ounces (150g.) cocoa powder 4 tablespoons salt 2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon ground cloves 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons olive oil Vegetables About 1.75 pounds (800g.) of a combination of fresh veggies: squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, green and red pepper, mushrooms and onions. Two cloves of garlic, skinned. 3. Chocolate sauce 7oz (200g.) water 4 tablespoons cocoa powder 6 tablespoons sugar 2oz (60g.) butter 8-10 Shepherd’s Tree leaves Editor’s note: Shepherd’s Tree…

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In Part I of this article I talked about new ideas and advanced concepts relating to barrels and iron sights. In Part II the receiver was looked at in detail and I delved into the parts of the traditional lock: receiver, magazine and trigger, with some aside comments on ‘minor’ points such as lubrication, rear sights, and bolt handle knob, etc., although it may be argued that there are no points concerning a dangerous game rifle that could be termed as minor. Here, in Part III, I will look at several factors in building a stock for a dangerous game…

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In part one of this article several issues associated with barrels and iron front sights were discussed at length. Now let’s look at one of the other two traditional parts of a firearm; the lock or, in modern terms, the receiver. I will talk about some ideas for their possible refinement, and try to examine every feature in detail. If there is anything I have overlooked or if you know of any new products or ideas we should know about I would love to hear additional thoughts from our readers. After years of research and worldwide combat experience, Paul Mauser…

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The basic design for a Dangerous Game Rifle (DGR) was finalized by English gun makers such as Holland and Holland, Rigby, Jeffrey, et al. before the start of WWI. Drawing on the experiences of big game hunters in their African colonies and using the new smokeless propellant, Cordite, these custom gun smiths could now build relatively lightweight rifles that surpassed the stopping power of the earlier 4 to 10-gauge black powder rifles. In the last 100 years, metallurgy, gunpowder, bullet design, and sighting systems have improved exponentially, but in all that time the form of the DGR has changed little.…

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As far as the eye could see, in their thousands and tens of thousands, the wildebeest came. Stringing down from the smooth yellow hills like ants in a single file, they stopped and waited at on the bank of the Mara river in their uncounted masses. Below, the ancient crocodiles were waiting in the swift brown water, faces set in a sardonic, reptilian grin. They were ready. The great mass milled about, nervously watching the far bank. None wanted to be the first to go. They had no choice. And still, the multitudes kept streaming down from the low hills,…

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