Mitch Mitchell

Of all the snakes I have caught, this is the one I like to hold the least. Perhaps it is the knowledge that no antivenom is available, or perhaps the concentrated, tense posture of the snake.Because they are arboreal, you will not easily run into a twig snake. If you do run into one on the ground (like I did), it is probably wise to recognise it and give it a wide berth.DescriptionThe Twig, Vine, or Bird snake (Thelotornis capensis) has a pale blue-green upper head heavily speckled with dark brown, black, and sometimes pink.A wide pink-white, black-speckled band runs…

The Making of a Hunter It was the year of 1978 when the tide of Danie van Graan’s life turned from the ivory towers of law to the hard earth of Lowveld farmland. He had just finished his BA Law at the University of Pretoria, with the dream of an LLB still ahead. But life had other plans. He took Karin as his wife and settled into the old family homestead at Stentor–a stone house shaded by ancient marulas and ghostly fever trees, the kind that whisper secrets to those who listen. Working the land for his father was no…

At any point during your hunt, you can come face to face with something that can kill you. This is no exaggeration. Africa is no place for sissies. Elephant Elephants can reach a height of 4 meters (13 feet) and can accelerate to 38 km/h (25 mph) in seconds. A speed that can be maintained for great distances. However, Elephants normally avoid confrontations with humans and only attack when: there are small calves in the herd they have been wounded or hunted they are being harassed a human ventures too close Old bulls usually make mock charges with spread ears and…

Description “Rooibok”, the Afrikaans name, literally meaning “red buck”, is very descriptive of this very elegant antelope. The fact that they are in abundance does not detract from the fact that impalas are one of the most beautiful and graceful antelopes in all of Africa. See Figure 1. Before we get to hunting this animal let’s learn something about it. A hunter who knows his quarries habits and understands their behaviour will always be more successful. Adult males, referred to as rams, stand about 90cm tall at the shoulder and weigh about 54kg. Adult females, referred to as ewes, are…

Your PH woke you before dawn with coffee, the time when the jackals called for the last time and the birds started to move. The open Land Cruiser took you to the start of the kudu track the tracker reported the previous day. You remember zipping up your warm hunting parka against the predawn chill. The tracker was a master and brought you within sight of the bachelor herd after only 2 hours of tracking. “Take him, the big one on the left”, the PH whispered – but you were too excited and your shot pulled up high and to…

Will your next dive be 3 hours long?With PADI endorsing the launch of recreational rebreathers with the introduction of their own rebreather courses, there may be a revolution coming.How do they work?At shallow depths, a diver using open-circuit breathing apparatus typically only uses about a quarter of the oxygen in the air that is breathed in, which is about 4 to 5% of the breathed volume.The remaining oxygen is exhaled along with nitrogen and carbon dioxide – about 95% of the volume. As the diver goes deeper, much the same mass of oxygen is used, which represents an increasingly smaller…

Some men are born fishermen. Like my friend above, they can get up at 4:00 in the morning because “that is when they bite”. Rain, sleet, and snow cannot tarnish their firm belief that down there – somewhere – is a fish that wants their lure. It is a mission of faith. I was not born with those fishing genes – but for those of you who are ardent fishermen, grab your collapsible flyfishing pole and catch a couple of good-sized trout. Preparation Gut the trout but leave the head on Flavour some flour with salt and roll the trout…

You have had a long, hard night in your African-tented camp with your PH drinking Jack Daniels and gorging on Impala steaks. In the chilly pre-dawn, you wake up in your tent and begin to put on your boots for the day’s hunt. A searing pain shoots up your leg and you cry out in agony. You have made one of the most common mistakes of visiting hunters. Scorpions are active at night and are extremely numerous in the African bush. They can be easily seen at night using a black light (remember Saturday Night Fever when you still frequented the…

These two recipes incorporate gemsbuck and Shepherd’s bush roots taken from Kudubos, our game farm in Namibia. And yes, I admit it: I made these recipes up. So sue me. They are still really delicious, though. Here they are served with kudu biltong, pepper game salami, cheese, and cranberry sauce, garnished with wild pear (drolpeer) flowers, Buffalo thorn, and stamvrug tree leaves. Use other types of edible leaves if you must. These recipes will dispel once and for all the vicious rumor that bowhunters can not be chefs. Paté de Oryx Gazella What you will need: 30ml vegetable oil 100g…

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…

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,…

“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…

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…

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,…