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Well, wife and I are about done with the trip to Tanzania.  This is just a short overview.  Once I get pictures sorted out, i'll post here.  Before I get started, many thanks to HB for sharing his knowledge of the country and providing some valuable points of contact.  It took much of the guess work out of the travel, saved us some money and allowed us to focus on the purpose of our travels: visiting our kid (no hunting).

Our daughter is doing volunteer work with the Benedictine monks in Uwemba TZ.  This is a very small village in the southern highlands.  We flew into Dar Es Salaam and then flew to Mbeya (Baya) further northwest.  The Benedictines arranged a driver for the 5 hour trip to Uwemba.  He did it in 4, giving us our first exposure to driving in Africa.  We stayed as guests at the Uwemba Mission and spoked out from there.  They were very gracious.  The Mission is made up of TZ Priests, Sisters and Monks with a few Germans sprinkled throughout.  We worked on our Swahili during the day, and at night it was room temp beer with a German priest & monk, and Swiss & German guests, where my German began coming back to life after years of dormancy.

The area around Uwemba is at about 6k m in elevation (kicked my butt when out walking the hills), rolling hills and heavily forested principally with pines and eucalyptus.   The ride from Mbeya started in what I expected of East Africa: relatively flat w/ scrub brush.  As we rose in elevation, that gave way to increasingly taller and denser vegetation.  Didn't see much wildlife, in fact around Uwemba, its scarce due to the intense farming and forestry practices there.  We did see a troop of baboons on the road to Songayea, but the driver (a monk) slowed to about 120 kph from 180 kph so no time for a pic as they scattered with baby baboons hanging on for dear life.  
 

Since the focus was our daughter, the itinerary was her's to develop and focused primarily on her life in Africa.  First, I want to say after only two months in TZ, she and her friend have a surprising grasp of Swahili and tried their level best to help us get by.  We visited the clinic and orphanage where they spend most of their time.  That was an eye opener to say the least.  I will rethink complaining when I go to the Dr office next time.  The local Dr she works with gave us a gift chicken to honor our visit.  That is apparently a very big deal in that tribe.  The mission cook, a German sister, served the chicken up the next day at lunch.  My daughter arranged a visit to a local tea plantation and a flower farm.  Both owners went over the top to give us a tour.  It is not a tourist destination, so it is not like they have hours and tour guides set aside.  They stopped what they were doing to walk us around.  
 

The monks arranged a visit to the central mission for their area at Perimiho, about 3 hours southeast.  There we visited their hospital ("best" in the region), secondary school and orphanage.  We were invited to the Secondary School's graduation.  Here, they last 6-7 hours with dancing, eating, singing and speeches.  The underclassmen honor the graduates with songs and dances.  While we only understood a few words, it was impressive.  As for the hospital, it has more than the Uwemba clinic, but falls far short of what is needed.  As the Mother Superior (from Colorado originally) says, "Don't get seriously ill or hurt in Africa, you may not survive it."
 

We went back to Uwemba and the next day began the trip home by going back to Mbeya.  We spent the night at the Benedictine Guest House there and the next day flew back here to Dar Es Salaam.  Much learned and experienced.  I will sum it up in a Good, the Bad and the Ugly manner:
 

The Good: wonderful people, incredible hospitality from the Benedictines and locals alike, gorgeous & exciting terrain, different foods and exposure to a far different culture.  Most of all, seeing my kid thrive in an environment far outside the familiar.
 

The Bad: room temp liquids, no salads unless you like Typhoid (my daughter got it), African driving, mosquito nets.
 

The Ugly: poverty, corruption and random police checkpoints.
 

This was my first chance to visit another culture not wearing a uniform, body armor and a rifle.  While the country is similar to what I have seen in Haiti, Central America, Asia and Middle East, it was different doing it as just a plain old American.  More to follow............KD

Hey folks.  Will be going to Tanzania this fall to visit one of my daughters who is on a mission trip (no hunting on this trip).  she is in the southern highlands and the village she's in is about 12 hours out of Dar as Salaam.  My daughter says the bus trip is not something my wife would do well on, so im looking to rent a vehicle.  A search of the forums and other websites indicate I will probably have to hire a driver if I leave the city.  The various estimates indicate that it'lll cost about $15-$25 / day for the driver.  Does anyone have any ideas or comments?  Thx, KD

Many have heard the mantra "Every Marine a Rifleman".  Today I want to thank my fellow Marines at the range who tried their best to discredit that.  The following events have taken place over my last few trips to the range, but most happened today in a 1.75 hr period.  For those who don't know me, I am a retired Marine Infantryman who still leads and trains Marines as a civilian.
 "Every Marine a Rifleman" is a mindset, it doesn't mean every Marine is actually an 0311 Infantryman.  It means every Marine understands the basics of marksmanship, can handle their weapon in a safe fashion and understands how to employee it effectively.  It is not something you switch off when you go on libo and turn back on when you report for duty.  
 Now, lets get started with the thank you's:
 1.       Thanks to the Marine that doesn't know what "a complete safe weapon" means.  It doesn't mean bolt open with a full magazine inserted.
 2.       Thanks to the Marine who brings a loaded weapon onto the range.  Yes, when in Helmand Province, you spent a lot of time with a Condition 1 weapon.  You are very comfortable with it, but you cant do that back home, its actually illegal.  (No sarcasm here: Thanks for going into harm's way, and congrats for making it back alive; now I want you to stay that way.)
 3.       Thanks to the Marine who doesn't understand how his new firearm functions, or whether or not you can even lock the bolt to the rear.  The time to learn is before you come to the range so you are not labelled a safety violator after the range goes cold.  When the Range Officer shows you how to use an expended case to as a chamber flag, its OK to say thanks.
 4.       Thanks to the Marine who sent his bolt home while we were all down range checking our targets.  That is an unsettling noise coming from behind you.  When the Range Officer says "no handling of weapons or ammo while cold and stay behind the red line", that means you too, not everyone but you.
 5.       When you shoot on the retired Master Gunnery Sergeant's target, expect him to get angry and yell at you the way a MGySgt does.  He's right when he says "if you are too stupid to know which target is yours, then you don't belong on a live fire range".  Its OK to be embarrassed, apologize and make sure you don't do it again.  By the way, when you have done what he has done in his life and lived to 71, you'll have the right to walk slowly back from the 200 yd line and not care what a kid on his first enlistment thinks.  Next month remember to ask him how his triathlon training is going.  
 6.       Thanks to the Marine who clears a malfunction and flags the line.
 7.       Thanks to the Marine who uncased his loaded  weapon and flagged the line.  By the way, transporting a rifle in that condition is against the law in NC (yes, you could do it in OEF, but you aren't there anymore).
 8.       Thanks to the Marine who puts a scope on his AR/AK/Mosin/etc that doesn't t allow a solid stock/cheek weld and complains he cant hit the target.  Your drill instructor taught you better than that at PI or Edson Range.  
 9.       To the Marine who thinks its funny to shoot so badly that you hit the mud in front of my target and splatter it or ricochet rounds through it.  By the way, your buddy called you Corporal; as an NCO you should actually be setting the example.  
 10.   Thanks to the Marine who doesn't clean the cosmoline off his new Mosin Nagant and has it jam, holding up the line while the Range Officer fixes it.  
 11.   Your DI started you off shooting at the 25 yd line to get a BZO and your Platoon Sergeant does it now.  That same concept is still valid with a new rifle to get it zeroed.  It also saves you a lot of money, time & frustration, and I don't have to listen to you complain about it.  
 Now just a few for the rude ones:
 1.       Swearing in front of someone's wife or kid is not cool.  Don't get angry or surprised when someone says something.  Don't argue, its you who'll be kicked off the range, not me.
 2.       When you show up after the line goes hot, don't just shoot at someone else's target until you can hang yours.  Obama didn't come down and miraculously set it up for you, you actually need to do it yourself.
 3.       When you have a bench spot but all the target stands are taken (it happens on the 25 and 50 yardlines), don't randomly take down someone else's target and replace it with yours.  
 4.       If you have a car alarm and it goes off from rifle fire, don't turn it on.  Besides, some of your fellow shooters may have taken stupid pills but they probably won't steal your vehicle.  
 5.       When I am shooting a rifle with a light barrel, I will let it cool between shots, especially when Im working up new loads.  Don't keep asking me if I'm done yet; I'm not and, no I won't speed up my shooting.  Next time you want to shoot without waiting, get there an hour early, set up and drink some coffee.  It works for the rest of us.
 For those reading this and asking did anyone say anything, yes.  The Range Officer and most of the regulars/members are either retired or senior Marines/Corpsmen who have no problem applying corrective action or remediation.  In fact, on a busy day like today, with people waiting for bench space, the members like me assist the RO in running the line to keep it moving.  
 Sorry for the rant, the RO was too busy today to listen to my frustration so I turned to you guys.  Most shooters on the range are safe, focused and nice, helpful folks.  Paydays, especially on long weekends, bring out the knuckleheads.  
 KD

Took my daughter (#2 of 3) on a goose hunt in Cambridge MD this weekend. Drove up Fri and got in early enough for an evening hunt. Went out to the blind I've hunted for years as a club guest. My buddy was working and couldn't make it so he had some club members meet my daughter and I. Birds were flying high but we had one bunch come in. I dropped 1 with my 12 ga Mossberg 500 w/ BB and I saw my daughter dust one with her 20 ga Mossberg 500. I couldn't back her up before he turned and flew away and we watched hers wobble off over the trees. We thought it went down in the trees so one of the other hunters took his dog out, caught its sent but the bird swam out into the marsh (beyond the trees) faster than the dog could swim. We lost that one. Not a good end to the day.

Sat AM: Gave my daughter my 12 ga, told her she wouldn't feel any kick when shooting at game vice what she felt at the skeet range. I took her 20 ga loaded with #2 Black Cloud. That AM was a wonderful day in the blind with lots of birds but they were all very high and only a few showed interest but none came in. No luck, so after a great b-fast at a local store I taught my daughter how to breast a goose (the one from the night before). She did well (she's gutted 2 whitetails already, so no surprise).

Sat PM: Got to the blind early. Clouds were coming in front of the bad weather today so the birds were flying early. We got to the blind and had one lone bird break from a flock and decide to visit our dekes. The caller ID'd the bird for my daughter, no one else was to shoot and she had the moment she was dreading. She was hoping for a flock and had a single, no pressure there, huh! She hit him in the body with the 12 ga, he wobbled but then she had a follow up, dropping her first bird! The rest is gravy after my kids' first bird, (I think she got another), but for those wondering if the 20 ga had what it takes for geese, I got two Sat PM with it clean. The Black Cloud is impressive, but so was my buddy and a retired MD State Cop who both called and got all shots for us inside 30m. I don't think the 20 ga would be my choice for pass shooting geese.

And yes, I was right about the recoil on the 12 ga; my daughter was surprised every time she had to reload. She didn’t fell a thing when she shot.

After driving 7 hours in the rain today, we got home, unpacked, breasted a bunch of geese (we had our 5 geese plus others from the other shooters) and shucked 1/4 bushel of fresh Chesapeake oysters (my buddy’s a Waterman). We cooked 2 breasts on the grill after marinating in sesame oil & ginger. Tasted like beef. We also cooked slices in Olive Oil & garlic. Tasted good but cooked a bit too much and a little tough. The oysters were raw & perfect.

I have her first goose in the freezer and will have it mounted. Great weekend overall!!!!

KD

I have a Savage 11 in 204 Ruger.  I really don't have a need for the 204 now, but who knows about down the road, so I'll keep it.  I like the rifle and would like to get a replacement barrel, preferably in 308.  Ive done some research and with the current bolt face, I think I am limited to .223 Rem.  The receiver appears too short to accept a 308 even if I swap out the bolt face.  I may just have to buy another 308, darn .

Is my conclusion correct or am I missing something?

If I decide to go with the .223 replacement barrel (don't really have a "need" for that, and it will expand my reloading inventory rather than streamline it, but.........:grin:), I plan on going with an EABCO barrel vice a more expensive Shilen barrel.  As always on the internet, I see mixed reviews.  Anyone here have experience with them?  

KD

Nicest Xmas gift from my youngest girl (18y/o).  She gave me an empty picture frame with a note that said "For the picture of my first deer."  This was a surprise since she has always said NO to deer hunting.  I took her out Sat PM and she couldn't make up her mind what to do when 3 deer came in, they finally left unscathed.  Thats OK, she loved it.  She's hooked now but will have to wait until next year.  That's a Hat Trick for me, all three of my daughters are hunters!!

The pic is my first bird of this year.  I got skunked opening weekend here in NC.  One bird wouldnt come in closer than 50 m, never saw him in the brush.  I went back Sat AM for payback but he was silent around sunup, but another bird was losing his mind about 400 m away.  Since I knew I was the only one on the property,  I eventually moved on him instead.  He was with hens so I settled in for a long morning of "reminding him" I was still there when he was done with the real hens.  As he gobbled, the bird in the pic started gobbling where I had set up first:Banghead:.  The good thing is everytime he gobbled he got closer.  While he was getting the henned up bird all goofy, that bird wasnt leaving his hens.  The 2d bird gobbled from behind me real close, so I carefully spun around the tree I was leaning against.  As soon as I settled in he popped out of the brush at 10m in full strut.  I clucked once and he put his head up.  The old reliable 12 ga Mossberg did it from there with #6 shot.  Stats: 15 lb, 9,25 in beard and .75 in spurs.  I think he was a 2 y/o.  Turned him into nuggets, very tasty.  Heading up to MI to call for a young hunter this weekend, I drew for next week's hunt but can only hunt Mon and Tues AM before I need to swoop back to NC for work.  KD

Does anyone have experience hunting predators in dense woods?  The property I have access to is very dense with pines and brush with some gravel roads and 15 m wide engineer/surveyor lines.   Very few long distance shots are avail, 150 m would probably be the max from a ground position.   About 1500 acres total huntable, the rest is being developed. There are yote/fox/bobcat tracks & scat on every part of the property.   If any predators have been taken, it is incidental to a deer or bear hunt.  There are few rabbits and the turkeys are getting fewer and fewer and rarely gobble in season (I am assuming due to predation).  My goal is to try and thin the predators out before fawn and poult season.  I dont trap due to lack of time to give it the due diligence and attention, ie, checking the trapline.  
 
I have hunted there 2x.  I have rabbit/mouse distress calls and a MOJO deke.  I do not have any electronic callers.  My daughter carry's the 204 ruger or 22 mag (I need to get her some shooting sticks), I carry a 12ga with BB.   If Im alone, I will hunt with the shotgun and put the deke in close.  We sit where wind and terrain/vegetation give us at least a 50 m shot for 30-45 min, call intermittantly and then move quickly to the next sit location.  I try and fit in 3 before sunset.  Its hard to get an obstacle to our back that prevents something circling around, I settle for a brush pile just to prevent a sneak stalk on us.    
 
In late spring/summer I should be able to use a fawn bawl or turkey calls, but those sounds wont make sense now.   Most of what I read discusses open farm/ranch land or range land, very little on "close" terrain.  Any recommendations out there?
 
KD

Went out quail hunting with my two youngest daughters today.  My buddy ran his dog pointing quail over 30 times while the three of us only shot 8 birds:(.  The dog did wonderfully, we did poorly.  We did have fun though and it was my youngest's first hunt  ever (deer, rabbits, squirrels, etc are too cute) and she actually got one of the quail today:jumpingsmiley:.  The other daughter came up dry (I'll take her varmint hunting tomorrow), I got the remaining seven.  We BBQ'd them tonight for a delicious end to a great day:food04:.    Pic below.  KD

Well, this season has been a slow one so far, with few deer seen and none bagged until yesterday.  Both my daughter and I got one.  Daughter #2 came home from college and wanted to go hunting Sat AM.  I put her in an as-of-yet unhunted ground blind overlooking a 6 month old cut through some young pines.  I went down the road and just tucked in near where another cut intersected the road.   My doe came out about 10 AM and stood broad side at about 45m.  I shot her and she folded up about 30m away.  She was my first deer with cast bullets.  The damage inside  the rib cage was huge.  Im sold.
 
My daughter heard the shot and texted me that she wanted to come help drag & gut.  So I walked back to the truck to go get her and was just getting there when I heard a shot from her location.  All I got on the next text was "I shot him and he ran."  "He" meant she had shot her first buck!!!!!   Me and the property owner got there the same time (he was on the same road but on the other side of her) and we started looking.  There was no blood or hair so we were a bit nervous.  While we looked in close, I told her to do a 25m loop to try & pick up blood.  She found one drop and then her buck.  It was a nice little spike.  She hit him "a bit" far back, thus the sparse blood trail.  She shot him at about 80m with a 243 w/100 gr Hornady soft point rnd nose.  That's her 2d deer.  She and I BBQ'd the hearts last night, they were nice and tender and very delicious.
 
She had it posted on Facebook before we were even out of the woods, amazing (how do they do that!?!).  Will post the pic of her once she sends it to me (even though it was taken with my camera).    I have my annual MI hunt in a few weeks, cant wait.  
 
Enjoy your Sunday, KD

Well, the 2011 NC Turkey season is over for me. The 2d gobbler fell this AM. Lousy day as the bad weather was moving this way very windy. Had two "nothing" set ups: no gobbles, no hens, nothing but wind. Packed up around 10 AM and headed off the property. Went up a hill and 'round the bend and the gobbler was in the road strutting with his back to me. I put the truck in neutral and coasted back down and parked. I grabbed my stuff, loaded the shotgun and ran into the woods down some fresh cuts in the young pines, bumping some hens as as I moved. I set up blind about 100m from where he was strutting, thinking I was busted. I called aggressively (used the Woodhaven glass call first and then my diaphram) and he came in slow & cautious about 15 min later. I dropped him at 35m with a load of #4 shot from the 12 ga. No gobbles, no noise at all except my calls. He was 17.5 lbs, beard 10 in and spurs 1-1.25 in (one tip was busted off). His wing tips were worn to nubs.
 
What was cool was when he came into the cut, he stepped out and looked right at my location. Their ability to pin point noise from a distance is spooky. Its why I wont call if I know they are on the way in or in sight of the dekes unless I need to "poke 'em", like last week.
 
Last week, leaving the woods, my muffler fell off. I took time off from work this week to get it fixed. Had I not done that, I never would have gone unnoticed by the gobbler. I hate making noise in the woods, thus I walk vs use a quad. Maybe I'll get an electric one someday, but since I got fat after retiring, the walking aint too bad.
 
The owner wants to go out Fri and my daughters come back Fri PM for Easter. I hope I get a chance to call something in for them. Im off to MD Mon AM to hunt there Tue-Thur, will report when I return.
 
Cant get the photo attachment tool to work.  Will keep trying, I know you want to see my smiling face.
 
KD

Had a good opener today. Cold wet and windy here today. Got into my primary site before sunup and sat for 3.5 hours near a strut zone Ive been watching. No gobbles, no calling at all. Only had one hen come in. She ran in, hung out with the dekes for a short while and then walked down the trail w/in a 7-8 ft of me putting and purring. I packed up and moved to the edge of some pines about a mile away and set up again. I had gobbles in a few minutes, after a total of 10 minutes I had him on the ground at 25 yds. 17 lbs, 10 in beard and spurs just over an inch.

Hey guys.  Been a while, thought I'd do a turkey peek and see whats up.   Focus of effort changed for a while (nothing bad) but I think things are back on track.  KD

I got a chronograph for XMAS this year.  I've been taking it to the range and running various rounds through it.  Last week I ran 20 rounds of .308 relaods through it and had a very wide variety of readings, to the tune of a 154 ft/sec spread.  I came back and reloaded them exactly the same way and went out today.  
 
Iwent back to the range today and  changed 2 things, dist of the chrony from the muzzle and fired only 1 shot per 4-5 mins.  Readings were much more consistant this week, with a range of only 28.  I think it was the distance from the muzzle reducing effect from the muzzle blast.  A fellow shooter said it was slower pace of shooting.  Both?
 
Any thoughts?
 
KD

:undecided: I need some suggestions.  My Savage Model 11 .204 Ruger has been shooting extremely erratically lately and I finally realized the barrel is touching the synthetic stock.  I figured I should check the torque on the screws as a first step.  Weeeell, turns out I applied ft/lbs rather than in/lbs.  This thing is stuck tight.  Its a hex screw and I'm starting to round out the edges.  Any ideas on getting this thing out?  So much for attention to detail; "not observed" would be the Fitness Report comment for this one.  
 
KD

I mounted a new Burris Speed Dot on my T/C Encore 44MAG pistol barrel.  I zero'd it for 50 yds and decided to shoot at 100 yds just for grins.  Once I figured out how to control the dot, it shot very well from a rest.  The attachment shows my last 4 shots.   I was pleased.  

I have read that I should be able to shoot it with both eyes open.  I'll have to get used to that.  I'll also have to remember to bring a spare battery on hunts.  If I like this, I may put one on one of my slug guns.  

KD

That is not a typo in the subject line.  Today, my fellow Marines and I are celebrating the 232 years since a Corps of Marines was created in the Tun Tavern.  
To the Marines in the Forum, Happy Birthday Leathernecks, Semper Fi!!!!!!!!.  

KD

Well, after 4 deerless years of deer seasons interrupted by either deployments, training for deployments or insufficient hunt prep, the "drought" is over :grin:.  Went to GA last weekend to hunt the opener with a Marine buddy and his uncle.  Beautiful place south of Augusta.  I got 2 does same night within minutes of each other.  1 was @ 100 yds and the other @ 175 yds across one of those huge southern food plots.  The 308 w/ 150 gr Hornady BTSP dropped both in their tracks.  No pics, though.  After tracking by buddy's gut shot deer for a few hours in the dark (successfully ), we got back, cut 'em up, had a celebratory bottle of hard cider and went to bed.  

Both were spine shots and I kept the hearts. Tried 'em out on the family for the first time last night.  I'm not a popular man among my wife and daughters right now.  My oldest daughter is the only one who actually ate it but "didn't like the texture"; mom and the other 2 actually spit it out with a zesty & overly dramatic "BLAAAAH".  Oh well , more for me on the next deer.

KD

Guys, I guess someone was bored late last night.  The nasty surprise they  put in "small game" .      Thx, KD

I had one of the leaf springs on my boat trailer disintegrate today.  Didn't notice until I got home and tried to back it into the drive way (that adventure was a lousy end to a fun day).  I will obviously replace both sets and hardware at the same time.  I cant drive it to a dealer so I need to do it myself.  Has anyone done this before?  How involved is it?  Do I need any special tools?  The trailer is a single axle and the boat w/motor is about a ton.

I can find sites selling springs but I dont see to many "How To" sites.   Any guidance would be appreciated.  

KD