Zimbabwe - Cape Buffalo

[hunting4sanity]

In 2014 I hunted Africa for the first time. I hunted in South Africa with my brother and had a very enjoyable safari. Like many hunters who go to Africa, I started dreaming about a second safari before the plane had even landed back in America. This past May I made it back for safari #2. I went with my brother again, plus two other friends, one of whom was on his first safari. We decided the main objective would be cape buffalo and settled on a remote and wild area in Zimbabwe.
Getting there was an adventure in itself, but also the worst part of going to Africa. The flight from Seattle to Dubai went north from Seattle, passing near the North Pole. Watching the in-flight map screen was interesting, we passed right over Tehran and numerous other names popped up on the screen that I really did not want to visit. Luckily no unscheduled landings. After an overnight in Dubai and another in Harare ZIM, four different flights and 26 hours in a torture device called Economy Class airline seats, we landed on a dirt airstrip and the hunt was on.

[hunting4sanity]

To accommodate four different hunters and four PH’s (professional hunter, a.k.a. guide) one of us would be hunting an area that was about an hour and 40 minutes from camp, that hunter was me. I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of spending over three hours a day driving, but in the end I felt lucky. I saw many animals for the first time on this trip, many of which were during the drive back and forth in the dark. Traffic at night can be interesting. We had a couple of encounters with elephants much closer than this while driving - luckily no contact. When you brake for the elephant in the road and the unseen one to your side trumpets to tell you that you're too close, it gets your attention!It was so interesting I considered asking my PH to spend a whole night just driving around to see what we could find, but my days started at 3:30 am and ended between 10 and 10:30, so I opted for some sleep instead.
One of the most interesting sightings for me was the African Wild Dog. I had told my PH I had hopes of seeing some of these dogs even though they cannot be hunted. One morning at first light we spotted a pack of 16 dogs that quickly vanished. My PH, York, could imitate the sound of almost every bird and animal we saw, so we sat down real low in some grass and brush and he started calling them. Soon we had about half the pack back investigating us. After a little more talking we had three of these dogs within five feet of us. The light was so low that I ended up with mainly blurred pics, but it was one of the highlights of the safari for me.

[hunting4sanity]

The main goal was cape buffalo, and two of us got one, the other two guys never got a shot opportunity at buffalo. I was fortunate to be one of the hunters who got a buffalo. I had told my PH that my dream hunt was to stalk an old ‘dugga boy,’ the name they call the old bulls who are past their prime, usually live a solitary life in the thick stuff and enjoy mud wallows.
After many many stalks that ended in nothing, just the sound of a bull crashing away through the brush or a fleeting glimpse, we got eyes on one before he saw or smelled us. I was able to put a shot in his shoulder as he passed through an opening, but I found out these bulls are tough. After tracking him for a short distance the PH said he felt we should loop out to the side, leaving the track. We did and found the bull watching his back trail. Now about 20 yards away, when he saw us, he turned toward us and I shot him in the head dropping him to the ground, with the PH adding an insurance shot.

[hunting4sanity]

I also got a zebra with a long lion scar on his back hip, a baboon, a wildebeest and a klipspringer. By the way, I’ve heard guys here on the forum ask if such-and-such caliber is overkill for "________" (insert smaller size animal of your choice). I’ve always felt there is really no such thing as ‘overkill.’ However, when I put the crosshairs of my 375 H&H on my diminutive klipspringer, I started asking myself that same ‘overkill’ question.

[hunting4sanity]

The elusive warthog, elusive at least for me, got away again. So, even though the sun has set on this safari, maybe there will have to be a safari #3?

[3dvapor]

Awesome hunt and write up, thanks for sharing.

[Brushcrawler]

Very cool trip and great photos! I also like the African dogs - took the photo in my profile from 20 yards (in the Jeep).

[Rob]

Now that is a proper Cape Buff!  Amazing animal.

The zebra you got looks like he has had a run-in with a lion or something to offset that pattern!

Wild Dogs...  Very jealous!

What part of Zim did you goto?  Looks like a beautiful area.

[pianoman9701]

Great photos. I'll just have to live vicariously through you. Good luck for #3!

[hunting4sanity]

Now that is a proper Cape Buff!  Amazing animal.

The zebra you got looks like he has had a run-in with a lion or something to offset that pattern!

Wild Dogs...  Very jealous!

What part of Zim did you goto?  Looks like a beautiful area.

Save Valley Conservancy, southeast part of the country. Sounds like it was greener than normal due to heavy cyclone rains, but it is a very beautiful area.

[Rob]

Great area.  Did you hunt with Morkore?  They run a great outfit on the Save.

I was supposed to hunt that area in 2012 but political issues arose and we ended up on the Zim side of the Limpopo.  Hunted one of the Matetsi units in 2016 up near Vic Falls.

Such a crazy place - and so addictive.

[bearpaw]

Looks like an awesome trip into the real Africa!

[hunting4sanity]

Great area.  Did you hunt with Morkore?  They run a great outfit on the Save.

I was supposed to hunt that area in 2012 but political issues arose and we ended up on the Zim side of the Limpopo.  Hunted one of the Matetsi units in 2016 up near Vic Falls.

Such a crazy place - and so addictive.

The hunt was through HHK Safaris. My PH was a young guy named York Maré, and I would 100% recommend him and hope to hunt with him again. As to political issues, well that seems to be a perpetual problem for the continent as a whole, unfortunately.

[hunterofelk]

Was your shot to the head the classic shot through the center of the nose?  I've read many stories of hunting Cape Buffalo and would like to go some day.  Did safari in Namibia, but no buffalo there.

[arees]

Now you've got me wanting to go back to Zim.  It looks like you had a great trip.