location: Mozambique Coutadas 11,12 & 14

Outfitter: Zambeze Delta Safaris

PH's: L.J. Marais & Poen van Zyl

Dates: October 21-31, 2012

Rifles: Mine - CZ .416 Rigby - North Fork & Ruger .375 Ruger - Woodleighs

Rick's - Winchester M70 .416Rem - Woodleighs & Ruger no.1 .375 H&H - Woodleighs

Animals: Buffalo, plains game.

Airlines: Air Canada & South African

Please excuse my tardiness on this report, hope you enjoy.

My hunting partner Rick and I started out in Calgary on Oct 18 with a direct flight to London where we had a 10 hour layover. Not wanting to hang at the airport we stored our carry-ons and grabbed a cab to do a little touring around town. We spent a few hours at the Museum of Natural History, that was worth the cab fare. Very Interesting place and I highly recommend it if you have some time.

Doing some last minute texting in Calgary before take off


Tusks at London's Museum of Natural History


Flight to Johannesburg went well and with the help of a zopiclone and a glass of red wine I got about 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Rick crashed hard without any help.

Rick on the flight to Joburg


We had a five hour layover in Johannesburg and with the assistance of Gracy Travel re-checked our rifles for the flight to Beira.

Happy to be on the last commercial flight, Joburg-Beira


We arrived in Beira and when we stepped off the plane we were hit with 100 degree heat and high humidity from the Indian ocean, it felt great. Reps from ZDS met us and helped us through customs, getting our gun permits and visas before we were off on the bush flight to camp.

At Beira ready for the bush flight


Our bush flight arrived at ZDS main camp in Coutada 11, Mungari, where we were met by Mark Haldane, Poen van Zyl and my cameraman for the hunt, Staff. Rick and I were hunting out of Chirondi camp in Coutada 12 which is about an hour drive from the airstrip. Haldanes have done a superb job of their game management and put major efforts over the years into anti-poaching. The drive to Chirondi showed of the fruits of these efforts in both numbers and variety of animlals we were seeing. Things were looking good.

Poen was going to be Rick's Ph for the hunt and L.J., who we met at our arrival in Chirondi, was my PH. Zaendre van Zyl was the camp manager at Chirondi and made us feel very welcome and had everything in camp looking sharp.



After settling in and having a quick shower we went to the range and confirmed everything was still shooting.

Rick checking his .416


The days started every morning at 04:30 with a fresh pot of coffee delivered to our cabins and then we would get on the road by around 05:30.



The plan was to check different pans in the area that we would drive to about half mile of and then walk in carefully glassing the flat and then walk the perimeter looking for tracks. These Pans are massive grass flats where animals congregate in the early morning and late afternoon hours to feed and water. In the centre of the flats are reed and papyrus beds that hold water long into the the dry season. The grass at this time of year was still green and lush making it the best food source around.



We would take breakfast on the road with us and by around 08:00 we would stop somewhere and have a bite to eat.




On the first afternoon we were checking a pan for tracks and found where a group of three buffalo bulls had been going in and out to feed and water. It was getting a bit late in the day so we planned to come back first thing the next day to check it out.

Later that evening of the first day we were walking a sand road to check some water and we spotted a good male Red Duiker. This was probably number 30 or 40 we had seen of these little guys but this one let us have a good look at him. A solid from my .375 Ruger put him down and we had the first animal of the hunt in the salt.



The next morning we were at the pan where we found the buffalo tracks from the day before. We were pleased to find fresh tracks only an hour or two old. We had a quick bite of breakfast and grabbed our gear and took to the track.

We weren't 20 mins on the track when my tracker Antonio pointed out the bedded bulls in some thick underbrush less than 60 yards away. We couldn't sort out what the bulls were and a swirling wind gave us up and the bulls were gone.

Having time on our side we gave the track time to settle down before taking it up again. For the next five hours I followed the trackers as they meticulously sorted out the track. This was my favourite kind of hunting, I could do this all day everyday.

When we caught up to the bulls they were bedded just inside of some thick stuff which was on the edge of an open park like area of ancient Massa trees. The trees formed a giant canopy over the whole area, it was a beautiful spot.

We crab crawled our way to an old termite mound where we crested the top and had a good look at the three bulls. One bull was still green, another was so ancient he had hardly any horn left, a worthy old man no doubt. The third was bedded broadside at about 70 yards and he was an old bull with good horn, this was the one I wanted.

We set up and waited for him to get out of his bed. Rather than be spooked by our wind we hoped he would eventually stand for a leisurely stretch. No such luck. We felt the breeze on our necks and L.J. said to stay on him they're going to bust out of there. As the our wind hit the bulls they were up and going. I was ready on our bull and the moment he stood I put a 400gr North Fork soft in his chest and he piled up in under 100 yards.



A couple years ago and not far from this spot we took our buffalo, a couple poachers caught a buffalo bull in one of their gin traps. They Followed the track of the bull which was dragging the trap around and when they caught up to him the one poacher tried to kill the bull with his spear. Things didn't go so well and the bull got the poacher down and turned him back into the soil. The second poacher made it up a tree and watched his friend die an ugly death as he screamed for help. The bull eventually made off and the guy in the tree got down and went for help. The next day a posse, which apparently included some police, came out and tried to track the killer bull. Not far on the trail they found the gin trap with half the back hoof still in it. Probable thinking it was better to let this sleeping dog lie they gave up the track.

My bull had half his rear hoof missing.

When we got back to camp a large group started to form around the skinning shed when they heard about our bull. The poacher who was killed had a reputation and was known by most everyone around there so it made things a little more exciting. Im not going to try and describe the noises that came from the crowd but needless to say they were an excited bunch. It was a fun time watching them all.



Early on in the hunt Rick's group was working around a pan when someone in their group saw a person on the far side of the flat carrying something. Suspecting it to be a poacher they pulled a stalk on the guy while he was going about his poaching business where a short chase ensued and they caught the guy. After some "persuasive interrogation" the poacher gave up the location of his camp and what traps he had. One of his gin traps had a warthog in it that was still alive and barely hanging on by what was left of its leg. After collecting snares, gin traps and the rest of the poachers booty they burnt his camp and brought him back to Chirondi where he spent a very uncomfortable night. The next day he was taken into the police in Marromeu, not sure what happened to him from there.

Warthog caught in a gin trap.


The poacher is to the left of Poen, the other two guys are trackers.


A poachers snare


Burning up the poachers camp


Over the next few days Rick spent one day hunting the swamps in Coutada 11 and took a good waterbuck and warthog. Our group got a sable bull one morning after a good stalk.





On the morning of day five in started to rain hard and we called it a day and headed back to camp. The two groups discussed it and we decided on a change of pace and made a plan to head to Debbie Visser's area in Coutada 14. Here Rick could try for his buffalo and I could try for a second bull.



The plan was to pack a light camp and set up on the edge of the flood plains and hunt out of there on foot. No Argos.

The next morning we loaded the two cruisers with tents, beds, food and all the supplies needed for the next few days.

It was about a 5 hour drive to our hunting area and we got to see some back country villages and people as well we got to look around the town of Marromeu. The drive was a highlight of the hunt for both Rick and I.










Nice group of kids, they wanted to know if we had a soccer ball


Before heading back into the bush we stopped by Debbie's camp to say hello and pick up some porters. We got to have a look at some of the heads coming out of her area.



We made it to the edge of the flood plain by late afternoon and got our camp set up and ate a good supper before heading to bed.





The next morning we were up early to a breakfast of eggs, beans, ham, cold canned peaches and coffee. The group of hunters, Ph's, trackers and porters was an impressive sight as we headed out in single file through the high grass.






We were about 5km in and had already spotted a few lone bulls that were on the move when we saw our first big herd of buffalo. Far in the distance they resembled a black hill and if not for the birds could easly be mistaken for that.

We stayed together as a group for the most part but after I shot my second bull Rick and Poen headed out to stalk a lone bull. They got 30 yards from the bull where Rick dropped him where he stood with a single quartering on shot. My bull was taken out of a larger group with a heart lung shot at 70 yards and after a short 40 yard run collapsed mid stride.

The gps showed we walked about 28km that day, much of it crawling and slugging through mud and water that could be up to your waste. Add 100+ degree heat and no shade and it made for a memorable day.

Rick and I with my bull.


Rick with his hard earned bull.






The porters carried all the meat from the two bulls on foot back to camp.



We got back into camp tired, dirty, hungry and completely happy. The water in the river behind camp felt better than any shower I had ever had. After a meal around the fire and a slightly cooled beer we fell into our beds where sleep never came easier.

The best of times


We spent some time in the town of Marromeu on the way back to Chirondi, picked up a few supplies at an Indian store and toured around town a bit.

Heading out from Coutada 14






Bats!


Poen decided to have a little fun with the locals along the road on the way back. He had a halloween mask that he brought along and would stop along the road near a locals hut or village and inevitably people would come walking up to the truck wondering what was going on. Poen would jump out of the truck wearing the mask and chase after the unsuspecting people. It scared them spitless and they would go running off screaming. It was cheap entertainment and no matter how many times we did it it never got old. The funny thing was the scared locals would always turn around and start laughing when they saw what was up and slowly come back to the truck. Poen would chase after them again and they'd run off screaming again. It was good fun.




Check out the stride on this young guy.


The remainder of the hunt blew by and I took a warthog feeding in the middle of a grass flat one evening and a baboon early on that same day. Rick was finished up his hunting and went on poacher patrol with Poen for a few days.







Haldanes run a great operation and have a special area with incredible game diversity and numbers. This didn't happen by accident and has taken years of diligent effort. I couldn't recommend them enough. I'm headed back with them in October 2014.

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading.

Dave

Very proper report that. Great trophies and times. The photographs are sharp and extremely well composed.

Great hunt and wonderful photos! What a story to go with your first fine old bull. You really managed to capture the feel of a safari with a few of your shots, but now I feel bad. Eating at my desk and no hunts in the offing .

Congrats,
Dean

Dave..Great report!
This is what Safari is all about.
Congratulations

Thank you
Great report

Congrats on a fantastic hunt. Great report and pics.
Thanks for sharing.

Torbjorn

Great report and pictures! Thanks for sharing.


.

Wonderful report. My husband and I hunted the Mark Haldane's company out of Mungari with Craigh Hamman as our PH. We too had a great time.

Welcome to the SWAMP club. No other hunting is quite like that!

Great trophies and photos, thanks for sharing!

Best regards, D. Nelson

d.unger,

Glad you enjoyed the delta. A very unique environment offering a special hunt.

Big congrats!

Mark

Great pics, great hunt report. What a sod of a warthog. Well Done

Very cool report!

Some excellent photos as well.

You guys took some nice buffalo, congrats!

Thanks Dave for a really great report!

PROPER!! All of it. The hunt and the pictures!! A true African wilderness experience!!

Thanks for posting.

That was a great report and a good hunt. Thanks for the pictures. guys like me who can't read really appreciate lots of photos.

Looks like you guys had a helluva adventure with ZDS and took some great trophies. They are a great outfit and Mark and the guys have done a wonderful job with Coutada 11 and 12. I don't know if I have ever seen more game while cruising an open concession!

Great report and photo's.

Looks like ya'll had a GREAT time!!

Thanks for sharing.

Great report, excellent photos.

Thanks for sharing your memories with us.. Your hunt in Coutada 14 in my mind is part of what every Safari should have a fly camp for a few days and seeing parts of country that find few booted tracks. Well done.
Had the opportunity to meet Debbie V in Reno this past SCI as she joined a bunch of us for dinner very neat lady, commercial pilot as well as a PH in some great territory.
Congrats again on a great hunt.

Great report and wonderful pictures. Thanks for sharing. Congratulations on what looks and sounds like a marvelous hunt.

[Regarding the Halloween mask, my experience with practical jokes in Africa is largely the same, rather than get mad or irritated, folks seem to get a good laugh out of them. We could probably learn a little from that attitude over here.]

quote:

Originally posted by Zephyr:
every Safari should have a fly camp for a few days and seeing parts of country that find few booted tracks. Well done.
Had the opportunity to meet Debbie V in Reno this past SCI as she joined a bunch of us for dinner very neat lady, commercial pilot as well as a PH in some great territory.
[

Debbie provides a thrilling flight over the swamps.

Thank you for sharing, very well done. Can't wait to get back to Africa.

Excellent report and photos! Congratulations on a great hunt.

great report and great safari. congradts

Thanks for the report.
Very enjoyable.
Congrats on the nice trophies.

Thanks everyone for the kind feed back, glad you all enjoyed it.

Fantastic hunt and report! Your enthusiasm and appreciation of all the little things that make a safari great is apparent in your writing and pictures. Very inspiring, thank you!

Great report thanks for sharing
I have ZDS in my short list for next time

Nice report and excellent pics!

Fantastic hunt report and trophies - makorokoto!

Those 'poacher' pics will make one's blood boil!!!!

Thanks for the great report. I really like your photos. I can't wait to hunt with them...I only have to wait until november '14 ha.

Thanks for the post and pics. Brought back some good memories. I did some poaching patrol with Poen last fall as well.