Use whatever criteria - big animals, great PH, great country, great overall time you had.

What is your all time best hunt?

Why?

So many, but actually two for me stand out.

In 2008 I killed the Leopard eating Leopard of Jonsyl farm located in the Zimbabwe lowveld. The leopard was 180 lbs, 8' 1" long. This rogue super cat had killed a number of other leopard in the area, but had never been caught. I shot him over a freshly killed female leopard with PH John Hunt. (The cat in my profile pic) Wrote a story for African Hunter Magazine about the hunt.

Second was a hunt with a close friend of mine in the Zambezi Valley in 2011 with PHs Lance Nesbitt and Dean Kendall. Killed a huge wild sable, great cape buffalo. Flew into the Valley and drove overland to Takfika fish camp where I caught numerous tiger fish up to 14 lbs. Subsequently floated 60 miles down the Zambezi River and then drove overland, with both of us sitting in lounge chairs, in the back of the Toyota pickup, with the camp's supplies and a ton of booze to Dande South to hunt, stopping at numerous villages along the way. Also celebrated my 60th with a birthday dinner (fine linen and all) high on a hill overlooking the area. Another trip to remember!

Use,
Similar experience. Zambezi Valley with Dean Kendall as the PH in 2005. Since then, I have been on several hunts with Thierry Labat and had a great hunt. Hunted with Lance in TZ in a tough area but had a great hunt.

There are other hunts as well.

I am hoping this thread will see come commonalities across areas or PH's or something else.

Mine are (I also have 2)2005 in Zambia. I hunted Tondwa, 10 days, with Terry Von Rooyen for Sitatunga, Roan, Puku and Blue Duiker. Drove in with Terry.

Next, chartered from Kasana to the Luangwa airstrip at Chanjuzi/Nyaminga. Hunted Lion, Leopard, Croc, Chobe Bushbuck, Sharps Grysbok, Buffalo, Genet and something else?. That was with Alister Norton. I'm calling these both one Safari. with both Safaris time before, time between and time after, I was in Zambia for like 35 or 36 days.

The second was my CAR, Bongo, LDE, Savanna Buffalo, Forest Buffalo, Western Roan, Warthog, Red River Hog, Western Bush Duiker, Yellow Backed Duiker, Red Duiker, Lewel's Hartebeest and Civet. That was with Mike Fell. The sheer magnificence of CAR made it worthwhile. The hunting was superb and Mike.

Great topic Ross.

Easy question. Without a doubt it was my chasse libre hunt in Cameroon. No PH, no land cruiser, all on foot with porters and a tracker They all spoke only French with a few English words thrown in. Got a really old savanna buffalo and a kob, had a fleeting opportunity at an LDE. It was real adventure disguised as a hunting trip, made even more difficult by Air France losing my luggage with ALL my gear, clothes and freeze dried food. We took improvisation to a whole new level.

My sixth and most recent hunt in Namibia with Sebra Hunting Safaris. My #1 target animal was a mature Eland Bull. We had a number of close calls in the first 9 days, but succeeded-on the last day in the last 15 minutes of legal shooting light. A challenging 200+ yard shot put the big guy down after he ran about 150 yards. I also shot two giant Springbok, an ancient Warthog boar, and a pesky Baboon male.

Without question, my best hunt was a trip to the forests of Congo-Brazzaville while hunting with Christophe Morio. It was a wonderful adventure in every sense of the word which included hunting the forest with the Baka, gorilla sightings, taking a big-bodied bongo as well as a monster forest sitatunga, spending multiple nights in the machan while falling asleep to the Congolese forest symphony, and the wonderful camaraderie. The trip ended with us dancing the night away around the fire with the Baka.

I still hear the blue turaco's calls in my dreams...

quote:

Originally posted by PAGuardian:
Without question, my best hunt was a trip to the forests of Congo-Brazzaville while hunting with Christophe Morio. It was a wonderful adventure in every sense of the word which included hunting the forest with the Baka, gorilla sightings, taking a big-bodied bongo as well as a monster forest sitatunga, spending multiple nights in the machan while falling asleep to the Congolese forest symphony, and the wonderful camaraderie. The trip ended with us dancing the night away around the fire with the Baka.

I still hear the blue turaco's calls in my dreams...

Fantastic.

Christophe was supposed to be my PH. Due to hunt times and schedules, I wound up with Mike Fell. Christophe hunted one of the other clients in camp.

I really liked my time in camp with him.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Easy question. Without a doubt it was my chasse libre hunt in Cameroon. No PH, no land cruiser, all on foot with porters and a tracker They all spoke only French with a few English words thrown in. Got a really old savanna buffalo and a kob, had a fleeting opportunity at an LDE. It was real adventure disguised as a hunting trip, made even more difficult by Air France losing my luggage with ALL my gear, clothes and freeze dried food. We took improvisation to a whole new level.

I tell people all the time when asked about tough hunting about your hunt.

Ross, I can't pick only one!

So, I'll pick the winning streak I had in the early to mid-2000s.

Four safaris, involving multiple trips to northern Namibia, including the Caprivi Strip, and to the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania.

These safaris were astonishingly successful by today's standards. They could not be repeated these days.

I killed a leopard, two lions, two trophy bull elephant and eight Cape buffalo bulls in what seems to me now like the blink of an eye.

Not to mention every variety of plains game imaginable.

Truth is, I spent well over 2½ months in Africa during this time.

We booked and hunted and shared camps with great outfitters and PHs - John Ormiston, Bert and Brigitte Klineberger, Vaughan Fulton, Fred Bezuidenhout, Hentie van Heerden, Gerard and Eric Pasanisi, Luis Pedro de Sa e Mello, Frédéric Herbain, Philippe Lué, François Lyonnet.

All honest, honorable, trustworthy and professional people, 100% invested in our success as hunters.

Truly great people, and great camps and fantastic hunting grounds, where game, including dangerous game, abounded.

I have had many more safaris since then, and I don't mean to demean them (or at least not all of them), but these will forever remain special in my memory.

Nepal Blue sheep. Worlds greatest hunting adventure.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Easy question. Without a doubt it was my chasse libre hunt in Cameroon. No PH, no land cruiser, all on foot with porters and a tracker They all spoke only French with a few English words thrown in. Got a really old savanna buffalo and a kob, had a fleeting opportunity at an LDE. It was real adventure disguised as a hunting trip, made even more difficult by Air France losing my luggage with ALL my gear, clothes and freeze dried food. We took improvisation to a whole new level.

I tell people all the time when asked about tough hunting about your hunt.

At the time I simply looked at it as challenge to see if, at age 66, if I could do it. Guess I could. Anyone can ride around in a truck, get off and track something, then call the truck to pick them up. I’ve been there, done that hunting elephant and buffalo. This was a whole new level of difficulty…….

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by PAGuardian:
Without question, my best hunt was a trip to the forests of Congo-Brazzaville while hunting with Christophe Morio. It was a wonderful adventure in every sense of the word which included hunting the forest with the Baka, gorilla sightings, taking a big-bodied bongo as well as a monster forest sitatunga, spending multiple nights in the machan while falling asleep to the Congolese forest symphony, and the wonderful camaraderie. The trip ended with us dancing the night away around the fire with the Baka.

I still hear the blue turaco's calls in my dreams...

Fantastic.

Christophe was supposed to be my PH. Due to hunt times and schedules, I wound up with Mike Fell. Christophe hunted one of the other clients in camp.

I really liked my time in camp with him.

Sorry you missed out on the opportunity to hunt with Christophe, although, I've heard that Mike Fell guy is pretty good too .

Christophe and I hunted hard and had an absolute blast. Hunting with him was a true honor and pleasure. I'd hunt with him anywhere, anytime.

Too many to count, but thanks for asking.

I have hunted elephant at night on several occations..now that is a major adrenaline rush I can assure you..

This is an easy one for me. It was my very first African hunt, in May, 1983 with Roy Vincent on Deka.

It was a bit unusual as the Matetsi Research Office of Zim Parks & Wildlife needed a specific computer system for their game management work and whoever was willing to buy the equipment Vernon Booth needed would get a 21-day full bag hunt on Deka, which at that time had not seen a full hunt in 12 years. The Game department donated the license, and Peter Johnstone, owner of Rosslyn Safaris donated the guiding and had Roy Vincent take me. I extended the hunt to 24-days to ensure my chances at all these exotic things I’d never hunted. Thinking back, it is ironic that I hunted 24-days as I was 24-years old. At the time, I didn’t realize that almost no 24 year olds were booking hunts in Africa at all, let alone for so many days and a full bag including everything except lion.

I should have extended the hunt to 28-days as they would have thrown in a lion and I would have shot a grand lion as my very first African animal. The very first afternoon that we arrived in camp, I was standing 25-yards from a wonderful lion with a camera in hand and Roy was screaming at me to get back in the truck while jumping out with his 460 Weatherby to protect me from getting killed. I was so excited to see that lion, I jumped out of the truck before Roy knew what I was up to. A year later, Rene Snider shot that same lion.

We enjoyed a grand hunt with me taking a very nice elephant for that area and point in time, a 58 lb. Bull that I shot at 9 yards as it was bearing down on us. Too long of a story but Roy and I shot simultaneously right after Roy whispered “He’s too bloody close” just before the bull flattened his ears back, tucked trunk as he dropped his head and came silently. At the time, I thought it was very exciting. I doubt I’d feel the same way today. Shot 2 wonderful buffalo, the 1st one at 13 yards after crawling into a small group, he was the smaller bull I shot, at nearly 42”. Big leopard on our first sit, 45” sable along with big waterbuck, mid-50’s kudu, sharpes grysbok, huge klipspringer. All in all, with baits I shot 16 or 17 animals and the only unfilled license was a bushbuck. Trophy quality was excellent.

Camp was a simple affair with just a couple modest tents by today’s standards, dinner sitting around the fire every night. Alan Vincent was a barefooted 10-year old running around camp with 6-year old Diana keeping Rene busy. We saw all of the Big Five including a bit of a rodeo with a Black Rhino bull. 39 years later, the memories of that first African hunt remain among my very best. Back then, Deka was an incredible wildlife paradise. The Vincent’s were a young couple and I’d never have guessed I’d be hunting with Alan all these years later.

That hunt cost me the purchase of a very nice computer system for Matetsi, $27,000 all-in. Might be the best money I’ve ever spent on anything in my entire life.

In 2008, I hunted in the Sapi concession. My wife, daughter and son in law came along. Got my first elephant, tuskless, and my first buffalo. Fished on the Zambezi. To share all that with my family, just can't beat that.

Folks,

I've been fortunate to have hunted quite a bit in Southern, Western and East Africa. Each safari offered some unique experiences and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

The one safari that stands out was in Zambia with Arthur Taylor as PH. Arthur is no longer hunting but he's one of the many PH's that never really received any publicity but was an excellent hunter and people person.

The plan was for a multi area 5 week safari for lion and Zambia's specialty animals. We started off hunting the Luangwa successfully for lion, Cookson's wildebeest, roan, hippo and puku. We then moved to Bangweulu taking a great sitatunga, tseesbe and black lechwe. Our final hunt was in the Blue Lagoon area of the Kafue Flats for Kafue lechwe where we took a nice one.

We didn't hurry through any of this. We took our time hunting the tseesbe and Black lechwe on foot and we even camped at Blue lagoon for Kafue lechwe which ordinarily is a day trip from Lusaka.

Of course Sadie my long time significant other came along. She is a old time safari hand, shooting coach, game spotter, photographer and all time good companion around the campfire. On this safari we also brought a long time friend Cindy as an additional observer. Cindy was recently divorced and needed a break. Cindy knew nothing of hunting let alone safari and she had a blast. The evening we shot the lion she was disappointed that we would not have to spend the night in the machan!!!

This was one of those incredible safaris were everything fell into place. We shot very good trophies, found the animals we wanted with ease and I shot well throughout the whole safari. All involved were on a high throughout. When the Kafue lechwe our last animal hit the ground you could feel everyone just deflate as we knew it was over making for a very quiet ride back to camp that night.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Folks,

I've been fortunate to have hunted quite a bit in Southern, Western and East Africa. Each safari offered some unique experiences and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

The one safari that stands out was in Zambia with Arthur Taylor as PH. Arthur is no longer hunting but he's one of the many PH's that never really received any publicity but was an excellent hunter and people person.

The plan was for a multi area 5 week safari for lion and Zambia's specialty animals. We started off hunting the Luangwa successfully for lion, Cookson's wildebeest, roan, hippo and puku. We then moved to Bangweulu taking a great sitatunga, tseesbe and black lechwe. Our final hunt was in the Blue Lagoon area of the Kafue Flats for Kafue lechwe where we took a nice one.

We didn't hurry through any of this. We took our time hunting the tseesbe and Black lechwe on foot and we even camped at Blue lagoon for Kafue lechwe which ordinarily is a day trip from Lusaka.

Of course Sadie my long time significant other came along. She is a old time safari hand, shooting coach, game spotter, photographer and all time good companion around the campfire. On this safari we also brought a long time friend Cindy as an additional observer. Cindy was recently divorced and needed a break. Cindy knew nothing of hunting let alone safari and she had a blast. The evening we shot the lion she was disappointed that we would not have to spend the night in the machan!!!

This was one of those incredible safaris were everything fell into place. We shot very good trophies, found the animals we wanted with ease and I shot well throughout the whole safari. All involved were on a high throughout. When the Kafue lechwe our last animal hit the ground you could feel everyone just deflate as we knew it was over making for a very quiet ride back to camp that night.

Mark

Zambia is a special hunting destination for sure.

I did a brief overnighter to the Kafue flats with Abie duPlooy. Anyone who's hunted with Abie understands why this was significant.

We drove out at night laid out under the stars in Blue Lagoon. As the sun turned the horizon pink, Abie got up, made coffee and told me when it got light enough to see, just pick one and shot it.

It got light enough to see, and sure enough, we were literally surrounded by Lechwe. I picked one that looked good and killed it, sitting on my bed.

Good times.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana1:
Nepal Blue sheep. Worlds greatest hunting adventure.

100% mine as well and it’s not even close.

My 2022 (1 Month back) Utah Desert Sheep Hunt.
Brutal, hiking, heat, and backpacking.
Spent it with my sons which made it the best hunt and my guide Randy Johnson was as good as there is.

My African hunts were great but not even close.

Taking my 8 year old grandson to kill a gator on my ranch .

They are all good. Mine can't compare to some that have been recounted here, but I tend to remember particular moments, not entire hunts. I just like being out there. A last day, last light elephant rolling down a hillside taking out trees all the way down. Second shots on running animals that folded them on the spot. A sunset, sunrise or the northern lights, the Southern Cross or the Milky Way from fireside. A bushbuck up to his belly in ferns in riverine bush with rays of sunlight coming through the overstory. Or a mamba on a long walk back to the gari empty-handed. Or the humorous ones, like a female game scout who became physically ill after a bluff charge by an elephant bull or a completely inexplicable miss on my part. It's all good.

and flowers. I take a lot of pictures of birds and flowers.

Being alone in the bush..observing animals...listen to bird life...while the sun is setting..

I just got back from the Save last Friday on my most rewarding hunt ever.

Shot a buff with a bow. Nothing compares to this hunt. Not the most magical (lion in the Save), memorable (Spanish Slam), not the most numerically successful (NZ/Namibia/Zim), but certainly the most rewarding.

We crossed the Turgwe barefoot, climbed the bank and stalked to within 15 y of 3 dugga boys in the reeds, hearing them chew on grass before they winded us. We crawled on our hands and knees in the grass surrounding a pan to within 50 y of a group of 8 dugga boys before an Oxpecker alerted them to our presence. We got to within 30 y of what we thought were 3 but got busted as there were 12 who then crossed the river only to have our tracker and game scout walk down that opposite bank (as they were positioned there to guide us) and sure enough they crossed back and got to within 20 y of where we had set up only to get spooked just as I was about to draw my bow.

And then finding a group of 10, surrounded by waterbuck sentries, make a plan, get into position, watching and waiting at 30 y on a dugga boy who stared us down twice before accepting us and dropped his head down to feed.....standing up, drawing and then having the arrow hit the mark, with full penetration......standing motionless as he looked at us and walked away, lifted his tail, took a shit, dropped his head with blood running out his nose, staggered, dropped and bellowed......unfuckinbelievable!

Only thing that almost comes close is a frontal on an ele with a double at 15 y, surrounded by a herd of 12 bulls.

I'll never hunt Africa (or for that matter NA) again with a rifle again, especially not a scoped one. Lost its luster.

Frankly that's all I ever want to do til I can't hunt any more is hunt buff with a bow.

All time best hunt ? I probably have several. Just completed a great hunt. Tough, challenging, a game of tactics. The result came on the last day. Very, very memorable.
Bullet entered behing right shoulder, exited centre left shoulder, punched through left horn.

Every single hunt I have been on has been absolutely, fantastically memorable!

But, I am not a trophy hunter.

We all go to have fun and enjoy ourselves!

And we do that in spades!

Mine was without a doubt a 21 day in Tanzania with Fulvio as my PH. Shot an elephant, lion, leopard, two buff (waited to fill the third with a monster that I never saw), eland, hyena, hippo, and a ton of other stuff. Fantastic hunt - like a dream.

Probably my youngest kid's first big game a couple years ago. She killed a pronghorn after much stalking, crawling, setting up, getting busted, setting up again, etc. I can't remember any person I have ever hunted with being that excited with her success. It was infectious and inspiring, and something I will never forget.

Any hunt with my kid who is now 18. Watching make a perfect shot on a cape buffalo at 11 years was epic!!!!

Despite all the great hunts in recent years when money has been less of a limiting factor, the best African hunt has to be my first.
In 1975 I was a 24 year old farm worker, milking cows. I saved for years, sold my car and went to Kenya to hunt with Allen Safaris.
Hunting buffalo on Mount Kenya with Bunny Allen was an experience few people alive today could have enjoyed.
Trying to recreate the adventures of youth is fun but it is not the same as just being young!
(No disrespect to PHs like Andrew Baldry and Richie Schultz who gave me more successful adventures)

The first safari, usually , is the best. Having said that, my unguided walking with porters safari in Cameroon for buffalo has to be about #1.

It would be very difficult for me to single out a particular hunting trip as being the best....and I certainly don't have the experience in Africa that many of the folks here have. But a few memories that immediately stand out in my mind would be....

- Shooting my first Whitetail deer at age 7, while sitting on my dad's lap to see out of the window of the blind.

- While hunting for Mountain Lion (unsuccessfully) in the Uncompahgre National Forest in Colorado, I experienced the most profound silence of my life. I didn't realize the world could be THAT quiet.

- Putting my hands on the horns of my very first Kudu bull, shot during my first trip to RSA in April of this year.

- Rattling in 9 different Whitetail bucks on a single cold morning in the Texas Hill Country.

Two hunts stand out for me.

2016--The trip to the Congo, the shear difficulty of getting to the hunting area, spending two weeks with the Pygmies, hunting with no guide. It was also the worse...

2010--Mozambique and Zimbabwe--First hunt with Mokore, the amount of game I saw on Coutada Nine is still mind boggling. My wife was on the trip, killed some very good game, Neil Duckworth was the PH, remarkable hunter.

There was also my first elephant, first trip to Zim, the leopard hunt with Shaun Buffee, etc. etc., self guided black bear in AK

At this point, I’ve had a lot of good ones, but I still like to think “the next one!”

Great thread! It stirs lots of memories up. My first day in Africa I shot an elephant something I doubt I'll have the chance to do again. But last weekend I took my young son for a hunt in the NW part of SD. We had a pile of tags and he was over the moon taking 4 does and helping me get a mature buck. It's a memory I'll cherish for a long time. Can't wait to do more with him.

quote:

At this point, I’ve had a lot of good ones, but I still like to think “the next one!”

The quote above just about sums it up for me.

I still fondly recall my first safari to Tanzania many years ago to hunt buff and plains game at Lobo and Lokasaly when Ridge Taylor had those concessions.
The sights, sounds and smells of Africa are still fresh in my memory. That was my first safari with Bwanamrm and the first time I hunted with Gerard Miller. We finished the safari in usual Miller style, early. I killed a 46" monster buff that we tracked up in the thick stuff on day 4.
I spent the last 3 days of that safari on Gerard's farm really getting in tune with the rhythm of Africa. Waking up to see Mount Okutu near the farm through my open window every morning is still fresh in my mind too.

quote:

Originally posted by the Pom:
Despite all the great hunts in recent years when money has been less of a limiting factor, the best African hunt has to be my first.
In 1975 I was a 24 year old farm worker, milking cows. I saved for years, sold my car and went to Kenya to hunt with Allen Safaris.
Hunting buffalo on Mount Kenya with Bunny Allen was an experience few people alive today could have enjoyed.
Trying to recreate the adventures of youth is fun but it is not the same as just being young!
(No disrespect to PHs like Andrew Baldry and Richie Schultz who gave me more successful adventures)

Darn. I did the same thing but got married instead. Love my wife but should have honeymooned in Africa instead of Tahiti....

2007 plains game hunt with John Sharp. Took my son as a reward for graduating from The United States Air Force Academy. Best 10 days of my life.