My son and I were booked for a safari mid-June in the Save and due to permit issues, I have to make a last minute change to another operator.

After a fair amount of scrambling, I've identified two options.

Mark Young has found me a spot with Mokore (Duckworths) in the Save. PH is TBD, will not be one of the Duckworths as they have likely been booked for a year.

I've also got an option to go with Shaun Buffee Safaris to the Bubye. Most likely PH would be Mark Bristow.

Goal of the safari is a great father son adventure - plains game hunt - only specific goal is an eland for my son. Want to be able to do some photography, bird shooting, fishing, if possible - just keep my son active in addition to the hunting.

Would really appreciate any perspective, opinion you guys have. After planning for two years, having myself set up well, researching the PH, etc., i'm literally doing a last minute pivot for the entire trip. These are the two areas I originally targeted - Bubye and Save, so that is great, but I have no knowledge of the PH we would have - trying to figure out how much that should concern me. Met with Neil Duckworth and Shaun Buffee at SCI - liked them both very much.

Appreciate opinions from those that have African experience - this is our first safari.

I would seriously doubt that the Duckworth's would have anything less than an extremely high quality PH.

The guy who does my filming think that Buffee is great.

I have hunted with Shaun Buffee and Neil Duckworth and would hunt with either again in a second.

Obviously there have been some issues on the Save however the Duckworth's run a first class operation and they will take care of you. We hunted Mokore and Umkondo areas and had a great hunt. We saw eland on the Save but were not hunting them as I had taken a big bull with Neil in Mozambique earlier in the safari.

We hunted with Shaun on the Omay. Have not hunted with him on the BVC, but by all accounts it is a great area.

I have hunted the Save at Mokore.

Really good game numbers, and if you are going late in the year I would guarantee that you will see lots of animals. June is a bit earlier and the cover can be pretty thick in there. I think your son will enjoy the action as the game is pretty thick there. I shot wildebeest, Warthog, Zebra, Bushbuck, Waterbuck, Impala, and had some chances at Eland there. Sable were a bit thin on the ground, and while there are Nyala around, they are hard to find. You will see most if not all of the big 5 there. (leopard can be a hard one to see, but every time I have been there, I have seen Black Rhino.)

Barry's family does a great job out there, and the PH's they have had have been something of a who's who in Zim hunting.

Thanks - will be arriving mid june and have heard cover will be thick. Sounds like Zim has had a lot of rain, hoping we can get him an eland, have been told we would have to track one. Between the Bubye and Save, is one better for Eland?

Duckworth

As has been mentioned. I assure you the Duckworth's will attach you to a quality PH, most of Zim PH's are just that anyway. I have been to the Save three times and am sure it will fit the bill for you.

Here is the good news. Whichever one you pick, it will not be a mistake.

Did that help?

Easy, go to Mokore and hunt with the Duckworth's. You might get Doug Duckworth (cousin to Neil and Gary) and he's a great young PH. My wife and I hunted with him in 2010 and had a wonderful hunt. Great camp, lots of game, wonderful people.

http://www.mazungasafaris.com/mazunga-species.html


We were in the Bubye in 2005, an incredible place. There is a lake where we bass fished. Link has the statistics for the conservancy. Best of luck on your hunt.

There are some big Eland on the Bubye, and it is one incredible place. You would not be disappointed! I'll be there with Shaun from the 24th of June through the 6th of July. You will not experience any of the political problems that the Save has experienced.

quote:

Here is the good news. Whichever one you pick, it will not be a mistake.

Isn't it nice when there is no wrong choice?
I'd go to Mokore.
Visited their camp in '11. Met Mrs. Duckworth, she was a very good hostess for us.
Sooner or later my wife is going to push me into booking there.

Like most are saying, both would be a good choice, but I personally know the Duckworths better and so would go with them. Mokore is a very good area and your son will have several real good opportunities at a mature eland. Good number of other plainsgame too.

What Wendell said.

Does anyone know if the Save operators are up and running as reported earlier this year? It sounds like Mokore and Sango are but I was thinking of others such as Save Safaris and Humani?

I did a plainsgame hunt with Mokore in the Save in 2011 and had a great time. I plan to take my son there in two years. You would have an excellent hunt there! Please feel free to PM me if you like. It would be a great place for eland (mine would make Rowland Ward.)

If you can get in with Mokore it is a homerun! The clan Duckworth only knows how to do things one way and that is proper. I can't think of a better place to take your son for a blue bull eland.

You are going to have a great time!!

I am just curious about the initial outfitter. What happened with the permit issues? Over sold quota?

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
I am just curious about the initial outfitter. What happened with the permit issues? Over sold quota?

I was thinking the same thing.

Just no permits in hand and the client was coming out in June. This was on the SVC and only a few operators have '14 permits at this point.

Mark