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Anybody have any knowledge, information, or experience hunting in the Charara Hunting Concession on Lake Kariba. I have not been to Africa in 10 years now and a buddy is trying to convince me to go this year. I had not heard of this area before. Any info would be appreciated. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | ||
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I hunted out of the Chapungu Camp in Charara in 2010 with Warren Thorne/Chapungu I would post pictures but am to illiterate to do so. So, I will try and tell you in chronological order We were with Chapungu for 17 days after we got to camp, 4 hour drive or so from Harare. Day 1, shot a cow buffalo for bait, my daughter shot a Zebra Stallion that was amazed to see such a pretty little girl in sandle's and pink toenails shooting a 375. Not surprised anymore. Re-named "Sniper Heather" and given royal treatment Day two, hang leopard bait all over, spend the afternoon in a pop up blind where a leopard had hit an earlier placed bait. Day three, afternoon shoot the leopard. Found out it gets dark very quickly in Africa when the sun goes down Day 4 rest up a bit and look around. Day 5, chase buffalo and get chased by lions. Day 6 drive to Ruwanza (spelled right?) and shoot a couple impala and see a bunch of other plains game. Day 7,8 chase buffalo, cold snap came thru and not much was moving around. Day 9, hunt elephant and shoot Chobe Bushbuck spooked out by running ele's. Day 10, cut tracks of Sable, follow up and shoot 41" Bull. Snack on Sable heart for lunch and get spooked up by lion coming in to have some to. Day 11, hunt adjacent communal area and shoot tuskless out of stampeding herd, very fine entertainment. Day 12, find buffalo tracks cutting road, follow up and shoot book buffalo. Day 13, do a little bird hunting and a lot of drinking. Actually you can add the drinking part in to most every night, hafta have your malaria medicine you know. Day 14, pack, drive and boat to Gache Gache Lodge on Lake Kariba across from Kariba, do a bit of site seeing. Day 15, spend fishing for Tigers and Bream, of course daughter caught largest one. Day 16, go out looking at humongous crocs, nearly get freight trained by hippo trying to sneak on ginormous croc to get picture (I have it), wander into (another) pissy bunch of bull elephant, got close to lions trying to ruin buffalo's day, nearly walk right into another buffs wheelhouse in the thick Jess,pick up ancient pottery shards from bluff overlooking lake, lotsa "malaria medicine" that evening. Day 17, go into the communal area, visit a community, visit the school, visit the hospital, have language lesson with Shona lady. Day 18, hitch a ride on a 210 from Gache-Gache to Vic Falls.Do a fly over of Vic Falls. Stay at the Ultimate Adventure Lodge owned by Russel Caldecot (hope I got his name right) As I understand it Russel is an ex PH who was injured in a rover wreck and is in a wheelchair. Day 19, look around Vic Falls, falls are spectacular to say the least, do a little shopping.See native Matebale dance team at Lodge, buy CD. Day 20, more site seeing, go to Victorian Hotel for Breakfast and Lunch. Meet three of the original and some of the last remaining "Dugga Boys" at the lodge (Rhodesian Game Department personel) and have dinner with them. One day I will never forget. Day 21, One more look at Vic Falls, to spectacular to put into words, do some more touristy stuff, back at lodge a ex german and his gurl were there and sang songs and talked with us. I cant remember his name but somehow I think Russell invited him as he was somehow important. Day 22, somehow my daughter got me on the plane If you have any questions PM me and I will be happy to help with what I can | |||
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Thanks very much...anybody hunt there in 2012? Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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contact Frik Muller, he has knowledge of the area having hunted it considerably over the past several years, frik@pro-saf.com martinpieterssafaris@gmail.com www.martinpieterssafaris.com " hunt as if it's your last one you'll ever be on" | |||
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Mike: I know that John Burrell who owns a booking company called the High Adventure Company books hunts in Chara. I talked with him last year about potentially hunting there. http://www.highadventurecompan...game-safari-charara/ The danger of civilization, of course, is that you will piss away your life on nonsense | |||
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If you are wanting to hunt the lake kariba area you may want to look at Martin Pieters. I've read lots of reports and they all seem very positive about his safari company in the omay. | |||
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It was a very long time ago, but I did a 15 day hunt in Charara with Roy Vincent, while my buddy hunted with Peter Johnstone. We took some excellent animals, especially buffalo. My buddy shot a 44" buffalo the first day, his first ever buffalo. We saw a lot of game, some incredible country and that is one place I'd love to return to some day. Tons of buffalo when we were there, as well as leopards, good number of lions, saw three black rhinos on that trip. | |||
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