Anyone hunting Zimbabwe in 2005? After following the "Cow Elephants only hunt?" thread its peaked my interest in doing an elephant hunt again, but I'm more than a little nevus about the unsuitability in Zim. So what�s your thoughts?

Mark,

With all the stuff going on in Zim combined with the US Fish & Wildlife Service investigations of US hunters who have hunted in Zim, I don't know how you can limit your liability to prosecution.

If the feds bring a case you have to be Microsoft to defend it.

jim

I live in Zim! Unless you are hunting on disputed farms there is no trouble. You are safer in Harare than Jo'Burg, and if you are aprehensive, charter a flight from wherever you fly into (Harare, Bulawayo or Vic Falls) straight to the hunting area.

I posted several adresses under the ele forum, but I suppose I should give Ron Oliver at Zim Wildlife Safaris a nod as well. He reps for a number of the smaller guys - reputable none the less- and spends a fair ammount of time here. He was stationed at the Zim Embassy in Harare for some years (which is when I fist met him) so should be well in touch with the situation. also being an american you can probably find him again afterwards if you don't get what you want - Sorry Ron

Jim,

Can you expand a bit on "US Fish & Wildlife Service investigations of hunters that have hunted Zim"??

Best regards;
Brett

I hunted in Zim a few weeks ago, great time and a alsome safari, was there 3 weeks, west of Vic Falls, Matetsi. I'm booked for 2005 already! I have never had a bad time in Zim, spent a few nights in Harare, had dinners and breakfasts there also, everyone that we met were very happy that we were there and wished us a safe and good hunt and hoped we would come back! And I will! So if anyone is not sure about Zim hunting you better think again! i can't wait to get back there!!
As always Good Hunting!!!!
widwowmaker416

One other point, I've hunted Zim in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004. Hunted southern Zim on all but the last hunt. Go!!!!

I'm hunting buffalo in Dande and plains game in the Lowveldt with John Sharp Safaris next June. As a lot of you know, I hunted with John in 2001 and had a marvelous time. I trust his judgement to tell me if things are going "south" there between now and then. I can't wait! Oh yes and I'm taking my wife. if I had any, any misgivings I wouldn't even consider taking her, but once again, I am in good hands with John Sharp. jorge

Frankly, I wouldn't recommend Zim as the best choice for a hunt at the moment as the political situation is too up and down, but that's your choice.......if you pick the right company, and don't mind the risks then you'll get a cheap deal.



If you hunt Zim, then you can't go wrong with Sharpie.....he's one of the best in every way. A real gentleman.

Brett,

Check this thread from 7/16/04:

OOA - At It Again

jim

Jim,

Thanks for the pointer, I just read the thread. It seems OOA is the main problem, aside from the Zim gov. wanting a larger cut of the ForEx. Do you now recommend against Zim entilry? Even Shangan???

Best regards;
Brett

In 2002, all I read/heard was to "stay away from Zim�way to dangerous", and I did, instead hunting an area of Namibia that was said to be "full of landmines and civil war vets from Angola". Yet, the 2003 season went okay in Zim (as well as the Caprivi where I went twice). Last year guys were saying, "don't hunt Zim in 04, way to dangerous". So far, everybody (including myself) has had good to great hunts and the only dangers have come from the buffalo. So now, it's "I'd stay away from Zim in 05�" No offence, but nobody (including me!) has a crystal ball, ask for an opinion an you'll get one, right or wrong.



And I think we should be clear in separating the Out of Africa problems from the equation. This is a serious issue no doubt, but I'd hope that members of this forum stay away from the SA companies hunting in Zim and follow Ganyana's advice when selecting a location and outfitter. And I'd add that as with any destination and/or with any outfitter, keeping the deposit in the States as long as possible is a very good idea.



ANY African country can change overnight, and all African countries have "issues" that should be considered. Recall the scuffle on the forum a while ago related to State Department warnings and such for Dar and Zanzibar: http://www.accuratereloading.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=688099&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1



Somebody reading this could very well write Tanzania off as being "too dangerous". Yet people are there right now enjoying their hunts, and like myself, are considering going there in the near future. By the same token, it would be foolish to not be aware of the issues and warnings. The key in my mind is to make informed and reasonable decisions that are right for you, after considering these facts and opinions.



Regarding Zim, I just don't see anything quantifiable that tells me that I should stay away from Zim in 05. Crime may increase in the cities, but from what I saw it will take a while to equal that of Joburg and such. And I'll pay close attention during the timeframe surrounding the "elections" in March. Based on what was relayed to me, especially in the North, the Gov't has things tightly controlled (I'm NOT saying this is a good thing). Situations may change, but for now I see no reason not to consider Zim.



The other thing is, there is no place where you are going to find an exportable bull elephant hunt for "under $20K".

Ganyana, you have a PM

Thanks

In reply, I operate in 5 different African countries, all of which have a far more stable political situation and none of them are losing game to poachers at half the rate that Zim is.

Zimbabwe used to be a wonderful country, but it now cannot even feed it's indiginous populations......so how do you think they are going to feed their families if not by subsistance poaching etc? Parks Board officials are currently being investigated and arrested for accepting bribes etc. The World Bank is threatening all kinds of shit if the country doesn't change it's policies, hunters are being run off of their hunting camps, ( I personally know of at least 3 instances of this. One at least posts on this and other forums) fuel is in short supply and many hunters are having problems exporting trophies......so can you honestly tell me that Zimbabwe is a better hunting destination than Botswana, Namibia or Tanzania etc?

Cheaper yes, better, no. I feel very sorry for the people of Zimbabwe, and there are still some excellent hunting operations there, and if you choose the right company, you'll get a cheap deal (albeit with a higher risk factor).......but anyone who expects to hunt Zim in the foreseeable future with no more problems than they might encounter elsewhere, is taking a much bigger risk than if they chose to pay more and hunt a more stable country.

I'm sorry my friend, it's not bullshit for me to say that Zimbabwe is suffering from political instability and that there are other hunting destinations that are considerably more stable.

Brett,

I haven't gone that far yet (to make a "no" recommendation), but "eyes wide open" and "condition orange" apply for sure.

I have hunted twice with Shangaan Hunters so I know them well. Your outfitter is your window into what is going on in Zim, but you definitley need to be asking questions.

Fortunately there are good sources reporting here.

jim

We are booked for a 15 day leopard/plainsgame hunt with HHK in their Lemco concession, September 2005. Another couple is going with for buffalo/plainsgame and another couple for sable/waterbuck/plainsgame. After the hunt we are all going for two nights at Nesbitt Castle in Bulawayo.I can't wait to get back to Zim.

I hunted 21 days with HHK in the OMAY June 2004. I had not one problem.
The only injuries I recieved was a bump on the head and broken fingernails when the PH, Trackers, Game Scout, and the rest of the camp staff were FINALLY able to get me on the charter plane back to Harare.
I tried to stay a few more days but there was just too many of them.
The villagers and the people at the airport were very friendly. I felt safer in ZIM than I did in SA.

Steve,



It is true that ZIM has political and economic problems. It is probably not a good place to invest your money. But to rely on that in choosing a hunting destination is misleading. If we were to rely on those factors, all of Africa would be off limits.



But as far as problems for the visiting foreign hunter, reports of robbed, carjacked, and ripped off foreigners come out of South Africa at the rate of 100 to 1 compared to Zimbabwe.



So as a visiting foreign hunter, I both feel safer about going to ZIM, and statistically have less chance of running into any sort of trouble in ZIM than in South Africa.



Let's face the fact that South Africa is the crime capitol and the scam capitol and of the hunting world. ZIM is not.

A friend said that it�s hard getting your trophies out of Zim after the hunt? Any truth in that? Any way around it?

Life isn�t safe...and I�ve been told to stay away from New York because my safety can�t be guaranteed there.

Hi Cewe,
its my understanding that there were delays in the trophy shipment this year because of various irregularities with trophies. Falsified paperwork, illegally hunted animals etc etc. The Dept of Parks & Wildlife, or it could have been Customs, therefore issued new paperwork that was said to apply to all trophies waiting for export. This I believe was done to try and weed out the bad from the good. This obviously caused some big delays and a bit of a backlog of trophies that had already been cleared that now had to be re-checked. I wouldnt swear on it, but this is my understanding of the situation anyway...

Looking through some of the threads in Hunting Reports, it does now seem that trophies are getting out and the delay time is shorter.

As many people here have expressed already - book with a reliable and experienced hunting operator - regardless of who �ou actually book through the hunting company is the one to really scrutinise. If there are any doubts in your mind contact the Zim Professional Hunters & Guides Association or the Department of Parks & Wildlife - maybe even both?? for written confirmation that the guys you hunt with are on the up & up. Ganyana has posted addresses to both of them on another thread and I am sure would be able to clarify some of the trophy stuff for you as well...it seems like he has the inside track on most of what is going on there now.

It sounds like a bit of unnecessary hassle, but I would call it time well spent on a worthy cause.

500 grns. WELL SAID! I have also had enough of SA hunters & outfitters spreading the curtain of doom & gloom over Zimbabwe just to see more people hunting the fences...

Shakari - yes fine, lovely, all of those countries are wonderful - Today. Any of them, with the possible exception of Botswana could change in a heartbeat. I have expressed this sentiment once before on another thread, but I really feel that now is possibly more important than ever before to support hunting in Zim. Not only is it great hunting, but the prescence of hunters is a major deterrent to poachers - most of whom are hunting with dogs, driving the game into snare lines or using spears. I have only had the opportunity once or twice, but while you are on a hunt - especially if you have got most of your trophies out of the way, nothing is more refreshing than emptying your mag into a pack of fleeing poachers dogs! Reload...and empty it again!! Great practise, and no trophy fee

The other side is that ever since the land issues began, people in Zim have been working towards co-existence with the settlers. In some places it doesnt work. In others - like an area that I am actually working with - it works really well. Regardless of how you look at the issue - unless the wildlife has a greater value to the tribal people & the rural zimbabwean, its history. The only way to set that value is by sustainable utilisation - something that a lot of people in Zim are working hard to promote & sustain.

In closing Mark 6,5 x 55, Have a great hunt - wherever you decide to go. There are risks for sure, and maybe more in Zim than any of the countries that Shakari mentioned, but people are not still hunting in Zim despite everything - only because it is cheap.

Its great hunting with some of the most well trained and experienced PH's across Africa.

WHO DARES WINS!