I am scheduled in late June (76 1/2 days from now) for a tuskless/buff hunt in Makuti with CMS. I know there were some great rains this year, so I was wondering what to expect in terms of bush density, temperatures, bugs, shot distances, etc...

I have pestered Buzz and Kirsty with so many emails over the past few months, I have decided to ask the masses here. I will be hunting with Alan Shearing as the PH.

Is anyone elso going to be in camp? As of DSC, I was the only one scheduled with CMS in Makuti at the time.

Just to clarify, I am doing a 14 day hunt from June 17 - 30.

It has been a couple of years but I was there in the first part of June. It was pretty thick but the temperatures were not bad. Warm in the daytime (shorts and short sleeves for me) and cool at night. Not too many insect problems.

I would expect shots on the tuskless to be pretty close. I did not hunt buff so I can't really help you there. We did see a few including one very nice bull.

I read here that it is even greener that usual this year so it may be quite thick.

I'm sure you have been warned, but be prepared for a fair amount of uphill walking.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:


I'm sure you have been warned, but be prepared for a fair amount of uphill walking.

I was hoping we could just start at the top of the hill and hunt on the way down.

I have been doing my treadmill and outside workouts for the past few months. I am getting better, but the next 76 days will help...

Be sure to angle the treadmill up. Better yet, start doing some real stairs.

The only problem with the downhill parts, is that you realize they mean there is an uphill part coming.

I am sure you will enjoy it. Alan was in camp part of the time I was there and seems a very good sort. I wish I was going back myself.

I was there last August, and not too terribly far away from Makuti last week. I would expect conditions to be quite nice for tuskless and buffalo come the end of June.

As Charles said, Makuti is hilly and rocky, and it can be tricky walking up AND down especially when the rocks are hidden beneath the tall grass. So I would suggest a nice pair of light weight boots w/some ankle support, and if you are not already, that you do some real outdoor training prior to strengthen the legs and ankles.

Alan's a good man. Good should be a great hunt!

Downhill in Makuti was more trecherous than uphill. Uphill I was only concerned about having a heart attack, downhill I was concerned about breaking my neck, butt or rifle.

Light hikers with some ankle support, as suggested by Bill, and with a relatively aggressive hiking sole will be helpful.

Fun place to hunt. And Alan is a fine fellow to spend time with. I wish I had been fitter, so take that as seconding Charles' comment about hitting the steps.

As far as cover, I hunted there in November, and the cover was thin but getting thicker because of the beginning of the rains. I can imagine some of the terrain being thick bush, but think a lot of Makuti will still be open grass land.

This was one area where I would have liked to have hunted with a light rifle at times. If we hadn't been giving a try at a leopard, I would have ditched my 10.5lb double, ditched the scope on my 8.5lbs (bare) 375H&H and used the 375H&H.

Hope this helps. Wish I was heading over to hunt in Makuti! Best of luck.

EDIT: BTW, here is a link to my report on my October/November hunt. The photos from the grysbok on were taken in Makuti, and though this was late season, it will give you some idea of the varried terrain. Note the use of the spotting scope. If you have a good one, you ought to inquire of Allan if you should bring it. He and another hunter, who was also hunting elephant, were in camp with us. I know they did a lot of hiking to peaks and ridge tops to glass. So did we, but we had the spotter and they didn't, but then Allan's hunter was a mountain climbing sportsman from Germany, younger and fitter than me! With the spotting scope, we could tell if an ele had tusk or not from a couple of miles away, saving shoe leather, butt and time. Might not work in June, but then again it just might!

http://forums.accuratereloadin...611065601#5611065601

JPK

With the rains they have had, until the grass is burned, I expect it will be quite long. It was well over our heads in places. Also, the spot and stalk is a lot easier later in the year when the trees are bare.

Edit: Not to say that you will not see elephant at a distance and be able to scope them out. But you may be doing more tracking than spotting.

Charles,

Yes, quite a difference. In the grassy areas that hadn't burned, the grass was only rarely shoulder high, mostly by my hunt in November it was waist high or lower.

The trees were gaing in thickness each day because of the rains, but of course were never thick like early season. However, without the jess of the valley - thinking Nyakasanga, Sapi, the jess belts in Chewore - Makuti will still offer some visibility won't it? There was mere feet and few yards of visibility in the jess in Nyakasanga last May. In the few grassy vleis visibility wasn't bad.

JPK

There were certainly a number of places where you could see for a distance. We did see elephant that were a ways off. Heck there were places where you could see Zambia. But what I understood, and I could be wrong, is that for spot-and-stalk, similar to what Norbert Hansen had in his hunt in Makuti, later in the year is better.

Would a spotting scope still come in handy? It might well do so as long as I don't have to carry it!

Of course, with the increased cover it is easier to get close so there are trade offs.

They were starting some burning when I was there so that may be under way by mid-June as well.

I would certainly go in June again, if I could get myself back to the gym and figure out what the market did with all my money. The weather is cooler and getting up close is where the fun is for me.

Buzz or Myles can give the scoop on any of this.

I will say that walking an elephant trail in grass over your head makes for an interesting experience.

STGS - you lucky boy !!
I hunted in Makuti early 2007 and late July 2008, both times with Alan (I did a report on both that you can search under my name). You are in for some "real African hunting" with a top PH. Dont underestimate how cold it can be in the evenings and early morning and take some"skin so soft" for the tsetses. The camp and staff are excellent and if you are lucky you could get a show from the resident camp leopard that we had feeding in a tree 35yds from where we were having dinner last year. As for shooting distances, Alan is a true pro and he will endeavour to provide you with an opportunity that you are comfortable with. The three buff that I shot were between 60-80yds. There are plenty of buff and eles, but like everything at Makuti you will have to work at it and not expect to fall accross them easily every day. I will be over the hill to the northwest a few weeks before you so I'll try to spook a few more your way. Friends who came with me last year to Makuti for buff and tuskless are returning this September. Please give Alan my regards and if you need any more info PM me. Regards - Robert

Likewise, if I can help I would be happy to talk by PM or on the phone.

You should have a great time.