Hi guys,

Back from a great trip in Dande North (Zimbabwe) w/Charlton McCallum Safaris. 2 days fishing, 10-days hunting...a true “Months of the Sun” experience in very challenging and exciting conditions. Temps in the beginning of the hunt were extreme, and by the time I left the rains had started transforming the environment seemingly overnight.

CMS’s fishing camp is awesome, and being on the Zambezi and seeing the Gorge and Red Cliffs again was quite moving. I absolutely love the Zambezi Valley, and the day fishing on the River with Eddie was a real treat.

Alan Shearing was my PH, and as many of you know he is a solid and ethical person, a skilled and hard hunter and just a great guy to spend time with. He was patient with me as I acclimated to the conditions and got my legs, and by the end of the trip we were doing some serious walking and spending ~8 hours a day on foot. Days were long, we’d leave at 5am and not return to camp until 7pm, meaning we optimized our time in the bush and had some real nice pack lunches in some very special spots.

Due to the heat and delayed rains the game was stressed, and there was little elephant movement especially early in the hunt, which meant serious driving and many a memorable exploratory walk in order to see where the elephant where hiding. We followed quite a few herds, leaving most undisturbed once we determined there were no shootable tuskless. The most memorable was in the jesse, working our way thru a resting herd, while the cooling rain fell and thunder boomed in the background. Once the first early rains hit, everything came to life.

I shot a nice old dagga boy on Day 1 of the hunt, and a big tuskless at 20-yards in the last hour of the last day. Who could ask for more?

This was my 5th hunt with Buzz/CMS, the first one being in 2004. CMS is a high-quality operation and in my opinion one of the premier outfitters in Zimbabwe. Camp was comfortable, Japie the camp manager efficient and nice to have around, equipment reliable, the food excellent and plentiful...it all just went off without a hitch. Despite being a short-notice “clean-up hunt”, Buzz and Myles had everything organized and Al and I wanted for nothing. In fact, I felt guilty at times with the treatment and hospitality received especially before and after the hunt. I consider Buzz and Myles to be mates, and it was great spending time with them along with visiting with all the other people who make up the Team including Kirsty and Charmain, the trackers (including from previous hunts), and the support crew including Eddie and Royal and his family.

I am engulfed in catch-up at the office, but am planning to do a picture report as soon as possible. Here’s a few trophy picts in the meantime.

A Nice Old Valley Bull


Last Hour Tuskless





CMS Contact Info:
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admin1@cmsafaris.com


Cheers!

Bill

Well done and welcome home! Looking forward to reading your complete report.

Welcome home Bill
was wondering how you made out.
Cheers

Congratulations! Glad you had a successful and enjoyable trip.

Good stuff and cracking buffalo.

Good to see Alan back at it. I wonder what runs through his mind when a Buff it hit and takes off! Hey, taking an Ele with open sights.....you da man!

Nicely done! Get more pics up as soon as you can! Congrats!

Proper buff.

Glad to see you had another great trip. Well, glad and maybe a little jealous...

Very nice.

Nice old dagga boy and bush banshee! Well done, Bill! Look forward to one of your thorough and well-crafted hunt reports...

Congrats Bill! I'm looking forward to the report.

Top stuff Bill.
I sure like the idea of sneaking in a Safari before the new year.

COngrats!

Bill, very nice job. You're a tough specimen to book a late November hunt!

Now I know the lapse in posts. Way to go Bill and welcome home.

Mike

Sounds like a tough expensive walking trip. Did you say 2 animals in 30 days?

quote:

Originally posted by TexLonghorn:
Sounds like a tough expensive walking trip. Did you say 2 animals in 30 days?

That's hunting mate.

LongHorn

I should be so lucky to be able I could sell 30 day buff /tuskless hunt!!! Not sure where you got that from!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by TexLonghorn:
Sounds like a tough expensive walking trip. Did you say 2 animals in 30 days?

It says two days fishing and ten days hunting in the original post.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs: Good to see Alan back at it. I wonder what runs through his mind when a Buff it hit and takes off!

I'm not sure, but I can say for a fact what comes out of his mouth: "Shoot'em again" [boom] "Shoot'em again" [boom]...

30-days hunting/tracking elephant on foot.....oh man I wish!!!! TexLH, I think what threw you was the reference to "Months of the Sun", which was a wonderful book by Ian Nyschens that documents his ~40-years of mostly elephant hunting in the Zambezi Valley, much of which was during the hot summer months. Many times during this hunt I felt that I was walking in his footsteps.

I'll try to document all in the Report, but suffice to say that we saw plenty of game and if so inclined I could have shot other stuff. But at this point in my African hunting "career", I have the freedom to be selective, and days in the field are what I covet most.

Thanks all for your comments!

Bill, I am envious!! Can't wait to hear about at dinner in Dallas. See you then.

Rick