I returned from Dande North (Chifuti Safaris) on July 11th. Sorry it's taken me so long to post anything, but I've been buried with work and family issues. I'll try to get more of a post on when I get a couple of minutes.

A friend and I hunted from June 26th though July 10th. We were initially slated to go to Chewore South, but ended up for some inexplicable reason in Dande North. I think it was because I was on the waiting list for a crocadile and one became available in Dande North.

The croc was an incredibly difficult hunt. We couldn't get anything to come in to the bait for two and a half days of sitting in a blind. Finally, I decided it was enough and we spent five and a half days stalking croc at the base of the cliffs just above the Masau camp on the Zambezi river. we finally got this 13'10" on the day I had slated as the last for the croc (8 days of croc hunting).

The buffalo were thick and we had turned down many buffalo over 4 days of tracking that were as good as the one in the picture. Unfortunately, somehow as we were shooting one big hard bossed bull in the thick stuff, this bull stepped in front of the bigger one. We were behind a termite mound trying to figure out how to snake a bullet through to him, and didn't see this bull move in front of the other. As I stepped out to shoot, this bull was in the exact location and standing in the identical posture of the other one. I confirmed the position of the horn swoop and shot into the exposed shoulder. Needless to say, after 4 days and about 50 miles of tracking we were disappointed. But, he's a decent bull, and I guess that's buffalo hunting in the thick jess.

The hippo was taken in a pan about a mile away from the Zambezi. We waited him out all day trying to assure that he was a bull and finally decided that the odds favored him being a bull (he was with two cows). We got him as he was feeding out of the pan at about 30 minutes before sundown. .458 Lott in the earhole at 25 yards and the Barnes TSX didn't exit!

The croc was taken with a .375 H&H at 40 yards with a 270 grain TSX and the buffalo with the same 500 grain tsx out of the .458 Lott.

I didn't do very much with the plains game, but did see sable, zebra, kudu, impala (shot one), grysbuck, warthog, bushpig (didn't stick around long enough for a shot), lion, leopard (on the road near Pedza came late one evening), elephant, waterbuck, bushbuck, baboon (shot an ancient one) and duiker.

My buddy killed an incredible 6'10" leopard (I think likely the one we saw on the road), a nice buffalo, kudu, impala (5), baboon, zebra and klipspringer.

We stayed one night and fished in the Tafika fishing camp and it was incredible. We were in the Pedza camp for about 5 nights and I was in the Masau camp, on the Zambezi River about 2 miles from the Mozambique border for 9 nights. My buddy spent a bunch of time in the Marulu (sp?) camp baiting leopard.

I love that croc. Eight days! You really earned that one.

I also love that big old dry land hippo.

Congrats!

Wow, that hippo looks huge!! Congratulations on a successful safari!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Who stood in the creek to take the photo of the Croc.?

Great results for you. Well done.

quote:

Who stood in the creek to take the photo of the Croc.?

We were thinking about that when all of us took turns standing in the water. I'll tell you, there's a gradual shelf in the river out about 5 feet and then it drops off into the abyss. It makes one stop and think!

Bwanna,

Congratulations on your big croc. Looking forward to your entire hunt report. Your PH looks familiar to an apprentice PH we had on our 2003 crocodile hunt in the Omay. Was your PH Henry Prinsloo?

That's a huge croc, and, I'd take that buff any day!
Peter.

Bwanna; Most excellent trophies, congratulations. WE hunted Dande North in 05 and stayed at Mururu. We loved it. Both my friend and I took tow hard bossed (but average 37-38" buffs. I'd love to go back there someday to hunt again. We saw LOTS of buffalo and all the animals you mentioned. Cheers, jorge

Awesome croc!!!! I am TOTALLY jealous. Would love to go back just for one of those.

Your buff is very similar to my first one (which the PH misjudged and felt bad about). As far as I am concerned, as long as you were having a great time, they are all great trophies! Congrats.

Cheers,
Canuck

well done on some great trophies , that hippo is AWESOME

Congratulations.

People dont know how difficult it can be to stalk croc.

Pitty about the Buff but thats a nice bull.

How long was the hippo's tusks?

Wow that is a great Lizard. What make is the rifle in the Buff picture? It is a beauty

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Originally posted by mrlexma:
I love that croc. Eight days! You really earned that one.

I also love that big old dry land hippo.

Congrats!

What he said!

Congrats and welcome back... nice trophies and hard-hunted.

Well, that place looks familiar (particularly the landscape photo). The wife and I just did some fishing up in Buzz Charlton's Tiger Odyssey camp.

Those are some really great trophies! Congrats!

tendrams

Nice pics, those croc are amazingly wary in some places and are a well deserved trophy, I found that out some 14 years ago in Zambia on the Luangwa river. Dry land hippo, every hunters dream, they too are rare to get out of the water now that's sport.

Dirk

Outstanding job.

Kathy, yes that it Henry Prinsloo. What PH were you hunting with when Henry was the apprentice? He did a very good job for me and was an incredibly hard hunter.

Just to clarify, the hippo was coming up the back out of the pan, not completely dry land, but very close to it. I could have waited for him to come all the way out, but he and his female companions would have run smooth over us!

Wow, this is going to make the next 60 days longer.

Bwanna,

Our PH was Blake Muil (Rory's brother). After the hunt, my husband gave Henry his binoculars (as he did not have any)and wished him luck in his future career.

Obviously from your excellent trophies it happened.

Kathi,
The young guy in the picture of the hippo is Henry's son, Fred. He is an appretice and hunted with us about half of the days. He had absconded with Henry's binoculars and Henry was using a well worn set of Zeiss. What kind of binoculars did your husband give Henry?

Bwanna,

They were inexpensive compact Bushnell or similar brand. My husband figured they might be at the bottom of Lake Kariba by the time the hunt was over so why bring an expensive pair.

It is great to hear Henry is doing well.

You know, Henry is managing the Masau camp on the Zambezi. That camp is owned by the Don and Cyril Merideth. They also own taxidermy enterprises in Bulawayo. Henry's wife is near Harare and was running a citrus farm that the Marideth's owned there. A week before I arrived Henry's wife called and informed him that a mob had assembled outside the farm and was shooting over the house. Henry rushed back to town and moved his wife and young son (14 months) off from the farm. Several days later neighboring farmers were beaten and hospitalized by the same mob. These people are so incredibly resilient, it's amazing.

Fantastic all round. Well done Mate.

Bwanna, Very nice report and beautiful memories were made I am sure. Nice Hippo and well done on the Croc.

quote:

What make is the rifle in the Buff picture? It is a beauty

Both the .458 Lott in the buff and hippo picture and the .375 in the croc picture were done by Canyon Creek Gunstocks. The 458 Lott is a Ruger action and the .375 is a Winchester.

Great stuff. Congrats and thanks for the report!

quote:

Originally posted by dirklawyer:
Nice pics, those croc are amazingly wary in some places and are a well deserved trophy, I found that out some 14 years ago in Zambia on the Luangwa river. Dry land hippo, every hunters dream, they too are rare to get out of the water now that's sport.

Dirk

I agree with Dirk, the only thing I like as well as hunting buffalo in tight cover, is dry land hippo in tight cover! Congratulations Bwanna!