Will and other elephant hunters.

Due to a cancelation, I have been moved from Chewore to Dande for my Nov 1 elephant hunt.

Mururu Camp with Charlton-McCallum Safaris.

Anyone hunted there?

Are the elephant larger than Chewore?

Andy

Andy,
I hunted Dande South with Buzz last July out of the Karungu Camp. I was succesful on the last day of the hunt and took a 38x25 pounder. In May, a hunter took a 75 pounder not ten miles from camp in that concession close to the Moz border. A 50 plus pounder was killed in June. I looked at eight bulls during my hunt and as usual passed up an approximate 35 pounder on the first day and did not find a larger elephant with uniform tusks. However, any old bull fairly hunted is a trophy of a lifetime and Buzz will do all he can to get you on a great bull. My understanding is the elephant are more numerous in Dande North than Dande South so you should have a super adventure. Here is a picture of my bull.

Andy,
I have hunted out of Mururu Camp twice, for a total of 4 weeks. Hunting buffalo, I saw ele nearly every day. Doubt they are any bigger on average than elsewhere in the valley but there's always a chance of a really big fellow coming in from Moz. I think you will enjoy the camp itself very much (I can give you details) and I can tell you nobody knows the area better than Buzz and his crew. Mururu Camp

Andy,

For what it is worth Barrie Duckworth hunts Chewore South and they averaged right at 50 pounds last year with the smallest elephant being 45 and the lagest 55. It would seem the Chewore elephants are a little larger or the PH's just know there concession very well. The same guys have hunted the same ground for 20 plus years.

In his Foresty concessions in the west he is shooting elephants that rival anything in Botswana. Really!

Regards,

Mark

Andy,

So have you switched from a cow in Chewore N. to a bull in Dande N.?

If it is a bull hunt, there will be no difference between the areas. A 50 lb. bull is cause for a 6-month drunk. 30-35 is more like it. They do get bigger bulls in Chewore S. because some of the more mature bulls try to hide up in the mountains.

I expect big results out of Bill C's hunt along the Mana Pools border in Sapi. Will be interesting to hear what happens. Most of the big bulls taken east of the Botswana/Matetsi area (different gene pool) have mistakenly wandered out of Mana Pools.

Will,

I am still on for cow. Buzz had a cancellation from a German client I think and that allowed me to move. He says they have 100 buffalo on license in Dande vs 40 in Chewore so I may be able to add a buffalo. There is also a chance I can pick up the extra elephant for trophy fee. If I end up with two cow elephant and a buff on a 7 day, I will sure be a regular customer of Charlton McCullen Safaris! Also, I can drive in with Myles rather than fly to Chewore. So I will have a little more money to spend on trophy fees.

Andy

I wonder what it would cost to book the entire quota of all game for Dande North for a season. I bet a guy would be in good shape at the end of it.

Andy,

Like Nickudu, I have spent several weeks in Mururu camp with Buzz and company. I loved it. Buff and ele are all over the place.
I really, really like it there!

One observation. I notice you are from Oregon and you are going hunting Nov. 1. As I am sure you already know, it is hotter than hell
there in November. I'm from Oklahoma and I'm pretty much impervious to 100+ temps. The problem, and this will really apply to you coming from Oregon, is the transition from late October temps where you are to the temps in the Zambezi escarpment. I was there in Nov 2001 and
my handy dandy Brunton digital thermometer was reading 115-119 F. It was in the 50's here in Okla when I left. Since I am a dumbass, I pushed myself too hard the first couple of days and got sicker than a dog. Even though I was in good shape and was walking 5 miles a day
with a backpack in the 100+ Okla summer, the transition from Okla October temps to Dande North temps got me. So, for what its worth, take
it easy the first 2-3 days while your body adjusts to the temp.

Have fun,
Wes

quote:

Originally posted by Andy:
Will and other elephant hunters.

Due to a cancelation, I have been moved from Chewore to Dande for my Nov 1 elephant hunt.

Mururu Camp with Charlton-McCallum Safaris.

Anyone hunted there?

Are the elephant larger than Chewore?

Andy

Hunting for ele out of Mururu camp with Buzz Charlton is first rated safari. I did this several times and had always a great adventure.
Nov. is not so bad for hunting, the bush is not as thick as at the beginning of the season. Temperature depends on the weather, sometimes not too hot. Buzz is more familiar with Dande North than with Chewore.

Andy,

I hunted with Swainsons out of Mururu last summer. Very nice rustic camp and the place is lousy with elephant and buff.


Shot this ancient cow on day 3 and everybody shot good buff.5 taken in all in 10 days. You'll not be disapointed.

Greg

Thanks Men,

Should I take my 3 X Luepold or just the large diameter peep sight?

Short pants or long?

I have been warned about the weather.

Andy

I am an iron sight man myself but take what you like and shoot best. Bloody cows can get a bit cheecky, especially in the thick stuff. I find a scope to be in the way. But that's just me.

Bring two pairs of long pants and two pairs of shorts. I like shorts but my legs looked like chopped liver after ten days in the Dande.

Best of luck.

Greg

DWS,

Have any of you gentlemen used a camel back hydration system?

I was advised we would be hunting early morning as it would be too hot to hunt later in the day.

Andy

I used one on my bighorn sheep hunt last year. It worked great. The water has to be sucked out, so you won't be sharing it with anybody. The only other thing I don't like is shooting with a shoulder strap on. I was lucky, and had dropped my pack prior to the shot.

For Africa, it is probably better to have one of the trackers carry commercially bottled water.

quote:

Originally posted by Andy:
DWS,

Have any of you gentlemen used a camel back hydration system?

I was advised we would be hunting early morning as it would be too hot to hunt later in the day.

Andy

A lot of PHs have 2 camelbacks which the trackers carry. Feel free to take your own, such as the backpack style Cambelback. Then you can stuff your extra stuff into it, like camera, film, snacks, bug juice. And it rides around on someone else's back - perfect!

Andy,

You should take some of this Cera Lyte (or similar).

You can mix this at a lower concentration and it will help to avoid dehydration. It tastes like shit but it is quite effective. Dehydration is not just loss of fluids, but also loss of minerals/chemicals in your system. Gatorade style drinks are not enough to avoid dehydration in very hot weather.

Regards,

Terry

Andy,

You don't need the camelback system. Buzz's guys carry plenty of bottled water in backpacks.

Wes

Those of you who have hunted Dande, did you wear an ankle high running shoe or cross trainer or a light weight hiking boot?

Would you agree its a fast walk all day followed by wind sprints if the cows chase you off and there is not a tuskless cow without calf among them?

thanks, Andy

Andy,
If you don't mind the weight of the Camelback Hydration System, I think it would be a good idea. Buzz's tracker will carry water and there will probably be three of them with you (Morgan, Creighton and Crispin) but even so, if you get on a track that goes for eight hours or so (trust me it happens) you will be glad you have it. Especially in November! Each man is carrying his water as well as yours and you don't want to slow those guys down when they are on track.

As for shoes, I have to have ankle support, so a light hiker would be my first choice. You don't need GoreTex. And I wear shorts almost exclusively when I hunt Africa except in the East Cape where it is just too damn cold. Thorns didn't seem as bad in the Zambezi Valley as say...Namibia...but the tetses were fierce so good bug dope is a must. You may not believe this but I have had the best luck with a product called Avon Skin So Soft. It's a combination sunscreen/bug repellant and don't ask me why but it works. Recoat your exposed skin every 30 to 45 minutes. Can't help with Mopane flies, just have to endure them!

Andy

I prefer boots because of the ankle support and tread. Good solid ankle support and good tread are very important because of the rocks. You will be hiking at times uphill on a surface that is covered with rock. Not the big boulder kind but smaller rock that is covered with grass, ie, just the right size to really smack your toe on or screw up your ankle. Now the trackers will typically be wearing cheap ass old "keds" type tennis shoes, but they are use to it and are as sure-footed as mountain goats!

Walking speed depends entirely on the condition of the tracks. If the tracks are really clear and fresh and the guys think you are close, you will walk along at a pretty good clip, meaning, about as fast as you can go.
Then you hit "crosstracks" or where the target milled around with some others or the herd split up or 20 other things screw up the spoor. Then its time to sit down while the guys "sort it out".

As to running from the elephants, there really isn't much of that. Why? Because they can outrun you. You may have to move out of the way after you shoot in the middle of the herd ( and that's damned exciting), but its just a few yards to get out of their immediate path. Other than that, if one is really determined to come after you, you will probably just have to stand your ground. Keep in mind I am speaking purely from my own experience. One thing about it, Buzz is an absolute expert at this and I would trust him implicitly. As a side
note, being "up close and personal" which Buzz will definitely get you was absolutely, positively the most fun
thing I have ever done.

Wes

I like my Courtney Safaris in ele hide topped off with grass gators. I did have one bout of wind sprinting were eles are involved. But it wasn't just one old cow rather a whole friggin herd of about 15 of them.

They weren't chasing us but the whole herd spooked and ran in our direction from about 150 yards in fact directly at us. We were forced to beat feet as fast as we could to get out of the general path of these naughty girls.

It is really quite exciting having a herd of elephants bearing down on you.

We escaped and no one was harmed either pachyderm or homosapien.