I’m real close to booking a plains game only hunt with Roger Whittall on Humani the first week of September. My Dad will be going with me and we’ll be hunting 2x2. Roger has given me the names of the 2 ph’s. They are younger guys and I haven’t heard of them so I wondered if anyone here had any knowledge of them. Their names are Barry Poultney and Gareth Lecluse. Any feedback would be appreciated. PM me if you’d like.

My only other question regarding the hunt is the September timing. I usually roll with the early bird gets the worm, but between family vacation plans and the World Cup September is just when it works out for me. Roger has assured me that Sept is a great time to hunt on Humani and I have absolutely no reason not to trust him. But, I would rather wait and take some earlier dates in 2011 if I could expect to have a better hunt. Should we be concerned that there may be a shortage of mature animals we’re looking for during this time?

I have hunted the SAVE in Feb and in Oct/Nov.

Great hunts all.

I do not think there is a bad time to hunt the SAVE.

1st week sept would be prime time

I have hunted Humani in the Save in September and October and found plenty of game. No shortage of game or trohy quality when I've been there.

Don't know the PH's.

JPK

I never hunted in Humani but many times in the Nuanesti area that is close. September is maybe more warm that june/july/august. So later in the morning and early in the afternoon will be a little difficult to walk around in the bush. But in this period is absolutely more easy to find the animals as ther'is less water around and they are concetrated around the water sources. So you will see more animals that all the other summer months and this will be great for your hunt.

The two names you mentioned are not familiar to me but; the last time My wife and I hunted Humani with Whittall and we met our PH for the first time I was a bit concerned. He appeared to be around 19 to 22 years old. All concern quickly vanished after watching him for a while. He had complete control over the staff and it was clear that he knew how to run a safari camp. When we started hunting it was appearant that he had been huntnig all his life.

So my point is TRUST ROGER WHITTALL. He is a professional and runs a top notch operation.

I haven't hunted with Roger Whittal's outfit for a long time .. but back then I had one Ph who was about 21, one who was 24, and one who was 59. The chap who was 59 (William Finnaughty) was much much better than the two younger guys. It really shouldn't make much difference on plains game .. if the nasty impala gets away today - heck, shoot another one later today .. Or tomorrow. When it came time to hunt stuff that bites back .. smart dangerous game - I would prefer the guy who has done it a bunch of times over the chap who has played a lot of rugby recently ..

Age-ism above!

I was a fully qualified and decent PH at 20.

I am now a mid-forties PH who still plays a lot of rugby. And can still find the odd animal for someone to shoot!

Young PH's is something that Roger has always done well - Myles McAllum,Thierry Labat, Richard Tabor are all still youngish but top PH's who earned their stripes where?

With Roger.

BTW and apropos the query that started this thread - September is absolutely fantastic in Zim. You Americans need to get over your summer break fixation,it is not summer in Zimbabwe and later season is good.

You may actually do quite well in September. I just got back last week, and the jess was so thick you'd swear the Sengwa and Chirisa areas were completely devoid of Plains Game. But we were hunting Elephant, so that didn't matter.

Also, for weeks after the rains, the forests and pans have water that keeps the animals local to their immediate habitat. Later, as the number of sources are reduced, it concentrates game to these sources and the trails that lead to and from them.

wyattd

September is a great time of year to hunt on Humani.

I will be hunting Plainsgame on Humani in 2011 not sure on dates yet though but i am thinking of going in July/August.

I have not heard of the two PH's you mentioned. The last time i was on Humani the PH's were Peter Wood, Rich Tabor, Guy Whittall, Thierry Labat and William Finnaughty. All great hunters.

Mike

I am sure that September would be a great time to hunt the Humani for the reasons listed above by others. Re: JTHunt's comments: Thinking back on those safaris from the early 90's ... when the one chap could not get us a leopard in a leopard rich environment .. in fact even turned on the spotlight one night before the leopard had even gotten to feeding .. William Finnaughty sat him down and explained to him how to properly get a leopard. This was most interesting to me as the kid's dad was and is an absolutely famous leopard hunter but somehow the young guy ???? Roger Whittal also took the kid aside and talked to him about parts of leopard hunting ... On the other lion/ele hunt .. we were having a terrible time getting the lion .. Roger Whittal came into camp and told the young Ph to get the game scouts out to patrol the boundaries looking for tracks and natural kills .. he further explained about a bigger bait being better for attracting lions .To drive around at night with a light to check things out .. . etc. etc.. Later two game scouts found a sable kill and that very evening I shot a lion. My point being that it takes time to learn things and I would prefer an expensive dangerous game hunt with someone that has more experience ... (same as a surgeon if I were to need surgery) .. ... If I were to spend a year's salary on a lion or an elephant hunt I would much prefer a 40 year old 'JTHunt' guiding me than a 20 year old 'JTHunt'. We might get skunked either time but I like the odds more with the older chap ... I also understand that young guys gotta start somewhere and Roger is really good at offering them a place to start .. Just remembering on that one hunt in the Matetsi .. and the big bull elephant walking at me .. maybe thirty yards away and gaining .. The Ph later told me that since my chance for a lung shot was gone he had taken off .. ??? I reckon he must have thought that I had followed him .. Actually I had, for a moment, forgotten that he even existed. I love Zimbabwe .. lots of great memories ... Roger Whittal is a very fine man ... thank God for places like Humani in that country ... Good hunting, folks !!!

Wyatt,

Early Sept on the Save should be perfect. I've hunted next door to Humani on Mokore in Sept and it was very good for all species. I've never heard of the PH you named but that doesn't mean much.

Hope you got the deal you were looking for.

Mark

I hunt last sept with roger in save and we had a great hunt,kill a nice ele on day 5 had lots of time for plainsgame that was abundant. Barry was an aprentice at the time and hunt some boys from th UK that did vary well on pg and seamed happy with Barry.

Thanks for the feedback. I’ve gone ahead and booked this hunt with RWS for this Sept. This will be my 3rd safari but my first in a true dangerous game area so I’m really looking forward to this hunt even though I’ll only be hunting PG. We’ll be hunting for 10 days and staying in Roger’s tented camp.

Is it to early to start packing!! Probably so.

I do have some decisions to make on which 2 rifles to take and few pieces of misc. gear to buy so the preparation and fun starts now.

wyattd

I think that the tented camp you are refering to is Bedford Camp which is situated on the edge of a huge pan. I filmed a cheetah feeding on an Impala on that pan in 2005. What a sight!!

I will also be there for 10 days but i will only be hunting for seven the other three will be a photographic safari for my girlfriend.

Whats on your wish list?

I look forward to reading your hunt report.

Mike

Mike,

Yes, it is the Bedford camp we’ll be staying in. Waterbuck, kudu, bushbuck, and wildebeest will be the wish list animals for both my Dad and me. But, we’ll hope for a few more. Any baboon I can get a shot at will be in trouble.

We also plan to do some wing shooting and fishing if time permits.

When is your hunt?

wyattd

I will be hunting next year 2011 no dates arranged yet though. I will be hunting Kudu, Wildebeest, Warthog, Duiker, Impala, Bushbuck and Bushbig. I would like to take a Croc too but will have to save a bit more cash for it.

You will have fun with the Baboons they are very clever on Humani they will run away from you until they think they are out of range then sit down and look at you thats when you give them what for.

The wing shooting is great as well. I like shooting the Spurwing Geese.

Mike