First off im sure this should be in hunt reports but i put it here.more people viewing.The admin can move it if he wants.
Second please excuse any misspelling or thread etiquite im fairly new to this stuff.
I had started a few threads prior to my trip about buffalo hunting as i was unsure of where i was hunting due to the fact that i tell my P.H. friend what i want to hunt and he maakes all the arrangements.everything is a suprise to me untill i get there.
This was my fourth trip to AFRIKA!
My trip started out bow hunting with rassie erasmus loulardus safaris in r.s.a.
this is always an outstanding adventure ,a story for another time,anyway i shot a 52 inch kudu and stuck a 24 inch impalla.
The second half of my trip connsisted of a buffalo hunt in zambia.
We flew out of joburg on com air.we had to much fuel on board and could not land heavy.being an aviator myself i spoke to the captain and convinced him to burn the extra fuel off giving us an airial tour of the zambizi river and victoria falls.he did just that with flaps down and gear down at 1000 ft.
spectacular!!!!
We were met by our buffalo P.H. Strang of middleton game farm in zambia.
We traveled 2 hours on tar roads and 8 hours on a single dirt road through tribal villages untill we reached our buffalo camp at 1am .(i still had no idea where i was going)
The camp itself was absolutly beautifull with grass huts overlooking a nice lake.no electricity ,only 12 volt lights or oil lamps .
A beautiful open air lounge area for dining and drinking.
I was extreamly impressed to say the least.
In the morning when i woke up i noticed the door mat said Balla Balla Safaris.
i had seen this safaris outfitter many times on the internet and even communicated with (i think peter of balla balla) on the other threads prior to my adventure on this site,
remember i didnt know where i was going so i couldnt
tell him,but he had an idea it was in his area.
It was his area!!
well the area was absolutly awsome ,it boarded on the kafue national park.we ran into border patrols with ak47 ,real kool stuff.You could here the local tribes singing and celebrating something untill the wee hours of the morning.the Milky Way was bright and clear the cross always there to see.
The Buffalo herd was awsome also.some realy huge bulls,and some absolutly giant cows,i saw one had to be 44 to 46 inches,if it wasnt for the bull thing and if i was hunting horns i would have taken her.
i was hunting boss,s and wound up with a 38.5 x 12 on the eve of my last day.we hunted hard all week.the herd was elusive but the dugga boys were down right hard to find.they were there alright but hard to find.
we wanted a testicle tuesday but wound up with a testicle thursday nite ,testicles for appetizers.delicious!!
Our host and hostess all week were Dean and Joanne.
two wonderfull people who made our stay absolutely wonderfull.The meals were all excellent,the accomodations clean and excellent,the hospitality wonderfull.
Sally was also a camp personality i will never forget.
shes a five year old cow buff raised by joanne when she was found abandoned,
i would wake up with sallys head in my window stareing at me.i would open the door to find sally standing on the door step.at one point early in the adveture she met us outside camp and in fun chased us across a field looking for cover.
i heard a few safeties click off as sally dosnt know her own strength at times.She slept under a plam tree beside our fire pit.REMARKABLE!!!
it was a great laugh and wonderfull stories afterwards.
My buddy dan nailed a 38x11 on our last morning before departure.
again the hunting was difficult(actually it was just good old hunting and i wouldnt have it any other way)but in the end we got what we went after and it wasnt easy.it was a challenge and i loved every minute of it from 8ft mambas (mombas),huge bush buck,kudus.at one point we were in such thick cover with the buffalo herd, strang our P.H.couldnt raise his gun without brushing a cow.we sat frozen untill she passed.
Strang our buff p.h. was outstanding.he never slowed down.
he got us so close on so many occassions at 3 times we were within 6yards or less.my buddy dan carried a bow along with his 416.the cover was to thick for bow and the bulls spooked while trying to switch from bow to gun.
in the end our bulls were taken with 416 rigby and mine a 458 w.m. 7 hits in dans bull and five in mine.
we avoided any charges at all costs as both bulls were taken in heavy cover on our last days and we didnt want a wounded runaway.
Strang shot as well at our request after our guns were fired out and we reloaded.
those bulls were tuff s.o.b.
all in all Balla Balla was wonderfull from hunt area ,personalities,hospitality,food,camp accomadations,sally,Dean,Joanne,Thomas our tracker i changed his name to G.P.S. as when the gps told us to go straight he said no way we must turn here ,,he was right!!.
and i must not for get louie joannes dad our camp personality always with a good story and a joke to laugh with,and a beer in hand for anyone without one.
my personel friend and P.H. Rassie Erasmus of Louwlardus Bowhunting Safaris did it again ,he arranged a wonderfull successfull adventure i will never forget for the rest of my life.
Strang of middleton game farms was an excellent and professional P.H. of outstanding character.
Dean,Joanne,Louie of Balla Balla were wonderfull i cant wait to go back again !!
Sally only wanted her head rubbed and would chase you untill you did so.WHAT A PISSER OF A TIME!!!!

Please again forgive misspellings i dont have the time to look up corrections i usually write in my own shorthand

I JUST HAD AN ABSOLUTLY WONDERFULL 17 DAYS IN AFRIKA!!!

JIM

Congrats on your buff hunt, Jimjet! Sounds like you had an excellent hunt in some great game country! Zambia is one of those places that is still like it used to be.

Jim,

Welcome to the forum, and I am glad to hear you've had a great hunt.

This is the sort of story we like to hear.