I am contemplating my next trip to Africa for the following in order of prefernce.
Sable
Leopard
Waterbuck
maybe buff

14 days.

I have been to Zambia with Swan/Scan. Had good results but would like to see something else and not so expensive. I will take my wife so the Camp is important along with the PH

What say ye!!!

Sprig

Zim comes easily to mind. Especially the Save Conservancy (decent buffs, lotsa leopard). Several operators there can help ... most all of them have very nice camps.

I haven't been to the Senuko (sp?) camp, but hear it's a knockout. I hunted from Msaise (Brooklands Safaris) and also hunted on Matandere ranches (many very good sable). There are like 13 ranches in the Save. Prices are reasonable; check out which PH's are available at the camp you choose. Others here can offer more comments on other ranches in the Save.

The Lemco Conservancy in Zimbabwe may be another good option. HHK used to handle all of the booking, but I'm not sure who's doing it now. They have all of the animals you're looking for and your wife would definitely be comfortable!

Pete

Sounds like $1K per day, 16-18 day minimum, $3500 for the leopard, $3000 for the sable, $2500 for the buff and maybe $1500 for the waterbuck.

Bill

15 day minimum and your slightly high on the buff. Otherwise you are right on the money. Lots a bang for your buck.

Mark

You should be able to beat that daily rate in the Save, especially late in the season.

Since Charles Davies has split from HHk he is running Lemco Conservancy himself. You can contact Sarah Blair at sjb@iwayafrica.com for information on hunting there. I would caution you to make sure that no one involved with this operation is on the US State Department banned list before hunting there.

465H&H

ttt

www.john-sharp-safaris.com He has some of the best leopards to be had in Zim as well as good sable & waterbuck. I took my wife and she loved it. jorge

Jorge,
What part of Zim does John Sharp hunt if Leopards are the priority?

Two years ago I was successful in getting a very nice leopard and sable in Lemco with HHK safaris and PH Ade Langley. I highly recommend this company and country in spite of it's political atmosphere.You can book for 14 days at around $750/day for leopsrd snd sable, a little more for Buffalo. I'm hunting with them next year in the Matetsi area for buffalo.Go to HHK's web site for information. Gramham Hingeston is good to work with and responds quickly to your questions/concerns.

I believe you should priortize your hunt with the Leopard first and then try for the others. There is no way one can hunt Leopard (except the driving down the road and see one and shoot) sucessfully unless it is the #1 animial on your list.

I am hunting with Mr Norman Crooks in April for Leopard with dogs and it is still the #1 item. Old Mr Spots is just too tough to religate to second class quary.

Wolfgar; He hunts the Malangani Conservancy, about 150 miles SE of Bulawayo. jorge

ok, guys, pardon my ignorance on the Save but what do you mean "Ranches"? Does this mean high fence? Surely not!

sprig

sprig,

The Save is about a million acres with a perimeter fence. There are no interior fences but several operators have there own areas within the fence. It is possible to be following a buffalo or eland and have it go into the neighbor's area so you have to give up the chase but that happens in reqular concession hunts also on occassion. This bears no resemblance to RSA or Namibian high fenced hunting. The game populations regenerate themselves with no annual stocking nor are there any non-indigenous species there. All the Big 5 are present and all game moves freely over the entire Conservancy. I'm personally hunting there in Oct '07 and very much looking forward to it.

Mark

The Save River Valley Conservancy is over a million acres that are high fenced around the borders but have no internal fences.It consists of about thirteen different properties that have combined assets (acreage) to form the large conservancy.Due to its size it can accommodate lion,leopard, elephant ,rhino,etc. All the things that make Africa, Africa.Believe me when I say they would rather not have the boundary fence but the presence of the buffalo make it a neccessity. The buff can transmit many diseases to domestic livestock and thus the only way the government would allow them to exist is in an area where ability to spread has been denied.Believe me when I tell you that the fence does not come into play.It takes hours to drive through the conservancy and once you pass throug an entrance gate you will not see a fence again till you leave.

Individual propert owners in the conservacy operate their own camps and hunt their own property but the animals are free to roam from area to area at will.

That said, I think what may have been meant by "ranches " is either one of the individual properties within the conservacy or possibly a ranch on a seperate property outside the conservancy.

Sorry ,Mark beat me to the punch!

We offer hunts in the Doma area (25000 ha or roughly 60000 acres) in Zim for Leopard, Sable and most other stuff. (If Buff were no 1 on your list, we would send you to Dande North which is our main buff area but we do have buff in this area as well).

We hunt from a very comfortable permanent lodge.

DAILY RATE:

Leopard,Sable,plainsgame 12 days @ 800 per day [ We can prebait ]
Big four w plainsgame: 14 days at $700 per day, except if lion is taken the daily goes up (sorry, we have only one lion avail).

TROPHY PRICES AS FOLLOWS;
Elephant Trophy USD 10000 each
Bushbuck 750
Sable 3500
Leopard 3500
Buffalo 2500
Eland 1250
Kudu 1000
Hyena 350
Grysbok 200
Duiker 175
Bushpig 300
Warthog 400
Zebra 850
Waterbuck 1750
Tuskless elephant 2750