I am considering a PAC ele hunt next March/April in Zim. I would like to add another critter to the menu such as buff,, sable or hippo/croc----what has worked for others? I haven't hunted ele before or hunted in the wetter March season, so don't know if buff would be a good option due to the greener conditions---suggestions??

How many days will you be hunting?

On elephant hunts, even PAC hunts, elephant will be your only quarry until it is down. It is a rare PH that will allow you to take a different species while tracking elephant.

That may not leave you enough days to hunt a good specimen of the other animal(s) on your wish list.

I would book a buff and sable (assuming there are good sable in that area).

George

Also the cost will go way up, esp. for a buff. Most will charge you the additional cost of a regular buff hunt.

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
Also the cost will go way up, esp. for a buff. Most will charge you the additional cost of a regular buff hunt.

465H&H

That is right, do not expect to be able to shoot a Sable, Hippo Croc or Buffalo without paying for additional days.

These animals come at a premium. The Sable being the only PG animal that I know of in Zim that can demand a premium on top of the trophy fee.

thanks for your thoughts.
I am planning on a minmum of 7-10 day hunt for the PAC ele but would stay a bit longer for additional hunting. I realize that there would be additional costs for hunting other critters.

My thinking was that the PAC hunts are very early season, March/April. so hunting buff would be more difficult. And I would guess the same for Sable.
Has anyone had much luck hunting that early for Buff or Sable or would it be better to consider other trophies?

Most PAC elephant hunting occurs during late Feb-early April. This is when the crops are grown and the ele's are causing problems. There is some limited PAC at other times of the year such as elephants destroying water catchments or bore holes during the dry season. I believe those are very iffy hunts. The time of year to see the most PG, buff or elephants is during the dry season Oct-Dec., when they are concentrated around the limited available free water. In the Omay area of Zim I think you can get your buff in April-May in 5 to 7 days. But you won't see as many (thick green growth then as well as their being more scattered) and consequently you can't be as selective. Also the mossies are much worse during April-May.

465H&H

465H&H

I'm booked for a Zim non-trophy bull elephant hunt in July, and they are letting us shoot buffalo at the same time for the price of the trophy fees. Actually they are going to let us shoot 2, one is included in the package. There are other animals available for trophy fees as well.It's a ten day hunt, maybe that's the difference?

Due to the thick bush, you won't see much plainsgame during a PAC hunt from February to April. Sable would be tough and buffalo would be scattered, though not impossible, if you were willing to commit the extra days and cost. I shot a buffalo during a PAC hunt in Omay in 2004, but it was a target of opportunity when we crossed hot tracks on the road one morning. Depending on where you're hunting, hippo and/or croc would make a better add-on to a PAC hunt.

+ baboons!

By definition, PAC elephant are taken in settled areas where they are causing problems. Settled means people and that means there isn't much other game in the area...the "farmers" like to eat meat so the PG is pretty thin on the ground, outside the safari areas.

Having said that, from our PAC camp in Zim, we offer leopard hunts (the leopard like the settlers goats and sheep); there are some duiker, grysbok and klipspringer in that area as well as the odd hyena (these smaller antelope seem to survive despite the poaching); and within and hour or so there are 3 private ranches that we hunt that have pretty much all the species of PG including sable....these are ranches that were not taken by the govt for whatever reason. And no problem hunting these early in the season.

So we can offer a PAC/Leopard combo, as well as a PAC/PG combo from the same camp. This would be Zim. For buffalo, hippo or croc, we need to relocate to another area after the ele is down.

In Botswana, we are doing PAC in a slightly different situation. These ele are getting into the private cattle ranches once it gets dry and tearing up the water points. There is plenty of PG available in these areas. But no Sable, Croc, or Hippo.

Russ,

You always give a good "Run-Down" of what you've got and a

sound over all view of what to expect. I appreciate it even though

I am not going to be any one's client for a few years at least.
Good job.