I'm heading to the Selous with Alan Vincent in late July/August for a 16-day Ele, Buff and PG hunt. By all accounts Alan is a top PH and I'm really looking forward to the experience.

I have decided I will do at least 1 safari a year for the next 5 years+, so with this in mind I'd like to book for 2014 soon.

I love to hunt with double rifles. I'm not so keen on sniping safaris. I much prefer true wilderness and would not entertain a fenced safari no matter how big the concession.

My passions are Ele and Buff especially big bodied Ele. I have never taken cats and although the idea appeals I am not really the kind of guy who enjoys sitting motionless in a blind for days.

Camp is important, mainly because my wife will be with me. Tents are OK providing they ae as good as possible and we have the usual amenities.

So, what after the Selous?

The SAVE in Zim!

An elephant bull in the Dande Safari Area staying in Pedza Pasi.

Your passion is "big bodied elephant". And your going to the Selous? Your beyond my help.

If your finances allow, try one of the Masailand concessions. They tend to have good ivory, great buffalo and the unique plains game. The camps I have seen there were very nice, and they are in driving distance of lots of things for your wife to do while you are hunting.

I think that some of the western Zim and the Caprivi in Namibia will give you the bigger bodied Botswana type elephant, if you want Elephant mainly.

You probably will need to book further out than 14 for a good cat area, especially if you want to combine with Elephant.

The Save, I saw lots of elephant, although not that big of body. The camps there are quite nice though.

I have not hunted SA, but I would think elephant around the Kruger National park would be good, the elephant can be very good, the camps are good, but its not "wilderness hunting" by and large, but then again, if you pick the right outfit, it may not be that distinguishable.

Hope you have fun these next 5 years!

Mozambique. Nice camp, very good Elephant, some great Buffalo, one of my top picks. If you want cats he's good on Leopard and about average on Lion, but a great destination.

Moz for a big tusker!

quote:

Originally posted by Navaluk:
Your passion is "big bodied elephant". And your going to the Selous? Your beyond my help.

The attraction of the Selous is the overall quality of of the experience and obviously not the size of the elephant.

You want to hunt big elephants? If I would be you I would hunt nyae-nyae in Namibia.

Zambia is not known for elephant but if you plan to do 5trips in 5years you should do Zambia. Talk to fairgame.

Nyae nyae in nambia would be my number one pick and then western zim, in kazuma area

This place would is a fine venue www.kambakosafaris.com as would a hunt with "buffalo range safaris" of Zimbabwe.

P.M. sent.

For your double an elephant is an easy target. I would go for Roan, Sitatunga and Sable in the Kafue. That should sort out the men from the boys.

Naye-Naye Conservancy in Bushmanland, Namibia has been proposed. We hunt Ondjou Conservancy just South of Naye-Naye. Ondjou Conservancy has produced 64 lbs average over the last 5 years on the heaviest tusk. The region without doubt has some of the biggest bodied elephants around. It will be a hard challenging hunt! We also have one non-trophy elephant tag available for 2014. Elephant success rate has been 100% over the last 5 years since the area was trophy hunted for the first time. Leopard is available on quota, success rate is not to great. Plains game is rare and has to be tracked by bushman trackers. Check out our web site at www.vanheerdensafaris.com or contact Aaron Neilson for further info. Happy hunting! Ps: I heard mr. Fairgame is an excellent stalker, tree specialist and imitates a lion call better than any one around. When a client brings a double he has never let the client take shots at trophies further than 30-45 yards, just because he sports a fancy double as well and might have to back the client up...

Masailand is incredible. I wish my wife had been along. No tsetses, hardly any mosquitoes, great scenery, etc.

As a Swede, you should be able to import elephant from Mozambique. As such, I'd book with Kambako Safaris (www.kambakosafaris.com).

I'd also stay in touch with Andrew Baldry in Zambia. As soon as the cats are back on license, I'd book that hunt and include sable, roan and sititunga.

I would also look closely at Masailand for another elephant and some of the unique plains game like gerenuck, fringe eared oryx etc.

Then, I'd be off to Ethiopia for Mountain Nyala.

By now, your wife may want to take a break, so I'd go after Bongo and Lord Derby's Eland in CAR.

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
As a Swede,

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Masailand is incredible. I wish my wife had been along. No tsetses, hardly any mosquitoes, great scenery, etc.

Really? I prefer the Selous. Too much civilization in Masailand.

My wife and I both enjoyed Chewore North last year. Great camp, rough, unspoiled country, and a great DG area.

OK, Swiss are from Switzerland and Swedes are from Sweden. Boy, do I feel dumb! So much for reading comprehension. At least you can still import ivory from Mozambique. Sorry Maximus.

As my friend Paul from Burkina Faso said so often: "Americans, they know nothing about geography"

The Zambezi Valley is hard to beat! The Save and the Buybe are great-but they are fenced.

A multiple buffalo and elephant bull hunt in the Valley would be a lot of fun for sure. CM Safaris and Chifuti could set that up for you!

When you decide to include a leopard in any of your future hunts, I would certainly be able to set you up.

Double buff/elephant in Malapati would also be great value. Make sure it's later in the year.

Happy Hunting!

Zambia with Andrew Baldry for various species would be hard to beat, judging by all hunt reports on his area.

Lots of choices indeed!

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
As a Swede,

Cut him some slack Dahlgren, He's from Wyoming!

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
As a Swede,

Cut him some slack Dahlgren, He's from Wyoming!

He'd kick your butt for that if he could only find Texas.

Sorry SBT, I couldn't resist.