Well cannot wait any longer..The computer guy's won't be here till Thursday, so I'll dive in right here...
We left on July 22nd around 4pm pretty uneventful 24 hours to get to Tanzania. Had to run thru Detroit & Amsterdam--close connections..
Had a chance to meet fellow AR member Joel Wells and his Dad.

Met at the Dar airport by Martin & Robert --they had all the firearms paperwork and had us through in no time...Hotel shuttle to Sea Cliff hotel- short night, breakfast with Joel and Dad then off the charter...

Arrived at air strip on time..Pierre & some staff there to meet us.

Anneli, Pierre's wife & camp manager met us in camp after a 45 minute drive into paradise...We couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear- " we're finally here!!!"
After a lunch of buffalo tongue & pizza, unpacked and tried to snooze, sighted in rifles, sundowners & dinner-- lobster!!! Cherie was treated to a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" by the chef Moses, his assistant Alex, and our waiter, Elias & presented with a cake and & champagne!!!
The next morning up at 5:30am got ammmo, rifles, optics, and cameras ready for the hunt..Washed and ready for breakfast of only toast and jelly and tea...Nervous...the hunt begins...Final trip to the tent, light is breaking and I spy a herd of waterbuck downriver from camp...Going to get my binos to look and Pierre' says, " Mike, go get your rifle, big waterbuck in the herd". Off like a flash and back, I have the 375 in my hands and unconsciously have already stoked it with ammo..
Practice sure makes perfect when needed..
The stalk down river begins we must have chased and walked for maybe 500yds or more down stream sweat pouring off me in the early heat. We moved thru the trees silently and all of a sudden, a racket erupts in the trees...Damn big troup of baboons and boy did it smell under those trees...Glad, I did not get crapped on cause I think we scared the crap out of those baboons...Another 100 yds and the animals are in front of us and along the river, the noise did not scare the waterbuck away...Finally, I can see some of the animals and now my rush begins for we are closing in on them and my mind is going thru a check list of to do's...
Get on the sticks smoothly, sight, safety off,
and squeeze the trigger, don't pull...
A few more yards, now this adds up to hundreds of yards and I still did not see the male waterbuck...But I trust my Ph. Twiga, his Masai tracker (tall like a giraffe) places the sticks...Pierre' tells me to get ready and I react like I have done this a thousand times...
Like a rocket I bring up the rifle, there is the waterbuck and bam the rifle fires and it is a clean kill at 150 yds...DRT..Dead right there
This elapsed shooting sequence took all of maybe 3 seconds: up, on, bang....The boys were saying chop! chop! very fast, hurry up!! Then somone says, Bwana chop chop, and that is my name for the rest of my time in the Selous and also for Mama chop chop..


Mike & Cherie

Now that's what I'm talkin about! Great stuff Retreever.

Anxiously awaiting further installments (I am only around til Friday AM you know, then off to make some memories of my own!)...


Canuck

What a way to start a hunt!

The Waterbuck is such a magnificent creature.

Outstanding beginning, Mike.

And I'm glad the baboons didn't use you for latrine target practice. That would have been a very differet start, and we'd be trying to come up for the swahili term for "the bwana the baboons' crap upon".

Can't wait to see the pictures.

Well done Bwana Chop Chop

Fantastic, I'm happy for you!

I still cant believe this hole thing happen.

Congratulations, this is so special...

Mike, I love it! Great story.

What a great first morning of a dream trip! Bwana Chop Chop - now that's funny. I look forward to hearing more about your trip.

Mike:

I once had a girlfriend who called me "Chop Chop"... maybe I understand why now.

Great story!

Since there are 6 to 10 of us on AR who have hunted that camp, could you tell us the location of these stories? Was this right on the big river? I figure that this was down stream from the camp... We never saw any game from camp except a zillion hippo and a couple dozen crocs. I ask because it helps me (and I hope 1115, JJS and others picture what's going on). Thanks so much!

BTW, was the "duty" bushbaby in the trees all night?

quote:

I once had a girlfriend who called me "Chop Chop"... maybe I understand why now.

Judge, Yes and I ask forgiveness to the location of the action...

Just finished breakfast and as I walked back towards Zanzibar the tent overlooking the river I saw the waterbuck down stream of camp at the extreme limit of vision standing from the tent..
I also saw waterbuck directly to the left of camp on the river bank also and a few buff walked in front of camp past where my ele skull was buried below Zanzibar...

Pierre' was at his tent coming to the vehicle when we met and he said to go get your rifle...
Yes the duty bush baby was yapping all night and I even took my wife over to the center of camp and found it up in the tree tops for her to see...

Mike

Mike,
John and I leave on the 28th, and God love ya, your reports are just too slow coming in!

Mike is working on the buff story, but had to go attend to his dad in an assisted living facility. Meanwhile, for anyone interested, here's a link to a photo album I'm putting together. It's not complete, I still have one more memory stick to sort thru. These pics are from the 'observer' viewpoint. I'll try and add comments to Mike's posts too.
When he returns home, I'll chain him to the computer desk!!!!

Cherie

click on 'slide show'

http://picasaweb.google.com/retreever/MamaChopChopSAdventure

AMAZING photos! The sunset photo on the last night is gorgeous.

Great photos, especially the close-up elephant! Thanks Cherie!

Your photos tell a wonderful story - and the photos are great!

Fantastic pictures.

Saw Mike's "scared the crap out of him" pic. Just what were they feeding him??!!

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing and congrats on a wonderful trip!

Wonderfull story Mike, the African fever gets worse every day. nice pictures and trophys. Some memeorys to have after such a hunt!

Mike ----- Thanks for the memories. I just scanned all the pictures and they all brought back vividly my 2004 hunt with Pierre and Anneli. Twiga, Moses and the rest of the boys all look great and I even think I recognized the old blue and white lunch cooler. Certainly the nap time was always welcome, however long it is. A time I will never forget and hope to repeat in the future. When the trophys get home and taken care of, all will be good. Good shooting.