Omay area of Zim.

21 March 2005, 21:08

Zero Drift

I have hunted the Omay three times. Was a very productive area, however, in recent years has been overrun with natives killing everything in sight. Not sure what is left to hunt there.

21 March 2005, 21:13

Atkinson

Its still pretty good in places and excellent in others, and its still the hottest hell hole in the world...

21 March 2005, 21:21

Zero Drift

What Ray, 118 to 120 is warm for ya???

I have never been to a hotter place on the planet. Not sure it exists outside of the Omay in September...

21 March 2005, 21:24

mark65x55

quote:
Originally posted by Atkinson:
its still the hottest hell hole in the world...

That don't sound good

Then again we were in RSA last October with the temps in the upper 90s. It wasn't the best time of year but we made do. So what's the weather in Omay like in late May or early September?

21 March 2005, 21:36

Zero Drift

May is a little cooler, but the vegitation can be thick. Early September there is little green and getting very hot - 100+ every day.

21 March 2005, 21:41

Ganyana

On the 5th October 1987 it was 56.5 deg C (138 F) at the research station at sinamawenda -on the boundry between the omay and Binga districs.

(I wasn't there- had been casavact with typhoid two weeks earlier!)

September ain't great

21 March 2005, 22:04

mark65x55

quote:
Originally posted by Zero Drift:
May is a little cooler, but the vegitation can be thick. Early September there is little green and getting very hot - 100+ every day.

So sounds like June through August would be about the best? I'm not sure I like the sound of what I'm getting myself into.

21 March 2005, 22:31

Zero Drift

Mark - Assuming there are trophy quality animals around, you will find the best hunting during the hot months. That is the tradeoff with most African hunting. If it is cool, then vegetation is thick and the animals are scattered. If it is hot, then there is little vegetation and the animals are much more concentrated.

My only recommendation is to have an open dialogue with your PH to make sure the areas you intend to hunt have not been poached to death. I would ask for a list of clients who have hunted the same areas last year and enquire to the quality of the animals.

As far as the heat is concerned, you will survive it. I did 14 days in late October and lived to tell about it. Remember, you are in Malaria hell as well. Make sure you take your meds.

21 March 2005, 22:43

Atkinson

I was raised near Presidio Texas where 120 was not unusual, but after living in Idaho for a long spell, it might turn me into a crispy critter....

22 March 2005, 00:50

Will

It may get cold at night in May-August, but it's hot as hell once the sun comes up pretty much anytime and anywhere in the valley. It doesn't get warmer/hot at night until mid-September and on. Late October is too late/hot for me.

-------------------------------
Will / Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun.
---------------------------------------
and, God Bless John Wayne. NRA Benefactor, GOA, NAGR
_________________________

"Elephant and Elephant Guns" $99 shipped.
“Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game" $20 shipped.

red.dirt.elephant@gmail.com
_________________________

If anything be of note, let it be he was once an elephant hunter, hoping to wind up where elephant hunters go.

22 March 2005, 01:10

Zero Drift

Will - You are correct. In late September is cools off to a nice comfortable 99 to 100 at night. That is until you walk into your rondaval, aka Easy-Bake-Oven, and crawl under the mosquito netting. Then, you are right back up to 110. I swear you could cook biscuits in the middle of the room at night.

My solution for sleeping at night was to soak my sheets in the shower and then crawl into bed. Evaporative cooling would last for an hour or so until you had to do it again.

22 March 2005, 01:22

mark65x55

22 March 2005, 01:30

Canuck

I've always figured I can take just about anything Ma Nature can dish out, but I think that kind of heat would probably kill me. I have played ball in 40deg C a couple times, and it tweren't fun. Shade and beer is about all I can handle at 40deg....heck, 35 and up for that matter. I think I'll take -56 over +56.

Cheers,
Canuck

22 March 2005, 01:53

mark65x55

Well, in September of 2003 we hunted in Namibia, up North near Etosha and it was pretty warm for a few days. It sure did feel good to take a COLD shower at lunch.

In October of 2004 we hunted RSA in the Limpopo area, a few days it got up to 40C and we walked for 6 to 8 hours each day. Some days we'd walked so far it was easier to walk to camp than back to the truck

So I guess we know what to expect, I'd just like to pick a time when it is a little cooler. Highs in the mid 80s F wouldn't be too bad.

22 March 2005, 01:55

Zero Drift

Canuck - It was not so much the heat as it was the voices.

22 March 2005, 02:28

Will

It wouldn't be so bad if the "bush" architects would recognize that the wind always blows from the east, and put the windows/screens on the east and west sides of the huts/tents.

22 March 2005, 03:37

David W

Mark,

Weather considerations aside, Omay is still a good area to hunt. Beautiful country. Lots of elephant and buffalo. Quality plainsgame is less of a sure thing, but that's true in all of the DG areas in Zim. It's a communal area, so there are villages and crops scattered along the main roads. I was there for a week last year and didn't see evidence of an abnormal level of poaching. I like late hunting. My favorite time to go is September/October. The heat gets so bad it makes your ears ring, but the hunting is great!

22 March 2005, 03:52

NitroX

quote:
Originally posted by Zero Drift:
My solution for sleeping at night was to soak my sheets in the shower and then crawl into bed. Evaporative cooling would last for an hour or so until you had to do it again.

So I guess no one sleeps outside under a mosquito net?

Are animals in camp at night a problem?

22 March 2005, 04:06

N E 450 No2

Mark,
I hunted 21 days in the OMAY in June 2004. The weather was great. Bugs and snakes were not a problem. I killed 2 buff, 2 cow elephant one bull [50 and 55 lbs] and several plains game. It is not a great plains game area but my kudu and waterbuck were very nice. I hunted with HHK. The ONLY thing I would change is that I should have hunted for 40 days

I shot 21 animals. A jackel, civet cat, a great klipspringer, baboon, etc. I had a GREAT time. I can highly recommend HHK. My PH was Wayne Edwards, He was a lot of fun to hunt with.
The Trible People were very nice.
I felt saver in the OMAY than I would in Downtown Dallas after dark.
Everybody in Zim was very friendly, including the visa and airport people.I did sleep under a mosqueto net, it was cool at night, very good sleeping. I did not get one mosquito bite, I did not use any bug repellent.

22 March 2005, 04:12

N E 450 No2

Let me add that I have booked a hunt for Zim in March of 2006.

22 March 2005, 04:55

Zero Drift

Nitro - When hunting in the Omay in 98, a young girl was mauled in her rondaval by a lion just a few mile from our camp. She died of her wounds.

I would rather sweat than bleed.

22 March 2005, 06:00

mark65x55

quote:
Originally posted by David W:
Mark,
Weather considerations aside, Omay is still a good area to hunt. Beautiful country. Lots of elephant and buffalo. !

Thanks for the info.

22 March 2005, 06:02

mark65x55

quote:
Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Mark,
I hunted 21 days in the OMAY in June 2004. The weather was great. Bugs and snakes were not a problem. I killed 2 buff, 2 cow elephant one bull [50 and 55 lbs] and several plains game. It is not a great plains game area but my kudu and waterbuck were very nice. I hunted with HHK. The ONLY thing I would change is that I should have hunted for 40 days
I shot 21 animals. A jackel, civet cat, a great klipspringer, baboon, etc. I had a GREAT time. I can highly recommend HHK. My PH was Wayne Edwards, He was a lot of fun to hunt with.
The Trible People were very nice.
I felt saver in the OMAY than I would in Downtown Dallas after dark.
Everybody in Zim was very friendly, including the visa and airport people.I did sleep under a mosqueto net, it was cool at night, very good sleeping. I did not get one mosquito bite, I did not use any bug repellent.

Thats more like it

sounds like a GREAT trip

22 March 2005, 07:58

500grains

Sounds like you guys have something against hot weather.

_____________

quote:
Originally posted by Zero Drift:
When hunting in the Omay in 98, a young girl was mauled in her rondaval by a lion just a few mile from our camp. She died of her wounds.

What's a rondaval? I better stay away from them.

22 March 2005, 08:23

GRP

I hunted Buff in the Omay the 3rd week of Sept. 2004. The weather was warm, 90's but not uncomfortable. The plains game were somewhat scarce, but we did see lots of Sable and Kudu but the Buff are plentiful. No mosquitoes, but the honey bees were a big pain and of course the Tetsee flyes are hungary. Sleeping was no problem at all. I would recomend the spring the gamengregated and you can see much better.

22 March 2005, 13:04

NitroX

quote:
Originally posted by 500grains:
What's a rondaval?

500grains,

Ron Daval is that funny round shaped PH with straw coloured hair.

He is related to the Banda's of Malawi, but not the ex-President.

22 March 2005, 18:42

ibexebi

October 2003 -
Ray - "hottest hellhole on earth"
GRP - "tsetse flys are hungry
Certainly sounds like an accurate description to me!!
Many big buffalo though!!

Mike