Planning to go this summer to hunt Zim with my son. We are planning to hunt Buff. Will probably do Buff plus plains game but may do Croc or Hippo. Have spent a fair amount of time exploring the sight and talking to people and have tentatively narrowed down to four or five PH’s. We will be able to make a quick trip to the Dallas SCI and plan to finalize plan shortly after. Will describe some of the things we are looking for and would love some feedback.

We are interested in the overall experience, the beauty and remoteness of the area, and the quality of the PH as much as or more than potential trophy quality.

The ideal area:
• Ability to see a wide range of game with ability to see/hear as many of the big 5 as possible
• Physical beauty of the area and the variety of topography are important
• Relative remoteness, and an “old Africa” experience would be desirable
• Tented camp are preferable

The ideal PH:
We are experienced hunters and in good physical condition. We aren’t prima donna’s and don’t require much baby sitting. We are easy to get along with but only moderately interesting. Our story telling and bs are of below average quality. To that end what I think we would like in a PH: (welcome your feedback)

A highly knowledgeable, highly entertaining individual that is a great “campfire companion” We are obviously interested in a highly competent hunter , but I get the impression that almost all of the folks who we have centered on easily fit this definition. With that in mind it appears that the personality of, and knowledge of the PH and the areas they have access to hunt in are probably more critical. In the vein of “might as well ask for it all” would love a PH that is knowledgeable about ,and a good communicator about the flora and fauna as well as the local peoples and history in addition to being a great story teller.

So with all that in mind. Would love feedback on two things.

What areas of Zim would you recommend?

What PH’s would you recommend? Thanks in advance.

We will be at the Chifuti booth 1336 in Dallas. Would love to tell you about our Zambezi Valley buffalo. See you there.

Check out Brent Hein at Brent Hein Safaris. And, consider Bubye Valley Conservancy. Brent hunts there as well as other areas. He will have a booth in Dallas if your are going to be there. I promise you will be entertained!

There are soo many top PH:s in Zim, but here are a few that I have hunted with or wish to hunt with.

Jonny Hulme
Gary Hopkins
Ivan Carter
Brian Van Blerk
Paddy Curtis

Aubrey Kent has a concession in northern Zim. that borders RSA at Kruger national park. check out
www.pelandabasafaris.com he will be in Dallas booth 700 isle 746 if I'm not mistake but not positive of that

Thanks guys. I will follow up on all your suggestions.

I would recommend Rex Hoets as the ph. He is knowledgable and a joy to share a campfire.

quote:

Originally posted by ddrhook:
Aubrey Kent has a concession in northern Zim. that borders RSA at Kruger national park. check out
www.pelandabasafaris.com he will be in Dallas booth 700 isle 746 if I'm not mistake but not positive of that

Correction; Southern Zim

Zim with Chifuti Safaris with ether Ian Gibson, Andy Hunter or Derk Mossert.
Or
Mozambique with www.kambakosafaris.com with ether Stu Taylor, Johnny Johnson, Mike Taylor or Jumbo Moore begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Stephen Meyer of Lowveld Hunters also hunts the Bubye Valley Conservancy in the same area as Brent Hein. I hunted with Stephen in 2009 and shot a huge leopard in that area.

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:

quote:

Originally posted by ddrhook:
Aubrey Kent has a concession in northern Zim. that borders RSA at Kruger national park. check out
www.pelandabasafaris.com he will be in Dallas booth 700 isle 746 if I'm not mistake but not positive of that

Correction; Southern Zim

Ha thanks Oz H, that old man Don..... words cannot describe him....

I agree with Ozhunter. I spent 14 days in the Zambezi Valley with our oldest son hunting Buffalo and Leopard with Chifuti Safaris. Ian Gibson was our PH and I could not have been happier. We saw 4 of the big 5 and I took three of the Big 6. Hope to make it back to Africa and will definitely hunt with Ian again. Jeff

Thanks!

Another vote for Brent Hein. He is in Dallas at booth 2907. I've hunted with him 7 times throughout Zimbabwe. Excellent PH.

www.brentheinsafaris.com

I would like to place another vote for Brent Hein. I have hunted with Brent three times. Twice in northern Zimbabwe and once in the southern part of Zimbabwe in the area that is now known as Bubye Conservancy. Brent is an excellent PH and really knows how to judge trophy quality.

You ask a good question. There are many PHs who are very competent but lacking in personality. And there are some with personality, particularly those that work for large companies as employees, who don't consider after dinner entertainment to be part of their jobs. An entertaining PH does add to the hunt. But bear in mind, this gets old quite fast for a PH, there are only so many times you can tell the same story. So a little give and take is called for. You need to entertain the PH a little as well, to keep his enthusiasm up. As far as entertaining, I know of only one guy in Zim who is really good at it and that's Mike Bunce. Mike is pretty much retired though. I can give you his contact info if you seriously want to hunt with him. He was a ranger with Parks, I think the District chief, before he became a PH. Has seen it all. Most of the other guys I know are fine through dinner but they don't like to sit up late by the fire.

Regarding scenic areas WITH buffalo, that's another good one. Endless mopane is dull dull dull. Too much Jesse also the pits. I would rate Dande N and Chewore N, Chirisa and Sengwa as so-so from this perspective. Mukwishi and Chete more interesting, more rugged. Doma also rugged country but not the best for buffalo. The lowveld near West Nic is the most striking area of Zim but most of that is prime PG/leopard, not buff country. I do know of one private area down that way with some buff.

Moz has some pretty areas and some dull areas (as in papyrus swamp).

Drop me a PM if you want to talk.

I have only managed to hunt buff in Zim twice so far.First trip was in Martin Peiters area Omey. Although i hunted with my own PH there I spoke with Martin over a few cold one and he is a fantastic bloke and I would love to hunt buf with him. The second hunt was with HHK in Chirrisa(not sure of spelling)and I met Ross Johnson and Clive Hallamore over a few beer's and they was also fantasic bloke's that I would hunt buff with any time.don't know if that helps

quote:

There are soo many top PH:s in Zim

Ain't that the truth.

And then there is Buzz Charlton of course, and Alan Shearing, and Brent Hein, and a whole fleet of good PH's.

I have and excuses the dam compass works backwards down there!!!!!!!! Aubrey your wrong both my ex wives had plenty of words to describe me most of which you would not want to use in polite company! which leaves you out mate

Thanks guys.. This is very helpful.

I would second the recommendation for Rex Hoets, he has a fantastic dry sense of humour, and an encyclopedic knowledge of the flora and fauna of the Save.

I should add Thierry Labut's as well, if you want to see his reports look at all of SafariLawyers hunt reports. I think Will has him booked every year for the rest of his natural life from what I can tell.

Thierry's sense of dry humour is second to none. If you can get both of these guys in the same camp I cannot imagine how that trip couldn't be fun. If you hunt on hammond/ Arda in the Save you would be on George Hulme's old Ranch (Johnny's Dad) who is a piece of living rhodesian history, combined with Rex's stories of the Bush wars you would have to try very-very hard not to have a good time.

I have hunted the ARDA/Hammond areas of the Save the last 2 years. Lots of buff and plains game there. Zambezi Hunters runs a first class outfit.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:


And then there is Buzz Charlton of course, and Alan Shearing, and Brent Hein, and a whole fleet of good PH's.

And Myles McCallum as well.

I was usually too tired to be up for much entertainment after a long day walking after tuskless, but had Alan in camp for a bit while I was hunting with Myles and they both had some good stories to tell.

Makuti was pretty scenic and is definitely one of those places where you can do more the better shape you are in.

John Sharp will be in Dallas as well. You will be shorting yourself if you do not look him up. He will be easily located by asking a few questions and he is a master in hunting the Bubye Conservancy and a wonderful person to share a mopane fire as well as years of stories and experiences in Zim.

I love the Zambizi valley. We saw all the big 5 except Rino, and heard lion, leopard, elephant, hyena, bushbuck,kudu, and all sorts of birds, not to mention the baboons at night. The mighty Zembizi is spectacular.

My PH was Brent Leesmay. We hunted hard, and he listened to my wishes. He gave me everything I was looking for, and more. Brent was raised in the valley, and speaks Shona as well as anyone. He always took the time to explain what they were reading in the sign, and tell me about the flora, as well as the fauna. You couldn't go rong with Brent.

there are so many top zim PH's and many of my friends have been mentioned.

Sadly there are a few "others"...none of their names mentioned so far...however shop around, post your proposed choice and no doubt you will get accurate feed back.

I for one, will NOT be your PH but encourage you to only book with a PH who is a paid up member of ZPHGA. Most of the good ons are and I think all of the great ones. Most of those who are not...well we don't want them anyway. Marin Pieters takes over as the new chairman for ZPHGA and we will have emmie manning a booth at booth Dallas and SCI. As Emmie is 'simply' the scretary she will stick to the facts...in the past their has been comment that the committee members maning the booth pushed buisness thier way. Having helped man the booth for 8 out of the last 10 years and never taken a single booking at SCI I do't belive it, but this year, for the first time we have an employee rather than the committee maning the booths.

Man all of the Zim PH's I have hunted with have been top notch... the Buzzer, Martin Pieters, the gang at Chifuti, the guys who started it all for me, John Greeff. It is hard to go wrong with the recommendations given in previous posts. Talk with them and find the one that piques your interest the most... odds are you will not be disappointed.

Ganyana,

Are you retiring?

Jeff

Bunduki...nope just sold out on the hunting I am doing to 2015 already. I don't 'confirm' a booking until I have the quota in hand but the agent is holding deposits against everything I want to do until I'm really old and grouchy.

Also...I am one who belives that sitting around the campfire night after night drinking and story telling is the appies job. Mine is to deliver results and that doesn't happen well if I have been drinking. f the appie wants to talk the client into comming with him next year to go loony looking for a suni or something..that is his privalege - he is up and comming and trying to build a client base - I ain't

Okay. Sorry to here Ganyan for my sake. I was anticipating us hunting together in 2012 0r 2013. We had comm by PM previously. Can you PM me the proper contact procedure so I may enter your queue properly. I should have followed up sooner. BTW, I never drink when I am in the bush.

All the Best,

Jeff

Ganyana-
Easy question, tough answer.
Most guys listed here are 100% straight up PH's, first class, good guys. Do you agree with every name mentioned here?

Don't forget about Pete Wood with Roger Whitall Safari's I would share a hunt or a campfire with him any day anytime. He is first class and you won't find anyone that will work harder for you no matter how large or small your group.

ZZZ...i said it early on, I don't see a single name mentioed so far that would say 'don't'.

Some are friends, some are friendly aquaintances and some are just lads I run into at the shows or the gun club and I am not going to try and plug one or even a handful of PH's over other equally skilled or good men. The client is going to the show. speak - LISTEN- and ask emmie. I also don't know all that has gone on this past year, no doubt I hear most by the end of the month but- ask emmiefor the latest low down on the PH you plan to hunt with.