Mike; I'm soooo jealous, but glad you had some fun.

Stupid question: Where is Sengwa????? I can't find it on the AR Zim map.

Regards, Darin

NW Zim at the southern end of Chirisa, I believe.

It was originally a research area run by Parks, taken over my Mugabe henchmen, and a forbidden zone for US clients, but apparently that has changed now, apparently.

Right, it adjoins Chirisa and is near Chizarira National Park. HHK controls the area and runs the camp out of their Chirisa camps. For years it was a research station and hopefully will be one again someday. I beautiful area along the Sengwa and Lutope Rivers. A number of high lookouts, grassy vleys, thick jesse, mopane woodlands, etc.

Congratulations Mike, looks like you had great time.

Off subject, where did you get that arm band cartridge holder?

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
. . . a forbidden zone for US clients, but apparently that has changed now, apparently.

Bill,

I do not think so. Ganyana has posted on this before. The area was controled by Ben Matiwaza that runs Tent Peg Safaris (who I understand shows at SCI by the way). He has subleased to HHK apparently given HHK's superior marketing abilities.

quote:

Originally posted by Palmer:
Off subject, where did you get that arm band cartridge holder?

From Midway. It is made by Thompson Contender for their single shot rifles. Works great for a double rifle though. Much quicker to reload than from a cartridge belt.

Mike, can you say how your friend did with Rex? He was supposed to go with Alan originally right?

I will largely leave it to him to respond directly since he uses the Forum too. Suffice it to say that I believe that he had a great time with Rex, who has a wonderful sense of humor and is a good PH. He was primarily after plainsgame and buffalo and was successful on both fronts (impala, zebra, waterbuck, kudu and a nice dagga boy). He also got a couple of bonus trophies that were unexpected and memorable.

Thanks Mike. I didn't know he was a member.

I'm curious to hear more about Sengwa and any comparisons to Makuti. Was that Buzz's first hunt there?

See any snakes, Mike?

Mike:

You are correct about the principals involved in Sengwa. Retired Zim Brig Gen Ben Matiwaza was running it as Tent Peg Safaris, and, I believe, one or two other DBA's. He has had a booth at SCI for the last couple of years. He does, in fact, sell hunts to HHK, who will be putting more money into the infrastructure and the roads. This I was told when visiting with HHK at Reno.

I hunted buff there in 04 and had a wonderful time. The area has a variety of terrain, from riverine to jesse, to mopane, to kopies.

At the time I was there, the local warden had his office on property. I spent some time in the library, which still holds all the old maps, records, and photos from when the facility was one of Zim (Rhodesia's) most active wildlife research stations. And there was (is) an adjoining warehouse that held literally hundreds of buffalo skulls and horns, and bone specimens. Going through the archives, the photos, and the skull collection was almost as much fun as hunting.

Congrats on a great hunt.

Tom

Excellent Mike - A huge Congrats from KY!!!

Mike --

On our third (and last) night of trying, we caught up with a bunch of about 10 eles in a maize field just past where the gorge cuts through (a few miles north of where we ran into you). That was after chasing about 30 buffalo around in the dark for about 3 hours. And after running a "hot" buffalo track for 7 solid hours earlier that day. It was the single hardest hunting day of my life.

Anyway, shot a young bull out of the herd around 2:30 am, and still made our 9 am charter out. My shooting wasn't as goods as yours; he took 2 .375s to the head that only staggered him, then one to the lungs, and went down after about a 75 yard run.

This was a buffalo hunt with attention defecit disorder that turned into an accidental elephant hunt; if I'd been going after eles from the start I definitely would have taken something bigger, but I guess if anything it proves that the .375 H&H can cover it all from top to bottom.

For adreneline junkies, it's hard to beat chasing buffalo and elephants in the dark!

Cartridge holder link:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?s...id=563878&t=11082005

But it says it's for single shot shooters, not doubles!

"Convenient and fast accessibility to back up cartridges for single shot pistol and rifle shooters. Made of nylon with adjustable buckle and Velcro fastener."

Also useful as an accessory at black tie affairs.

Mike, I read your intial post and a few more but not all 55. Seems to me you'd have shot the shit out of every one of those eles even if you were using a 9.3. Exceptional shooting is what killed them, Mike Jines with a rifle. The fact that it was a 500 seems to me to be a distant second to putting the first shot where it belongs, in the brainpan. Outfuckingstanding!

Of course shot placement is critical, but that said, having the .500 is a real confidence builder since you know that marginal shot placement will still be effective. The one elephant that required a finishing shot I hit initially high and to the right on a frontal brain shot (missing the brain). Despite that fact, she dropped in a heap. With a .375 I am sure that would not have been the case.

Nicely said...and exactly what we have been talking about here while you were hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Of course shot placement is critical, but that said, having the .500 is a real confidence builder since you know that marginal shot placement will still be effective. The one elephant that required a finishing shot I hit initially high and to the right on a frontal brain shot (missing the brain). Despite that fact, she dropped in a heap. With a .375 I am sure that would not have been the case.

There appears to a quantum leap as to the effect of the little (4000 ft-lb) stuff, like the 375 H&H to the bigger stuff (5000 ft-lb) like the 470, etc. Though I have only used the Lott, the effect of the other big stuff like the 500 NE and the Gibbs at ~5800 ft-lb seems to give one another quantum leap as to its effect on game, though mostly I only presume this from second-hand reports like yours.

I think you need to step up to the 577 NE next time!

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
I think you need to step up to the 577 NE next time!

Know of one available for cheap?

Mike,

Great hunt. Those extra animals that are offered are just such beautiful surprises and 3 ele's is just amazing. This could ruin your future safaris.

Congrats!

Mark

The fellow who accompanied me was on his first safari. To your point, we spent some time around the campfire one night explaining to him that this was absolutely not typical, that similar good fortune should not be expected on any future safari, etc. We wanted to make sure that he understood that this was literally a case of positively being in the right place at the precise right time and an exceptional result by anyone's standards.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
I think you need to step up to the 577 NE next time!

Know of one available for cheap?

Here you go, Mike:
http://www.drake.net/Holland.600%2335698

Great hunt, by the way!

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
................................................- We ended up being in the right place at the right time and .......................

Congratulations on being in Zimbabwe at a time when some were fueling thier inherent fears with half-truths and false information! Thanks for trusting your chosen Hunting Outfitter and going!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

quote:

Originally posted by Andrew McLaren:

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
................................................- We ended up being in the right place at the right time and .......................

Congratulations on being in Zimbabwe at a time when some were fueling thier inherent fears with half-truths and false information! Thanks for trusting your chosen Hunting Outfitter and going!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

Agree, we can`t give up Zim just because of the political matter in the country, let`s go as hunters not as Politicians.

But you can take a stand and not deal with those that are or support Mugabe and the Zanu-PF.