Hello all

Today was the first official hunting day on Humani, and I think it would be an understatement to say the 2007 season started with a bang. What a day it ended up being, with Captain Bob Kirwan of Cambridge, Maryland taking a super 160 pound leopard only a few hours into his hunt. Let me try and describe for you the sequence of events that led to the taking of that cat.

Captain Bob arrived yesterday with his hunting buddies Brent Sinclair and Rick. I have neglected to find out Rick’s surname which is unforgivable for a journalist. Sorry, I shall post it tomorrow. Anyhow, Captain Bob, Rick and Brent came to Humani to hunt leopard with Roger Whittall Safaris and PH’s Peter Wood, Lymon Chitimela and Guy Whittall. Also on this hunt is professional dog-handler Nico Lourens and cameraman Ryan Neil. Upon arriving in camp, the hunters were pleased to hear that there has been good leopard activity in the area. This was reported by PH Wood who had been doing pre-hunt groundwork and had placed several baits in likely spots. It was agreed upon that Captain Bob Lymon, and Guy would initially concentrate on leopard, whilst Rick and Pete went after buffalo. We don’t like to get in each other’s way when hunting here. Although this is highly unlikely when hunting 130 000 acres and having good coms between parties, we don’t like there to be any chance of it at all. As far as the leopard hunting goes, that is all irrelevant now, as Captain Bob’s cat is down and ‘in the salt’ as I write.


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Captain Bob Kirwan, Brent Sinclair and Guy Whittall with the Captain's superb leopard

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Some more team members


Before sunrise this morning, three hunting rigs moved out of Turgwe camp with one major objective: to locate fresh, large male leopard tracks. It wasn’t long before the Captain's team achieved this objective. Crossing the Turgwe River onto Bedford Block at first light, the hunters discovered leopard spoor – both relatively fresh and large. Calling Nico in on the radio, the dogs were soon put onto the spoor. Initially things did not go too smoothly – the spoor was not as fresh as suspected and it led away from the river into relatively open mopani country where the scent was weak. As Nico and his number one handler Marthiens spurred the strike dogs (April and Sammy) on, Lymon, Guy and trackers Jay and Nhamo did what they could to assist in keeping on the trail. This state of affirs lasted for one and a half hours until the spoor led the hunters back towards the Turgwe River. Down in the river valley, real confusion came about as the leopard crossed his own tracks from sometime before. Whilst the dogs worked this way and that uncertainly, the trackers fanned out to try and pick up the fresh spoor once more. A stroke of good fortune led Guy Whittall back to that spoor which led away from the river once more. This time the dogs took up the trail in earnest – it was much fresher now and the scent was heavy on the dew covered, riverine vegetation. Picking up momentum, April and Sammy were soon onto the cat in earnest and Nico released the support group comprising Tasha, Butch and Pepsi. The dogs were really hot at this stage, and trotting alongside them on one flank, Guy and tracker Jay came face to face with the leopard trying to depart the scene along a narrow game trail in the dense scrub! Guy, Jay and the leopard beat a hasty retreat, the cat giving a grunt as it went. Is it a grunt, that BO? Only a few minutes later, the dogs had the leopard treed in the fork of a large acacia tree, and shortly afterwards the hunters arrived on the scene. The leopard descended once but was quickly worked back into the tree by the dogs. The angle presented made it difficult to get a good look at the cat and the hunters worked their way cautiously and quietly into a better position. The different perspective made the men 100% sure that they had indeed treed the right cat and Captain Bob was given the go ahead. The Captain squeezed off a shot with his .375 H&H and 235 grains of Barnes triple shock struck the leopard solidly, a little far back but passing through the back of the lungs. The cat leaped from the tree and got into an almighty scuffle with the dogs in some seriously prohibitive lantana thorn scrub. The battle raged for a few minutes before Nico decided it was time for him to intervene, or to at least take a look. Crawling into the lantana with his shotgun, Nico assessed the situation for a full fifteen minutes, communicating with his incredible dogs the entire time. God knows what Nico really saw in there. In time, Nico decided to call it quits, lest one of his dogs be killed. Although the leopard would surely die from Captain Bob’s shot, there was no point in prolonging the affair, for the sake of the dogs and for the sake of the leopard. Nico crawled in closer, and when offered a clear shot, killed the leopard. It was over.



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Captain Bob and Guy Whittall with the cat

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What we commonly refer to as a 'horse' of a leopard

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Crossing the Turgwe en route to camp

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What a way to kick off the hunting season eh? Captain Bob Kirwan is not known as first day Bob for nothing. Yes, it has happened to Bob before, a couple of times with other cats. Throughout the chase, cameraman Ryan Neal was on the spot and he got some excellent footage. The hunt ended with the hunters crossing the Turgwe River on foot in order to reach camp, which was not too far from where the action went down. It was a most fitting end to the hunt, with tracker Jay carrying the brute leopard on his shoulders and the hunting dogs fanned out around that man as they forded the river together. When I spoke to those concerned earlier, all any of them could do was sing the praises of Nico’s highly proficient dog pack. I have no doubt that those dogs deserve every accolade.

This has been written in a hurry as I am off to camp now to join this hunt as a number two cameraman. Yes, my season has also started, thank the hunting Gods! I’m sure this write-up is full of mistakes and that there are things I’ve missed, but shall try to brush it up a bit at a later stage. Tomorrow, Pete, Rick, Brent, Nico, Ryan and the hounds will be after leopard, and Guy, Captain Bob, Lymon and I will try our luck with buffalo. I shall keep you posted…….

Dave

PS Jimmy is doing well...

Great story and pictures! Wow! That's a damn good leopard!

Dave,

Another Save toad! Congratulations to everyone.

Mark

What a great hunt and wonderful story and photos. Niely done.

Capt Bob,

Trophy of a lifetime great memories to look at from time to time...

Mike

Very nice.

Thanks for sharing! Great hunt and well told.

Keith

very nice leopard. Maybe humani will be a good choice for next year.

Gorgeous cat! Congrats to the Captain.

David, what camera do you use for stills? It takes marvelous photos.

Nice cat... should I be so lucky on the first day!

I talked to Nico several times at SCI and he is a very intense, very serious leopard hunter and a very impressive PH.

Thanks for the story David. Well done for all involved! Love the pics too!

John

DAY TWO

Thank you all for your comments.

Before I get into day two, a word about yesterday's report. As I mentioned, it was a bit of a rushed report and not done exactly as I would have liked. My one major blunder was that I neglected to emphasize the role that professional hunter Lymon Chitimela played in the taking of the leopard. Lymon has a great understanding of leopard hunting and was present throughout yesterday's action, his input considerable. Lymon will be hunting with Captain Bob's team throughout this fourteen day hunt. We have also been promised the company of our very own Mr Roger Whittall himself, for a couple of days when his hectic workload allows. We are all looking forward to hunting with this African hunting legend, if only for a short while. Still regarding yesterday's report, Rick's full name is Rick Rice.

Well, I officially joined the hunt early this morning, riding with Captain Bob's team initially, and moving onto Rick's team later in the day. I have been signed on as a number two cameraman, which suits me 100%. I couldn't care if I was on the team as a water bearer, I just need to hunt!
Anyway, we did not concentrate specifically on buffalo as I mentioned we probably would - we left camp this morning with open minds. Everyone's primary objective right now is to get a good leopard for Rick, and we headed out in opposite directions before dawn, to check baits and seek out promising spoor. Everyone struck out, and by 8 a.m. we received the information that Pete and Rick were tracking some buffalo on Bedford Block. 8 a.m. is already too late to put hounds on leopard spoor, and the hunters grasped the opportunity when they chanced upon the fresh buff tracks. Whilst Rick, Pete and co tracked the buffalo, we enjoyed a very pleasant drive around Humani proper, through an area known as Jurus which is teeming with plainsgame. Although we saw a heap of game, we are biding our time for there is no rush. Captain Bob took a couple of impala baits for Rick, and whilst we trundled back to camp for lunch, Pete radiod to let us know that Rick had taken an excellent buffalo bull.



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Rick and his bull



Over lunch, we got the rundown from Rick and Pete, and watched the great footage that Ryan managed to capture. As mentioned, Rick's team had got onto the spoor of a small herd (roughly 15) at about 8 a.m. In that herd was a bull that left a sizeable imprint. The buff had been scared by some lions on the Turgwe and were moving fairly fast. The trail led the hunters away from the river and into a vast fever tree forest, which is one of Bedford's many scenic attractions. The tracking session lasted approximately one and a half hours, and then the hunters came up on the herd. The buffalo were strung out and moving through the trees across the hunters' front. They were walking purposefully, but the wind was okay and they were not unduly alarmed. The men assumed the buff were still trying to put as much distance between themselves and the lions as possible. What they didn't realize was that this was a splinter group and they were en route to joining up with a much larger herd which was not far off. That was only made known when the action began and the bigger herd bombshelled. Anyhow, As the buffalo passed by, Pete scanned them thoroughly until he saw what he was looking for. The bovines had no intention of stopping and so Pete brought them to a halt with a low whistle. Broadside on they stood, at about 60 yards, the targeted bull slightly angled towards the hunters with kill zone unobstructed. Rick was already up on the sticks and did not hesitate, letting drive and striking the intended point, where neck meets shoulder. The slug exited the far shoulder and the bull blundered off with its buddies into the trees. Rick employed the infamous Texas heart shot, and perfectly spined, the bull collapsed like a felled heavyweight boxer. It was a brilliant display of heavy calibre offhand marksmanship - the shot about eighty yards and many trees for the bullet to negotiate its way between. An insurance shot and it was done. The bull measured 40 inches with 15 inch bosses and a typically huge Humani torso.

This afternoon we placed a number of leopard baits in likely areas and we are hoping for a good hit tonight. Relevant toasts were made over dinner this evening. We are doing well, with two wonderful trophies taken in two days. Although everyone present has plenty of hunting experience and we understand that anything could happen during the next twelve days, we are not so quietly optimistic!

I believe that tomorrow is going to be another fantastic day. I shall keep you posted.

Tyge, thanks for the compliment re the pictures. I use a panasonic FZ20 - nothing fancy but sturdy, affordable and easy to use. I simply point it in the general direction and it does the rest! BTW, I only took a few of the above pictures.

David, Thank you once again for sharing this great experience. It is as though we are back in camp awaiting the news of the day. Quite the pity the aromas aren't the same.

May the magic unfold and the recipients be humble.

Good show David! Continued success in the following days. LDK

WOW!!! What a magnificient leopard!
Thanks for sharing pictures and story.. Nice buff as well..

quote:

Nico decided to call it quits, lest one of his dogs be killed. Although the leopard would surely die from Captain Bob’s shot, there was no point in prolonging the affair, for the sake of the dogs and for the sake of the leopard. Nico crawled in closer, and when offered a clear shot killed the leopard. It was over.

Trophy of A lifetime and a great story to bad that Cpt. Bob didn't kill the leopard. If it was my hunt Nico would have a nice rug and we would be hunting for my leopard today.

DR B

DR B,
I agree!!

David-Should not there be a day three report here somewhere right about now? Don't keep us waiting....

Great leopard and buffalo! Those are some fine trophies anyone would love to have on their wall. Sounds like there was a good degree of marksmanship involved in the taking of each of the animals. Nice shooting!

DR B/Wolfgar

The circumstances were such that a decision was made and carried out. It was not ideal but it was necessary. Nico was asked to finish the leopard to lessen the chance of injury to the dogs and to put an end to the leopard's suffering. Captain Bob asked Nico to do this. Nico was the best man for the job and was extremely brave to do it. The leopard was in very dense lantana thorn and anyone who knows lantana and wounded leopards knows that the situation was a potentially dangerous one. The right decision was made and everyone was happy about it. If Captain Bob had said that Nico could only kill the leopard if he took the trophy and he (Captain Bob) could take another leopard, we would have made a plan and accomodated his request. I know Nico would have been happy to pay for the leopard trophy if it meant saving even one of his amazing dogs. And we would have been happy to organize another leopard for our unsatisfied client, which we would be able to do as we always undershoot our leopard quota. I'm sorry you feel the way you do, but we all feel that the right decision was made. Fortunately, the same scenario didn't arise again today when we took our second 150+ pound leopard, on day 4 of the hunt. I hope you enjoy the write-up which I'll post in due course. BTW, Captain Bob is as happy with his trophy as I've ever seen a hunter. He has much experience with hounds and made it known from the start that the dogs' safety was priority number one. We have accounted for two huge leopards in 4 days and not one hound was injured. That is just as it should be.

Dave

Sorry, I knew there had to be a blunder - it is very late here and I am very tired. I know it is Captain Bob not Doctor Bob, I'm half asleep and apologize. I must have been confused by Dr B's post! I've rectified the error. Day 3 coming up and I'm still trying to finish off day 4 which was thrilling, to say the least.

Day Three


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Morning!!! Tracker Isaac roused us at 4 a.m. and he sounded enthusiastic, as always. It took me a few seconds to orientate myself and then I was wide awake and dressing. It is not very difficult to get myself going on a hunting day.

Coffee was gulped by the cupful and 30 minutes later we were on the road. Obviously, our primary objective remains Rick’s leopard, and we were determined to put in the hours this morning. The plan remained basically as it was the previous day – Rick and Pete would work the Humani side of the river, whilst the other two trucks worked Bedford. The Captain’s team was to cover the top end of Bedford, and Nico’s team would concentrate on the area between the drift and the Save River. The Turgwe is effectively baited on both sides for a long stretch – we are looking for another large river leopard like Captain Bob’s fine specimen.

As with the previous day, we didn’t come upon anything promising enough to even contemplate following. Until about 7.30 that is, when a gamescout reported a leopard spoor sighting. All converged on the loc-stat as fast as possible, to assess the situation. We were already running late – it gets hot early at this time of the year. The spoor appeared promising and the strike dogs were put down. Various handlers, trackers and PH’s spent a good hour scouting about the vicinity, trying to make sense of the erratic jumble of spoor – that of the leopard and that of many, many other animals. As the team set about their work, Roger Whittall arrived on the scene. He had decided to take time out and join us for the day’s hunting. Needless to say, his input was invaluable. In time, it was realized that the scenario was a long shot and last ditch efforts were made to pick up a fresh trail leading from the river. Eventually it was determined that the tracks were not as fresh as initially assumed and Nico called the operation off. All were confused – dogs and people and it is never a good idea to try and follow up when uncertainty prevails. What is needed is a definite point from where the dogs can confidently progress, and that point could not be located in this instance. All was not lost, however, as a gamescout reported seeing two dagga boy buffalo bulls, when scouting about upstream for leopard tracks. Roger joined the Captain’s team and they headed off to investigate the buff sighting, whilst Rick’s crew went in search of a zebra, to replenish our baits and provide a rug for Rick’s home. Leopards cannot resist zebra meat and zebra hides make fine rugs. Though the buffalo hunters lucked out in dense lantana thorn scrub and shifting wind, Rick connected with a zebra, or two.

Rick, Pete, Isaac, Rindai and I made our way towards the top end of Bedford, across the main road and up to the Mokore River. This is a good plainsgame area and is usually teeming with zebra and wildebeest. Of course, since we were looking for zebra, it was only teeming with wildebeest on today! Such is hunting. Rick took a bait impala ram with a fine shot (through stick whilst seated on the ground), but two hours later we were still doing the zebra rounds and running out of steam. It was midday and hot by the time we spotted zebra far off through the trees. Isaac drove the vehicle away and we began an approach, cutting an angle and trying to work with the wind. The zebra spooked and cantered off deeper into the bush. We plugged away, picking up their tracks and moving on those tracks at pace. After a couple of kilometers, we sort of gave up but decided to walk a different route back, hoping to bump another herd along the way. Not fifteen minutes later, this is exactly what happened and we found ourselves in a favorable position with a small herd walking obliviously across our front at about 60 yards. Though the zebra were behind bush, they were headed towards a small clearing and Rick prepared himself for action. First to step out into the clearing was a stallion and Pete gave Rick the go ahead. Bobbing its head jerkily, the stallion walked out into the clearing and stopped, presenting a perfect opportunity. Rick’s .270 Winchester talked and the stallion buckled, before galloping off into cover. There were a number of zebra bomb-shelling in different directions, and from the small thicket that the stallion disappeared into, exited another zebra at full tilt. All of us assumed it was the stallion – the timing and angle were all perfect. Rick once again employed the Texas heart shot exquisitely and the target nosedived in a large puff of dust. There was back-slapping and laughter until we realized that the dead zebra was a mare, and that the stallion lay stone dead about 20 metres off. Then there was even more back-slapping and laughter! A double duba (zebra) for Rick! Sure, a little mistake has been made, but it is certainly not an issue. We have thousands of zebras here and now Rick has two rugs!

Later in the afternoon, we replenished baits and kept our eyes open for exceptional plainsgame trophies. We kept our eyes open, but it is obvious that nobody is going to think of much else until we get a leopard for Rick. There was much positive talk over dinner about tomorrow morning. We know we are going to connect with another large leopard soon – there are many leopards in this area and it’s only a matter of time. We don’t want to hang about waiting though – conditions are ideal and leopard hunting can be extremely difficult when they are not. Ask me, I have accompanied many leopard hunts in my time, with dogs and otherwise. I have seen great cats procured and I have seen failure and disappointment. There is a fine line between good and bad leopard hunting conditions and we want to get Rick’s leopard down whilst we are running hot, early on in this hunt. We retire early. We need to be fresh and alert in the morning.

Hello David,
After reading your reply to my comments, I will have to agree with you! As long as everyone was in agreement, then who could argue with the plan.
Personally, I couldn't bear it if my PH finished off the cat for me....but that's just my thoughts on this.
Thanks for the posts, and I look foreward to reading about the other cats!

David,

Great write up as usual. I think so that folks don't get the wrong impression a litte clarification is in order on the wounded leopard. On Humani you may do it a litte differently but in most cases a wounded leopard needs to be paid for if even a drop of blood is found. Also the PH may decide to follow up a wounded leopard alone so he can concentrate on the leopard and not protecting the client. You'll still have to pay for the leopard if the PH finishes it off. After all the client's shooting created the problem.

Mark

Hello there

I am very sorry, but I have run out of steam and can't get day 4 as I want it right now. I shall take a couple of hours off hunting and post the story tomorrow. In the meantime, I am posting some photos from the day. Believe me when I say it was an action-packed day!

Goodnight
Dave


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Sorry - poor photo taken after dark, will get better ones in the morning

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Hello Wolfgar

Thanks for the note. Each situation is different, and though nobody wants to finish someone else's animal, somtimes it needs to be done. Mark Young got it 100% right and everyone should know these things before they book a leopard hunt. Safety comes first. Thanks for clarifying that Mark - it is eactly how we do it.

Really goodnight now, hope you guys enjoy the pictures

Dave

Thanks for your words David, you are a gentelman, while I was being a wise ass!
That cat is HUGE! What did he weigh?

David,
I can't help but think that these posts of yours and your stories are doing a tremendous amount of good for Roger Whittall Safaris. I am enjoying your work very much, thanks.

Wonderful report. Great cat!

SBT,

I have hunted with Roger Whittall Safaris and I know David well. Hell, we stood a for real elephant charge together - and I had a rifle! No better folks anywhere doing anything. Just a first rate operation with first rate people, and David is a great guy.

Take what reports and stories you are priveledged to receive as great stories from an emthusiastic hunter and journalist. That is what David is, 100%.

JPK

DAY FOUR

Day four dawned as it always does over the Turgwe River – with unparalleled raw splendor. For various reasons, we left camp 30 minutes later than usual and the scarlet smudge of dawn already capped the eastern mountains as we drove the river road, down towards the drift. I was riding the Captain’s rig which was the last to depart camp. At the main road junction, we came across Rick and Pete parked by the roadside. It turned out that a leopard had hit one of Pete’s baits the night before, and that they were waiting for the light to strengthen before making a spoor assessment. We too decided to wait.

Fifteen minutes later, Pete and Isaac confirmed that the leopard was a big male and Nico was summoned on the radio. At about the same time, a leopard was heard grunting from a kopje not far off. The build-up was electric and I was almost quivering with excitement. Once Nico, Marthiens and the dogs arrived, it was all systems go, with the strike dogs wasting no time and moving quickly on the trail. The leopard’s route took us back to the road, the large pugmarks distinct in the soft gravel. I knew that this was it, and then a spanner was thrown in the works. Although hunting curveballs frustrate us so much at the time, when we reflect I think we are all able to agree that that is what it’s all about. It would be much less fun if there wasn’t an occasional kink in the road, the odd blind-rise, don’t you think? Anyway, this curveball comes in the form of a female leopard, which teamed up with the male at some stage during the night. The spoor was this way and that and Nico called Marthiens and the strike dogs back, so that he could thoroughly appraise the situation and formulate a gameplan. Enough cannot be said about the professionalism of these dog handlers and their dogs. When Nico or Marthiens summon them, the dogs come in, no matter how hot the trail they are on. The communication and understanding between these men and the hounds is absolutely mind-boggling. Hanging around close to Nico throughout the time of temporary confusion, I was witness to this extraordinary relationship, with Nico keeping us regularly updated as to what the hounds were saying and doing! As stated, mind-boggling. I have nothing but praise for this team – they are thoroughly professional in all respects and highly competent.

It turns out to be just as well that Nico called in his strike dogs, because tracks subsequently indicated that they were onto the female. As the trackers worked the roadside trying to pick up a point on the male’s trail from which the dogs could work, a leopard grunted again, from the same kopje as earlier. It grunted from the direction the dogs were initially headed, and after conferring, Nico and Pete were in doubt that the vocal cat was the female. Shortly afterwards, this was confirmed 100% when Jay the tracker found the male’s spoor heading off in the opposite direction, into dense bush, back down towards the river. All of this did not take very long – 30 minutes max – and then April and Sammy were onto the male in a big way, moving fast into the thick stuff. PH Wood, Marthiens and trackers Isaac and Rindai disappeared into the scrub after the dogs and were soon swallowed up and out of sight. Although they obviously didn’t move as fast as the dogs, they were just as determined and Pete’s shredded legs would later tell the tale fairly effectively! Though the rest of us followed at a more sedate pace, we still had a hard time negotiating the clinging riverine. But that was the difference you see – we were actually negotiating whilst negotiation was far from the minds of the forward runners. Striding along in single file behind Nico, we were kept up to scratch (no pun intended!) as Marthiens and the dogs informed the boss of progress. It was not long before Marthiens told Nico that April and Sammy were onto the leopard – really onto it and needing support. David the number two handler and PH Lymon released the back-up dogs and they streaked in to lend their support. The dogs bayed the cat for a few minutes in a large sausage tree (kigilia africana) and we moved in as fast as possible, Rick at Nico’s shoulder, rifle gripped firmly. Just as we arrived on the scene and hooked up with Pete and Marthiens, the leopard emitted a spine-tingling snarl and flashed from the tree, evaporating into the lantana. The dogs were onto it again in seconds and forced it up into another tree. We moved in purposefully but quietly, keeping low and no longer feeling the thorns tearing our flesh. The situation was far too exciting for pain or discomfort to enter the equation! Led in by Pete and Nico, we sneaked in as close as possible, adrenaline pounding. Though the leopard was no further than thirty yards from us, it still took the hunters a little time to pick it out, flattened out on a limb and growling at the dogs below. Nico pointed the cat out to Rick and two seconds later, Nick shot it perfectly through the shoulders. The leopard dropped from the tree like a sack of potatoes and was dead before it hit the ground. Rick Rice is an incredible rifle shot – though the shot was hardly a long one, there was much brush and stick to contend with and Rick placed his bullet impeccably.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGWE!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGWE!!!!! The cries echoed through the bush as the trackers and handlers let it be known that the cat was down and out. Jubilation ensued, with Rick receiving almost as much praise as the dogs. What an amazing pack of hounds this is. Within the space of 4 days they have brought two big leopards to book and not one of them suffered a scratch. And it’s not as if they’ve held off at all – both encounters involved baying the cat for extended periods in seriously prohibitive bush. This is a smoking hot unit, perfectly synchronized. Nico Lourens says that it is all about control – if a handler has complete control of his hounds, mistakes and injury are kept to a minimum.

As a result of this hunt, I intend to write a very pro dog hunting article in the near future. I have been meaning to do this for a long time, as I know that dog hunting has received a bad rap from uninformed writers in recent times. I believe it is important for people to understand the truth about hunting leopard with hounds and I am determined to do my bit as far as that is concerned. To say that I was impressed by the way operations were carried out on these two leopard hunts would be a gross understatement. I have received a real education, of that there is no doubt. I hope to hunt again with Nico, Marthiens and their awesome pack, but I know that it will not happen again until next year. We have finished dog hunting on Humani for 2007 and we wrapped it up in 4 days. The rest of our leopard quota will probably be taken from blinds. We have accounted for 2 huge river cats that have eluded hunters for some time, and that, as you well know, is a very good thing. More males will now move into those territories. Control is what it is all about.


Late in the evening of day 4, Captain Bob and his crew placed a sweet cherry on proceedings by taking a great dagga boy at last light. After an hour long follow-up through mopani forest away from the river, the hunters came up on two dagga boys along a wending little sand tributary of the Turgwe. The captain made an excellent lung shot on one of the bulls and, mortally hit, it did not go far before stopping. Whilst following up, all that concerned the hunters was the waning light. Fortunately, they were able to espy the bull before darkness descended completely, and the Captain administered a flawless coup de grace. I was not there when the Captain took his bull and still need to brush up on a few details, but apparently it all went like clockwork. We are a really content group of hunters right now and who wouldn’t be? Today is the fifth day and we have taken two typically hefty Humani dagga boys and two fantastic leopards. All is well at Turgwe Camp and we are looking forward to more exciting hunting in the 10 days to come. I have no doubt that we shall procure some excellent plainsgame trophies during that time. I shall keep you posted.


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The Captain's 'bruiser' dagga boy


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Two grizzled dagga boys



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Captain Bob and Brent Sinclair rubbing up our orphaned rhino Jimmy the right way



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Oh no, he's not going to beat me up again is he?

Thanks for the encouraging comments everyone. My apologies for the hurried and tatty posts, but I am hunting full time and writing when I get a chance. I shall brush them up at some stage after the hunt.

JPK, thanks for the thumbs up. However, it is me that should be singing your praises, as it was you that saved my life! You and I know the story eh? We all hope to hunt with you again one day soon. I have been meaning to write to you and will do so soon.

Cheers
Dave

I have hunted twice with Roger and took a 154 lb. tom. My buddy took a 184 lb. tom on one of my baits two days later. After 5 safaris in three countries, I can tell you they don't get much better than the Save River country and Roger and his bunch. Turgwe Camp is what African dreams are made of! If you like bushbuck, Humani is the place. I took a 17"+ and missed one bigger. Don't have enough room to say all the good things about this place and the great people. I'll be back!!!!

Good day

Lunchtime, Day 6

I was going through day four's post last night and saw how badly it was done. I'm sorry - writing is not priority 1 at this point in time! Anyhow, I have brushed it up a little and got the tenses right this time, I think. On to the hunt.....

Day five was a very relaxed day, as has been day six, so far. We have been scouting about all over Humani - driving and walking - and have seen a lot of game, but nothing has been taken since the last leopard. It is a good thing - everyone is having a wind down after all the excitement. There is still work to be done but there is now plenty of time at our disposal. Advised by his PH's, the Captain turned down several kudu bulls yesterday evening, and Rick did the same this morning. The biggest seen by Pete and Rick was about 54 inches and they are holding out for something better. In Pete's words - 'that is a second last day bull!' Rick has also passed up a couple of decent waterbuck bulls. We haven't seen a really great bushbuck yet, but it is bound to happen at any time. This morning I hunted with Pete and Rick, and we spotted two kudu bulls sparring at a waterhole. The fight had everything to do with a small herd of young girls that were hanging around close by. It was a grand sighting and I managed to get it all on video. We also saw a python whilst walking through the bush. It was not overly large, probably about eight foot. I must head off back to camp now, I'm sure things are going to hot up again sometime soon.

An aside: Two buffalo and two leopard have just become available here in the Save Conservancy. Another operator who we sometimes deal with has had a big cancellation. If anyone is interested in hunting one or more of these animals, please email me or send a private message and I'll give you more details. The deal is very reasonable and I think it's a great opportunity. The area is A1 and there would also be plainsgame available.

Cheers,
Dave

I enjoyed a super afternoon hunting with Rick Rice, PH Peter Wood and tracker Isaac. Getting the wind just right, we walked a fair distance throught the remarkable block of land that is known as Bedford. Starting at a point close to the middle of Bedford, we worked our way through fever tree and mopani forest down towards the Save/Turgwe junction. Along the way, we surprised a massive waterbuck (Pete reckons 30" plus), and that buck played cat and mouse with us till sundown. Three times we bumped the buck, and three times he gave us the slip. We were treated to a remarkable display of tracking by Isaac and Pete, over hard, grass-covered and imprint unreceptive earth. It was quite a spectacle I must say.

An inquistive young elephant bull disturbed the tracking session later on this evening, and I managed to get some cool footage of the hunters in the foreground and the elephant in the background with ears splayed. Time ultimately called the shots and we were forced to abandon pursuit of the waterbuck at sundown. We shall be taking up where we left off early tomorrow morning and I just know we are going to get this buck. He is a very worthy specimen and well worth the effort. We could go out and find another, but we are all determined to get this particular trophy.

The Captain and his team got onto some kudu bulls once again, and the Captain very nearly took one of them. Circumstance dictated, however, and a shot was not taken. We shall see what the morrow brings on the kudu/waterbuck front.

Goodnight. I don't know about any of you, but I am going to sleep well. I shall send you some more pictures tomorrow - just general photos of the camp and area, and maybe a trophy pic or two, depending on how the day pans out...

David,
What was the weight of the second Leopard, he is huge!

Wolfgar

Sorry I didn't respond to the question the first time. The second leopard weighed in at 155 pounds - a little less than the first one. It was stockier but shorter than the Captain's cat. I shall be posting an update in about one hour. We are all having a great time.

Dave

David, thanks for the reply. The second cat looks bigger! I look foreward to your update.
Which area are you hunting in? I killed mine in West Nick

DAY EIGHT


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Hello Again


We have been hunting fairly hard the past couple of days – starting to build up momentum again. Whilst the captain’s crew has been working the Humani side of the river (south), Rick, Pete and company have spent all their time on Bedford, searching for the monster waterbuck and keeping an eye out for a good kudu or bushbuck. Frustratingly, the waterbuck in question has remained elusive and the plan is to hunt another area tomorrow.

I have spent most of the time with the waterbuck hunters, whilst Ryan Neal has been the journalist on the Captain’s truck. Pete Wood and tracker Rindai have kept Rick and me on the move and we have covered a lot of ground. We have been working a rugged chunk of land close to the Save/Turgwe junction mostly, with a couple of forays up the Turgwe today. The bush is super dense due to the late rains and nowhere is it denser than in the area we have been hunting. It makes it challenging and that is good.

The waterbuck ended up leading us on a merry chase for what eventually amounted to almost 3 full hunting days. This buck resides in a particular area, and as we worked that area over thoroughly, we came across his tracks often. We never did see him again though, since the last sighting on the afternoon of day 6. I guess he didn’t become a monster by being blasé. We spent about 4 hours in a giant jackal berry tree yesterday afternoon, in a location which the bull’s tracks crisscross and which he appears to frequent often. No joy but plenty of discomfort for Rick and me. PH Wood and Rindai seemed to be in their element (natural habitat!). Wood in the woods. Anyway, the ambush was in vain and after a short skirmish about the vicinity this morning we decided to give the buck a break for a couple of days and go walk the Turgwe in search of a kudu or bushbuck, or giant waterbuck bull….

The walk yielded no trophies but we saw a fair amount of game and almost took a kudu bull once again. As was the first bull we turned down, this bull was about 53 or 54 inches. It was a difficult decision to make, but we still have a week’s hunting time remaining and are holding out for something bigger. The kudu are in rut at the moment and the bull we got the drop on was a most impressive specimen – in his prime with wide-splayed horns and a heavily engorged neck. He was feeding off some scrub not forty yards from us – senses dulled and defenses lowered because of girls on the brain. Many of us know what that’s all about, right? It was very tempting but temptation was resisted and after a few minutes enjoying the spectacle, the bull noticed our presence and disappeared into the bush, barking loudly as he went. Rick gave a wry smile. Heading back to camp at lunchtime, we came across a 35 pound lone elephant bull and got some good footage and pictures. I have not yet downloaded the elephant pictures but will post them soon.

We saw two more kudu bulls this afternoon, but both were smaller than the one seen this morning. We also spotted a couple of bushbuck rams but one had a broken horn and the other was a spiky. Other game seen included nyala cows and a magnificent bull, waterbuck cows and young bulls, several female bushbuck, and the usual wildebeest, zebra, impala and kudu cows. Driving slowly through Bedford this evening, we came upon a herd of approximately 80 buffalo, wallowing in a pan close to the roadside.

Captain Bob, Lymon and Guy have turned also turned down kudu bulls – a few more than us actually. As they tell it, most have been between 50 and 53 inches. By turning down these bulls we are not trying to suggest that a 52/53/54 inch kudu is not good enough. No way – a 50 inch kudu is a fine bull and we all know that. The thing is that the Captain and Rick are only after a few select plainsgame trophies and we are all striving to get them the best trophies possible. As stated, we have time. We don’t want to leave things too late, but believe that there is still no need to rush events. Essentially, we have 2 kudu, 1 bushbuck, 1 waterbuck and 1 warthog to account for, and we have one week to achieve this.

This morning, Lymon and Guy took the Captain to a very special gomo (kopje) on Humani known as Chifanurgwe. This kopje is the highest on Humani and is held dear by the Whittall family for a number of reasons. When James Whittall (Roger’s father) passed away, the entire Whittall clan (dozens of them) ascended this kopje to honor that man. Walking around the base of the Chifanurgwe, the hunters came across a large kudu bull with a most impressive rank. Captain Bob turned that kudu down, not his PH’s. Everyone was somewhat confused as it was pointed out to the Captain that the bull was a fine specimen – probably the best seen so far. I guess the Captain has his own reasons for turning that bull down. He did mention to me this evening that it was eerily quiet around Chifanurgwe Kopje…..

From Chifanurgwe, the Captain’s crew drove to the Jurus plains to seek out a zebra for their skipper. Bumbling around the acacia sprinkled grasslands for a while, it was not long before the hunters bumped into a small herd of zebra and initiated a stalk. The stalk became prolonged as the wind was jinxing about a bit and the zebra were on the move, alerted to the presence of pursuers. Eventually the Captain took a very long shot at a stallion – about 200 yards. The stallion raced off over the open ground and collapsed stone dead after about 30 yards. It was a great shot and all present were suitably impressed.



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When I joined this hunt on the second day, I signed up as the number two cameraman. Grateful thanks to the Captain and Rick who have since elevated my status to hunting journal writer/producer. Now I am truly in my element….

I hope you are all having a good day

Dave