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Originally posted by bwanamrm:
... full details in a few days

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So, tell me, is the old hunting camp gone? Did they tear it all down? I heard they were hunting out of the fishing camp instead. Is that why you were up in the fly camp?

How many people were in camp? I hear the volume is way down this year, but I'm starting to think they lost about 20 beds if they tore down the old huts, and try to stuff everybody into the fishing camp?

Who was your ph? Did you hunt with Ian? How were the provisions, and PLEASE eloborate on the tuskless hunt!

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Of particular interest are your observations regarding Zim and whether or not they had a negative effect (if any) on your safari. Thanks again. jorge

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Originally posted by bwanamrm:

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So, tell me, is the old hunting camp gone? Did they tear it all down? I heard they were hunting out of the fishing camp instead. Is that why you were up in the fly camp?

How many people were in camp? I hear the volume is way down this year, but I'm starting to think they lost about 20 beds if they tore down the old huts, and try to stuff everybody into the fishing camp?

Who was your ph? Did you hunt with Ian? How were the provisions, and PLEASE eloborate on the tuskless hunt!

The "old" Big 5 camp is gone and in its place Billy Rauttenbach is building a private lodge for his personal use. I don't know if Mwanja was the old fishing camp or not but I had all of Chewore North to myself! Just little old me!

Chifuti is putting alot of work into the Chewore North concession, opening a number of new roads and improving others to make the area more acessible for hunting. Ian commented some of the roads haven't been traveled for 10 years now.

The Fly Camps, one built at Mariatsoro Gorge and one approved by Parks to be built soon will give folks the option to stay in areas that are very productive but 2 or 3 hours from main camp. This also spreads the hunting pressure out from main camp and divides it more evenly across the concession.

I don't think volume is down at all... Chifuti has 140 clients hunting Sapi, Dande North and Chewore North this year. They are undershooting quotas in same areas on purpose but were still scheduled for 45 buff in Chewore and 65 in Dande North.

I hunted with Brent Leesmay who is a solid young PH and enjoyable to hunt with. He hunted quite abit for Buffalo Range before moving to Chifuti. Met Ian and Andy Hunter who had clients hunting leopard in the area after I left. Good guys all.

You should have good hunting late as dry conditions should concentrate animals around remaining water.

Will give details on tuskless hunt in hunt report to come.

Thanks to everyone for all the compliments on my trophies... I must admit, I underestimated the challenge of hunting leopard!

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Of particular interest are your observations regarding Zim and whether or not they had a negative effect (if any) on your safari. Thanks again. jorge

Jorge, Zim is Zim and things are still tough there for most folks. Fuel is still a big issue and the logistics of getting fuel into camps as well as food on a regualr basis is a huge headache. That said... camp was comfortable, food was adequate and except for scrounging for petrol for the boat on the last day of the hunt, things went smoothly for the most part. Once again I never felt threatened or unappreciated. Folks are resolved to make the best of a bad situation. Have to tip your hat to them.

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Did you see a lot of tuskless???

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russell,
great to meet you in cxamp ...its seldom that i have heard trackers and a ph boasting as much as yours were about their clients shooting ability ...i guess you pulled off some excellent shots amid some hard days of walking ...these are the rewards of practice and fitness...and thats what makes it for a ph ...well done on a set of awesome trophies ...