Ladies and Gentlemen,
I arrived home last night around 7:00 p.m. from a ten day hunt with Buzz Charlton and Peter Barnard in the Hammond and Mkwusine blocks of the Save Conservancy. Had a great hunt. Lots of big kudu, eland, zebra etc. and a freebie buff thrown in for good measure. The Save is a real success story and even though poaching is rampant on the borders and a few squatters are in different blocks, the hunting is still excellent. Members of my group saw the "Big Five"! Lots of ele, big herds of buff, black rhino, lions and a leopard crossing the Mkwusine River late one afternoon were highlights of the trip. We took all the game we wanted with the exception of my Dad's bushbuck and warthog but he had his chances. Will post pictures and full details later.

By the way KLM wasn't much better than SAA in my opinion. We had a delayed flight on the trip over, got rerouted through Newark and then Paris, yes Paris, then Jo'burg through to Harare. Missed our overnight at Afton House but made the charter to the Conservancy with minutes to spare! Lost a bag in the process and didn't recover it until Day 6. Lost baggage seems to be rampant from the reports I was hearing so be sure and take a change of clothes in your carry-on!

Got a verbal report from Buzz that ErikD says "hello" and is having a great hunt for elephant!

BillC: Hope your excited chappie, you're next!
Buzz is at home for the next seven or eight days so you can track him down. Will pm you.

Will and 500 Grains are also in the mix for later this summer! I think all will have excellent hunts. Buzz is truly "top of the line" in my opinion.

Cheers all!

Welcome back -- it sounds like a great trip.

I look forward to your pictures.

Hi Russell - welcome back, man the time flies. Looking forward to chatting, and seeing some picts of the hunt. Bill

Bwana MRM,

Congratulations,

Cannot wait to see the pictures. Sorry about your experience on KLM. Scary considering my routing to Tanzania. Thanks for the heads up. Hugh

Welcome back. Congrats on a great hunt!

Let's see some photos.

Tim

Can't wait for the details and pics, MRM. You're a lucky man, I don't think I'll get my dad back to Africa.

Sounds like a great hunt!

Lets see those pics!

Regards,
Dave

bwana,

Welcome back!

Please tell us the details. What's up with the free buff? Can't beat that!

All right Gentlemen,
Let's start off with the story of the freebie buffalo! My first-time African hunting buddy, John Hoffman and his PH Peter Barnard stumbled across this old buffalo bull down on the Mkwusine River in the Mkwusine Block on the third day of their hunt. They could tell the old boy was in bad shape, very thin and his scrotum was in shreds and bleeding badly. But being good boys and not having permission to shoot the bull they passed and reported him to George Hulme, Manager for the Hammond and Mkwusine Blocks. Of course they got the "green light" because the bull was in a really bad way but finding the bull again on one million acres or him not dying in the bush on his own made it impractical to hope to catch up with him.

On day 5, John and I are hunting with Peter while Buzz and my Dad try for a big kudu. In fact, we had seen a big bull kudu in the same place for three consecutive days so Buzz had built a leopard blind on the river near the kudu's hangout to ambush him. We cross the river about 300 yards from their blind intent on easing past them and to the far backside of the block to hunt bushbuck. As we cross the river, we spot an old dugga boy lying in a pool of water about 150 yards from us.

Peter slams on the brakes, grabs his binos and looks at the bull. Immediately he grabs his rifle and John by the collar and drags them both out of the 'cruiser. He hands me his .416 and tells me to back John up and off we go! John had my .375 with one of my two solids up the spout and using the river cane for cover we quickly close the distance to 50 yards.

Well, the commotion has the bull up and coming toward us at around forty yards. John is on the sticks, asking me where do I shoot him? Since the bull is at a hard quartering angle, I half shout, half whisper..."just under the chin, John, just under the chin"...about that time the bull decides to heck with us and turns broadside to head for the bank when John takes him on the shoulder. The bull doesn't go down and heads for the bank so I shoot him with Peter's .416 taking him through the shoulder again. The bull makes it two steps and rolls back down the embankment into the pool of water and lets out that mournful bellow until his head sinks down into the water.

Everyone is excited. Peter is ecstatic, John is overwhelmed with his first buff and I'm thinking "man, all that fun and it's on the house!"

As you can tell by the picture the old boy was in bad shape, skin and bones and suffering. He was around 34" with decent bosses, maybe 13" But he was fun...and free!

Oh and the kudu hunters? Well we messed them up for the afternoon but you can always shoot kudu!

quote:

But he was fun...and free!

Can't beat that with a stick.

Good story and nice picture.

Not much in hunting is more rewarding to me than taking grand old animal whose time is winding short. Congrats on the buff.

Congratulations on your safari.

Did you get to keep the buff trophy?

Great story, and nice looking rifle. What is it?

NitroX:
Unfortunately for John, since he was considered a PAC bull, he was nonexportable so he will have the pictures and the memories of the hunt for his 1st buff trophy.

500 Grains:
The gun is a .375 H&H built on a Brno 602 action by Searcy before he started building really expensive bolt action guns. I've mounted a Zeiss 3x9 on it in Warne rings. It's been a great rifle and accounted for alot of African game.

bwana,

Good job done quickly and nicely.

Best to take the old ones when it's their time.

Nice price, too!

Congrats!