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In setting up this trip with CMS / Buzz Charlton a while back ( I guess I first started talking to Buzz some 3 years back ) the real goal for me was a 'character' dagga boy buff. In fact, my perfect buff would be an ancient, scrum cap bull, on his own at a wallow and into his last winter. We would hunt dagga boys - lone bulls, twos, threes and groups of four and five.

In our search and planning for an old dagga boy, Buzz recommend two weeks before departure that we switch camps and hunt out of the Matombo River Camp, as this seemed to be where most of the dagga boys were being seen, in and around the rural / communal villages. Buzz seemed a bit worried about the heat - even to the point that he said he would bring his kids blow up paddling pool but although it was hot and in the very high 30s most days we all managed well and the pool was not needed.

Other important goals for us would be some fast, flighting sandgrouse / dove shooting in the late afternoons and early evenings at water pans for both Anja and myself as well as some 'down time' fly fishing for tigers, bream and other fresh water fish, putting a good bend in my 4 weight Sage rod.

Throw in some good food and wines and evenings by a fire under the stars with great company and it had the makings of the perfect African Cape Buffalo safari.

Putting together the rifles and rods for this trip, I opted for

- an open sight CZ 550 Mag in .416 Rigby shooting 400 grain Norma African PH Woodleigh softs and solids in the hope of getting up close and personal

- a Krieghoff .375 double topped with a Zeiss glass shooting Norma 300 grain African PH softs and solids (my work rifle for most things African)

- a CZ .30-06 with a 12x52 scope shooting taxidermy friendly 150 grain Norma solids, hopefully for small cats and small antelope ( time or luck permitting we would try for a grysbok, a honey badger and some of the small cats - genet, civet etc over a bait in the evenings)

- a 12 bore Browning 325 Sporter and a 20 bore Browning 425

- a Dave Lewis built 4 weight 3 piece Sage flyrod coupled with an Orvis Battenkill reel

- and for extra kicks a 1 weight Orvis Superfine Touch with a Hardy Featherlite reel for some (hopefully) exciting really light tackle tilapia and bream !

and a couple of boxes of home tied flies.

We booked our travel ourselves direct with SAA - Lagos, Joburg, Vic Falls and then -through CMS - a charter into camp from the Falls and a drive back to Harare at the end. We would spend a couple of days at the Vic Falls Hotel seeing the sights, swimming in Devil's Pool and a half day white water rafting down the Zambezi! The Vic Falls activities were arranged by Yvonne Jandlers of Routes Through Africa - she ran A&K in Zim for 14 years and then set up alone when A&K closed operations in the country. She was amazing and planned and executed everything perfectly for us!

SAA touched down on time and we were through Health, Immigration and Weapons License in 30 minutes. I thought it was great how the Gun Licensing Officers perfectly recited the entitlement to possess the stated firearms and ammunition finishing off by saying "and it is not illegal to tip us for processing your documents!" The two of them were so helpful, quick and uncomplicated that I was happy to give them a small tip. Priceless!

The Vic Falls Hotel ( I last stayed 23 years ago ) was everything it promised to be, steeped in history, old world charm, pictures and game trophies, great views, very comfortable rooms, good food and even David, who patrols the grounds armed with an ancient Remington .22 to ward off baboons and warthog that may stray onto the hotel grounds! Simply put it is the place to stay on the Zim side at Vic Falls (in our opinion).








Our first afternoon / evening, we transfered over to the Zambian side and boated from the Livingston Hotel to Livingston Island, where we swam at the edge of the falls and bathed in the "Devil's Pool", which was amazing! Sitting on the ledge at the edge of The Falls looking over and down! Simply awesome!








Our second day and we were up at sunrise for white water rafting down the mighty Zambezi in a rubber raft with Shearwater Rafting. 18 rapids from grade 1 to grade 5 finishing with a grade 5 rapid named 'Oblivion' which saw 5 of the 8 in our boat going swimming! Then followed a painful 220m almost vertical hike out of the gorge. It was an fantastic experience - Bucket List stuff ! The hike out caught up with is on the first couple of days of the hunt with seriously heavy legs where it was outright painful to walk - Buzz must have been wondering what was going on and who are these to crazy people that can't climb on/into the Toyota without moaning and groaning! We could hardly stand up without aches and pains. By day 3 of hunting we were good again. (Note to self - White Water Rafting after the safari next time!)

Sunday 20th, saw us back at Vic Falls Airport for our charter to The Valley and the start of our 10 day hunt.

As a passing comment - why airport security has to check and log firearms and ammunition for a domestic charter flight Lord only knows! After all, it's not as if you are going to hi-jack your own charter. 'Procedure' was the answer I was given.



A Cessna single engine plane (Z-WOG as a call sign). Stanley, our pilot, requested clearance to fly over the Falls before flying east 3 hours 30 minutes. The view over the Falls was breathtaking! We flew over Lake Cariba, which was also great to see from 9.500 ft! 50 knot headwinds added an hour plus to the usual flight time and after a very 'rock and roll' approach we touched down in Dande.

Buzz and his team were waiting for us and within 15 minutes we were in camp. The Matombo River Camp, with its stunning views across the Zambezi over to Zambia and breathtaking sunsets!

The safari could now begin!



CM Safaris







A couple of lines about CM Safaris for those that are interested and have not hunted with them. Buzz and Myles set the company up a number of years ago and it is an excellent operation! The concession where we hunted was large at 350 thousand plus acres. It was varied in terrain with plenty DG. The camps were well situated, very comfortable, well managed, well staffed and with hot showers, good food, cold beers and good wines et cetera. The vehicles were perfectly maintained, clean and had everything on board. Anti Poaching patrols are out and about making their presence felt and supporting game management.

Buzz guided us. He knows his area very very well, nothing was too much trouble for him and he was there for us 24/7. I hope that he enjoyed the hunt even if only half as much as we did.

The team of Criton and Nyati expertly tracking and Eddie as the ever smiling and happy driver, vehicle engineer and orange drink barman were superb and fun to have around.

The cook and other camp staff were great - from the 05.00 'knock knock' tea (which he said as he approached the tent flap every morning) to my special requested bushbuck madras curry that the cook and I made together one evening, with spices and popadoms that I carried up from SA. It all ran very smoothly without any glitches whatsoever.

The team was complete with the two Parks Scouts Jako and Thomas, who both pitched in at every occasion and made themselves very much a part of the crew.

An excellent safari company in all respects and we have hunted with quite a few over the years.

View from the camp





Hunting / Area

As mentioned, shortly before the trip, Buzz recommended switching to the Matombo Camp in the communal area as this was where the reports of dagga boys had been coming in and we wanted to pursue old daggas as against the herds. This meant us getting up early and after a coffee and a rusk or piece of toast, we headed out to the villages. The bush drums plus information from the DAPU scouts worked perfectly and every single morning we had fresh dagga boy tracks to start the day on.

However, we also had to contend with buffalo beans most mornings so Buzz recommended long pants and closed shoes! He himself had his own way of taking precautions against the madly itchy beans!





In fact, starting from the villages was not a negative at all. It was an insight into rural Zim village life seeing the villages and huts, speaking to the villagers (including one local character who was clutching a bottle of warm white wine at 06h30 and called out very warm, jovial greetings to Mr Buzz!). It was interesting to see the crops that were being planted and how the villagers were tending their fields and struggling to battle against ele, buff and hippo that were coming in to raid at night. We hunted other areas for plains game and wing shooting with success as well, but starting the early mornings tracking dagga boys from the villages and through the buffalo beans was simply great. More on this later.



Bushbuck



The area where we camped and hunted was just excellent for bushbuck! We saw dozens or rams and females both in the mahogany forests along the Zambezi river and in the dryer areas too. The Sausage Trees were in full blossom and the bushbuck were feeding on the fallen purple blossoms.






Anja opened the hunt with a solid bushbuck ram early on the second afternoon not far from camp. She dropped him with a single shot to the shoulder from the .30-06 at about 100 meters. He ran a short distance and fell. The Norma solid punched a neat hole in and out and through both lungs.

A most beautiful antelope and a great trophy on which to open the book!




We hunted bushbuck again during the safari on a number of occasions but never got a shot in. One afternoon we saw two very good rams walking together at about 125 m but they both disappeared into the bush before we could get onto them.

For anyone serious about bushbuck on top of buff and securing a trophy Chobe ram, I would not hesitate to recommend hunting out of the Matombo Camp.



Sharps Grysbok



I wanted to hunt and collect a grysbok if possible and we saw lots! In fact Myles confidently emailed me a week or so before the hunt that a grysbok and a klipspringer should be pretty straight forward, there would be plenty running around the area. This was great news as I was keen to try for these two tiny antelope with their tiny horns. A total contrast to the main trophy of the trip that being a huge old dagga boy buff.

We saw lots of grysbok over the week and in fact the grysbok that I took, we shot within an hour or so of Anja shooting her bushbuck on the afternoon of day 2. We were following some buff tracks when a grysbok bolted 50 meters and then stopped to look back giving me the chance of a shot. The tiny antelope dropped at the .30-06 shot and what an amazing trophy! I was thrilled as we set the buck up for pictures!

As a note here, unlike the bushbuck, the Norma solid hit the grysbok square on the chest but must have shattered or ricocheted back after exiting as it made a very large exit area on the hindquarters. It will need to be a pedestal mount as opposed to a full mount as a result.









Klipspringer



We saw and glassed a number of klipspringer.

I took a new French Laguiole folding Damascus pocket knife as a prize for the member of the CM Safari team that spotted the klipspringer that was successfully hunted. From that moment on the guys were seeing klipies everwhere - behind every tree and on every hill top!

When Nyati finally spotted the klipspringer that we hunted, the ram and his ewe were on a singularly very large boulder at the top of a very steep hillside about a mile away up the valley. It was picture postcard klipie stuff.

Buzz, Anja, myself, Criton and the Parks Scout Cement (whom I understand Joyce renamed 'Concrete' earlier in the season!) started a long and steady stalk around the hill and up the other side of the valley to a point some 285 m away from the pair of klipspringer with us behind a huge anthill.

Trying to get any closer would have exposed us to the two antelope.

I crawled to the top of the anthill and set up a solid dead rest. Winding the scope up to 12, the picture was good and holding about 10 cm over the ram's back, I put in a shot and watched through the scope as the ram fell head first off the rock and down the side of the valley!

The smiles and handshakes at my valley to valley 285 m klipspringer shot were a bit premature as the bullet hit the ram at the back of the head before the spine poleaxing him but he needed a finishing shot and after a short dash - by the klipie and Nyati - we had our klipspringer trophy. And I am not exaggerating when I say that he was a truly old, old klipspringer ram with a magnificent set of horns over 5 1/2 inches in length of which the bottom inch was all secondary growth!

A safari with just this ram as the end result trophy would have been special enough for me but to take this ram as one of a number of great trophies was just simply superb!

The female klipspringer btw continued to stand on the rock the whole time looking around and wondering where her mate had suddenly disappeared to! She is probably still standing on that rock as I write this, wondering where her old fella went to so quickly!









Buffalo





Buzz promised we would track and hunt dagga boys and that is exactly what we did.

On day 1, we followed a group of 5 bulls into the jesse, stalking and tracking on rice crispy dry foliage! Watching ever step and scanning the dense bush meters ahead.

We finally, after bumping the bulls once or twice, caught them in some real thick stuff around noon. In a stand off of about 20 meters, with the sticks up, we saw one solid bull of about 36 inches and a young bull of about 43 inches. He may make some hunter very happy in 3 to 4 years! We could not see the other three clearly. We backed out and let the bulls go their way.

Another day we tracked a solitary dagga boy for 10 hours with a 30 minute lunch rest. 10 hours of tracking over some 25 - 27 kms with temperatures of around 38 degrees c! He was a clever old bull, the baboons warned him once and he took flight about 300 m ahead of us and the second time he bedded down in some very thick stuff next to a dry rocky river bed. When we crossed the river and could not help but dislodge some of the loose rocks, he took flight again. We stopped tracking him at 17.30 with only 30 minutes of daylight left. He was wily. He was old. He walked the whole day with the wind on his tail. You don't get that old by being stupid!

We got a "Well walked." from Buzz that day for our effort. The PH equivalent of a smiley sticker on the child's homework!

The two Zambezi's hardly touched the sides of my throat when the Cruiser arrived with the cool box!

Another day, we tracked a group of three dagga boys for some 7 or 8 hours. Criton and Nyati tracked them from the villages, through the jese, across various burns, up a stony hillside, through ele grass and over rock. It was simply amazing watching the two of them track buff, never missing a beat, flashing the occasional hand signal to let each other and us know whether the buff were walking, running or had lay down; the simple click of their fingers when the picked up the tracks after dropping them. Its was great watching these two work their magic and unravel a track.

It was day 5 that we started out at 05.00 and came across fresh tracks within 15 minutes of a herd of some 30 buff that had been down to water at the Zambezi not far from the camp. With the sun still rising we decided to 'have a look see' and we quickly found them but only saw young bulls amongst the herd, so we set off for the villages.

The reports were of two dagga boys having passed through at around 04.30. One had a bad back left leg and an unusual track as a result. It was this track that Criton would later follow solo for a couple of hours whilst we glassed a herd of 40 odd buff. At 06.30 we were two hours behind the two bulls and in an area thick with buffalo beans (and I was wearing shorts and open shoes!) Buzz suited up inc closed sneakers instead of his signature sandals, and a long sleeved shirt and off we went. Entering the thicker bush we came across a number of graves and concrete tombstones. A very strange site in the middle of the bush. This was plotted on the GPS.

Shortly after that we came across the tracks of a larger herd that the two bulls had crossed, you could smell bovine in the air and then we saw the two bulls, laying up in the thick bush just ahead of us. But they saw or scented us and, wasting no time, they burst from the bush, out across a dry river bed and away they went. We caught a glimpse of them running - both large, old bulls with large heads.

We stayed on their tracks til midday when Buzz spotted a herd of buff. Criton continued to work the dagga boys track on his own whilst we stalked in on the herd giving us the two options. There was a good bull of about 41 inches but with some 80 plus watchful eyes and 40 alert noses, we did not get close and after a short standoff, with us tucked in behind an anthill, the buff broke away and took to the hills.

We stopped for a short rest and lunch in the veld and took up the two dagga boys' spoor at 14.30. Within an hour and after a bit of fast tracking / walking we closed on them. The two old buff had joined up with a few cows and we spotted them grazing up a slight incline some 90 meters upwind of us with an old dagga boy at the front edge of the group.

What happened next was fast action. The sticks went up, Buzz whispered his 'ok' for me to shoot the leading buff, we moved the sticks to the right a few meters for a clearer shot and I put a 300 grain soft into the bull's right shoulder, followed quickly by a solid. He staggered and dropped. We moved closer, I reloaded and as he gained his feet, I put two more shots on his shoulder. The buff ran some 25 meters and we followed fast. Off hand I put two more shots in and he fell again. A final shot between his shoulders ended the hunt. 90 furious seconds and 7 shots start to finish and we had our buff!

The first shot had been a good double lung shot, but it being late afternoon and me having the Krieghoff double with me, I took the view as long at he was standing keep shooting and heck that is what big bore double rifles are for are they not?! All bar one shot had been good on the shoulder / lungs.

A super old, worn and ragged dagga boy with a set of battled and cracked old horns and a lower back left leg the size of an over ripe pineapple from an old snare wound, torn and tattered ears and scarred flanks! I was most pleased with this dagga boy! A great trophy to take after a long and hard hunt. Diana had smiled widely on us!

We took our time admiring and photograing the old bull, which Buzz later estimated at around 13 years, whilst the Landcruiser cut a way in for the recovery road.





















We got back to camp well after dark that day and toasted the buff by the fire with Killepitsch from Duesseldorf and then enjoyed a great meal, some good RSA wines and a very large dram of malt to celebrate the hunt! Buzz enjoyed a decent Cohiba by the fire in celebration.

He and the team had delivered and then some on the old dagga boy promise !



Baboon

I had not shot a baboon before. Anja did not want to shoot one - their eyes are too 'human' like for her. I wanted to hunt one and we were spoiled for choice there were so many.
On the second last day we saw a large troop of baboons early one morning with a large dog baboon walking up a rocky slope. Up went the sticks, up went the .30-06 and down went the baboon, all very quick. It had been a quartering away shot and the bullet had exited under the dog's chin shattering the jaw. We all agreed that none of us knew a taxidermist that could have fixed him up so sadly the baboon was left for the hyena - not good and something that Anja and I did not like doing but there was little choice. Whilst the Norma 150 grain solids - which I had deliberately selected as taxidermy friendly with small game in mind - had worked perfectly on the bushbuck and the klipspringer, they were messy on the grysbok and the baboon. Food for thought next time.


Wing Shooting



We got in a couple of evenings of dove and sandgrouse shooting.

One evening at a larger pan with Anja and I standing some 50 meters apart the grouse came at last light, low and fast between the trees and we enjoyed 10 minutes of fast shooting for a sobering bag of 4 or 5 birds.

The second evening it was a full moon and we drove to a small stream bed an hour or so from camp. Anja and I pretty much stood next to each other in the stream bed and as the sun literally fell from he sky, the grouse came in to the water thick and fast giving us ten minutes of furious wing shooting! It would have been a perfect opportunity for double guns as there were so many double banded grouse coming in! At one moment I was shooting on my knees in an attempt to get lower and silhouette the incoming birds against the fiery orange sky! It was amazing action! We managed some 15 birds between us for probably a ratio of 4 or 5:1. It was awesomely sobering shooting but the greatest of fast action fun nevertheless! Another memory in a week full of memories!

We gathered the bag, took a few pictures and then enjoyed an evening braai and cold beers by the stream bed.


Small Stuff

The day after we shot the buff, Eddie set up a ground bait with the buff ribs and guts and ran a drag at one of the pans where we had shot sandgrouse.

We did not sit the first evening when some lions came in and more or less demolished the bait. A young male and two or three lioness.
The guys also saw genet, civet and badger tracks around the bait.

We sat the following evening in the tree blind under a perfect full moon. Hyena whooped nearby but never came in. A jackal came to water but not long enough for a shot. And otherwise it was a quiet four hours in the tree blind. That's hunting.


Fishing




With the Matombo River Camp overlooking the mighty Zambezi River, we did not have to go far for the fishing and we had a number of great outings plus a whole day on the river including a champagne picnic lunch!

We managed to catch a number of small tigerfish, nembwe and bream bending the 4 weight and 1 weight fly rods and Buzz hooked a couple of larger tigers on his 6 weight but we failed to land them.

Anja, fishing a dead bait from the bank, smiled and laughed in awe as a fish (we guessed a seriously, seriously large catfish) took her bait and proceeded - without a pause - to charge across the Zambezi towards Zambia stripping 150 m of 40 lb line from the rod in less than a minute! The line parted leaving Anja holding a rod and totally empty reel wondering as to what had just happened!

On our final day we floated and drifted dead baits, drank more champagne and some cold beers and managed to hook and boat a couple of larger tigers to 9 lb, which we released back into the Zambezi (and not the frying pan much to Eddie's disapproval).

The fishing was a bonus and was great fun!

















(After all the Cecil saga in August and September, I had the above PC T shirt printed for this trip !)







We saw and got close to plenty of hippo, croc and eles whilst out and about on the river and even threw fish chunks up to a swooping hawk during our picnic break. More memories!


We ended the trip chartering out to Harare, sharing a plane with Jerry and his son, Brian, who had been hunting out of the main camp at Pedza. During the drive to Pedza from our camp we witnessed a Martial eagle swooping on a duiker kid, with the ram and ewe nearby. The eagle hit the duiker but the kid managed to escape, bleating away into the bush. Quite a spectacle to see.

The Navajo flight was quick and comfortable and Myles met us in Harare and drove us to the Ridgeway B&B, a comfortable, tastefully decorated guesthouse which was a great stay over location in Harare.

We went out that evening with Buzz and Steff for a fun dinner and the next morning they showed us around their house with its great gardens and 6.000 strong snare collection - taken out of the Dande concession over the last 2 years alone! I liken snares to land mines, cheap to produce, easy to set up, maintenance free and devastatingly harmful in their result! Every one taken out by DAPU is potentially a life saver. Hats off on the DAPU venture!




We flew out on SAA to Joburg the following day and then on home to Lagos, ending a 10 day safari of hard hunting with long stalks to 10 hours amongst the buffalo beans and other thick stuff, superb trophies big and small, hot barrel wingshooting and fun tiger and fly fishing, a great, comfortable and well run camp and a first class safari hunting company in CM Safaris!

A hearty big thanks to Buzz and all the CM Safaris team both in the veld and in the office and a big thanks to all AR readers for coming along too!








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Well done, well hunted and fished and a story well told. Congrats!

Very nice! Great report and some great trophies (and memories)

Great report and congrats

Morten

Very well done. Enjoyed the report and pics.
Matombo Camp holds some great memories for me.

Great report.
How did you like the road up to Matombo camp??

I like your Kambako shirt.

Great report! Thanks for sharing.


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Beautifully told story and wonderful trophies. Congratulations and thank you for sharing.

Great hunt, great report, great trophies, especially the Klipspringer. Well Done to Buzzer and the team.

A great story well told and illustrated. Congratulations!

Excellent report!

Congrats on a mighty fine hunt.

Love the buffalo and klippy.

Enjoyed your report and pics. I finally had the answer to your 1 weight fly rod choice!

great hunt. Big congrats and well done.

Fantastic Klippie and a great old, bull! Thanks for posting the report.

Nice trophies and report.

Great report of a fabulous safari.
Well done.

What a great time! Congratulations on a fine safari and some great trophies, I specially liked the klipspringer! Thanks for sharing.

Glad to see you had some success with the fly rod and the tigerfish. Can't wait to try it myself - I bet it's something to behold.

Thank you for a great and well written report and pictures.
That is one fine klipspringer.
Your wife Anja is as least as beatiful as the bushbuck she took. Congratulations.
Kind regards
Jytte

That's a great looking klippy

A great adventure with photos. Love that buff and bushbuck. This is what dreams are made of.

Super hunt and report. That is a serious klippie!

Brilliant. Well done you two and CMS. First class safari.

Fantastic report and thank you for taking the time and sharing.

Wonderfull photos ,great report beautifull rifles .PD When you came bring your fly fishing cane ,ill take you to fish the fiercest warrior of the rivers the great dorado .

Congratulations on a great hunt Charles.

Arjun

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Thanks for the comments and Feedback. I enjoy writing reports and will continue to irrespective of what the non hunting world says and does.

It was indeed a great hunt and super trophies from the tigers to the dagga boy!

Jytte, lovely comments, thank you ! Enjoy your Zambia hunt !

Cheers all

Charlie




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