Date: November 1 - 7, 2010
Location: Chifunde Camp, Omay South, Zimbabwe
Outfitter: Martin Pieter's Bulembi Safaris
PH's: Martin Pieters & Scott Bailey
Asst. PH's: Guy & Garth
Head Tracker: Steve
Rifle: Hill Country Rifles .404 Jeffery
Ammo: Hornady .404 DGX factory ammo


My good friend Jay Cohea and I had another great adventure enjoying a late season safari with Martin Pieter's excellent outfit, Bulembi Safaris this past November. I am not going to cover the travel to Zim in detail other than to say that I flew Delta Airlines and the trip went smoothly. Also as others have covered in previous hunt reports, the Africa Sky Guesthouse was superb. Comfortable accommodations, attentive staff, beautiful grounds and the best lamb chops I have had in years! SAA check-in the following morning went without a hitch, no hassles and I was prepared for the worst after reading some of the posts in the Travel forum.

In Bulawayo, Mart and Scott Bailey gathered us up and delivered us to the historic Bulawayo Club. What a treat! I spent hours wandering the floors and looking at the artifacts and antiques that represent early Rhodesia's colonial past.




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At 6:00, Martin picked us up and whisked us through town to his and Candy's lovely home where we watched rugby, shared a few beers and many lies... er, hunting stories and had dinner together with PH's and clients, wives and kids. One of the Phs on hand was my old friend, John Greeff and his lovely wife Vicky. It was great to see John again and catch up on his progress towards recovery from a severe leopard mauling on a hunt in Tanzania earlier that season. Though he still had a surgery or two left to rehabilitate his ear, his spirits were high and it was good to see him. John was my very first PH way back in 1994 and is partially responsible for my addiction to hunting his beautiful country.

We also met Jerry Dollar, another AR member who finished his hunt and was due to catch a flight out the next morning. It was good to get fresh, on-the-ground intel from jdollar who was quite successful himself as his hunt report proves.

The next morning we were off at 5:00 a.m. for the drive into the Omay. It proved an interesting trip through the Zimbabwe midlands and through towns like Kwe Kwe, where you could still glimpse vestiges of the former beauty those communities exhibited. It was a bit sad to imagine what they once looked like, stately, flowered, tree-lined boulevards and to see them in their current state of disrepair...

It wasn't long before we turned and headed for the valley, losing altitude and trading temperate climes for a hot, sun-baked horizon!

finaly - been waiting for that one - now lets hope there is a story coming as well - but by all means Congratulations - nice one!

Looks like you have it figured out? Congrats and more, more please.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

Great story - more details and photos, please? My partner and I are looking forward to hunting w/ Martin and his crew in early August for buffalo.
It will be my first trip to Africa although my friend has been over before. Thanks!
Brittman

Chifunde camp proved quite comfortable with older chalets well-equiped with en-suite bathroom facilities, nice beds with mosquito netting and a dining facility overlooking the dry riverbed of the Chifunde River. Remember, on the late season hunts a battery powered fan is a must! I slept well despite the warm temps because of it.


Food was good and plentiful. Beer was cold! Nuff said...

We got our gear settled in our chalets and pulled our kit and rifles together and headed out early that afternoon. Rain showers scattered throughout the concession actually kept the day relatively cool and it wasn't long before we spotted buffalo. What began as a sighting of a few head turned into a large herd as we stalked in and tried to circle to get the wind in our faces. One hour turned into two as we moved slowly glassing each animal. We found ten different bulls in the group and I got on the sticks once but all the bulls were a bit too soft... we spent time looking them over closely but could not justify shooting one. However, in another year or two a couple of those bulls will be very tempting with spreads near 40"s! And so, in a slow drizzle and daylight waning, we stood up and watched as the herd reacted to our presence, snorting, head shaking then rumbling off to limbs cracking and horns clacking against each other... two hours to look them over, two minutes to lose them all.


The next morning we traveled looking for tracks and speaking with the villagers that live in this communal area trying to decipher buffalo movement.




I never tire of visiting the local villagers... the photo opportunities are endless and provide some of my favorite pictures of the trip.

Around 12:00 noon we came across tracks left by a few kakulis from earlier that morning. They looked promising so we geared up and headed after them. An hour into the stalk and their prints left the story that a stray gust carried our scent to them where they were bedded in the hills. It was four hours and five miles later before we caught up to them... only to be betrayed by swirling winds yet again. At least this time I witnessed departing rumps as they rumbled away leaving us with a long quiet walk back to the truck. But such is buffalo hunting.

Very nice!!

Only thing better than Russell's story telling on AR is his story telling over a beer or other suitable adult beverage. Congratulations!

[. . . and don't forget the Chilly Pads.]

Russell,
In the pict of the two of you at the Bulawayo Club, what is the ornamental-wall-hanging between you?

If I remember correctly Steve, Cecil Rhodes Coat of Arms... somebody from Bulawayo or with a better memory than mine, correct me if I am wrong.

You had an interesting hunt. Congratulations.

Thanks for including the pictures of the people and especially those of the Roman / Indian Colonial architectural style Bulawayo Club. I have not been there but it has now been put on the list.

Another great hunt under the belt, Russ.
Congrats!

Well done my friend! Great report and pics! More to come?

Russ,

Nice Buffalo Bull! Congratulations on your hunt

Good on you Russell!!!

Nice bull Russell, congrats!

Russel another outstanding hunt and good shooting .

Mike

Congrats on the Buff, Russel.
Did you see much other game?

Guys thanks for your comments and your patience... between the holidays and a trip down to Cotulla for a few days of whitetail hunting I have been remiss in finishing this up!

Oz,
Saw zebra, a couple of big herds of sable with a few bulls that were still not quite there, and surprisingly, several herds of roan with a couple of huge bulls! A few kudu, waterbuck, impala and tons of duiker and grysbok. If I wanted to pick-up some targeted plainsgame on a hunt with Martin I would prefer Omay North based on my experience.

Day three was a day that started with promise and ended in despair... around 11:00 we discovered promising dagga boy spoor crossing the two-track road. We geared up and Steve took the lead deciphering the trail and moving us quickly ahead. In a short 45 minutes we were positioned behind a termite mound studying the bedded bulls 100 yards in front of us. One bull had his head partially obscured by a tree but his spread and worn tips had Martin's attention.

We scooted forward on our butts keeping a close eye on the bulls. 15 yards later we stood slowly behind a tree that we used for cover. Martin found an opening in the bush to shoot through and set up the sticks. I had a clear shot at the bull's shoulder as he lay there. The crosshairs settled and the trigger broke. Mass confusion as all five bulls rose in unison and thundered off. We followed expecting to find the bull down or waiting for a finisher... neither happened.

An examination of where the bull lay turned up blood. So we began tracking. As we topped a hill we saw the bulls crossing a ridge 300 yards ahead of us. Steve spotted blood on the lead bull where it was supposed to be, behind the should but slighty high. As the bulls switched back as they labored up the hill, he also saw blood on the opposite side of the bull, a complete pass-through.

We hurried ahead to set up an ambush and finish the bull. The best laid plans... as we waited for the bulls, watching them make their way to us they suddenly stopped, milled about and began to run. "Which bull, Martin, which bull"... but he , like Steve could not be sure. No shot. And that was the last I saw of the bull. We followed tracks for another hour, then Martin decided he and Steve would leave the rest of us behind and fast-track the bulls. As the sun dropped they made their way back to our party. Mart and Steve both tried to encourage me saying the tracks and blood were good and we would spend the next day recovering the bull.

Early the following morning we got on the tracks. As so often happens, during the night the bulls mixed with other buffalo making tracking slow. Several times we followed spoor only to decide they were not our buff and we would head back to the last positive sign and start over. Once we found bulls bedded and crept up to them, looking them over we came to the realization they were not our buff. At two in the afternoon, the tracks led us to the edge of the park. That was it, the end of the line. In my hunting career I have wounded and lost a few animals, a whitetail in Texas, a gemsbok in Namibia and a bait impala in Zim. It happens to you if you hunt hunt enough. A wounded and lost animal tends to haunt you in a way that is tough to describe... you replay the shot over and over in your head trying to understand what went wrong. And though you try to come to grips with it, you really never do.

As a hunter, one of the most important lessons to learn is to compartmentalize your feelings. Misses and especially wounded and lost game can cast a pall on your hunt and damage your confidence. The lesson was driven home twice in this hunt. So the next day we were back in the hunt and I worked on being positive.

Martin had several buff on license, so we headed out looking for spoor. We followed a number of promising tracks over the next few days, walking miles in the stifling heat. Most trails ended in swirling winds and lost opportunities. We calculated we averaged 20 kilometers a day during our hunt.

On day 5, I had a unique opportunity few hunters experience. Late in the afternoon we were driving along the border road of Matsudonna National Park looking for buffalo movement into our concession. Suddenly Steve began to point excitedly and whisper, "Shumba, shumba". Mart grabbed my .404 and we headed for the spot Steve had seen the lion looking for tracks. As we neared the area, Mart pulled up and pointed. With his keen eyesight he had picked up the lion lying 50 yards away and facing us in tall grass and bush. As hard as I tried I could not see him. Mart took my rifle barrel and placed it on his shoulder guiding the rifle to where the lion lay. As I stared at the spot, an ear materialized, then an eye. I could see approximately a third of the lions's head. The only shot I had was at the lion's right eye... a small target with a less than optimal rest. But I had confidence in myself as did Mart. I lifted the crosshairs above the target and then began to let them settle, exhaling as the eye came into the scope, the shot broke... and whistled harmlessly over the lion's head. He disappeared in the brush, leaving me to contemplate what almost had been. We rode back to camp in silence.

The sun did come up the next day... and it shone with the usual ferocity it had exhibited since our arrival.

Out of camp at 5:00, we hit a large solitary set of buff tracks at 5:50. The tracks were easy to follow because they were the size of dinner plates. We settled in to our familiar pattern of Steve in the lead, Mart following with me, and the game scout pulling up the rear. At 11:00, the guys got excited, the old bull was looking for a place to bed. As we worked out of a riverbed, we focused on a motte of trees as his probable location. Our group spread slightly, not quite walking abreast but where guns could be brought into play quickly. The wind was perfect and it seemed the old boy was in the bag... but as happened previously, fate decided otherwise. A grysbok shot from cover, kicked up by the trackers, and ran right by the bull. He stood, stared in our direction and took off.

We gave him five then got on the tracks. Amazingly he led us back across the dry river and within 50 yards of where the landcruiser was parked. When we reached the cruiser, we broke for a short lunch and then resumed on spoor. He led us into the broken hills as temps hit 42.7 degrees Celsius. The rocky terrain slowed our progress and at 1:30 we took a break under a small shade tree and finished the last of our water. With the vehicle an hour below us, Martin flatly stated we could only follow the tracks another thirty minutes.

We rose to our feet and fell into order... no more than 100 yards later Steve sunk to his knees, staring intently at a shadow under a tree. He efficiently positioned the sticks for a clear shot and slunk back. Martin pushed me forward and pointed out the buff. In the scope the bull's shoulder materialized and I lined the crosshairs in the crease just behind and sent a 400 grain DGX on it's way. THe bull flinched, switched ends and began to run down hill. He made it only 50 yards before pulling up and that is where we found him, standing under a small bush, head hanging, blood streaming from his nose. I shot him in the opposite shoulder and he went only a few yards further before falling, never to rise. My redemption bull.

The rest of the day was spent on recovering the buffalo. Our last hunting day in Omay South we drove back to the area where we had seen the lion but lightning rarely strikes in the same place twice. We found a few old buff tracks and spotted warthogs, duikers and grysboks, but no fresh dangerous game spoor.

We saw a few elephant on our hunt but they had moved back toward the lake and into the park. My companion on this hunt was hoping to take a nice bull but never came across the right one. We saw one bull with around thirty pounds per side but for the most part ran into women and children.

Late in the afternoon while looking for a particular sable bull that frequented a spring we ran across a grysbok ram that caught Martin's attention. I have taken two grysbok but never look a gift horse in the mouth... he ended up being a nice trophy, actually my best to date.


On every hunt there are highs and lows. This safari had both. As usual, Martin went all out for me and Jay. Both he and Scott worked hard to get us our desired trophies and make our trip enjoyable. And they succeeded...

Kharma is a funny thing... last year with Martin I killed my best buffalo and elephant on Day 1! This year I struggled a bit. Such is hunting. And the challenges and disappointments make the successes all the sweeter. Through it all I worked hard to keep a positive attitude and remain focused on why I was there... to hunt, not collect. And in the end, I hunted hard and shot a grand old bull and my best grysbok... and enjoyed a helluva grand adventure with good friends. But if I could just call back that shot on the first buffalo...

Congratulations on a great hunt! This sure brings back memories, that was the same cabin I stayed in on my Buff hunt!


Shawn

Eish - pity for that Lion...

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:
Steve spotted blood on the lead bull where it was supposed to be, behind the should but slighty high. As the bulls switched back as they labored up the hill, he also saw blood on the opposite side of the bull, a complete pass-through.

Bugger - sorry to hear about that first bull...any explanation on what actually happened?

Anyway, you took it straight on ! Wonder tho - when my time will be up?

Mouse,
Of course it is only speculation at this point but Martin thought the bullet passed over the lungs and through the area between lungs and the spine. There are no major blood vessels or organs in that dead space and might account for the pass-through by the bullet. Since the bull was lying down, his major organs were lower than normal and this might explain his covering the five miles back to the park with no apparent problems. But again, this is our theory only...

Looks like a sound idea that may hold the water...I remember having discussion on the matter - seen on red deer not to mention roe that is less than 5% of a Buffalo...still very frustrating - you shoot it in the chest and it walks away - bugger - anyway you did your best to get it and I guess Mr. Nyati is doing just fine as we speak - you can check our disscusion here (see mine and MarkH's post):

http://forums.accuratereloadin...791084521#9791084521

Russell,

*As a conservationist, you are a sportsman.
*As a sportsman, you are a hunter.
*As a hunter, you will spend countless days in the bush, encountering "the good, the bad & the ugly".
*Picking up the pieces and continuing the good fight...PRICELESS !!!
*Alas, the Hunters-Circle-of-Life.

I applaud your decades of continued ethical hunting and the enlightenment to us fellow hunters through your candid honest reporting.

CHEERS MATE !!!

John

Great report! Too bad about the first buffalo. I am sure it happens to everyone sooner or later.

Russell,

Very nice report and great pictures, I really enjoyed the pitures of the Bulawayo Club.

Congratulations on your success and determination.

Russell,

You missed your calling as an outdoor writer. The recap and photos from your safari was as good as the actual hunt we were on.

Cheers to you my good friend and many more...

Jay

Russell:

I spent many a night in the below chalet. You bring back fond memories of lots of days in the Omay.

During three safaris there, I'll bet I've smoked a box of cigars in that chair on the left.... and maybe a bottle or two of Islay.

Thanks for a good story and rekindling fond memories.

Russell a very honest report and good photos, and of course a hunt you will always remember. I admire you for following the concept of compartmentalizing a hunt to prevent the bad overwhelming the good. It takes good discipline to do this.

Unfortunately no matter how hard we try, the bad always does haunt us as the question of ‘what if’ comes up every time we think back on certain things in life.

I should stop here, but I cannot help but ask again, why is the straight shoulder shot through the bone not recognized for what it is on most all animals, the most deadliest killing shot of all? Not excluding of course the drop on the spot neck or brain shot.

With your lost buffalo you say you had a clear shoulder shot but then when observing the animal running away mention Steve observing the entrance wound blood behind the shoulder “where it was supposed to be”. Who said a shoulder shot should be put behind the shoulder?

With your redemption buffalo you say the shoulder came into view in the scope but again you lined up the crease behind the shoulder in the crosshair. Now you don’t say if the animal was exactly side on but even if not quite I still like that shot straight though the shoulder bone to blast bone fragments into the front of the brisket and neck just where the major blood vessels are.

I too have shot a quite a few buffalo with a 404, the big Aussie buffs, and I can tell you that a high frontal brisket shot, not low as I’ve seen espoused by some that should know better, absolutely puts the animal on the ground and a high through the shoulder shot has the same effect and that is using the old Kynoch soft nose and ordinary round nose solids from RWS and Norma. Nothing fancy just plain old boring cup and cores.

John Taylor, “African Rifles and Cartridges” page 251, should be compulsory reading for all hunters of any game. Anyone who thinks they know better than him about big game hunting, pray tell us about it but only when your score card matches his.