On September 7th my son and I flew out of Atlanta as we began the journey to the Selous in Tanzania. Victor is about to graduate from the University of Georgia and we knew the real world waiting on him would make such a trip together like this after about now very difficult.
We hunted with Luke Samaras Safaris on his 7 million acres of concessions that he has had for 20 years. Our PH was Leon Kachelhoffer, originally from Botswana; a young and highly energetic fellow that I knew would make our trip special.
Our relatively short flight from Dar es Salaam to the Selous was followed by an almost 2-hour ride through the concession to our camp. We were in Luke's Utunge Camp, which is on the shore of a very large lake. The lake is the home to many hippos, crocs, and the life blood to most everything else that endures the area during this dry part of the year.
Soon after arriving in camp Leon explained his basic plan for the safari, starting with concern that we were already seeing baby wart hogs following their mothers. He said the babes were prime leopard food and that getting a leopard on bait would prove more difficult as the days went by. He wanted to get leopard baits up very soon, which meant whacking a zebra was our first priority. Victor gladly obliged:



The next day we came across where some buff had recently crossed the road. The tracks were fresh, but the swirling winds of midday suggested we might want to hold off our pursuit until later in the afternoon. We started tracking about 4:30pm and were able to get around the herd so that they fed past us. There weren’t any great bulls in the group but we needed to get some lion baits up as well. I decided to take one with a bit of character and hit him in the chest with my .470. He turned and ran away as I followed with a second shot that entered about 2†below his anus. He ran about 80 yards before going down. It was then we looked over and saw a second buff dead as a hammer. How had that happened? We finally decided that my second shot (a soft) had exited the first buff through the rib cage and had hit and killed what was probably the second best bull in the group. We could shoot as many as 6 buffalo, so this was fine as we needed the buff anyway to get a start on lion hunting.



In the days ahead we searched for leopard and lion tracks and got our baits in place. We also looked for other game and came a cross a nice herd of eland. It took a lot of maneuvering to get in place for a shot, but Victor finally had a chance and hit this one with a .375 from about 350 yards. It tried to stay with the heard but later moved into some thick woods. We finally caught up with it and he brought it down.



While checking leopard baits we spotted one of the always elusive bushbucks. These are such beautiful creatures and it was special to have the opportunity to get one. One of the trackers did a great job spotting it.



We were very excited when a big-footed leopard (2 1/4 inches) started hitting one of our baits. We set up my trail camera and got some great pics. Here's one of them:



With the leopard hitting our bait, we built a blind so that we could come back that afternoon to hunt him. We positioned the support so that my gun would be aimed directly where we hoped the leopard would be.



As darkness neared the leopard indeed showed up; it was thrilling to see him in the tree and the vision of him in my cross hairs will be there always. Victor had shot one 3 years ago and it was great to be there when he did. I was glad he could be there for mine.



That evening as we drove back to the camp the guys stopped and decorated the truck. They started singing and chanting as the "leopard celebration" began. They soon were struggling to hold me up in a chair and I was in the middle of the whole camp staff showing them just how poorly I could dance but we all laughed and had a lot of fun. Beer was on me that night and it was awesome to participate in great tradition like this.



With things getting very dry, we decided to move for a while over to a fly camp on the Rifiji River. The river is paralleled by a dry and sandy river bed in the area where we were, which was a very popular area for cats, elephants, and buffalo. I got on video one afternoon probably 500 buffalo crossing in front of us. It was an amazing sight. One morning we spotted 2 old buffs leaving the sand and moving into the woods. We tracked them until Victor downed this nice old buff with a very fast shot that reminded me of our many days together hunting quail.



Along the dry river are pools of water that stay full through the water table. In one of the larger ones one morning we spotted 2 hippos. Hunting one here, as compared to the Rifiji, has a lot of advantages, most notably the lack of risk of the hippo sinking and floating away. We were able to get on this one and Victor shot him in the head followed by a couple of body shots. He then turned and got across the water from us on the bank and was running from our right to left out about 100 yards. With Victor out of ammo, Leon pulled me up and I whacked him twice with my 470 as he collapsed to the ground. These big things are tough!

About to to shoot:




We enjoyed hunting near the river; lots of things going on around there. In addition to the good hunting, we fished during the middle of the day. Tiger fish and some variety of catfish kept us busy.



For lion bait, I popped another zebra.



One afternoon while heading out we spotted an ancient old buffalo hiding in the brush. It was a fun hunt, but this buff was lion bail on 4 legs. Interestingly, after I had shot him twice, we avoided his blood trail so that we could ease around and spot him from his side. We found him looking straight back from where he thought we were coming prepared to charge us. I pounded him to close the deal. We took him straight to a hot lion bait with plans to hang the whole thing.



We carefully approached the bait. We had selected this spot as there were tracks from a massive lion nearby. This lion was easy to identify and we began calling him “Bigfoot.†Here is one of his tracks with a 470 bullet for perspective:



As we neared the bait, one of the trackers suddenly got the attention of Leon. “Simba,†I heard. A couple of hundred yards away they had spotted him. He was alone as we closed the distance. At about 75 yards I eased from behind some brush and raised up my 375. The shot hit his shoulder hard and he was down. A couple more shots stopped all movement and we approached the lion whose tracks had been on our minds for days. He was indeed big, though a typical low elevation Selous lion without the heavy mane. Early indications suggest he’ll score very well with Rowland Ward. My second cat celebration by the camp staff was coming and my bar bill would grow even more!






Here’s what was causing the prints we saw:



By the way, I have about 1,000 pictures of the lion wearing out some hippo and buffalo bait. It is something to see as the lion eventually rips down the hippo bait from the tree. Here are a few trail cam pics from the 3 nights I have pics of him, and keep in mind the bait is hanging almost 6 feet off the ground. They said the lion weighed around 450-460 pounds.





With the leopard and lion in the salt, the whole nature and mood of the safari changed; we fished more, quit having to push everything to get baits up and checked, ect. We now relaxed and went after a variety of other things. First we concentrated on crocs. To do so, we needed more bait, and we came across this hippo that probably needed us. He had obviously lost a huge confrontation with another male and had a massive and crushing bite wound in his side. Two busted ribs protruded out and he had lost a lot of weight. Anyway, he was now “my†hippo.



We drug the hippo to the river and built a blind. It doesn’t take long for word to get out about such a beachside feast, so we planned to hunt the spot the next morning.



Victor and Leon chillin' by the Rifiji:



The next morning proved fruitful. We slipped in before sunrise and Victor got a fine one. Later that morning Victor also got a big impala.




We came back to check the hippo bait after Victor shot the impala and the crocs were back. I was glad to get one, too.



Another thing we really wanted was a Roosevelt sable. Victor made a great shot while hiding behind an ant hill.



Sometime old guys just gotta nap.



The next morning we felt really lucky to spot a Bohor reedbuck. Victor made a great shot with the .300WM to drop this one as it was facing him. These things have seen their numbers seriously decline in recent years since the wild dogs started getting protection.



As our hunt neared its end, we found ourselves tracking some buffalo on cross country marathons. While looking for some, Victor shot a bushpig, the first of the year according to the trackers.





Overall, we had a wonderful hunt. This was my first visit to the Selous and the concentration of game there is amazing. The four contiguous concessions Samaras has there create a remarkable hunting opportunity. If Samaras would market what he has as well as some of the others out there, he’d be booked up 3 or more years in advance like others I’ve used whose hunting and services are at best equal.
I learn so much from a trip like this, be that more about their culture and history, to more about myself and how fortunate I am to have had my son along with me and a wonderful wife at home that puts up with such indulgence. It takes a long time to get ready for a such a trip, but the benefits and memories will last a lifetime.

WOW what a fantastic hunt! Congratulations.
We hunted earlier this year, in the Okavango Delta, with Leon. It took 7 days and about 40 miles on foot before they took their Buffalo. You got 2 right away, things really do even out. Leon is a great guy.

TerryR

Great photos and story of your adventure!

Vic,

I've been so fortunate to be able to do several 21 day or longer safaris. It is so nice to just let the safari roll along taking whatever presents itself. You and your son look very relaxed and like you are just having a ball. Congrats on a great African experience.

Mark

Vic:

Don't fill up my loft space with trophies!

Wow! What an amazing hunt. You and your son will surely cherish those memories. Fabulous bushbuck! They are beautiful! Some awesome trophies! Congrats!

special times with your son. Something he will never forget. 21 days in Africa, hard to beat
great hunt
Congrats

Vic,
Great report, great trophies and great memories.
Thanks for sharing.
Russ

Vic,

Congratulations and great report.

George

Vic,

Beautiful trophies and photos and congratulations on a fantastic hunt with your son.

Congratulations on a great hunt with your son!

Great report Vic. I love the sable.

Thanks

What a wonderful trip. Very few men are willing and able to treat their sons to such a hunt. Yours obviously was at an age and time to enjoy it greatly. Congratulations.

Congratulations, the Selous is a truly wonderful place.

Father and son in the Selous, what could be better...
Vic, I too love the Selous and all its wildness...


Mike

Now that's what I call a great college graduation gift! Congratulations on all of the trophies and the great time in Africa with father and son.

Spring, what a remarkable hunt, I am sure your son will appreciate it throughout his life.

quote:

If Samaras would market what he has as well as some of the others out there, he’d be booked up 3 or more years in advance like others I’ve used whose hunting and services are at best equal.

After hunting Luke’s Massailand area, I 100% agree with you.

Did you spend any time looking for an elephant trophy?

quote:

Originally posted by Ahmed Sultan:
Spring, what a remarkable hunt, I am sure your son will appreciate it throughout his life.

quote:

If Samaras would market what he has as well as some of the others out there, he’d be booked up 3 or more years in advance like others I’ve used whose hunting and services are at best equal.

After hunting Luke’s Massailand area, I 100% agree with you.

Did you spend any time looking for an elephant trophy?

Yes, we had hopes of finding a good one, but as you know, most successful elephant hunts require them as your top priority, causing the pursuit of other things to dwindle. Since I was hunting with my son, I wanted this hunt to be about a wide variety of different animals and opportunities, which caused us to push elephant priority down the list. It would have been great to have gotten one, but that will have to wait on some other trip.

Vic,

I thoroughly enjoyed the report and pics!! What a great way to make memories with your son.

My wife and I will be spending 21 days in the Selous in September 09. Can't wait!!

Doug

CONGRATULATIONS!!! What great memories for a Father and Son to have shared.

FANTASTIC photos and report. I really like the trail cam photos.

Please extend congratulations to your son from the AR members, well done.

Fantastic! That sounds like a wonderfully relaxed and successful safari. I hope that I will be able to take a safari like that when I have children some day!

Brett

Great hunt!

Great report, great photos, great animals...WOW!!!

Remarkable trip made all the more special by hunting with your son! A lifetime of memories in 21 days. Congratulations.

Vic,

Congratulations on making the most of those 21 day licenses! Great trip. I always enjoy seeing a father and son share a hunt.

Thanks,

Hugh

Wow..what a trip for you and your son! Nothing like sharing those special memories between a father and a son.

Well, it may sound redundant, but CONGRATULATIONS!

TJB

Vic Congratulations, what a hunt. You and your son did well. Thanks for sharing.

Regards
Aziz

That is exactly what my dream safari would be like, father and son with great animals and the most gorgeous country I can imagine. Perfect just perfect! Congrats.

Spring,

It looks like you and your son had an awesome hunt and shot some fantastic trophies. Your son is very lucky and privileged to have a father like you who shares his love of hunting and takes him on such exotic adventures.

Congratulations as well to your son on getting ready to graduate this year. I'm in the same boat as him, just a different university.

Fantastic safari...getting a double on Buffalo was amazing! Congrats to both you and your son.

Best regards, D. Nelson

What a great hunt.
Please tell me which trail cam you used. That is a great way to extend your photo enjoyment into the evening when it wouldn't be prudent to hang around the bait.
Frank

Frank,
I picked this camera out just for this trip. I was looking for a camera that would be completely undetectable by anything around it; I also wanted a camera that had a fast trigger speed and could take pictures without a significant time delay between shots. Most digital cameras on the market must wait about a minute between shots and I wanted something that wouldn't need but a second or two.
I've been using trail cams at my farm for 10 years and love playing around with them but knew I needed to find something better than what I've been using. I had also hunted cats previously in Tanzania without a camera and knew how much time and effort one could have saved. I was going to be ready on this trip.
After some research, I decided a new camera recently brought to market by Reconyx was what I was looking for. Their RC60 was released last April and it does not have the typical red infra-red light that animals can spot. It could rapidly take pics in a completely undetectable fashion with a super-fast trigger speed (1/5 of a second). By also not using a flash it uses very little energy; I took over 2,000 pictures when going after my leopard and lion in Tanzania and still had 92% of my battery life. With a large 8 GB CF card, I also had used up less than 10% of my memory.
When checking the camera’s pics it can essentially take a movie of what all had happened on your bait for a long you were gone. When I left the camera on an active lion bait for 3 nights, we found loads of pictures. Most cameras on the market that take actual video usually have very limited time and memory space, but by taking pics rapidly like this camera can without using much memory, you can quickly click through your pictures and basically see a “movie†of all that happened while you were gone. You can get all of the social and interactive dynamics of the animals as they deal with each other around the bait. You learn a lot watching this stuff, particularly when it comes to social dominance. I had found out a lot about that when using the camera this past summer at home. You see the same type stuff between the male and female lions.
My PH was amazed by the camera. Under the condition that he'd send me pics from his future safaris, he was thrilled when I gave him my Reconyx the day we left. Being about broke after this last hunt, I may wait a bit before getting a replacement, but you can bet it will be another Reconyx.

Vic
Very Nice Report with Great Pics.
Sure you enjoyed the Safari with Leon TURBO...

Seloushunter

An absolutley wonderful hunt. A time to treasure for all time. Thanks for sharing.

Dad,
Is that you? Remember when you lost me 31 years ago? Well, I'm back and ready to go to the Selous.

Fantastic. You were busy fellows to get that much done in 21 days. Congratulations.

Fantastic hunt! Wonderful that your son could accompany you. The Selous is as close to Paradise as anything extant.

Awesome! Looks like the trip of a lifetime!

Nice to see that Pacman Jones has found life after football as a guide in the Selous. Anybody else think that tracker with the dreads looked just like him?

Drum

What a fantastic trip!

Glad you and your family all had a great time.

Vic
Congrats to you and your son. Great trophies and great memories. Thanks for sharing!