21 November 2012, 00:31
mejRation cow hunt with Charlton McCallum Safaris.
Ration cow hunt with Charlton McCallum SafarisOctober 20th / 27th 2012
Dande Safari Area
Camp : Mururu
PH : Alan Shearing
Trackers : Martin, Maplan
Driver : Bernard
Game Scout : Mr. Innocent
Cameraman : Ryan Cox
Observer : Julia Mejnertsen, my daughter
Rifle : Rented a .375 Blaser
Ammo. : Federal
Followed by 2 days fishing the Zambezi, ending with 2 days staying with friends in Harare.
Last year I hunted with CMS and PH Alan Shearing out of Makuti. For a tusk less and a leopard. It was a big mouthful for me in many ways; I had booked it as a birthday gift for myself, turning a sharp corner a month after, I believed this would, if not cure, satiate my hunger for African hunting and I could wrap things up so to speak.
I almost had myself convinced, alas, in early March of this year; an 8 week old Labrador puppy entered our lives. Not by surprise, we had waited for him a while. It was, and it still is hard work to train a little guy with an enormous appetite for life (and birds) and many times when he fell asleep at my feet, I would sit very still, reading Africana literature, longing.
It was one day in April when I realized it would do me, and the dog, a lot of good if I had a carrot, or perhaps a hunt, dangling, somewhere later in the year.
A few quick mails later, this hunt was booked, including a little r&r afterwards, I then contacted friends in Harare and invited myself (and later Julia)for a few days stay over, and bingo, I had my carrot - a 12 day hunt/holiday was waiting. It did the dog and me a world of good; my energy levels soared, almost matching those of my young dog.
In connection with booking the hunt, I asked my youngest daughter if she would like to join me. Last year, in particular, I did miss someone to share the hunt with. I’ve rarely had company on my hunts, but then I’d never hunted elephant or leopard before.
Julia, as her name is works and lives in Stockholm. This is where her career has taken her, and there were some doubt with regard to her taking the time off.
I had almost given up hope but approximately one month before departure she told me she was coming along. I was very happy. What an outstanding fine time we had together, how exceptional it was to share these days with my daughter, who also turned out to love every minute.
An accomplished photographer she managed to capture moments never to be forgotten.
Alan and Ryan picked us up at Harare airport, and then the long but interesting drive to Dande waited. It was wonderful to see Alan again and Ryan we liked immediately. Ryan was a real asset on our hunt, fun and kind company, knowledgeable, and very attentive with regard to my wishes and wants video wise.
Julia and I shared the front seat beside Alan; Ryan was on the back of the Cruiser for a more than 6 hour drive. On our way we picked up our trackers and our Game Scout, Mr. Innocent.
We arrived after dark at Mururu camp, a little confused, pretty hot, but very excited.
The hunt.
Seeing that Julia and I had never interacted with elephant close up, getting in and getting out, Alan’s primary goal (I think) was to get us used to this.
In Makuti 2011 Alan had spotted my tusk less on top of a very large hill, I like to call it a mountain, Mt. Majero, Alan climbed to the top and then called me up, not by cupping his hands around his mouth, but via the walkie talkie in Shona to Bernard, the driver, who was on the receiving end. I climbed up, made the approach and shot my fine old tusk less. As such, not a lot of experience gained in and around elephant.
Well, the first 6 days this year saw us gaining a lot of that. From trembling on the first approach, to pretty calm on the final one on day 6. Clever guy Mr. Shearing is.
We would drive, looking for fresh tracks crossing the roads, or sightings and then follow these. We did walk a lot, and the best days were the ones where a nice breeze would dry the perspiration from our faces when we faced the wind. Liters’ and liters’ of water was drunk, breaks in the shade frequently, in particular when the trackers lost the spore. Often the wind would swirl, this often happened when we crossed a gully, and on more than one occasion, the elephant would take off at speed.
But we did get in close, the one episode that stands out more than any, takes place on my birthday. This is on day 5; we have tracked and had come up to a group resting in the heat. The matriarch is on top of an ant hill, her flock in a half circle beneath her. She is an old cow with no dependent calf and I get ready, prepare myself mentally, what a birthday gift! Well, it was about to get better.
Alan turns to me and says …”I believe we have to let her go, her flock is very young and it would be cruel to shoot her”…
Good for you Alan Shearing, you are a first class act. A birthday highlight. We got out without the herd ever knowing we had been there.
Day 6 saw us depart from camp a half hour later than usual, birthday celebrations with added champagne allowed for a little more sleep in the morning. It seems a change of habit can turn things around.
Elephants were spotted from the cruiser after driving for a while and we were off. Now for anyone who believes Dande is flat, it is not. The hunt was on, in very steep terrain, going downwards, a lot of slippery cast off leaves covering the ground.
At the bottom we watch a young bull as he makes his way down the same steep terrain, he moves a bit, if you will pardon me, like my 10 month old puppy. Lots of legs, but not a whole lot of control, which of course is nonsense; however there was a certain toddler resemblance. Alan believed he was in hot pursuit of the herd, just as we were.
At this stage, the spore of the herd is confusing; the trackers get onto what they do best, but our game scout, Mr. Innocent, he is the hero this morning, as he spots the group heading off to our right. We are bit higher than they are when we spot them. They are not meandering, but walking purposefully away from us (and the young bull?).
In the riverbed, soft silent sand and a good wind, we catch up to them, just as my cow starts climbing up from the riverbed, she turns. We all know why, having felt the wind on the back of our necks. She knows something is not right and we all stand dead still. Slowly slowly Alan and I walk towards her, at +/- 27 yards, the sticks open, the rifle comes up, and I shoot her with a frontal brain shot.
While I am rather confident, perhaps not enough, of my shooting ability, I had, again this year, asked Alan to shoot with me, a split second after mine he did just that. It turned out it had not been necessary.
An insurance shot in the heart and no reaction from the herd that had covered some ground as my old cow stood watching us.
Emotion overwhelmed me. I know others feel this mixture of sadness, awe, relief and happiness. You attempt to keep your cool, but a coil of emotion from deep in your stomach suddenly erupts. I take my hunting very serious, I do however, not cry when I shoot a pheasant.
Julia was stoic, a pillar of support in the few minutes that followed. Before I asked her on this hunt, I had considered the impact hunting an elephant might have on her. Julia has joined me previously on a hunt where I shot zebra and bushbuck and is quite clarified with regard to hunting. I believe Alan’s “elephant classes” every day, his obvious respect and empathy for the wildlife and the wilderness was an asset.
The cow elephant sported a bit of ivory, she was old, dry and starving. It took more than 4 hours for the recovery team to come in; it was very good to sit next to her during this time. I washed some blood off one tusk as well as her forehead. Suddenly it was all over.
Julia later climbed a tree, catching the breeze, Ryan fell asleep in the shade of one and Alan and I talked. I’d asked if we could taste some elephant meat, and Alan started cutting skewers in preparation for the braai.
When the recovery team came in we got the fire going and enjoyed the meat, in fact I liked it, and certainly the cold beer did help. We could not start all this beforehand, as we needed to take pictures with our great trackers and Mr. Innocent.
Day 7.
Next.
Poaching is a massive problem. There were active poachers while we were there. Two poachers shot, one apprehended. I caught a look at him as he was brought into camp, I do not think I have seen anyone so scared in my entire life.
We came across a poached elephant bull, shot badly with a musket; he ran and died far away from the poachers. His fine ivory was still intact, it was pitiful to see.
The tiny calves, not yet weaned, with their mothers shot away. One was brought into camp; he just gave up and died on us before a rescue could be arranged.
Julia and I sat with this little fellow, swatting the flies from his ears, as he could not move them himself. He was talking, a weak rumbling, so heartbreaking.
My impression was that the game scouts here try to make a difference. With their meager equipment they are battling, but I met a couple of guys with a determined look in their eyes, and a certain proudness in their bearing.
Mururu Camp is my favorite kind of camp. Located as it is on the dry riverbed, in daylight you have a great view and do not feel confined. Our cottage, with a lifted thatched roof, windows covered with mesh, very comfortable beds with mosquito nettings, a shower that always had hot water, even if we did take some cold ones in the heat of midday, a silent generator, which was great, that provided us with light necessary in the morning, pretty important for a contact lens wearer. A fine home for the days spent here, we loved it!
Crispin did his magic and cooked very fine meals for us all, sandwiches packed, egg or bacon, was the best and always hit the spot at around 10.00 am. The evening of my birthday, he suddenly appeared in the river bed, where the table had been placed for the occasion, singing “Happy Birthday” and bearing the finest cake that he had baked for me.
Japie, Pedsa Pasi’s kind manager, a very able glass engraver, among other things, presented me with a champagne glass where an elephant head had been engraved. Alan poured champagne, pinch my arm, and I was pretty happy. How kind everyone was. Not a birthday I am likely to ever forget.
We enjoyed a happy camp Julia and I, the company was very good. Besides our own PH Alan, Ryan, our cameraman, this included Todd Williams, a fine Texan gentleman with a great sense of humor, lion hunter par excellence, his PH Blake Wilhelmi, whom I had met the previous year in Makuti and liked very much (and still do), and Ray Buchanan, likewise great company and G&T mixer par excellence!
Dande Safari Area is a beautiful area, rolling hills, Mopane woods, dotted with large baobabs and springs with water year round. Elephant are abundant, lion, it appeared, as well. Buffalo, impala, eland and kudu country also.
The Zambezi.
After the hunt, having said goodbye to Alan who was continuing a hunt out of fly camp with a Swede no less, 2 days awaited at CMS’s fishing camp.
What an inviting place, once the river was spotted from the backseat of the cruiser, the excitement grew. This was just until I saw the tiny boat I was expected to board. In 2006 I fished the Zambezi, close to Vic Falls, a pontoon like boat, with chairs and such, and not one likely to be chewed in half by a hippo.
Now I was expected to board a sardine can (sorry Buzz and Myles) and look happy to boot.
Ryan and Japie prepared the rods, serious business, and finally we took off at great speed. Not one to spoil the fun, I got on board, clung to the seat and tried to hide my fear. Once we arrived at our designated spot, I asked for a double scotch, which I downed at some speed. Now half doped and rather relaxed. In fact, I didn’t even throw a fit when the motor set out for bit. And as we drifted and fished back towards camp, the scenery was stunning; Julia was having the time of her life and I do remember the beauty of it all and that I did not catch anything. Nor did I fall overboard.
The next morning I boarded, fished a bit, and then asked to be returned to camp because it was too early for a double scotch. Julia, Ryan and Japie then continued on for a 3 hour fast, exciting and fine experience. Julia caught a fish, not a tiger, but a chessa I believe it is called. She was very pleased.
The end
The last night was spent at Pedsa Pasi Camp, before our return to Harare next morning. Japis’s half tame bush-babies entertained us while we enjoyed sundowners near the waterhole. A group of kudu females slowly and carefully came in to drink. We even had company of a Meyer’s parrot.
Just as we were about to sit down for dinner, a call from Blake asking for assistance, came in. It appeared his car battery was dead. That was not the only thing that was dead, so was Todd’s huge old lion. We quickly climbed on board the cruiser and went to rescue the team. Julia and I got a good look at “half tail”, it was amazing to see this huge lion, and we were happy we were able to congratulate Todd in person.
Next morning we were off for Harare. A much swifter drive returning and we passed by CMS office and said hello to Charmaine and Kirsty. Royal, another gentleman took us to my friend’s home in Harare, where we enjoyed two happy days before leaving Zimbabwe for Denmark.
I feel this is as close to the perfect hunting safari that I have ever experienced. I have hunted some in Africa, and all my hunts have been exceptional, educational and exciting, certainly having my daughter along made a huge difference on this particular one.
Lion calling, hyena as well. Elephant and lion in camp during the black of night. The pure delight of rising early, pouring a cup of coffee and sitting by the mopane wood fed fire, watching and listening as a new day was underway, anticipating and looking forward to what that day will bring.
Zimbabwe, you own a big piece of my heart and I believe Julia left a piece of hers as well.
A heartfelt thank you to Charlton McCallum Safaris for making this hunt possible, for broadness, flexibility and large amounts of kindness.
Congratulations! 