Outfitter: CMS
PH: Rich Tabor
Cameraman: Justin(the T Snake)
Country: Zimbabwe
Hunt date: Sep 1 thru 10
Gun 416 Rigby
Animals taken: Tuskless, Bushbuck, Waterbuck, Baboon.


This was my first time to Africa. I had never even left the US so it was all new to me and quite the culture shock. I read anything Africa and have for about the last twenty three years, but as you know until you get there you never really know what to expect.
If you have never been and were to ask me what to expect from CM I would have to say it will be ten times better that what you hoped for. On hunt day one Rich had me on a tuskless. He decided she was a bit small and we turned her down. I was a bit nervous about this because what if we didn't see another? The next day Rich put me on another and she was what we were looking for. Rich set me up for a frontal brain shot at 17 yards +/-. I got lucky and brained her on the first shot. Rich doesn't mess around and had me shoot her two more times(The third shot may have been because I got excited and shot again while she was still falling). That was pretty intense for me and it happened rather fast. I will never forget how it felt to finally achieve what I have been dreaming about my whole life.
After shooting my elephant I thought all the fun would be over, but Rich and Justin had other plans. They put out a little bait for Vundu which is a catfish that gets huge. The next day we went out to do a little fishing and in the first five minutes I hooked into a fifty pound Vundu. It is the biggest fish I have ever caught and I hope Rich isn't still sore at me for throwing it back.
After that it was nonstop fun, filming hippos on the way to hunt while taking a Bushbuck on day three. We had set a hyena bait and two of them should be dead but a very embarrassing shooting display on my part leaves them still alive and well. We had a Leopard come in to the bait and I feel very lucky to have seen one.
After two misses on baboons I finally got one and my daughter is very proud that I shot one.
On the last day of the hunt we were able to get up to a nice waterbuck and I was happy I got him.
After the hunt I had a fishing day and I recommend this to everybody. Not only was it fun just being out on the river but it gave me time to think about my whole experience before rushing home. Rich may deny being an expert fisherman but he is great. I do think Justin might out fish him if they were to go head to head.
Altogether it was the hunt of a lifetime, I hope to make it back real soon. The camp was great, the food was awesome, the trackers have to be seen to believe, and I feel that Rich and Justin did way more than they should have to make sure I had a great hunt and also fun. They are both fantastic guys.
Rich Tabor is what you would expect in a PH, but he also is much more. In the states if you hunt forty days a year that is a ton. Rich has hunted all year and still had the patience to help a first timer and also feel like a friend.
If you are wondering if you should have your hunt filmed the answer is yes. Snake did a great job and if Rich was busy with the trackers or cutting a road to my elephant, he was always pointing stuff out that I would have missed or catching giant scorpions. He is also good at making excuses as to why you missed when there are no excuses. Oh and take pictures of him while you are there. I did and it's nice to look and show my wife and family who the guy is with enough guts to stalk these animals with just a camera.
If I ever figure out how to post pictures I will have them posted.

Thanks Buzz and Myles, and especially Rich and Justin, you guys are great.



P.S. To all of you that get on this site everyday and wish you could go hunt in Africa just go do it. I am thirty years old, I work in a factory and help my dad with a farm when I can and am far from rich. These hunts cost money, that is true. Save a little here and there and you will be there in no time. There are no excuses to not go. If you hunt with Buzz and Myles it will be worth every penny.

Thanks guys and Cheers, Jeff

quote:

Save a little here and there and you will be there in no time. There are no excuses to not go.

Thanks guys and Cheers, Jeff

Congrats on learning this at such a young age.

Congratulations! How about a few pictures and some video?

Congratulations. A good hunt with a great bunch. Myles and Buzz and Rich and Justin are a terrific team.

Nice. Thanks for sharing.

Congrats on your first Africa Safari, hope there is lots more to follow !!

Great safari! Lucky young man to be starting your addiction so early in life!

Wow, first hunt in Africa and you did a tuskless in the valley! Freaking awesome!! Sounds as if you had a blast. I bet the bug has you know. I am a landscaper, so I can appreciate saving and working towards a hunt. With a passion and a goal you will be surprised how quickly you can be back. Let the adventures begin!

Jeff,
Congratulations on your first safari! You picked the right guys to do it with as I told you at the B&B the morning we were heading in to the Zambezi.
Motombo camp is spectacular as I was there straight after you guys were finished.
Sure hope to see you in one of CM's camps again!

Cheers mate and well done

Nick

Great first safari. Now start saving for the next one.

What a great first safari. Thank you for sharing it here, and welcome to the forum. I wish I had started at such a young age.

Fantastic!
Thanks for sharing

quote:

Originally posted by Marty:
What a great first safari. Thank you for sharing it here, and welcome to the forum. I wish I had started at such a young age.

AMEN TO THAT. i was 50 years old before i took the plunge the first time and truly regret the wasted years/money prior to that. sorry , but moose, caribou, deer, bear etc just aren't the same.....

A lifetime safari and the first one to boot..

Mike

Congrats on your hunt. You've surely started off on the right tract with CMS, Rich, and T-Snake! I don't recognize any of Rich's crew except for Norest. Good to see Rich back hunting again.

Hi Jeff

Congrats on an awesome hunt Jeff and thanks so much for coming put with us! Rich is the real deal- of that there is no doubt. Those are some great trophies and a nice BIG tuskless not to mention a seriuos catfish!!!!! Well done and we all look forward to "round 2"! Cheers Buzz

Great report; thanks!

Nice!

Sounds like a great first hunt. Congrats.

Congrats on a successful first safari, and for realizing a dream at a young age and realizing you need not be a millionaire to hunt Africa.

Consider yourself lucky starting in your age. Then we were just dreaming about Africa and raising kids and etc.
Most of us started much later.
That said, pretty cool. Congratulation.
Now you are screwed and will be forever broke LOL
Like most of us true addicts.

Jeff,

Big congrats on a great safari. As others have said it is wonderful that you could start hunting Africa so early in your life.

Mark

Kudos to you, Jeff. You're living the life!

Way to go Jeff, what a hunt! Hunting with Rich, I know you had a great experience. I hunted with him August 1-18, just a couple of weeks before you were there. The CMS guys are awesome!

You're a wise man to prioritize a hunt like this - hope you have many more!

Awesome trip, you could not have selected a better hunt or group to hunt with. Nice pictures too. Congrats!

Well done... that croc picture is fantastic!

Good to see another "young" hunter on this site, we are few around here

Looks like a great hunt!

What a great hunt you must of had, great looking bushbuck and waterbuck too. Thanks for sharing! Great trophies

I'm fairly young too!!!

Congrats on a fine safari. Great trophies and pics! Thanks for sharing, although I'll probably be double checking my shoes (even at home) for the next few months thanks to that shot of the scorpion!

Well done. Wished I had started hunting Africa at 30.........you'll be back many times, for sure.

Best regards, D. Nelson

I love that picture of the croc diving off into the river...

Awesome expedition ,congrats

Good for you!

I love the pic of the croc, wow!!

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
Good to see another "young" hunter on this site, we are few around here

There is Joyce!!

Way to make it happen, Jeff. And congratulations on your first safari!

I am sorry to bring up a hunt that took place so far in the past. When I went on this hunt I was very proud to post my hunt report. Let's not let that fade away. I am proud of what I saw, what I did, and the people that I met that have become what I consider good friends. Please post your hunt reports. Let's be what this site was back then

Thanks, Jeff