.







In the 'thick shit' they have the advantage!"

(thick shit - technical term often used by PHs to describe dense bush / cover)



I have heard this phrase / comment before from other PHs than Doug Duckworth, but it was earlyish on day one that Doug came out with it or words to a very similar effect.

Sorry about the cheesy heading and shades of green but it was almost as if we were hunting in the tropics! Everything was green, green, green - we, Anja and I, have never seen such expanses of greenery whilst carrying a rifle in search of game in all our African hunting years. At times we walked single file through eight foot elephant grass, other times we were constantly ducking branches and pushing brush aside as we hunted through the trees and bushes. It was truly a case of shades of green. Anja got fed up with me telling her how green it all was!

An early season non-trophy non-export buff hunt (that's a mouthful!) with Mokore Safaris and possibly a tuskless as well.



The planning.





Doug or Gary posted on here last year offering a few early season non-trophy buff and I got in touch with Gary straight away. I / we had not met Gary or anyone at Mokore personally before, this was going on reputation and word of mouth and it all came together nicely, a deposit was paid and down the line flights booked. I also asked (even badgered ) Gary for a tuskless ticket. Doug's comment, as PH for the hunt, on a tuskless was bring solids and spare underwear! Gary - in fairness - said 'maybe', depending on the sales at the shows. I packed solids just in case - my glass half full and all that.

It being a non-trophy and non-export buff hunt, I arranged for Justin Drainer to come along as cameraman / videographer / drone pilot. We would take photos and film instead of taxidermy. This too would be a first. Anja was pleased as we have little empty wall space for more taxidermy and Justin was simple great to have around during the safari.

So the set up was as follows -

Mokore Safaris

Non-trophy non-export buff and a tuskless or ration ele cow ele plus plains game

Doug Duckworth as PH

Justin filming, flying and photographing

Travel into Harare 18 March, overnight at Karen Harrison's B&B , drive early to Sengwe 19 March, hunt 20-24 March and charter out in a 206 on 25 March and back to Joburg that evening and Germany the next day.

Rifles - open sights .470 Krieghoff shooting WR 500 grain softs and solids and a camp CZ .375 for plains game.

Anja booked all the flights from Frankfurt via Joburg to Harare on LH and SAA. We also took out Ripcord evac cover for a year to cover this and other planned trips.

As a side note, I opted to travel as light as possible on this trip, literally a canvas travel case, a soft cap, 2 pairs shorts, 2 shirts and a pair of Keen sandals to hunt in and a pair of shorts, two T shirts and a second pair of Keens for camp and travel, binocs, a gun belt and wash gear, a soft gun sleeve and that was pretty much it. It can be done and I didn't miss anything. Laundry was done every day and Mokore had first aid kits in the vehicles and at camp, had we needed one. Anja travelled not quite so light but pretty light too. All was good.

As mentioned, all our hunting in SSA and even Northern Africa, has been in the African winter months. Trees have been bare, the veld yellow and usually the rivers and pans low to empty. March in Sengwe on the other hand was such a contrast to what we have seen, done and know from the past. Rivers were flowing muddy brown, banks had burst in certain places, gorges were flooded. As far as you could see the trees and the veld were a roof top and carpet of lush green. Plenty of 'thick shit' for buff to hide in and more than dozens of shades of green!! A totally new experience with a - for us - new safari company and a new PH and a first with a photographer as well.





Harare.

We arrived into the 'new' Zimbabwe and breezed through passport and customs control. We took a chunk of cash for Mokore and declared it at customs. With cash machines still dribbling limited Dollars if any at all, I figured cash day fees would be useful to Mokore. They didn't say no. Nobody at customs batted an eyelid, we were not followed from the airport and nobody mugged us and stole our cash and kidneys.

On the 'new Zimbabwe' some we spoke to were very optimistic whilst others commented 'same bus, different driver'. I guess time will tell.

Buzz Charlton was extremely generous and met us at the airport and took us to our B&B. We caught up with him and Stef that evening over a great Indian dinner and also visited with Gareth Hook and collected a commission that he painted for us. Anyone who likes wildlife art and has a few hours to spare in Harare, I can whole heartedly recommend to visit Gareth at his home studio. He does great work.






The Safari.

The next morning we were up at 05.00 and away at 06.00. Sam, from Mokore Safaris, picked us up in a Cruiser for the 7 hour drive from Harare to camp. It flew by with a short stop for a soft drink and a comfort break. The car trip gave us all the chance to get to know each other. Justin has been filming and photographing for 14 years and does a lot of work for Buzz and Myles at CM Safaris. Mokore, who have DD Productions as their film team, were very generous and allowed Justin to join us at no extra cost to us for his food and lodging.

We arrived at the camp at 2.00 pm and settled in quickly before signing in at the nearby Parks Office and picking up our scout, Fidelius. Throughout the week he was helpful, hard working and very knowledgeable about the Sengwe Research concession, where he has been based the last 14 years. The other member of the team being the tracker, Nicholas. We then headed to the nearby range for the obligatory range shots, followed by a short game drive, then dinner and campfire drinks under the stars.




























Buffalo.








We were on tracks pretty much straight away on day 1 and followed a group of a dozen plus buff for 2 - 3 hours. Tall grass, thick bush and pools of standing water everywhere made for exciting stalking, coupled with all nature of insects and flora. When we closed on the first herd in some very thick bush the wind swirled and away the buff went. We opted to have a field lunch and let the buff settle down and try again in the afternoon. Lunch was a picnic affaire under a giant teak tree and a 30 minute nap.





The skies then turned dark and down came the rain! Hunting buff in the rain - another first! We had to call it a day around 16.30 as the rain had washed away the tracks and rain was not easing up.

On the second day we drove to some bluffs and glassed a large herd of buff on the flood plains of the Sengwa River. Doug drove us back down and we crossed the river on foot. We lost count of the number of times that we took our shoes / boots off to cross the river that week! Soft sand / quick sand was also a feature of the river crossings.











Doug and Nicholas found the tracks where the buff had left the sandy river bed and entered the jesse and we were onto the herd almost immediately. They were not fifty meters from the river bank. We walked parallel and stalked the herd for about an hour plus when the buff came out of the thick bush onto an open grass vlei by the river and then began to mill around, with some buff wallowing in the shallow pools and others walking to the river to drink.

Doug identified a suitable hard bossed management bull ( ie with a spread below 35 inches ) and we glassed the bull and the herd for some time, tucked in tight against the grassy river bank of the Sengwa River. The bull was laying, wallowing in a small pool and we were able to watch him and the other buff for some time. Doug set the sticks up and planted the two legs firmly in the sand ready for a shot opportunity. We were about 100 meters from the herd.

(The buff we took is the one laying down wallowing half covered by the leg of the shooting sticks.)






Then it all happened very quickly ...... the bull stood up, took a few steps, turned broadside and looked in our general direction. I was on the sticks and sighted onto the bull's shoulder and squeezed the front trigger - the 500 grain Woodleigh hit him in the shoulder and the bull buckled up before turning and racing away with the herd back along the flood plain. I managed a second shot with a solid at the running bull which winged him, left rump and high.

We waited a moment or two for the dust and sands to settle and then, stepping out from the bank, Doug could clearly see the downed bull some 50 meters from where I shot him. Day 2 and we had our management buffalo bull. Afterwards I paced the first shot at 92 meters plus/minus and I had managed to take the bull on the shoulder to his heart.












A solid bull of 7 - 8 years with 15 inch bosses and a 35 inch spread. A 'management bull' for Mokore but a 'trophy bull' for me! We were all very happy. Pictures were taken and then the buff was loaded onto the cruiser in two simple halves, leaving only a pile of half digested grasses and some bloody sand behind for the circling vultures to squabble over. We toasted the bull that night with some Killerpitch before a great dinner and some good SA red wine.










Elephant.

Just before the hunt, Gary told me that I was good for a tuskless or a management (ration) ele cow. We would focus on a ration cow. In fact I don't think we saw any tuskless in the week but that is partly due to how dense the bush was. On day three we were amongst the ele from early on - a herd of some 12-15 ele, with a few young bulls, cows and some calves. We had one opportunity on a cow, but she turned and dissolved into the greenery before I could shoulder the Krieghoff .470.










The following day, after a visit to the local community school (see below), we were back in the 'thick shit' tracking ele. We spooked an old dagga boy and a bushbuck before we came across a herd of about 20 - 30 ele at 10.00 a.m..





Doug heard / sighted a suitable cow, standing alone, under the foliage canopy of a large tree, with branches hanging to the ground like some giant green umbrella around her. I squeezed in next to Doug and, at about 10 paces, kneeling, sighted onto the cows forehead for a frontal brain shot. I fired and she staggered and sacked down onto her hind legs, only to struggle to regain her footing. I fired a second solid at the side of her head and Doug fired into her shoulder. By now, and all in the space of seconds, the cow was up on all four of her legs, she turned and made away into the thick bush with Doug firing a second .505 round into her hindquarters as she raced away.

At the shots the herd took off as one - eles everywhere crashing through the bush. We waited ten minutes and walked forward only to be met by a swarm of irritated wasps under the tree where the cow had rested. Justin shouted 'move, move!' and we ran foreward, Doug escaped unhurt but Justin and I were stung by angry wasps!

We slowly worked the ele tracks, and picked up single spots of blood every twenty yards or so. Nicolas and Fidelius, the Game Scout, moved slowly forward trying to pick out the cows trail from the rest of the herd. A very difficult task. After some 2 - 3 hours we lost the blood trail. Justin flew his drone for an hour hoping to see something from sky, but without any luck.

We tracked on, following the herd until 6.00 pm, seeing some of the herd members at times but the tracks ran to the boundary of the concession. As the daylight faded we were forced to call it a day and walked back to the river and the Cruiser. We had walked approximately 18 kms after the herd. We would try again the next and final day of the hunt.






The long and short of it was that we tried to pick the herd up the next day but without success. Nor did we see vultures in the skies over the area of the hunt.

Doug and Justin were both apologetic that we or better I had lost the ele. In a moment of dark humor, I commented that I can now understand why more experienced hunters shoot collared ele and lions to make sure that they do not lose them. I missed the brain on both shots and the ele cow was lost. We all did out best to find her but could not. Doug wrote up a report for the Parks Office and we handed it in.

That evening Doug braaied and we enjoyed a final mopani wood camp fire under the stars. The hunt was over - we had taken a great management buff but very very sadly lost an ele cow. Anyone who had been there and done the same will know the feelings and emotions of wounding and loosing an animal. It's hunting. But it was certainly not what I had expected from and on my first ele hunt. We all raised a glass to the ele cow that evening and hoped she did not suffer long.

I will post the video clip of the ele shot scene. I will include it here so members / readers can see what the situation was like and maybe we can all learn from it. All are welcome to comment as you wish and / but I hope that this doesn't turn into the often seen 'trial / jury by couch and screen critics'. I would ask that if you have not got something good or constructive to say, then please don't say anything.



The School Visit.

Mel Duckworth mentioned in a mail that Mokore Safaris supports a local school in Sengwe and that all and any help is greatly appreciated. On the morning of day four, we drove half an hour to the school. The headmaster told us they have some 500 children (although only about 100 were present on the day). Anja and I had taken along some exercise books, crayons, chalk, paper and some other school items along with a football. We spent a couple of hours at the school, watching the roll call and national anthem, prayers and the salute to the national flag. The students put on a traditional dance and we handed over the items to the head boy and head girl. Then came the highlight with Justin flying his drone over the kids and over the school for 15 minutes. It was great to see the smiles and hear the laughter.













As a side note, I commented that we had driven onto a school grounds in two hunting Cruisers with 4 rifles and ammo and knives et cetera on board and a game scout with an AK. Imagine doing that in the Western World !? Although many of us look at Africa and comment about how broken or backward some things are, perhaps a lot of things are in many ways healthier and better than in the 'modern world' in my opinion.


The final morning in the bush, we settled our accounts, thanked all the staff and waited for the 206 to come in for the flight to Harare. Doug set off before the plane came in so as to ride in convoy with Sam back to Harare. The Cessna came in at 10.30 and we had a wonderful 90 minute fight to Harare. Justin's father met us and dropped Anja and I at Amanzi for a Sunday lunch before our evening SAA flight to Johannesburg and then back to Europe. Harare police and SAPs in Joburg was a breeze with the weapons and the travel was trouble free.


It was a wonderful early season hunt. Here a few closing thoughts and notes -

- the bush was so very thick that we saw only limited plains game - plenty of impala and waterbuck plus baboons but only a few bushbuck and reedbuck around the river banks and 1 kudu bull and 1 warthog. We saw plenty of buff and ele. Doug and Justin both confirmed that if we were to return in September or October we would see herds of zebra, eland, waterbuck and other game.

- the buff hunt was superb, with great stalking amongst the herds and a solid old bull at the end. Whilst labeled as a "management buff", the bull was every bit a trophy bull to me and everyone else on the hunt. He had great bosses of 15 inches and character.

- Sengwe Reseach is a beautiful and varied concession with open vleis, thick bush, the Sengwa River and another river, high cliffs and bluffs and a great and comfortable camp.

- Doug mentioned that when Mokore took on the concession some 6 years ago they plotted over 175 ele kills. Poachers. They have radically reduced poaching in the concession through anti poaching and working with Parks scouts. In my view its information like this that needs to get out into the public space.










- Anja commented after the hunt that if we go into ele herds and buff herds again she wants to have a bigger rifle to carry herself. She did not want to hunt this trip and was happy as an observer. Awesome! I can now go shopping for a 9.3x62 for her!

- We skipped the dip and ship and taxidermy on this hunt opting instead to have Justin film and photograph. We enjoyed his company and he shared a lot of his bush knowledge with us from insects to plants to trees and animals. Thank you Justin it was super having you share the week with us! Photo credits go to you!






Finally thanks to Doug and all at Mokore and to all AR members and readers for coming alone. It was another great African safari!





And here to finish 'the sunset' picture!





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We had a bit of fun with this one! A future younger Courtney boot catwalk model ?





Doug took it all in good faith and fun !!

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Good report, sorry about your cow.

Nice report and pics, and congratulations on a great non trophy buff

I hunted in chirisa in September when everything was dry and brownish and it felt like walking on cornflakes when we hunted Buffalo. Completely different from your hunt where everything is GREEN.

It must have been incredibly exciting to hunt buffalo and elephant in such dense vegetation and poor visibility

Thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing and for the wonderful photos.
I appreciate the honesty of the report, the lost ele must have been a tough outcome.

JCHB

Excellent report, boy do I feel for you on the elephant. Sengwe is a special place, hunted there the first year they had the concession. There are tremendous PG, you just could not see them with the thick growth. Sounds like you had a great time and to have a wife that likes to go with you, that just doubles the memories.

Great photos! Thanks for the report.

Nice report and photos.

Mark

Charlie;

Fantastic report and pictures. Glad to see you two together in the bush again! What an awesome experience in "the shades of green".

Well done! Best regards, Darin

Nice pics. Thanks for the report .

Very nice photos and report! I know the beauty that is Sengwa. Those outlooks are hard to forget !

Thanks for the report! Great photos! I look forward to seeing the video.

Great report and pictures! Thinking about hunting with Mokore and this report is a nice reference. Thanks for posting.

The drone really adds another dimension. Now thinking about getting a professional to photo/video our Botswana hunt this year....

Always enjoy your reports.

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Here some more (not resized) photos and random thoughts ...

The bush TV




Downed tools for a break




It doesn't get much greener !





Our room mate




Glassing




Amazing colours




Dinner time





Before the off








After a hard week of photos and filming !






Lunch at Amanzi in Harare




Salmon and asparagus salad with Chablis - Zim really is falling apart !





Read the small print and take USD cash with you !





Goodbye Zimbabwe - until the next one!






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Very nice report in deed

Lovely to see Snake in that position... tired little fellow.. probably by running away for the elephants as one of the Green Rabbits..


Morten

Very Nice!

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For the ballistics buffs - from the buffalo .470 NE 500 grain WR Woodleigh soft point, shot 92 paces / say +/- 80 meters, recovered from LHS rib cage and weighed at 397 grains being 79.4 rest mass.





The solid entered and exited as did the third and final shot on the neck / spine.

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Such a fine report Charlie, thoroughly enjoyed and read more than once.

Justin delivered fine pictures

I feel your pain with regard to the lost ele.

And congratulate you on your buffalo, a good looking one for sure.

A couple of months until we meet, I do look forward to that.

Jytte

quote:

Originally posted by Charlie64:
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Here some more (not resized) photos and random thoughts ...
Our room mate


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That frog really likes the curtain rod in Chalet #1 he was there last September,glad to see he made it through the summer.

Congrats on a fine hunt!

Any hunter who has not lost an animal just hasn’t hunted a lot. It’s a shame about the cow elephant, but at least you were in among them!

The Duckworth’s are great hosts. Thanks for sharing.

thanks for the great report - really enjoyed it!

Well done Charles and Anja. Great report and pictures. Some nice shooting there and what a classic buffalo hunt with your double.

Well written Charlie and great choice of videographer.

Cheers
Jim & Joyce

Always the best reports ,i enjoy a lot reading it .Thank you for sharing your experiences and photos . Cheers Juan P. Pozzi md.

Thanks for a great, no nonsense report.
We’ve all lost an animal, it really stings and it’s hard getting your head screwed on straight again.
Justin sent me a short version of your hunt video, awesome! Nothing like the thick stuff...

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Thank you all for the feedback and comments.

It was an awesome week. Loosing your first ele is tough but as many said loosing an animal is part of hunting, but especially tough on an ele at 10 paces after you put one into a buff's shoulder open sights at 90 odd paces!? Explain that to the hunting gods!

Currently working on saving and posting the buff and ele short vids ......

Cheers

Charlie

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Good report Charlie and some great pictures. Due to the excessive rains two thirds of the area was not accessible by vehicle, the bush was very thick which made for some heart pumping hunting. Compliments to both you and Anja on the stamina shown and taking everything from Wasps to hairy caterpillars in your stride, I would love to show you that area mid to late season so you can see the difference. I enjoyed hunting with you both!!

Nice report- super pictures! I’m heading to Mokore in 2 weeks for elephant with my buddy. Pretty stoked!

Congrats Charles and Anja- great hunt and sorry about the elephant. As I have often said if you have not lost an animal you have not hunted enough or you are lying! It was great to catch up and look forward to our next hunt! All the best Buzz

Great report. Nice Buff sorry about the Ele.

Great report Charlie. Bummer about the lost cow ele, but shit happens. Been there, done that with a lost kudu in 2015.

Excellent photo's Charlie and a fine report.

Great report and a lekker hunt. Well done!

Great time by the looks of it. Congratulations.

Arjun Reddy