2016 is a slow year for all operators, in not only Zimbabwe but the whole sub region, mainly due to the economics worldwide. CMS however has had some great hunts and will end off having a decent season, not to mention several exciting developments!!!



DANDE

As usual the leopard hunting has been exceptional with 8/8 cats taken, most shot in day light hours. A highlight was Allan having to smoke a big wounded leopard out of a cave which ended happily and thankfully no scratches to show for their troubles! Dande has to be about as good as it gets for leopard hunting with 23 out of 24 successful cat hunts in the last three years!!













The buff plains game in Dande early season was hard, but by the same token very satisfying as it’s true hunting. With the ban on elephant export, we sold very few elephant bull hunts, but the ones we did were successful.




























14 foot croc







We have also been 100% successful on our 2 lion hunts this year - with two good old lions taken. The second lion taken by Dan was tracked for several hours before being shot. That has to be the ultimate way to take a trophy lion in the wild!!





HAMMOND

HAMMOND
Hammond in the Save has been, as expected, excellent - great buff leopard and also elephant with lots of plains game. We have completed 3 hunts and have a further 3 hunts to go. An added bonus has been daily visits to Gonerazhou National Park which must rate as one of the best parks in Africa.

We have a single special to offer this year in Hammond which is a non-trophy buffalo bull that is exportable (an old buffalo bull under 37”):

5 DAY BUFFALO BULL ALL INCLUSIVE $11650















ZAMBIA – UPPER LUPANDE

Other developments sees CMS expanding out into Zambia, where we start hunting next week. We sold limited hunts in the Upper Lupande Game Management Area - considered Zambia’s premier Luangwa Valley area. Unbelievable for lion leopard buffalo and has exceptional plains game numbers including different species from the ZambeziValley like puku roan and cookson wildebeast. The camp is situated right on the Luwanga river which has uncountable numbers of croc and hippo!! We expect to have 4 very successful hunts there this year and then to market it properly for 2017.

We do have a few buffalo hunt specials in Zambia, as well as a lion hunt which will produce an absolute monster. Cats have not been hunted there for 3 years and day light sightings of excellent lion is common place there.



ZAMBIA- UPPER LUPANDE 2016 SPECIALS

7 DAY ALL INCLUSIVE BUFFALO HUNT AT US$ 12000

1 X 18 DAY LION BUFFALO PLAINS GAME US$ 65000 ALL INCLUSIVE

ZIMBABWE – CHARARA

CMS also has a limited quota for this year in Charara Safari Area, on the banks of Lake Kariba. Charara was considered at one point as one of the very best Zambezi Valley concessions - however mismanagement from the previous concession holders and poaching, has meant that it has not been hunted for 3 years. Despite this, the buff and plains game numbers are still good and the croc and hippo second to none. With hippo been taken on land and crocs in the 14 ft range, you cannot go wrong. CMS has put up a beautiful rustic tented camp that offers you the old African experience, with all the standards of other CMS camps. As we talk now, our first client is hunting there and she is after tuskless and leopard. She has been there 4 days and has shot a stunning eland, a few impala, took her tuskless yesterday and has a few leopard feeding!

We also have a few croc hippo and a buffalo special in Charara. Below are the full prices if anyone is interested.

ZIMBABWE – CHARARA 2016 SPECIALS

7 DAY BUFFALO PLAINS GAME HUNT $11500 ALL INCLUSIVE CAN ADD HIPPO CROC AT TROPHY FEE OF US$5000 EA PLUS 4% GOV LEVY

10 DAY BUFFALO HIPPO CROC HUNT ALL INCLUSIVE $21900

5 DAY HIPPO CROC HUNT ALL INCLUSIVE $14999

14 DAY LEOPARD CROC HIPPO HUNT ALL INCLUSIVE $26500



DAPU
DAPU has also gone from strength to strength and with Bongi, Muno and Alpha spear heading it. Several arrests have been made year. The good news is that the numbers of snares being recovered has finally started to come down, a sure sign of a job been well done. For more info on DAPU and its successes please go to DAPU.COM. We would also like to thank you all for the very generous support and donations to DAPU without which, DAPU and our wildlife would not exist!



One of the initiatives we set up to generate funds to operate DAPU was the auctioning off of quality art, with part or full payment going to DAPU - our first painting was by Peter Stewart SUPPORT DAPU which was a great success. Starting tomorrow is an amazing painting by Brita Harland - who as many of you know is Richard Harland’s equally talented wife. This is a oil painting of 3 elephant bulls in a typical Zambezi Valley scene. We would like to thank Dave Adams who actually bought this painting, and donated it to DAPU for auction.

Happy Hunting!
Buzz & the CMS team

Great pics, especially the running buffalo bull.

Best of luck the rest of the season.

Great Pics Buzz!!
Looking forward to being in Zambia in your new area in 5 weeks for Leopard.

quote:

We do have a few buffalo hunt specials in Zambia, as well as a lion hunt which will produce an absolute monster. Cats have not been hunted there for 3 years and day light sightings of excellent lion is common place there.

The Lupande areas are renowned for big hairy mature Lion. The price is a steal considering that this is the sport of kings.

Fantastic report Buzz.
Thankyou for all in ensuring our recent hunt with Alan and Rich was so memorable. The whole CMS team is exceptional in every respect.

Very nice animals.

I just completed my sixth safari with CMS and it was outstanding in every respect. We hunted out of the Mururu Camp. It was a ten day hunt for non-trophy elephant and my wife Lori was trying for buffalo. I took my 18 year old daughter as a high school graduation gift as well, as I wanted to expose her to international travel, third world conditions, and a traditional hunting safari.

We traveled from DFW through Dubai on Emirates and on to Harare, landing on July 3. We took an air charter to the main Pedza Camp and then over to Mururu by land, just another 45 minutes. That camp, as many of you know, is beautiful in all respects, under the shade of magnificent trees and along a dry riverbed. There were lion and hyena tracks 30 meters in front of the chalets in the river sand. We listened to lion and hyena most nights, with the occasional leopard cough as well.

As usual, the safari provided by CMS was top-notch. The food, equipment, staff, housing, preparation, planning, and crew on the truck were the best in the business and I say that after some 14 safaris in multiple countries. Buzz and Myles run a great operation in a game rich area. Besides being successful on two non-trophy elephant, impala and baboon, we saw multiple leopard and lion tracks every few days in the field, hundreds of buffalo, zebra, kudu, eland, impala, multiple small antelope, hyena, a 15+ foot python, and actually had a leopard leap in front of the truck from one side of the track to the other. This all occurred just driving or tracking buffalo and elephant. Due to a number of real hunting conditions such as swirling winter winds, and despite tracking for 10+ miles each day, we never found the buffalo that my wife wanted to shoot, but it was not due to a lack of game or even being very close to multiple buffalo. Sometimes fair chase hunting gets really fair to the game pursued.

I've killed more than 20 elephant with Buzz and therefore spent many, many days in the field and various camps with him through the past 11 years, and I would encourage any experienced or first time African hunter to have no reservations booking a hunt in the Zambezi Valley with CMS. They have spent untold thousands on anti-poaching with DAPU, either out of their pockets or with the generous assistance of other hunters, and the game reflects these efforts.

I know that there are many other regular contributors to AR that have had similar experiences with CMS through the years and it is encouraging to know that as so many issues change in African hunting, a constant is the quality of the hunts provided by Buzz and Myles.

I like to hunt with only an iron-sighted double of some caliber (this time it was a 1914 version of a Charles Boswell .450-400 3 1/4") and Buzz likes to get close, close to elephant, just as much as I do. Buzz and his two main trackers have an incredible amount of elephant experience. It was great, once again, to hunt with such professionals. I am hopeful that CMS and all of the quality operators are able to weather the current economic conditions in the safari industry.

Great start to the season Buzz. Congratulations.

Good report and great pics.

BH63

Keep DAPU working hard and pretty soon Dande will be a better hunting destination that anything in Tanzania and a much better bargain to boot.

Buzz and Myles, great to see the season playing out well for you and your clients in terms of delivering quality hunts. What is amazing to me about your report is while the elephant trophies are certainly fewer in number, you are going great guns on the cats. Well done my friend . . . I miss our time around the campfire with cigar and scotch in hand.

Great stuff as usual Buzz. I cannot wait to get back there next year...counting the days.

Great stuff there. Keep up the good work!


.

Well done to all the CM safaris crew on a successful first half 2016. No doubt tough bookings wise , but trophy quality superb.

Keep it up guys.

Cheers

Nick

What was the story of the charging buff? It is an awesome trophy and did you take it?

Congratulations on consistently producing great trophies and experiences for your clients.

Hey Boss. I took that picture on a hunt with Dr Johnny Johnson and PH Rich Tabor. Dr J will be putting his report up soon. But ill tell you for now that that buff was Mock charging unprovoked and was not shot. Another buffalo however was not so friendly... wait for the report i think it will be a goodie!!!

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
What was the story of the charging buff? It is an awesome trophy and did you take it?

Wish I was there

Morten

Buzz
Picture like this make us want to come back.
Carol cant wait.

Well done on the season

Nice start to the season, Buzz, Myles and Co.

Sounds like you have some interesting new things on tap as well, good luck with the new ventures!

Cheers guys!

30-06

Thanks and what a pleasure it was having you and your boy hunting with us! A father son hunt is a very special event and you guys were great!

Thanks all for the nice comments!
Dennis- you are in for a GREAT hunt in Zambia and I look forward to your leopard been in the next hunt report!

Fair Game- thanks for the comments on the lion in Upper Lupande , amazingly no takers yet!!!!

Kelly- Hunting eles with you is one of my highlights only made better having Lori and this time Eastern with us! Thankyou my friend!

Steve and Buff hunter- Thanks!

Guns Core- thankyou Mike and a HUGE thankyou for your continued support of DAPU , with out yours and other kind donations it would come to a grinding halt!

Bwana Mike- I am missing the humour and cigars by the fire not to mention chasing a few eles!!!!

Tim- so looking forward to having you all with us again!

Nickh - book that hunt!!!

Jtex and Ridgeman- thank you!

Andy- you do a great job and that buff picture is a winner!

Norwegian- Looking forward to having you and the rest of the VIKINGS out with us next year- its going to be fun!

Chris and Carol- likewise having you out next year will be awesome!!!

FishN4eyes! Thanks it has been good so far- Looking forward to the East producing more great buff like you shot there with Thierry!

MIke - Yes we have had a great year on cats. The two specials sold in Charara has so far produced a monster leopard shot last night and the second hunt will be in a weeks time which should produce another great cat!

Buzz and Milo congrats on another good season so far. Quality hunts with quality outfit.

It is good to see your conservation efforts pay off, it shows in your clients continued success.

.

Well done CMS !

Great report, pictures and happy clients / hunters !

Clearly you are getting it right

Charlie

Ps no tigers ?

.

Good stuff Buzzer!

Looking forward to Charara in less than two weeks!
We're combining a week on a houseboat with a week in camp at Charara. Tiger fishing, dry land hippo, and tuskless.
Report to follow....

Congrats CMS! Some wonderful trophies taken.

Glad to hear you have more areas, based on your track record they will be well managed and the Game and conservation of wild Africa will be assured .

The economy will turn, and hopefully the hard times will have weeded out the sub standard operators. I am trusting that the like of CMS, Duckworths and other quality operators will benefit in the long run. There is much reason to be hopeful

May you continue to go from strength to strength!

Fantastic pictures of the trophies. A job well done.