Outfitter: CMSafaris, Zimbabwe
PH: Myles McCallum (for me), Alan Shearing for my hunting partner (Wes)
Rifle and ammo: Winchester Model 70 .375 H&H modified by Wayne Jacobson of American Hunting Rifles with hand loaded CEB 275 gr Non Con and 300 gr solids; Wes used a Ruger .375 Ruger with Swift A frames
Animals Seen: Buffalo, Impala, Waterbuck, Zebra, Bushbuck, Crocodile, Hippo; Baboon, Warthog, Lion, Leopard, Sable, Cobra, Puff Adder
Animal Taken: Cape Buffalo
Airlines: South African Airways
Travel: Steve Turner, Travel with Guns
Dates of trip: May 29 - June 14, 2013

A little background. I got into hunting late in life and am trying to make up for some lost time. I predominately hunt birds but have done some big game hunting. I am more a meat hunter than a trophy hunter. Having read Hemingway, Ruark, and Capstick as a child (and repeatedly since) when my hunting buddy invited me to accompany him to Africa 2 years ago for Cape buffalo, I jumped at the chance. We had a wonderful trip but had some problems related to the PH’s temper. We were on a 2x1 hunt and for whatever reasons the animals really did not cooperate. That was basically ok with Wes and me but the PH let his frustrations show on a daily basis. After hunting hard for 10 days, my friend got a gorgeous buffalo at noon on the last day, but I never saw a mature bull during my hunt. In any case, we decided that we had to have another safari. We did more research (predominately on AR) and decided on CMSafaris. We detailed our desires to CMS in terms of animals but more importantly what we wanted out of the trip. To us, the adventure and learning about the hunt, the country and the animals was as important as the trophies. We could not have been more pleased with the attitude and service provided by CMS. From rapid responses to our emails before the hunt from both owners of CMS (Buzz Charlton and Myles McCallum), timely greeting at the airport in Harare, the choice of the B&B in which we overnighted before and after our hunt and the hunt itself, every facet of the trip was professionally and calmly handled. I have nothing but raves for Myles McCallum who was my PH, Alan Shearing who was my buddies PH and the rest of the crew, Bongi (tracker and camp manager) Muno (tracker and camp manger), Morgan (tracker) and Martin (Government Scout) all went out of their way to make our trip safe, comfortable and fun. Kirsty in the office also made sure that things went smoothly and took us on some sightseeing and shopping in Harare. The elephants even went way out of their way to make the trip exciting.

I am still learning a lot about African Hunting but let me detail some of the equipment that I took and make some comments about them.
Rifle: I purchased a new .375 H&H Winchester model 70 and had it sent to Wayne Jacobson at AHR. He adjusted the trigger, installed a custom barrel and made sure everything worked flawlessly. I had contacted D’Arcy Echols and purchased one of his Legend Stocks which Wayne bedded to my rifle. I can’t tell you how much of a gentleman D’Arcy is. There was some trouble from McMillan in terms of getting delivery of the stock and he went out of his way to be helpful. The stock by the way was extremely comfortable and made shooting the rifle a joy. The rifle handles extremely well and is completely reliable. It traveled in a Pelican 1750 case and now after its second trip, the case has a bunch of scratches and dings, but everything in it has arrived unscathed.
Scope: Leupold VX6 2-12 x 42 with illuminated reticule. Scope worked fine and optics were good. The red dot was helpful in aiming into the shadows. When one of the trackers looked through it during an impromptu shooting contest, he said the dot was “white man’s magic”. The battery in the scope operated without replacement throughout the hunt and I must admit I left it on more than I had planned. The 1-6 X scope would probably equally have worked, but I wanted the extra magnification and the weight and size were not dramatically more.

I handloaded Cutting Edge Bullets DGBR-HP_LO4_BBW_13 275 gr bullets for Thick Skinned Game bullets and 300 gr solids using IMR 4064 powder. Loads were suggested by “Trapper” at CEB and both the HP and solids hit to just about the same point of impact. I found them very accurate and lethal.

On my first trip I had a cartridge belt that did not hold the .375 H&H cartridges snugly enough. On each walk I ended up losing rounds. On recommendation from AR, I had Henry Flores make me a culling belt from elephant and it not only looks wonderful, it worked perfectly. I highly recommend him as a leather worker.
Clothing: I wore the 5:11 cotton pants and shirts and they were comfortable, had lots of pockets and turned most of the thorns. I was quite happy with them, but if I was going much later in the season, would consider something lighter weight.
I wore Courtney boots and they were quite comfortable. I am not sure that something lighter weight would not have done as well, but will use them again when I return. I paired them with Smartwool trekking socks and the combination worked well. As everyone on AR tells you, make sure your boots fit well and break them in more than you think you will need to. We walked about 80 miles in 10 days. Had my boots not fit, I would have been miserable.
I sprayed all my clothing with Permethrin before the trip and never had a tick on me. The PH had several during the same time period. Whether it was responsible for my lack of bugs or coincidental I do not know, but the reassurance was worth the small effort.
As sunburn and dust protection, I used a Buff (http://www.backcountry.com/buff-uv-buff-solid?CMP_SKU=BUF0010&MER=0406&CMP_ID=GAN_GPLA&003=8219600&010=BUF0010-MI-ONESIZ&mr:trackingCode=E38A3F2B-63BC-E111-9312-001B21A69EB8&mr:referralID=NA&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=32930646945&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=55454406345&origin=pla&gclid=CNPc0sDd97cCFYWi4Aod5hYAOQ) and found it very convenient.
Gaiters from Texas Hunt Company worked very well.
Someone on AR had suggested taking a supply of hard candy on which to suck during the hot afternoon walks and I am glad I followed that advice.
I was carrying an ESEE 3 sheath knife until it got pulled out of the sheath while crawling through brush and was lost. I felt naked without a knife, but did not really need one other than my Swiss Army Pocket Knife.

Throughout the trip, I carried a Garmin GPS on my belt. I have found that I am a poor estimator of distance walked and this keeps me honest. I find it fun to know exactly how far we trekked and it was reassuring that I could get back to the truck or camp if necessity arose.

In my pockets I carried: a small first aid kit, matches; TP and sanitizer; a small headnet and a bright pocket flashlight. It is hard not to overload yourself, but you want necessities available if they are needed. Thankfully, the only thing I needed to use was the flashlight.


Day 1
South African Airways from JFK to JHB, then a couple of hour’s layover and SAA to Harare. We had not been able to obtain frequent flier miles business class seats so we went sardine class. It was a long, uncomfortable flight but we made it as did our duffle bags and guns. No major complaint with SAA. The food was tolerable but the flight attendants were less than friendly. We were met at the airport by Myles and taken to a very nice B&B. Kirsty from CMS took us on a short sightseeing trip of Harare. That evening, Myles and his lovely wife Olivia took us to dinner and we had a delightful time.


Day 2
After a large breakfast at the B&B, we loaded up and drove from Harare to Mururu Camp which was to be home for the rest of the trip. We had been offered a charter flight to camp but found that driving the 7 hours got us more into the spirit of Africa and allowed us to acclimate to some of our jet lag. Mururu is a comfortable small camp on the banks of a dry river bed. Virtually every night we heard leopards grunting and hyenas calling. There were lion prints everywhere as well as innumerable other animal traces. It was a lovely place to spend the trip although we generally left it before dawn and returned just after dark. We usually had just enough time for a quick shower and change of clothes then hors d’oeuvres and drinks by the Mopane fire and then dinner. The food was more than adequate with excellent preparations of game, beef and fish. It was one of the few hunting camps that I have been to that did not routinely overcook the meat. There were three courses served every night. They were also very accommodating to food preferences as well.




Day 3
Woke up feeling somewhat tired but excited to start the hunt. After breakfast we got into the Land Cruiser and drove until the trackers spotted some buffalo spoor and we started following on foot. We walked about 9 miles (by my GPS) without being able to get very close to the buffalo. Generally, I am in pretty good shape for someone of my age (67) but I was feeling pretty crummy. By noon I was quite woozy and unable to keep up. Felt I was dehydrated and drank a very large amount of fluids to make up for that. Still did not feel too well so we took it fairly easy during the rest of the day. Driving and looking for fresh spoor was really good. The scenery was spectacular and you never knew what was going to be around the next corner or bush. Heard over the radio that my friend had already connected on a great old buffalo bull with a great boss. Dinner and bed.



Day 4
Woke up feeling fairly well and tried to maintain hydration. Walked all morning without getting into buffalo. We did see impala and lots of fresh elephant sign. Had lunch and a brief siesta under the trees. When I woke up, I thought I was going to die. Had the classic “cold sweat” and felt very woozy. Had to lie down or I would have passed out. All that I kept thinking about was how my wife would kill me all over again if I died on Safari. Myles told me that I looked ashen. After about 20 minutes I started feeling a bit better. I am a physician, and could not figure out what was happening. I had no neurologic symptoms other than wooziness and no chest or arm discomfort, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Finally I realized that both today’s episode and yesterday’s had happened about 6 hours after taking my dose of Malarone for malaria prophylaxis. I had taken the same drug two years ago without side effects and Malarone is not known for producing these symptoms. Nevertheless, it was the only thing I could come up with and I stopped taking it. I felt better and better and had no recurrence of symptoms. If I was a true scientist, I would have taken another pill several days later to see what effect it would have, but I was too chicken. The PH’s told me that there was little malaria in the area and I would probably be OK without protection but I had Doxycycline with me and switched over to that without any problems. That afternoon we drove around seeing some plains game. I had had my fill of adventure that noon. (When I got home, I spoke to my Infectious Disease doctor who agreed that although it was not a common side effect of Malarone, it was most likely the culprit.)
I should note that our hunting area was just under 500,000 acres of the most beautiful and varied landscape imaginable. As I understand it, most DG areas have little plains game and this area was no exception. In addition, this spring supposedly was a wet one and the leaves and grasses were luxuriant. It made seeing game very challenging. In spite of that, Wes killed a nice impala today.




Day 5
Woke up feeling pretty well and that was the end of whatever had happened to me medically. On the way out of camp we saw an almost white hyena, but by the time the truck got stopped and my rifle taken out, the hyena was long gone. We walked over 9 miles over the course of the day and I felt wonderful. We were able to get up pretty close to a herd of buffalo but the foliage was so thick that with the exception of a tail or tip of a horn, they were more or less invisible. That was amazing since we were really in the midst of a fairly good sized herd and were probably no more than 30 feet away from some of them. Of course the wind then changed and off they ran. We followed and again the wind did us in. The tracker thought they were headed towards an open spot that he knew about so we basically ran to the opening and there were about 80 buffalo in the glade. We glassed a bunch of bulls and found one with very nice horns but he was still a bit soft in the boss and we saw two that had really nice large hard bosses but were probably only 32-34 inches wide. It was too early in the hunt to settle for them so we left the buffalo alone and went on our way. We had a quick lunch and started hunting again. There seemed to be lion prints almost everywhere. As a matter of fact, one of the trackers was sent back to get the truck and saw two lions on the way. The two trackers, the game scout, Myles and I were walking up a dry river bed that was loaded with lion and leopard prints and when we came around a bend we saw 4 elephants crossing the river bed perhaps 100 yards above us. There were 2 young bulls, a tuskless cow and a medium sized calf. We gave them some time to move on and continued up the river bed which was perhaps 50 feet wide…. Suddenly, we heard a noise on the left bank which was obscured by trees and bushes. We tried to pass by whatever was happening there but as we got beyond the commotion, we saw the tuskless cow and calf walking down the river bed towards us. Then we heard what must have been the other bull on the right bank. We were almost surrounded. I had read about elephants “screaming” when they were upset and boy is that term appropriate. The bulls apparently got our wind and did not like our presence at all. Particularly, the one on our left was screaming, breaking branches and generally making a hell of a commotion. The cow had not yet winded us but was still coming. The PH told me to stay “close”. I thought that if I got any closer, he would have me arrested for an indecent act. We slowly started backing up while the symphony on the left continued and the bull on the right made a lesser contribution to the cacophony. Myles told me that the cow was about to get our scent as she approached the spot of our most forward progress. He said she would then either come for us or turn away At this point, my 9 ½ lb. rifle felt like a feather and I really wished I had been carrying a cannon. When the tuskless got to where we had been, she stopped on a dime. Her ears went way out and she too started making unbelievable noise. After what seemed like hours but was probably seconds, she turned away and led her calf across the river and up the bank. Shortly thereafter, the bull on the right stopped making noise and we soon scuttled up the bank and slunk away. The noisy bull on the left finally quieted down and left as a good elephant should. The rush was indescribable. While fishing in Alaska, I have been closer to brown bears than I wanted to be and thought those episodes were exciting enough. Compared to this, it was absolutely nothing. I don’t know what is wrong with me, but I was thrilled by the whole episode. I knew I liked a little excitement, but never thought I would be considered an adrenaline freak. Wow! It really was the highlight of the trip. The rest of the afternoon was very calm. We saw a female kudu and a genet cat but nothing else. Dinner included Cape buffalo meat balls which were delicious. As I fell asleep, I was serenaded by a hyena howling and a leopard grunting. Could it get much better than this???











Day 6

After the usual early rise and breakfast, the trackers found some day old buffalo spoor and we started following it. Happily it got fresher and fresher. We walked about 5 miles and while walking in another dry river bed blundered into the herd. Several cows saw us and everything took off into the jess. We let things settle down for about 30 minutes and then followed after the herd. Because of changes in the wind at the wrong time, we were scented by the herd two more times as we tried to close the distance. We really never got a chance to see the buffalo. The trackers and Myles figured that this herd had really had it with us and we should start back to the truck. About 10 minutes later we were about to descend into a different dry river bed and Myles and the trackers stopped abruptly and motioned for me to get down. After a little discussion in Shona, he whispered to me that “here was my buffalo.” I still had not seen anything but he told me that there was a very old bull in the riverbed with only one horn and an excellent boss. He said the trackers were all excited about killing such an unusual old bull. I had plenty of time to get ready. I finally got to see the bull and it was about 100 yards away and walking towards us. Even to my eye, it looked old. The only shot I thought I had was between the shoulders at the spine as it continued walking with a lowered head. I asked Myles if I should shoot and he kept telling me to wait. He said it would turn and give me a broadside shot. When the bull got to perhaps 60 yards away, it turned to climb up the river bank. I had steadied my rifle on a small tree growing on the bank and I held to the lower 1/3 of the body at the front leg. I did not feel the rifle go off but worked the bolt as quickly as I could. After the shot, I had trouble finding the bull in my scope as it had turned and was running directly away from me. When I did see it, I put another round into its left hip. The illuminated red dot in my sight worked very well. The bull fell less than 50 feet from my first shot at the far side of the riverbed. We walked down to put another shot into him, but he was dead. We did not hear a death bellow and Myles said that if they die quickly, they will frequently not bellow. They estimated that the bull was at least 16 years old and was beginning to deteriorate. His teeth were in poor shape and he had apparently lost body mass. When he was butchered he had very little fat left. He was covered in scars on his rump, sides and face from encounters with lions. His ears were in tatters. His right horn had been broken off about midway down. The left horn was quite nice and had good drop. Myles said that he was a great trophy and most of the European hunters really looked for this kind of configuration. He told me that my bull was the ugliest one killed this year. (I guess, I should be proud? of that?) I was very happy with my bull and the fact that it had gone down cleanly. We found that my first shot took out both lungs and the top of the heart. Obviously, one experience does not mean much, but the CEB non-con 275 gr bullet seemed to do just what it was designed to do. The CEB solid was not recovered probably because the left front quarter of my buffalo was deemed not fit for anyone to eat and was donated for leopard bait to the next camp. As a “non- trophy hunter” I had some mixed emotions about killing the bull but this was the “excuse” for the trip and I could certainly see how this could become habit forming.






Day 7

Slept in until 5:30 am and then drove around a little and then took a 3 mile walk looking for warthogs. Ran into a small herd of elephants who thankfully left us in peace. Saw some impala and was asked if I wanted to shoot one. I declined. I had come planning on killing a buffalo and possibly a hyena. I did have a nice warthog from my last trip and would take another if we found a good one. We checked the leopard bait we had donated the day before and saw lots of hyena prints but little in the way of leopard sign. In the afternoon we walked an additional 5 miles and saw lots of warthog rootings, scat and prints but no actual pigs. We did see a bunch of baboons, more elephant and a herd of buffalo and another herd of impala. We were also lucky enough to come close to a female bushbuck and she was beautiful.

Day 8

We decided to take the day to do some fishing on the Zambezi. We drove about 2 hours to the river and cruised up it for about another hour looking for someone from whom to buy worms. Myles, finally found someone on the Zambian side who sold us a can full for $10. He then wanted an additional $1 to “split” with his partner while he was going to keep the $10 for himself and say that is all that we paid him. Interesting business ethics. It was quite windy on the river and we saw few fishermen out. We spent most of the day fishing for bait fish and the last couple of hours of the day fishing for tiger fish. I had no luck, but Wes had a tiger on for too short a period of time. We spent a nice lazy day watching the hippos, crocs and the river. I was fascinated at how beautiful and seemingly weightless the hippos appeared in the water. On the way home the truck had a flat tire which probably took the crew less than 10 minutes to change. I think that after riding around in a Land Cruiser it will be hard to buy anything other than a Toyota in the future. Boy, they are tough vehicles. It is too bad that the diesels are not available in the US.









Day 9

Again, we were going after warthogs. On the drive to where we were going to walk, one of the trackers saw a warthog and we chased it unsuccessfully for a while. We then walked over 8 miles with the only thing sighted being elephants. We did finally come upon a male warthog, but he was too young to consider shooting. He would have made good eating and presented a really nice shot, but that was about all. We spent much of the afternoon checking leopard and lion bait for neighboring camps and again looking unsuccessfully for warthogs.


Day 10

One of the baits that the other camp was using seemed to have a lot of hyena tracks so I watched the trackers construct a blind near it where we would sit that evening. It was thrown up in no time at all. We continued chasing the elusive warthog and ended up seeing a small herd of zebra, a young kudu bull and both a sand snake and a cobra. I only saw the tail of the cobra as it went into some bushes and that was more than enough for me. My friend had already seen a puff adder and the leopard hunter we had spoken to from the other camp had seen a mamba and a puff adder. I was just as glad as to have missed them. We did see some sort of mongoose and I wished him lots of luck. We ended up going back to the blind just before dark and it was quite interesting listening to the birds, and small animals as dark fell. Just as it was getting too late to see, we heard a more impressive noise and it turned out to be an elephant who was headed in the exact direction of our blind. It was no contest and we got out of the area and back to camp.

Day 11

We got back to the hyena blind just at first light but the hyena had already left. We walked around the rest of the day covering over 9 miles and saw 4 separate groups of warthogs but they were all female or very young. Went back to the blind at 5:15 pm and stayed until dark. Just as we lost the light, we heard crunching of bones from the bait and I got quite excited. Turned out to be a civet cat, not a hyena. Kind of exciting being in a blind and not knowing what was lurking out there. Could have been hyena, leopard or lion. Very cool.

Day 12

Up at 4 am to go back to the blind but no hyena cooperated. Drove and walked around looking again for warthog but again only saw little pigs. On one of our walks one of the trackers found a hyena den. It was a fairly intricate cave system with three entrances. It looked as if it was still being used and the trackers quickly set up a new blind and transported some bait to the area. We walked back to the blind that evening and Myles said he heard one hyena, but we saw nothing but the stars and the moon. The sky is such as to make you believe you have never seen stars before. It really makes one feel insignificant as does much of Africa. Walking the ½ mile back to the truck in the star lit dark is a somewhat strange experience. There is no telling where you are stepping or what is out there. The experience keeps you quite alert. Back to camp for a quick shower and dinner. Plan is to get up early and try one more time for a hyena.







Day 13

For the first time on our trip it was quite cloudy and therefore even darker than usual on our walk to the blind. We approached as slowly and quietly as we could and we heard noise from just down the hill from the den. It turns out the hyena had dragged the bait from where it had been left. We sat as still as possible waiting for enough light to see and perhaps shoot. I was told to cradle the rifle on my lap and very slowly move forward. We moved perhaps 15 feet in this manner. We were on a ledge that was perhaps 6 feet wide overlooking bushes where the bait had been dragged. This was before the area where the blind had been constructed and we were perhaps 15 feet above the bait. We could clearly hear crunching of bones but I could not see anything. Myles was finally able to make out a hyena down the hill from where we sat and after looking around through my scope I could finally make it out. I however, could not tell front from back. After watching it for several minutes I finally could ascertain its front quarters and then I tried to get a steady shot. I was in a very awkward position half kneeling but on the wrong foot to have a steady position from which to shoot. I was afraid that if I moved to get more stable, I would make too much noise. I finally got a sight picture and squeezed the trigger. Myles and I were startled as the edge of the ledge we were on erupted as my bullet clipped it and then sailed off into oblivion. The hyena of course lit out for parts unknown and I could not help but laugh at my own stupidity. I was obviously further back from the edge of the ledge than I had appreciated Although my scope picture was clear, the difference between the line from the barrel and the line through the scope was enough to screw things up. I could not believe all the hard work that had been blown away, but the hyena got the last laugh and I got a good story and memory. We returned to camp for breakfast and then went bird hunting. Both my hunting partner and I are keen on pursuing birds and had arranged for Myles to have shotguns and shells in camp for us to use. We had little luck in the morning with francolin. Only one flushed and I missed as it flew behind a tree. After lunch we went to a water hole and the doves were more cooperative. They flew sporadically but repeatedly throughout the afternoon. They are a great bird at which to shoot. They fly fast and unpredictably with quick zigs and zags. Since the day had been cool and cloudy, they were not terribly anxious to go to the water but we had a lot of fun and brought some home for the pot. We were told that later in the season the bird hunting improved significantly. Felt a bit like Hemingway. This is just great escapism. I do not want to go back to the real world.

Day 14

Our last day of hunting and again we were going after birds. Breakfast consisted of dove breast wrapped in bacon and scrambled eggs. Nice way to start the day. We found some helmeted Guinea fowl in the road and my friend was able to shoot one. A short time later I connected as well. They look like small turkeys flying and it is amazing that I found it easy to miss them. A little while later we found some Swenson’s Francolin and we had a ball bringing a few of them down. We had a rather lazy day and that afternoon went to a partially dry river bed where the doves should have been drinking at the remaining pools. There were a few doves who gave us some shots but they were not as active as they had been the night before and even then, they were not plentiful. At last light, we saw a few sand grouse and they were a lot of fun for a short period of time. Back to camp for Guinea fowl appetizers and Cape buffalo pie. Can’t believe we leave camp tomorrow.



Days 15-16
Started driving to Harare at about 9 AM and it was a pleasant drive of about 7 hours. Had a final farewell dinner with Wes, Myles and his wife and Alan. Overnighted in the B&B and the next day began the trek home. Again, South African Airlines was on time and functional. The flight was noisy (the people in the row behind us and to our right, coughed the entire trip home. Fears of TB, or viral infections were of more concern than our fears of animal attack during the trip.) The surliness of the flight attendants was impressive. A request for a bottle of water was almost snarled at. Nevertheless, we seemed to survive and checking through customs at JFK was surprisingly easy and fast. In contrast to our outward bound flight where there were several groups of hunters, I think we were the only two hunters on the flight back so inspecting our firearms took very little time.

Last thoughts: The trip was as good as we could have hoped! We had fun, adventure and relaxation. We both had opportunity to kill old buffalo and everyone associated with CMS worked tirelessly to assure our success, safety and enjoyment. I would highly recommend them for any DG hunting. Everyone who enjoys adventure should take the time, money and effort and try an African hunt. It gives you a different perspective of the world and what is truly important in life. There is something indescribable about Africa and I already yearn to go back to experience its magic again.

Nice report. Sounds like you had a great time. Congratulations. Are you hooked now?

Congratulations on a great safari!!!
And like you a safari is more than just the trophies we have the potential to acquire.

I enjoyed your safari report and the wonderful photos you gathered from this awesome adventure!

Well done...Congrats to the CMS Team in making it all happen for you folks

I wish you more to come

Roland

Congratulations on a nice hunt! I like reading about the part when you shot your buff-you described it very well and things played out perfect.It sounds as if Myles is a fine PH too.

Nice report and pictures!

We had a quick chat with you and Wes one day on the road.

I was hunting with Thierry Labat.

Congrats on the hunt.

Chris

Well done report and photos. After two wonderful plains games hunts in Namibia, I'm tempted to go after buff.

quote:

Originally posted by Bud Meadows:
Well done report and photos. After two wonderful plains games hunts in Namibia, I'm tempted to go after buff.

Great chance to see anther part of Africa as well.

Well done all the way around. I am convinced that I must book a buff and tuskless with C&M !!!

A first safari is always special. Fine job and photos.

Mike

Very good report and photos. Congratulations!
Thank you for sharing.

Excellent report and great pictures!

Well, you are hooked now - give someone all your money, you are already thinking of when you can return!

Great report!!
I bet those boys will never forget you!!
Nice buff!!

Congrats. Sounds like a fun trip, even with the few ups and downs. Great pics to look at and remind me of my last trip. Really have to find my way back to Zim.

Well written adventure story, enjoyed every word of it. And those pictures made it even more special.
Any chance that's the same broken horned buff shown in another thread? Sure looks a lot like it. I'd go back and compare but, not sure where I saw it a few hrs ago.

Glad you figured out what was making you sick. Another day or two of it and your trip would have been ruined.
Thanks for sharing,
George

Edod Thank you for the excellent report.I will never get to Africa but yours would be my kind of hunt.
Get those pills sorted out before your next hunt.jc

Great report and congrats on a fantastic old buff!

Torbjorn

Thanks all for the nice comments. We really did have a fabulous time.

Georgeld- I would love to get a look at the other broken horned buff picture. It is not mine. I had enough trouble getting the pictures to come up on my thread. Still not sure why one did not show at all and one says it was moved or taken down???

FishN4Eyes- I certainly do remember meeting on the road. Hope your trip was as much fun as ours. I am sure with Thierry it must have been.

John Chalmers- Hope you do get to Africa at some point. I am sure I would enjoy reading about your adventure.


Ed

quote:

Originally posted by Edod:
Outfitter: CMSafaris, Zimbabwe
PH: Myles McCallum (for me), Alan Shearing for my hunting partner (Wes)





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Real buffalo

Congratulations gentlemen on a very fine hunt. I love those old Valley buffalo.

Excellent old bulls. Congrats...

Hi Ed and Wes!

Thanks for coming and sharing a real buff hunting adventure with us in the Dande. Milo and Al really could not have asked for nicer guys with a better attitude then you both! Congrats on two fine old dugga boys! Ed I will have to take you fishing next time- Milo has no clue when it comes to catching tiger! Looking forward to see you both at the shows- all the best Buzz

Thanks for the well written report and excellant photos. I really like that one horned buff.
You seem to have inherited my hyena hex. I finally broke mine at Mururu a couple of months ago.
There is nothing like being among wild elephant for a thrill, and for making a heavy rifle feel like a toy.

Great hunt-thanks for sharing it with us! I'm especially impressed by your buffalo. What a fantastic old warrior. The broken horn only adds to the character of what I'm sure will be a mount you'll treasure for the rest of your life. Congrats!!!

Thanks for sharing. love the one horned buff. Definition of daga boy Congrats!

quote:

Originally posted by Edod:
(I guess, I should be proud? of that?)

Edod you should be VERY PROUD OF THAT! Beyond the beauty of the Character of this trophy that is a Nature's Masterpiece per-se, this Gentleman was born in 1997...Eish - looong way to live in The Valley.

When Myles said (quote): "he was a great trophy and most of the European hunters really looked for this kind of configuration." he was rather reserved in his expression (I believe)...in my book there are no words for a trophy like this - I am considering you a very lucky hunter - Weidmannsheil!

Great report. I know how long they take to put together, so thank you for taking the time to do so

Ed (Edod),

Great job on your article! It was a pleasure being with you, as always. We were so busy, we didn't get much time to visit, except at dinner.
The fishing was a fun day - seeing the hippos and crocs - fishing for SMALL bait fish, too! Our PH's did an outstanding job for us. I would hunt with Al anytime, and I know you and Myles had a great time hunting buffalo, too.
To anyone contemplating a safari to Africa, a person could not do any better than the CMS crew, believe me! Thanks to all of you.
Wes
aka - Brittman

A couple of real dagga boys! Well done!

Glad to relive the trip with AR

Buzz- looking forward to taking you up on the tiger fishing.

Mouse93 - Waidmannsdank. I am very proud of the Buffalo

Pulicords- love your avatar and name. I grew up with a Puli.

Maximus Brutus - Putting the report together allowed me to enjoy (most of) it, all over again. Figuring out the picture uploads took the most time. I had never tried to do that before.

Edod.
Now that you have returned to the real World, I would like to congratulate you on your awesome buffalo and thank you for a well written report.

You and your friend surely had the finest safari.

Initially I got a bit worried, as under "Animals Seen", there was no mention of elephants. But then you did more that just "see" them, as I read further down the page.


Kind regards
Jytte

mej - I cannot believe that I did not pick up that oversight. I must have read the report over three times before I submitted it checking for errors and never realized that I forgot to list elephants. Wonder what else I left out? I also can't believe some of the grammatical and punctuation errors I made. Oh well...

What an awesome hunt! Thanks for the detail for the new African hunters.
The CMSafaris people are true experts and do an excellent job.

Great hunt in true CMS tradition. Good to see Alan back in the news. Last year every hunt report had an Alan feature. Hey Buzz you need to give him more air time!

That is a great looking buff. Thanks for the report.