Safari dates: Nov. 15-29, 2008

Area hunted: Charisa and Sengwa Research

Species killed: 8 elephant, 1 cape buffalo
(management hunt)

PH/Safari Company: Buzz Charlton, CM Safaris
cmsafaris.com
Harare, Zimbabwe

Travel: Dallas (DFW), Dulles, Joberg, Afton House overnight, Victoria Falls and air charter to camp

Description: This was my third time to hunt elephant with Buzz and Charlton McCallum Safaris having previously hunted at Chete and Omay South in 2005 and 2006. I was originally scheduled to hunt with Buzz in his Makuti area for two tuskless and leopard, but I fractured my hip in a horse wreck while working cattle July 2008 and I had to push this hunt two months and move from Makuti to Charisa. We also decided to make this more of a management hunt and added two tuskless as well.

In twelve hunting days we managed to accomplish taking eight elephant including three non-trophy bulls, three tusk cows and two tuskless cows, as well as a ration cape buffalo at the request of Parks. All of the ele were killed with frontal brain shots with my .500 NE 3" shooting handloaded Woodleigh solids (570 grain). I did have to warm up with my shot placement on the first three ele as I was not able to practice over the summer due to the hip fracture and twelve weeks on crutches. My first shot with the .500 in quite a while was facing the first bull, but it all worked out well.

I enjoy elephant hunting as much as anything and find them more confrontational, at least initially, than cape buffalo, although each animal is a wonderful opponent in its own right: ele, hippo or buffalo. Being able to hunt elephant every day for 12 days, and concentrate only on elephant with the goal of taking eight, was a considerable challenge, especially just four months after my hip fracture. We tracked and walked about five to fifteen miles each day in ninety degree heat. My .500 is twelve pounds four ounces, so it makes for a good work out.

I air chartered right into the area, first landing at Sengwa Research and then driving the next day approximately an hour and a half over to Charisa. The rains were just starting but it never really hampered the hunting, just caused us to wait out some of the storms and move to higher ground a few times. This was the last safari of the season for Buzz and his crew of trackers. Despite this fact, all the staff were highly motivated and ready to hunt every day, not worn out at the end of the season.

The accomodatioins were very adequate in every way, the food good, and all of the equipment was prepared, rugged and fully operational. All of the staff were experienced and friendly, no surprise for Buzz's crew or the camp run by HHK. The hunt was exceptionally good in every way. Buzz is the preeminent elephant PH at present and provides both the beginner and experienced hunter with a grand experience. Days in the field with Buzz are some of the best times I've had in all of my many trips to Zim and Tanzania, mostly for dangerous game. Buzz knows elephant, understands how to find and take them routinely, and is easy going enough to make each day truly enjoyable in every way.

I go to Africa to hunt, not for food, lodging or entertainment, but all of these areas are covered well by CM Safaris. There is no reason why the beginning hunter on a first or second safari or a hunter with much more vast experience would not enjoy a hunt in Zim for elephant, or elephant and buffalo, a good combination. This was my fifth or sixth safari with nothing but an open-sighted double rifle, so I obviously like to hunt close and for game that stands still or comes toward the hunter. I have no problem with scoped rifle hunts, they are just not for me most of the time. Great for grizzly, not great for elephant.

While hunting for ele every day, we still regularly bumped zebra, impala, waterbuck, eland, warthog, dieker, kudu, and other game. We only saw one set of leopard and lion tracks in twelve days of hard tracking, so the cat population was not impressive in these areas. We also saw virtually no hard-headed buffalo, anothter problem although the safari operators reported that there were numerous good bulls killed before the rains began.

Poaching evidence was prevalent. We found snares every single day and a young bull elephant was killed and the tusks taken by poachers while we were hunting in the Sengwa Research area. HHK is taking great steps with anti-poaching patrols and we assisted in some of these operations while in the areas.

At no time did I have any travel problems in Zim or South Africa for that matter. The firearms registration process in Joberg went smoothly as did the issuance of a gun permit and Visa in Victoria Falls. While the government is in near meltdown mode, the country is still a great destination for hunters. Everyone has to assess his or her own levels of risk for adventure travel, but I would turn around and travel back to Zim tomorrow if I had the time to do so and my partners would not shoot me.

I love hunting in Zim, and, more particularly, love hunting ele in Zim with the "two pipe." When hunting any of the dangerous game, it is very important to hunt with a professional with the right kind of experience. I would never want to hunt with a defensive PH, one who strives to avoid a charge at all costs, and I never have done so. Buzz and I have been in and out of more than forty herds of elephant and have taken two full charges and a host of what were probably mock charges but were stopped short with a frontal brain shot, so it is hard to say what went through the elephant's mind before the Woodleigh solid did. My point is that Buzz is a PH who "speaks" the language of elephant and easily and confidently manuevers in and out of massess of elephant in the field. This is the best view of Africa, from my perspective.

I am a proponent of helping the hunting industry in Zim during these difficult times and also believe that if we don't support the industry there, the local population will have no incentive to conserve the game animals or hunting areas and, like Kenya, Angola, CAR, Somolia, and so on, these resources will be forever lost -- for all of us and for those who wish to hunt in the future. There are no easy answers, but this industry needs our support.

Kelly Gill
PO Box 3679
Abilene, Texas 79604
kgill@mcmahonlawtx.com

Thanks for the news.I was in Chirisa in August.It was my first safari.I heard a leopard for the first time and saw lion tracks but got the same feeling you did about cats in this area-even if I don't know much about subject.Thought about returning there to hunt ele,but now that you shot everything.

Kelly, really nice report. Got any pics?

Mad Dog

Congrats on a really good go! From another West Texan!

JW

Way to go Kelly. Glad the hip recovered and allowed you to make the trip. Your comments on Buzz are spot on, a true professional and enjoyable company in every respect.

What load do you use in the .500? Email me at mjines@reliant.com.

Kelly,

Thank you for an excellent report. I cannot even imagine what it must be like hunting in Zim KNOWING you'll be into elephants every day! It sounds almost like a throw-back to the days of full-bag hunting. I congratulate you and Buzz on pulling it off and I doff my hat to any man who can hunt elephant on foot for fourteen days just four months after a hip fracture.

Well done, sir!!

Wonderful Kelly, I am glad that you guys had such a great hunt - good for you!!!

Yes, Buzz and his team are excellent elephant hunters.

I am sure CMS will be posting picts on the website shortly. But if you have any Kelly send them to me, I'd be happy to post.

bill@wyodata.com

Have a great holiday,

Bill

Congratulations Kelly, that sounds like a fantastic hunt. Thanks for your support of Zimbabwe during these trying times, we appreciate it.

Dave

Congrats on a super hunt... 8 ellie in 12 days is quite an accomplishment! I agree with your assessment of Buzz. He is one of the best PH's I've hunted with and knows elephant intimately. Good show. I'd love to see some pictures.

Not to steal Kelly's thunder, but here are the picts of Kelly's EIGHT elephants, lifted off the CM Safaris website:

http://cmsafaris.com/ - Click on "Gallery 08"

Thanks, Bill, for taking the time to pull these off of the CMS web site. These are representative of each of the 8 ele taken with the .500 NE.

I was able to recover only a few of the Woodleigh solids as we lost control over the recovery teams due to the necessity to move ahead with tracking and taking the next ele. The one's recovered penetrated 30 to 40 inches, usually lodging in the thick neck muscle and connective tissue after passing through the skull and brain. One of the solids blew a double-fisted sized hole in the back of the skull. From the historical data, the .500 NE has amazing straight line penetration, often in excess of what its sectional density would indicate. I've even had it penetrate 61" on a charging ele cow when shot at eye level.

I've been very pleased with the Woodleigh bullet performance on all dangerous game (hippo, ele and buffalo) -- a classic bullet for old steel double rifles.

I enjoyed your report. That must have kept you on quite a pace to get that many elephants in that period of time.
How would compare Buzz with your PH last year in Tanzania?

Vic,

Both PH's are top notch -- experienced, knowledgeable, and professional in every way. I've not ever hunted with anyone in Africa who wasn't.

I enjoyed the pace and I'm not much for plains game. Going for elephant only, every day, was the plan, first, and is precisely why I enjoy hunting Zim and dangerous game. There is certainly nothing wrong with a mixed bag hunt, but Zim offers the opportunity to hunt differently, specifically, and that interests me at this point.

Kelly

Kelly, well done.

Sic 'em Bears!

8 Elephants in one trip Thanks for sharing your trip with us.

Kelly,

Well done and great shooting... Hope to see you in Dallas in January..
Looks like you and Buzz make a good team...

Mike

You definitely put that .500 NE through its paces and it paid off handsomely. Congratulations.

Excellent report. It makes me want to get back for another ele hunt with CMS this year. I doubt if I'll get more than a couple, but eight is a wonderful accomplishment.

Bill

We need to take up a collection and get Buzzy-Buzz a new hat, by mid-December it looks very sad.

I am looking forward to seeing him and Myles in two weeks at the Reno SCI.

Rich
Buffalo Killer

Congratulations on a very successful hunt!!! I love Chirisa, especially the view from the abandoned Warden Station on the cliff.

Once again, congratulations.

Well done on a great hunt.I also recently hunted
with Buzz and co. in Zim as posted
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=643101959#643101959
As you can see we had some underwhelming performance from the Woodies in 500 Nitro and 458 Lott.What load were you using(and what rifle) in 500?

Wow. Really great hunt. Congratulations.
I wish there would be some tse-tse fly permits still available.
Are you the same hunter who made this damn nice action on both of the CMSafari DVDs with a double?
If so, Sir, well done !

quote:

Are you the same hunter who made this damn nice action on both of the CMSafari DVDs with a double?

I think your referring to 500 grains, and if so, well . . .

Yes, Mr Gill has killed some Jumbo on C&Ms DVDs. And with a lovely double.

I have seen some DVD’s where Kelly has hunted several elephants.
I am sure your experience can add up good knowledge to all of us.

Congratulations

Great hunt Kelly. Looks like fun.

Brett