Had a incredible hunt with Nixon Dzingai of SSG Safaris..
This hunt was originally scheduled for August 2009. Unfortunately I was in a motorcycle accident with injuries preventing me from completing my plans. Nixon graciously offered to roll over my deposit to 2010 if needed.

Without going into the gory details of my hunt being shortened due to my extreme adverse reaction to DOXYCYCLINE.. Nixon between bouts of my throwing up, almost passing out and severe dehydration, still managed to put me onto a very nice buff bull that I was able to take with my .375 Rooger Alaskan. Due to my condition Nixon rightfully concluded to take this bull from a herd at a longer distance than I would have preferred under normal circumstances. I'm sure he was certain his client was going to keel-over any minute.. After aprox 2hrs stalking, bull and herd spooked. Off the sticks, the Rooger drilled him through the lungs just above the heart with a 300grn Swift A-Frame at about 125yds when he skidded to a stop turning broadside to take a look at us. Tracked the bull to where he holed up in a Mopane thicket waiting for us. Gave a brief run at us when Nixon's 416Rem slowed him down with a chest shot and I finished the fight with my 458Lott 500grn Woodleigh RN through both shoulders and heart. Even so, had to put a finisher shot down through his shoulder blades going through his spine/heart.
While on recovery from the Doxy reaction, we took a very large Hyena with one shot from the Rooger Alaskan.
4th Day Nixon mentioned since I was feeling and looking 100 times better than even my first day, do you want to go for another Buffalo Bull. Hell yes I said, but only if it's an Dugga-boy and it's up close and personal with my open sighted Lott.. I've been dreaming of this since last in Zim 2005.. You should have seen his grin, he was pumped up for the challenge.. Spent the next day cutting spoor, ignoring herds trying to zero in on the lone bulls.. No joy this day.. Next day nothing until afternoon, along the river trackers cut spoor of three large bulls.. We tracked them over hill-n-dale for hours, let me tell you. Watching the trackers work is worth the price of admition alone. At one point we tracked over a solid rock bluff, cool stuff this. Suddenly we came onto them with no warning, they feeding not alert to our presence.. I think this one's the one you want Nixon say's in my ear after glassing them. Up to within 20yds with Nixon finally saying. Yes, I think that's the bull you described you wanted.. I didn't hesitate.. Wham!! Once again goes my Roger Ferral CZ 458Lott, bull is immediately gone swallowed by the brush he soon hits open country past where we could see him collapse as he was dead on his feet.. This was the best hunt of my life.. Hope for many more to come..

I have pics I can email if someone would be kind enough to post them.. (Sorry,I'm a computer idiot)

Sounds like a great trip. Email the photos to me

anton810922@hotmail.com

Mike,

Congrats on a fantastic dangerous game hunt. Sounds like you had the safari of your dreams. +1 to Nixon and the Malapati area. I cannot wait to go back.

Mike: Can't wait to see the photos. Sorry about the med reaction. Sounds awful.

Thank you A.Dahlgren.

You didn't mention the Nyala, he looks huge! Congratulations on a great safari!

Nice! One of those hunts you'll remember forever because of the trying circumstances.

Thanks for posting. I was hunting with Nixon along with SBT in October 09. Hope to hunt with him again.

Mike Looks like everything worked out in the end. Great trophies. Peter sure is a great tracker, he amazed me a few times.

The Duckworths/Mokore Safaris have been buying some quota from Nixon. The trophies particularly of buffalo and nyala have been excellent.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
You didn't mention the Nyala, he looks huge! Congratulations on a great safari!

Actually, I screwed up on that one.. That was one of the smaller ones!.. I ran off ahead with the tracker chasing a group of 3 and got separated from Nixon in the confusion of running in-n-out of brush up the hill over looking the small canyon they were running up slightly below us. We got on top of them and tracker say's.. First one is the big one.. It was a shoot-em or lose-em situation. Drilled him with the 375 Ruger down through the shoulder blades. My fault as I'm not that familiar with Nyala and didn't wait for my PH's blessing.. I have pics of a bigger one I passed on if anyone cares to see them or feels like posting..

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Lozano:
Mike Looks like everything worked out in the end. Great trophies. Peter sure is a great tracker, he amazed me a few times.

He sure is.. But you ain't seen nuthing till you see him hauling ass out of the mopane cause that first bull was coming back at us.. It still brings tears of laughter to my eye's..

Great Post! See much sign of Elephant in the Malapati area? I know the camp conditions are getting tougher each season because of...well, we all know that story. Sounds like you were a happy hunter. Would you go back for another round with Nixon?

Mike, great hunt and the nyala surely looks like a nice one. Would like the see the BIG ONE!

Sorry about the doxy episode but glad you ended the hunt with some great trophies and memories.

Thanks for sharing.

quote:

Originally posted by Cleathorn:
Great Post! See much sign of Elephant in the Malapati area? I know the camp conditions are getting tougher each season because of...well, we all know that story. Sounds like you were a happy hunter. Would you go back for another round with Nixon?

I'd go back in a heartbeat and looking forward to doing so..

Camp conditions were fine as far as I'm concerned. Things are much better in Zim than they were in 2004/5 when there last. The new Govt. even though a coalition Govt. has made much difference. ( Assuming that's what you mean.)

Posting for Mike.



The Big One.

Thanks SBT..

What do you guy's think??

Is it bigger??

Look about the same to me and Mike good shooting.

Why were you taking Doxci?

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
Look about the same to me and Mike good shooting.

Why were you taking Doxci?

Mike

Hmmm.. Looks heavier & longer to me...

Taking Doxicycline due to Larium & Malaron reactions on previous hunts..

I'm done with Malaria Prophylactics. Now on nothing but Deet & Mosquito netting over the bed for me..

It's hard to tell Mike. I think the one you shot is awesome. Nixon has some great Nyala!

With your track record on malaria meds, I think I too would give up and go with repellant and netting.

What did you see for leopard sign? Did Nixon say anything about his access to areas with sable?

Congrats on a great hunt. Love the second buff.

I took doxy for several trips but the sensitivity to the sun was a pain to deal with, particularly on your hands. I used Malarone this year with no problems.

Good work with the open sighted lott.I applaud your choice in caliber and rifle.I will be taking malarone instead of doxy on my next hunt.I would have prefered it on my first hunt but didn't think it was available in Canada.I am glad I will be able to get some sun on this trip.Congratulations on both buff-really nice.

Congrats. Great hunt. Thanks for sharing.

I take Malarone and have had no side effects.
I do keep Doxycycline in my kit for Tick Bite fever.

Bump for a special request via PM..

My bad... I thought I posted pictures of the families.. I brought a duffel bag of childrens books (175lbs) with me and passed them out to local villages as well as High School (math & geography) also gave the trackers and staff's kids in camp books as well.. Great people these are..

If someone would kindly volunteer, I will email pics & they could post??

Mike, great pics. Beautiful nyala. I saw a bunch when I was there. Funny, another guy who left a couple of days after I got into camp was hunting nyala and couldn't get a shot. I wanted to get a hyena also but never saw one.

I heard they killed a 60 pounder there on the 1st day of their 1st hunt this year...yesterday!

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Herald:
I heard they killed a 60 pounder there on the 1st day of their 1st hunt this year...yesterday!

A very good start to the season indeed!

A friend heads over to hunt Malapati in 10 days. The word from Nixon is lots of elephant movement right now. Wish it were me ....

Nice story and great pics! Congrats.


Mad Dog