Posting on behalf of Fairgame (Andrew)

Some of you would have read that I was conducting an experimental safari deep into the Kafue Flats to hunt really big Lechwe. This was to be a four-day venture with the minimum of kit. I chose two friends as guinea pigs to accompany me. I did offer this as a free hunt to AR but only had one member respond and unfortunately could not make the dates. It would seem you cannot even give away hunting nowadays? They would shoot the Lechwe and I was just keen to see what was out there and see if I could offer this as a safari. Historically the hunting of Kafue Lechwe has been conducted on the edges of the flood plain, as vehicles cannot breach the wetter hinterlands.

A really good trophy Lechwe would measure somewhere between 27 and 30 inches and for me the shape and symmetry of the horns are also very much a deciding factor.

Both mates being soldiers were in good shape and impervious to hard hunting conditions. We took in a small aluminium boat as the Flats are flooded and I thought the going would be easier by boat.

How wrong I was and the water was very shallow and we had to drag and push the boat a couple of miles through mud and mire before it would float. Movement was then limited to narrow reedy channels where visibility was poor. Our guide a local fisherman had not got a clue where we were going and it transpired that very few had dared venture deep into the swamps here.

There were Lechwe but they were difficult to spot and we would abandon the boat to wade and trudge through difficult terrain. The going was quite brutal and we walked many miles through the mire to secure good trophies. Although the hunting was tough it was different and we had a thoroughly good time. We looked over countless animals but could never get a shot at those that would break records. The truly big bulls would be glassed from a great distance and by the time we got on them they simply disappeared into the high reed banks.

Day one we had but a slim chance at a brute that would have gone at least 37 but he like the others was quickly swallowed up by the swamp and all we had was a few tantalising glimpses of his massive horns.

Conditions were such that the hunting was exhausting but we persevered and over the next two days took great Lechwe well over thirty inches and a very handsome 35-inch brute. The boys were very happy with their trophies and indeed the whole experience. Some Lechwe were rough skinned in the water or carried out to a base camp by boat often arriving well after dark. Calibres used were 30.06 and 300 WM, which both worked very well and all shots were over 200 yards. Note these soldiers had been Rangers in the past and their shooting was top notch.

We are planning now to go back in November when the water has receded and will go in further as I really want to have the new world record, not for the book, but simply to hold it in my hands.

Wow, super Lechwe. More photos would be nice.

Sounds like a great adventure, and the results are incredible. Andrew, you can count on me to bug you about such a trip for 2011 when we meet up.

SGraves, Done thats all of em

Steve

I love the B&W pics!! Congrats.

I think the first picture is my favorite.

I'm not qualified to judge the trophies but they sure look impressive to me. It also looks like a hell of a tough hunt.

Thanks for the report.

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:
I love the B&W pics!! Congrats.

Aaron,

Maybe we could throw in and buy Andrew a camera that takes color photo's.

Steve

Now that's hunting!

That looks like the hunt (and adventure) of a lifetime!

Wow, nice Lechwe.
What a pity that I had to work.

Very nice Andrew

I want to do that

quote:

Originally posted by Caracal:
Wow, nice Lechwe.
What a pity that I had to work.

I am thinking we can get a group of maybe four AR members together for next year to look for the big one?

You have to be fit and there are few comforts until you get back to base camp.

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!

Brett

andrew

impressive trophy's i cant wait to get down and see your hunting grounds.

best

peter

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Caracal:
Wow, nice Lechwe.
What a pity that I had to work.

I am thinking we can get a group of maybe four AR members together for next year to look for the big one?

You have to be fit and there are few comforts until you get back to base camp.

That's a good idea . I've already send you a pm.

Very nice.

It is shocking to me just how much the terrain looks like the flats here locally on the St Johns river.

Fantastic report and pics, I like the sound of these tough hunts in wild places.

Let me know if you need a buddy for the next hunt, I will make sure I can come, even if I have to pull a long-term sickie from work!

Quite an adventure!

Very nice Andrew
That is real hunting!

quote:

Originally posted by peterdk:
andrew

impressive trophy's i cant wait to get down and see your hunting grounds.

best

peter

Peter,

We are planning that you are going to join us in November and this will be part of your Zambian experience.

I might get my younger and fitter PH to conduct this sort of hunt whilst I potter around the edge of the Flats with my shotgun?

Regards

Andrew

That's one big bruiser of a Lechwe and those B&W photos are classics. Congrats on a great adventure.

What a great experience! Great pictures also. Thanks for sharing.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Very nice.

It is shocking to me just how much the terrain looks like the flats here locally on the St Johns river.

Larry,

Unlike St Johns river the Flats are some 200kms in width and up to 50kms deep. Currently the hunting has been confined to less than 2% of this vast wetland.

We just scratched the surface and came out with a Lechwe a couple of inches off the all time record.

There are very high thirties to forty inch Lechwe out there and I have seen them. That would compare to an eighty inch Kudu I believe?

However it is a difficult safari to sell as you are targeting one specie and one animal.

Very nice, Andrew. I love the adventure of that type of hunt.. That lechwe is just unreal. If you saw bigger, I can only imagine what those bulls looked lke. Unreal.

Wonderful trophies your mate took. Congrats.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by peterdk:
andrew

impressive trophy's i cant wait to get down and see your hunting grounds.

best

peter

Peter,

We are planning that you are going to join us in November and this will be part of your Zambian experience.

I might get my younger and fitter PH to conduct this sort of hunt whilst I potter around the edge of the Flats with my shotgun?

Regards

Andrew

andrew

do you have a younger and fitter gunsmith on hand as well, then i will join you with the shotgun best out of 10 shots carry the beer i really am in awe, over the pictures you send me, it looks like a small piece of heaven.

best

peter

quote:

Originally posted by peterdk:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by peterdk:
andrew

impressive trophy's i cant wait to get down and see your hunting grounds.

best

peter

Peter,

We are planning that you are going to join us in November and this will be part of your Zambian experience.

I might get my younger and fitter PH to conduct this sort of hunt whilst I potter around the edge of the Flats with my shotgun?

Regards

Andrew

andrew

do you have a younger and fitter gunsmith on hand as well, then i will join you with the shotgun best out of 10 shots carry the beer i really am in awe, over the pictures you send me, it looks like a small piece of heaven.

best

peter

God's country?

very cool hunt.
Congrats!!!

Sounds like a great adventure. COngrats on the trip and very nice trophies...

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
God's country?

certainly looks that way to me, biggest problem would proberly be getting me to go home again.
November cant come soon enough, allthough i have a few jobs to do here before i leave

cheers

peter

If you haven't been to the Kafue Flats, once must go. Its an awesome sight, thousands of Lechwe and a truly wild experience.

One can do the flats for the Kafue lechwe, then jump on a charter flight to the Bangweulu swamp to hunt the black lechwe, also an incredible place. You could literally hunt both animals in 4-5 days, I did it in 3.

Awesome, going and focusing on 1 species, my kind of hunt.

Fantastic!

WOW!! Great sounding hunt.....and definitely a hunt I would love to do someday. Kafue Lechwe have always been in my personal "top 5" of African animals. There's just something about them.....

Sweet....all pics are great but the B&W that you posted are just awesome !!!

Dear Andrew
Only new to the web site.

Would love to go if you arrange another trip.

quote:

Originally posted by cameronaussie:
Dear Andrew
Only new to the web site.

Would love to go if you arrange another trip.

Can do this next year?

Looks bloody great mate..... but I've gotta ask what the wingshooting is like?

That place just has to be chokka with duck!

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:
If you haven't been to the Kafue Flats, once must go. Its an awesome sight, thousands of Lechwe and a truly wild experience.

One can do the flats for the Kafue lechwe, then jump on a charter flight to the Bangweulu swamp to hunt the black lechwe, also an incredible place. You could literally hunt both animals in 4-5 days, I did it in 3.

Aaron,

Who offers this hunt?

Please give me a PM

AWESOME! Big one bests mine somewhat!
One does not have to charter with very expensive flights to hunt both Bangweuleu and the Flats on the same trip!
One can kill his Black, a Tssessbe and hunt Sitatunga in Bangweuleu and then motor to
the Flats after overnighting with the lovely ladies in Lusaka...all it takes is 11 or so hours at a time of endurance in a bakkie! Cheaper than a charter....yep, I am a cheapskate who does not like charter flights or their gouging rates!
If you are motoring, you can even go visit Livingstones buried heart!
BTW, both my Zambia hunts have been with my friend Peter Chipman, Kwalata Safaris, who hates frigging small planes as much as I. I have seen way more of Zambia than many hunters that have been there more often!