I've been back a few weeks now returning on July 14th from a great hunt with HHK Safaris at Lemco. Here's some information you may find helpful:

Booking Agent: Jack Atcheson and Sons did a great job in getting everything lined up and handling the money transactions and other services completely.

Travel: Steve at Gracy travel came through again. I followed their directions to a tee and I had absolutly no problems with firearms traveling through Amsterdam, Joburg and everything passed straight through to Bulawayo. Afton house was also there when they were supposed to be.

Outfitter: HHK Safaris (Graham Hingeston) have a first class operation..enough said.

PH: Ade Langley worked his butt off making it a successful hunt and a great hunting compainion too. Highly recommended.

Rifle: 338 Win Mag M70 Clasisic McMillian stocked and blueprinted by Jim Brockman and worked like it should.

Load: Woodleigh 250 grain PSP...OK but I'll write more on this later.

Game: Great leopard 16 3/8", 14.5" warthog, Bush pig (my first), 37" Sable, great old Eland, and Zebra and Impala for bait. Everything I wanted on this trip not to mention the Elephant, Cheeta, Rhinos and other game I saw.

My main interest was in Leopard so Ade Langley, my PH, and I stared out with this as the main animal to concentrate on with Sable being second. We got lucky on the fourth day in tracking a Sable bull and got a good shot at 60yds. He only went 15yds before folding up. A safety shot through the spine was taken just to be sure.
There is plenty of leopard sign in Lemco and we had little trouble finding several males to bait. We set out six baits and had hits on two in a few days. After setting on a bait for two evening with no luck we built a second blind on another bait. On the second night the leopard came in "sawing", left and came back "sawing" a second time but didn't go to he bait, just around it. That morning we sweetened it with a fresh impala and right after dark on the 5 night in a blind the leopard came in. As so often happens, Mr. Murphy stopped by and the reostat failed so we went to the flashlight (the blind was at at a measured 81yds). It was enough light for the Euro Diamond Burris scope. As the brillant orange flash filled the scope (it has been many years since I last fired in the dark and frankly forgot about losing your night vision). The leopard went a short distance "sawing" as he ran then dead silience. The truck picked us up and after a short but intense look around we found the big leopard about 35yds away shot through the heart. Needless to say there was a huge celebration by us and later at camp. The wart hog and bush pig were a bonus as we tracked other game and I couldn't pass up the huge wart hog, The biggest I have ever seen in Africa.
I also spent two days in Bulawayo. The people couldn't have been nicer and I wasn't in the least bit intimidated while visiting there. The customs people were very nice and I had zero problems coming in or leaving. There is a fuel shortage country wide but I saw no effects of it while at Lemco.
My recommendation if you want very good leopard is to book with HHK and DO ask for Ade Langley to be the PH. You will get every possible effort from Ade and his trackers I assure you. If you have any personal questions send me. If I can figure out how to do it I will post some pictures too. Do not be afraid to hunt Zimbabwe. The hunting organizations and PH's need our support. Bob Meier

Pathfinder,

Thanks for the report. Go here for How to Post Photos or email them to me and I will post them for you.

Regards,

Terry

Thanks for the report. Now...

Pictures?

Edited: Nice photos! Thanks Pathfinder and Terry.

Nice report Bob - looking forward to the photos!!!!

Phil

Bob,

How do those photos look? Is that where you want them in your post?

Regards,

Terry

Theylook great Terry. Thanks for your help. Bob

Pathfinder

Great job! Beautiful trophies!
Awesome sable, eland and super cat!
I was in Lemco's Samanyanga camp July 1-15.
Which camp were you hunting out of?

Cheers!

Tim

Very nice!

Can`t complain about that hunt!
GREAT, GREAT, GREAT!

What a Great Eland!! sound like you had the hunt of a lifelime. Congrats!

Pathfinder: Great report. Thanks! Let's not advertise Zimbabwe too much now we don't want too many folks to discover it's such a great place. They can keep going to Tanzania and leave more game for us! Congrats. jorge

quote:

Which camp were you hunting out of?

Tim, I hunted out of Chamalaya with PH Ade Langley, which is in the south west corner of Lemco. I was there from June 26th through July 12th but left a couple of days early since I had everything I wanted and thought I would like to spend time in Bulawayo to assess for myself what life was like there now a days. I think the situation is safe enough but the country continues down hill. While there were no apparent shortages of fuel or supplies at Lemco proper the same could not be said for the general population.

We had lunch in Chamalya twice last year since it was empty. A really nice camp! Took last years and this years buff in that block as well!
Spent a night and part of a day in Bulawayo before heading to Russell Caldecots place in Vic Falls. The place definately has some issues!Looks like it was gorgeous in it's day!