03 September 2014, 05:35
Bama15Family vacation in Bubye, heavy on pics
Where: Bubye Valley ConservancyPH: John Sharp
August 1-10, 2014
Vid
videographer: Ray Buchanan, Rustic Hunters Production
This is a short report on our vacation in the BVC. It wasn't your typical rackem stackem trip, my wife(Jane) and I took our Granddaughter(Andrea) for her first trip to Africa. Watching her experience Africa for the first time was a tremendous thrill. I would like to share some of the highlights along with a lot of pics. Hope you enjoy it.
#1- We were able to spend some time with Paul Trethowan who is doing lion research in the Bubye. The first afternoon we were with him when he darted a big male whose collar had quit working. We removed the collar and took all kind of measurements, how tall, long, measured his teeth, took hair samples from his mane and three wishers.
Paul had a helper who stood guard, watching for other lions that were in the area. If they got to close he would throw rocks and tell them to GO AWAY! Who needs a double?
Paul said the lion was 8 years old(oh boy, here we go), 116cm(3'9") tall, 263cm(8 1/2') from nose to tip of tail. That is a lot of kitty. Paul gave him the anti-dope and we watched him wake up and walk off to join his buddy that had been hanging around a couple of hundred yards off. To be able to lay hands on the "KING OF BEAST" was an experience we will never forget. I told Andrea she would be telling her grand kids about it.
Sitting around the camp fire at night listening to Paul talk about his research was fascinating. One thing in particular was about the number of water tanks. BVC has an extremely high number of water points and what they have found out is the lions are just roaming in their territories hunting instead of hunting near the water sources. Normally lions do most of their hunting close to the water sources, targeting zebra and wildebeest who come for water more often. What they have found in the BVC is the lions wander around and are hitting the kudu and eland, who don't go to water as often, hard. Management has shut down a number of tanks so the game will have to travel farther.
Andrea is going to culinary school and had her eyes opened by the high quality of food that was prepared in a primitive, to her, kitchen. Cashier, the cook, was proud to have her help out some in his kitchen.
The zebra I got was the first one I've ever shot and since Andrea was in on the stalk made it even more special. She is getting married next year so I think a proper wedding gift would be a zebra rug.
The giraffe was also a first for me and I think a patchwork rug would be really beautiful.
Jane had a birthday while we were in camp and that night Cashier made a cake. Cashier and Nahmo the waiter, brought the cake in while singing Happy Birthday.
It was a complete surprise, I got a lot of brownie points for that and believe me, I need all the points I can get.
After the hunt was over we traveled back to Bulawayo and went to a Polocrosse match. That's lacrosse played on horses like polo. Now that's a WILD game, another first for us.
Now I'll throw in some pics that I thought were special.
This cub was in a pride that had 5 or 6 cubs and several grown lions.
We saw a ton of zebra and eland.
Ray Buchanan really did a great job, video and stills. I have used him twice and he hustles to get the right picture more than anybody I have ever seen. All of these pics are ones he took, we just relaxed and enjoyed the hunt knowing he would get the shots.
John had the neatest set up to sight in your rifle. It attached to his bumper, you sat in a chair and shot.
RAMBO
There were giraffe around every corner.
Look on the left back, he's soft but give him time.
We came up on this bull one afternoon. He was a little upset that he had to leave the road and walk through the brush. He shook his head and threw leaves at us.
These kudu bulls posed for us and I thought it turned out to be one of the best pictures that were taken.
The Guinea fowl would run down the road until the last minute and fly.
I have posted some of these lion photos in another post but wanted to put them here as seeing lions was a huge part of the experience. This was my seventh trip and I saw more lions in ten days than all the other hunts combined.Hope I didn't bore you with all the pics. Sometimes I rather see the pics than read about the hunt.
John's shooting rest is totally cool! 
JOhn Sharpe is also the PH for my reason for going to Africa Wilbur Smith. He is a legend!