Operator: Roger Whittall Safaris
PH: Brendon (butch) Coaton*
Agent: Buchanan Hunts
Client: Tommy and Julie Salmon
Tackers: Ringisai, Rendai & Boniface
Game ranger: Mike
Camera: Andy Buchanan

Mr Tommy had employed me for my camera services on 3 previous safaris, so when he heard my sister Michelle and I where booking clients into what we regarded as great hunting areas he was quick to get hold of us.

I have spent so much time in the bush with him that I knew exactly what he liked and needed. We proposed 3 buffalo bulls in 10 days with the double rifle using open sites and at close quoters. Having struggled for buffalo on previous safaris (not booked by us) Tommy was a bit skeptical about my plan, but he trusted me and gave us the green light to book it.

We would be hunting with Roger Whittall Safaris on Humani Ranch in the Save Valley Conservancy with my good friend Butch Coaton as the professional hunter. The Whittall family are famous for their conservation efforts. Butch has been a PH for 35 years I think and has never had anybody injured under his care. So those where the reasons for place and PH.

My sister took care of the flights, permits and licenses as per usual and Mr Tommy and Mrs Julie were all ready for their adventure. Unfortunately, Hurricane Harvey caused a flight problem out of Houston. So, 3 buffalo in 10 days became 3 buffalo in 8 days but fortunately the 450/400 and the 404 Jeffery also made the flight change.

I met them all at Harare International and we smoothly made our way through domestic to the charter plane and onto the Humani airstrip. Rogers wife, Ann picked us up and took us to camp.


Camp


Our first contact with Nyati was made on the afternoon of day 1 when we found five bulls grazing peacefully in a large grassy pan. We made the stalk and watched them for a while but Butch declared them an ugly bunch of buffalo and not fit for the first day. It was a beautiful setting and walking away wasn’t easy for Mr Tommy. When we walked away leaving the buffalos undisturbed Mr Tommy asked if there was a solid boss bull in there. Yes, 3 I told him. He could not believe it. But we only have 8 days he said. Have faith Mr Tommy we still have plenty of time I told him.



The morning of day 2 we tracked another group of 7 or 8 dagga boys through the scrub mupane , the buffalo where using the wind well so when Butch felt we were close we did a big loop to try approach where we thought they were beded down but it turned out they had moved a little further than expected and we bumped right into them after one of those stale mate moments where everybody freezes staring into the eyes of a soft boss bull, at 15 yards before they burst from cover.






On Hummani the team of PH’s try not to harass the buffalo, so we left that group and went back to camp for lunch and entertainment provided by the baboons and other game waring over the oranges that get placed in the river below camp. During lunch Roger had radioed to say he had seen a group of 6 bulls out the back so we tracked those that afternoon, but they never did stop moving after their meeting with the legend himself. So, we returned to the vehicle at last light after a pretty disappointing day. Mr Tommy asked if we still had plenty of time. I told him if by the end of tomorrow if we had not got a buffalo down he can start to worry.

On day 3 Butch decided to try the Turgwe River below camp. We tracked 4 groups of bulls before 10 am that morning, through the thick riverine bush, not ever getting a chance to take a clean shot. Every time they bust us they thundered down into the reeds in the river bed out of sight. This year after the prolific rains it is absolute suicide to follow buffalo into those reeds.So time and again we where left scratching our heads. It was a full moon at the time and the buffalo dung contained seeds from the Albida pods whose trees grew up on the river banks. So, what all this meant was that the buffalo where feeding under the trees all night in the moonlight, which meant they not getting up to feed as early as usual and they where bedding down earlier in the morning. So, we decide to walk along the river under the trees at last light to hopefully catch the dagga boys as they moved out of the reeds to feed .With our game plan made we headed back to camp. On our way I managed to embarrass myself when large tree monitor crossed the road, I commented that I could wrangle that bugger. “Off you go then” said Mr Tommy. As I approached it flared up arching its back and coking its tail. Suddenly I had serious second thoughts as this guy had some intense intimidation tactics. The tracker Ringisai then stepped in like a boss and humiliated me further by making it look easy. I think Mr Tommy is still laughing at me. Anyways I promised to catch the next one.


Ringi the Great

We had a nice long siesta and set out to implement out afternoons game plan. Low and behold another tree monitor, This one bigger than the other. Fortunatly it took off into some thorn bush as i approached. We saw a lot of game on the walk but not one buffalo. That night around the camp fire Mr Tommy reminded me that I had said that he could start to worry by the end of day 3. All I could say was that the buffalo are here so we much just keep at it. Although I must say those ugly buffalo we passed on day 1 didn’t seem so ugly anymore.

At first light, we were on the track of 2 dagga boys. After about and hour of tracking slowly and silently, everybody froze, Butch gestured to Mr Tommy and got him into position to take a free hand shot with his double . with the bull Standing broad side the weapon thundered, the bull ran straight towards us and then broke left through an opening when the second barrel went off.

We waited listening for a while but nothing, following up we discovered blood. A tiny amount, a speckle very 50 yards or so. Not good! I think Mr Tommy had mistaken the buffalo looking at us as a frontal where in fact it was broad side. An easy mistake to make in the thick bush at close quoters. Just before lunch we bumped into them again but we never saw them. They crossed the river and butch recommended we go for lunch and let them settle as for sure they are now wide awake.



Following him wounded in the thick stuff



Over lunch it was decided that if we saw them again we would try to shoot both. Butch had seen both of them and said they were both lovely bulls. At 2:30 we were back on tracks and it was extremely intense. Slowly and silently we crept through the thickets after the wounded bull and his worrier brother. Never once did I see Butch loose focus or drop his gaurd and we did this for hours, eventually they crossed a road and we took a break and had some water. Butch and Tommy looked exhausted, following a wounded dangerous game animal through that kind of bush is extremely mentally draining. Back on the tracks we were losing light fast when a bush shook in front of us! 5 yards ahead of us i watched Butch bring his cheek to his already shouldered 458 stock and i wished his finger into action as the weapon went off.

We gathered together after the buffalo ran off. “That was him, “said Butch. “I recognised the horns” no sooner had he said that than we heard a death bellow. At that same instance, we all thought the same thing (maybe the other bull will be beating on his downed brother) let’s try for both!!

We crept silently throughout the tangled bush towards the bellowing beast and sure enough we heard the other bull grunting and snorting as he gored at his brother . Eventually Butch and Tommy snuck around the bush at very close range where Mr Tommy surprised the bully with a left and a right sending the bully crashing away before another almighty death bellow. Mr Tommy reloaded and finished the first bull which was still kicking before moving on and finishing the second bull! What a hunt! The adrenalin was pumping and we could not believe what had just happened. Great tracking all day, nerves of steel and the precision finish of a surgeon.What a hunt!

We spent two hours in the dark placing the buffalo for pictures in the morning, we covered the bulls with a tarpaulin and made two huge fires to repel the lions. We toasted to the old bulls as we listened to the night sounds and the crackle of the fire. “This is why I come to Africa” said Mr Tommy still glowing with pride at the teams achievements . “This is why we live in Africa” Butch and I replied laughing .











Cheers to the team lead by Captain Coaton

The third bull came during day 6. Having walked for miles on day 5 and again this morning only to find the bulls bedded down in some impossible spot of bush before catching our wind and hauling ass. We were actually on the vehicle going for lunch when we spotted this old bull all alone lying down under a large shady Mupane tree. We drove past until we felt the vehicle was out of ear shot and walked back along the road. Suddenly an ox pecker alarm called and the bull was up anxiously looking in all direction. Butch put the sticks up and the 404 Jeffery shouted. For the second time this safari, the buffalo came straight at us. Fleeing the lead wasp. Mr Tommy shot again and the bull turned with Tommy in pursuit to finish him off. ( In the video it looks as a bit dangerous as Butch hasn’t got his gun but what you don’t see is Guy Whittall was to my left and was the back up )

The result was a very old 40” bull whose genetics meant that his bosses had never fully closed. Butch summed it up well saying “Mr Tommy hunting is a funny Game, you walk and walk and walk and not get what you’re after and then,suddenly out of nowhere, your handed one on a silver platter!”









A very Happy Mr Tommy.

We spent the rest of our days relaxing and enjoying Africa’s wildlife.

































From Michelle and I at Buchanan Hunts, thank you Tommy and Julie, thank you Butch and thanks to the entire team at RWS on Humani .

Please enjoy the Highlights clip i did with the link below

https://youtu.be/opzkDJObhQ4


Happy Hunting

Great report, amazing pictures. Congrats.

Thanks so much.Also attached the video now so have a watch.

Thanks so much.Also attached the video now so have a watch.QUOTE]Originally posted by bwanamrm:
Great report, amazing pictures. Congrats.[/QUOTE]

Nice report and great pictures. Congrats to the whole team.

Good stuff! Thanks for posting.

Great photos as always!

Great report and photoes. Thanks for sharing


Morten

Beautiful pics, very nice video clip. I started hunting DG with the Whittalls in '08 and I blame Peter Wood for my obsession with elephant. I must put the Save on my to do list. Well done on all accounts, following a wounded buffalo in that thick mess will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Nyae Nyae bull elephant raffle
https://www.tsumeb-gimnasium.c...hant-hunt-in-namibia

Awesome buffs and even more awesome video.

Andy,

Fine work as always!! Congrats to all!

Nice buff and great photos!

Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

BH63

quote:

Would be a true dream to enjoy a cup of coffee here each morning. Beautiful!

Thanks for sharing the report!

Awesome

Great pictures. Now I know the difference between hard and soft boss buff's. Thank you, I was thinking of asking you to show the difference while reading the first parts.

Congrats to everyone for a great hunt.

George

Was in Camp when Mr.Tommy and Mrs Julie arrived totally tuckered after all of the trials and tribulations trying to get out of hurricane ravaged Texas.
3 Bulls 8 days..... Well done on your hunt, if any area could have done it Roger Whittall's Humani would have been it and Butch Coaton and his staff intimate with the area would be the choice to put the client on the sticks.
Andy great video, great pics....
Takes a Texas girl to stick a Cape Buff for a full 8 seconds...

Brilliant Video, good write up of a what must of been a lifetime memory!

Well done to all.