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Doma Safaris / Zimbabwe Oct 14-28 PHs: Gordon Duncan (owner), Rory & Blake Muil As expected, the weather was quite warm. Not as hot as the temperature reports we were getting from the valley, but it was still well into the 90’s most days. The humidity was low, but the elevation and relative proximity to the equator did add to the sun’s cooking effect. The key for those long tracking jobs is to start hydrating early and do it regularly throughout the day. Powdered Gatorade really helps and is always a good idea to bring along on the hunt. Doma is really unique. The lodge sits on a 150 acre lake in the bottom of some beautiful rolling hills. The lake is stocked with large mouth bass (we found a dead one that weighed 8+ pounds), and the fishing is apparently quite good, as the lodge stays busy with fishing guests in the off-season. This photo was taken from a hill behind the lodge. The little red circle is the roof of the main lodge/dining area that will give you some perspective on the scale. Those hills, however, look and feel much more like MOUNTAINS to us flatlanders after a few hours on buffalo tracks. I’m not completely out of shape, but this is definitely not the lowveld. Those well versed in elk hunting will find themselves right at home, but for those us that dwell closer to sea level, a good bit of pre-hunt training on a Stairmaster is well advised. Blake Muil was to PH for my hunting partner, but he apparently had a previous commitment that delayed him getting to camp for a few days... Fortunately, Blake’s brother Rory was able to fill in for him. And despite Gordon’s obvious affection for the “scud,” I will say he performed very professionally as well. (Those two photos were actually taken from the last night’s staff party, but a little ribbing never hurt these guys.) The first morning’s excitement had me up at 2:30am. We were out of camp by 4:00 and on buffalo tracks shortly thereafter (it’s bright enough to see at about 4:45am this time of year.) Little spring-fed streams follow draws in the hills and provide a lot more water for game than is apparent. Natural salt-licks along the streams provide a convenient place to pick up tracks, and we would start each morning by checking these hot spots for tracks. The #1 priority was buffalo, and we looked at quite a few bulls over the first six days. Some were bigger, some were wider, some were soft, but we had shot opportunities each day. The winds ebbing, flowing and swirling through these hills proved to be biggest single challenge to actually shooting a buff. We’d follow tracks for anywhere from half an hour to five before catching up with the bedded buffalo, and then it was a matter of getting into position for a better look at the horns. On multiple occasions, shifting winds alerted the buff to our presence and sent them over the next few hills. Hours later, we would catch up just to receive the same results from shifting winds. We had done just that on the sixth day and were following up a group of wind-spooked buffalo when we stumbled into a second small group that was bedded down. Fortunately we saw them before they saw us, and we were able to get into position as they were resting out the mid-day heat. This bull was standing quartering-away at about 100-yards, and we waited nervously (because of the shifting winds) for abut 10-minutes to see his bosses. I was on the rifle and couldn’t see his horns, but he swung his head for just the split second that Gordon needed to determine that his boss was hard. I hit him about mid body (he was quartering away), and he reacted with a classic hunch and about a 1-second pause before taking off. We knew he was hit hard, but we gave chase immediately. The group of about seven had run down off the top of the hill they were on into a low, open spot to look back and investigate the disturbance. The tracker spotted our sick buff at about 150-yards standing broad-sided. I hit him with a solid from the right barrel and he slowly moved about 30 or 40 yards to his right and faced us. I hit him again, and he went straight down. We ran down the hill to him, and he was giving the death bellow when we got to him. I gave him two more solids in the chest and it was all done. We joked after the fact that when these buffalo wind you, they run for an hour, but if you actually shoot one, they only run for a hundred yards and stop! Of course we knew better, but it did work out that way. We were thinking of you Bryan, and Gordon insisted that we get this photo of the buff after he was loaded. With the buff down, the pressure was now off, and we adapted quickly to resting around the swimming pool on the seventh day. My hunting partner and Blake had been in and out of buff too, but they had been working leopard baits pretty hard for the first several days (although he did connect with a super 42” sable.) So we took over bait patrol to allow them a bit more time to focus on buff tracks. As luck would have it, the trackers spotted a lone sable truck from the truck as we were running baits. They drew quite a commotion of chatter in the back, and I asked Gordon what was going on. He said they had seen a nice bull, and that they were really going on amongst themselves about it. We dismounted, got on the tracks, and caught up to him just a few hundred yards away. He was behind all sort of brush with his horns concealed. He would swing his head occasionally (we later found from the annoyance of the mopane flies), and although we could see his worn bases, it took a while to judge the length. Gordon said “He’ll go 40,” and a few seconds later he stepped from behind the brush walking broad-sided. There was a narrow window between one brushy area and the next, and I hit him with the 7x57. To my surprise, he went straight down! We got on him quickly, and there were two holes in his hide well above the shoulder. Apparently the 160 partition hit a branch and split. There was one small knife-like hole just below his spine, and another big hole on his spine (the bullet entered sideways.) Better lucky, right? It wasn’t ideal, but it worked out in the end. He was the ideal bull to take: old, alone, and past his breeding prime. I wish I had gotten a better photo of his tips, as they were heavily broomed and worn. You can see the wear a bit better here. That was it for me… I was on easy street and intent on relaxing the rest of the trip away. We did continue the bait runs but only ended up with females hitting the baits. While running baits, Blake and my hunting partner ran across a fresh lion kill (a half-eaten bush pig,) and they quickly set up a zebra quarter on the kill. Despite the size of the track, he turned out to be a bit too young. All-in-all the trip was a success. I got my buff and a nice bonus sable. My hunting partner got a full bag with Buffalo, a great sable, croc, hyena, kudu, bushbuck, baboons, etc… | ||
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Neat perspective. Good bull. Steve "He wins the most, who honour saves. Success is not the test." Ryan "Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything." Stalin Tanzania 06 Argentina08 Argentina Australia06 Argentina 07 Namibia Arnhemland10 Belize2011 Moz04 Moz 09 | |||
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Love it!!!!! Regards, D. Nelson | |||
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Chris. Wondered where you were. Ditto Graves. Excellent You were on TAA this week. Elton Elton Rambin Mail/Ship: 1802 Horse Hollow Rd. Barksdale, Texas 78828 Phone: 479 461 3656 Ranch: 830-234-4366 Check our Hunt & Class Schedule at www.ftwoutfitters.com 4 Rules of Gun Safety 1/ Treat all guns as though they are loaded. 2/ Never point the muzzle at anything you do not want to shoot. 3/ Do not put your finger on trigger until your sights are on target and you are ready to shoot. 4/ Be sure of your target and safe background. | |||
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Waiting to see and hear more about it! | |||
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Chris is that a Merkell you're holding in the background???? Hard to tell from the picture! Beautiful buff! Brett DRSS Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member WSF Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick. And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too. May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep. May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip. -Seth Peterson | |||
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Chris very well done - nice to see one of those Masters on the ground . Also, looks like you got double lucky with landing it on a patch of a flat terrain | |||
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Chris, please tell Gordon I said hello. Have a great time...that's some beautiful country up there. "Sleep When You're Dead!" | |||
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I guess that works as a teaser!! Nice Buff!!! Graybird "Make no mistake, it's not revenge he's after ... it's the reckoning." | |||
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Nice polished hooks! "When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick." | |||
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Good shooting Chris.. Mike | |||
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Superb photo. Wow. | |||
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Nicely done... both the bull and the photography! On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch... Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! - Rudyard Kipling Life grows grim without senseless indulgence. | |||
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Well done, I like the perspective on the picture. Mike | |||
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Congrats! | |||
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As I said on the other thread, great buff and picture as well! Rusty We Band of Brothers! DRSS, NRA & SCI Life Member "I am rejoiced at my fate. Do not be uneasy about me, for I am with my friends." ----- David Crockett in his last letter (to his children), January 9th, 1836 "I will never forsake Texas and her cause. I am her son." ----- Jose Antonio Navarro, from Mexican Prison in 1841 "for I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Arbroath April 6, 1320-“. . .It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.” | |||
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I'd make a 20x36, or a very large print at least, of this!! Superb specimen and the angle/perspective is very artistic. Congrats on a nice bull!! | |||
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Way to go Chris!! | |||
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Awesome adventure! DRSS | |||
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How fine is that!!!! | |||
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SWEEEET !!!!!! Look forward to more pics!! Skip Nantz | |||
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Wow Chris, Great trophies! Looking forward to the rest of the story. "Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult." | |||
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Congrats on two great trophies and very respectful photography! Cheers! "How do we inspire ourselves to greatness when nothing less will do" -- Invictus | |||
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I love the sable! Great! Congratulations mario | |||
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WOW! AWESOME photography! | |||
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Very nice Chris, great trophies and nice swimming pool for those hot days after the kill. "An individual with experience is never at the mercies of an individual with an argument" | |||
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Is there a more beautiful animal that the sable....simply gorgeous, Chris...nice stuff. By the way....that is STILL some very pretty lumber on that rifle's stock. Tell mama hello for us. Gary DRSS NRA Lifer SCI DSC | |||
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Well Done Chris. Nice shooting DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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great picture and report thanks | |||
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Helluva a bull with a NICE rig! That sable is fantastic. Great looking hunt. I like the looks of that Doma country.. Steep. | |||
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Great photos and post. Nice old Bull and a beautiful Sable. Nice job! | |||
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Very nice, Chris. Congrats! Thanks for the stories and the pics. Were you shooting a 400? What bullets? Antlers Double Rifle Shooters Society Heym 450/400 3" | |||
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Thanks, Tim. Yes, that's a 400. Shooting 400gr Swifts and North Fork Solids. | |||
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Thanks for sharing pictures from a great hunt you have had in A. DRSS: HQ Scandinavia. Chapters in Sweden & Norway | |||
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Very Nice. Congrats on two beautiful bulls! Good Hunting, Tim Herald Worldwide Trophy Adventures tim@trophyadventures.com | |||
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