What a joy to be able to share the outdoors with your boys! Not only develops their characters, but warms the "Old Man's" heart as well
- mike

Thanks for a great story and hunt!

Bill your report and photos are perfect one of the best i read,you muust write it in a magazine too ,it has a lot of information im planning to go to africa too and its very useful.Iread a lot about rhodesia and i like very much its people country and game.Inoted that you are in great shape ,thats a must for the short but fast running with the hogs ,for the red stag ,and for the water buffalo in the swamps ,this year we hunted in a new swamp area truly wild full of buffalos and capibaras and another species ill talk with you later my son wolud like your sons hes a fan of hunting and all kind of weapons you can see him in the last report of safari in international hunting.juan pablo pozzi md

Bill,

Congratulations on your safari and for being able to enjoy it with your kids.The report was very well done and nice photos.


Hamdeni

In the report I promised to update everybody on the status of my firearms, which had to be left behind in Zim due to the SAA employee strike. To make a long story relatively short, I picked them up yesterday in Dulles, which is where they have been since Sept 1st. Customs would not forward them to Phila w/o opening the case, and nobody read the note on the folder (taped to the case by SAA) that said there was a key inside along with all my documentation (I had taken copies of everything along for just such a situation) including my original Customs forms.

The contact information listed on the folder was for the travel agent, Kathi Klimes, who worked with SAA to get the guns sent as "misdirected baggage". However, Kathi has been in Zim hunting since the first, so the people in Dulles were calling Kathi, and apparently didn't see my name, address and phone number in big black magic marker on the side of the case by the handle. Just bad timing. I eventually tracked them down thanks to SAA in Joburg.

Buzz of course did what he could, and got the firearms to the Harare airport when told to do so by SAA. Everybody I spoke to along the way was very helpful, and eventually this would have sorted itself out once Kathi got back on the 26th. SAA in Harare and Joburg was very professional and did a good job IMO handling things on their end, to which I am very thankful for. Had I flown into an airport more accustomed to handling firearms and related issues (such as Atlanta), things might have gone a bit smoother. But Dulles is a nice airport and I will continue to fly out of there whenever possible.

So all is well that ends well, and if anything this should give others some confidence that even in a "worst case" scenario, there is still hope that your firearms will arrive home safely. Regards, Bill

Bill,

Glad to hear "all's well that end's well" for your firearms! I know Buzz was very concerned about the situation when I was hunting with him.

Great pics! I´ll be hunting Namibia with my sons i March -they´ll love these pics.

What a great hunt! The pictures are beautiful and much appreciated. Thank you for sharing them.

Bill,

Outstanding report and hunt, your marksmanship looks like second to none as well.

Congratulations,
Roland

Hi guys, another update.... The tusks arrived to my taxidermist yesterday, along with the buffalo cow, grysbok & warthog skulls. I just got back from paying them a visit and deciding on how to have them mounted. Following is a summary that some may find useful:

Time to Ship - 5 months from end of safari (shipping handled by Andy Hunter).
Shipping + Time at Broker - 2 months noting they spent more time then usual at F&F & had to be sent for dipping due to the warthog.
Total - 7 months, which I think is great and better then I expected from Zim, hats off to Buzz, Chifuti & Andy.

Crate Dimensions & Quote - Per Andy prior to shipping: 1 Crate x 71kgs [156lbs] = 114 volume metric = US $864.96 HRE/JNB/JFK as quoted before shipping

Summary of Actual Costs from Fauna & Flora:
- Breakbulk Services $80
- Freight Charges Air $784 (under amount quoted!)
- Carriers Certificate & Release $25
- Inland Freight $242 (F&F to PA)
- Terminal handling $25
- Customs Entry Service Fee $225
- Special Messenger Service $20
- Reforwarding Service $25
TOTAL = $1427.00 (note weight of crate was 156lbs)

Outstanding report !!
Congrats on that wonderful time you had

Bill,

I reread this trip report every time it comes to the top.

What a great trip and a very nice report.

I'd give anything to have a son to take hunting!

Yes this report is wonderful is an excellent article that can be published in any hunting mag.Ihope to see you in my next pennsylvania hunt Bill,and my son is waiting for your son to compete in a dove tournament .Juan Pablo Pozzi md.

Thanks again for all the great comments, pm's and emails since I posted this report last year. Looking back, it was absolutely the best trip of my life. The boys and I talk about it on a regular basis, and the experiences had a definite and positive impact on them at a very important and formable time in their lives. We are all looking fwd to the next elephant hunt with Buzz.

They look very nice indeed!

Very elegant Bill.

Beautiful tusks Bill! I hope every time you view them, you remember the wonderful memories you created with your two sons in Africa.

Bill,

Nice very nice...So simple but very tasteful...

Mike

nice Elephant hunt