Chuck & Marla Swenson, Creswell,Oregon

Outfitter & Booking Agent Adam Clements

Concession; Simanjaro Tanzania Mid December 2013 16 Day Safari

PH Brian Van Blerk

Rifles; .375 H&H Winchester Model 70, .300 Win Mag Browning A-Bolt

Bullets 300 & 200 Grain Swift A-Frames, Barnes Monolithic Solid

Game Hunted and Taken; Buffalo (3), Zebra, Bushpig, Cokes Hartebeest, White Bearded Gnu, Grants Gazelle,

Game Not taken , Thompsons Gazelle (by choice), Warthog

Other Plentiful Game Seen; Lesser Kudu,Fringed Ear Oryx, Dik Dik, Steenbuck, Giraffe etc. etc. (Two Cheetah)

Weather; Sunny and Hot, Cool and Cloudy, Rain

Travel Agent for Turkish Air and stop in Istanbul, Steve Turner - Travel with Guns


This Safari was six years in the making. We booked it at the SCI show in Reno with Adam three years in advance

and had to postpone it twice as my business suffered during the downturn in the economy. He couldn't have been more

accommodating and the only increase in price was the trophy fees. It was originally scheduled for Lokisale but we changed to

Simanjaro (next door to the east) when the blocks were reallocated a year or two ago. We originally planned to go in Jan

or Feb but switched to Dec when Tanzania changed the season to end in Dec. Before we left we were praying for the

short rains to start as we thought that it would be better in Lokisale to bring the game out of Tarangare Park.

As it turned out, In Simanjaro,there were three permanent water holes that helped to concentrate the buffalo

and dry was better. When we got there it was very dry and many areas were overgrazed by the Masai and their

cattle, and by the time we left it was greening up in a matter of days from the rains. The accommodations were first class as they had

just built this camp this year in a spot with a great view. The tents were huge with a king bed, bath

with twin sinks, the works. The staff was awesome. I think we had 24 people working just for us.the food was terrific

and I think I liked the hartebeest the best. The first day we got a nice hartebeest. The first animal I ever got in

Africa was a Red Hartebeest,and we got a Nyasaland wildebeest in the Selous. I guess there are a couple others I'll never see.

We saw a couple of great Buffalo late in the day ,but did not get a shot.



The next day ,we started tracking three Dugga Boys and after about a half hour,I shot one but hit him a little far forward,

but he bled quite a bit. Four hours later,a fter a couple bumps , we got a look and I couldn't see him clearly and told Brian to

put one in him if he could with his .500. A little while later and a couple more shots with the .375 and he was done. A very nice 43"

buff in the salt. It was hot and sunny that day,but the weather was about to change.





The next was the Zebra and I wasn't very proud of my shooting, but he'll make a great rug



I was fortunate to get a nice Bushpig and the only other time Ive seen them in Chewore South,I missed one running through a dry riverbed.



Marla's turn was next and she connected on a Great Grants Gazelle





The next night it rained all night and Brian indicated that if it kept up,the roads would be getting bad and the buffalo would start to scatter.

We spotted some buffalo and started after them and it wasn't long and I had my second buffalo. He's not the biggest one we saw by any means

but when opportunity knocks,you better take it and I love hunting buffalo and a few inches means little to me.



We figured we better get after the Wildebeest and Tommy"s as they frequented the plains with the black earth.(vs red earth)

The black soil turned into a muddy mess like the soil in Eastern Oregon when wet. We went out and found four of them

and the bull was a very nice one with a wonderful white beard and mane hair almost two feet long. The swift A-Frame broke both

front shoulders and that was it. After loading it,we went over the hill and there were hundreds of them. We saw quite a few Tommy's

but no shooters we could get on. We figured we better get back after the third buffalo and I was never able to get back out on the

plains for the Tommy. Thats OK though, Maybe another time.





The third buffalo was the thrill. I had told Brian that one of my greatest regrets in Africa was my very first buffalo,

an ancient Dugga boy in Chewore in 1999 I had passed on, hoping for one with the classic sweeping horns. Five Days later with time

running short,I shot a nice bull but very soft. BIG MISTAKE ! The last bull on this safari was spotted from the road and when we got to them

Brian said to shoot the old one on the right. I hit him well and the blood trail was like none Ive seen. I shot him again,

and there was a pool of blood the size of a small table. Soon, I shot him again and he went down, with the death bellow following.

We worked our way up and he was laying there with the one eye we could see glassed over. (turns out he was blind in that eye)

Marla was filming the follow up and Brian and I walked to about six feet of him and with a big grunt, he jumped up. Unfortunately, the video

is of the ground as she was high tailing it out of there. I was no better, as I was back pedaling as fast as I could to get the hell out

of there. All there is on the video is the ground and three quick shots in rapid concession.. I'm sure I missed as I was falling back

into the thorns, but I know Brian didn't, as the bull had two fresh holes in his forehead. He still wasn't dead and Brian let me finish him off with his .500.

What a thrill ! It was just before dark and it soon started raining like Ive not seen. The drops were the size of a dime. We all get soaked.



I finally got my old Dugga boy. We could have gotten a bigger buffalo as there were plenty of a lot bigger ones around,but I couldn't have

been happier with this one. All in all, It was a wonderful trip. We ended up leaving eight days early and Steve Turner helped me sort out a

new trip home.

I need to mention that Steve Turner of Travel with Guns arranged a great stay for us in Istanbul on the way down. I highly recommend him and Turkish

Airlines for trips to Masailand. Another thing is the abundance of big lesser Kudu and Oryx. We saw lots of them,but I could not get one on my license.

THANK YOU ADAM & BRIAN

Looks like you had a great time.

Brian is a great PH. Beautiful trophies!

amazing!!
very nice trophys!!

Congrats. Love that old broken buffalo.
Steve

Congrats. Nice trophies, all of them.

Beautiful photos and trophies - congrats, great hunt. AIU

Great pics! Congratulations on a fine hunt!

Congrats

Well done Chuck & Marla, some nice trophies indeed.

Very Nice!!!!!

Jeff

Thanks for that. Some very nice trophies you took there. The Grants is a dandy.

Congrats on a very fine safari. Terrific buffalo!

Mike

Great hunt and thanks for the hunt report. Someone was wondering where Adam was hunting on a thread here a few days ago. I guess he has this concession tied up now?

Impressive trophies! Especially the old broken-up buff. Well done.

Well done Chuck

Thanks for your comments ! Hope you enjoyed it.

Chuck

Nice report, great trophies, congrats. AIU

Really nice - congratulations!