11 July 2018, 04:45
nhoroElephant, Buffalo and Tigers, a Father-Son Adventure
Very long report with way too many pictures and video clips, but it was a very special trip and even all this fails to do it justice.Safari Agent: Buchanan Hunts
Location: Save Valley Conservancy (Roger Whittall Safaris, ARDA and Humani) and the Zambezi River from Chirundu to Kanyemba (River God Adventures)
Date: June, 2018
PH: Rich Tabor
Trackers: Teddy, Norest and driver Dube
Videography: Justin Drainer
RGA Captain: Guy Ferreira
Firearms: Heym 88B PH in .470 NE and 450/400 NE, Remington 700 in .375 H&H
Originally I was headed over alone to hunt elephant and float the Zambezi with River God Adventures. I haven’t gone alone since my first elephant hunt in 2012, but as the date approached, I decided I would rather see one of my sons hunt again than do it myself. Since Hunter had been on the previous two, I asked my oldest son Zak if he would like to go again. There was no hesitation on his part, and he started shooting our plywood elephant with a double and studying shot placement via book and video.
Had another good experience with Emirates - Houston to Dubai, then Dubai to Harare. Once again they were courteous and prepared when we arrived at the counter with firearms, as well as my 7-1/2’ homemade PVC rod case. Zak and I took advantage of the long layover in Dubai to roam the mall and aquarium and see the Burj Khalifa.
Michelle Buchanan was kind enough to scan and send us the Zimbabwe Immigration Declaration card prior to our departure. Not sure why I didn’t think of that on prior trips, but the older I get, the darker that airport gets. It was nice having it already completed. Rich met us and took us to The Homestead - the guest house owned and operated by Hannah Whittall’s parents. It was very nice, and the electric blanket felt good.
Rich and Justin picked us up the next morning and we headed to the Save. This was the first time we’ve driven, and aside from the growing traffic problem in Harare, it was a beautiful drive and we didn’t get stopped a single time. It was cold, and I felt bad for Zak and Justin in the back. Not bad enough, however, to offer up my seat in the front ....
We started our hunt on ARDA. It was much thicker and greener than I anticipated due to late rains, and there was no shortage of surface water. There was no shortage of elephants either. We tracked and looked over multiple bulls the first day while attempting to avoid cow herds. Towards the end of the day, while trying to skirt around a cow herd in thick brush, we got on some huge bull tracks. Justin noticed me staring at a drag mark that snaked back and forth between his tracks. He said “that’s his dick dragging the dirt, and its dripping”. Sure enough the wind hit our faces and you could smell him. A short distance later, we caught a glimpse of him walking away. Huge body and when he turned slightly, the visible tusk was very nice. We closed the distance to check the other tusk, which turned out to be much smaller. Once he detected us, however, he decided to close the distance even further. As we retreated, Norest was grinning ear to ear. As the hunt progressed, and we retreated a few more times, I figured out why he grins when an elephant comes - he can easily outrun everyone else in the hunting party!
Tracking and looking over bulls continued. Some number of cows must have been in estrus because there were always bulls harassing the cow herds, with the cows running and screaming. One night we watched 5 bulls interacting with a cow herd, and oddly enough the smallest one mounted a cow. I was surprised at how aggressive the bulls were as well, and several appeared to be in musth.
On the morning of day 6 Norest and Teddy followed a bull track off the road for a distance while we were shedding coats and looking at the tracks. They came running back towards the road, retreating from the bull they had walked into. We in turn ran to the truck to arm ourselves, but the bull ended the pursuit before we saw him and resumed travel in the original direction. Once shell belts were donned and rifles loaded, we started following. He covered a bit of ground before we caught him, but when we did the length of ivory looked promising. These bulls are bigger bodied than the ones in the Zambezi Valley, and while the length looked decent, the thickness was questionable. His temporal glands were leaking down both sides of his head, and his back legs were black from being dripped on.
I told Rich this was the one for Zak, and as we closed the distance, the bull turned and came at us. Zak prepared for a frontal, but the bull pulled up and turned, then backed into the bush. This back and forth continued for some time, with the bull pulling up and turning at the last minute and never really coming into the open. In hindsight it was perfect. For me, as well as Zak, there’s the “no time to think” period, followed by the “how do I control my nerves and shaking” period, then finally the “I’m back under control and ready” phase. We had been fortunate to have several approaches and shot placement discussions in the days prior to this, and the interaction with this bull lasted long enough for Zak to get his nerves back under control.
The bull backed completely into the thick bush and started taking his aggression out on a tree. We quietly backed out and circled around, coming at him from almost the opposite direction. The wind was in our favor, and he eventually decided to move on. It looked as though he would walk right in front of us, but he detected us and became confrontational again. Zak was just about to do a frontal when the bull turned completely broadside. Rich said “ear hole” and Zak made a perfect side brain shot at 20 yards. Due to the thick bush we were dealing with, the plan was for me to do an insurance heart shot once Zak pulled the trigger. My gun was shouldered and I fired, but it was not necessary. I watched the bull’s back legs give way as I was squeezing the trigger. Zak ran up and gave him 2 more into the chest with his 450/400, and both bullets exited out the back between the shoulder blades.
The ivory certainly didn’t ground shrink. We were targeting 40 lbs, expected this one to be in the thirties. He had 39 inches outside and was 16-1/2” at the lip. I don’t have the final weight yet (allowing the tusks to rot out so the skull can be preserved), but it will be considerably more than we thought. The balance of the day was devoted to the recovery of the meat and hide while Dube prepared and cooked elephant kababs. Guy Whittall came by and congratulated Zak during the recovery.
The focus then became buffalo, and like elephant, there was no shortage. It was thick, however, so we left the .375 H&H behind and Zak carried his double. From dugga boy groups to large herds, Norest and Teddy tracked and got us onto the animals each time but the thick bush made it difficult to sort out a proper bull and the wind would never stay true for us. During the hunt we saw multiple giraffes, and while I had not previously had any interest in hunting a giraffe, I told Rich we would take one if the opportunity presented itself.
It was overcast the morning of day 9 and looked as if it would stay cool most of the day. While looking for buffalo tracks, the guys spotted an old giraffe bull in the trees. We drove on out of sight, stopped and made a hurried plan, then made our approach. It wasn’t the closest shot(s), but Zak gave him both barrels high on the shoulder. I gave him one before he went behind a tree, then another as he emerged on the other side. Their seemingly slow gait is deceptive – they’re covering ground quickly with those long strides. It was an all-out run, reload, shoot for several hundred yards. The bull easily outpaced us, but we found him piled up not far from where we lost sight of him. While waiting on the Cruiser and knives, 2 Rhino Anti-Poaching Rangers materialized out of the thorns. I don’t remember exactly how many shots we fired, but counting would probably require both hands and a few toes. I’m not surprised they came to investigate, but I was shocked at how quickly they appeared. Both were very polite and professional, but deadly serious about their job. If I was a poacher, I would not wish to have them on my trail. We told them about a black rhino we had photographed a few days prior to this, as well as the location of tracks seen that morning. The two congratulated Zak on his hunt to date, then disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. Once the Cruiser arrived, everyone pitched in to skin and quarter the bull quickly. The hair apparently slips easily, and the cooler, overcast day was perfect.
That afternoon we tracked a buffalo herd for a few kilometers before finding roughly 100 buffalo in the wide open. They were several hundred yards away, and we were out of thick cover and armed with doubles only. Rich, Zak, Justin and Norest crawled on hands, knees and butts for at least 250 yards in the thick grass while the remainder of us stayed behind. There were many bulls in and around the herd, including some very wide but young ones. Rich had identified a decent old bull, but getting closer was not possible. They were still 110 – 120 yards out, but Zak had a Docter sight on his double. The sun was setting quickly, and Justin struck the right note with his buffalo bellow. The bull stood, the cows and a calf somehow parted revealing the bull’s side, and Zak shot. From where I was I saw the herd’s reaction, followed by the report of the double, followed by the sound of the bullet smack. The sun was already touching the tree line, so I took off running to catch up to Zak and Rich. Before I got there, Zak fired 2 more shots, ran forward, then fired 2 more. By the time I reached them they were gathered around a nice old bull that would measure a bit over 40”, caked in mud and laying exactly where he was hit the first time. He had toppled over after the first shot and never regained his feet. Pictures and recovery followed as darkness fell. We made good use of the liver the next morning for breakfast, followed by the tongue the following day for lunch.
We then moved to Humani for the remainder of the safari. I was quite satisfied with ARDA, but Humani was a different world. The open-front chalets cantilevered over the drop to the Turgwe River were great. Every night, without exception, we heard lions and leopards. The amount of wildlife that came to the river within sight of the camp was incredible – waterbuck, nyala, bushbuck, kudu, impala, elephant, ground hornbills and other birds of all descriptions. The terrain was incredibly varied as well – thick riverine that was intimidating, especially when stepping around steaming elephant dung or fresh rhino tracks in a path slightly larger than a hippo tunnel, acacia forests, mopane forests, palm stands and steep kopjes.
It was a great way to finish out the safari in the Save. Our primary animals had been taken – elephant and buffalo – so we had no agenda. I had suggested waterbuck would be nice, as well as a klipspringer. On our first safari with Rich in Dande, the previous client had taken a klipspringer and we ate it our first night. It was incredible, as is the animal. Neither took long. Zak took a nice waterbuck on the morning of day 12, followed by a klipspringer that afternoon. Guy Whittall had cut a new road that weaved through a number of kopjes. We followed it and found a shaded spot to leave the truck and start walking. While strapping on shell belts and getting cameras ready, Teddy snapped his fingers and pointed to a pair of klipspringers in the rocks. The female disappeared over the kopje, but the male stopped and stared at us. Zak got on the sticks and put a .375 solid through him. It tasted even better than I remembered, and the waterbuck was some fine eating as well.
The balance of our time in the Save was spent finding and raiding bee hives. Teddy can hear a bee hive from over 100 yards away, and there isn’t a hive that’s high enough to keep Dube out of it. We raided ½ a dozen hives, but it was the wrong time of year. Only one had a small quantity of honey. It was worth it, however, to see Norest get nailed right on top the head! I don’t think Dube, who did all the hacking and digging into the hollow limbs, got stung at all.
Rich talked Roger Whittall out of a sheep for our final night, and our cook placed it on a spit over a mopane fire around noon. He wouldn’t part with his glaze recipe, but it obviously involved honey because we were suddenly out. Roger and his wonderful wife Anne, Guy and his client, and several other folks joined us for dinner. It was a great evening – great company and a great meal.
The drive back to Harare was beautiful and once again we didn’t get stopped a single time. Overnighted at The Homestead again, where we stored our hunting gear and gathered our fishing equipment. The next morning Rich took us to the airport where we met up with Justin again and hopped a charter to Chirundu. Guy Ferreira welcomed us aboard the Challenger, River God Adventures newest pontoon vessel. It was good to see Guy again. He was an apprentice hunter on my first elephant hunt, which was in the Omay, and he quickly became my favorite member of the hunting party. After a full day of tracking and nearly 20Ks, Martin would turn to Guy and say “well my friend, this is where we part ways. Go get the Cruiser and meet us at such and such a place”.
The next 5 days were spent drifting and fishing down the Zambezi to Masau Lodge just before the Mozambique border. It is a 2 vessel operation. Challenger is the main vessel, with 4 tent pods on top, a kitchen and bar, a flush toilet and a shower platform between the engines with hot water on demand. The second is Explorer, an 18’ fishing pontoon. The general routine goes like this: Nights are spent aboard Challenger (tent pods on top) and dinner is cooked and eaten on the sandbar where you’re camped. The next morning starts with coffee and a light breakfast – fruit and yogurt – followed by boarding the Explorer and fishing. While fishing, the Challenger moves downstream and sets up on a sandbar for brunch. You meet up, have brunch, then resume fishing from Explorer. Challenger then moves further downstream and sets up the campsite for that evening. You meet up again near sunset, shower and campfire, dinner and bed. Next morning, repeat.
We saw some incredible wildlife, especially through Mana Pools and Sapi. Multiple elephant, buffalo and waterbuck, along with the sounds of lions and hyenas at night. The tiger were finnicky due to the time of year and colder water, but as Justin predicted – the big fish come in the winter. On day 4 of our float, Zak started the morning with a 13 lb tiger. Great fish, so after the release, we ran back upstream and drifted the stretch again. Zak got another run, but it was half-hearted and we all suspected a small fish. Justin had the drone in the air, so I asked how much flight time he had remaining. He said 10 minutes and started coming towards the boat to film the possible catch. With the fish acting so finnicky, we let it go until there were only 4 wraps of braid on the spool before getting to the mono backing. Zak engaged the reel and set the hook. The fish never jumped until it reached the boat, and then we realized it was bigger than his previous one. After a few jumps, Guy got a net on it and a scale – 18 lbs! It beat the previous River God Adventures record by 3 lbs, and Justin managed to get it all on the drone. Later that day Zak caught an 18 lb Cornish Jack, and over the course of the trip we caught several other species of fish. The more notable tigers were: (2)-8 lb, 9 lb, 13 lb and 18 lb.
The last night was spent at Masau Lodge, then a charter back to Harare and another night at The Homestead. Rich took us to tour the Patrick Mavros studio, and Patrick was giving a tour to a group of Australians in the silver melting and pouring section of the shop. He recognized Rich, interrupted the tour to introduce himself to us, then quizzed Zak at length regarding his elephant and buffalo. He congratulated Zak, then excused himself and resumed the tour. We returned to the studio, purchased a couple bracelets for my daughter, then had a nice lunch at a deli in Harare.
The recognition section:
Once again we had a wonderful safari in Zimbabwe. The general atmosphere was much more positive and upbeat than 2016. It is my favorite destination.
Rich Tabor is an outstanding hunter, period. This makes our third consecutive safari with him (2 in Dande, 1 in Save), and we’ve not once failed to take our targeted species (2 elephants, 3 buffalo, 2 hippo, leopard, crocodile, sable, hyena), plus several other animals of opportunity. I’ve trusted him completely with both my sons on dangerous game while I remained in the distance to avoid detection by the animal. He has surrounded himself with an incredible team – Teddy, Norest and Dube. Each one has unique strengths, but they complement each other very well and form the best collective group I’ve ever hunted with. Justin Drainer has filmed all three of these safaris, and I don’t believe you can find a better videographer. He values the experience and has an eye for capturing it. He has an intimate knowledge of the wildlife, including non-targeted species, and he somehow manages to catch the action without his presence being felt. He’s fun to be around as well!
Cuan Meredith has hit a homerun with River God Adventures. I can’t think of a better way to experience that stretch of the Zambezi River. Originally I had planned to do this first, then hunt elephant. This trip, if done in conjunction with a safari, should be last. What an incredible way to unwind and relax after a hunt! Barefoot almost the entire time, unbelievable scenery and wildlife encounters, celebratory gin and tonics after notable tiger fish releases, camp fires and comfortable tent pods on a different sandbar every night, hippo grunts and the cries of the fish eagles – I’ll do it again. Guy Ferreira did an outstanding job as captain and guide, and its comforting to know you’re in the hands of a licensed Professional Hunter.
I will always love the Zambezi Valley, but I now have a much greater appreciation for the Save Valley Conservancy and their conservation success story. I’m glad our first experience was with Roger Whittall Safaris. Roger was at the forefront of this endeavor, and when you deal with RWS, you’re certainly not a number. Roger, Anne, Guy, Hannah and Hannah’s parents at The Homestead welcome and treat you like family. The hospitality, diverse terrain and shear number of animals encountered make for a wonderful experience.
Finally, a thank you to Michelle Buchanan at Buchanan Hunts. Many changes (dates and location) were required so Zak could accompany me. Michelle quickly found a solution for us (RWS) and maintained excellent communication before, during and after the hunt.
Zak with his pawn shop 450/400 Heym. Very accurate with Northfork FPS and CPS.
Norest with my .470 while I carried a monopod and camera
Roger's lamb that he provided for our final evening at Humani
Final sunrise over the Turgwe River
The wall of shame - Zak fought a hippo pelvic bone for quite some time. In the current it puts up a great fight!
13 lb Tiger
18 lb Tiger! Wall of Fame!
Drone Clips:
https://youtu.be/ezjuojOr_24
https://youtu.be/L__GCXTn1aQ
https://youtu.be/5Jj-kr9Ozdc
Rich Tabor and his team are the Best! Lovely to meet you gentlemen. Until Next time, happy Hunting.
Thanks for sharing and presenting Save to me