LAST HUNT IN SENGWA, ZIMBABWE WITH MOKORE SAFARIS













I’M TOO CLEVER

I bought this 10-day Tuskless elephant hunt on auction from DSC last year. It was a 100% donation by the well-known Duckworth family of Mokore Safaris and we should all be grateful for their generous support. I purchased it at a small discount under what it normally costs but there was an intriguing extra benefit. The hunt included an observer and this observer could hunt plains game at normal prices on the hunter’s license. My accountant brain started firing away since I had a friend who would be happy to pay me the $ 300 a day observer rate and split the transfer and taxidermy shipping charges. This arrangement would get my daily rate down to $ 600 a day which is a real bargain for a truly wild area hunting dangerous game. It would be like 2005 again and Mokore would get an affluent new client excited to hunt Africa who would become addicted just like the rest of us. My friend was all in and eager to go but alas his wife got pregnant and their first baby would be born only four weeks after our safari. I had several guys on back up but they were either cash poor, cash tight or couldn’t find the time. I ended up going by myself but drank and ate for two.



Plenty of fresh eland steaks on this trip.



Finally after twenty years of trying.

TRAVEL AND SMELLY AFFAIRS

Originally ten days but I booked my flights before the Ukraine war for the extra two days I would have to spend in Harare for the Covid test and to accommodate Qatar’s flight schedule. The Covid testing got dropped so I tried to adjust my flights but Qatar wanted $ 1,200. I talked to Gary Duckworth and he offered me two extra days for only $1,500 and there was a leopard left so now I was up to a 12-day tuskless / leopard safari. They also had zebra, hyena, impala, warthog, duiker, bush pig, grysbok, klipspringer, baboons, one crocodile and incredibly three elands left on license. My number one target was the hyena as this would be my 28th trip and twenty-year anniversary of coming to Africa and I have yet to get one. I’m even in Buzz’s Tall Tales book in the “Smelly Affairs” chapter detailing how I had a hyena kick its feces in my face as we were chasing it in the Bucky at night after a long day of lioness hunting in Chewore North back when Buzz was still an earnest young man. I’m not going to comment on Buzz’s version of events but do remember he titled his book, “Tall Tales” for a reason.

THEY WILL LEAVE THE LIGHT ON FOR YOU

Mokore runs a first-rate camp. The permanent Chalets are very comfortable with all the amenities necessary. Laundry and housekeeping services were perfect. The meals were delicious with the main courses utilizing game and the bar was well stocked. I did suggest to Gary that they add a small writing desk and make sure to put some matches in the chalets for the candles. Sengwa was on the electric grid but there were periods it went down and the generator could only run for four hours at a time. There was WIFI in the main office but late at night I could pick it up in my Chalet. The camp itself sits on a bluff overlooking the Sengwa river and the views are magnificent. I regularly viewed waterbuck, bushbuck, kudu and reedbuck grazing and drinking below.

HEAT, THIRST AND BUGS

This hunt was during the Months of the Sun, the second half of October also fondly known as the suicide month which has the highest heat of the year just before the rains arrive. It’s a good time for late season specials and deals on left over quota but the tradeoff is the heat. I have hunted the Zambezi Valley several times during this period and it can by murder but I was pleasantly surprised by the weather in the Gokwe district where Sengwa is located. The high every day only reached the low 90s and it would get down to the mid to high 60s at night. Turns out I didn’t need my portable Wall Mart fans or froggy towels. There were a few mopane flies bothering us during the day but no tsetse flies and minimal mosquitoes.

THE LEAST FUN PART

I flew business class for the first time on Qatar from Los Angeles to Doha to Harare which took a total of almost thirty hours. It’s going to be difficult to go back to economy. I didn’t pay for any extra firearms clearance help and I flew through customs and the gun clearing in record time. It helps flying business and being the first guy off the plane. The drive from Harare to camp took almost nine hours dodging the usual goats, cattle, donkeys, people and pot holes. We arrived at dusk and the bar was open. Sengwa is located half-way between Harare and Victoria Falls so it is popular for couples who want to do some touring before or after their safari. They also have an airstrip for charters in case you want to save time and your kidneys.



MR. HANDSOME

My PH was 30-year-old Dalton McLintock, an affable hard working young man who was good company throughout our safari. My one complaint was his photo skills as I plainly ordered him to make me look young and pretty in all the pictures. How difficult can that be when you’re lying next to a dead hyena? His efforts fell short but perhaps it was Bridge too Far. Dalton is excited about his upcoming first trip to America as he will be representing Mokore in Nashville. The life of a PH can be pretty solitary so he needs to get out and roam while he is here. I’m not attending so it will be up to some of you to take him out on the town and make sure he has a good time (wink wink).

THE END OF AN ERA AND WE HAVE TO PLAY THE GAME

Upon arrival Dalton informed me I would be Mokore’s last hunter in Sengwa as after ten years they had been outbid on renewal of their lease. Some company called, “Carbon Green Credits”, or something like that had come in with big money. Ugh, sounds like another global warming scam at work. Probably some elitist World Economic Forum types from Europe. However at least they were keeping it a hunting concession and had cut a deal with CM Safaris to run it. Buzz and Myles do outstanding work so Sengwa will be in good hands.

As hunters we have to up our game when it comes to these NGOs coming in with big money, especially when they are being subsidized with tax credits. I personally believe that there is no climate change emergency and nearly all of these green initiatives are scams to enrich those people with connections and the right politics. IMO Sengwa could be turned into a photo safari type area as there is enough viewable game to make it marginally feasible. I doubt it would be profitable but with government green subsidies and endless central bank money printing it doesn’t have to be profitable. We need to jump on the band wagon and play the game. There should have been a red wave in this last election but it was barely a trickle due to the opposition being on top of early voting, mail in voting and ballot harvesting while our side did nothing. If you don’t play the game (no matter what nonsense it is) you get left behind. In other words, the Safari industry has to start hammering home how hunting is the most carbon friendly way of using resources, much better than other types of tourism. We need to show these Investor NGOs that they can make money, provide employment to the locals, increase wildlife and save the earth all at the same time. We need to figure out how these companies make money on carbon tax credits (sometimes these credits are sold) and make sure the hunting industry produces the right data to ensure boatloads of them. Issuing carbon footprint reports showing superior results and heavily publicizing them would be a good start.



SOCCER BALL DIPLOMACY

You don’t need to take much with you to hunt Africa. In fact, you could show up naked but at as long you have enough cash your safari company will take care of everything else. If it wasn’t for the requirement that my rifle and ammo have to packed in separate luggage, I could get by with my Tuff Pak case and one carry-on but since I am forced to take two checked in bags and one carry on there is plenty of room and weight left over to bring soccer balls and school supplies. Mokore suggested as much as they listed a school adjacent to Sengwa that would really appreciate the help. These rural schools don’t get much help from their own government and the teachers are grossly underpaid. Basic supplies like paper and pens are in short supply and most teaching lessons are centered on chalk boards. Whatever you can bring them will be greatly appreciated and it always feels good when the teachers and kids come out to thank you.






LEOPARD AND PLAINS GAME

I knew the leopard would be tough as they always are during the late season. The game is more concentrated near water so hunting for predators is easier, the heat kills the scent of hanging baits, the dry rocky ground makes tracking more difficult and it isn’t mating season so the males don’t get as stupid. Sengwa was doubly difficult as there is a big diverse plains game population with only some occasional lions passing through. The leopards have plenty of natural prey to eat and don’t need our baits plus we are limited by the sunrise to sunset rule with no artificial light allowed.

Sengwa is loaded with plains game. I have never been in a government safari area with so much plains game and buffalo. We bumped buffalo herds and groups of dagga boys nearly every day. I never saw a real monster but did see plenty of old hard bossed bulls. Waterbuck, kudu, eland, zebra, impala, warthogs, bushbuck, reedbuck, duikers, grysbok, hyena and baboon were plentiful. I even saw a honey badger, a serval and one very dangerous porcupine. They also have klipspringer, bushpig, genet, jackal, crocodile, civet and wildcat on license.

THE FIRST SHOT IS THE HARDEST

We needed leopard bait and there was one zebra left on license. We stalked a small herd the first morning and got within 150 yards of them. This would be the first shot of my safari and Dalton (PH), Cleopas (driver), Andrew and Furruno (trackers) and Phiri (game scout) are nervous. They are all wondering how well Bwana can shoot since it means how hard they will have to work. I like to fire quick, on the sticks, sight in and squeeze the trigger as soon as a kill shot opens up. Waiting too long for the perfect sight picture is just more time to get nervous and for the scope to start moving around. My target was walking to the left quartering away when the boom of my Ruger 458WM firing a 500gr Swift A-Frame bullet let loose. I heard the smack and the zebra ran off with the herd. The self-doubt crept in as we followed but the mare only went about fifty yards before she fell stone dead. We all relaxed.



This zebra's ear was inside out due to some type of parasite infection.



Skinned on the spot for leopard bait.


THE TUSKLESS ELEPHANT

We didn’t see a lot of elephants but I was still able to get my tuskless on day three. We tracked three different herds without success prior to connecting covering about fifteen miles of walking but when we did connect it surprised me. A herd of ten elephants were in an open marsh and we parked on the bank overlooking it as the wind was right. Hunting tuskless elephant causes me to sweat, breathe hard and make promises to God. These ladies can be vicious and I have had two “coming to kill charges” only stopped with big bullets at five and seven yards. We stayed quiet and waited as they eventually walked straight to us. There was one tuskless without a calf that wasn’t super huge or old but about 6,000 pounds. I dropped her clean with a frontal brain shot at 35 yards. The others stumbled about for a few seconds and then slowly but with a quickening pace moved off to the left. When she came, she came easy. We used two of her legs as leopard bait and her head to attract hyena. She did not have a fetus inside which surprised me as she was certainly old enough. So, no calves and not pregnant is a good thing but I do wish she had been older and bigger. However, you must take your luck as it comes as it might be your only chance. Her meat was donated to the local school.



The herd moves away after the shot.




PORCUPINE ARE DANGEROUS AND DON’T SHOOT YOUR PH’S HEAD OFF

I have to embarrass myself now since it serves a higher purpose. I’m a giver. Give, give, give…never take but anyway we were wandering about looking for an impala to shoot for a National Parks ration allowance when I saw an out of place gray circle off to my left that Andrew, our head tracker was pointing at. I narrowed my eyes and realized it was a napping porcupine. Dalton suggested I take it as they made cool little trophies and that its rare to just bump into one like this. It then woke up squinting its little eyes at us and swishing its whiskers. It was so adorable I decided to shoot it. It started to walk away to the left so I stepped sideways and raised my rifle. Dalton was trying to set the sticks but I waived him off as this slow-moving target was only forty feet away. I aimed for its middle and squeezed the trigger and then jacked another round into the chamber. I should have used the sticks. No blood, no flying quills, just a porcupine dawdling away into a nearby hole to live another day. I shook my head and started laughing. How in the hell could I cleanly miss an exceptionally visible oblong slow moving gray prickly sponge at a mere forty feet? I felt ridicules with everybody else slowly shaking their heads and looking at the ground. All I can say is that porcupines are deadly, cunning, agile creatures that are worthy opponents in the hunting field. I salute them. We continued on in our search for an equally deadly impala. About three minutes went by when a sickening thought crept into my skull. Did I put the safety on after I took a shot at that most noble creature? No, I did not. I was so flummoxed and distracted by my miss that I forgot. The safety was in the fully off position and I had a 500 grain 458WM bullet in the chamber. Three minutes isn’t that long but it is long enough for a tragedy to occur. I immediately started yelling at Dalton telling him to make sure he always checks on me every time I fire. The client is always right after all. Seriously though l could have easily shot someone in the back or blown my own skull apart and then what would Mrs. GunsCore done other than collect the life insurance and live her best life. It was a rookie mistake and I learned my lesson. Don’t mess with porcupines.



Got a little bird shooting in while I was there.



Shot three Impala for rations, bait and back skins for pillows.

A SUGGESTION FOR BUZZ AND MYLES

We tried hard for leopard but after putting up six different baits and over eleven days we did not get one hit. We did bump an impala that had been freshly killed and left by a female leopard. We also saw the tracks of two different large males near our baits but still no actual hits other than some local civets. Sengwa only gets one leopard permit a year and an earlier hunter who had specifically booked a leopard hunt was also unsuccessful. It’s true that late season for leopard is always difficult no matter where you are but my theory is that there is just too much easily available plains game for a leopard to bother with baits. I am thinking that CM Safaris should not try to sell a leopard hunt here on its own but offer it to every hunter who books a regular hunt as a free add on but with a slightly accelerated trophy fee. It would be smart marketing especially after that email about the availability of a trophy elephant and lion hunt for only $ 120K went out, talk about swinging for the moon! Hopefully someone will eventually get a leopard and a lot more plains game will be shot as bait in the process. I was the last hunter and there were still 8 baboons, 2 bushpigs, 1 Civet, 1 Crocodile, 4 duiker, 3 eland, 1 tuskless (mine), 2 genet, 2 grysbok, 7 impala, 2 jackals, 2 klipspringer, 1 leopard, 2 porcupines (but stay away from these deadly creatures), 3 hyena, 1 serval, 1 warthog, 1 wildcat and 1 zebra. IMO it would be a good marketing strategy and lead to fewer animals left over on license at year end. One lucky hunter could get a leopard and CM Safaris would have higher gross revenues. I don’t pretend to fully understand the safari business but it makes sense to me and mom always told me I was smart and good looking.


Hanging the bait.



An elephant leg that quickly became infested with maggots.

A DOULBE ON ELAND

I was surprised to find three elands still left on license when I arrived. If I get my way for future trips, I want a tuskless, buffalo and eland as all three are great tracking hunts with a lot of meat going to locals. The buffalo and eland both make handsome trophies. The first bull eland ran across the road about 100 yards in front of us so call me Mr. Lucky. We stopped and followed and after about thirty minutes of slow tracking and stalking I got a slightly brush obscured frontal shoulder shot opportunity. I fired, he jumped high and swung his leg. He ran about twenty yards and fell over. He was big and blue with a huge swollen neck. We had bacon wrapped eland steaks the next night for dinner and fresh liver appetizers just about every evening after that. He was delicious.









I think the second eland was one of my best trophies ever. We started following fresh tracks from the road late in the day. We caught up with the herd but they sensed us and kept moving, we repeated this exercise twice more as dusk approached. We caught a glimpse of the bull and he was big and blue so we knew this herd was worth following. On our fourth catch up I saw the bull walking away at an angle and since it was twilight, I took my shot and instantly regretted it. I pulled it too far back and felt sick as the bullet smack reverberated back at us. I thought he would be lost for sure but the crew had more confidence than me. We picked up a little blood but not much which confirmed my fears but after less than 100 yards of tracking there he was. I shot so far back that my big 500 grain bullet broke his left rear leg. An eland is too heavy to travel on three legs so this qualifies for the better to be lucky than good category. It took three more shots to finish him off. He was an old and blue with blunted worn-down horns, a huge swollen scared up neck, a bushy brown forehead, sagging dewlap and he was even blind in one eye from cataracts. Since he was my second eland and my guys had already received a lot of meat, I decided to donate him to the same local school that received the elephant and school supplies.













DIVORCES ARE EXPENSIVE

Dalton had a secret honey hole he used to attract hyenas but instead of honey we buried a zebra head in it and spread some the guts around as appetizers. The idea was to sneak in early and fire off the bank that overlooked it. We arrived before sunrise next morning and there were two shadowy hyenas strolling nearby in the dark. They sensed us and started to lope away so I took a bleary shot at about 160 yards. I missed and they were gone. The theory was sound but the execution lacked coherence. It was decided we would try again the next morning but wait for more light. That day I took my tuskless so we used its head to replace the zebra’s that had been drug away. The next morning two more hyenas were nearby but this time one was walking about 100 yards away and I could actually see him. Boom. Dead hyena and a fine old big male to boot. I think they are rather pretty and plan to have a full sitting dog type mount done and put him next to my favorite chair in the living room. The same elephant leather chair my lovely young bride swears she is going to burn as soon as I die. He would be quite the conversation piece but divorces are expensive so the garage will have to do.



Mr. Handsome with my hyena.





THURSDAY NIGHT JANUARY 5, 2023

This is when DSC auctions off this same hunt but this time it will be in the Save Conservancy. The Save is also plains game rich and a couple or two friends could really get a great deal. The one I would have had if my friend’s wife didn’t get pregnant. Women, I will never understand them. Plan ahead and you can even bid on this live online as I did last year. Make it happen……you aren’t getting any younger and its just going to get more expensive and before you know it you will be like Brandon getting lost in public, drooling and peeing in your pants. Consider yourself informed.



Kudu who died of natural causes and quickly consumed by hyenas.



Young vulture wounded on the ground that we came across.


IF YOU CAN ONLY GO TO AFRICA ONCE

I suppose if you have a terminal disease, you will only go once but I don’t know anyone that has only gone once or at least isn’t planning their next trip. In any case consider Sengwa for your first trip. It is a fantastic buffalo and plains game area in a truly wild and beautiful area. The camp is comfortable and readily accessible. Its halfway between Harare and Victoria Falls and if you are only going once then you must visit one of the eight wonders of the world. Watch out for those porcupines though.

Cheers & Happy Thanksgiving,

GunsCore

November 2022



Still young and pretty at heart.

Great report GC. Thanks for sharing.

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Good report and congrats on your hyena!

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Congrats on the very successful trip, the 2nd eland is great trophy for sure!! Having been to both the Save and C9 with the Ducks I was hoping to get to Sengwa before this year. Gary offered me year end leopard a couple times but just couldn't get it in the schedule, life gets in the way of a good time. Thank you much for posting

Got a few smiles and giggles reading your enjoyable report. Thankyou. Well done on the 20 year Hyena. Love that second Eland. My type of trophy. Agree with your Mum on your smarts, not so sure about the good looking part though. But, I wouldn't argue with Mum...

Thanks for posting this report. Well done.

Mike

Congrats on the hunt and well done! Sengwa is a stunning area. I hunted it before the Ducks operated it and it was good then and I know that it is better now. As I mentioned before anyone who leaves a hunting area better than when they arrived can do so with their heads held high!

We have offered the Ducks half the quota in Sengwa as a matter of respect for what they have done. They are also long-time friends and people we hold in high regard. We do hope that they will take up this offer.

No luck on the leopard- the late season is not a great time to hunt them that's for sure. Blake has done two leopards there with Justin filming and is 2 for 2. Certainly not as good though as in Dande or Nyakasanga as you mentioned!

Carbon Green as you say is the Operator as they are in Nyakasanga and Gokwe. We are very fortunate that they do want to hunt and realize the importance of hunting, unlike several other nonhunting operations that have since bought hunting leases and have turned them into nonconsumptive operations!

CB is I might add spending millions in the adjourning Chirisa Safari area which has been poached terribly and can only be good for all surrounding areas. Whether we like or dislike carbon credits and see it as a scam or not I can tell you a lot of money is coming into the hunting areas that they have bought- long may that last.

Congrats again on a great hunt Mike and look forward to seeing you at the shows- cheers Buzz

Thanks Mike for the report. Sengwa is indeed a wonderful area. We were sad to lose the concession, but are happy that Carbon Green and CMS are taking over the reins there as believe they will keep up the hard work at maintaining it as one of Zim's top areas. To our Mokore clients whom still want to hunt there, we are working together with Buzz and Myles and so this is still an option should any of you wish to go hunt there in the next five years. I will be at DSC and Nashville should any of you want to stop in and discuss these options. Or just send me an email.

Thank you for sharing. I really enjoyed the report and photographs.

JCHB

Great report.

This is excellent "boots on the ground" information for any of us considering areas to hunt.

Thanks!

Great report and animals. Did you try for Buff?

Congratulations on your hunt, and thanks for the fun and informative report. I hunted with Dalton and his crew in May in the Savé and a few months later find myself already planning to go back to Zimbabwe! It's wonderful to learn the Sengwa area remains in good hands.

Such a good story on all fronts.

A story of conservation by two of Africa’s highest esteemed, conservation/restoration minded safari companies. The industry needs more of this type of respect and cooperation.

Look at the carbon credit companies as an opportunity. I believe Buzz has mentioned that quotas may even be reduced in some of their areas. Better to start off conservative I say.

How about establishing a relationship with this Company and have them provide funding to go into a depleted area such as Coutada 13 and work on a restoration/hunting model that the Ducks have so successfully done next door in Coutada 9?

Proud of you all!

Outstanding Report- love your sense of humor interjected into the details of your hunt. I too greatly enjoy hunting bull Eland, and lucked out on a great bull Eland the last day of my July 2022 Namibian hunt. I also pursued Spotted Hyenas on previous Namibian hunts, but without success.

LMAO, Mike. Major congrats, and really enjoyed your one of a kind and excellent report.

Love both of those old bull eland.

Congratulations GC! I enjoyed your report.

Great report. I really enjoyed the formatting. Thank you for sharing.

Looks like a great time! Thanks for posting.

Great report! I enjoyed that.

Nice report with some good animals too boot.

Great report and entertaining read.
Congrats on your Hyena!

I was one of the first hunters to hunt in Sengwa when it went from being a research area to a hunting area. It was just before the election between Mugabe and Tsvangirai in 2008. At that point there was no camp, just an old farmhouse with a wonderful madala waiter. As I recall HHK controlled the area although I was hunting with CMS. That trip still remains one of my all time favorite trips to Africa. The area is beautiful. I remember fondly lunches on the high koppe that overlooks a huge vlei line. I remember shooting a large tuskless in a herd in the middle of that vlei . . . as it appears you did too from your pictures. Congrats on your hunt, Sengwa is a special area. I need to go back.

Fantastic read Mike! Thank you

Mike,

Well done! The Duckworths are top of the line. I've had many happy clients with them in Sengwa and their other areas.

Mark

Great hunt report! And a great hunt as well.

I hunted Sengwa the first season the Duckworths had it. Built a new camp and managed it to make it what it is today. That would be heart breaking to but your heart and soul, not to mention the money, into an area like that, then to loss it.

quote:

Originally posted by Bama15:
I hunted Sengwa the first season the Duckworths had it. Built a new camp and managed it to make it what it is today. That would be heart breaking to but your heart and soul, not to mention the money, into an area like that, then to loss it.

Also hunted there the first year the Duckworths had it. One awesome place! Hopefully it will stay that way.

Great report. Loved it!

Great report, but sad news that Mokore lost the area. Had our first African hunt there, so glad I chose to go back to Sengwa in 2020 instead of the Save.

I hunted there 2019 for bull and cow
Great area

Terrible to have put so much effort time resources and money into developing an area only to have half the quota. A damn shame

great report congrtas and cheers