04 October 2009, 05:57
Oday450A Difficult Hunt in Chewore South
SUMMARYOutfitter: Charlton McCallum Safaris
Contact: Myles McCallum
Web Site: Charlton McCallum Safaris (CMS)
PH: Rex Hoets
Dates: Sept 1 - 10, 2009
Location: Chewore South, Zimbabwe, Chenje Camp
Animals Taken: Cape Buffalo
Other Game Seen: numerous elephant, 4-5 lionesses, numerous baboon, two small herds of 5-7 roan, impala, 6 kudu cows, 2 bushbuck cows, buffalo, numerous waterbuck, 7 small warthog, two herds of 5 zebra, 1 steenbok, 24 small crocodile, and 1 hyena .
Travel: South African Airlines (Dulles – Johannesburg - Harare)
Booked via Kathi Klimes at Wild Travel, (708) 425-3552 kathi@wildtravel.net
Rifles: Whitworth .375 H&H and Winchester Model 70 .416 Remington Magnum.
Optics: Leupold VX III 2.5x8 and 1.75x6 scopes, Zeiss Conquest 8X30 binoculars
Ammo: Hand loaded
.375 H&H - 74 gr RL15, Win WLR primers,and 270 gr Barnes TSX
.416 Rem Mag - 80 gr RL 15 CCI 250 primers, and 380 gr North Fork Soft Points and Flat Nosed Solids
Malaria Prophylaxis: Malarone with no problems or side effects experienced.
TRAVEL
After driving to Dulles airport outside of Washington, DC on Saturday August 29, the trip started with a flight to Jo’burg on South African Airways. Once again Kathi Klimes arranged the flights and provided her excellent service including responding to my last minute questions. The security lines were much shorter and screening more rapid than the June trip the previous year. As a result I was at the gate much earlier than expected and spent the next 2 hours visiting with other hunters also heading out for safari.
We had just left the gate and were on the taxiway when the pilot announced that we were retuning to the gate to discharge an unruly passenger. This involved reopening the luggage compartment and removing his baggage as well and resulted in an hour and a half delay.
The flight on South African Airways was non eventful. The staff was pleasant, food was good, and I was able to sleep thanks to a dose of Ambien taken just after dinner. During the flight, we made up about a half hour of the delay.
Signage and directions on arrival in Jo’burg were less than helpful. A group of 3-4 hunters were all looking for the correct gate so we banded together and finally stopped an airport worker for directions. Arriving at the gate with only an hour and a half layover because of the delayed departure, all were concerned about their baggage given the known pilferage problems at OR Tambo. The flight to Harare boarded and left on schedule and again the trip was uneventful even though it was very crowded.
Upon arrival in Harare, we all had to wait in long lines for passport control and to purchase a visa for $30 US. After completing the entry process, I arrived at the luggage carousel just as they were delivering the gun cases. I was pleased and surprised to see that my case was the second one offloaded. I then waited until all luggage had been delivered and found that my duffel bag was missing. I was not alone with this problem as there were more than a dozen people waiting in line to obtain the necessary forms and submit missing baggage reports.
After another half hour wait I submitted my report and was able to process through firearms registration and leave the security area. As soon as I entered the terminal area I was met by Kirsty of CMS who drove me to a very nice bed and breakfast operated by Karen Harrison. Karen and her son escorted me to my suite and I was finally able to remove my boots and clean up at about 11:00 PM local time.
The next morning I was up early for a complete English breakfast served by a maid and white uniformed waiter. The meal was taken outside under the trees in the garden reminding me of the African colonial period.
Rex Hoets, the PH, arrived to pick me up about 9:00 AM and take me to his home until we could check the 1:15 PM SAA flight to see if the missing duffel bag arrived. There I met his wife Janet and young son Andrew. Since we had time, Rex wanted to visit a local sportsman’s shop to check out a .458 Win Mag rifle and I rode along. While there I was able to pick up a great deal on a buffalo leather soft gun case much better suited for use in the Land Cruiser than the padded canvas case I had packed.
I visited with Janet, browsed Rex’s library, and we had had a wonderful game casserole lunch. Finally, with the cruiser packed and a tracker on board, we headed for the airport. Luckily, the luggage was being unloaded when we arrived and my bag was one of the first on the carousel. A quick inspection indicated that the bag had not been tampered with so we signed for receipt and loaded up and headed for Chewore South.
Rex had scheduled to pick up a tracker for Rich Tabor on the way and his own lead tracker in the communal area between Harare and the camp. For the drive, he took a less traveled route over the Zambezi escarpment.
It had been two or three years since he had traveled this route and the roads had deteriorated quite a bit and travel was slow. As a result we did not arrive at the camp until 9:00 PM.
THE CAMP
We were to use Chifuti Safaris’ camp on the Chenje River, a very well laid out and furnished installation, managed and hosted by Colin and Dyllas Taylor. When we arrived we were welcomed, introduced to the staff, and served a well prepared dinner as soon as gear was off loaded and delivered to assigned quarters. We were also told at dinner that for eight of the ten day hunt I would be the only hunter in camp.
The Chenje Camp is composed of three or four comfortable client tents with electric lights and attached tent-roofed, open air concrete shower and bathroom facilities, a two story chalet for the camp manager, and PH quarters. Hot water for each tent was provided by a wood fired water tank behind the tent.
The main buildings consist of a kitchen, office, and car park, a thatched bar, lounge, and dining area, and a campfire area overlooking the river. Out of sight of the main facilities are a garden, work buildings, and skinning and meat shed, and a staff compound.
All was very comfortable, the people were especially nice, and the food was exceptionally good especially when you consider all was prepared on a wood burning stove and a hole in the ground oven.
THE HUNT
The daily routine consisted of reveille at 5:00 AM, breakfast made to order at 5:30, and off to hunt not later than 6:30 each morning. The morning hunt usually ended around noon when we found a shady spot for a packed lunch from the cool box and a two hour siesta. After the nap, we departed between 2:00 and 3:00 PM to hunt until dark a little after 6:00 PM.
At 7:15 or so sundowners with appetizers were served around the campfire. Dinner was a three course meal with a main course usually of game and local specialties, served by waiters in the dining area at 7:45. This schedule allowed us to shower and clean up before dinner. After dinner, time was available to socialize, write up notes, and prepare for the next day. One hour after we left the dinner table, the generator was turned off and we were usually in bed by 9:30 PM.
Day 1: Tuesday Sept 1
While preparing for the first morning I discovered that the Uncle Mike’s detachable sling swivels would not fit on the barrel band stud on the Winchester. It looked as if I would be forced to carry the .416 in the hand or over the shoulder rather than slung for the duration of the hunt.
The day started early and we left as soon as breakfast was over to check the sights on the two rifles. Rex told me that he wanted to use solids only for buff so after having zeroed with softs another shot or two was required to verify POI for the solids. The .375 POI was off and required a few more rounds to get it zeroed then we were on the road to Parks and Wild Life headquarters to pick up the game scout and complete paperwork.
We then drove to a bridge on the Chewore River and dropped off Rich Tabor’s tracker and began searching for dugga boy tracks. We drove in dry river beds and on dusty hunting roads looking for tracks until noon seeing lionesses and plenty of elephant but no buffalo or other game.
We stopped for lunch in the shade on a flood plain and Rex introduced me to the trackers and Game Scout. The trackers, Mandebvu and Vusa, had worked with Rex for a number of years. The Game Scout, Shoniwa, was a young man who had previously been assigned to fishing patrol duties in the Lake Kariba area.
Left to Right Mandebvu, Shoniwa, and Vusa
After lunch, we continued to search for buff tracks. At about 4:15 we got a good look at a herd of 7 to 9 roan antelope including several younger animals. This royal game could not be hunted but they were wonderful to watch. At 4:30 we dismounted and hiked a couple of miles down a dry river and then overland to a road where Vusa had taken the Land Cruiser. Only a few old tracks were found and no game was seen. Elephant spoor however was everywhere. We returned to camp at 6:30 for drinks, dinner, and off to bed at 9:30.
Day 2: Wednesday Sept 2
I was awake very early in the morning and up at 4:30 AM when the generator was started. It was cold during the night requiring three blankets on the bed and a light jacket was necessary. We were off right after breakfast checking springs and river beds for tracks until 8:30 when we again hiked through a rock strewn dry river bed.
During this walk, I managed to overstress a damaged and weak knee forcing a slower than desired march. Throughout the rest of the hunt this limited my climbing ability, slowed walking speeds on hills, and was problematic when climbing into and out of the many steep sided washes and gullies in the concession.
We then drove toward the Angwa camp looking for game finally spotting a few impala, 3 kudu cows, and a bushbuck cow. We had lunch in the Angwa camp dining area overlooking the river and later walked over the hill to the hippo pool seeing four hippos, 28 crocs and a large herd of waterbuck. The pool had been reduced to less than half of its previous size possibly by damming of the channel with debris when the previous camp was demolished.
After lunch we again drove the hunting roads looking for tracks. Not long after leaving the camp, we spotted a herd of about 200 buff feeding in the open flood plain parallel to the road. Leaving the cruiser we crept to the edge of the plain and glassed the herd as it moved past. All were cows or young bulls with no shooters or calves seen. This reinforced the comment that an over abundance of lionesses was taking all of the old and young animals that was discussed at dinner the night before.
We continued to drive the roads until 6:30 when we arrived back in camp. After dinner I asked the camp manager, Colin, if he had a piece of heavy wire or cord that could be used to attach the sling on the .416. Luckily he did have a piece of (rose colored) cord that would fill the bill. I retired early after dinner to attach the sling and make sure it would support the weight of the rifle.
Day 3: Thursday Sept 3
Up again early at 4:30 and it was cold. Climbing back under the three warm blankets looked awfully inviting but I toughed it out and was dressed and off to breakfast soon thereafter.
After checking springs and driving hunting roads for a couple of hours Rex decided to drive a portion of the Chewore River. At about 10 AM we spotted the tracks of four bulls that had crossed the riverbed. Rex parked the cruiser in the shade of a large tree and we began tracking the group. After 45 minutes of tracking with a few false starts and several dead ends, Mandebvu heard a buff moving in the brush at the bottom of a deep ravine.
Rex glassed the area for a long time but could only see portions of three of the bulls. We left the trackers and started a 30 – 40 minute stalk down into the ravine and through thick jesse finally getting to within 30 yards of the group. Then we were winded and they left on the run. Having determined that all four were young bulls we returned to the cruiser for lunch and a nap.
About 2:30 we continued searching for tracks on the dusty roads seeing a herd of five zebra, a kudu cow, a warthog sow, and several baboons but no buffalo. We then tried to drive a portion of the Chenje River but since it had not been driven in a long time, we were constantly bogging down in the deep loose sand until we reversed course, retraced our tracks, and returned to camp for the evening.
Day 4: Friday Sept 4
We began tracking back in the Angwa camp area and at about 9:30 spotted buffalo off to the right of the road. We drove past the herd and stopped around a long curve out of sight. We then stalked through the thick jesse to within 30 yards of a group of cows and young bulls. We continued to move in and out watching the wind until we found ourselves with buffalo on two sides – we were right in the middle of the herd. Over the next hour or so we spooked the herd three times finally deciding at 11:00 to leave them and return in the evening.
We then drove to the Maura River and up the dry river bed a couple of miles before stopping for lunch. Rex had chosen this area to check a spring another mile or so up the river. He left us to unpack the cruiser and went to check for tracks. When he returned he announced that he had found a set of dugga boy tracks that we would follow after lunch,
At 2:00 we drove up the river bed for another mile and started off on foot through the deep white sand. It was tough walking until we reached damp sand where the footing improved. After crossing a rocky stretch the tracks led up a very steep hill rising from the river bank. We followed the tracks for another hour and a half over hard packed red clay and through short grass and brush until loosing them in grass and dry leaves.
Mid way through the search, the cord used to attach my rifle sling parted, worn through on the sharp edges of the fitting. The rifle dropped with a clunk but luckily it landed first on the recoil pad lessening the impact. As soon as we returned to the truck, I checked the scope by firing the rifle at a makeshift target to make sure the scope settings had not changed and all seemed OK with a one shot direct hit on a white rock at 80 yards.
We then returned to the camp where after dinner I retied the sling to the barrel using official Boy Scout lashing techniques between the forend and stud. Throughout the rest of the hunt, the cord and knots were checked several times a day to ensure there was no wear.
Day 5: Saturday Sept 5
By day five the schedule had been firmly established and we departed at 6:00 AM to continue searching for tracks of either dugga boys or buffalo herds. Shortly after leaving the camp we chased a good hyena down the road for 20 or 30 yards. In the lights of the cruiser his coat was silver and gray and he would have made a great rug; however, we could not shoot so close to the camp and … we were after buffalo.
We drove river beds and hunting roads for the rest of the day seeing nothing except a few small waterbuck and impala. When we returned to camp, Rex said that we had covered a great deal of the concession and put over 150 Km on the cruiser odometer. The only area we had not visited was one in which a Chifuti PH was baiting for lion. With the hunt half over, we were all becoming more than a little concerned about the scarcity of game.
The day had been hot, much warmer than the preceding days, with temperatures in the mid to high 90s F and the evening was much warmer than previous nights. Unknown at the time, this was a precursor of things to come.
Day 6: Sunday Sept 6
We drove back to the Angwa River to check springs and the flood plain where we had seen the large herd on the second day. As soon as we arrived, the trackers spotted buff tracks. After less than half an hour of tracking we could hear the buffalo. We followed them another 200 yards into thick jesse and found that they were being chased by lion explaining the bellowing and stampeding.
When they had settled down and were feeding toward us and into an open area Rex set the sticks behind a bush with an open shooting lane into the clearing. Some of the animals came into the open about 20 yards away and spotted us at once standing and giving us that intense buffalo stare.
We stayed dead still for a long time trying not to spook the cows. There was a bull to our left front hidden behind a bush but we could not get a good look at him. Finally the herd moved off to our left where they winded us and bolted. We continued to follow through very thick jesse unable to see or judge individual animals until 11:00 AM when they bedded down and we returned to the cruiser.
After lunch we returned to the where we had left off but the buff were still bedded down. We tried several times to approach them from different locations but could see nothing. Finally we walked straight into the herd to get them on their feet and moving. We then followed looping away and back several times looking for bulls. At about 4:00 we walked up on a pride of lionesses on the opposite bank of a wash also following the herd. It was no wonder that the animals were so skittish.
The buff finally moved into a more open area where we could study them from atop a mound. Then, once again, the wind swirled and we were winded. At this point with no shootable bulls seen, we returned to camp.
Day 7: Monday Sept 7
The morning found us headed back to the Angwa and on the way we found where a herd had crossed the road heading for a spring. We raced ahead of the herd, left the truck, and climbed a steep rocky hill (small mountain) reaching the ridge top about 7:30. It was a tough climb and I was out of breath for most of the way up.
We played cat and mouse with the herd climbing up and down three ridges and several steep creek beds and deep washes. After a couple of hours, Rex climbed to the top of a termite mound to check the herd. He then had me crawl the 20 yards up to him to set up for a shot at a bull about 50 yards away. Just as I started to crawl forward, an unseen cow off to our left spooked and set the whole herd off on a dead run. We backed down behind the hill out of sight and followed.
By this time it was very hot in the mopani and open terminalia brush we were hunting. Again, temps were estimated to be in the upper 90s or higher. There was little shade and the hot bare ground and rocks reflected the heat from beneath us as well. By 9:30 I was light headed and dehydrated.
At 11:15 as we were retracing our steps circling the herd, we stopped and laid under a few scrub bushes for shade. Rex and Vusa dropped down off the ridge and made the half mile hike to the truck for lunch and more water returning about 45 minutes later. After lunch we all climbed back to the top of the hill and found a location where we could rest and make sure that the buff, now bedded in the brush, could not leave without our knowing it. After, a short nap, and a long fight with mopani flies, we checked the buff at 2:30 and found that they had not moved so Rex sent the trackers downwind to start them moving in our direction. We set up for a possible shot where we expected the herd to move.
However, when they moved, the herd split with half going behind us and half moving down and away from us. When we realized what had happened, we followed the group of 80 that had moved behind us as they were the closest. The trackers caught up and convinced the PH to go back for the larger group so we retraced our steps and followed that part of the herd until we found that they were all cows. The bulls were in the smaller group we had originally started to follow.
We hurried back onto the trail of the bulls and chased them for an hour and a half into and through thick brush. As we started up the third ridge, the herd spotted us and took off into even thicker brush that went all the way to the river and the concession border. At 4:00 Rex called it a day and hiked the mile and a half back to fetch the truck. When he arrived, we drank our fill of water, drove the river bank until we saw that the bulls had gone back into the Dande concession. Then, we returned to camp, a shower, and several cold drinks.
Day 8: Tuesday Sept 8
At dinner the night before Colin related that another PH in the daily radio check had reported a group of “good bulls.” We drove to the location given to us the first thing and when almost at the designated spot, Rex contacted the PH who had reported the herd. He told us exactly where he had seen the herd; however, it was 30Km from where we had been sent. We reversed course and raced back over rough roads to the correct location.
When we arrived at 8:30, we found tracks crossing the road almost immediately and began tracking. The terrain was steep and rocky and we followed the herd until 11:00 when Rex spotted a small group worth investigating. I followed him closely including a 35 yard crawl up the hill over sharp gravel, stones, and rocks. By the time I reached where he was set up my knees were bloody. He then had me kneel (on that bad knee) and, using his shoulder as a rest, set up for a shot at a bull about 50 yards away.
The bull he had selected was lying down so there was no shot. I waited on my knees resting the rifle on Rex’s shoulder for long minutes waiting for an opportunity. When the bull stood he was screened behind a tree so we crawled another five yards and set up again with me on my knees using Rex’s shoulder as a rest.
At this point, the bull was staring almost straight at us so I aimed for the bottom of the V on his chest and fired. At the shot there was no reaction from the bull and the herd raced away. We moved to where he had been standing and found no blood. After tracking him for 40 yards, Rex determined that I had missed the whole damn huge buffalo.
Now in 40 years of hunting and 34 head of big game I had only missed twice previously and one of those animals was running and one was at an extreme angle. And, I had only taken two animals that required more than one shot. I could not understand how or why I had missed something that large at that distance. Was it a movement or slip off of the shoulder? The awkward position? The cramps in the back of the thighs and shaking because of the knees? Or, was the scope out of whack after dropping the rifle when the sling attachment failed? Lots of questions but no answer … only embarrassment and frustration.
We returned to the cruiser for lunch at noon and rested for an hour then resumed the search. Up and down the steep hills and stream beds, into and away from the herd, the effort and heat began to take its toll. By 3:30 I was light headed and tripped and fell while climbing a rocky wash. No damage was done but we stopped in the shade for 20 minutes while I drank a liter of water and recovered somewhat.
While I was resting, Rex climbed the ridge to check on the position of the herd. They were behaving oddly running and stopping frequently. As they were now moving back toward us we waited a bit to see what would happen when suddenly they turned and raced away with a great deal of noise into steeper terrain and thick brush. We found that they were being chased by lion and broke off the hunt. We then returned to the truck and drove the roads looking for tracks for another hour or two until almost dark.
The evening was again very warm with no sweater or jacket required around the campfire. Conversation indicated that a summer heat wave had arrived.
Day 9: Wednesday Sept 9
Again the evening before, Colin had spoken with the other camps over the radio and had reports of buff tracks on a hunting road just off the Chenje airstrip. We were headed in that direction the first thing.
But first, at my request, we stopped at the rifle range. The first shot was dead center in the bullseye at 100 yards. The rifle was not the problem. The problem was the “nut” behind the trigger.
We then drove to the Chenje airstrip arriving at 6:30 and began following fresh buffalo tracks. After two hours when we had just crossed a good dirt road, a cruiser pulled up driven by Gary Duckworth with his trackers and a Spanish client and his wife aboard. They had just arrived for a stay at the Chenje camp for buffalo and elephant before moving to another concession for plains game. We introduced ourselves and visited for a few minutes.
They had seen the herd we were trailing from the air when they arrived and were planning on following it. In a superb gesture of good sportsmanship Gary told us where the herd was located and then drove us there saving us a long hot walk.
We tracked the buffalo for another half hour and, when we found a good location, glassed the herd for an hour. Finally at 11:00, we took the sticks and looked for an approach to move closer. This final stalk involved much stooping and scurrying from one scrub bush to another and ended with a 35 yard crawl over hot, red clay earth and short grass into a small clump of brush about 30 yards from the herd. Just as we arrived, the animals bedded down in whatever shade they could find in the scrub brush.
We watched the herd (and I dozed for a bit) until after 1:00 PM when some of the animals began to stir. Rex had spotted a shooter bull about 40 yards away just on the other side of a small tree. We searched for a shooting lane and in doing so identified another, second possible target and set up the sticks. However, when the bulls stood they moved in the wrong direction and were always covered by brush or other animals. Finally at 3:00 PM we gave up and returned to the truck after four hours in the mid day heat with no water.
Several times on the way back I thought to myself that I just wanted the day to be over. Both of us were pretty well dehydrated and it was hot as hell. Later at dinner, Gary Duckworth said that the thermometer in his cruiser indicated 41 degrees C in mid afternoon – that’s 114 F!
After several bottles of water, we drove to the Angwa and while not finding buffalo we got up close to a mixed age herd of elephant and saw a small herd of five zebra. We stopped and started a stalk toward the zebra; however, as we were clearly visible in the open they bolted to the edge of a tree line about 150 yards away. The stallion’s vitals were hidden from view so there was no shot and, since there was no cover between us and the tree line and it was almost dusk, we broke off and left for camp.
Day 10: Thursday Sept 10
This was it - the final day – the last chance.
This morning the area we were hunting was easier, flatter, with more open terrain consisting mostly of mixed mopani and terminalia bush and small trees. We located a small buff herd and tried several approaches never locating anything worthy of a stalk.
We continued to follow the herd and search for suitable targets until we reached the Maura River. On the opposite bank, Rex spotted buffalo in the bush. We moved off to the right quite a distance until we could cross the river bed without being seen. We then climbed down the steep bank and ran at a crouch across the wide white sand riverbed.
We tracked the herd through brush and trees until 11:30 when, rounding a bend in a game trail, we found a good bull, the best we had seen, staring straight at us. Rex set the sticks and I lined up on his left shoulder and fired. Almost at once Rex said “well done” and we started looking for the results of the shot.
On searching, the trackers could not find a speck of blood and after 30 yards or so stopped for a discussion in Shona with Rex. When questioned, he told me that I had missed again and we were going to return for lunch.
Again I could not understand a miss at 35 yards. But this time, the second tracker, Vusa, could not see the buff and had been watching me. He saw me anticipate the shot and lift my head off the stock to chamber the second, solid, round.
I immediately understood the problem. I was rushing the shot and not following through trying too hard to follow the book and DVD instruction to “keep shooting until he's down" although, that knowledge did not help my frustration or the fact that I may well go home empty handed. It was thoroughly discouraging.
We returned down the hill to the river bank and, since it was noon, broke for lunch. Rex hiked back to retrieve the truck, stopping, we heard later, to take a short swim in a clear deep pool in the rock of the riverbed.
During his absence I sat in the shade and tried to get my head together. After half an hour of self abuse and wishing I was double jointed so I could kick myself in the butt, I regained my composure and resolved to stay focused, keep going, and ensure good shooting form if given another opportunity.
At 2:00 PM we headed out to follow the herd previously spooked. At 3:15 we were in a downwind position about 60 yards across a deep wash from the herd with a small shooting window through the intervening brush. Rex had spotted 2 bulls that were climbing up a small rise and would hopefully turn broadside to us as they followed the rest of the herd.
I got on the sticks that were set too low for comfort but allowed a shot through openings in the brush and waited a good 5 - 6 minutes until the first bull moved into the opening and then turned back down the hill. Damn again! No shot.
The second bull turned onto the path moving right to left and stopped in the opening. Rex said he's a shooter so as I was already lined up on his shoulder I started the trigger squeeze making damned sure to keep my head down. I was taken by surprise when the trigger broke and I had kept my head down so I was sure of a good shot; however, I had lost the bull in the recoil.
Rex said that they had heard the bullet’s impact when it hit the bull then he and Mandebvu hurried to the other side of the steep 20 foot wash to track the animal. Vusa, Shoniwa, and I took a slower, less steep route. While in the bottom of the wash we heard what I assumed was a death bellow. When we got to the top we heard a second bellow and the others started slapping me on the back and shaking hands.
I found Rex and Mandebvu about 20 yards up the trail looking for blood. They had still not found any blood spoor and were moving forward slowly and carefully. A few yards ahead the game trail we were following turned to the right and down a hill and there, less than 10 yards away, was the dead buffalo.
After a quick look and an insurance shot, it took all of us to position the animal for pictures. Then Rex and the trackers left to retrieve the truck and cut a mile long path through the bush to retrieve the bull. They returned about 5:00 PM when we quickly took photographs and the trackers and game scout worked to field dress and cut the bull in half and winch him into the truck before dark.
During the cleaning Mandebvu showed me the buff’s heart although it was not recognizable as a heart. It had exploded and was shredded into a flat sheet of red muscle. The North Fork Soft Point bullet was not recovered for examination but without a doubt it had been effective.
We did not measure the horns with a tape but an estimate (based on my nose to fingertip being 36") is that they are 37" or a little more. He was a herd bull about 7–8 years old. He was not exactly what I had intended to take since I had told Rex I was not a tape measure hunter and wanted an old bull with solid bosses, deep curls, and worn tips. But, after 10 days and miles and miles of bloody Africa he was my buffalo, I was and am proud of him, and I earned him the hard way.
The only animal taken during the week was the buffalo. All efforts had been focused on the buffalo first and only a limited amount of other game had been seen during the hunt. I had a short list of other things I would have liked to have taken including hyena, bushbuck, warthog, and maybe an eland or zebra if the opportunity arose but no luck. There’s always next time.
THE RETURN HOME
We were up a little later this morning at 6:00 AM and I packed up for the return. Since this was the first time I had seen the camp in the daylight, I wandered around and took photographs after breakfast. Then we completed all of the necessary paperwork, paid the fees due, and assembled and recognized the camp staff. Then at 9:00 we loaded the cruiser and left for the drive back to Harare. It was a long trip however the drive was chosen to be able to see more of the country. A good part of the trip was through other concessions and some of the Mana Pools area and the scenery was very different from the drive up over the Zambezi escarpment.
After returning to Karen Harrison’s guest house and cleaning up, Myles and Olivia McCallum and Rex and Janet Hoets hosted me to a dinner at a local restaurant – Leonardo’s in the major Harare shopping center. After a good meal and pleasant evening I was returned to the room and repacked my gear for the flight home.
Myles stopped to pick me up on Saturday morning and we watched the South African - New Zealand rugby game for 45 minutes before leaving for a local roadside curio market for souvenirs. He then delivered me to the airport at 11:30 for a smooth, almost effortless check in. The flight from Harare left and arrived in Jo’burg on time and during the three hour layover I was able to do a little more shopping in the airport stores.
The Jo’burg – Washington DSC trip seemed much longer than the trip over and I slept less; however, it was uneventful and we arrived on time at Dulles. Processing through immigration, customs, and the TSA weapons screening moved very rapidly and TSA did not even open the gun case. And, since it was early on Sunday morning, there was no rush hour traffic on the 60 mile trip home. I arrived home at 9:00 AM took a shower, became reacquainted with my dogs, and waited for my wife to return from church.
After more than 24 hours of travel, the safari was over and the next day I returned to a life of long commute times, ringing telephones, computers, crowds, and insanity and started planning for a return in 2011.
LESSONS LEARNED
Learn more about the terrain and weather for future trips. Although I had done a great deal of walking and conditioning and screened the average temperatures for Harare, I was not prepared for the climbing and extreme temperatures in the Zambezi Valley.
Take less stuff. Treat the trip as a backpacking trip and leave everything not absolutely essential behind. Most “nice to have” items were never used, mostly because they were left in the tent.
Skin-so-Soft Expedition repellent really works for both Tsetse and Mopani flies. Take one for yourself and several to leave with others.
This area and others nearby should be watched closely and current year species availability and population densities verified before booking a hunt. Those with whom I spoke had not hunted the area for two years and were shocked at the few animals seen this year.
Zim Parks and Wild Life should be encouraged to allow hunting of lionesses to reduce their predation on other game species. Concession holders could also benefit through offering the lioness reduction quota as affordable lion trophies.
CONCLUSION
The Chenje camp was very comfortable and the food and game served was delicious. As enjoyable as the hunting itself, Colin and Dyllas Taylor, the Chifuti camp staff, and all of the people whom we met and dealt with were extremely friendly and helpful, very entertaining, and all went out of their way to ensure that we had the most successful and enjoyable experience possible.
I can’t say enough about both Charlton McCallum Safaris and its staff. They were most professional, helpful, and communicated well and frequently throughout the planning process. Myles, Rex, Buzz, and Kirsty are great people to work with.
I will do it again although in a cooler time of the year and in a less hilly area hopefully with higher game populations.
It was a tough frustrating hunt due in part to my performance and physical limitations and in part to the scarcity of animals. But, I will remember almost every minute of the trip, especially the good parts, and the bad parts will fade a bit in memory over time. It was not perfect but in the end it is the adventure, friendships, and experiences that matter the most.
