The 24 hour Buffalo Lion and Elephant

A client turned friend from Denmark that had hunted leopard with me successfully in 2022 had asked me at the time about lion and elephant hunting. After giving him the rundown and the pricing he kinda indicated it was out of his range. In early 2023 the Africa bug had got to him and started inquiring more.

We didn’t quite get the deal done, but then when a great opportunity came up later that year and with approval from his wife, dates were set, and hunt was booked in the Luangwa valley.

We did the long 10 hour drive from Mfuwe to the hunting area. In camp was another hunter and PH and they would leave two days after our arrival. They had shot a hippo which we used to hang a few baits for lion.

On day four I sent another team out to check baits so that we could spend the morning looking for a big bull elephant. We got onto a group of 5 bulls that had a good bull amongst them. Then two more groups joined now totaling 18 bulls. After 3 hours of zigzagging in amongst them trying to get onto the one big bull, the wind finally cheated us and saved the elephant.

By midday I hadn’t heard from the bait checking team so assumed nothing had hit. We had lunch under a tree along the Luangwa River. After lunch I decided we should hunt a buffalo to add a couple of baits to the lion menu.

We only drove for about 15 minutes before we found a herd of Buffalo. We started the stalk and very slowly and carefully snuck closer and closer. It took us about 30 minutes to move 100 yards and we were about 150 yards from the buffalo. I had seen one decent hard bossed bull laying down but was hoping for something bigger. At 16.00 my phones started ringing in my pockets. (there is sadly cell reception in many areas of Zambia now) Embarrassed by my terrible professionalism I squeezed the hang up button. Then messages started ticking in and they started ringing again. So I decided to see who dared phone me. It was the office in Lusaka, trying to tell me that the bait checking team had been trying to get hold of me, as they had a big Lion on bait. All this at 150 yards from a heard of buffalo.


My first though was to abandon the buffalo hunt, but then thought its late, won’t have time to build blind and sit. Lion probably would like a fresh piece of buffalo to keep them there.
Instead of sneaking we opted our luck and just walked fast straight up to the buffalo. They didn’t even lift their heads. Normally when you sneak up they see everything. At 70 yards put the sticks up ready, made some noise, the bull stood up, bang dropped in his tracks. After a couple insurance shots the buffalo was loaded whole at 16.30



Off we went on the 45 min drive to the lion bait. On the way we quickly cut some poles and grass for a blind. I met up with the bait checking team and accessed trail cam photos. Lone male of good shooting age. At this stage I didn’t have a good plan. It was late and we would not be able to build a blind before dark.

When we arrived at the bait the lion was laying 20 yards from the bait and walked off into the thicket. With less than 30 minutes to closing time I decided to dump the whole buffalo under the bait. Cut it open and throw some fresh gut around. Myself and the client then went and sat behind an anthill that we could look over onto the bait that was about 60 yards away. We only had a narrow gap where we could shoot.

This was a bit of a chance to take because of the probability that the lion would spot us and depart.
The vehicle left and we had about 15 minutes before it was too late to shoot. After 10 minutes nothing had happen and I started telling myself it was a bad plan we had made.
But then the lion appeared behind some bush looking, and probably think how lucky he was that a whole fresh buffalo suddenly had arrived under the half rotten hippo meat.
What felt like forever but was only a couple of minutes he stood there, and then walked up to the bait. Boom, growling and crashing he went into the thicket. I called the vehicle in and I slowly made my way on foot into the thicket where he was laying dead.



We stayed in camp the following morning after a night of celebration.
In the afternoon we decided to go on a leisurely drive up the river to look for elephant sign. The trackers had wanted to go down river because there were more elephant down that way. However on a hunt the previous year I had seen a really good bull upriver, so I convinced the trackers we try. Sure enough after less than an hour we found a good big track and it was going in the direction of a big lagoon.

As we reached the lagoon, I got the ‘stop bwana, elephant’. I jumped out looked across the lagoon and saw 2 elephant about a mile out disappearing into the forest. I just managed to see one looked big but couldn’t tell properly. So we set of on foot after them and caught up with them after about 30 minutes. There were five bulls two of them shooters whereof one was very good. Then another 30 minutes to get in front and a 40 yard side brain shot did the job.



From having nothing 24 hour ealier, the safari was done. A huge relief for me and an exceptionally happy client. Probably the most memorable 24 hours I have had in my carrier as a PH. I do feel I’m pretty good, but we also had a lot of luck in those 24 hours.

As hunting is taking a beating all around the world, I feel blessed that it is still possible to hunt big game like this in great hunting areas in the Luangwa Valley.

For something to do we went looking for a big croc the following days and managed to get this fantastic dinosaur.

Trying to resize images

Thor,
Seems your great PH work was followed by luck, a unicorn and rainbows....
Enjoy the successes !
Well done!

Thor, I believe I have told you privately, that is a feat unrivaled in modern Africa!

Congratulations!!

Congratulations on incredible good fortune and fantastic success. That was a hunt both of you will remember forever.

Excellent! All’s well that ends well.

Sometimes we have "no luck", sometimes "good luck" and even rarer, "nothing but luck"! Glad your safari was the latter. Well done...

Wow! Congratulations!

Congratulations! Shot full of Luck! Well Done.

Thor

Man!!!!!!!!!! The stars aligned for that hunt. Huge congrats.

Mark

It takes more than good luck to get a result like that. Great, on the spot, instant decision making by the PH and fine shooting by the client. Congratulations!

Outstanding safari.

Some good luck and great trophy’s

You must be living right…

Well done Thor and fantastic trophies there

Now the rest of your life will be trying

to match that challenge again.

Congrats all around.

How often do you shoot that short barreled cannon?

Something like that needs a big anchor on top with

a long rope to the trigger.

George

The challenge will be matched.

Tanks very much.

The canon by the name of Mjølner (Name of Thors Hammer) See photo, only get fires a couple of times in a season when absolute necessary.

Im one of those that do everything I can to avoid shooting my clients trophies. I will only fire in a dangerous situation or if the probability of loosing the animal is high.

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
Now the rest of your life will be trying

to match that challenge again.

Congrats all around.

How often do you shoot that short barreled cannon?

Something like that needs a big anchor on top with

a long rope to the trigger.

George

Im for some reason failing to resize photos on IMGUR. My apologies

Congrats Thor - what a "day"!

Curious - which Luangwa block?

Thor, IF it is the block I am thinking a huge shout out goes to the Franfurt Zoological Society (FZS). They have, almost singlehandedly restored the North Luangwa ecosystem over the past 25 or so years.

A Great Organization in my book.

Then its probably not the same block you thinking of. Yes FZS have donne a fantastic job and they continue to do so. However they have not worked in this block.

The operator is the one that has spent 100s of thousands $$$ on restoring this block.

I have heard that FZS will also be moving into the area which will be a huge plus. Double protection from operator and FZS

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:
Thor, IF it is the block I am thinking a huge shout out goes to the Franfurt Zoological Society (FZS). They have, almost singlehandedly restored the North Luangwa ecosystem over the past 25 or so years.

A Great Organization in my book.

Pics resized and what a wonderful hunt and report. Well done

Very cool report and pics, thanks for sharing that, Thor!

Just illustrates what can happen in a great area with a great PH and crew. Could just as easily been the last 24hrs of the hunt...

Unbelievable. In the modern age I've never heard of such a hunt, taking trophies so rapidly. And all quality trophies too. That client should buy a handful of lottery tickets.
Personally, I pray that I never experience such a hunt. Well, maybe I could, but just once as I know the wisdom of sometimes taking what the Gods give. But when hunting I'm really living if experiencing long and tiring days, close calls, bad winds and impossible to find mature trophies. When tested this way the result is so much sweeter when it finally comes. Yes, I long for trophies but I want to savour the experience too.

I remain curious on which block?

quote:

Originally posted by Neil A:
I remain curious on which block?

Prime blocks are closed so that narrows the field.

Tembwe?

My apologies, I missed that. It is Tembwe

quote:

Originally posted by Neil A:
I remain curious on which block?

Fantastic Thor. Good job.

Luck favors the prepared!

Being in the right place at the right time matters most.

.

Thor, Big congratulations to you and your hunter! Well done!

.

quote:

Originally posted by Thor Kirchner:
My apologies, I missed that. It is Tembwe

quote:

Originally posted by Neil A:
I remain curious on which block?

Thor does Tembwe border North Luangwa NP?

No it does not. It boarder onto chikwa which I have also hunted extensively. Chikwa boarders onto the park.

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:

quote:

Originally posted by Thor Kirchner:
My apologies, I missed that. It is Tembwe

quote:

Originally posted by Neil A:
I remain curious on which block?

Thor does Tembwe border North Luangwa NP?

quote:

Originally posted by Thor Kirchner:
No it does not. It boarder onto chikwa which I have also hunted extensively. Chikwa boarders onto the park.

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:

quote:

Originally posted by Thor Kirchner:
My apologies, I missed that. It is Tembwe

quote:

Originally posted by Neil A:
I remain curious on which block?

Thor does Tembwe border North Luangwa NP?

Got it Thanks Thor.

A lifetime's worth of African hunting dreams, all accomplished in one day.

Nice work, if you can get it.

Congratulations!

Everything hereafter will be anticlimactic, of course, but so be it.

Well done!

Very well done Thor
Huge congrats

Well done, sometimes fortune favors the hunter.

Fantastic safari! What concession?

Enjoyed this! Cracker jack trophies. Super!

That was an awesome 24 hours!! Incredible!!

Awesome Thor. Great stuff. Congrats to you and your hunter.