Ivan,

Nigel Theisen is a very good friend of mine. Stays at my house either before or after the major meetings each year. We cuss and discuss the problems in Zim weekly. The PH with the lion looks like Pete Barnard to me, also an aquaintance and friend. Karl Van Lauren is a veterinarian in Harare. He does a little of the Rhino work in the south as well as maintains an equine practice through out southern Africa. Paddy Curtis is a friend as well as the Rosenfels. I talk to David Hulme periodically on e-mail.

All of the quotes I put in my posts were straight from my own eyes (been back to Zim since 06) or from one of the above mentioned guys or from our own Ganyana.

I donate veterinary equipment to Africa to help with conservation projects. I love the Chewore. I want it and ALL of Southern Africa to thrive. I want the African hunting industry to thrive.

I just have some concerns which have been validated by the names I mentioned above.

I will quit arguing but I have said nothing that can be proven incorrect.

Ivan,

No offence intended but didn't Frank shoot that lion in Chewore North??

Brett

Hi Brett
The lion from last week was from the CN, it was never called anything other than a "Chewore lion"by Ivan in his post. The other two are from the South. The reason I think Ivan posted them is that ledvm said that all his experts said there are no mature, well maned lions in Chewore. The fact is that these lions cross back and forth at will-in the north one day, in the south the next. I have often seen the same lion in cross borders from CS to Cn or into Sapi in the same month. Ivan's point is that there are still BIG lions there as the pics prove. Is every lion a MGM? No,but show me in Africa where that is the case. Guys, every PH, no matter the country, will tout his area over the next. I AM NOT DOING THAT..I AM simply setting the record straight on the area that was being incorrectly described as shot out and in short supply of trophy potential. If his "week in CS 3 years ago" carries more weight for some than Ivan's or my opinion, that is just how it is. This guys mind is made up. No amount of facts,photo's, or recent first hand accounts is going to change it. Fine.

Thank you for your response Dave.

Dave,

As I said I mean no disrespect to you, Ivan or anyone involved with Chifuti. I appreciate your input and understand that your comments have weight as you are directly involved with the area and have spent a significant amount of time there recently.

That said, your last few posts strike me as needlessly defensive. Your facts are no doubt correct but (in my opinion) as someone with a financial interest in CS you should make every effort to be both calm and respectful to other posters especially when they may have a different opinion or may have the facts wrong.

The posters here are potential customers after all…

Back to Chewore, no doubt great areas. However, I think JPK had it just right regarding lion hunting, it would help for Zim to open lioness and close lion for a couple of years. That does not only apply to Chewore of course. It would help in every area of Zim IMHO.

Best regards;
Brett

To all,

I meant no offense to anyone!!! I love Africa and hunting there.

The people who have lived there lives there are some of the best folks I have ever met anywhere. They are a lot like Texans with an accent.

The comments I made can be validated if researched.

I was just inquiring about others opinions which I received. I was kind of surprised by the viciousness of some.

Anyway, I meant no offense to anyone. I am a scientist by trade and try to deal in facts first, and unbiased knowledgeable opinion second.

I will bow out with these remarks.

Brett
If you owned a Ford dealership ,and a local newspaper that does have the potential of reaching,as you say,potential customers, wrote an article titled " The Experts Agree, the new Ford pickup only gets four miles per gallon !" If you knew for sure, after driving them yourself all year long, that the Ford pickup's you sell actually averages 15 miles per gallon, I bet you would ask to run a rebuttal in that paper !
I think the example is pretty spot on . I am curious if others agree. Skins and skulls in the salt do not lie. I do not want to come off as rude, or disrespectful, but when a situation I am involved in is painted with an unfair brush, I do step in and set the record straight. If that makes me defensive..sign me up.

Dave,

I have tried to be respectful but you are an A__ -____. If you were standing in front of me, I would tell you to your face!

Now for sure last post!

quote:

Ivan,

Nigel Theisen is a very good friend of mine. Stays at my house either before or after the major meetings each year. We cuss and discuss the problems in Zim weekly. The PH with the lion looks like Pete Barnard to me, also an aquaintance and friend. Karl Van Lauren is a veterinarian in Harare. He does a little of the Rhino work in the south as well as maintains an equine practice through out southern Africa. Paddy Curtis is a friend as well as the Rosenfels. I talk to David Hulme periodically on e-mail.

All of the quotes I put in my posts were straight from my own eyes (been back to Zim since 06) or from one of the above mentioned guys or from our own Ganyana.

I donate veterinary equipment to Africa to help with conservation projects. I love the Chewore. I want it and ALL of Southern Africa to thrive. I want the African hunting industry to thrive.

I just have some concerns which have been validated by the names I mentioned above.

I will quit arguing but I have said nothing that can be proven incorrect.

ledvm,
i have no quarrel with or any doubt of your scources , i in fact agree that most lion areas in africa have quotas that are too high .. and many many many free range lions that are shot these days are in fact too young.

my only point is that there are still some big cats out there ...even though many will argue that chewore cats are never well maned .... you are correct that is peter barnard.

like most areas in africa not all buffalo are 40 inches and not all lions are mgm , but its always a thrill hunting in an area where there just may be a big one !!!

i like hunting chewore a lot , both the north and the south , its interesting to note that earlier this year i hunted chewore north for ten days , albeit for elephant not buffalo and didnt even see a buffalo and yet the same area end of last year i took two great buffalo and right now is producing good buffalo ...

Peter Barnard !!!!....a terrific PH that produces excellent trophies year after year. I understand he currently might be in Tanzania, does anyone know his whereabouts?

quote:

i have no quarrel with or any doubt of your scources

Hi Ivan,

Again, I have no quarrel either. I just had a few concerns and was discussing them.

Thank you for your intelligent polite contributions.

Hope you have a great season!!!

Lane

Ledvm
I noticed you are not far from Dallas. I am also a guy who will speak his mind in person, in fact I prefer it. Should you wish to make good your offer to call me an asshole to my face for calling bullshit on your blanket statements concerning CS then a quick trip to Big D may be in order for you. Should you wish to start our "face to face" by calling me a asshole to my face, do it quickly ,as I assure you that the rest of your comments will be made from the seated position due to my own response. This is it as far as the public part of our discussion goes. Send a private email to set up the rest .
Apologies to all, but he chose to make it personal, and has now been given the option of testing those very chilly waters

quote:

Send a private email to set up the rest .

Dave,
PM sent.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
Ledvm
I noticed you are not far from Dallas. I am also a guy who will speak his mind in person, in fact I prefer it. Should you wish to make good your offer to call me an asshole to my face for calling bullshit on your blanket statements concerning CS then a quick trip to Big D may be in order for you. Should you wish to start our "face to face" by calling me a asshole to my face, do it quickly ,as I assure you that the rest of your comments will be made from the seated position due to my own response. This is it as far as the public part of our discussion goes. Send a private email to set up the rest .
Apologies to all, but he chose to make it personal, and has now been given the option of testing those very chilly waters

Will this be on "pay per view"? If so, I will buy a descrambler box and invite a few friends over.

Ahh the civil discourse, the adroit repartee. Ain't the internet grand?

quote:

Originally posted by Cazador humilde:
Ahh the civil discourse, the adroit repartee. Ain't the internet grand?

I have no Dog in this Discussion.

But I stayed in Rosenfelds [sp] Camp, for the first 15 days of my 35 day hunt.

I saw a lot of buffalo, and a lot of elephant.

I saw a great sable, but we could not get a shot.

I saw some plains game.

I had a very good hunt there.

It was in Oct of 2006.

gents ,
one thing i will add , i believe the hunting is much the same in the chewores as it has been over the last five years ,

chifuti have done MAJOR upgrades on the camps and road networks , ...great roads mean better ability to hunt otherwise innaccessible areas of a given concession and therefore better results ..

there has been a large initiative called the tashinga initiative , to put support in aswell for anti poaching and support of the gamescouts and i know for a fact that chifuti put more into this area than any previous concessionaires in the past .

quote:

upgrades on the camps and road networks

Roads certainly make things more accessable.

But I am from the old school here. Roads also make an area "less remote and less wild".

I like for wilderness to be exactly that wilderness.

Just my personal bias.

I like the new Shredded Wheat commercial. We put the "NO" in innovation.

As we live in a world of more and more people each day, I think we have to learn to tread lightly on these Great Areas.

One night while in the Chenje (John's old camp) camp of Chewore South in May of 2006, I spent the night around the fire-pit with Nigel Theisen, Pete Barnard, Wayne Grant, James and John Rosenfel. What a great night of converation.

Funny thing was that we were discussing whether or not there was any chance of Hilary becoming president. All of us Americans said NOOOOOOO WAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

Little did we know what we would REALLY get. They all give me hell now that we have...

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

upgrades on the camps and road networks

Roads certainly make things more accessable.

But I am from the old school here. Roads also make an area "less remote and less wild".

I like for wilderness to be exactly that wilderness.

Just my personal bias.

I like the new Shredded Wheat commercial. We put the "NO" in innovation.

As we live in a world of more and more people each day, I think we have to learn to tread lightly on these Great Areas.

Jeez man, let up! You are looking to find problems that do not exist!

On the roads, it was merely maintenance. The roads were graded and entrances to seasonal streams were made more gradual, etc, etc, etc,...

I saw no new roads, though we didn't travel the entire concession. In fact, one road that reaches far back into the generally unhunted hills/mountains was unopened. That was Pete Fick's road, and that road is the further South West. In fact, you need to cross the Cheowre into Manna Pools to make the whole loop.

Chifuti is investing in the place, which is a change from the past. For the better.

JPK

at the end of the season with jeff wemmer where we shot 6 buffalo and three tuskless in 14 days ...he was after "dagga boys only" and so all were very old , two were ( much to his delight) broken horned . his largest was 39 and the next best was 38.

Dawson has done an excellent job at this concession and I WILL be going back. Ivan and I had absolutely no shortage of Buff to stalk, glass over and shoot! I wasn't there back in the day and can't coment, but can say this: I can hunt anywhere I choose to and with whomever I want and I CHOOSE Chifuti because of the overall experience. I highly recommend that anybody interested in some of the most thrilling hunting on earth book a Buff and Tuskless hunt - you will not be disapointed.

Feel free to PM me with any questions regarding this subject, I'd love to give you the "facts" as I have experienced them on 3 seperate occasions over the past few years.

JW

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
Ledvm
I noticed you are not far from Dallas. I am also a guy who will speak his mind in person, in fact I prefer it. Should you wish to make good your offer to call me an asshole to my face for calling bullshit on your blanket statements concerning CS then a quick trip to Big D may be in order for you. Should you wish to start our "face to face" by calling me a asshole to my face, do it quickly ,as I assure you that the rest of your comments will be made from the seated position due to my own response. This is it as far as the public part of our discussion goes. Send a private email to set up the rest .
Apologies to all, but he chose to make it personal, and has now been given the option of testing those very chilly waters

Unbelievable that a guy who runs a booking business would speak this way. And puffed up bantam rooster to boot! I'm betting that your ego is witting checks your fists ain't going to be able to cash in.

I've said it before I'll say it again, Dave you need to grow up you little prick!

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
Ledvm
I noticed you are not far from Dallas. I am also a guy who will speak his mind in person, in fact I prefer it. Should you wish to make good your offer to call me an asshole to my face for calling bullshit on your blanket statements concerning CS then a quick trip to Big D may be in order for you. Should you wish to start our "face to face" by calling me a asshole to my face, do it quickly ,as I assure you that the rest of your comments will be made from the seated position due to my own response. This is it as far as the public part of our discussion goes. Send a private email to set up the rest .
Apologies to all, but he chose to make it personal, and has now been given the option of testing those very chilly waters


Unbelievable that a guy who runs a booking business would speak this way. And puffed up bantam rooster to boot! I'm betting that your ego is witting checks your fists ain't going to be able to cash in.

I've said it before I'll say it again, Dave you need to grow up you little prick!

OK AR members, I have contacted Dana White over at the UFC and I'm lobbying hard to get Surestrike and Dave on the card for the upcomig "UFC 101". Of course we'll have to create a new class. I'm thinking "AR Open Class" as a category.....Ridiculous!

Lighten-up guys! Jeeeeze!

JW

quote:

Jeez man, let up! You are looking to find problems that do not exist!

JPK,

I have nothing but the deepest respect for you!!! I promise.

But...in regards for you comment above...that is how we ended up with Barack Obama as president.

My motto is NEVER EVER give up...NEVER.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Wemmer:
OK AR members, I have contacted Dana White over at the UFC and I'm lobbying hard to get Surestrike and Dave on the card for the upcomig "UFC 101". Of course we'll have to create a new class. I'm thinking "AR Open Class" as a category.....Ridiculous!

Lighten-up guys! Jeeeeze!

JW

Set it up Jeff. We'll make a video and give the proceeds to the Dave Fulson recovery fund.

SS
Ledvm and I have private emailed a great deal back and forth and and have overcome our differences in a more adult and professional manner than we let ourselves get drug into. At the end of the day , we may not see eye to eye on each of the others points , but I do not think he thinks I am a bad guy, and I have apologized for the direction I took. You and I have had our pissing matches, they are well chronicled. I really have no desire to start over with you, and will tell you that your feelings about me are returned in spades about you. Your opinion of me is meaningless, I have told you that, and more before. As much as I hate to admit it, you are correct that I went to far with what I said on this very public forum.
To say what I would like to say to you , I would get sucked into the exact situation. This forum is not the place for that. BUT.. there are places that would be more appropriate for you to unburden yourself of your feelings to me in person and test your conclusions. I am really easy to find at the shows, and it is so much nicer to chat in person. Why don't we just drop this at this point SS. I am not going to respond to this again, no matter what you have to say on AR. If you want to get in a last word, as I am thinking you will, you will not get a response from me, here at least. Ledvm and I have settled our differences in the manner that both of us seem to be happy with. I think he is a good guy and tempers just got away from us both. I want, again, to apologize to him and the AR forum for my remarks. He has said the same. Please SS, please, if you have any more need to call me out or call me names, can you do it in a private email , a phone call to my office ( you have the number ) or far better, in person so that I can get my checkbook out and we can discuss in private. The public part of our situation is now over. I will not respond on AR to any more comments.

PM sent..

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Wemmer:
OK AR members, I have contacted Dana White over at the UFC and I'm lobbying hard to get Surestrike and Dave on the card for the upcomig "UFC 101". Of course we'll have to create a new class. I'm thinking "AR Open Class" as a category.....Ridiculous!

Lighten-up guys! Jeeeeze!

JW

Set it up Jeff. We'll make a video and give the proceeds to the Dave Fulson recovery fund.

I think the physical calling out stuff is silly and we should all be beyond that, but jeez Sureshot's quote sure is funny! And funny has its own merits.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:

I think the physical calling out stuff is silly and we should all be beyond that, but jeez Sureshot's quote sure is funny! And funny has its own merits.

JPK

It would be even funnier if we added the Silent Slayer Shoes picture of Surestrike about now...

Ans I agree that the playground calling out of people is unnecessary.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Jeez man, let up! You are looking to find problems that do not exist!

JPK,

I have nothing but the deepest respect for you!!! I promise.

But...in regards for you comment above...that is how we ended up with Barack Obama as president.

My motto is NEVER EVER give up...NEVER.

Hey guy, give up on what? The concession rights have passed. Chifuti is the owner for the term and probably the options.

The past is the past, there just is no going back.

With a long term of control in front of them, Chifuti is making investments the last trio wouldn't, because of the uncertainty of maintaining the rights through the auction and other factors.

The hunting is excellent, though buff numbers are down. They would be down even if the past trio still had the place because the cause of the drop in population is primarily the lions. And knowing that they stood a good chance of loosing CS, I suspect that the last trio used as much quota as they could, including optional quota, to amke as much money as they could while they held it. One of the negatives about short term ownership/control.

Chifuti has its issue with the relatively high price they paid. They want to sell as much quota as possible as well, to make the numbers work. The dollarization doesn't help, from my understanding...

Time will tell if a proper balance can be maintained. I think it can. All other things the same, like the hunting, the available quota/species, I would pay more to hunt a concession under Chifuti's management than under the management of any other outfitter whith whom I have experience, which would be six, because they run the tightest ship, imo. And that organization is worth money to me. (Edit: They might tie on that point with one, maybe two, other outfitters.)

You ought to book a trip in CS. Have John or James set it up, if you like, and have James PH if you like. You will find your experience similar to your 2006 experience, with one or two exceptions for the better - the travel within the concession will be quicker and easier, less tiring, and you will be more easily able to hunt some, but not all, of the further from camp areas and you will see active anti-poaching patrols or activity.

John and James ran an excellent camp, and there isn't much difference in the Chenjie camp Oct '06 to Nov last year. But on the other hand, the list of improvements to Roger's old camp is very long and extensive - but Chifuti F'dU when they removed the old bar and didn't replace it. But, jeez, there was ice and cold beer, etc... things Roger scimped on, I could go on...

The Duckworth's camp was getting long in the tooth by '06 and was being rebuilt when I was there in Nov.

Try CS under Chifuti, you will love it, as you did in '06. If you want to hunt with James, I am sure that Chifuti will cooperate - they did for me.

Think about CS and Chifuti, it a great combination, really. To put things in perspective, think of all the posts from fellows who haven't had the pleasure of hunting CS and who yet rave about the hunting and accomodations in second and thrid tier cocessions or campfir areas - even if they're run by top tier outfits, let alone seond, third or lesser tier outfitters.

JPK

Guys, I've known Dave for about four years now and I consider him a true friend. When we first met Dave he invited my wife and I into his home to see mounts of African animals and give us the low down on African hunting. There was never a sales pitch to book a hunt with him and we were given the ins and outs of African hunting. He responded everytime I called him on some of the most trivial crap you could imagine. So tell me guys does that sound like an AHOLE or Prick!!!

That being said, Surestrke bring your army with you when you come to Texas cause you sure have insulted a friend. JC

Dear CH, James ,and JPK
I feel really foolish that this thing has turned so ugly, and take responsibility for my part of it. Thanks for your thoughts, comments, and observations. I value them all. Ledvm and I have talked out our differences and everyone seems to at worst to agree to disagree on a few points. Surestrike, took it to another personal level and we are going to handle that in private, not on this public forum. I do not believe I am a prick, but to speak my mind further, in public, would qualify me as such, so I am going off line for whatever resolution or conclusion we come to.AR was designed to talk, share, discuss, and even disagree...but not as a format for name calling ,of which I let myself get involved in.
My apologies to any of the AR guys that had to read the worst part of this thread, or better said, the parts where I crossed the line of good behavior.
If being standup is being able to say I handled the situation wrong, especially the threat with Ledvm, here it is..It was inappropriate. Not saying I won't point out where my opinion, or hard facts , are different than someone else has posted, but I will try my best to not get drawn into a name calling contest that may lead to a ugly personal confrontation.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Wemmer:


I wasn't there back in the day and can't coment, but can say this: I can hunt anywhere I choose to and with whomever I want and I CHOOSE Chifuti because of the overall experience. I highly recommend that anybody interested in some of the most thrilling hunting on earth book a Buff and Tuskless hunt - you will not be disapointed.


JW

I'll second that. I hunted tuskless and buffalo with Chifuti last September (in Dande) and also got to hunt a PAC buffalo. I would love to try Chewore next time. I have nothing but good things to say about Chifuti, Andrew Dawson, Paul Smith, Dirk Mostert (my PH), and the guys at Safari Classics, Dave Fulson and Tim Danklef. I also got to see Ivan Carter pull the funniest trick with an outboard motor I have ever seen.

Are you calling me out? Well are you...Punk! Just wait until you see the new MMA shorts I designed.

I shouldn't have used the language that I did in the previous post for that I apologize.

Well, we know you have courage, posting that on the internet, on a hunting formum and all.

Standing your ground on that buff charge you faced was nothing compared to this.

Cat hunter too, eh? Or is that a hyhena between your bunnies?

You must be a dog owner, one of the bunnies is missing his ears...

JPK

That is a rare and vicious mini pygmy hyena and a full body mount to boot. Jadgterriers and silent slayer shoes simply don't mix!

quote:

You ought to book a trip in CS. Have John or James set it up, if you like, and have James PH if you like.

When I was in C S before, Nigel Theisen was my PH. He also booked the hunt and outfitted it. Nigel was hunting for Luke in Tanzania then but we went before the season opened in Tanzania. Nigel hunts for Brittingham in Tanzania now but also free-lance hunts as well. Nigel was born and raised in Rhodesia. One of his best and life-long friends is Paddy Curtis. Wessels mentions him in his book "Strange Tales from the African Bush" when talking about hunting in the Valley. His folks live in Kwe-Kwe. He used to have a house there as well but has since moved to Bulawayo. Nigel's mentor (Mike was first name can't remember his last) was killed by ele in Chewore South right up next to the hills on the SouthWest corner I believe. Nigel built the Angua camp I believe.

Nigel and I are very close friends and the only way I would hunt with anyone else was if he suggested it. My father and John Rosenfel hit off very well and became friends.