Date of Hunt: August 15 - Sept. 6, 2005

Locations: Selous R2 - Tanzania. Also called the Mseguni area along the Ruaha river.

Animals Taken: Elephant Bull, Hippo, Lion, Bushbuck, Roosevelt Sable, Kongoni, Hyena

Animals Hunted But Not Shot: Leopard

PH/Outfitter: Pierr'e Van Tonder

Booking Agent: Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-326-4120
http://www.atkinsonhunting.com

PROFESSIONAL HUNTER AND BOOKING AGENT:
This was the fifth hunt booked through Ray Atkinson and my second hunt with Pierr'e.

All five of the hunts Ray booked for me have been successful and Pierr'e is an enthusiastic, hard hunting PH that exceeds expectations in every regard.

The trackers were Twiga and Dominic. The driver was Hamilton. The gamescout was Mama Fatima. All the resevations and paperwork was coordinated by Pierr'es wife Anneli.

HIPPO (KIBOKO)
We were returning to camp just at dusk when out of a small waterhole a couple miles from the river emerged a hippo. He headed away from us into the bush.

Pierr'e said "Would you like to shoot a hippo?"
I answered by plunking two solids into my 470 and climbing down off the Land Cruiser. Pierr'e had not waited for an answer anyway and already had his 375 out of the gun rack.

Pierr'e and I did an end-around-run to get into a downwind position for a shot. After about a 100 yard dash we had closed to within 15 yards of him. He was now just walking at a brisk pace.

The main problem was the disappearing light, however it was obviously a big bull and it was visible enough at that range for a shot. After a dodge around a couple bushes I ended up at about 10 yards and let the first barrel into him. I couldn't see the sights but the Searcy was built for me and I knew they were lined up at that range.

The muzzle flash was blinding but I couldn't quite tell what the effect was so I let him have another barrel. At that point I couldn't see anything except orange and blue. Pierr'e said he was down. He was now calling on me to come up and put one in the neck. I stumbled forward and finished the work with one barrel then the other.

When I regained a little of my night vision I thought I saw people floating above the ground. Then the Land Rover pulled up and shined its lights on the subject and I saw that our trackers had been joined by Richards trackers and they were all dancing on the hippos' body. We didn't even know that Richard Lemmer was in the area but he said they thought a war was going on and had been just behind us so they came over to see what or who had been killed.

Running through the bush and blazing away with the flame throwing double rifle was itself worth the price of the Searcy.

The picture below was taken the next morning. We cut him up for lion and croc baits. I was surprised to see there was little fat on him. The skin was nearly 2" thick then after that there was just muscle.



BUFFALO (NYATI)
I was not really looking to shoot a buff this trip but Twiga spotted mbogo and before I knew it we were all in a fast walk through the tall grass. I was doing my best to keep up and all the while thinking they were like bird dogs and you couldn't call them off buff if you tried.

After about half a mile we had closed to within 70 yards. The herd was moving through tall grass so thick that you could never see the whole animal - just parts of them.

Pierr'e was looking thru his glasses and muttered mostly to himself "there is a bull - a small bull - but its a bull". I looked at Pierr'e and whispered that I didn't want to shoot a small bull. While I was looking at Pierr'e I did not see that the small bull had moved out and a bigger one had taken its place in the opening.

Suddenly Pierr'e excitedly said "Allen shoot this bull". Still thinking he was wanting me to shoot a small bull, I said I don't want to sh... - Pierr'e stopped me with a raised hand and angrily said "I know that - just shoot the f****r! Not wanting the Searcy wrapped around my neck I looked back and took the shot. Just his head and neck were exposed so I estimated where the shoulder was.

Pierr'e shouted "You hit him Bwana - You hit him" then everyone was suddenly running after the herd. I hadn't realized how many there were. It was quite a stampede. After crossing a sandy riverbed they disappeared up the bank into some brush.

We followed a good blood trail up the 6 foot embankment and ducked under some low brush at the top. Just ahead we heard some bellowing but it didn't sound like a death bellow. Something was either mad or in pain or both. I looked at Pierr'e - He said nothing.

Suddenly Twiga came flying to the rear. I looked into the black shadows and saw a red ball coming at me. I remember thinking what a bright red it was. It quickly transformed into a bull with blood gushing out its nose and it was coming for us at what I later stepped off at about 12 yards.

I raised the rifle but just then Twiga brushed past and knocked my alignment off. Kaboom. Pierr'e dumped him with a .375 cup point solid though the nose.

I told Pierr'e that for helping me out I would be like Ray and leave this buff to him in my will. He said "Ya-Ya you guys and your wills. The problem is I don't want either of you dead".



LION (SIMBA)
I told Pierr'e that if we had a chance at a lion I wanted to do it on foot - not out of a blind up in a tree or out of the Land Cruiser.

He said he was one of the few PH's that would do that but said "Do you realize that you are a couple sandwiches short of a picnic?" I said that others before him had that opinion of me. He said "Well, they are right."

We spent several days shooting and hanging Kongoni, buffalo, hippo and Zebra baits - a very smelly, fly ridden occupation. One day at lunch Richard Lemmer and Barry Rich reported a lion hit on a Zebra bait Barry had shot. Barry was not hunting lion but was just helping me out by shooting and hanging baits as he fulfilled his trophy list.

Pierr'e made a plan to go there at last light. Anneli brought out the liability waiver that I had forgotten to sign and said "This would be a good time to sign this paper Allen."

We parked a mile or two from the bait and slipped in single file - Twiga, Pierr'e, Myself, Mama Fatima and Hamilton. About a quarter mile from the bait Hamilton spotted a female lion lying in the 16" or so high grass. We crept around her at about 30 yards looking for the male whose tracks Richard had seen under the bait. Twiga spotted another female with two cubs.

Pierr'e assigned me the first female to watch and Hamilton the second one. He warned us as he had previously warned Judge G to stare them down and not take our eyes off them. He and Twiga were now standing on a termite mound looking for the male. It was getting dark.

Then as I shifted my weight my female bunched her hind legs up under her and stiffly flicked her tail. I whispered to Pierr'e that my gal was getting a little dicey. He looked at her then went back into his glasses. He couldn't see the male so we backed out all the while maintaing eye contact with those unforgettable yellow eyes.

We circled the females and crept on to the bait which was still a couple hundred yards ahead. It was now getting really dark and I was hoping he was not there. He was not and I was relieved when we walked briskly back to the truck.

Just after we reached the truck we heard him roar. He had been there all along - we just had not seen him. He continued to roar. Even at a miles distance those roars in the dark were bone chilling.

The next morning we got up at 3:30 and drove back to the bait site. Just as the sun rose we started walking the mile or two back to the bait. No one home. We walked up to the bait. It had been fed on during the night. As Twiga, Pierr'e and myself were looking over the tracks in the dusted bare ground under the bait Dominic was using my binoculars to look around.

Suddenly he gestured toward the brush 30 yards away and snapping his arm back and forth to point said "Bwana - Simba hapa hapa" Pierr'e took a quick look and then tried to point him out to me. We had a major communication problem about trees - the forked tree or two trees etc. and I couldn't see him. Then he moved and I saw and shot in the same instant. He roared and whirled and bit himself. I shot again into the whirling mass and he went down. Pierr'e thought it was a very nice lion for the Selous.

We had a big Kabuke Kabuke that night. We stopped just out of camp, decorated the Land Cruiser with branches, shot twice into the air and started blowing a whistle while driving toward camp. The staff came streaming out of camp waving branches and beating on metal lids all very happy that they would get to drink beer that night. A chair was produced and I was carried to the campfire. As at least 15 staff members danced around the fire repeatedly saying in Kiswahili: Kabuki - Kabuki - "Who shot the big lion - Allen shot the big lion" Kuta - Kuta. As if by magic about an hour later a cake was produced from Moses "kitchen" with icing that said "Congratulations Allen for the big lion".

Pierr'e knows how to run a camp and how to throw a Kabuke. We all got slammed. My aspirin supply was already running low and we were only a third of the way through the safari.



SABLE (PALAPALA)
This was a bonus animal that was taken while on an elephant stalk. He was so black that he almost looked purple. The Roosevelt sable horns are not as long as the common sable horns but perhaps the Roosevelt has a more beautiful a skin.



ELEPHANT (TEMBO)
Prior to shooting this bull we put the stalk on several other bulls. It is easy to see why so many believe this is the most exciting hunting on the planet.

This final stalk was over several korongo's. At one point we lost them completely. We located three of them again in some tall grass. All were bulls. We approached through some grass to within 35 yards. I lined up the sights for a heart shot. At the shot I could see the skin move exactly where I wanted to shoot. I fully expected him to run off and fall over so was almost shocked when he whirled and came for us. As the Searcy came down out of recoil I shot to break the "broomstick". The bull was raising its head as it turned for us. I did not see that the right tusk end passed through my line of fire. I did not notice pieces of the tusk flying off at the time but the bull stopped the charge and started rocking its head sideways as if he had run into a brick wall. As I dropped in two more solids I couldn't believe he wasn't going down - at least he had stopped coming for us.

Now we had another problem. Pierr'e said "Allen look left". The askari's were now coming for us. Fortunately it was a bluff and they stopped about 25 yards out. As I turned back to the original bull I noticed it was coming again. Just then Pierr'e decided it was time for him to get involved and brained the bull with his 500 Jeffrey. I could have had another shot or even two but Pierr'e didn't know that and he did the right thing by bringing this to an end.

At Pierr'es shot the askaris began to move off into the brush. The eagle eyed trackers found all the pieces to the tusk I had shot off and they can be glued back on. Another Kabuke Kabuke tonite - two beers this time - Pombe Mbele



GENERAL THOUGHTS
Many thanks to Ray and Pierr'e for your experience and dedicated work to make these lifetime memories.

I greatly enjoyed having Barry Rich in camp at the same time I was there. Not only did that provide more baits for the lions but he and Richard were another set of eyes in the bush. There is no doubt that they were a big factor in providing the right bait and finding my lion strike and it was fun listening to their adventure of the day at sundown. Pairing a 21 day hunter with successive 7 or 10 day hunters is a good idea assuming they are compatible.

Palmer,
Congrats on a successful adventure. I can only see the picture of the lion above. The others appear as red x's

Great report! It sounds like a truly exceptional, exciting hunt. You really put the "dangerous" into hunting dangerous game.

quote:

Anneli brought out the liability waiver that I had forgotten to sign and said "This would be a good time to sign this paper Allen."

Palmer,

Did not even read it yet, but I had to say, I have a thousand questions to ask of you...
Congrats on those fine looking animals...
See you in Dallas...

Mike

Palmer

Good going. Nice trophies and report. Please don't just tease us with only these pics, I know you've got more pics that you could post. A trip like yours would be what I'm striving for eventually.

As I told you on the phone tonight, Pierr'e deserves to be considered in the same class as the greats of the 1930's. You and I... and 1115, JRS, Saeed, Ray, and a few others have been honored to have the experience.

But, the real honor you had was to sleep in the same tent, none the less, the same bed, as the Great JudgeG... albeit, two weeks later...
Relish the experience. It's kind of like the "George Washington slept here" historical markers.. or was that Monica Lewinski and Bill Clinton... I forget who is politically correct now?

Let's do it together one year.. I'll shoot off your licence and only pay the observer rate.. What a deal. You get to watch me shoot stuff and drink good South African wine and you pay the big bucks.. BTW, do you mind me tagging along on the charter... You'll be paying for it anyway and I've lost 15 lbs in the last month, so I won't be much extra weight for the airplane.

What would make it work (the above financal split being a poor joke) is that Pierr'e brother-in-law, Richard is almost the character that Pierr'e is.. and just as good a P.H. He produces and works like a galley slave, for sure. But, heck... I'd pay full fare just to get to pine for Anneli across the dinner table at night with Moses' cooking.

Until I see you in Dallas, or in a honky-tonk, drinking a toddy or two and listening to Mel, Willie or Hank, Jr (let's get that trip to Branson figured out for my daughter).... Keep the faith and I'll be..

Sounds like a really great hunt. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Great report!!!!!

Phil

Allen,
What can I say other than you have made my day once again...your a pleasure to book, to hunt with and a real sportsman..most of all your a good friend....

Congratulations on a terrific safari and some great memories.
Thanks for sharing the stories and pictures.

Kyler

thanks for sharing.

Palmer,

What an adventure! Good show!

Mark

WTG Palmer!

Awesome elephant story! (And all the others!)

Sounds like you had a great time. Congratulations!!

Thanks Allen for the wonderful detailed stories,
great results and wonderful hunt.Walk tall my friend.
Reading it makes my skin go up in goose bumps as I shall try to repeat your deed with Pierre in 4 weeks myself.What a rush and what an experience.

Way to go Palmer!
WOW!
Dave

Thanks for the compliments everyone. The real credit if any is due is to Pierr'e, Ray and the staff. None of this could be possible without them or others like them.

I agree with Judge G that Pierr'e could be recognized as the equal of some of the greats one of these days if some amateur like myself doesn't get him stomped in the meantime.

Sheephunter - Pierr'e has talked to me so much about your chui that I almost believe I was there. Good luck this year.

Retreever - please bring more of your local foods to Dallas! You are in for a great safari next year.

475 Guy - ok here are a few more pictures then I will quit clogging the computers. Thanks for asking and good luck on your safari when it happens.

OVERVIEW OF BUFF
This view shows the exit wound of Pierr'es shot to the nose. It passed under the boss and out the neck.



LITCHENSTEIN HARTEBEAST (KONGONI)
As anyone who has experienced lion baiting has found out this animal serves as handy bait. I shot 5 baits on this trip and that was only part of the bait supply needed.



CHOBE BUSHBUCK
This spunky little guy took a 375 up the bum. He went down but when we walked up to him he switched ends and tried to spear us with these daggers. I was shocked to see how he could hold them almost parallel to the ground pointing forward and how fast he could move.

The ever-alert Dominic leaned forward and grabbed him by the base of the horns. If he had missed his family would have been frozen at the current number.



BROKEN TUSK
This picture shows what a 500 grain Woodleigh can do to a tusk. Needless to say, a more experienced elephant hunter would have waited a split second longer for the tusk to swing further.



CHARLES
This is the clown that thinks he can put the elephant tusk back together. Seriously he is Charles - one of the best skinners in the business - and there is no doubt in my mind that he will do it.



EVERYONES FAVORITE TIME
Because Pierr'e is always trying right up to the end I was constantly joking that no safari is over until your feet are around the final campfire. It turned out to be true.

At the very last hour of the last evening a pride of 7 lions tried to get in the Land Cruiser on the airstrip. Pierr'e and I were in a leopard blind nearby and the trackers were waiting on the airstrip for darkness or a shot.

The alert trackers spotted the lions just in time and the driver barely got moving. Even then the lions chased the car down the strip.

Its great to know there is still a place where lions make the rules.



Thank you Irene (bride for 40 years) for supporting all this.

That's what I'm talking about! It's nice to see different views of the critters and see how much damage to the tusk that you were refering to. Thanks.

Awsome, simply awsome.... congratulations on a fine hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by Palmer:

Its great to know there is still a place that lions make the rules.

Amen to that. Thanks for the additional pictures.

Allen, Congratulations on a fine hunt! Those are some very special trophies. I think every single day about my plainsgame hunt with Pierre' this spring, I can only imagine what it would be like to hunt dangerous game for 21 days with him. I know what you mean about Pierre' hunting until "the lights go out", he definitely gives it his all.
Ray, it looks like Pierre's hair is getting a little long! You better give him a call and tell him he needs a trim!!!LOL
Thanks for the report. Joe

Allen,
Congratulations on an outstanding safari. I believe that Pierre is already one of "The Greats", but word has yet to spread. I am so filled with anticipation for my safari with Pierre in Sept/Oct of 2006, that I could just burst.

Palmer,
Congratulations on a successful hunt and what appears to be a great lion!

Just a question; you mention you took 5 Kongoni's on your trip? Where these just for bait or are you keeping all these as trophies? The one pictured sure is beaut

Happy hunting!

Bwanamich
Thanks, I plan to mount the Kongoni shown however what I meant to say was that I shot 5 animals that were used for baits - not 5 Kongoni.

Palmer:

Congrats on a wonderful trip! Thanks for sharing the stories and photos. I feel very fortunate to have shared two adventures with Pierre and know he speaks very highly of you and the other members of AR. Hearing Pierre speak of you and the others, I feel I have gotten a chance to meet some great folks!

Ray is a wealth of information and I would be lost without him. At the grand old age of 106, I feel like Ray is the GREAT GREAT GREAT Grandfather I never had the experience of knowing!

Thanks again for the pics and story. I am going to send you a PM...want to talk about your Brown Bear experiences when you have a chance.

Best regards,

jjs

Jim,
Surly you could have left a couple of GREATS off that post!!??

Palmer,
Fantastic hunt report...I like the way you broke each animal into it's own chapter. Well written, Well done. And "oh by the way", those were excellent trophies also. Three of the Big Five on one trip is special this day and age! Congratulations!!!

Awesome report! What a great safari!

John

With each and every one of these posts about hunting TZ with Pierr'e I just can hardly contain myself until 2007.

Great storys and pictures. These are the things that make up a life well lived.

John

Palmer,

Just noticed your post today. Great trophies for the R2 block of the Selous. Hunted out of the Mseguni camp in 99. Didn't see any shootable ele at all, that in itself is a fine trophy. Usually in this area it is more of an oppportunity animal. The lion is also a nice trophy. Your PH, Piere and lady luck did a nice job for you. Good reporting!

Dak

What a trip!! Great animals! I am so glad for you and so glad that I too will be hunting with Pierre next year. Thanks so much for your report.

John

Dakota,
Its not luck that puts these hunts together, its pre planing and timing in all those concessions...

Pierres Masai scouts look things over before ever going in there, The concession had two large elephants, two extremely good Lions, a load of Leopards of which we just shot an extremely nice Leopard, and a host of Buffalo as the greass is burned...

Also one must take into account how a concession is hunted the year before and the year before that...A concession can and will change from year to year...If you shoot a lot of Lions off one or a lot of anything one year its sure not going to be that good on the following year, the one exception may be buffalo and plainsgame....

I hunted R2 in 1995 or 96 as I recall... I have never seen the like of plainsgame before or since, I shot a 28" and a hair from 30 inch Impala, the buffalo were everywhere and big, elephants were few as were lions at that time, One big pride of females and cubs with a Yound lion heading the pride...

As I recall the concession, at that time belonged to Christina, who was running it after the death of her husband PH, and later on Likey took it over, but I could be wrong on that count...

I'll tell ya, Palmer. For a guy that didn't mean to shoot buffalo this trip you did a hell of job!

Dave

@Palmer
Congratulation on your exelent huntreport !
How many pounds of ivory have your tembo ?

r. seloushunter

mboga biga bwana,
Thank you very much.

Elephant was my primary hope for this safari. My wife prayed each night from back home that I would be given an opportunity at one. Pierr'e and I both were beginning to believe it wasn't going to happen but I told him not to discount the power of Irene's prayers. Within an hour of that we spotted this group of 4 bulls.

We put many fruitless stalks on them and it was the most fun I ever had --- right up to the time I walked up to the dead elephant.

It was then that I experienced the remorse that others have spoken of. I wished then (and still do) that I had never shot him.

I could happily shoot a wagon load of buff or cats and have no regrets. I will never again shoot another elephant but honestly have no problem with those who feel differently. It is obvious that they need to be trimmed down or they will destroy the environment they inhabit.

I personally watched one push over a large tree then just sniff at the leaves on top and walk away without eating one leaf.

We did not weigh the tusks while I was in camp but using the formula in "The Perfect Shot" the smaller one should be between 48 and 49 pounds. As mentioned above, I shot the larger tusk off in a fit of impatience and inexperience.

I might use this opportunity to post a picture of another animal I took on this safari that I would not mind shooting more of - this hyena.

Congratulations, Palmer !!!

I liked most the lion report ... awesome !!

Great hunt report, and great animals! Any idea how much a hyena like that weighs? He looks HUGE!

Luke,

Thanks. I have no good idea what the hyena weighed. The trackers hoisted him into the Land Rover and I never had a good heft of him.

The picture may make him look bigger than he is however because we leaned him up against a rock and I was behind the rock - maybe two feet behind the hyena.

Nevertheless, he was particularly large according to Pierr'e and the game scout. I assume that is how Pierr'e decided which one of the hyena to have me shoot. To a neophyte like me they all look alike other than size.

There were several of them and this was the biggest one. Pierr'e was especially glad to see that he had balls when we turned him over. In Tanzania you can only shoot males.

This one will be made into a full body mount and placed with my bushpig - one on either side of my favorite reading chair.

Now that's what I call a nice Safari!

Very well done indeed!

Congratulations,