Booking Agent: Wendell Reich of Hunters Quest Int'l.

Date: September 2006

Where: Kigosi Reserve Tanzania

PH: Dean Kendall


Here's some pics of my hunt in basic order of occurance. The PH was highly experienced and everything went well except the first buff and the hyeana. The food was great, hot showers every day, laundry done every day and the hunting was fantastic.

Very nice pictures -- please give us some more details when you have a chance.

By trophy you had a great hunt! Tell us more of how it actually occurred, please.

Sitatunga

I was hunting with PH Dean Kendall in Tanzania in the Kigosi reserve on a hunt booked thru Wendell. On the first morning after driving for 2 and a half hours Dean decided to stretch our legs and walk a K or 2 to a small 4-5 acre brushy swamp. Approaching from the downwind side, we climbed on top of a small termite mound about 30-40 yards from the edge of the brush to glass. Dean sent the trackers around to the upwind side to beat the brush and work toward us. When the trackers got there, immediately a couple young sitatunga's and a few females emerged in front of us and dissapeared into the adjacent tall grass. Dean said he had seen a good bull in this swamp with the last client but it had exited on the far side and all he knew is that it was a shooter. As the trackers worked their way closer to us more sitatunga's (probably a dozen in total) came out including a couple young bulls. Dean and I were quietly talking about this tactic being similar to rabbit hunting (where some rabbits will wait until the last second before busting out) but as the trackers only had 20 more yards to go before the end of the brush Dean said the shooter must not be in there today. That's when things got interesting. When the trackers were within less than 10 yards of coming out, this bull, with his head down in a sneek, made his appearance in the last bit of cover left. I was already on the sticks and knew immediately he was big so when Dean said that's him, shoot, it was done. The first shot was in the front of his left shoulder quartering to and a quick second shot was within a couple inches of the first.

Both of us were shocked and amazed first at the animal itself and then at how the bull waited until almost being stepped on before he moved. We figured he might have been there all along but had seen us and was holding. Afterwards I ranged the distance at 32 yards. Dean said it was his trophy of the season but given he's had clients take lion, leopard, and ele, I figured he says that to all his clients.

A few Hartebeast were spotted 100 yards off the vehicle track with a single sable and we crept up to a termite mound about 60 yards away. After a bit of a wait for the animals to properly align themselves I took the shot and the animal whirled and fell.

The first buff was shot badly; I shot as the animal turned. After following the herd one buff was seen circling the herd and going into the tall grass. Dean had me stay put while he went in looking for it. Shortly after he dissapeared I heard two shots. He emerged somewhat shaken and stated he was charged. His first shot was in the buffs frontal shoulder area and exited it's rump. His second shot was on the bridge of the nose. The buff fell 7 paces from where he stood.

The Sable was caught at water early one morning while we were actually looking for Sable. He ran across the vehicle tracks, into the brush about 60 yards away, and stopped. I got on the sticks and threaded one thru the trees. We found him a short distance away.

The second buff was all classic. The herd was spotted several hundred yards away. We circled to get the wind right which placed the sun at our backs and the animals feeding towards us. At the first shot the buff stumbled forward and then reared up on his hind legs and took a couple steps. Then he was back down on all fours and Dean said to shoot again so I put two solids thru his lungs. I reloaded and put another in his rear end as he was stumbling away and he went down. Two more solids on approach and he was dead. The first shot took out the top of his heart.

The Reedbuck are very plentiful there and shooting this one was no problem. They are very beautiful animals and this one will look nice next to my Mt. Reedbuck from SA.

We baited the Hyaena for several days and did he eat good! Sitatunga, Sable, Kongoni, and Buffalo. It was done as if hunting Lion with the blind built after the bait was hit and the trail into the blind cleared. Before first light we were in the blind and could hear crunching. Thru my scope all I could see was a shape and Dean said it was a hyaena but I'd better shoot soon. At the shot he ran to the left and disappeared. We waited for sunrise and the trackers found blood entering some tall grass. After following a bit we found a puke pile indicating a gut shot. Further on, more puke and then a pile of runny shit. It basically circled back and entered the trees where I saw it running in the distance. We ran after it for a hundred yards or so and I took a shot hitting it in the upper back and it dropped but got back up and took off. Another shot in the back side and it was down but needed a finisher on approach to end it. Notice it only has one front paw. Since the stub looked like the bottom of the other feet, we wondered if this was birth defect or at least something that happened years earlier.

Very nice.

Thanks for the pictures and story.

Kyler

Congratulations. It looks like you had a great time in Kigosi with many fine trophys. I especially like the club foot Hyena.

Dennis, what a great hunt and time to enjoy Africa....Outstanding trophies...

Mike

Nice trophies... and a neat hunt in an interesting part of Africa. (Note to self... make damn sure you shoot hyena in the vitals on the first shot!)

Congratulations on a very successful safari. Your photos and report are great. I would suspect the hyena had encountered a snare at some time...

Regards, D. Nelson

I just added a few hero shots the PH just email'd me. One of the sitatunga, my first buff (note the hole on the bridge of it's nose where the PH shot it as it charged), the hartebeast and my Hyena.

BEAUTIFUL Buffs!

Looks like you experienced a wonderful and enjoyable hunt. Congratulations!

I have heard Dean Kendall is an excellent PH and it looks like he produced great results for you. Congratulations!

All great animals but I would trade both those buffs for that sitatunga and that is not lightly said. What a great animal. Sounds like you had an absolutely first rate hunt. Congatulations to all involved.

Thanks for the kind comments. I'm still basking in the afterglow of the hunt. It'll seem like forever to get the trophies back and on the wall when I can again handle and admire them. Dean is a great guy and very professional. I'm pretty sure he'll be back in the same area next season.