Dates trip:
Aug. 14 – Aug. 30, 2009

Dates hunt:
Aug. 19 – Aug. 28, 2009
Unfortunately not 60 days like ozhunter,
whom I meet there

Location:
Northern Mozambique,
Cabo Delgado,
Block B and Coutada,
directly adjoining the Niassa reserve

Outfitter:
Jumbo Moore, Kambako Safaris (www.kambakosafaris.com)

Booking agent:
Mistral (www.mistral.com)

Airline:
South African Airways
Again no problem at all.
Much more convenient than e.g. BA,
which I used for going to ZIM a few years ago…

Route:
Munich, Germany – JHB – Pemba, Mozambique – camp and back
Transfer to camp was one way by car (rough ride of 8 hours) and one way by small plane (1.5 hours)

Professional Hunter:
Stu Taylor
(only 30-something, but already lots of experience with the Big 4)

Tracker:
Davey
(unbelievable tracking of my buffalo in the long grass for several hours)

Rifle:
Ruger Mk II Magnum in .375 H&H Mag.

Ammunition:
Factory Norma 300 grains Barnes Banded solids (Buffalo),
Factory Norma 300 grains Swift A-Frame
(other game)

Optics:
Zeiss 1.5-6x42, reticle 4

Binoculars:
Swarowski 8.5x42

Photo cameras:
Lumix FZ 18 and Sony DSC T70

Game taken:
Buffalo, Eland, Waterbock, Bushbuck

Animals hunted but not taken:
Warthog

Other animals seen:
Elephant, Leopard, Sable, Niassa Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Zebra, Kudu, Reedbuck, Crocodile, Suni, Red and Common Duiker, Impala, Bush pig, Warthog, Baboon, …

Weather:
warm / hot with day temperatures 30 – 40 ° C
(during my hunt it was getting hotter from day to day, temperatures in Oct. / Nov. are significantly higher than in August!)

This was my fourth hunt in africa and the first one for dangerous game.
Before I have hunted Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa for plainsgame only.

The large area (more than 3,000 square km) of Kambako in Northern Mozambique is quite remote and wild with good amounts and good quality of game.
We could hear Lions roar most of the nights.
Big 4 and various plainsgame can be hunted with realistic chances for good trophies.
For example Elephants in the range of 70-90 pound per tusk are taken each season and Lion and Leopard often come to baits at day light. (We were able to bait a nice male leopard in the 150-160 pound class and to photograph it from the blind the second evening we were sitting in the blind. The Leopard arrived slightly before dark at the bait and photos could be done without problem!)

Hunting the blocks around the Niassa reserve can be quite hard and challenging due to the landscape, the mostly thick vegetation with poor visibility and the quite high temperatures during most of the hunting season. Hunters have to be prepared to shoot quickly if a chance occurs.

Kambako have a quite luxurious main camp - thanks to ozhunter even with a pool now
and two more basic tented camps in their area.
I stayed with my PH Stu Taylor during most of my hunt at one of this tented camps („old Spanish Camp“) and enjoyed it a lot. The camp was quite basic, nicely located at the banks of the Lugenda river (like the main camp). For me it is the ideal safari camp!

Permanent PHs for Kambako are Stu Taylor and Johnnie Johnson. Both from Zimbabwe.

All in all it was a great hunt in an outstanding area and I was able to take some trophies much better than expected. Outfit and PH have really been first class. I can’t say any negative about this hunt.
I hope to go back some day, maybe for a leopard and a sable or some other plainsgame.

Following a few pics from my hunt, the area, the camps etc.:

Pemba beach
(stayed there for 3 days before my hunt):
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Kambakos own plane for transfer from / to Pemba:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Dinning hall in main camp:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Chalet in main camp:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Tented camp:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Buffalo with PH Stu Taylor and tracker Davey:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

One more of the buff:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Buff scull:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Another buff:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Eland:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Waterbuck:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Bushbuck:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Some Elephants in the Lugenda:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Sable:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Some bird shooting:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2

Sunset in Africa:
http://imageevent.com/andy7x64...&c=4&l=0&w=4&s=0&z=2


If anyone has questions about my hunt or the area etc. feel free to contact me!

Rgds,
Andy

THat buff is "ginormous". Way to go.

Congrats on a great buff!

Very nice pictures and hunt!!!! The buffalo is amazing!!! I love the eland! A true blue bull!!

Brett

Congrats on a fantastic buffalo! The other trophies also very very nice.

Thanks for sharing

Torbjørn

What a Buff!!!!

Awsome buff and eland bull!! What a lovely place, that Moz...

Great buff & eland. Would love to hunt there some day, but likely won't.

Love the body on that eland. Steel blue. Great buff too.

Well-done, nice buff. Did you have any hartebeest in this area?

Those are all great trophies! Looks like you had a great time. The picture of the Sable took my breath away!

Thanks all!

bwanamrm:
Yes, there are hartebeest in the area and can be hunted. Liechtenstein Hartebeest.

Steve:
The sable really was a nice one.
Lot of second growth, so quite an old bull.


Rgds,
Andy

And while I am asking questions... perchance Nyassa Wildebeest?

Niassa Wildebeest are available in Kambako's concession. We have seen several good ones during my hunt. Actually, I was interested myself in hunting one. But when I booked my hunt the quota for this year already was sold completely :-(

Great report and a beautiful buff. Thanks for posting.

Beautiful black faced ,heavy Eland, Hog of a dark'faced waterbuck and the sweep of the Buff......YES! Thanks Jim

Nice buff and some really sharp pics.
Question, had you already taken a sable before? That one looked like a beauty. Also, was your camp very humid being so close to the beach?

Beautiful animals...Congrats!

Thanks guys!

Bluefin:
Don't put salt in the wound
I would have loved to hunt this Sable,
but going for buffalo and sable at this trip would definitely have caused a serious overspend...

Actually, the camp was not at all close to the beach. It is a 1.5 hour flight from the beach. (I just stayed a few days in Pemba prior to my hunt.) The hunting area itself has been quite dry with not a lot of water left in the various rivers.

rgds,
Andy

Great hunt and picts. Isn't it amazing how many huge solid-rock-mountains there are in that area?

Great trophies! Congratulations!

Great Buff and Eland, congratulations.

Excellent trophies - love the big, old buffalo, eland and waterbuck.

Just to round it out, that's a great looking bushbuck, too!

Looks like a good camp as well.

Congrats!

Nice trophies and sounds like a great outfit. That sable did not look too bad either.

Great report, thank you and congratulations for your buffalos.

Oscar.

Great report Andy, beautiful animals.

Congrats!!!

Excellent old buffalo eland and a great looking bushbuck. Congratulations! Beautiful picture of Pemba Beach as well. Did you stay at the Pemba Beach Hotel where they have that gorgeous bar? jorge

Thanks all.

Steve: Those rocks really look awesome.
Have reminded me of the outback in Australia...
Sorry to hear about your hunt in Moz.

Jorge: Yes. Pemba Beach Hotel for 3 days prior to my hunt. Very nice beach and the bar really is gorgeous with all the taxidermy in it
(even an elepant head...).


All the best,
Andy