From the late 1950's and for a span of thirty years or more Kasonso was one of Africa's finest hunting destinations attracting some of the continents famous professional hunters who sought the dark masses of Buffalo and the large black maned Lions that followed. In addition Kasonso could boast nearly all of Zambia's indigenous species housed in one spectacular setting. It was here where the true full bag safaris were conducted and Kasonso was a recognised name throughout the hunting annals of history.

The nineties witnessed the collapse of the game in Kasonso attributed to excessive quotas, resident hunting and the scourge of poaching. The three year closure of hunting in 2010 was to see the hunting abandoned. Grim reports filtered through of almost a complete decimation of the concession. The great grasslands Kasonso were silent.

Enter the Cuturi family - A few years back the word was that the Cuturi family of whom I knew little of were prepared to invest heavily in the revival of Kasonso. Ntengu Safaris was formed and they were awarded the concession. It was evident from their website https://www.ntengusafaris.com that the investment was to be on an extraordinary scale and proved the seriousness of their intent. Ntengu were relentless in their anti poaching from both the ground and the air. Massive aerial sweeps of the concession removed all criminal elements that were housed there and the persistent and constant ground operations and patrols in conjunction with the Wildlife department continue today. This would be the start of the Kasonso revival and one of Africa's contemporary conservation success stories. The great grasslands again flow with life and the buffalo are building back their numbers and with them come the Lion.

It was to be fortuitous for me when I received an enquiry from AR's Surefire7 about the possibility of hunting Sitatunga, Sable and Buffalo all in one destination and it was to be my direction that resulted in our Kasonso safari.

The following report is more pictorial and a compilation of brief notes if needed will be stapled to the images. First are some aerial views of Kasonso and the Ntengu safari camp.

Great story of success Andrew
Do you have any info of the Cuturi Family, are they Zambian? I would guess they have used much more money than they have earned as of now to restore the area!

quote:

Originally posted by Svinejakt:
Great story of success Andrew
Do you have any info of the Cuturi Family, are they Zambian? I would guess they have used much more money than they have earned as of now to restore the area!

I do not know the history of the family apart that they live in the North western province and have investments in and around Solwezi one being a private wildlife estate known as Mutanda. Kasonso were their hunting grounds and they have being visiting this area since the 1950's.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Svinejakt:
Great story of success Andrew
Do you have any info of the Cuturi Family, are they Zambian? I would guess they have used much more money than they have earned as of now to restore the area!

I do not know the history of the family apart that they live in the North western province and have investments in and around Solwezi one being a private wildlife estate known as Mutanda. Kasonso were their hunting grounds and they have being visiting this area since the 1950's.

Thanks, good stuff

Kasonso is without doubt one of Africa's premier destinations for Sable and the population today is richer than any concession that I have hunted. Single bulls are common and the quality excellent.

The bull we took was an old warrior with massive weight to his horns and well in to the mid 40's. Unfortunately we lost him after the shot and found his carcass a couple of days later but the skin was ruined.

My son Ben showing off another excellent bull from the skinning shed along with an exceptional Reedbuck

Typical Kasonso evening

Nice one, Andrew. Well done, mate

Next up Sitatunga

Very interesting! Thanks for posting Andrew.

Impressive.

Dave

First class as always Andrew and congratulations to the hunter!

Great report so far.

Andrew if the Cuturi's keep up this level of anti poaching how long will it take the buffalo to come back?

It was a true honor to hunt the recently reopened Kasonso concession. For the first time in our hunting careers, my wife could not accompany me on this safari, so I invited my good friend. This was his first safari and only my 8th safari, so I am still just learning.

And I’ve learned that I love Zambia.

I cannot add or improve on Andrew’s writing or photography, so I will not attempt to do so. For the gun nuts on this forum (all of us?!!) I will only mention the rifle battery. My friend used one of my rifles, and I decided to take the same three that I used with Andrew on Royal Kafue back in 2015:

Dakota Safari in 404 Jeffery
Dakota Classic Deluxe in 35 Whelen
Ruger Express in 7mm Rem. Mag.

I really like taking a 20, 30, & 40 caliber (3) rifle battery on safari. The classic small, medium and large bore. With two people and two gun cases, it is no problem to take three rifles.

Thanks again to Andrew for an amazing safari!


Surefire7

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:
It was a true honor to hunt the recently reopened Kasonso concession. For the first time in our hunting careers, my wife could not accompany me on this safari, so I invited my good friend. This was his first safari and only my 8th safari, so I am still just learning.

And I’ve learned that I love Zambia.

I cannot add or improve on Andrew’s writing or photography, so I will not attempt to do so. For the gun nuts on this forum (all of us?!!) I will only mention the rifle battery. My friend used one of my rifles, and I decided to take the same three that I used with Andrew on Royal Kafue back in 2015:

Dakota Safari in 404 Jeffery
Dakota Classic Deluxe in 35 Whelen
Ruger Express in 7mm Rem. Mag.

I really like taking a 20, 30, & 40 caliber (3) rifle battery on safari. The classic small, medium and large bore. With two people and two gun cases, it is no problem to take three rifles.

Thanks again to Andrew for an amazing safari!


Surefire7

Pleasure Surefire7 and it won't be the last.

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:
Great report so far.

Andrew if the Cuturi's keep up this level of anti poaching how long will it take the buffalo to come back?

There are some large herds wheeling in and out of the Park. However the photographic operators need to do there bit in the Park and sadly their contributions are lacking. The buff are returning and we came across lots of dagga boys which is a healthy sign. Ntengu I am sure will keep us updated.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:
Great report so far.

Andrew if the Cuturi's keep up this level of anti poaching how long will it take the buffalo to come back?

There are some large herds wheeling in and out of the Park. However the photographic operators need to do there bit in the Park and sadly their contributions are lacking. The buff are returning and we came across lots of dagga boys which is a healthy sign. Ntengu I am sure will keep us updated.

Hearing the African Parks deal to manage the KNP is very close.

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:
Great report so far.

Andrew if the Cuturi's keep up this level of anti poaching how long will it take the buffalo to come back?

There are some large herds wheeling in and out of the Park. However the photographic operators need to do there bit in the Park and sadly their contributions are lacking. The buff are returning and we came across lots of dagga boys which is a healthy sign. Ntengu I am sure will keep us updated.

Hearing the African Parks deal to manage the KNP is very close.

Good news

Thanks for the report. It’s very interesting. What’s the story on their Sitatunga hunting?

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
Thanks for the report. It’s very interesting. What’s the story on their Sitatunga hunting?

Thats coming up next

The swamps of Kasonso and northern Busanga are dank and foreboding. These sodden marshes abound in dangerous game which are well suited to their watery environment. Brimming with enormous crocodiles and countless Hippo these swamps cannot be entered and the hunting for Sitatunga is done on the periphery. From the safety of a machan it is interesting to view the wildlife circus below. However Sitatunga are many here and the Kasonso swamps are rich in Lechwe and Puku. Daggaboys wade from one resting place to another and always out of reach of us mere mortals.







Here we were to fly camp and our chosen method of hunting was rise early and at very first light slowly walk the twisting reed banks of this wetland. If Leopard were hunting the same swamps you saw nothing. Once they departed the Sitatunga would gather again on the grassy verges and it was here one morning we found our trophy bull and took him at fairly close quarters off some rickety sticks. To my horror we watched the bull sink beneath the grass and disappear. The trackers managed to find a crossing and we covered them as they negotiated the swamp in front of us. Hippos rushed about to our right and who knows what lay beneath. I fully expected never to see our trophy again and it was with great elation when the tracker Stanford lifted horns from beneath the watery grave. And what a beauty he was. Large bodied and thick neck his working horn shorter than the other tipped with ivory. It was to be the highlight of the safari.

Excellent Sitatunga, congratulations!

Nice report and congrats to Surefire7

Cheers
J&J

Andrew;

Well done as usual! Congrats to Surefire!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Kosonso was my first steps in Africa, my first African hunt in 1998.. Even then had to deal with crooked operator and a crooked PH that at one time was world renown.. Poaching was everywhere, game scarce but what you did see was quality.. A client got stomped to death by a young bull ele while buff hunting in some thick jess while passing through it with his PH only a few miles from us, I alway's wondered if it was the same young bull that charged our Rover from out of nowhere while we were driving into camp. Loaned our Rover for a local that got gored while knocking at a buff bull with 30-06 FMJ's My 1st Lion roar on my 1st night. Sounded mere yards away to my aching ear drums. PH swore it was quarter mile away at least.. I'd give anything to go back..

Outstanding stuff there! Great stuff!

.

Thanks for sharing Andrew. Nice to hear these good news stories.

Some excellent trophies and a great conservation success story. Well done gentlemen.

Were those Cookson's Wildebeest perchance?

That's awesome....
It's a bit like the Okavango Delta which sadly none of us will likely ever hunt again..
Wonderful to see such incredible areas coming back

quote:

Originally posted by MopaneMike:
Kosonso was my first steps in Africa, my first African hunt in 1998.. Even then had to deal with crooked operator and a crooked PH that at one time was world renown.. Poaching was everywhere, game scarce but what you did see was quality.. A client got stomped to death by a young bull ele while buff hunting in some thick jess while passing through it with his PH only a few miles from us, I alway's wondered if it was the same young bull that charged our Rover from out of nowhere while we were driving into camp. Loaned our Rover for a local that got gored while knocking at a buff bull with 30-06 FMJ's My 1st Lion roar on my 1st night. Sounded mere yards away to my aching ear drums. PH swore it was quarter mile away at least.. I'd give anything to go back..

You will be amazed at the transformation and the revival is well under way. The game is relaxed and the populations steadily rising. I would bet my bottom dollar that world records will be broken here in the near future.

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:
Some excellent trophies and a great conservation success story. Well done gentlemen.

Were those Cookson's Wildebeest perchance?

No mate they are Blue and the bulls were scattered throughout the concession and seemingly at random. You would find them in most unusual places and some very impressive trophies indeed. We took an old bull offhand at a few yards along as seam of long grass and the tracking hunt was equal to any buffalo I have taken. Really fine hunting.

Some great trophies. Really enjoyed the pics and writeup as well. Felt like I was there.

Hunted there in 1983. Zambia Safaris.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana1:
Hunted there in 1983. Zambia Safaris.

I’m guessing those were good days?

Wow Andrew, you never cease to amaze, nor you Surefire, what a great story and hunt!

Five Star!

Surefire7 had been quite specific about the buffalo he was looking for and has taken a number of good solid heads in the past. His desire was for something of width and low sweeping horns.

During our safari the herds kept to the Park but there were many bulls knocking around which we passed up and most being in the mid to high thirties. One morning we walked up two bulls and one very heavy beast looked as if he would make the mark but was informed by the game scout he was on the Park boundary and therefore could not risk a shot.





We hunted three old bulls that habituated a specific dambo as one looked to be very good but they typically holed up in an expansive thicket during daylight hours and were impossible to approach. There are other areas in Zambia that hold better buffalo and we will try again in the future. The buffalo numbers are increasing in Kasonso but it will be some years before the great herds mass again in thousands but the revival has started.





The first picture is of my son Ben holding a skull of a cracking dagga boy. Ben is now working for Ntengu safaris in Kasonso which makes me proud. The Baldry's have now become an integral part of the Kasonso revival process.