Hunter: Ali Hakim
Safari area: Tondwa GMA (Northern Zambia)
Safari operator: Muchinga Adventures
PH : Abie Duplooy
Tracker : Kabwe
Camp: Lake Tondwa
Rifle: 300 winmag/ammo: 170grain tielmantels from GECO
Hunt dates : 26th August- 8th of September 2016
Game on quota: Sitatunga, Sable, Roan, Puku, Reed buck, Livingston Eland, blue/common Duiker, Warthog, Bush pig, Yellow back baboons
Game hunted : Sitatunga, Sable, Puku, Reed buck

I have been to Africa a few times, hunting cats, buffalo, and various antelopes, but my experience of hunting in Northern Zambia was totally different. My mainstay was Sitatunga and Sable. I had been requesting Muchinga adventures for an additional tag of Sitatunga, and being a return client, they managed to get me an additional tag. Was extremely lucky to get this additional animal as there is always a scarcity of these tags, especially in the area where I was hunting.

My daughter accompanied me on this trip; her first ever to Africa. This of course made it a very special trip for me. Our journey commenced in Karachi, and via Dubai we flew into Lusaka on an Emirates flight.



Our passport control and my weapon clearance was a breeze as it was very professionally managed by my safari operator. We stayed the night with Muchinga Adventure in their personal guest suite in Lusaka, before taking off for Nkamba bay in a charter flight the next morning. We flew out on a Baron; and since I have flown with this charter company Proflight a few times, it was not hard to recognize that it was the same Baron that I had used on my previous visits to Zambia.



The flight time to Nkamba bay was a little over 2 hours. Flying on a clear day, the vistas were gorgeous. We landed on a very basic strip that caters to hunters and tourists who are visiting Nkamba bay and Lake Tanganyka. We were picked up at the strip by Abie Duplooy, my PH for this safari.







The drive from the airstrip to Camp took about 3 hours. On the way we passed through the Nsumbu national park, where there were intermittent sightings of Pukus and the yellow back Baboons. It was a dirt road, but for the most part not a terrible ride. On the way we passed by lake Tanganyka, the second largest fresh water Lake in the world. We stopped by for photographs, and one just has to see it to appreciate the magnificence of this lake. On one side the lake touches the Congo and on the other, Tanzania.





We reached camp at around 3 in the afternoon, and after settling into our chalets, we headed off to the dining area for a snack. For such an amazingly remote place, the arrangements were very nice. The generously stacked pantry and fridge were very welcoming after the long road trip.
The camp site was located right on the edge of Lake Tondwa. For a very remote camp site, I was pleasantly surprised that the chalets had been sealed in such a way, using special plastic sheets, that they were literally impervious to mosquitoes, and all other kinds of insects and critters. The chalets had en suite toilet and shower facilities, with hot and cold running water on demand, which was extremely comforting. The usual laundry service by the efficient camp staff, who regularly serviced our boots as well after walking through the muck in the swamps, really made a difference. Three pairs of change clothes and two pairs of boots is all what we really needed.

Late in the afternoon on the day we arrived, I went out with Abie to do a final check on my rifle. I have hunted with Abie a few times in the past. Besides being one of the most senior and proficient PH’s in Zambia, he is an amazing host. There really is not a dull moment with him, whether you are in camp or out hunting. I can vouch for him as I’ve sat for many 6 to 7 hour sessions with him in Lion and Leopard blinds/Machans.











The hunting concession was huge, around 400 square kilometers. There was no way we could have covered the whole area driving. On the one side there were dense Bracestecia forests, and on the other a lot of open plains and two lakes, which were Sitatunga habitat. Lake Tondwa was definitely less dense than Lake Kaku, which seemed to have impenetrable papyrus thickets. Beyond Lake Tondwa, and partly surrounding the forest area, were hills. The hunting concession extended beyond the hills, but to get across there were no roads. Hence we had to travel close to a 100 kilometers to circumvent and get across to the plains on the other side, where there was a possibility of hunting Roan. Not very far from camp were scattered, abandoned, makeshift huts which were used in the off season by the locals to fish in Lake Tondwa.

As we were right towards the end of winter, some trees had still not started sprouting. Was just a very different experience from hunting in the Mopani forests of Luangwa.















The Stitatunga hunts were a real experience. Abie had a couple of scouts posted on both the lakes to try and ascertain when and exactly where these elusive, yet very territorial, shootable bulls were foraging. The lakes were scattered with Machans, some new and some from yester years. We used them for scouting bulls early mornings and late afternoons, but frankly speaking it was a chore getting up those makes shift contraptions, especially after wading through the swamps. On the first day of the hunt I shot a very nice Puku, around 17 inches. Although I have shot Pukus in Luangwa, the sheer numbers of these antelopes in the plains was overwhelming. Their numbers could well be attributed to the fact that there were really no predators in the area. There was an occasional sighting of Reedbucks as well, but they were amazingly skittish. During the 8 days I was there, I managed two Pukus and a Reed buck on the plains. For some reason my Reed buck photograph got deleted; it was a nice 12 inch ram.

















On the evening of day 2, our scouts had spotted a shootable Sitatunga bull, which they correctly assumed would bed for the night in a spot they had earmarked. Early next morning, in the dark, we started wading through the swamp in Lake Tondwa, and came upon a small clearing after floundering for a good 20 minutes. A magnificent pair became visible around 150 yards, right around first light. The morning cold and the wet ambience were soon behind us as the shooting sticks were put up. Once Abie determined that the bull was a shooter, he gave me the go ahead. The bull was totally unaware of our presence, and was busy foraging with its back towards me. It is not easy in the tall grass, especially when it seems that the animal is somehow walking away from you. Then came the moment of truth when it turned and was quartering towards me. My heart-lung shot swiftly bought it down and had the Sitatunga cow hurling away from us in a hurry. It was a nice bull, slightly short of 24 ¼ inches, which is a typical bull that is taken in this area.





We wasted no time and started planning for the next bull the same day. Abie and I began scouting Lake Kaku, the second lake in the area, very intently. This lake was a serious chore to navigate. The stories about the big crocs in this swamp were not exactly comforting either, when one had to wade through the thick papyrus to get to the machans. Every once in a while we would spot a transient Sitatunga in the distance, whilst trying to figure out how to get close enough to it. On the 6th day our tracker insisted that we go on a canoe in Lake Tondwa, as our camp staff who were intermittently scouting for us, had seen a big bull on the other side, from where I had shot the first bull.

Being into serious wing shooting, which has always been my passion, I was going nuts watching the huge flocks of various water fowl pass over us, right by Lake Tondwa, every day. There was a shot gun in camp and I was quite tempted to have a go, but in the better interest of not disturbing the Sitatunga population in the lake, became a silent observer. There were always flocks of Spurwing geese, Pygmi geese, the onomatopoeic White faced whistling teal, the Red billed teal and the Hotentot Teal, besides the various species of snipes, and Egrets. Guinea fowl, Francolins, common Grouse, besides my favorite raptor the Battelier eagle, and the white backed vultures, were seen in plenty. This was certainly a hot spot for someone photographing birds.

















We got into Lake Tondwa around early afternoon. The vistas were unbelievable, and so were the flora and fauna. From various water fowl amidst the omnipresent water Lilies, to a lazy Hippo in the far distance, we enjoyed it all. The open spans of the glistening clear water were approached through some seriously tall grass, which basically was very thick on the peripheries, and was also present in sizable patches in the Lake. This was some serious Sitatunga habitat. After maneuvering for an hour, Abie finally saw the first glimpse, of what he excitedly conveyed as “a frickin huge bull”. We were all excited and slowly started stalking it at a distance. It would disappear in the tall grass ever so often, and literally the only time it was visible was when could see the tips of its horns or a portion of its head. An Egret riding on its back is what really our beacon in this stalk was. After going after it for another hour and some, we came to this point where our canoe could go no further in the tall grass. Abie and I got into the waist deep water and I was on his shooting sticks in a flash; which were seriously askew in the swamp. Abie had the bull in his sight at all times and when I finally had him in my cross hairs, he reckoned it was at a 180 some yards. It was not the easiest target as all I could literally see were the horns, face and a portion of the neck. As I was contemplating where to shoot it, the big bull turned its head exposing the back of it neck. I had my cross on the center of the nape of its neck as I pulled the trigger. A very unconventional shot, but what mattered was that it went down without much ado. What a relief it was as Kabwe jumped into the swamp and rushed to where the bull had fallen. He was ecstatic when he got to it. When he did haul the bull to the canoe, Abie was extremely pleased. According to him it was the biggest Sitatunga that he had ever shot with a client; and he has seriously hunted many over his decades as a professional hunter. The bull was loaded into our canoe and we headed off to the shore, where the rest of our entourage was waiting. The hooves of the Sitatunga are unique, unlike any other antelope. They are built to maneuver the swamps, but on dry land they probably would not be functional, which is why these animals are rarely seen on dry land.

Umfumu Yamanzi (in the local Nyanja language), or the king of the Water, is what the locals call this magnificent animal. In Africa, the Lion, the Leopard, and the Sitatunga attract a big celebration in camp. The entire camp staff conducted a singing and dancing session when we arrived into camp. Was great fun, as I chilled and reminisced about my cat hunting expeditions and the celebrations that followed.

















We came across plenty of Sable during the mid day sessions in the forests and the late afternoon expeditions in the more open plains. When the wind was right, we would crawls up to a 150 yds from them. An extremely skittish antelope, they would disappear as soon as the wind would turn. We saw a couple of good bulls in the herds that we came across, but either they were at a crazy distance or would not let us come with shooting distance. On the 5th day we spotted a herd in a thick Bracestecia forest and started tracking them. Abie spotted a very nice bull in the herd, and was on to it right away. We tracked the herd, which was foraging, yet moving away from us. Then came a point when they stopped, and Abies shooting sticks went up. The big bull was standing with its head obscured by a tree, about hundred and fifty yards away, but its shoulder was cleanly exposed. The shot basically knocked the bull over, but it got up in a hurry and ran into a thicket as if nothing had happened. I confirmed to Abie that the shot felt good, and as per a general consensus we decided to wait for 20 minutes before going after the animal. This was to allow it to bed itself, instead of running off in any which direction, in case the shot placement was not up to par. The beautiful Sable bull was not even 50 yards from where I shot it, when we found it. A really old bull with its horns seriously worn down. Even in its worn down state the horns measured to 43.5 inches.















I do regret not getting the Blue Duiker and the Roan, as I had to rush back home on the eight day due some urgent work. Did try shooting a blue duiker sitting in a blind near a small water hole, where they were often spotted. Did see a pair in a distance, very momentarily; never got a shot. The size of this duiker could be compared to a large sized rabbit.



The last evening was spent chilling out by a bonfire, admiring the sunset. The pungent smoke from a patch of burning grass in the far distance was palpable. It was a brilliant evening. The next morning, it was a good 3 hour ride back to the airstrip. We flew back to Lusaka with one of my favorite pilots, Rupert, who has flown me on numerous occasions in the Zambian bush.











A must visit hunting destination if one is looking for a great Sitantunga and Sable hunt

Mr Hakim,

JUST AWESOME!!

Congrats. Love the second sitatunga horn config. You had much more water than when I was there end of Oct! I was able to walk to those machan without getting my feet wet.

And what a PROPER sable!!

Thanks skip, look forward to your report and photographs

Great pictures and some fantastic trophies! Well done.

Great photos and hunt.

Thank you for sharing you hunt and wonderful photos.

JIm

Ali,

Very nice! Beautiful sitatunga. Laura sent me the pic shortly after your hunt. Lovely photos of the area and nice report. Tondwa is a special destination indeed.

Mark

perfect horn shape! Congrats

Congrats... I enjoyed your pics and report!

Hell of a sitatunga and Sable.

Very nice write up!

Looks like Tondwa produced again. Lovely sable as well!

Great hunt and great pictures!
Congratulations!

Excellent! Thanks for posting.

Steve

Great report and exceptional photos. The second Sitatunga is a classical African trophy, welldone. You are a lucky man to Share this adventure with your daughter, awesome stuff.

Really enjoyed your very well done report and great pictures, seems like a great time and that second sitatunga is a monster! Congratulations to you and your daughter on this great experience, and thanks for sharing it with us!

Ali, as usual, great report and great hunt, specially your one Sitatunga is enormous, keep it up good hunts all over continents!.
Regards IH

I really enjoyed your report. And, having hunted with Abie and flown with Rupert (he even videod our black lechwe hunt) I know you had to have many laughs and great hunting!!!

Wonderful trophies!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Thanks for posting your report, it's always great to see kids involved. That second Sitatungu is something special.

Beautiful trophies. Congrats.

That second Sitatunga is a STUD! Congratulations.