I just completed my first safari in Tanzania with Pierré van Tonder Safaris. My PH was Clinton van Tonder and I discovered buffalo hunting. I may be hooked for life.

This was a safari with a lot of ups, and a couple of downs tailor-made to test one's ability to keep a positive attitude. At check-in in Amsterdam I got upgraded to business class (I was in heaven) but when we got to Dar: no rifle or ammunition (I was no longer in heaven). With the charter to the Selous leaving next morning I figured I would have to hunt with one of the rifles in camp. Too bad about the Duane Wiebe 404 Jeffery and my fastidiously prepared Barnes TSX tipped ammo. But a plan was made, I left some cash in Dar, and my rifle and ammo made it to camp only one day later than I.

On that first rifle-less day I decided to test shoot a 375 H&H with minimal eye relief on the scope belonging to another hunter. I got seriously scoped for the first time in my life, opening up a very nice gash between the eyes. This was thought to be pretty hilarious of course and pictures were taken, I may even post one.

But first impressions: the camp is situated on a beautiful site overlooking the Great Ruaha river. Hippo all over the place, big crocs basking in the sun, waterbuck prancing around; it truly is paradise on earth. The camp staff is impeccable, the food very, very good and the bar is only two steps away, although yelling for Jackson will get you a cold one without having to actually move your body.

But what you really want is pictures. In the order taken:












It is possible to fold a buffalo to get him into the Land Cruiser.



I didn't realize I would have to walk a really long way to catch up with the buff. Clinton, when I asked, said he calculated we walked about 50 km total on our different stalks. I'm still debating whether getting a buff on the first day would be a good thing. If we had, I would never have discovered just how much fun crawling around in burnt grass and getting munched by tse-tse and ants can be. I also learned that I'm not very good a crawling with a rifle going downhill face first, usually using my face as one of the four points in contact with the ground.

The two trackers hunting with Clinton were exceptional, not only as trackers but as just plain fun to hunt with with. Below are Kinky and Johnny Masai (real names Kingui and Mbijani).



They are both also very accomplished pyromaniacs, setting fire to at least a 100 hectares in the time I spent with them, probably more.

The food was so consistently good I had to take a look at the cook and the kitchen. Here is Moses in his high tech lab:



It is truly amazing that he can produce the meals he does with a couple of skillets and some charcoal.

Day in and day out Clinton van Tonder got me on game, worked himself and his trackers for as long as I could keep up, making me feel like I was hunting with a friend who just happened to have been raised to be a PH in the Selous. We were non-stop in hunting, as well as in joking around and having a general good time. I can't say enough good things about him.



And at the end of the day, when you just want to sit down and have a cold one, you get this:



Now, there was one little incident on the last day. The charter taking me and another hunter out (with both of us waving goodbye from the windows) crashed on take-off. It is still, I am quite sure, sitting about 50 meters beyond the end of the airstrip where the friction of the African bush finally stopped us.

Very nice. I did not have my duffel bag, ammo, or guns for 8 of 10 days last year so I know what you are going through. Great trip, would love to hear more and see more pics.

Nice animals, grand adventure. Good on you.

Gotta love the pyromaniacs. Nice report

Looks like you had a great adventure. Thanks for sharing.


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Wink, I was in that same camp 4 years ago. Great area. Moses is still cooking up a storm, I see? That was one of my best hunts...love the Selous.

We were there in '06. Glad to see Moses still there, if I recall correctly, he trained in Paris. It is truly amazing, the gourmet meals he can turn out on fairly primitive equipment! We loved the camp and the Hippos grunted us to sleep every night. My wife cried when we left!
Come on though, you have to tell us all the details on the crash!!!!

Tanzania is a wonderful place! Congrats on a good hunt.

Beautiful pictures, thanks!

Wink,
Well done & congrats on your splendid trophies!

I love your description of Clinton as "making me feel like I was hunting with a friend who
just happened to have been raised to be a PH in the Selous"

You know it was a great safari after hearing that!
Jim

Congratulations and thanks for a great report and photos.


Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, but I'm not sure if that applies to take offs as well.

Regards
H

Hot damn Wink, you are full of surprises. Now you know why I love the camp.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by lee440:
WMy wife cried when we left!
Come on though, you have to tell us all the details on the crash!!!!

I know very little about aircraft, but it was a small 4 seater, with two seats occupied by the pilot and copilot. As we started down the runway, picking up speed, and at just the moment that you could feel the lift pick up the plane, the engine refused to go any faster. The pilot brought us down pretty hard, on one wheel thereby creating a nice bounce to one wing, bounce to other effect with the accompanying swerving from one side of the airstrip to the other. Being at the end of the runway of course meant that we continued on into the bush where the plane finally stopped. No one injured and we jumped out as fast as possible hoping the plane wouldn't catch fire.

Pierré always asks his clients to make suggestions about how to improve his operation. I'm going to suggest an additional 100 meters to the airstrip.

Excellent Impala for the Selous well done all around.

Wow, close call on the plane incident! This report is incomplete without a picture of the crtashed plane

Not suggesting this is what happened in this case BUT too many clients and operators overlook the quality of the charter companies they use! Perhaps to save a few 100 $$?

quote:

Originally posted by Bwanamich:
Excellent Impala for the Selous well done all around.

Wow, close call on the plane incident! This report is incomplete without a picture of the crtashed plane

Not suggesting this is what happened in this case BUT too many clients and operators overlook the quality of the charter companies they use! Perhaps to save a few 100 $$?

Fuel quality, maintenance and pilot error, not necessarily in that order.

AS they say " apicture is worth a thousand words" and your photo's tell a wonderful story.
We all pick special moments in a Safari that stay with us, not much risk the one that will stay in your mind!!!

My tendency to exaggerate leads me to think that I should have called this a "forced landing" rather than a crash. The pilot seemed to be in control to me and we all walked away from it.

As for taking pictures after the fact, my camera and all other gear were left on the plane, which we did not approach on pilot's advice. Luggage and other gear were off-loaded by the pilot and placed in the plane sent to pick us up, so I didn't have a camera with me. I'm going to bet that the hunters who stayed in camp will have taken some photos which I will try to get when they finish their 21 day safari.

I've been in that camp three times. It is first class, for sure! Lots of buffalo and other game.... I'm glad you had a great time and got wonderful trophies.... all of which you'd have never gotten without my boxes, of course!

The bush plane company is Tanzan Air. A very reputable air company. http://www.tanzanair.com/



cessna 206


the airstrip

Congrats Wink.......Isn't Tanzania a Hoot!! I have never had the privilege of hunting there, but have been throughout the country on many occasions. Your report was great. Glad you had a wonderful hunt.

Wink. Sounds like you earned your Buffalo
Congratultions on the Safari
Glad everyone walked away from the "crash"

quote:

Pierré always asks his clients to make suggestions about how to improve his operation. I'm going to suggest an additional 100 meters to the airstrip.

ROFL!!!

Glad you had an interesting safari Wink... hell the trip that goes 100% right with all animals shot on the first stalk and where nothing breaks down, leaves one bereft of any exciting "adventures" to bore others with around a fire ring for the 78th time! And the trip where everything goes 100% wrong has one flirting with repressed suicidal tendencies! Looks like yours ended up a "Goldilocks Safari", not too hot, not too cold and enough stories to retell until your too old to remember them!

Well done!

Thanks for the report

Wink;

Congratulations (for surviving the plane crash) and taking some beautiful trophies.

Your photos are excellent.

Best regards, D. Nelson

Durn the camera to take pictures of the wreckage.
I would have needed fresh pants & underwear!

Very nice!

quote:

Originally posted by matt u:
Wink. Sounds like you earned your Buffalo
Congratultions on the Safari
Glad everyone walked away from the "crash"

Amen!

We flew in on a much bigger plane...like 10 seats or so. We had a group of 4, maybe that was the difference.

This was a controlled crash.

Biebs here is the bigger plane.

Very nice hunt Wink

The cold Kili at sunset over the Great Ruaha brought back memories of the three times I have hunted with Pierre. It surely doesn't get any better than that. Thanks for the report and memories.

Mike, that's it. Plenty of room and lift with that one.

Looks like a phenomenal trip - congrats...

Great photos and stories Wink, thanks! I take it your 404 got there in time for the buffalo? As far as suggestions to Pierre, instead of the added cost of 100 meters of runway, I'd just make sure those "pilots" know the differences between V1, V2 and V crit! They should have known that plane wasn't going to take off WAY before you ran out of runway!

In the "never too old to learn a lesson" category:



You can imagine how it feels when this is from the first shot you take on a safari. The picture is a little blurry because Pierré was laughing too hard to hold the camera steady. I'm lucky it didn't break my glasses since I had forgotten to bring a second pair.

One of the other advantages of being the client and having the responsibility of preparing a photographic record is that you get to watch everybody strain their backs and pop tendons while you take pictures.

Congrats, Wink! Great animals.

And I'm certainly glad that the scope hurt you more than the airplane crash!

Congratulations William, splendid trophies and some marking experiences, the recipe for fond memories. I hope the ambiance was as warm as at Jaco's.
I am amazed at your new d'Artaganan look, You look quiet different, may be too serious.
!felicitations mon ami

Jean-Bernard,

You just haven't been keeping up with current events. I've been wearing my "serious" disguise for a few years (see link below):

http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/9851035311

In fact, I think you need to start going to the Rambouillet Game Fair again. I ran into Pierré van Tonder in April and it was quite a surprise since I didn't know he now had an agent in France. In fact, the agent lives near Strasbourg if you want to meet that person. PM me if interested.

Wink< I love that leupold loop. Also, who is that long haired tracker?

Mike

I would like to mention that I shot my Duane Wiebe made 404 Jeffery, on its first hunting safari. I loaded my own Norma Brass with Barnes TSX 400 grain bullets at 2,250 fps. The Hartebeest, the Zebra, the Impala and the Baboon were all one shot kills and the bullets went through and were not recovered. I shot 3 shots into the Buff and all were recovered. While the first shot might have been fatal, the PH said, "Hit him again" and I gladly obliged. There was of course the insurance shot after the death bellow. At least that's how I remember it. Two had perfect mushrooms and still weigh 400 grains (100% retention) and one was missing three of the petals and now weighs 354 grains. This last bullet probably went through the spine. I am very happy with the performance of the Barnes TSX bullet in the 404 Jeffery.