Had a great hunt with Dingwall Safaris in L1 in the Selous in October 06. I took my old dugga the first day and my partner took his on the 6th day.
The tent camp, which was well organized/staffed and very clean, was located on a beautiful river in the L1 concession. We flew into Joberg with an overnight at Afton Guest House. I like the Joberg route using SSA as there is no hassel with guns other than the in-transit registration which I had prepared all the letters and forms in advance with the other 3 hunters. We completed gun registration in less than 30 miunites and went to the Afton House for overnight. Afton took us back to airport the next morning where we took the SSA flight to Dar. We where met at the airport by Dingwall's rep. who made sure our guns were checked guickly and permits issued that had been prepared in advance. He then took us over to our charter via minibus to the commercial terminal that is adjacent to the international airport. We took off on the charter and were in the air less than one hour after arriving in DAR and after a one hour flight we landed on the L1 strip that is located about 45 minutes from camp. Everything went like clock work and we were in camp by 5:00 PM. Food at camp was excellent. We had a packed lunch each day as we stayed out in the bush to hunt at noon and the buffalo tounge sandwiches were especially good for lunch. We were into buffalo every day and lots of dugga boy sign was present whereever we went. We saw some herds but since I do not like to hunt herds we concentrated on the duggas. Total cost of hunt for each hunter 2X1 was $7700. This included charter on 12 PAX Caravan aircraft, trophy fee for one buffalo each, dip and pack, daily rates, and all gov fees plus were able to take five species of plans game. Cliff Bryant and I took two buffalo , one L. Heartebeest and one Nyasa Wildebeest. additional plains game avialable on the hunt are: 2 x Wildebeest 1X Zebra, 1X Warthog, 1X L. Hartebeest and 1X Impala. Any one interested in booking a hunt in 2007/08 should contact via email: hunting@dingwallsafaris.com or call 804-586-1698 for brochures, references, etc.
Here are some photos of the two buffalo Cliff Bryant and I took with Gary Hopkins as our PH. We had a great hunt and I have included some picts of the camp and a very nice L. Heartebeest I harvested.
Take a look at the last photo of the old boy I harvested. He was over 16 years old and has a lot of charater in the old gizzled face and is a great trophy with his very large bosses.
IMG]http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u136/jdemby/buffaloheadshot001resized.jpg[/IMG]

OK where are the pictures and story?

Is Dingwall owned by Gary Hopkins? If so, based on my experience with him, the only thing holding you back would be the area itself. Gary hunted me from daylight to dark in pursuit of my varied list of game. Never complained, never tried to get me to take a day off, just worked his tail off. I have complete confidence in him as a PH. Has he branched out to Tanzania and left Zim completely?

Len Hawkins

Yes Garry runs Dingwall along with Don Bower they have branched out to Tanzania Selous buying quota animals in block L1. Garry has not completely forsaken Zimbabwe.

I am hunting the the L1 with dingwall in september. Gary will be our PH, so give us some more info and pics. PLEASE!!!!!!!

I have just completed the website for Dingwall. I have booked hunts for Gary Hopkins for several years when he hunted Makuti and last year when he went to hunt in Tanzania with Don Bowers. Gary is a partner now with Don. You can check the website out on this link www.dingwallsafaris.com. Email me at hunting@dingwallsafaris.com and I will send you photos of my hunt, the camp etc. I took a 76 year old Professor from Virginia Tech to hunt with me that had trouble walking and seeing and Gary made sure he got a very nice dugga boy also. Gary is an outstanding PH and works very hard to ensure you have a great hunt. The company is owned by Don Bowers an American. Don is also a very good PH and has lived in Africa for several years not. They run a first class operation! Gary is also doing some bull elephant hunts in the Tshlotsho Safari Area which borders Hwange Nat. Park before the hunting season starts in Tanzania (1 March to 15 June). As you know there are near Bulawayo also that has been reduced to $7000 all inclusive and the hunter can expect to take a 40 + sable.

Sorry the information got cut off on the sable hunt package in my last post-
We still have a 10 day sable package on the Dingwall Ranch near Bulawayo that has been reduced to $7000 all inclusive and the hunter can expect to take a 40 + sable. Hunts dates for this hunt would be the first 10 days of June and Gary will do the hunt.
Thanks,

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Demby:
I have just completed the website for Dingwall. I have booked hunts for Gary Hopkins for several years when he hunted Makuti and last year when he went to hunt in Tanzania with Don Bowers. Gary is a partner now with Don. You can check the website out on this link www.dingwallsafaris.com. Email me at hunting@dingwallsafaris.com and I will send you photos of my hunt, the camp etc. I took a 76 year old Professor from Virginia Tech to hunt with me that had trouble walking and seeing and Gary made sure he got a very nice dugga boy also. Gary is an outstanding PH and works very hard to ensure you have a great hunt. The company is owned by Don Bowers an American. Don is also a very good PH and has lived in Africa for several years not. They run a first class operation! Gary is also doing some bull elephant hunts in the Tshlotsho Safari Area which borders Hwange Nat. Park before the hunting season starts in Tanzania (1 March to 15 June). As you know there are near Bulawayo also that has been reduced to $7000 all inclusive and the hunter can expect to take a 40 + sable.

wHAT'S THE STORY ON THE BULL ELEPHANTS?

Hey Joe Sounds like you had a good hunt with Dingwall Safaris.
I had numerous hunters in L1 with Dingwalls in 2006.The buffalo hunting with Gary Hopkins and Don Bower was less than I had hoped. All in and done my hunters scored only about 36% kill on permits issued and the size of the bulls were marginal at best. I am hoping for a better year in 2007.
Maybe later in the season was better, but not according the reports I had. My hunters were spread out in the L1 from July 1 til late September. The area was thick and a couple bulls were missed but only one group reported fair numbers on buffalo in the area and that was late July. My last guy in September hunted hard 16 days and did well on other game but never did see a buffalo and was hoping to kill two. Good luck and if you hear of any place that has better buffalo hunting let me know. I will do likewise.

This forum was designed for hunting reports from hunters, not hunt/outfitter advertisements. No-one minds a little advertising in here (outfitters/agents/PHs are hunters too!), but one should at least post a full report...give us some details, pictures, etc.

And, if you are advertising hunts, it is our general policy that you include full details of any offerings here...not just a little bait and a phone number to call for more info.

Cheers,
Canuck

While I know nothing about the mentioned PH's/outfitters, neither have the concession rights to L1 as these are issued to Bright Tours & Safaris Ltd owned by Hashim Othman, Ally Hashim and Thomas Naivasha.

Don, I find it almost unbelievable that in 16 days not a single buff was seen? Could it be they saw young or immature bulls and no hard bossed buff?

All the references I phoned all said the same thing, " Garry Hopkins runs a great camp and will give 100% effort but don't expect to see herds of several hundred buffalo. It just isn't going to happen." Each also told me they killed a bull over 38" with good boss and knew of no one whom hadn't either wounded a buff or killed one.

the Tshlotsho Safari Area is located in the southwest part of Zim. and is a large tribal area that borders appox. 50 miles of Hwange. Big bull go in and out from Hwange also go back and forth from Botswana. Hunters are getting very good bulls there.
The

quote:

Originally posted by AfricanHunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Demby:
I have just completed the website for Dingwall. I have booked hunts for Gary Hopkins for several years when he hunted Makuti and last year when he went to hunt in Tanzania with Don Bowers. Gary is a partner now with Don. You can check the website out on this link www.dingwallsafaris.com. Email me at hunting@dingwallsafaris.com and I will send you photos of my hunt, the camp etc. I took a 76 year old Professor from Virginia Tech to hunt with me that had trouble walking and seeing and Gary made sure he got a very nice dugga boy also. Gary is an outstanding PH and works very hard to ensure you have a great hunt. The company is owned by Don Bowers an American. Don is also a very good PH and has lived in Africa for several years not. They run a first class operation! Gary is also doing some bull elephant hunts in the which borders Hwange Nat. Park before the hunting season starts in Tanzania (1 March to 15 June). As you know there are near Bulawayo also that has been reduced to $7000 all inclusive and the hunter can expect to take a 40 + sable.

wHAT'S THE STORY ON THE BULL ELEPHANTS?

Don: hope all is going well with you. I can only tell you what happened with the hunters I took in and myself. I saw a lot of buffalo when I hunted with Gary Hopkins as did the other two hunters hunting with Don Bowers. We hunted the middle of October and a lot of the grass was burned. As you know the drought had caused some problems but L1 and K4 both have a lot of water and good graze for buffalo. I saw one herd of over 100 animals but I do not like to hunt herds and asked Gary to only hunt duggas. I kille my bull the first day- was a 38.5 in very old bull with large bosses that my partner should have taken but he could not see it at 40 yards so when it spun to run I took it. The other hunter hunting with me on the 2X1 took his bull on the 6th day (he shot a 38" bull out of a group of 4 dugga boys which was the only one he could see and there was a bull in the bunch that was well over 40 inches) but we had several other opportunities before then for him, however he could not see the animals or could not keep up tracking them. There were lots of dugga boy sign though out the concession and I believe I could have killed a good bull every day I was there. As you know last year they only hunted approximately 60% of the concession because roads had not been completed into some of the areas. I understand more roads will be opened up this year and this will open up a lot more of the area for buffalo hunting. Other hunters on lion and loepard were 100% and there is very good plains game in both K4 and L1. If you are not happy with what happened last year you sould go some where else as for me I love to buffalo hunt and plan on going back to L1.

quote:

Originally posted by Don Lietzau:
Hey Joe Sounds like you had a good hunt with Dingwall Safaris.
I had numerous hunters in L1 with Dingwalls in 2006.The buffalo hunting with Gary Hopkins and Don Bower was less than I had hoped. All in and done my hunters scored only about 36% kill on permits issued and the size of the bulls were marginal at best. I am hoping for a better year in 2007.
Maybe later in the season was better, but not according the reports I had. My hunters were spread out in the L1 from July 1 til late September. The area was thick and a couple bulls were missed but only one group reported fair numbers on buffalo in the area and that was late July. My last guy in September hunted hard 16 days and did well on other game but never did see a buffalo and was hoping to kill two. Good luck and if you hear of any place that has better buffalo hunting let me know. I will do likewise.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Demby:
the Tshlotsho Safari Area is located in the southwest part of Zim. and is a large tribal area that borders appox. 50 miles of Hwange. Big bull go in and out from Hwange also go back and forth from Botswana. Hunters are getting very good bulls there.
The

quote:

Originally posted by AfricanHunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Demby:
I have just completed the website for Dingwall. I have booked hunts for Gary Hopkins for several years when he hunted Makuti and last year when he went to hunt in Tanzania with Don Bowers. Gary is a partner now with Don. You can check the website out on this link www.dingwallsafaris.com. Email me at hunting@dingwallsafaris.com and I will send you photos of my hunt, the camp etc. I took a 76 year old Professor from Virginia Tech to hunt with me that had trouble walking and seeing and Gary made sure he got a very nice dugga boy also. Gary is an outstanding PH and works very hard to ensure you have a great hunt. The company is owned by Don Bowers an American. Don is also a very good PH and has lived in Africa for several years not. They run a first class operation! Gary is also doing some bull elephant hunts in the which borders Hwange Nat. Park before the hunting season starts in Tanzania (1 March to 15 June). As you know there are near Bulawayo also that has been reduced to $7000 all inclusive and the hunter can expect to take a 40 + sable.

wHAT'S THE STORY ON THE BULL ELEPHANTS?

Joe, that all the information available? Might as well of told me to go to hell!

Safari and Quilts web site does open for me. Is it shut down?

Please note Canuks post as well.

You ask about Safaris and Quilts, I have closed down the site as my wife is in poor health and we cannot offer the quilts anymore. Go the the www.dingwallsafaris.com and it give you all the info you ask for. Here is the information you ask for the Tshlotosho hunts:Tshlotsho Safari Area- If you want to take a “BIG†bull elephant this is the area to do it! You will hunt a large tribal area that borders approximately 50 miles of Hwange National park located in the Southwestern part of Zimbabwe near the Botswana border. This area contains some of the largest elephant bulls in Africa. Bulls taken in the Tshlotsho Safari (Tribal) Area average well over 50 lbs and are comparable to the large bulls taken in Botswana. A 90+ lb. bull was harvested there in 2006. (Hunting dates- 1 March to 31 November)
Elephant Bull Hunt Package includes: 14 days of hunting 1X1, trophy fee for one bull elephant, and all Government fees (2%) on daily rates and trophy fees, Laundry, meals, local beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks, four wheel drive vehicle transport while hunting, services of a licensed Professional Hunter & safari staff, field preparation of trophies & transport to the local shipper
Costs not included in the daily rate: Insurance of any kind, International travel before and after the safari, taxidermy services or shipping of trophies from Zimbabwe to your destination, All Trophy fees on animals killed or wounded/lost in the field. Required Cities tags $100.00 US per tag, Observer fee $250.00 per day per person. Click on the Impala below to see other game fees available on this hunt. (Hunting dates: 1 March to 31 November- please call or email for specials prices) Game fees for Bull Elephant Hunt in Tshlotsho Safari Area in Zimbabwe

BABOON 50.00
BUFFALO BULL TROPHY 5 000.00
BUFFALO COW TROPHY 1 000.00
BUFFALO NON TROPHY 1000.00
BUSHPIG 100.00
CARACAL 50.00
CIVET CAT 50.00
DUIKER (SOUTHERN) 100.00
ELAND (LIVINGSTON'S) 750.00
ELEPHANT TUSKLESS 3 000.00
GENET CAT 50.00
MONKEY (VERVET) 50.00
SERVAL 100.00
ZEBRA 700.00
GIRAFFE 1 500.00
HYENA (SPOTTED) 500.00
IMPALA (SOUTHERN) 150.00
JACKAL 50.00
KUDU (SOUTHERN GREAT) 600.00
LEOPARD 5 000.00
LION 5 000.00
REEDBUCK (COMMON) 400.00
STEENBUCK 200.00
WARTHOG 100.00
WILDEBEEST 600.00
Required Cities tags USD $100.00 per tag Observer fee USD $250.00 per day per person
email me hunting@dingwallsafaris.com your phone number and I will call to discuss with you or have Gary Hopkins call you as he will be doing the hunts.

quote:

Originally posted by AfricanHunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Demby:
the Tshlotsho Safari Area is located in the southwest part of Zim. and is a large tribal area that borders appox. 50 miles of Hwange. Big bull go in and out from Hwange also go back and forth from Botswana. Hunters are getting very good bulls there.
The

quote:

Originally posted by AfricanHunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Demby:
I have just completed the website for Dingwall. I have booked hunts for Gary Hopkins for several years when he hunted Makuti and last year when he went to hunt in Tanzania with Don Bowers. Gary is a partner now with Don. You can check the website out on this link www.dingwallsafaris.com. Email me at hunting@dingwallsafaris.com and I will send you photos of my hunt, the camp etc. I took a 76 year old Professor from Virginia Tech to hunt with me that had trouble walking and seeing and Gary made sure he got a very nice dugga boy also. Gary is an outstanding PH and works very hard to ensure you have a great hunt. The company is owned by Don Bowers an American. Don is also a very good PH and has lived in Africa for several years not. They run a first class operation! Gary is also doing some bull elephant hunts in the which borders Hwange Nat. Park before the hunting season starts in Tanzania (1 March to 15 June). As you know there are near Bulawayo also that has been reduced to $7000 all inclusive and the hunter can expect to take a 40 + sable.

wHAT'S THE STORY ON THE BULL ELEPHANTS?

Joe, that all the information available? Might as well of told me to go to hell!

Safari and Quilts web site does open for me. Is it shut down?

Please note Canuks post as well.

Canuk will get some photo up and a better description sorry!

quote:

Originally posted by Canuck:
This forum was designed for hunting reports from hunters, not hunt/outfitter advertisements. No-one minds a little advertising in here (outfitters/agents/PHs are hunters too!), but one should at least post a full report...give us some details, pictures, etc.

And, if you are advertising hunts, it is our general policy that you include full details of any offerings here...not just a little bait and a phone number to call for more info.

Cheers,
Canuck

Joe,
Is Keith still hunting with Don ? A partner and I hunted w/him in Sept 05, he worked his ass off for us getting us 3 buffs in tough conditions. That was a man I gladly provided glowing references for ! Hope he's still there.
Bob Enright

Bob: I am not sure about Keith but I will check and let you know. I am glad you had a great hunt in 05, the drought there the last two years has made it a bit harder but L1 is a great place to hunt with topography varying form broad river plains to rolling hills and forrest areas..

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana Bob:
Joe,
Is Keith still hunting with Don ? A partner and I hunted w/him in Sept 05, he worked his ass off for us getting us 3 buffs in tough conditions. That was a man I gladly provided glowing references for ! Hope he's still there.
Bob Enright

Don are you booking for and using the same PH's as Joe? I'm a little confussed has to who hunted with who. Did you mean that only 38% of your hunters you sent to L1 killed a buffalo?

Joe,
Does Keith still work for Don? Back in Sept 05, he worked his ass off for a buddy and I , getting 3 buff under tough conditions. He is a PH I gladly gave glowing references for, hope he's still there !
Bob Enright

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana Bob:
Joe,
Does Keith still work for Don? Back in Sept 05, he worked his ass off for a buddy and I , getting 3 buff under tough conditions. He is a PH I gladly gave glowing references for, hope he's still there !
Bob Enright

Sorry for the double posting.........Bob

Bob
No, Keith Hakes does not work for Dingwall Safaris any longer.

Donato
I did book many hunts for Gary Hopkins for years and did book hunters into Dingwall Safaris in 2006 in L1 , Tanzania. I do not book for them any more. I had 6 hunters booked on safari in 2006 with them and out of all the buffalo permits issued (total of 8 permits to 6 hunters)to my clients the kill percentage was +/- 36%. Keep in mind that all the clients were expecting to take their full bag of buffalo. I know that there is many factors that go into "success percents" that make up a successful season. A couple of shots were missed so you must factor that in as well. My concern is that L1 did come with glowing references on buffalo for 2005 and earler, both in quanity and with some expected quality as far as size. My concern is why the drastic change? Sounds like dry conditions might play a factor, but then there is 2 major rivers that border the area. Grass was high early to mid season, but most of my clients reported a lack of spoor which would seem to indicate not many buffalo in the area. Not sure regarding quality of trophy size but I do know that none of my guys took a bull over 40". The season just did not pan out on buffalo. So, long story short, I am looking for place better for good buffalo hunting so if you here of such a place let me know.

Don: I can only assume based on your falling out with Gary Hopkins and Dingwall that you have an axe to grind here. So I contacted Gary and want to set the record straight so everyone can make up there own mind about L1 and Dingwall as you do not seem to know what acutally happended with your clients on the buffalo so here is the truth. You sent 6 clients this year with 3 hunters getting buff.
The first 2 hunters were at the start of the season, a husband and wife. The wife missed a good buff on the fist day of the safari, her husband could not hunt because he lay in is bed sick from a stomach bug that he contracted while in Dar before the hunt started for the first 4 days of his safari. Dingwall gave him 3 extra hunting days but his condition was severely weakened, and although numerous buff were tracked and stalked no shot was taken by either of these clients.
The second group of your hunters were successful in bagging 2 very respectable bulls and both clients were very happy.
The fifth hunter was actually a lion hunter and a very good friend of Gary's, most of his 16 day lion hunt was invested in taking a good male lion and leopard, buff was hunted for the last couple of days but he did not take a shot, however the client left extremely satisfied with his safari.
The last hunter was on a 1x1 hunt for 10 days, he did take a bull on the last day however during the course of this safari he did take 2 shots at buff. This hunter indicated he was totally satisfied with the safari and is in fact looking at booking for 2008 in the same area.
I hope this answers you questions Don and all those who visit this area.

quote:

Originally posted by Don Lietzau:
Donato
I did book many hunts for Gary Hopkins for years and did book hunters into Dingwall Safaris in 2006 in L1 , Tanzania. I do not book for them any more. I had 6 hunters booked on safari in 2006 with them and out of all the buffalo permits issued (total of 8 permits to 6 hunters)to my clients the kill percentage was +/- 36%. Keep in mind that all the clients were expecting to take their full bag of buffalo. I know that there is many factors that go into "success percents" that make up a successful season. A couple of shots were missed so you must factor that in as well. My concern is that L1 did come with glowing references on buffalo for 2005 and earler, both in quanity and with some expected quality as far as size. My concern is why the drastic change? Sounds like dry conditions might play a factor, but then there is 2 major rivers that border the area. Grass was high early to mid season, but most of my clients reported a lack of spoor which would seem to indicate not many buffalo in the area. Not sure regarding quality of trophy size but I do know that none of my guys took a bull over 40". The season just did not pan out on buffalo. So, long story short, I am looking for place better for good buffalo hunting so if you here of such a place let me know.

You outfitters really should think twice before you come on a public forum and chop each other up and/or talk smack about clients.

You are turning off far more people than you are winning over.....

Joe:

I still don't see a price for the elephant package, except for the "impala" click showing a trophy fee of $5000. The observer is the highest I have ever seen quoted for Zim. Sounds like a Tanzania daily observer fee.

quote:

Elephant Bull Hunt Package includes: 14 days of hunting 1X1, trophy fee for one bull elephant, and all Government fees (2%) on daily rates and trophy fees, Laundry, meals, local beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks, four wheel drive vehicle transport while hunting, services of a licensed Professional Hunter & safari staff, field preparation of trophies & transport to the local shipper
Costs not included in the daily rate: Insurance of any kind, International travel before and after the safari, taxidermy services or shipping of trophies from Zimbabwe to your destination, All Trophy fees on animals killed or wounded/lost in the field. Required Cities tags $100.00 US per tag, Observer fee $250.00 per day per person. Click on the Impala below to see other game fees available on this hunt. (Hunting dates: 1 March to 31 November- please call or email for specials prices) Game fees for Bull Elephant Hunt in Tshlotsho Safari Area in Zimbabwe

the prices for 2007 is $32,500 and you are way behind on observer rates. Russ Broom and others are charging $250 for observers this year.
Thanks,

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Demby:
the prices for 2007 is $32,500 and you are way behind on observer rates. Russ Broom and others are charging $250 for observers this year.
Thanks,

Thanks, sure glad we have options to choose from!!!!!

Silly remark! If you think the price is too high for you then well and good but no need to post a provocation.

African Hunter, I thought your comment about options was right on! Don Bower was one of those options last year when they offered a wonderful hunt in L1 at a great price. They remain competitive and do good work I just feel encouraging other outfitters to raise their daily rates deserves a comment. No offense Bwanamich.