I am seeking input from people who have personal information regarding GM Zambia Safaris and particularly hunting with ph Greg mickelson. I am looking to hunt in the Luangwa Valley.

After reading some very concerning descriptions of problems people have had recently with Zambia I'm trying to collect as much information as I can. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I think it is safe to hunt with anyone who has already gotten his quota.

Check with him if he has.

Saeed, thank you for your response, however pardon my ignorance, what exactly does "...gotten his quota." mean?

By all accounts Greg is a solid ph.

Which GMA are you looking at hunting?

Tommy45

What Game Management Unit on the Luangwa? They are far from equal. I would also ask if he is subcontracting and with whom?

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy45:
Saeed, thank you for your response, however pardon my ignorance, what exactly does "...gotten his quota." mean?

Mark asked a better question.

Everyone, thank you for your input. It is greatly appreciated. I will ask those questions.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Tommy45

What Game Management Unit on the Luangwa? They are far from equal. I would also ask if he is subcontracting and with whom?

Mark

Mark most freelancers will seek quota from numerous operators and as you have stated the quality will vary between prime and depleted areas. From what I have seen Greg prefers to hunt Nyaminga which is owned by Faizal Lulat https://payakakuli.com/

Hello Everyone:

I have two questions. First, I've been informed that the GMA in question is the Upper Lupanda. Does anyone have any personal knowledge of that area? Second, some members have been kind enough to send me some private messages. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts I have not been able to figure out how to respond to those. The private messages I have received have come to my email. When I try to respond by email it appears that my response bounces directly back to me. How does one privately respond directly to the person who sent the message?

Tommy45

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy45:
Hello Everyone:

I have two questions. First, I've been informed that the GMA in question is the Upper Lupanda. Does anyone have any personal knowledge of that area? Second, some members have been kind enough to send me some private messages. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts I have not been able to figure out how to respond to those. The private messages I have received have come to my email. When I try to respond by email it appears that my response bounces directly back to me. How does one privately respond directly to the person who sent the message?

Tommy45

Upper Lupande is CLOSED.

Tommy,

I do have specific knowledge and Upper Lupande does not as of today have an issued quota so nobody should be selling hunts there until all contracts are signed and the quota awarded.

My understanding is that Upper Lupande is a very good area.

Go to Options on your e-mailed AR PM and hit View Post. The PM will come up with a Reply tab at the bottom.

Mark

I would like to thank everyone for all the good information I have received. It has really been of help. It is exactly that type of help that I think makes this the best website there is in connection with hunting matters.

Hi Tommy,

you can find info on areas that are open so far in this post I did

https://forums.accuratereloadi...1411043/m/1611012772

There is good probability that upper Lupande will open this year but don't think it is signed yet.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy45:
I would like to thank everyone for all the good information I have received. It has really been of help. It is exactly that type of help that I think makes this the best website there is in connection with hunting matters.

Thanks, Thor!

I have hunted with Greg on 3 occasions. Great hunter. No BS whatsoever. He tells the truth and doesn’t oversell or over promise.

Thanks, Limit Up.

Hello Everyone:

Since my last post I have done a good amount of research on GM Zambia Safaris & PH Michelson, as well whether the Upper Lupande has been formally awarded.

First, the UL is open. It has been awarded to Muchinga Safaris - John & Laura DuPlooy (whom based on my research have had excellent reputations for no less than several decades). I have also been provided copies documents from ZAWA which state the area has been awarded to Muchinga.

Second, PH Greg Michelson works very closely with the DuPlooys. He gets excellent reviews from former clients as well.

Based upon the foregoing, I have booked a hunt w/ PH Michelson. The hunt begins on June 5, 2024. The hunt will take place from Muchinga's camp.

Please wish me luck & I will provide information on the hunt afterwards.

Cheers,
Tommy45

i wish good hunt and good luck on your hunt.

My first safari in 1994 was with Greg in the midlands of Zimbabwe, he was a pretty good cat man and we were successful on leopard and plenty of plains game.

Hello:

I wanted to share with everyone the extremely successful hunt I had with Greg Michelson of GM Zambia safaris. The hunt took place in early June at the camp of Muchinga Adventures. It is a very nice permanent camp, right on the edge of the Luangwa river in the Upper Lupande GMA. Across the river is the South Luangwa National Park. The camp has a very open and comfortable common area and with large, hard walled chalets and solid wood doors.

Hippos and elephants passed continually thorough camp.Lions were heard roaring close to camp almost every night. One night a lion was very close to camp. I would estimate within a couple of hundred yards. Hence, my appreciation of the solid walls and doors.

I was successful the first day on a great hippo. By day four we had a hyena, a 60" Kudu and two baboons. I would post pictures but I do not know how. Days five and six were spent looking for a very old broken horn, or scrum cap, bull buffalo. We saw a lot of buffalo, but not what we were looking for.

I could not recommend Greg more highly. He is a fantastic PH, extremely knowledgeable and ethical. He does what he says he will do. He is also well read and an excellent conversationalist.

Greg is from Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). If you would like a great history lesson, ask him about the Selous Scouts.

Get to Zambia.

Waiting for a full report.. Congrats

Tommy45


Appears that you experienced a great time.


Waiting on a report, and Zambia does have some great areas.

quote:

I would post pictures but I do not know how.

There's a link to a tutorial in my signature below. If you have questions, let me know.

And congratulations on a 60" kudu! We'd all like to see it!

Tom,

Glad to hear that you had a great safari on Upper Lupande and big congrats on the 60" kudu. That is dream for most of us.

Johnny duPlooy told me that it's not uncommon to see several shooter kudu bulls in one day in Upper lupande. That is great in itself but Zambia is not noted as a destination for big kudu so your 60" is a real monster.


Well done!

Mark

Everyone:

Rereading my post, I must correct myself. The right horn was 55 and 1/2 in and the left horn was 56 in. Apparently the number "6" stuck in my mind. I certainly didn't want to mislead anyone. I apologize. But it is nonetheless, absolutely gorgeous. And we did see numerous Kudu.

I will review the tutorial posted by another member on how to post pictures. Wish me luck.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy45:
Everyone:

Rereading my post, I must correct myself. The right horn was 55 and 1/2 in and the left horn was 56 in. Apparently the number "6" stuck in my mind. I certainly didn't want to mislead anyone. I apologize. But it is nonetheless, absolutely gorgeous. And we did see numerous Kudu.

I will review the tutorial posted by another member on how to post pictures. Wish me luck.

Forget the inches.

As long as YOU have enjoyed the hunt, that is all that matters.

Congratulations Tommy45!

Great advice, Saeed. Thank you. And thanks to all those who've offered congratulatory remarks.

It was a great adventure!

Everyone:

I just received some extraordinarily tragic news today that PH Greg Michelson was killed buy a buffalo in the last couple of days while hunting in Luangwa Valley. No further details are available at this time.

He was an extraordinary person. He will be greatly missed.

Tommy 45

.

Tommy, All the more so that it would be great if you would post a detailed report and pics of your hunt with him, if you would.

Always tragic to hear of a PH / hunter dying in the field. I guess yours will be one of the last hunts done by Greg. Very sad.

.

Agreed Charlie 64. I found a couple of really good pictures of Greg and of the animals. Now I just have to figure out how to get them from my phone, to my computer, and how to load them on a post.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy45:
Agreed Charlie 64. I found a couple of really good pictures of Greg and of the animals. Now I just have to figure out how to get them from my phone, to my computer, and how to load them on a post.

Depends on your phone, and computer.

If you have an iPhone and Apple computers, you can airdrop your pictures to the computer.

Or you can use a USB stick and copy from your phone - regardless of what make it is - and put on your computer.