MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique With Zambeze Delta Safaris

[JES Adventures]

Day 1

I awoke at the hotel in Pretoria to the alarm and ready for the day. After breakfast I will head to Johannesburg for my 11:30 flight to Beira.

The trip to the airport went smoothly and I was checked in with ample time to get to my gate before boarding.

I was flying SA Airlink to Beira which is about an hour and forty minute flight. I had a first for traveling on South African Airways today. We were flying a regional jet and the gate agent tagged my carry on to be checked at the plane. I took the major items out and left the bag by the stairs to the plane. I am a creature of habit when I travel and my zippers are always at 12 o’clock when I close my bag. We arrived Beira and as soon as I walked up to my bag I could see the zippers were at 6 o’clock. I knew instantly the plane side baggage attendants had gone through my luggage. Sure enough, when I got inside the terminal and finished with Customs I had a look. Dop kit opened, stuff left out but nothing of value there so the theives came up empty.

So, lesson learned here is take a smaller carry on bag so you never have to give it up. Or, don’t leave anything in your bag you can’t live without. That being said, I don’t appreciate having my things gone through by some petty thief.

I will write customer service with SAA but I am sure it will be one of many such complaints and will go unnoticed.

Now on to the good part of the day. All of the hunters on the plane (7 in total) were dealt with quickly. The men on the ground were organized and the police checking in the rifles were surprisingly efficient and we were done rather quickly. I would be sharing a charter to camp with another hunter and he failed to get a visa in advance so I sat down and waited a half hour for him to be taken care of.

We were going to camp by helicopter which was a pleasant surprise. The pilot Peter was great and flew us up the coast the first 45 minutes before turning inland. Then across to the flood plains so the scenery was gorgeous. As we got further inland the game started to appear and we saw hundreds of Waterbuck plus numerous groups of Lichtensteins Hartebeast, Reedbuck and Sable. Several groups of Buffalo, one of which had to be well over a hundred head. The trip was stunning and in my 33 years of hunting Africa, this was the best entry into a camp I have ever had.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 2 (Continued)

Upon arrival at Munguri Camp we were welcomed by the staff and managers. An inviting setting with several tents set under a canopy of massive trees with a fire pit in the center. An expansive dining veranda with stocked fridges was not far from my tent.

As I settled in to my tent with proper bedding and ensuite bathroom, I could see that every attention to detail had been considered.


Today will be relaxing in camp, getting acquainted with all and making a plan for the coming week. My PH Rye Pletts and I discussed the plan for the next few days and we then went to check my rifle. Everything was perfect so I am ready for whatever opportunity arises.


I feel very Blessed to be here. With the amount of game seen from the helicopter and the beautiful habitat, my instant thought is “this is what Africa should be”.


We had a nice evening around the fire, enjoying a few libations before a wonderful meal fixed around Eland tenderloin. The camp Manageresse named Poppie gave a very nice Blessing before the meal welcoming everyone. I finished off the day with a nice cigar and scotch, taking in everything that a Safari has to offer.

 

[Hank2211]

Looking forward to the one!

Sorry to hear about your bag being rifled - but planning pays off.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 2

I awoke to the incoming sunlight as dawn was breaking. The guinea fowl and songbirds chimed in while monkeys were chattering in the trees above me. About 6:30 one of the camp staff brought coffee and I sat on the porch of my tent enjoying the cool morning with faint smell of smoke in the air.

From my conversations with Rye the previous night, I learned this would be a relaxed hunt as we need the sun to get up a fair amount to bring enough light into the forest for hunting Suni and Red Duiker. Everyone keeps on telling me about the abundance of both species here so I am looking forward to the next few days of hunting for the elusive little antelope.

After breakfast, we headed out of camp with the priorities being Suni and Red Duiker.

About an hour into the morning we had seen half a dozen Suni and three Red Duiker. I thought this was great but Rye commented that this is a slow day! We carried on for about four hours, driving slowly through the patches of forest that are typical Suni habitat. Stopping several times to glass, the vegetation was very thick so I knew the bigger part of taking a nice trophy was finding one offering a clear shot.

In all, we spotted three nice males but Rye kept telling me to wait. Around 11, we started to make our way towards camp for lunch when Rye said “lets check one more spot”. We made a pass through a patch of forest stopping several times to glass Suni. At about half past eleven Rye turned the car around and we started back the way we came. The sun was high and visibility very good when we passed a Suni off my side and we could both see horns with our naked eye. Rye said “be ready” just as I was getting the rifle. He backed up slowly and said “thats him, take him”. I got on target, the male was facing us. I never looked at the horns, there was a small twig in the way of his chest so I settled in just above which was a neck shot. I squeezed the trigger and when the .22 went off the Suni dropped in his tracks. I was elated and after congratulations we went to retreive the trophy. A beautiful male in excellent condition. I quickly commented what a beautiful animal it was, probably the most handsome of all the pygmy antelope.

I was so elated with such a fine Suni and as we drove to camp I recalled that we had to see over 25 Suni this morning and at least 8-10 Red Duiker. Along the way we spotted several Warthog, Reedbuck, Bushbuck and Nyala. Coutada 11 is an absolute paradise and the quantity and quality of game is a testimony to the devotion that has been made towards proper game management.

After a nice lunch I relaxed on the veranda to smoke a cigar and catch up on my journal. We will go out this afternoon in search of Red Duiker or whatever else shows up.

We headed out of camp about three o’clock, it was overcast so in the mid 80’s. After about a 30 minute drive through the forest we came to a pan that extended for a long distance. We drove along glassing periodically for Oribi and Warthog. Intermittently we would pass through patches of forest and see Red Duiker, some Nyala and one young Bushbuck ram.

In one large pan, we came across a herd of Sable that had to number 60-70. It was so nice to see lots of game and multiple groups of each specie. The afternoon went by quickly as we were almost constantly into some game.

I had two opportunities at excellent trophies today of Oribi and Red Duiker but Rye convinced me to wait as we have six days left and a short list of animals. I can see that it will be no problem to take either specie mentioned above, its just a matter of which one and when.

We made our way back to camp as the evening cooled and after a shower, a scotch and a lovely meal I feel totally refreshed and ready for the new day.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 3

I woke with first light and the camp came to life. After coffee and a light breakfast we took off for the floodplain to look along the edges for Oribi. Within a half hour we spotted the first Oribi and throughout the morning, we were constantly into game. In addition to Oribi we saw large numbers of Warthog, Reedbuck, Harebeast, Zebra and Sable. When were passed through patches of forest we encountered Baboon and Red Duiker along with Nyala.

After glassing at least 50 Oribi (I lost count there were so many) we both saw a male and as soon as we got our glasses up we knew he was the one. Just as we mutually confirmed he and his mate bolted so we grabbed the rifle and sticks and took pursuit.

After about a quarter mile Braizle my tracker spotted the Oribi about a hundred yards staring at us. Rye set the sticks and I settled in with the Brno 22 Hornet and centered on his check and squeezed off. He bolted to our right and Rye was following him with his bino’s then said “he’s down”. He went about 25 yards on a dead run as he was heart shot. Another beautiful little trophy with very nice, heavy horns. After handshakes and photo’s we headed back to camp for lunch arriving just about noon - perfect timing!

After a nice hot lunch I sat back and relaxed with a cigar taking relishing the moment. It is so refreshing to be in a game rich place, enjoying all the sights, sounds and smells of Africa!

Shortly before 3, Rye arrived and we were headed out to walk along the edge of the forest on a large pan. We drove about a half hour and arrived at the pan. A large open area, generally circular in shape and several hundred acres in size. In the center, there was water in the low area and a large papyrus reed bed full of bird life.

As we started our walk, it didn’t take long to see Oribi, Reedbuck and Warthog feeding in the open. Later on we would encounter several Red Duiker including one very nice male but Rye continued to tell me that we can do better.

The sun had slipped behind some clouds low on the horizon and I knew we were in the last hour of the day, the magic hour.

We carried on and suddenly heard the call of a distressed animal coming from inside the forest. Immediately we all froze and it wailed once again. Brazil took off and headed to the sound with Rye close behind and I took up the rear. About 70 yards inside the forest, a Bushbuck ram had been caught in a snare. Fortunately for him, it was around his shoulders just behind his front legs. It didn’t appear he had been there too long as the snare had not cut too badly into his body and he still had a lot of energy. Brazil grabbed him by the horns and Rye got the back legs. They began circling the tree to get some slack in the snare so we could release him. When they had enough slack, I took over on the back legs and Rye managed to loosen it enough to slip down his body and we slowly traded hands on the back legs to get him free.

Once the snare was off, Rye and Brazil started to move towards a clear spot to release him but the ram managed to kick free and Brazil had him by the horns. The ram jumped, kicked and flailed around trying to get loose while Brazil was trying to make a plan to let him go without being gored!

Finally, he got himself into a good position and Brazil shoved him away letting go of his horns and the ram took off. Quite an experience, unfortunately no camera to record the moment. It was a great feeling to make a small difference in the ongoing battle with poaching. I asked Rye “how often does someone walk along the backside of this pan” and he said “once a year, maybe”. It was a good thing we took that walk this day, and a good thing the Bushbuck called out to us or he would have no doubt met his demise.

On the walk back, we came across an exceptional Red Duiker but the wind was bad and before I could get into position he was gone. We carried on and about a 1/4 mile from the car saw a magnificent Nyala bull that had to be in the 30” range. Of course several Warthog, Oribi and Reedbuck along the way plus one more Nyala bull that had to be inside 100 yards from the cruiser!

We cracked a couple of beers, toasted to the Bushbuck and a great day then headed to camp as the sun was setting.

Back in camp for a shower, then a whiskey by the fire before another great meal. Off to bed early tonight feeling a bit tired but refreshed. Oh how I love being on Safari!

 

[Hank2211]

Suni! One of the animals at the top of my list. Great job and a great trophy.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 4

Once again I awoke to the rising sun and stayed in bed for a while listening to the bush come to life. Coffee was promptly delivered to my tent at 6AM and I enjoyed the morning as I caught up on my writing. The camp cat “Pudding” has joined regularly so I oblige him with a bit of milk while I sip my coffee. At breakfast, someone mentioned the cat and Poppie said “when Craig Boddington was here, he would pour milk for Pudding every morning while he had his coffee”. Little known to me, the tradition carries on and Pudding is a happy cat!

We left camp at 7 and went in search of Red Duiker. As we drove through the forest, we spotted several Duiker but no shooters. Suddenly, Rye was slowing down quickly and looking out his window over his shoulder. He said “that was a big Red, I could see horns with my naked eye”.

The vehicle came to a stop about 100 yards past the spot and we quietly got out to walk back up the road to see if we can spot him. Rye said “we have a 50/50 chance but we have to try” so we carried on slowly. I had chambered a round in the 22 Hornet and Braizle took the sticks and fell in behind Rye. We were moving at a snails pace when all of the sudden Braizle stopped and pointed. I could not make out the Red Duiker as was about 40 yards deep into the forest. Rye picked him up with his binos then clued me in. We set the sticks and Rye said “he’s looking right at us” so we froze. When he started to feed again, we moved slowly down the road to get a better angle. It only took about 20 feet and I was on the sticks and I could see his head facing right. Rye said “wait, he will begin to feed towards this opening to our right and we’ll get a shot”. I eased the safety off the Brno so not to make noise and set the trigger. I was still having a bit of trouble making everything out so I increased the power on the scope to 7X. The Duiker was feeding ever so slowly and when he moved up a few inches I said to Rye “I can see his neck clearly”. Rye said “wait until you have a clear shot on the shoulder”. Just a few seconds later he took another small step and I was steady on his shoulder however the back 3/4 of his body still obstructed. I said to Rye “I have a clear shot at the shoulder” and he said “take it”. The set trigger on the Brno was light and crisp so as the rifle went off, the Duiker ran forward about 10 yards and flipped over dead. Brazil went in and retrieved the trophy and after handshakes, thanks and congrats we headed to a well lit spot to take pictures of this gorgeous little antelope. We were 45 minutes into the day and another great trophy in the salt.

This was my 16th specie of pygmy antelope and I must say they are always a challenge. If you have Suni, Red Duiker and Oribi on your bucket list, this is the place to come.

After we dropped the Duiker at the skinning shed, we set out in search of a Yellow Baboon. We came across a troop but they were quite scattered among the lala palms and we never located the big male. The morning progressed and we made our way back to camp a little early for lunch as today is the national election and the staff need to be transported to the local school to vote. The current government is expected to win so we don’t anticipate any issues with security in the coming days.

This afternoon, we headed to a pan where Rye had a client miss a huge Warthog on the previous Safari. I have shot several Warthog over the years but nothing truly exceptional. Rye figured this old male may hit the 15” mark and is heavy so I was definitely in.

It took over an hour to reach the pan so now it was close to half past four. A beautiful location in the middle of the forest, about 60-80 acres of short, green grass that looks like it was manicured to be that way. There was water interspersed throughout the pan so it was prime wildlife habitat.

We glassed for about an hour with Brazil climbing up a tree to get a better view of the pan. Rye climbed the tree with him and they were glassing the opposite side, conversing. When he came down he said that we should start around the other side, there are some pigs but the grass is a bit tall to tell if it is the big one.

We made a slow walk around the edge, spotting Red Duiker along the way. About half way around, we glassed two smallish Warthog before they saw us and ran away. We carried on and at the three-quarter mark, a group of four pigs with one mature male but not the one that we were looking for.

As we carried on, I spotted a Red Duiker and we stopped to glass him. Just as I was about to drop my bino’s I noticed Buffalo horns in the top of the lens picture. I said to Rye “look above the Duiker, there is a Buffalo bull in the forest”. He was staring at us, but we had a perfect view of the old dugga boy. Nice, hard bosses and decent curls with broomed tips. We estimated he was in the 37” class and would make a nice trophy for one of the bowhunters in camp.

Suddenly the Duiker ran and that got the Buffalo on his feet. We studied him for a few seconds before he wheeled around and left the scene. Upon closer inspection of his tracks we could see he was alone, had gone to water in the pan and returned to his bedding place about 50 yards into the forest.

With the sun setting and a one hour plus drive back to camp we called it a day. After a nice hot shower and a couple of whiskeys by the fire, I finished off the night with Sable steaks and vegetables followed up with Port and a cigar by the fire.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 5

I woke to the sound of rain falling on the tent canvas around 4AM. Rye had mentioned the night before that there was some rain in the forecast so we would play it by ear today based on the weather. I had my two main trophies in the salt so now we would concentrate on a mature male Yellow Baboon and of course go back and hunt for the big Warthog in the evening.

The rain started to diminish by 6:30 so we were on the road at 7 hunting Baboon. Not long into the morning we spotted a troop but they were quite scattered, feeding about and we never found the male. As we drove through the forest we saw Red Duiker, Suni and Nyala. We broke out of the forest into a long, narrow open area with tall grass and scattered trees when some Baboon ran across the road about 75 yards in front of us. Rye pulled up and stopped just in time to see the big male walking into the high grass. We got out and started glassing but the visibility was tough so I never found the big male again.

Maybe ten minutes later Braizle slowly started to unzip my rifle case and motioned to me. I took the rifle and walked around the back of the cruiser and Rye pointed and whispered the location of the big male. He was under a tree behind some tall grass but I could make out his head. Rye set the sticks and I moved them a little right and turned up the magnification on the scope to be more precise. The Baboon was eating seed pods that had fallen from the tree and as he turned to the side and raised a pod to his mouth I could see his shoulder so I settled in and let the shot go. As the 338 Lapua rang out he rolled over as if in slow motion, dead where he sat.

We retrieved the trophy and the Yellow Baboon is quite nice, with an almost golden, yellow color to the hair. A big old male with huge canine teeth we were all very pleased. We loaded him up to find a good spot for photos with some sunlight and as we drove away I looked at my watch and said “7:50, about the same as yesterday and we were done”!

Conversing as we drove, Rye enlightened me that the Baboon have actually become a problem with their predation of Suni, Blue and Red Duiker. They are very clever and know how to hunt together for the small, forest antelope. All the more reason to take an old male out of the troop when you have the opportunity to maintain a healthy balance of predator and prey.

Since it was early, we continued on looking for big Warthog, Bushbuck or Nyala. As the morning progressed we headed to the skinning shed to drop off the Baboon.

Another hunting vehicle showed up while we were there with one of the bowhunters. As they backed up to unload Rye said to me “they shot our Warthog”. He had told the PH guiding the bowhunter to go to the pan and look for the Buffalo as he would offer a good opportunity for a bowhunter since he was a lone dugga boy. He did however tell the PH not shoot the big Warthog as we were hunting it.

Well of course they forgot all about the Buffalo as well as their word when they saw the Warthog and proceeded to take it.

Oh well, thats hunting - I didn’t get my shot but there’s one happy bowhunter in camp. The pig was an exceptional trophy, one of the biggest I had ever seen in 33 years of hunting Africa.

Back to camp for lunch and relaxation, we will go out this afternoon in search of a big pig.

Rye woke me from my nap at 3:15 and we took off for the floodplain to look for Warthog. As we traveled through the forest we saw Nyala, Suni and Red Duiker along the way. Once we broke out to the edge of the floodplain, Reedbuck, Oribi, Waterbuck and Zebra began to appear. The Warthog are plentiful so we paused frequently to glass. Of the hundred odd Warthog I looked at, no exceptional trophies so as the sun began to set we headed for camp.

Back at the fire pit, stories were shared of the days hunt with one of the bowhunters taking a Chobe Bushbuck and a Warthog within minutes of each other. The other rifle hunter on his first day out got both Blue and Red Duiker. So in all, a successful day for many.

Rye and I discussed the plan for tomorrow, we would hear up to the Zambezi River in search of Crocodile. He is optimistic as I am not looking for a monster Croc but an average 8-9 footer for boot leather.

I capped of the day with a cigar and port by the fire. Ten o’clock rolled around and everyone was off to bed.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 6

Up at five we headed to the Zambezi River at 6:30. It would take an hour and a half to get there and by time we picked up the boat and got into the water it was 9 o’clock.

The launch site (which is an understatement) was a bit rough and Rye used the winch on his Landcruiser to lower the boat to the water. We headed up river to search for Crocodile sunning themselves on the bank. Unfortunately, the water level was very high and into the grass in most places thus reducing the amount of exposed sand bank. That coupled with warming water and high wind, the Croc’s just didn’t want to show themselves.

We ran upriver for a solid two and a half hours seeing two or three small Crocodile. We stopped for some lunch and Rye commented that under normal conditions we would have seen 50-150 Crocodile in a morning hunt.

After lunch, we started back downriver to the launch sight keeping a constant watch for any Croc’s. We did manage to spot a few more, but nothing worth taking so we wrapped up just after 1:30 and headed for camp.

Back in camp, the researchers for the lion project asked me if I wanted to go along with them this afternoon to search for the lions. They had location data on them at 2PM and once close enough would use radio telemetry to pinpoint their location. I jumped at the chance and grabbed my gear and we headed out.


The project named 24 Lions is being funded by the Cabelas Family Foundation with the help of Ivan Carter’s Foundation. The objective is to repopulate the area which was previously devoid of Lions due to the civil war and poaching. They managed to secure 24 Lions from various Private Nature Reserves in South Africa and reintroduce them to the area. Thus far, the project has been a success with some females bearing cubs and prides forming.

This afternoon, we were searching for one female that has been alone for a couple of months, staying near one patch of bush.. Willem, the main researcher said due to her activities they suspect she has cubs but has yet to be confirmed.

We approached the area using Long/Lat coordinates from the 2PM record then used the directional antenna. We moved along slowly through the lala palms and patches of high grass when Willem tapped on the roof. The female was in front of us at 35 yards crouched in the high grass. It was rather windy and as the gusts rolled through I could see more of her face staring at us. She was vey calm and we watched each other for about 15 minutes before she slowly, moved away. We were able to follow from a fair distance not to crowd hear as it appears she is hunting. We were able to spot her several more times and she was in very good condition. Hopefully, she will bring the cubs out soon so confirmation can be made.

There were two more lions about 3 miles away that we wanted to find before dark. A male and female that are in the process of courtship that the team spotted the evening before.

We drove a short while checking the coordinates and with the antenna out quickly located the male. He was lounging carelessly as the sun was setting in the Western sky. Everyone speculated on where the female was when suddenly from behind some bushy palms she appeared and began to slowly walk away. The male was instantly up on his feet and in pursuit.

The female stopped and urinated, then the male checking the scent with open mouth and curled lips displayed all of this teeth. She carried on ahead of him and he dutifully followed. The Lioness stopped and laid down then the male came of next to her and plopped down. The alternated rolling over on their backs, rubbing against each other. We were at 30 yards and I could actually hear what sounded like purring! This was an amazing sight to see these two wild Lions in mating process. They got up and went about a half mile and stopped again in some grass, laid down and relaxed. The sunlight was fading and too faint for a good photograph but we could still see them clear enough.

Up again, the female walked about 40 yards and sat down on her haunches. The male walked up behind her to breed her. In all, it took make 15-20 seconds and when they finished, the Lioness got up, walked another 25 yards and laid down again.

We left them in peace to enjoy the evening and continue to procreate. The future of the 24 Lions Project is with them and I wish them all the best with a large litter!

I capped off the night with another great meal then a whiskey and cigar by the fire.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 7

I woke again today fully rested, the sleeping temperature at night is absolutely perfect. I was up and out of bed by 5:30 and ready for the day. After breakfast we headed out across the floodplain to check some small pools for crocodile.

After driving for an hour so we got to spot not far from the pools that Rye wanted to check. We couldn’t carry on any further as there was a small drainage in front of us that stays wet year round. The soil is black, like Cottonfield soil with a crusty top but wet underneath so you sink up to your axles if you try and cross it.

Rye unpacked his drone and set it up to fly about a half mile over two pools amongst the papyrus in the distance. This would allow him to check and see if there are crocodiles sunning on the banks without disturbing them.

The first pool he checked did not have any sign so he flew the drone back swapped batteries and went to check another pool in the opposite direction. He spotted a good Croc sunning on the bank so we made a plan to get around the other side and have a better look.

Driving across the dry flood plain, it looks like you could take a straight line from point A to point B anywhere. That is absolutely not the case as the area has interspersed wet ground that cannot be safely crossed. Rye said you must be careful because if you get stuck here there is nothing to winch out to. Its nice to have a PH that has been in an area 10 years as he has seen everything!

We proceeded across the plain, constantly having to backtrack to find a dry spot across yet another stream. Finally, we were able to get within a quarter-mile with the wind in the proper direction so we slowly made our approach to the pool.

Once we were within 75 yards, Rye spotted the crocodile in the water staring straight at us. He had already seen us so there was no chance of him coming out of the water. We made a plan to put some bait and come back first thing in the morning when the wind is not swirling. Hopefully we will get our crack at a Croc tomorrow.

It took us about an hour and a half to get back to camp so we had a late lunch and short siesta. At 3:30 we headed out to the big pan we sat on a couple of evenings back - where we freed the Bushbuck. Rye had seen a white colored Red Duiker there last season so what the heck, lets go see if he is still in the area.

We got to the pan about 4:30 and walked a half mile or so to a good vantage point. I sat on the ground but Rye and Braizle climbed a tree to have a better view. Within minutes of sitting down I started to see Warthog and Reedbuck. About a half hour later a group of female and young Nyala started to make their way out of the forest to feed. There were more than a dozen, I lost count.

I heard movement above me then some whispered chatting. Rye started down the tree shortly thereafter and said “theres a group of Bushpig feeding in the tall grass, lets go have a look”. I have taken a couple of Bushpig before but the ones here are red in color so I was keen to take one. We slowly approached and the wind was perfect. Finally, Braizle followed and pointed out where the were. About 60 yards in front and slightly to our right feeding across in front of us. I could see there backs and the red coloration so I knew we were in business. As they fed across Rye was able to identify the boar and I quickly confirmed. I never took my eye off him and I was on the sticks, safety off. They continued feeding slowly and I could see the upper 1/3 of the boar’s body so was confident of the kill zone. I said to Rye, “I am on him, do you want me to shoot through the grass?” The boar was about 40 yards at this time so I was confident of the shot. Rye said “go ahead if you are sure”. So I settled in on the spine, right behind the should and lowered the crosshairs into the grass and squeezed the trigger. As the 338 Lapua barked the old boar rolled over and dropped in his tracks. A very nice old trophy I was very happy to have collected.

After congratulation and pictures we started back to camp as a light rain fell. What a nice way to end the day, stalking so close to a Bushpig and collecting an old trophy.

Dinner of Eland backstrap was exceptional and bed time came early as we would take off at 5 tomorrow to see if the Croc had hit the bait.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 8

The wake up call and coffee came at 4:30, I was in a dead sleep. I cleared the cobwebs while sipping my coffee and thinking about the upcoming day. First light had broken when we left camp and we saw lots of Red Duiker, Suni and Nyala along the way. We stopped to cut some poles so we could make the last crossing to haul the Croc out after the hunt. Once we reached the place about a third of a mile from the pool, I chambered a round and put the safety on so there would be no unnecessary noise when we approached the bait.

Once we were within a couple hundred yards, we stopped to glass and moved slowly forward. On final approach, there was no sign of the Crocodile so we used a couple of small bamboo poles and put up some camo netting to make a blind. We sat for about an hour with nothing going on except lots of birdlife coming to the water and the constant sound of Barble (Catfish) hitting the top of the water. Finally, Rye said he wanted to check the bait and game camera so he slipped around the side to make an assessment.

When he got back to the blind, much to our dismay the Croc’s had not fed. We then knew sitting was fruitless so he went back and got the Cruiser so we could have breakfast and fish for a while.

It was great fun, I was the first to hook up and caught a really nice Barble on medium spin tackle so it put up quite the fight. Rye and I continued to catch fish as well as the two trackers so we had an excellent morning despite the lack of Crocodile.

About 10:30, we packed up and headed to camp for lunch. While driving we saw hundreds of animals out on the floodplain including one Waterbuck easily making he 30” mark.

While driving through a patch of forest, Braizle spotted a big Warthog and as he moved through the brush Rye confirmed he was a monster. We took off after him but the bush was thick and we never connected. As we walked back Rye said “thats the biggest pig I’ve seen all season, maybe 16”. I commented “thats why he has gotten so big, he doesnt stick around for anyone to take a shot”!

After a nice lunch of ground Bushbuck and pasta I retired to the porch in front of my tent to catch up on my journal. This is my last day and it has been a wonderful week here in Coutada 11, I can’t wait to see what the last hunt has in store for me!

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 8 (Continued)

Out a little after three, a breezy overcast day we made or way to the pan to take one last look for the white Red Duiker. Rye and Braizle took their places in the tree while I sat below and enjoyed the afternoon in the shade, glassing the far tree-line. I would occasionaly spot Reedbuck and Warthog as the afternoon moved on then the Nyala became active.

It was a very tranquil afternoon and I reflected on the past weeks adventure and this amazing place. The quantity and quality of game is absolutely the result of hunters. The time, money and effort put in to properly manage this hunting concession has paid off and it is truly one of the best that I have hunted in many years.

As I watch the sun turn to an apricot color and sink into the horizon I think about what a Blessing it has been to hunt here in this beautiful place. With the dedication that has been put into the stewardship of the concession, I am confident that the quality will be maintained for years to come. The sun setting, I called up to Rye and say “lets call it a day and have a beer, it’s been a great week”.

The same protocol as every evening with a whiskey by the fire, an amazing meal then back to the fire for a smoke and nightcap. Bedtime came early for me and I will fly to Beira tomorrow by helicopter and am once again looking forward to that. It is a really nice way to see game and enjoy the sights as you are close to the ground.

In closing I can say without hesitation that I highly recommend Zambeze Delta Safaris. The attention to detail was excellent and I give high marks to my PH Rye Pletts and tracker Braizle as they both worked hard to see to it that we collected mature trophies. I also take this opportunity to thank Mark Haldane for donating the hunt to Dallas Safari Club, otherwise I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to experience this great place.

 

[Nyati]

Congrats, that was a great hunt, and you took very interesting animals !

 

[cpr0312]

Looks like you had a great time! Congrats on the hunt and thanks for sharing!

 

[BRICKBURN]

Congratulations.

 

[cls]

Congrats on a successful Safari, thanks for a great report.

 

[Wheels]

What a fantastic hunt. You have a lovely collection of animals.

The set trigger on the Brno/CZ certainly has it's place.

I have really enjoyed this report!

 

[gillettehunter]

Sounds like a wonderful place to hunt. Thanks for the report. You took some very interesting trophies. Congrats
Bruce

 

[Hank2211]

Thanks for the report. It turned out to be very timely . . . I'm considering exactly the same thing!

 

[Bill116]

Thanks for a great write up on your hunt. Excellent story and some very nice animals. Thank you for sharing.