Old Africa Dream Hunt

[WAB]

Andrew, if you are going for PG on your first safari and want a taste of buffalo and elephant hunting, go on a true tracking hunt for eland. You have to ask a lot of questions to be sure this is what you are getting, but you won’t be disappointed. I worked as hard tracking an eland for 3 1/2 days as I’ve ever worked for a buffalo. In fact, my tracker was the same fellow I’d followed after my elephant years before.

As to planning the buffalo hunt, it is absolutely time to start.

Have fun, the planning just builds the excitement!

 

[Andrew Short]

Andrew, if you are going for PG on your first safari and want a taste of buffalo and elephant hunting, go on a true tracking hunt for eland. You have to ask a lot of questions to be sure this is what you are getting, but you won’t be disappointed. I worked as hard tracking an eland for 3 1/2 days as I’ve ever worked for a buffalo. In fact, my tracker was the same fellow I’d followed after my elephant years before.

As to planning the buffalo hunt, it is absolutely time to start.

Have fun, the planning just builds the excitement!

I had no idea Eland hunting was similar. I’ll be sure to ask about that because my species list began with the spiral horn slam and expanded.

Well i guess i need to find an outfitter in Zim or Moz for buffalo. Budget will be my limiting factor for that hunt.

 

[WAB]

I would go to Namibia or Botswana for a tracking hunt on eland. Find someone who will do it right. Personally, I would rather hunt hard and fire one shot in a week, than drive around and put two or three animals in the bakkie every day.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Old Africa Dream Hunt, ah yes, my thing! Not to decry or take away from the farm PG hunt as they are truly helping wild life, but the big one needs to include a buff and be in a wild area where lion, elephant and hyena all abound. The roar, the whoop and the trumpet will take you to a place that few can reach, you only know where it is when you get there. There must be tents, and canvas chairs, and mopane smoke. Great company who all appreciate it as much as you do, from the silent confidence of the trackers to the flames flickering through a golden single malt. every PH will tell you that they have dream hunts too, with serious hunters who laugh a lot, appreciate much and criticize little.

 

[mark-hunter]

When I was a kid, watching Tarzan movies, I dreamt of hunting in Afican jungle.
Later on, I learnt it would be Ituru forest, but then I was still a kid, what would I know?

Now, having just a bit of more knowledge, I would say:
Tanzania
Mozambique
Zimbabwe.
Namibia - Caprivi.

 

[cal]

As a few have said already, Luangwa was a very special place to hunt. Amazing place, quality of animals we harvested and quantity of other game. We walked onto lion, saw elephant and a lot of what we were after (Buffalo, Eland and Bushbuck). Great camp, great PH are a must for a 'dream' hunt to be exactly that. Kevin Peacocke describes it well above... Having said that you cant go wrong with a good area in TZ or Zim either.

 

[Andrew Short]

Old Africa Dream Hunt, ah yes, my thing! Not to decry or take away from the farm PG hunt as they are truly helping wild life, but the big one needs to include a buff and be in a wild area where lion, elephant and hyena all abound. The roar, the whoop and the trumpet will take you to a place that few can reach, you only know where it is when you get there. There must be tents, and canvas chairs, and mopane smoke. Great company who all appreciate it as much as you do, from the silent confidence of the trackers to the flames flickering through a golden single malt. every PH will tell you that they have dream hunts too, with serious hunters who laugh a lot, appreciate much and criticize little.

Exactly right Kevin. This is that “quintessential” Africa that I’m looking for. I want that experience!

 

[Andrew Short]

As a few have said already, Luangwa was a very special place to hunt. Amazing place, quality of animals we harvested and quantity of other game. We walked onto lion, saw elephant and a lot of what we were after (Buffalo, Eland and Bushbuck). Great camp, great PH are a must for a 'dream' hunt to be exactly that. Kevin Peacocke describes it well above... Having said that you cant go wrong with a good area in TZ or Zim either.

Sounds absolutely perfect! Who would be a good outfitter in Luangwa?

 

[cal]

Sounds absolutely perfect! Who would be a good outfitter in Luangwa?

We organised the hunt through Rann Safaris. Jeff is an old friend of ours. The concession is just over the Rufila river to the north of North Luangwa National Park. Jeff could not make it on this trip and so we hunted with Thor Kirchner from Munyamadzi (also on the Luangwa, further south). Really looking forward to hunting with Thor again on his home turf.

 

[WAB]

We organised the hunt through Rann Safaris. Jeff is an old friend of ours. The concession is just over the Rufila river to the north of North Luangwa National Park. Jeff could not make it on this trip and so we hunted with Thor Kirchner from Munyamadzi (also on the Luangwa, further south). Really looking forward to hunting with Thor again on his home turf.

That is an excellent area. I believe that the area I hunted was just upstream of the one Cal is referencing.

 

[Andrew Short]

I mean who hasn’t heard of Jeff Rann? The Munyamadzi borders West Petauke, south of the South Luangwa NP. Did you hunt that area exclusively?

 

[cal]

I mean who hasn’t heard of Jeff Rann? The Munyamadzi borders West Petauke, south of the South Luangwa NP. Did you hunt that area exclusively?

Jeff is an excellent PH, had the pleasure of hunting with him many times. Thor came up from Munyamadzi to hunt with us in the concession to the north od North Luangwa. I've never been to Munyamadzi but I we enjoyed hunting with Thor so much that I am keen to hunt that area with him soon. I have heard great things about Munyamadzi from other people as well.

 

[Philippe]

After reading @tarbe and @Bullthrower338 review on their buffalo hunt with John Sharp, I began thinking on what my dream hunt would be. It’s sure sounds like Cody might have had his dream hunt and it would be hard to top that.

For me, I would want to experience Africa like Ruark or Hemingway experienced it “not reality” or at least as close as possible. Hunting Elephant and Lion probably will never happen for me and I can face that and that’s ok. I want to hunt buffalo more than anything but while hunting I’d love to see elephant, lion, and plains game all together. I know that the Caprivi, Moz and Tanzania can offer this...

So if you were going on your dream hunt and desired to experience Africa as close as it once was, what would it be and what country would you choose?

Like @Kevin Peacocke ,
I would like to say the good old years, the seventies.
I will give a lot to return to this period in Upper Volta, (when this country was still really a land of Big Hunt) to benefit even more, to make time last.
Nothing lasts in life, and you never think about it enough.
This period in Upper Volta when, with my father, we could make our bush camp where we wanted. It was enough to choose a large tree shady enough to be able to shelter there, the dining room, the rooms and the place for the Land-rover. the place for smoking the meat was a little further from the camp.
I remember areas along the Tapoa river, where during the midday meal the herds of Damalisque, hartebeest, groups of Roan, female Buffon Cob as well as some Waterbuck marched past the camp. In the early evening, the lions would come and do their concert when they were on the hunt. In the evening, by the fireside, I took great pleasure in listening to the hunting stories of our old tracker Oumarou and I watched him read in the earth the portents of our hunt for the next day.
Truly a great time
I was just a young man and I thought this was going to last a lifetime.
Unfortunately ...
Coming back to the Post's subject, in 2020 I think the area that would inspire me the most, as others have mentioned here, is the Luangwa Valley. Just by saying her name, she brings memorable hunting prospects

 

[Andrew Short]

Like @Kevin Peacocke ,
I would like to say the good old years, the seventies.
I will give a lot to return to this period in Upper Volta, (when this country was still really a land of Big Hunt) to benefit even more, to make time last.
Nothing lasts in life, and you never think about it enough.
This period in Upper Volta when, with my father, we could make our bush camp where we wanted. It was enough to choose a large tree shady enough to be able to shelter there, the dining room, the rooms and the place for the Land-rover. the place for smoking the meat was a little further from the camp.
I remember areas along the Tapoa river, where during the midday meal the herds of Damalisque, hartebeest, groups of Roan, female Buffon Cob as well as some Waterbuck marched past the camp. In the early evening, the lions would come and do their concert when they were on the hunt. In the evening, by the fireside, I took great pleasure in listening to the hunting stories of our old tracker Oumarou and I watched him read in the earth the portents of our hunt for the next day.
Truly a great time
I was just a young man and I thought this was going to last a lifetime.
Unfortunately ...
Coming back to the Post's subject, in 2020 I think the area that would inspire me the most, as others have mentioned here, is the Luangwa Valley. Just by saying her name, she brings memorable hunting prospects

To experience hunting like this is truly a blessing. Unfortunately, you’re correct nothing lasts forever and those times are mostly just distant memories now.
I hope you get to experience hunting like that again or at least close as possible. From what I’ve heard here and read, Luangwa seems like a place dreams are made.