ZAMBIA: Ntengu Safaris Hunt Report

[Tucketed]

Beautiful creatures and a wonderful hunt. Thanks for taking us along

 

[Safari1]

Scott, what was your impression of elephant numbers & size in both GMA’s?

 

[DLSJR]

Scott, congratulations on a wonderful hunt with some truly excellent animals. Fico has a well earned reputation as a great PH and hunting the Cuturi’s areas makes for a very special safari.

One question…. If you had it to do over, would you hunt during the same time of year, or later? I looked into a hunt there a couple years ago, but was going to go late, like in November. Which time do you think might be better?

 

[375Fox]

Really great report and trophies. Too bad on the Roan. They have been extremely alert like you said in all areas I’ve encountered them. Did your parents hunt too? or just come along as observers?

 

[BRICKBURN]

Great decision on the Bushbuck.

That Sitatunga is worth the effort.
Crazy to have Sable be common place and act like Mule Deer.
It is an amazing country to hunt with all those species using the varied geography.
Some very fine trophies.

Well done to the entire team. Congratulations.

 

[WAB]

That bar is something of a right of passage.

Agreed, I spent an evening there with the Heath’s. Wonderful place.

 

[SWS1]

Fantastic report. Making me even more excited for my visit to Takeri next year

 

[gillettehunter]

Wonderful report. What a great group of trophies. I really believe you had the hunt of a lifetime. Love the animals that you got. Congrats
Bruce

 

[BourbonTrail]

I knew this would be a great report. Too bad about the Roan, but that’s hunting. Now you have a reason to go back.

Congratulations on the great hunts, and not getting G&T poisoning

 

[Frederik]

Thanks for sharing was very informative and you got some super trophies.

 

[Scott CWO]

Scott, what was your impression of elephant numbers & size in both GMA’s?

I can really only speak to elephant in Kansonso and what Fico shared with me about both areas. We saw a good number of elephants in Kansonso as well as tracks of elephants we did not see. Obviously nothing like Botswana or parts of Zimbabwe or Tanzania but more elephants than several other areas I have hunted. They are making a comeback. As for size, we saw one good bull and it surprised Fico a bit. The overall age structure is not there yet even though the poaching has slowed. As you know, it takes four decades to grow decent ivory. I believe there’s a minimum size of 33 pounds in Zambia and Fico said the age and quality are not up to his standards yet. They are on quota but not booking elephant much, if at all. On the contrary, he said the Luangwa Valley areas are starting to produce some good bulls again.

Fico has hunted a lot of elephants in his career and had some great stories.

 

[Scott CWO]

Scott, congratulations on a wonderful hunt with some truly excellent animals. Fico has a well earned reputation as a great PH and hunting the Cuturi’s areas makes for a very special safari.

One question…. If you had it to do over, would you hunt during the same time of year, or later? I looked into a hunt there a couple years ago, but was going to go late, like in November. Which time do you think might be better?

That’s a good question and to me, depends on what you want to hunt. Fico has a lion, leopard, buffalo, sable, sitatunga, etc… safari starting Wednesday in Lunda. He recommends early July or sometimes even June (if the area has dried up enough to get around) for cats because lion prefer the higher grass before all the burning is done. The incoming lion hunter could not hunt until August. After the seasonal burning, he thinks some of the lions go to the park, although the park also does some burning even though it is technically illegal to burn in the park.

Lots of water in Kansonso but some more of the shallow water will dry up so if you’re hunting plains game, that could help but I don’t think it really matters a great deal. For example, there’s six sitatunga on quota in Kansonso and I was the last sitatunga hunter this season. They have ten sable on quota with three more hunts to go yet. Most of the safaris are done already and all were very successful. It starts to rain in November so you might look at October or earlier? Fico would be the one to ask.

 

[Scott CWO]

Really great report and trophies. Too bad on the Roan. They have been extremely alert like you said in all areas I’ve encountered them. Did your parents hunt too? or just come along as observers?

Thanks! I will have another opportunity for roan next year in Tanzania but I would have liked to get one with Fico but that’s hunting!

My parents did not hunt although I made the offer to my dad. The companion license is only $650 in Zambia, which allows another hunter to shoot some of the quota I reserved. That’s a pretty good deal!

 

[Jörg Krüger]

Congratulations on your great experience and trophies. The viper is a trophy too in my eyes

 

[PeteG]

@Scott CWO sounds like you had a great and overall successful hunt, Roan can be more skittish than many realize.
Also probably one of my favourite of the bigger PG around.

Next time you're out here I'll teach you how to say no when mike offers you a drink ... Not that it helps much, but its always worth a try!

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats on the hunt and thanks for sharing with us!

 

[Goose Cracker]

Great report, fun to read. Love the puku, lechwe, and that sitatunga! Sounds like a fun place to hunt sable and roan also.

 

[cls]

Congratulations on a very successful hunt, great report. Thanks for posting. You took some very nice animals, that hyena is a hog....

 

[PARA45]

Congratulations on a wonderful safari, and thank you for taking us along. Amazing animals taken.

 

[outwestidaho]

Wow! What an adventure. Thanks for the report.