ZIMBABWE: 12 Days In Zimbabwe With Shangani Safaris

[IvW]

I do not understand the need to take a frontal brain shot as the first shot at a Cape buffalo offhand, day one or day 10 of a 10 day safari and then not pull it off.....
Not sure of the shot do not pull the trigger, if it goes south place blame on the person in the mirror....you may have been done in on the safari as a whole and I have simpathy for that but trying to put blame on the ph for your own decisions and incompetance on attempting a frontal brain shot on the first shot on a buffalo...well I dont buy that....

 

[rookhawk]

Day 9 comments.

Your comments about tipping that bothered you is not correct for Zim. Lloyd's claims were within the realms of normalcy and propriety for Zimbabwe.

Do you tip the groundskeeper? I tipped mine $50 for two weeks. Beyond his normal job of making the place look nice, the firewood was lit in an impeccable fire pit with the chairs shined and wiped down the second I came home from camp every day. Extra wood was next to the pit just in case cocktail hour went long.

Do you tip the maid? My torn clothes were sorted, laundered, and magically sent to someone in camp to be mended every day. Every day the shorts and shirts were mended without asking. Every day the toilet paper was replenished and the backup stock in the room too. Every day the room was neat when I went to dinner and magically the covers were turned down when I came back to the room for bed. $50-150 tip for two weeks is just enough money for that person to pay school fees for their child to get an education that semester.

Do you tip the "backoffice" staff at large? (everyone that makes your stay delightful even if they don't speak to you?) Yes. I do.

Do I tip generously for the unsung heros? YES. A good skinner is the person that decides if your trophies are perfect, or rotten and bug infested. When you see no slips, no taxidermy repairs required, and you learn that he worked until midnight to get everything preserved from the moment you brought it to camp at 6pm...yeah, that guy deserves a hell of a tip. $150-$250 if he does wonders for your hunt.

Again, I'm not dismissing your opinion you had a miserable time on your trip nor am I supporting or defending anyone in this story as I know none of them. However, in your commentary you've listed several things that sounded scandalous or off to you that I'm here to tell you as a fellow North American that hunts Zimbabwe, these particular things are not necessarily BS, they are standard operating procedures in Zimbabwe.

For me, when I hunt in zim the people make me feel at home. They've invited me into their world and their hospitality goes above and beyond all expectations. For those reasons, I want to be a good guest that gets invited back. I also want to reward people that work very hard by providing them the bare minimum to allow their children to be clothed, nourished, and get an elementary school education. That is what a tip funds that their salaries do not.

 

[rookhawk]

Context here:

"I should have called off the buff hunt after the seventh day. The first clue being on day 1 when Lloyd told me, I wouldn't likely get an eland in this area. The second clue was by the end of day 5 we had only encountered 3 (?) Bulls by themselves and a small herd of 7 to 10 buff with 1 "small"/"young yet" herd bull. And not the: plenty, a lot of, quite a few, a number of good, buff in the area."

For what its worth, I had the privelige to hunt one of the most storied camps in Zimbabwe in the Zambezi valley before it was shut down by the antis 6 years ago. It is known as "heavy with Buffalo".

Your description of how many buffalo you saw by day 5 exceeded the amount of buffalo I saw on any of my hunts by day 5. I saw a herd of 40 tame cows and calves in a protected area near Mana Pools. Under hunting conditions I saw three bulls that gave us the slip. And then I chased a dugga boy for 19km on foot before I collapsed next to a pan from exhaustion. (took me 3 days to recover) Thankfully, the herd of buffalo went to that pan 30 minutes later and that dugga boy I chased for 19km came in from the other direction and was shot by me. I think that was on day 8.

Your expectation of game numbers in wilderness areas, in the BEST wilderness areas, is not realistic. Sure, I've been to Zim and seen 40 eland in two weeks before, but other trips I saw zero. That is the nature of water sources, migrations, and pressure from predators. They move around.

The facts that led you to a desire to stop the hunt and cancel the trip would exceed many people's experiences hunting in prime wilderness with some of the best PHs and operators that exist.

 

[rookhawk]

"Why does Aconte, the tribal scout get a tip?"


Answer: Because you state that you blew the jaw off a Cape Buffalo by choosing to brain shoot a buffalo head-on with a soft on the first shot. Not even sure you were charged for that buffalo as I'm fuzzy on that part of the story. When that buffalo shows up in photos where the anti's show the cruelty of hunting, or that buffalo kills a villager, you're sort of praying that the tribal scout has a vivid memory of you being an amazing guest and a shoddy memory of if you drew blood on that buffalo and didn't follow it up!

You also indicate in your own words that you were so frustrated and fed up that you contemplated shooting animals without the PH saying "take him" or approving the shot before hand. Scouts and tribal representatives present. That could have gone so badly for you that you have no idea. It isn't Texas where you can shoot the $25,000 250 point whitetail instead of the 140 point for $1200 and then solve it with a mea culpa and a check. Some of these animals if harvested could result in prosecution, loss of professional's license, loss of concession, civil liability for injured and not recovered game, etc. Not every animal by age and gender may have been legally on quota for the area, meaning shooting a cow might have been poaching, only the tribe and PH would know the quota remaining.

These people could make life very unpleasant for a client if the wrong chain of events starts happening with the wrong media interest in the days after your hunt.

So those are some more reasons why you don't short anyone on a tip. You tip to reward effort and also it makes handy insurance for people's goodwill towards you if accusations start flying based upon the story in your own words. (taking your side as the full truth with no doubt) You want, you need the entourage of people to be in good graces with you and to optimistically assume the best about your conduct and your hunt. If you don't think things could go very bad very quickly you might want to talk to a Minnesota dentist. The crew having your back and supporting your character and ethics is mighty important if things go tits up.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Hunting Day 10: part 1

This is Zimbabwe trip day 11 and this afternoon we, Lloyd and I have to meet up with Patricia, Darlington's wife, and her friend who works at the clinic to get my Covid PCR test in prep for my flight back to Johannesburg.

My trust now turns to the trackers Emmanuel and Samuel that the bull hippo we are looking at is a good mature bull that they had seen the early part of my hunt.

WTH....maybe I'll have one good hunt to report. Our party Emmanuel or Samuel, I keep getting these 2 mixed up as they switching on me, Lloyd and myself.

We start by glassing the hippo standing in the water, per rangefinder, from 268 yards up river before getting the sticks and rifles mine and Lloyds) ready.

A local Tribal Council leader has joined us shortly after our arrival to the river, he confirms this bull is a problem for the local Tribal people and is believed to be the only hippo in this area.

NOTE: However, Emmanuel and Samuel while on their scouting did spot a single family of hippo consisting of a calf, cow, and young bull in an area further up river. But accordingly, the big bull appeared to have been pushed out of another group and remained by himself.

The hunting party begins to move down river to close in on the hippo, all that is visible at this point has been the hippo's back and head as it stands in the middle of the river.

We close to 148 yards, and start glassing the hippo again. We are hidden by some very sharp and nasty brush and a high sandy bank. We move closer. At 68 yards, the hippo hasn't moved and we set up for a shot on the sand bank, we are as close as we can get to the hippo. I place the crosshairs of my scope where the brain shot should be and squeeze the trigger. I see the hippo roll and splash. Sammuel (?) looking confused and says my shot splashed in front of the hippo, but the hippo reacted to a hit.

Now it's the waiting game. About 15-20 minutes a ruckus explodes on the far bank and a croc is making like a torpedo away from the ruckus. Questions now did I hit the hippo and how bad. We wait, then suddenly a hippo's head bobs up about 50 yards down river then quickly goes back under. We continue to wait and watch over the river. I spot a hippo's head near the brush in the river where the hippo originally was standing. "This hippo" isn't acting like it was shot, so I must have shot in front of it. But the shot felt good, the rifle was steady cradled on the pack, how did my shot go from the brain placement to in front of its snout(?). We checked the scope that morning before leaving the lodge area.

The wait continues, over next hours 2, 3, 4, more times the hippo, only its head, bobs up out of the water and quickly disappears again.

More waiting and watching. When a hippo head is spotted moving along the far bank. Lloyd is in a kneeling position, I'm on the sticks. I have the crosshairs of my scope on the hippo's brain shot location once again. IMO the head isn't right looks smaller, but what do I know, trust your PH, I hear Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot it! So once again my 375 roars and a moment later, almost simultaneously, so does Lloyd's 375.

Regardless of which rifle did the job the hippo rolls over and sinks.

The waiting game is now a crunch time as I have to be at the clinic before 5p local for my Covid test.

This hippo had been stationary in the water at 106 yards, (used my rangefinder while waiting to pre mark various distances), for several minutes prior to the shots.

About 15 minutes a calf appears from out of the weeds. Now it's Oh Sh't! time, did we just shoot a cow (?), with a young calf (?).

The big croc estimated at 13+ - 14+ feet is sunning himself on a piece of sandy beach some 258 yards up the river from our and the dead hippo's location and he is joined on the beach by, a rather safe distance, another smaller estimated 10+ foot croc and what might be a third croc remaining in the water, seems that little section of beach isn't big enough for 3 crocs to sun in.

Eyes, constantly moving to look for the hippo to surface, for croc movement, and on the clock as it ticks down to when we will have to leave for the clinic.

NOTE: Almost forgot to mention the clinic is a 2 - 3 hour drive from the river, then from the clinic another 2 - 3 hour drive to Lloyd's home, where I'll meet Darlington in the morning at around 5a, departure day, to pick up my Covid test results and the 5 +/- hour drive to Harare airport.

Back to the river.

It been who knows how long at an hour plus and the faint line of the dead hippo appears on the river surface. As we are observing the beginning of the dead hippo's surfacing a hippo head briefly bobs up in front of us, and quickly submerges again. Three more times the hippo quickly bobs its head above water and disappears under the water in front of us.

Bringing back the question; Did we shoot a cow, instead of the bull(?). Lloyd has been in and out of conversations with the local Tribal Council Leader presumably to justify shooting a cow instead of a bull.

Meanwhile, the smaller crocs up river are on and off the beach, in and out of the river, the big croc at one point unobserved had also been back in the river as through my binoculars I could see he was almost dry again.

Keeping the rifles handy, one of the trackers and a young small frame young man from the tribe get in the tiny kayak type boat to begin the journey over to tie a rope around the dead hippo and float/drag it back to our side of the river.

I'll forgo the critique of this exercise in futility, sarcastic humor anecdotes, the near sinking/capsizing of the tiny watercraft. I'll just have try to upload and post some of the video.

They finally got the hippo and everyone helping to our side of the river. By far not the best place to land a hippo. As the photo in my previous post shows.

At this point it is confirmed I (we) killed a cow with a young calf, Lloyd guesstimated around 1500 pounds. Some quick photos and off to the clinic.

Lloyd's comment, while I made my displeasure of having just killed a cow hippo with a small calf instead of a mature bull hippo, was (not a direct quote but close) Hunters kill cows too.

 

[Ridge Runner]

It's interesting how perspectives differ...'anxiously awaiting the rest of your story.

'Been to Zimbabwe 3x now, and each trip was a highlight of my life (including 1 hunting with Lloyd, after seeing a video series he was featured in years back.) What I enjoy about Zimbabwe is that it's exceedingly rural country, that you have to go for those long drives and take in all the different culture, the sound of the brown hammerkops in the morning and the leopards chasing monkeys in the trees along the rivers at night. The fact that you are greeted by the Big 5 in the Harare Airport! Know that Zimbabwe (S. Rhodesia) was the breadbasket of Africa and once a model of excellence in every possible way. Coming from (English and German) farms families, I highly respect that (Lloyds father owned 5 sugar estates prior to you know who, but was also a PH. Did he tell you why he must donate blood every month? 'Hunted on the Knott citrus plantation with another PH and on the Lemco beef property prior to the establishment of the BVH-ALL fantastic places, and the owners were super nice people to get to know.) Funny how corruption and war let the air out of things. The landmines on the Mozambique border keep you on your toes, along with the mambas. We encountered mamba, a lion pride in camp one night, and even a black rhino while out hunting with Lloyd. We both got buff, a giant L. eland and waterbuck, and a bushbuck. It's no ski resort, it's Zimbabwe! A far cry from what you'd expect in most of the RSA-but that's why we like it. A visit to Victoria Falls, or better yet, a stay at the Safari Lodge there would've changed your mind for sure about the place (We did that on a later Caprivi hunt in Namibia as it was only a 2.5 hr drive.) Perhaps RSA or Tanzania is your cup of tea? Cutting out the middleman often reduces confu$ion, at a minimum! This forum will not allow me to post the story my son wrote about our last trip in A H G, but I had written a report on here prior regarding our great trip with Lloyd...Did we work hard for our Buff? We sure did! I got mine on the morning, and my son in the evening of our last day (We encountered them everyday-herds, dagga boys, but things didn't work out until the end. 'Passed up other game I now wished i hadn't in pursuit of buff.) For us, it's not about lining up our sights in a target-rich environment; The shot takes a fraction of a second, but the journey, the hunt, learning first-hand about new places and the culture represent 99.999% of why we hunt!

The only other game seen in this area:

A few, like may 6 total, Giraffe
1 good Zebra stallion and a herd of 6: 2 adults, 3 maybe 2 year old, 1 less than a year old.
1 young elephant bull
1 troupe of baboons, in the lodge area
Monkeys galore
several Duiker
and
1 really nice kudu

Maybe 2, at least 1, black mamba

Did hear 1 hyena near the lodge area

I would like to have been able to visited with the local villagers and done some sightseeing/photographing more of the area. Unfortunately the 2 days I had planned for this was changed due to covid and added days for trying to get my buff.

Of the claimed 60,000 acres, we kept searching hunting in the same 100 or so acre area tracking the same small herd and elusive 3 bulls, that we only came across once. Not until the ninth hunting day did we finally change and started hunting a different area where there was a lot more buff sign and we came across more buff.

I can only speculate so I'll just leave it at that. I will find another outfitter to hunt with on my next hunt(s) in Zimbabwe.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I respect your post but I don't think you know Lloyds operation. Your head tracker may have been the washboy, cook or camp attendant the day before. He may have been from Harare and never even seen the bush. I could give you a volume on Yeatman and you probably wouldn't believe it! Just reading this post raises my blood pressure. I would like to see Lloyd again----On this side of the pond!

Actually the lead trackers are Emmanuel and Sammuel. When hunting with them the tracking was much better as they IMO know what they are doing. As for the other 2 you could be right.

 

[Wheels]

Sorry your hunt didn't go the way you wanted.

Thanks for the report. We are never to old to learn.

 

[Ridge Runner]

@Ridge Runner I'm truly sorry you didn't have a good hunt. I hear your side of the story and I get it, but not positive of the difference between your perceptions and reality. We all have "our side" of the truth.

I'm much more willing to concede/believe there is a bad PH in a story than a bad tracker. If a tracker decides to sprint, yell, and launch flares in the air they suddenly know when to belly crawl and get inside 5 yards. The average African Shona or Matebele tracker has skills and judgment that they know how to get in on game. I have watched them walking (what I call running) for literally 9ks after buffalo tracks until they decide that it is now time to walk because they are getting that close.

Had you been successful, you would have wrote that these guys are mystics, sorcerers, and wizards at knowing when to do what. You had a bad-beat, were unsuccessful, and as we all would be on the way home from a bad-beat hunt, extra critical. This isn't to say your critique isn't on to something or that you're wrong, just acknowledge that you're in pessimism mode just as we all have been in this moment.

The extra problem with humans, ourselves included, especially westerners, especially when dealing with Zimbabweans is the Confirmation Bias. Once we start to see a couple things we "think" are dead wrong (and maybe 50/50 of them truly are dead wrong) we start to build a constellation of facts in our mind. A was wrong, B was wrong, C was wrong, therefore everything that comes out of their mouths next is going to be wrong. Our bias is confirmed that since we think they were wrong on A-C that everything coming after is confirmed evidence they suck at every detail and they were complete imbeciles.

I had this happen to me a couple times in Zim, especially on my 2nd and 3rd safaris. Too much bad judgment for things I knew they sucked at (Pre-prep, logistics, mechanical skills, firearm judgment, maintenance) that made me think they sucked at everything. That means you need a new PH. Because you've lost faith and when they need to save your life, you're not going to react, you're going to contemplate...that'll get ya killed.

The amount of jumping off the vehicle and chasing buffalo spoor fast doesn't give me pause. The number of bungled final approach stalks doesn't give me pause either. (My kid had 40 blown stalks on his safari 2 months ago trying to get an arrow off on a clean shot inside 20 yards...it's hunting)

I think also your experiences in SA definitely give you a misconception of Zim because they are as foreign to one another as an Argentina Duck Hunt and an Alaska Sheep hunt. Don't mistake proximity to similarity. Wild Zimbabwe stalks on wild persecuted game in areas with dangerous game are not going to be as amenable to being stalked and shot as SA game that lives in sanctuaries without predation.

I don't know your PH or trackers at all and I'm not dismissing your frustrating, unfortunate story at all. But, I do think you're hot as a hornets nest right now and half of your experiences were pretty normal. Had you killed a buffalo on your first day you would have overlooked, rather than compounded the nonsense you endured.

If you go back to Zim and hunt with the top-rated PH and operator, be prepared that half the things you hated are going to happen to you again. You may also get skunked. It's hard hunting and uncertain success all the while you went in with unreasonable expectations for how quick and easy the success would be. (Buffalo in 4 days, add-on leopard/hippo/croc, plus an Eland)

If you want to try it again, go with a great PH and Operator of which many of us can recommend you some in Zim. Go for 14 days of hunting. Create a long list of animals you'd like to try and an attitude that you'll come back and try again if you don't get all of them. It will relax and de-stress you immensely. It took me 4 hunts to get my cat, 4 hunts to get my klippy, yet some amazing animals came awfully easy. Every time I go back my must-shoot list gets less demanding and the fun-factor and gold medal trophy count goes up. Go to relax and see what fate brings you'll be so much happier with the experience. This is the "safari bum" lifestyle and it really takes the pressure off.

Had I killed a buff on the first, second or third day in "camp", I would be writing about the first 2 trackers much in the same way. If it wasn't for Aconte pointing the direction the buff traveled and getting these 2 back on track when they became confused as to which way the buff went the various treks for buff would have ended back at the truck a lot sooner.

As for writing a more favorable hunt report about Lloyd, most definitely, simply because it would mean he wants his client(s)' to be satisfied with their hunt(s).

I prefer to hunt fewer animals over more days so the PH isn't under pressure we can take our time to look over a lot of animals and I have time to sightsee and do some photography/video of the area, people and animals to reflect back on and show others that are or might be interested in traveling to these places.

I specifically asked Lloyd in planning the number of days for hunting in Zimbabwe if 10 days would be sufficient number of days for getting a buff and eland, and he said it can be done. Then upon arrival he tells me, I'm not likely to get an eland in this area, the other other is better for eland and has some buff. Lloyd also indicated there are plenty of buff in the area and we should be able to get a good buff in 4 days.

A hippo or a croc would only be added on after the buff and eland were down, and the 2 days of sightseeing/souvenir shopping, and only if time permitting; which was not likely to happen.

The leopard was only an opportunity animal if seen while in search of a buff or eland, as in an act of GOD of happening.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Sorry about your hunt but not surprised! Wish you had read my original warning when I joined this forum or on hunt report. I got fckd even worse than you. Hard to believe Lloyd is still allowed to operate. Funny thing is there was a Booking Company at HSC 2 years ago that were booking hunts for him. I told them about my experience and they said yes, he was having a tough time back then (97) but he was running straight now. Can't change the spots on a Leopard. He was Chipimbi Safaris then. Lots of bad reports on him. Don't book anything through Blair World either!!!

Yes, I wish I had found your warning and hunt report so I could have informed my RSA outfitter, James Williamson, about recommending Lloyd as a Zimbabwe outfitter or PH to his clients.

 

[Spearhead]

Wow. Due diligence, ethics, expectations, and communication...... so much wrong with this trip by both parties.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I do not understand the need to take a frontal brain shot as the first shot at a Cape buffalo offhand, day one or day 10 of a 10 day safari and then not pull it off.....
Not sure of the shot do not pull the trigger, if it goes south place blame on the person in the mirror....you may have been done in on the safari as a whole and I have simpathy for that but trying to put blame on the ph for your own decisions and incompetance on attempting a frontal brain shot on the first shot on a buffalo...well I dont buy that....

I hope you read on. You will see I dont put the whole blame on Lloyd for the hunt. I also claim some responsibility.

When a frontal brain shot at close range is all you have; your attitude is to put an end to the BS; my choice was to make the shot. Alternatively, I could I just have easily said, FCK IT!, shouldered my rifle and left pissed off that I didn't try the shot.

What are the odds on running into a 2nd, maybe 3rd or 4th, herd of buff, let alone getting an up close (like 30-40 yards) frontal shot on a bull while hap hazardly returning to the truck?

Hopefully others won't be in this kind of situation/scenario. However, others can make their own decision, should they find themselves in this same situation/scenario.

 

[IvW]

Did you pay for two buffalo and two hippo?

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

RR, I am sorry to say this but your angry disposition spoilt this hunt for you as much as this Lloyd fellow did. Sounds like you and Lloyd pissed each other off six-love. In my book, never react in anger or frustration, let alone when there is an animal's life at stake. If it means extending your trip, you get the animals you wounded, period. You write very honestly, I have no doubt this Lloyd at least has to present his case on several questionable, if not illegal actions. The ZPHGA must please investigate this, I will get that rolling.


That is if you want me to, let me know.

 

[375Fox]

The problems with this report keep adding up. Why did you continue hunting after the buffalo incident and stay the full days? I don’t see how you could have thought the hunt was going to get better?

 

[machinistbutler]

A question for you guys. If one decided to end the hunt early how would you go about getting accommodation and look after your firearms, or would you try and change flights? Would be a bit difficult if you have a hunt coming up in a week in the country next door to it?

I placed a lot of trust in my PH to look after things in a country I knew nothing about. I think things would have to go real bad before I would try and end a hunt, as I would have no idea what to do then.

 

[375Fox]

A question for you guys. If one decided to end the hunt early how would you go about getting accommodation and look after your firearms, or would you try and change flights? Would be a bit difficult if you have a hunt coming up in a week in the country next door to it?

I placed a lot of trust in my PH to look after things in a country I knew nothing about. I think things would have to go real bad before I would try and end a hunt, as I would have no idea what to do then.

If I was in South Africa, I would go to Afton guest house or Africa Sky and wait it out until next hunt or flights changed. If I was in this situation, it would be an awkward discussion with PH and hopefully he still has some integrity, but I would ask to be taken to a similar type establishment while coordinating with my next outfitter to go there early. It would be a hard decision to end a hunt early especially with some unknowns, but continuing to hunt with a PH you have no confidence in isn’t a winning plan either, especially when it leads to a 2nd wounded buffalo and 2nd wounded hippo and legalities questionable. Choose wisely from the start and avoid this situation.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Oh my! I had trouble following all that but yikes. Too bad about the experience.

Of all the trackers I’ve hunted with in Africa, the best have been in Zimbabwe, second only to the Bushmen of the Kalahari in Botswana. Two were poor, regular small village farmers from around Hwange Natl Park who learned the craft by keeping track of their wandering livestock- a very typical learning/training scenario method for the best trackers. They would hunt with their PH during “season” then tend their meager farms off season. I would guess 90% of their annual income was tips from the 3-4 months of hunting each year. The third was actually a game scout who had vision rivaling that of a Bushman. He was from south central Zimbabwe. What you ran into could very well be locals with no tracking skills nor experience. Who knows?

Hard to believe you didn’t know where you were but I guess some pay little attention to such details?? Actually, last time I was in Zimbabwe I could pin point my location by simply turning the locator on in my iPhone. Didn’t even have a local SIM card nor any specialized gps or map app, but it tracked my location very precisely. Just a plain old iPhone 6S.

I almost spit coffee when I read the reference to Buck McNeely!!! His redeeming trait I guess is I think he is a good hearted soul... but as to hunting? I watched one of his video hunts a few years ago where he was moose hunting in Ak. He killed a little bull maybe 40-45”. While doing the post kill hi mom shots and recap he was examining the teeth for wear and age. He explained to the audience and the guide that this was an old bull well past his prime. He could tell that because the bull had worn all the upper incisors completely off. I still chuckle out loud recalling that one. Yep, ole Buck.

I guess I’ve been lucky and never had such an experience in Africa nor the handful of Ak guided hunts for sheep and bears. Careful scrutiny of referenced info and gut feelings have been pretty good guides. I avoid slick pitches, promos, “deals” and too good to be true stuff like the plague. I think a single legitimate bad experience hunt story from the past, would be a huge red flag. Usually pretty easy to separate and distinguish sour grapes bitching from legitimate complaints.

Best trackers in the world hail from Bushman land in Namibia. San, !kung, Bushmen, herero whatever you choose to call them. Believe their territory was once much larger but they were sort of pushed into the equivalent of the native American reservations... Purely the best African stalk of my life was spending a day out with only a Bushman tracker/pH in Namibia! Most amount of thorns ever collected in my knees and hands as well. While my stalking skills are quite good I was completely blown away by his attention to every detail and our success in taking plains game out in the middle of open savannas by skirting around herds of giraffe and zebra and then crawling up the smallest of drainage ditches to great success!

 

[Randy F]

 

[Nyati]

@Ridge Runner , really sorry to read about your experience !