ZIMBABWE: 2018 Cast & Blast x2 With Nyamazana Safaris

[huntermn15]

Friday 20 July, Day 3 of Safari:

Alarm goes off, we quickly ready ourselves and our kit and head out the door to breakfast and come across this little gem! He/She was also looking for breakfast.

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A quick breakfast and both parties head off in search of whatever Africa will provide! We head towards the river looking for signs of buffalo coming to water. We had placed a camera the evening before in a location where it appeared buffalo were watering. This morning we find fresh buffalo pies in the road and it was quickly decided we should follow these up. I grab the Mod 70 375 H&H and have a quick discussion with Wayne. You smoke’em and I’ll immediately follow-up, got it! We head into the thick thorns and there are old and new buffalo tracks intertwined as it appeared the buffalo were enjoying the seed pods on the ground and had crossed back and forth through the area the past few days.

Wayne and the trackers quickly identified one of the bulls as he has a distinctive hoof print. This was the same bull a client had wounded last year but they are tough buggers and he was still alive. Wayne believed he would go 43” and the other bull was also mature but smaller. The trackers did their job sorting out the meandering tracks but after 45 minutes or so they lost the track once the bulls entered an area of deep grass. My first taste of buffalo tracking in the thick thorn kept my head on a swivel!

We get a call from Mike, Jeff and crew, they have a small herd of buffalo below them at lookout point which is just a valley over from us. We hightail it over there to have a look and quickly spot the dark shapes of buffalo feeding a couple of hundred yards below.

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Wayne explains this is a small herd he has seen before with 6 or 7 cows and calves with a soft horned bull as well as a better bull, but Wayne thought he needed another year or two. I had discussed with Wayne on the drive down from Bulawayo that I wanted a proper mature hard bossed bull and would be ok with one that even had a broken horn or both! The buffalo were mixed with a herd of giraffe making it about impossible to stalk into even if there was a proper bull in the mix. We decided to head back to where we lost track of the bulls earlier and see if we could sort out the track.

Wayne and I climbed one of the granite outcroppings to try and get some elevation to look down into the vast thorn thicket while the trackers sorted out the tracks from earlier.

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Michelle kept herself busy taking pictures of an inchworm that had hitched a ride.

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We lost sight of the trackers and decided to circle the outside of the thorn thicket to see if we could find any signs of the bulls. The thicket was tough going, outside the thicket was just as bad with deep grass hiding holes and all kinds of clingy thorn bushes. We got into a particularly thick area and kicked out a large animal, both Wayne and I had our weapons to our shoulders as you couldn’t see 15 yards in front of us, just a large warthog that barely gave us a glimpse. The look on Michelle’s face was priceless knowing it could have been a buffalo at close range.

We ended up finding a poacher’s camp nestled between the large rocks which would shield a campfire from the active armed patrols. You can see the old ashes to the left of our feet.


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We hauled ourselves out to the road and found the trackers, they had traced the tracks and the buff had crossed the boundary road into the neighboring property. This was the first time the buffalo had been hunted this year but they didn’t expose themselves, only crossing into our hunting block at night to drink from the river.

Back at camp, Michelle took some photos of wildlife not on our list!

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After a good lunch and some time to relax we headed out into the bush once again looking for eland or buff as our primary quarry. Wayne decided we needed to do a little climbing this afternoon as we hadn’t gotten enough exercise in the morning, stopping on the road beside a gigantic seemingly one-piece boulder many stories high. We ended up scaling the huge granite rock that seemed smooth but had enough creases and edges that allowed us to scale the monster. Cowboy and Sunday were patient showing Michelle easier ways to ascend the rock than run straight up the face as Wayne and I did. We get to the top and let our heart rate come back down after the climb and Wayne points out natural chalk that was sitting there in easy to use sizes courtesy of the local hyenas. We couldn’t help it and left some graffiti at the top of the hill to be washed away by the next heavy rain.

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We looked out over the vast landscape and Wayne and Sunday discussed the best route to the river and the road beyond. Head to the next gigantic rock (see picture) where we would run into the river and we would walk it to the road to be picked up by Sam who had stayed with the truck.

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It took us some time to navigate down the opposite hillside and we found what was left of a hyrax, leopards were in the area and it was THICK! There was plenty of old elephant sign but couldn’t locate any fresh eland or buffalo tracks but did come across a sausage tree.

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We pressed on as the shadows were growing long in the winter sun, where is that river? We picked up our pace and finally reached the next gigantic rock and the river’s edge.
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We needed to keep moving before we lost what was left of the remaining light and headed downstream, hopping from water smoothed boulder to water smoothed boulder while we zig zagged across the river looking for the easiest route. This was tedious and would be painful with a slip of the boot on the smooth rock face or a rock rolling or moving underfoot. There were also some beautiful natural rock carvings from water erosion.


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Can you see the Sphinx in this rock?

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We are soon out of light, goodnight sun.

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It’s well past sunset and Wayne is using his iPhone flashlight feature to navigate and Michelle pulls out her headlamp, we are all tired of clamoring up and over the rocks. We come to a large smooth rock and take a breather, drink some water and look up at the stars and Wayne points out the Southern Cross to us. Wayne calls Sam on the radio and asks him to blow the hooter (horn for us Americans), Michelle and I can faintly hear it. Wayne hadn’t heard it and asks me how far do I think it is. Probably over a kilometer away is my guess. A kilometer of clambering over more rocks and boulders most likely.

After a 20 minute rest we start off again and after a bit Sunday recognizes something familiar in the dark and we climb out of the river bottom to what looked like an old overgrown road. Wayne also recognizes the area as he has hung leopard baits here in the past. He indicates it won’t be much longer before we reach the road. We are spent and looking forward to a cocktail and some dinner! The iPhone indicates we have traveled 8.5 miles today, the majority of it on the afternoon/evening hike. My wife is a trooper, never complaining although she was worried about the leopards! We slept well that night.

Great report and trophies. I look forward to reading the rest!

 

[English Hunter]

This is a fantastic hunting report and I can't wait for the next instalments. Wayne is so lucky to have customers like us who can spin a good yarn

 

[AfricanEclipse]

Jeff and Dana: Day 3, morning.

Wait... It's what?! Morning?! C'mon honey, it's time to get up...

We make our way to the dining hall for some morning fuel before heading out. I have to say it was very pleasant having everyone meet for breakfast. Almost like a team circled in a huddle before the first play of the day.

Mike made the suggestion of heading to a place to glass one of the valleys for a bit first thing in the morning. I was all for it. Traversing the close, thick, bush was getting hard on the eyes and the body too.

Arriving at the area around 7am, we climbed up lookout rock to find that this spectacular viewing spot is well known and has been used for many years.

Glassing the valley we spot some 20 giraffe making their way through the trees and brush. You'll have to look real close just down from the rocks in the center of the photo.

There be buffalo down there! Mike and his trackers, Tiger and Pizza, can spot a dung beetle hiding under a leaf at 100 yards. They are GOOD at it! Knowing that buffalo was what my brother was really after we gave Wayne a call. Soon their team was clambering up the rocks to see what we've found. I was hopeful he might find one of the elusive black beasts worth taking.

Mike and our crew headed elsewhere looking for a Kudu or Wildebeest to drop my crosshairs on. We picked our way carefully along as Bushbuck are crepuscular (most active during dawn and dusk). The road made its way along a reservoir. I believe it was the same one we saw the Hippos in.

Coming around a curve the brush opened up for a relatively clear view across the water. Mike points out there is a Waterbuck standing on a large rock outcropping across the water. We didn't even stop as it didn't appear to very big. We could see the pale, lower, portion of the horns but nothing exemplary stood out. Mike looks at me and asks if I want to have a better look. Apparently I didn't have to say anything at all given the look I must've had on my face! The decision was made in an instant. We continued on a little ways when Mike and I bailed out of the truck and into the bush. We went directly away from the shore some 50 yards and began to slowly and quietly button-hook back to the road where we saw through the opening. The truck motored on a little further down the road. We kept behind thick brush and in single file as best we could to avoid being seen. We crossed the road and held up behind a large leafy bush. He was still standing there broadside to us. Staring straight in our direction. Mike sets up the sticks to rest his binos on for a better look. (My binos were still in the truck!) Mike turns back to me with an unsure look on his face. What do you think? I asked. “Honestly, I can't really say.” He steps over to the other side of the bush so I can put my rifle on the sticks and look steadily through my scope and he continued to glass from the other side of the bush.

I'm looking through my Nikon scope and see him standing there looking like a king on the rock. The tops of his horns blended in with the dark foliage behind him so we couldn't see how big he was plus the curve of the horns couldn't be seen straight on. (I remember thinking that his body didn't seem very big...) Mike began to whisper if I wanted to take him... Then the Waterbuck turned its head sideways for a profile view. WOW! That was what we needed! I knew that I had very limited time once he turned his head as intuition told me he was about to make a move off the rock. Before Mike could finish his whisper I was exhaling and the 300 bellowed its roar once again. Hooves and a flash of underbelly were the last I saw through my scope.

We both knew the shot went true and the Waterbuck was mortally wounded. Now we have to figure out how to get over there.

After some driving and hiking we made our way to the area he was shot. A few moments later he was found about 40 yards from where he was shot.

This guy is MUCH bigger than I thought. Later Mike told me the shot was 225 yards. No wonder he didn't look all that big! The shot was pretty much textbook. Bullet entry was at the rear edge of the left shoulder. The bullet passed through the left side ribs, clipped both lungs, tore through the atrium on the heart, passed through the ribs on the opposite side and came to rest inside the skin. Preliminary horn measurements were 28-3/4 and 29-1/2 inches. (You can see the reservoir I shot across in the background.)

(The damage done to the heart by the Trophy Bonded bullet. It had been sliced in half prior to the photo to remove blood since the trackers wanted it for their pots.)

Because of the remote location the Waterbuck had to be skinned and quartered on site. In due time we were off to the skinning shed then headed back to camp for lunch. I was a happy guy! I think Dana was just as happy if not more than me! She actually LIKES hunting. Win. Win! (She is pretty awesome and never complained about the climbing, thorns, prickers, hiking, sneaking around the bush or eating game – she likes that too!)

Day 3, Afternoon.

We rested a bit after lunch and headed back out for the gray ghost and Wildebeest.

It wasn't long when spied some Impala ahead. We hadn't seen any worth taking as of yet and there was a nice ram in this group. Get ready Mike said. When my eyes finally acquired the target I only had a straight on shot. No problem! Steady on sticks... Exhaling, the cross hairs paused their bouncing with my heartbeat (we all know what that is like) and the 300 roared again. The Impala leaped as it was stung by a 180 grain nickel plated Federal bee.

Not the biggest Impala but one I can be proud of on my first safari. The bullet entered the right side of the chest and came to rest just inside the skin on the rear hind quarter.

Off to the skinning shed again.

We continued on the rest of the afternoon picking along hoping for more game. We stopped at the log where we had baited for Hyena. Nothing was touched. Mike, Pizza, Tiger, and Crank (the conservancy game manager who accompanied us) discussed things and decided to try another area. This took the rest of the afternoon, what was left of it, to set up the new spot.

We headed back to camp for a hot shower and yet another delicious meal prepared by Cynthia and her helper. Every evening the food was absolutely delightful! I'm a decent cook but this stuff is good, good, GOOD.

Sleep started coming more easily with all the exercise. Tomorrow is another day with my gun and my girl in the bush... Zzzzzzzzz...

 

[cpr0312]

Cool waterbuck with nice curve, congrats!!

 

[AfricanEclipse]

Cool waterbuck with nice curve, congrats!!

Thank you! He's not quite perfectly symmetrical but I like a bit of character. Wasn't about to pass up that offering by the bush!

 

[cpr0312]

Thank you! He's not quite perfectly symmetrical but I like a bit of character. Wasn't about to pass up that offering by the bush!

I agree the more unique trophies are pretty darn cool!

 

[AfricanEclipse]

A video of the Impala being taken.

 

[Ragman]

Enjoying this report immensely. Beautiful, gorgeous country! And that waterbuck is a toad!

 

[gillettehunter]

I am really enjoying your report. Nice animals and the countryside is spectacular. That is a great Waterbuck. Congrats
Bruce

 

[Mauser]

Good stuff

 

[Mauser]

Hunting

 

[Nyati]

Great report, very good pics, really nice trophies.

 

[NYAMAZANA SAFARIS]

Thank you Edd and Jeff for this fantastic hunt report, I hope to be back in Bulawayo soon to read some more as I am not able to catchup on emails etc all the time where I am currently hunting. It was an absolute pleasure and awesome experience having you hunt with me and I am looking forward to our next adventure . All the very best and I’ll be in contact soon . Kind regards Wayne

 

[Roan]

Great report!

Amazing profile pic!!

Is that story still coming?

 

[AfricanEclipse]

Great report!

Amazing profile pic!!

Is that story still coming?

Thanks! Yes. That story is a few days further into the hunt. You'll have to wait!

 

[Mauser]

Really enjoying your post

 

[Mauser]

Nice Waterbuck

 

[Edge]

Saturday 21 July, Day 4 of Safari:

The first clear morning in Zimbabwe!

Headed out a little earlier this morning to check along the river for fresh buffalo sign and to see if we can get on them early enough to have reasonable chance of a follow-up. We had moved the camera to a new position along the river to try and figure out what time they would come to drink. With the full moon coming in a few days it would be possible to ambush them at night if we could establish a pattern.

We back off the road with the back end of the truck pointed in the general direction of the water as the trackers went to pull the camera. I am standing alone in the back of the truck in the early morning dawn as the sun had yet to reach into this protected area. Within a few minutes I can hear branches breaking and wondered if the guys had spooked some waterbuck along the waters edge. The sounds of a large animal moving behind us in the thick brush had my attention and I grabbed the 375 out of its case. I see two large black forms galloping through the brush to my left, just a hint of blackness and fragment of the backline, BUFFALO! I jump down out of the back of the truck and Wayne and I quickly move down the road to pick up the tracks.

We found the spoor easily as and began tracking them through the thick bush, were these our bulls we were after is the question. The trackers began sorting out the tracks and we pushed on, ending up in the valley where we had looked down on a small herd yesterday. Looking up you could see where we were perched just 24 hours previously.

The tracking became very difficult in the thick tall grass and with buffalo and giraffe through the area yesterday, became quite confusing. Visibility was 10-30 yards and we were all on edge expecting a charge at close quarters. We get a call from one of the ranch workers as he had spotted a buffalo crossing a road within a kilometer of our position. We headed that direction and found the spoor but it didn’t appear to be the same buffalo as we had originally been tracking. Sam brought the truck around to us and we relaxed while the trackers went back into the thick bush to sort through the tracks. In the end, it turns out the two bulls had possibly split up or we had struck out on a different track. We believe the big bull ended up crossing the boundary road into his safe haven. With it getting towards lunch time, we circled the block and were about to pull out on the boundary road when we noticed air hissing out the front left tire.

With four guys there, no help needed from Michelle or I so we walked back along the river track enjoying the fresh air and warm sun. She was armed with her Olympus and I carried the 30-06. Not much moving in the middle of the afternoon and the birds weren’t cooperating but we did find a couple of targets.

On the way back to camp for a late lunch and out dashes a monster of a Wildebeest! Michelle was able to get a few pictures of his antics as the guys kept telling me he was a good one! No, not on my list per Michelle. He was showing off running across the road, stopping then turned around and bounded back across the road teasing me! You can see his horn width through the branches.

And back across the road.

A quick lunch and I talk to Michelle as I would like to take the Wildebeest and have a shoulder mount done, she gives in and Wildebeest is on the list! We head back out into the bush and end up in a secluded valley and set up the FoxPro, hoping to call something in whether it be a hyena, jackal or bushpig. But I was warned, can’t shoot a leopard and guess what happens!

Overlooking the valley.

NOTHING!!!

Admit it, hook line and sinker!

We head back to the truck and back to camp for dinner and Wayne mentions we should go out this evening spotlighting since we lost some hunting time with the flat tire earlier in the day. We head back out and shine for the next three hours and NOTHING again! This is why we hunt and this is free range hunting, perfect. We finally roll into bed at 11:30pm knowing the alarm is going to rudely awaken us in the morning.

 

[AfricanEclipse]

Jeff and Dana: Day 4, morning.
(Saturday, 21/7/2018)

...”Groan”... Huh?

I awaken to my alarm which is a recording of Yosemite Sam falling and cursing loudly. There will be no Looney Tunes this morning. Daffy, Speedy, Sylvester and Tweety will be disappointed!

Dana and me make our way to breakfast and find our much needed coffee. During breakfast a plan is formed with Mike to visit a different area and do some glassing. We get all loaded up in the truck and start off on today's adventure.

By now the weather had come around and we had sunny days with warmer temps in the 70s.

We end up on top of a great black granite mound East Southeast of the lodging compound on the other side of two massive granite ridge lines. It was as if a monstrous turtle some 60 ft tall had been swimming in the African plain and been petrified in place. The morning Sun is timeless and breathtaking. I could easily live in these hills!

After a half hour or so we spot an Eland bull below us making its way south around the great granite copi we were on. It either had no clue we were up there (the wind was favoring us) or didn't care. It was a big bull but young yet. Mike said it really wasn't worthy of being put on a wall yet. Some might have shot it and I considered it but no, he needed to grow up a little more. Sorry, didn't think to snap a few pics of it! We watched it for a minute or three.

Then a gray ghost appeared in a small clearing to the West around 400 yards away! I watched intently through my scope... a tree is in the way... oh, he's a big one! No shot... Mike is burning holes through the morning air with his binos trying to get a clear look at him. He turns and in a flash is back into the woods from whence he came.

We waited and waited for him to step back out. Nothing. Not even a whisper of him being there still. By this time the wind had already started shifting and he probably winded us. The image in my mind puts nearly three curls on his horns which stretched back nearly to his hind quarters. It would have been a very long shot and I could have squeezed the trigger but I listened to my PH. I'm glad I did. It would have been a risky shot and with him walking, deliberately wounding an animal is not how I hunt.

We see some of Michelle's natural chalk in places on the mound. Dana and me considered gathering some up for her but were sure it would have been crumbles by the time we saw them again.

We spent nearly an hour on top of that great rock mound then made our way back to the truck and ventured North Northeast a few miles up the valley to stalk around some granite outcroppings. Stopping by a watering hole Mike snapped this photo of us. We probably should have taken more photos of the scenery but this was a hunting trip. Next time we'll take more. Next time.

By now it was mid morning (10:00 ish) and Mike asked if we'd like to see some cave paintings. Sure! There also just happened to be an excellent spot right there to survey the valley for more game.

There was water seeping from the side of a sheer granite wall on the way to the cavern.

Here are some of the cave paintings that have been there for thousands of years. They are difficult to see unless you are right there to see them.

Climbing atop the lookout rock took a bit of effort but the view was well worth it.

By now it was after 12:00.

We had been glassing for a while when a small herd of Wildebeest came into view. They were some 350 yards away. The decision to stalk up on them was made. One of the trackers, Pizza I think, stayed behind with Dana to watch the herd and guide us as needed. The fewer that went the better as the wind was not always cooperating and our quarry was not easy to sneak up on – especially this time of year.

We made our way down from the lookout and to the valley floor. Our path was slow through the brush and grass coming up behind a giant ant mound. Mike crawled up the back side to peek over the top. They were 20-30 yards away on the other side. A female had spotted Mike and was watching him. He came down and we maneuvered to the right behind some bushes. Tense seconds passed and Mike put up the sticks in front of me. “There's a nice bull in the group,” he whispered. I put my 300 on the sticks and looked through the scope. I hadn't seen the herd yet as I kept hid until the time came. The time was here and they were right on the front porch!

We watched them and I could see a nice bull in the middle behind some females. (I was shaking just a little because they were so close.) The brush was still a bit thick but there was an opening right where we needed it. They got startled a little and jostled positions. The bull moved out from the middle to the outskirts on the right. He was looking right at us. I could see his head clear as day but from the muzzle down he was behind... an anthill? A bush of some kind? I couldn't see anything down there. “There! Shoot him in the chest!” Mike said. “I can't see it...” “Shoot him!” The bull spun to his right exposing his left side and while he moved I let loose a thunderous bolt of nickel plated copper lightning from the 300 WM.

The herd ran off. We went to the place where he was shot and saw that he stumbled, slipped, and went down. The trackers and Dana came down from the lookout and we started searching in the tall grass. Blood was found but not much. We're on the trail. We tracked and we tracked – right through lunch. They were moving with the wind and scented us at every turn. We continued to track the herd for 10 or more clicks (km) through passes, pastures, and bush. The blood had stopped hours ago. There was no sign of them slowing down or a trailing animal. The trackers kept tracking while Mike, Dana, and myself tried to head them off in the truck. We never saw them again and trackers worked until dark. We decided to pick it up in the morning.

I was sick with disappointment that I wounded an animal. It was a quiet and contemplative evening for me. I kept playing the shot over and over in my mind. Did I shoot high? Did I pull the shot? Sleep was an elusive apparition that night. Still, as I write this, it disturbs me. Had I listened to my PH and shot through the bush this story would be very different.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Making yourself shoot through bushes was a hard lesson I learned. Tough night.