ZIMBABWE: Elephant, Leopard, Cape Buffalo & Plains Game with Nyamazana Safaris

[Foxi]

Great hunt,great story.
Thanks for taking us with you - to Africa.
Regards from Munich
Foxi

 

[Edge]

Great hunt,great story.
Thanks for taking us with you - to Africa.
Regards from Munich
Foxi

My pleasure Foxi, thank you for the kind words.

 

[crudeoildude]

your writing makes Hemmingway sound like he does comic books excellent safari and beauitiful write up congratulations sir you should be proud

 

[WAB]

Great report Edge, thanks for sharing!

 

[Edge]

your writing makes Hemmingway sound like he does comic books excellent safari and beauitiful write up congratulations sir you should be proud

That’s a first, being compared to Hemingway!

Thank you for the kind words and I’m glad you enjoyed the adventure, was one heck of a good time!

@WAB, thank you Bill!

 

[Edge]

TCI in Bulawayo has completed the replica tusks, on to Harare and Andy Hunter, Chipitani Safaris, who has handled the dip & Pack/paperwork of the two previous trophy shipments and Lynn Duncan of LD Forwarding for shipment to Coppersmith in Atlanta.

Great folks to work with and excellent communication between all parties.

 

[SSGBIV]

Safari operator: Nyamazana Safaris @Nyamazana Safaris

Area: Zimbabwe, Bubiana Conservancy – Drummond Ranch

PH: Wayne Van Den Bergh along with Sam, Cowboy and the local scout Dumasen

Flight Reservations: @Travel Express - Lori Spears

Gun Clearance: @riflepermits.com

Dip & Pack: Chipitani Safaris, Andy Hunter out of Harare

Taxidermy: @The Artistry of Wildlife

Tusk reproductions by TCI in Bulawayo

Dates of Hunt: 14 – 27 October 2018

Rifles:

#1. Colt Light Rifle in 30-06 with handloaded 165gr Peregrine plainsmaster bullets topped with Zeiss Diavari FL 2.5-10x 50 with illuminated #60 reticle.

#2. Mod 70 Alaskan 375 H&H using 300 gr Peregrine Bushmaster “softs” and 300gr Federal Premium Woodleigh Hydro’s topped with Leupold VX-6 2-12x42 with firedot duplex.

Fishing Rod(s):

#1. Fenwick HMG Casting Travel Rods (two) with Shimano Chronarch CI4+ casting reels, one loaded with Braid and the other with 12lb mono.

#2. Fenwick HMG Spinning Rod with Diawa Lexa 2500 (12 lb mono) and also an older Penn 4500 (18Lb).

These rods come in 3 sections with two different tips, a medium and a medium-heavy as well as a nice travel case. You can fit three rods in one travel case and my checked bag was long enough to accommodate the rod case.

Rifle Case: Pelican Storm 3300

If you want to skip the story and see a few of the pictures from this hunt, go to https://www.africahunting.com/threads/incredible-hunt-offer-available-for-leopard-buffalo-elephant-hippo-crocodile-plains-game-2018.44906/

I will be posting additional pictures on this thread as I retell the hunt. If you are bored and want something to read, then join me as I tell about the adventure. I will apologize up front for the lack of quality pictures, my wife wasn’t with me this trip and she’s usually toting a big lens.

Background

A little background and thought process before I jump into the hunt report as it all ties together. My wife and I, along with @AfricanEclipse and his better half had returned from a great hunt with @Nyamazana Safaris in late July, detailed here https://www.africahunting.com/threads/zimbabwe-2018-cast-blast-x2-with-nyamazana-safaris.44690/

After squaring up the final tally with Wayne on the last morning before departing Drummond Ranch, I put down a deposit for a leopard hunt to take place in 2020. I had put in many many hours of research sifting through leopard hunting reports taking place in Zimbabwe and Namibia on various forums dating back to the 2000’s. One area stood out, the Drummond Ranch. There was enough positive information that I was sure we had a very good chance of taking a leopard. Plains game hunting the area for ten glorious days, seeing leopard sign and probing Wayne with leopard hunting questions for at least nine of those ten days gave me the utmost confidence to put down a deposit before we left!

Yes, a leopard hunt in this area is going to cost in the range of $26-30,000. I would rather pay more for a high success rate hunt versus a cheaper hunt with much lower success. When I say high success, I’m talking close to 100%. You read and hear the frustrating reports of hunters going two, three and even more times before they are successful bagging Chui. In many instances, these hunts are advertised at much lower cost, some with higher trophy fees and lower daily rates. Why the lower cost, because the success rate is also much lower with a higher trophy fee. You add up the costs of two or more “cheaper” hunts and you exceed the cost of a high success rate hunt.

I don’t fight fair, wanted to limit the amount of lady-luck needed in a high success rate area and was willing to pay the price. I was extremely confident I would be coming home with a leopard in 2020! My wife and I were looking forward to returning to the Drummond Ranch and the spectacular scenery and abundant free ranging wildlife.

Within three weeks of returning from our Cast and Blast adventure, Wayne posted a cancellation hunt at a significantly reduced daily rate:

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/incredible-hunt-offer-available-for-leopard-buffalo-elephant-hippo-crocodile-plains-game-2018.44906/

There was no way I could go back so soon, or was there? Stars aligned with work, finances (since this hunt was severely discounted and I was able to apply the 2020 deposit) and my ever-understanding wife gave me the go ahead without her coming along. I would be back in Zimbabwe on the Drummond Ranch in two months!

The discounted hunt also included the opportunity for another chance at the few wily buffalo that lived in the area, an elephant that was on quota, hippo and croc. We had chased some of these buffalo during the first hunt and they would out-walk us (never stopping even after 10 – 12 miles), out-smarted us and wore us into the dirt day after day. I was looking forward to a buffalo rematch and was warming to the idea of an elephant. I had never given elephant hunting much thought as I never imagined I would hunt one, how things can quickly change.

Obstacles

Two months to go, I don’t have any softs for my 375 H&H. I carried Federal 300 gr Hydro’s on the first hunt but never fired a shot as the 30-06 was a killing machine and I never had a good chance at a buffalo. My 30-06 load from the previous trip was spectacular and is documented here (https://www.africahunting.com/threads/peregrine-165-gr-30-06-load-development.42317/). I would also be using the 30-06 for the leopard.

For this trip, I wanted some softs as I wasn’t going to take a 375 to Africa twice without killing something, that wouldn’t be right! I also wanted a back-up to the 30-06, you never know what can happen and take a rifle out of commission. I HATE paying for factory ammo and decided to try and work a load up for the Peregrine 300 grain Bushmasters. I detailed the path I took in this thread:

(https://www.africahunting.com/threads/rl17-with-300-gr-375-h-h.45036/)

I had trouble finding consistency but figured out just a few days before leaving that my scope bases had worked loose! It was no wonder some of the loads weren’t repeatable, loc-tite solved the problem. I did work up a good load that shot well and was close to the factory Hydro’s POI, the final confirmation at the range just a few days before the next obstacle reared its head, Hurricane Michael.

I live on the Florida Gulf Coast and the small tropical storm that turned into major Hurricane Michael was headed straight at us! Landfall was projected between Pensacola and the Big Bend region on Wednesday the 10th of October, the day before I was to depart from Pensacola to catch the Delta non-stop out of Atlanta on Thursday the 11th of Oct.

By Tuesday afternoon I had the storm curtains up on the house, boat tied down, bags all packed and now it was time to sit and watch where the storm would end up coming ashore.

Rifles, extra scope and fishing reels ready to go:

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Storm shutters in place:

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Radar image of storm:

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I had purchased AIG travel insurance through Lori @Travel Express and was thankful I had the policy. At this point, I can hardly sleep. I’m awake by 2am Wednesday intensely studying the 15-minute radar updates looking for some sign of weakening or path deviation. At 4 am Michael is still coming straight North, bearing down on the coast and I was worried. The storm hadn’t yet turned to the Northeast as the hurricane models had predicted. I texted my good friend @jacques smith , who lives to the east and is closer to the storm’s path, he had decided to evacuate before the local bridges were shut down by high winds. The storm ended up turning a few hours later and spared us but inflicted massive damage just 70 miles to the east, devastating the Panama City and Mexico Beach areas as well as many small communities well north of the coast.

What else could go wrong? I ended up breaking a piece of my tooth off Wednesday evening! A visit to the Dentist early Thursday morning and he was able to patch me up. The Delta app showed the 1330 flight to Atlanta was still on time so the wife and I headed to Pensacola. The airport was operating and even though Hurricane Michael’s path had taken it just south of the Atlanta area, my flights arrived and departed on schedule.

Back in Africa

The past two trips to Johannesburg, my wife and I stayed at the AfricaSky Guesthouse and utilized the firearms clearance service they offered. This trip, being by myself, I decided to stay at the airport City Lodge and used @riflepermits.com to clear my rifles and assist at the airport. No issues and prompt and courteous service from Anna who met me on my arrival to JNB and departure to Bulawayo the following day.

Arrival in Bulawayo

No issues with ticketing or my flight to Bulawayo on 13 October (unlike the first trip) and Lori was able to snag me a seat up front on the flight. I noticed a gentleman and his daughter (at least I think it was) sitting across the aisle from me and he was reading one of Kevin Robertson’s books, easily pegged him as a hunter, possibly Spanish. Upon touchdown in Bulawayo, I texted Wayne that I had arrived and he responded he would meet me at 1pm, about an hour to get through all the red tape was about right. I was the first one off the plane and into the receiving area. I had most of the required forms pre-filled upon arrival and was the first person in line, had my Visa in short order, through the gun inspection and out the door in record time. I texted Wayne again and told him “you owe me beers”, I was 25 minutes ahead of schedule! To be fair, Wayne jammed in this cancellation hunt between a family vacation and his next hunt as he had just gotten back home from Europe 12 hours before I arrived and was prepping as quickly as he could for this hunt.

After exiting the secure area, I was greeted by another PH and his wife thinking I may have been their client and chuckled no, they are still in there filling out all the government forms. We chatted for a few minutes until Wayne showed up and we headed back to his house to finish up some final packing and preparations for the leopard hunt. It was hot in Bulawayo, very hot. We arrived at Drummond that evening and with the light fading decided we would get settled and check the rifles in the morning. We enjoyed a good meal with a few cold beverages as it was mid 90’s. Back in my room, I readied my kit, dropped the mosquito nets and climbed into bed thinking how surreal it was that I was back at Drummond Ranch so soon. It was still very warm and humid but a good breeze had kicked up billowing out the curtains as I fell asleep.

Day 1

We unload the second Zebra and head towards the lodge for lunch while we await the skinners to skin and cut up the Zebra quarters for baits. We drive into a crossing area where there are multiple water points and a couple of Eland bulls begin to trot away. I ask if he’s a good one and the answer is yes. I swing in front of the eland bull and follow him in the crosshairs and surprise myself with a shot.

We check for blood and sure enough, there are drops and we start following. About 150 yards in, Cowboy and I find a branch with a lot of blood and what looks like pink lung material. I’m thinking he’s not too far away. We finally run into him about 2 hours later, Wayne is able to get a shot off but didn’t appear to connect and the eland disappears. We continue following until he crosses the property boundary but have to wait an hour or so until we are able to get a game scout from the other property and continue following the blood and spoor for many more miles, bumping the eland once again.

Neither Wayne nor I could see him let alone get another shot into him. It’s getting very late and the eland crosses back into the Drummond property. We mark the spoor and walk another couple clicks until we reach Sam on the radio to come fetch us.

Exhausted and kicking myself for making such a piss poor shot decision. I’m thinking I hit him high in the top of maybe only one lung. Most of the blood spoor is on the opposite side of the body from the initial shot so there was a complete pass through. Wayne is staying positive and believes leaving him rest overnight without pushing him will help, hopefully find him down or very sick in the morning. Not a great way to start off the Safari.

Fantastic story! What a start to a fabulous hunt! Love the detail you are sharing!

 

[Mort Hill]

@Mort Hill @sierraone

Thanks guys! That was the condensed report and I have a ton more pics that I could post!

“Well, we’re waiting!!!!!”
Judge Elihu Smails - Caddy Shack

 

[Shakka]

Edge, INCREDIBLE STORY and beautifully written!! I’m going to read it over again

did you happen to weigh it, age it, or measure its skull?

 

[Edge]

Edge, INCREDIBLE STORY and beautifully written!! I’m going to read it over again

did you happen to weigh it, age it, or measure its skull?

Skull went 15 1/2”, just over Roland Ward minimum score of 15 3/8

 

[Shakka]

Skull went 15 1/2”, just over Roland Ward minimum score of 15 3/8

That's GREAT Brother! Close to a 16" skull is a great Leopard.

I wish that these PH's would carry a scale in the truck to weigh them too

 

[AG2019]

Well done. Didn't know they had such great bass fishing.

 

[Edge]

Well done. Didn't know they had such great bass fishing.

Thank you, did you see the earlier hunt I posted at the beginning of the hunt report? Same lake a few months earlier but a bigger bass!

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/zimbabwe-2018-cast-blast-x2-with-nyamazana-safaris.44690/

 

[Edge]

Some finished pictures from the taxidermist of the “cats”, delivery planned for early next week!

The milky eye on the male Civet was how we wanted it done as he was blind in that eye.

Looking forward to the delivery!

 

[rinehart0050]

Some finished pictures from the taxidermist of the “cats”, delivery planned for early next week!

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The milky eye on the male Civet was how we wanted it done as he was blind in that eye.


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Looking forward to the delivery!

Looks awesome! Looking forward to photos of them up on your walls! Congrats

 

[Edge]

Looks awesome! Looking forward to photos of them up on your walls! Congrats

Hopefully have some pics up before I leave for South Africa & Mozambique!

 

[Woodcarver]

Congratulations on a great hunt! Hopefully some day those replica tusks can be replaced with the real ones! Thanks for taking us along with you with a well written tale. Coupled with the pictures it was easy to "see" the hunt taking place.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Replica tusks look very real, a good second prize.

 

[Edge]

Replica tusks look very real, a good second prize.

I wrote up a separate post on the reproduction tusks and bases:

Reproduction Elephant Tusks

I’m finally getting around to posting the final pictures of reproduction elephant tusks cast from my originals with brass caps from TCI in Bulawayo. These tusks are from my hunt in Oct 2018 with @Nyamazana Safaris, and a link to the hunt...

www.africahunting.com

 

[Edge]

Mounts delivered a few days ago, extremely pleased! The new resting places: