ZIMBABWE: My 21 Day Safari With Charlton McCallum Safaris & A Pair Of Double Rifles

[Chukar]

Digging it. Keep it up!

 

[Tra3]

Reading with interest! I appreciate the details.

 

[CAustin]

Great report so far! Looking forward to more pictures!

 

[Jörg Krüger]

What a nice read/report. Thank you for posting. Love the pics

 

[VertigoBE]

Great start of your adventure @Tanks ! Two close quarter approaches with elephant on your first day! Keep the story coming!

 

[Tanks]

Day 2:

During breakfast Keith and I have a discussion. Our priority is Leopard at this point and we need bait. Impala make one bait, Kudu cow about 3 and buffalo whether cow or bull makes 5. Of course if we shoot an elephant problem solved.

After breakfast we take off to a different area again looking for tracks on the roads (using the term loosely) and the guys on top of the truck scanning for game in the distance as well.

We see tracks, the head tracker says they are fresh and looks like a couple of Dugga boys came over from Mozambique and headed in to the jess.

Gear up again. This time I load a couple of softs into the .500 giving me 6 softs and 4 solids for the duration. We head out after the dugga boys.

The guys start looking for sign of the direction they went.

We track them for a mile or so to a pond. Obvious that they drank water and it also looked like they met with a herd of calves and some cows. Good news is that is more targets and bad news is that it is that many more eyes.

We keep going, finally see some black in the distance that is moving. We are onto them. Alas the wind changes. Now, we have to make a big circle to get the wind in our favor.

We circle around, they are congregated around some brush, but there is about a 150 yards clearance in front of them. A lot of eyes looking our way. Time for a clandestine approach, we get on our knees and crawl for a hundred yards. Good thing I am wearing long pants though if I had known I would have those tactical knee pads that slide in to the pants with me. It is hard as you are basically walking on your knees and hands while still holding a rifle. At some point Keith and I switch, now we are just dragging our rear ends on the ground as our knees are shot (and Keith is wearing shorts). It is a walk in the park for the tracker though. We had left others behind, just one tracker, Keith and myself.

We make a rush for a tree that is blocking the view. The buffalo are about 60 yards away. He puts the sticks down and I have no shot. The buffalo have calves and they have basically made a circle with calves in the middle and it is a big blob of black. I fire a shot and might end up buying multiple buffalo. Keith says there is one on the edge of the circle facing us, can I take it with a heart shot aiming below the neck. I decline, a slight miss to the right or left and I am hitting the ribs and missing all the vitals. Just to risky of a shot at that distance.

We try to push and they make us and take off. We could keep bumping them all day. We head back to the road.

It is lunch time as it is 2:30PM or so by now. We head to a water hole nearby for lunch. The place is inundated with some sort of flies unlike Tsetse flies (which there are plenty around) these do not bite but irritate the hell out of you as there are thousands. I pull out the net and eat by putting the food underneath.

The guys had put a tarp on the ground for a nap, but with the fly situation we decided to pack and press on. We did see a lot of baboons about 120 yards away. I like shooting them and there was a big dog that I would have like to shoot and take its skull. However, I have a rule. No baboons until the main game is in the salt.

Driving around we come across the tracks of a lone dugga boy going into a very dense jess. We gear up and Keith tells me to put solids as the jess is very thick and the bullet might have to go through a branch or two. I comply.

We keep tracking and bumping the dugga boy. He is not taking a break. Eventually it gets dark. Time to head out. Keith pulls out his GPS and says the shortest direction to the road is to keep going forward and to NE for about 800 meters as it would be hours going back the way we came.

He radios the guy and heads to the road using the GPS. While the guys can navigate and not trip in starlight, I can not. So, I pull out my headlight put it on my hat and turn it on. When the light shines Keith turns and looks at me, I smirk.

800 meters is as the crow flies. We have to navigate around obstacles etc.. and finally make it to the road and wait for the car.

We head to the camp and there around 8:30PM, a hot shower then a little wine and fireside snacks and life is good. Dinner and then I head to bed. Tomorrow is another day.

My app says 23,174 steps, 8.1 miles and 133 floors of incline.

to be continued...

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Exactly the kind of hunt I want to do, thousands of steps, thousands of flies and a fire in the evening.

 

[Tanks]

Day 3:

We hear of a dugga boy running around the village near the fishing camp. That area is also known for zebra sightings etc.. We need bait.

After breakfast we head out, it is a bit of a drive and trackers still looking for sign for anything that moves.

We leave the Dande Safari Area, now in communal land.

We see a Sable on the side of the road in front of us. Keith says "That is a nice one at least 40" (great for this area). It would be easy as it will most likely stop after a 100 yards". I decline as I am saving Sable hunt for a 47"+ from @spike.t

On the way we stop now and then to track, but nothing. We get to the village area, but the tracks are old. By that time it is lunch time and we get to the fishing camp and have lunch. That is the same camp that @VonJager would arrive a week or so later to fish and hunt buffalo. A very nice camp with a great view.

Zambezi river with Zambia on the right.

The camp waiter sets up our lunch in the main dining area where we can eat and watch the above view.

We have lunch and it is time for about an hour nap before we resume hunting. I am offered one of the tent/cottages, but decline. I choose to grab a pillow and snooze on the couch that is on the bottom left of the above pic.

Here are a pic of the accommodations in this camp.

We head out after our nap. Looking for game and finding none to shoot. A disappointing day as we desperately need bait animals.

Back at camp, usual routine of shower, wine by the fireplace with snacks and dinner. Head to bed, maybe tomorrow?

Only 7,929 steps, 2.5 miles and 135 floors of incline according to my app.

To be continued...

 

[Huntndog]

Great report! Looking forward to more..........

 

[Tanks]

Day 4:

Up at 5AM, shower, get dressed and breakfast. I have requested an egg sandwich with bacon as part of my lunch from here on.

It is show time. We absolutely need bait in order to hunt leopard. Impala, buffalo cow, kudu cow, any other main animals; if it moves, it dies (unless trophy fee is $5,500 like Sable ).

Driving along hear a bang on the truck. "Impala" says the tracker pointing to the right. I get out and grab the 9.3 and load it up. We head out towards the Impala, by this time they have disappeared. We are desperate, start tracking them hoping they will stop at some point.

After 45 minutes or so Keith gets on top of an ant hill to glass. He motions me up and sets up the shooting sticks. "150 yards" he says. I set the turret on scope to yellow which is the 150 yard mark. I pick a ram that is broadside, aim for the shoulder and squeeze the trigger. The ram drops thrashing, "I got him", I say. "Shoot another one" says Keith. Sure enough the Impala are confused about where the shot came from and there is another one broadside 10 yards or so from the one I shot. I fire the right barrel on the 9.3 and it drops like poleaxed. The rest of the Impala scatter, we have bait.

The 287 grain Spire Point did a job on the first Impala shot through the shoulder it ripped it apart, I guess due to the angle, and its internal organs are hanging out and heart shredded. The second one was lung shot.

The 9.3 is bloodied. At 150 yards both left and right barrels performed.

The guys drag the carcasses to truck and load them up, we are going to set up two baits today.

On the way again Impala sighting. We track them a while and I have a shot at one at a 100 yards, and set the turret to green and squeeze the trigger. Another bait down, and guys load it up.

Keith says, jokingly, "with the 9.3 you can line the Impala up and shoot multiple at one time, so try that". As we are driving we find more Impala and get out of the truck.

Better to be lucky than good. We find the Impala at about 100 yards, a lot of foliage. Keith points one out to me, says "see the head behind that bush, take him". I aim for the head and fire the left barrel. It drops, Keith says "I saw two drop". We head out there. The one I aimed at has a splitting headache now. I also ended up spining another. The trackers finish it off with a knife. We do find the bullet. One bullet, two Impala, that's conserving bullets!!!

We make it to one of the bait sites that Keith and the trackers had seen Leopard tracks and they get to work and hoist the Impala up.

The guys clear out extra branches so I have a shooting lane if and when a male leopard arrives.

Bait all set at this one we head to the next bait site. Here the trackers make a nice approach bridge for the Leopard.

And clear out the branches again.

In the case of both baits contents of the stomach are splattered on the tree and guts are trailed. We also drag the guts with the car for a mile or so.

We are feeling pretty good. By this time most of the day is gone and we do not have enough daylight to set up more baits. Start heading back.

On the way to the camp we see two warthogs on the road. Keith says "One of them has pretty decent tusks, want to take him?". I say "sure". We get out and I load up the 9.3. We go forward, I get on the sticks and set the turret to 100 yards.

I squeeze the trigger and the warthogs take off like a rocket. Keith says "You hit him". We start tracking them, there is hardly any blood and I am worried. Then, we see the younger one going away, but it is alone. That gives me hope. 50 yards from where I shot him we find the warthog, dead.

We set up for the obligatory pics

We stop at the skinning shed. I want one of the legs for the cook. The trackers want the other leg and I also just want the skull no mounting. I am curious about the shot as it was a quartering away shot. They told me that the bullet went through the body and destroyed the heart and went on.

Finally, we have enough bait for all 6 baits. Panic averted.

I am also very happy with the performance of Heym 88B 9.3x74R.

Back to camp, the usual shower, wine and dinner. Go to sleep content, but there is still work to be done.

My app tells me 21,071 steps, 7.3 miles and 237 floors of incline while chasing all this PG.

To be continued...

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

You sir are deadly with that 9.3, excellent shooting!

 

[spike.t]

Not far from where you took that photo

 

[spike.t]

Good to see that 9.3 is working as good as it looks..

 

[spike.t]

Tanks been wondering if this is buzzs conservancy?

 

[Tanks]

Tanks been wondering if this is buzzs conservancy?

I don't think so. Where is it?

 

[spike.t]

I don't think so. Where is it?

That photo taken from the boat...its up from where you took the photo of the river bit down river from kavalamanja village on zambian side...those signs appeared maybe couple years ago...can't remember exactly...near the red cliffs

 

[Tanks]

Ah, no it does not belong to Buzz. The island further down does as they do crocodile hunts there.

 

[WAB]

Those look like the signs for the conservancy on the Zim side just upstream of Buzz’s camp. If they are, it’s a conservancy that was carved out of Dande in some questionable dealings. CMS is not on good terms with them.

 

[Tanks]

Those look like the signs for the conservancy on the Zim side just upstream of Buzz’s camp. If they are, it’s a conservancy that was carved out of Dande in some questionable dealings. CMS is not on good terms with them.

Yeah, they were buzzing the crocodile hunters on the island with their boats as they do not like hunts going on while their "enlightened" fishermen were in camp. They stopped once they were told that they would be shot if they ever did it again.

 

[WAB]

Yeah, they were buzzing the crocodile hunters on the island with their boats as they do not like hunts going on while their "enlightened" fishermen were in camp. They stopped once they were told that they would be shot if they ever did it again.

I believe they may have actually swamped or come close to swamping the hunters boat. If so, they should have been shot the first time.