ZIMBABWE: Nyerezi Safaris, Savé - Father Like Son

[Tau Wilderness]

‘Do not rely on luck but be grateful if you are blessed”. – Tau



Yes, that is the thoughts I had on the back of a Toyota in the glorious 40 Celsius chill of the Savé Valley with very little going our way.

WARNING: I write these reports as I experience the hunt and try create a story that is fun to read. My spelling is horrible at the best of times and my grammar worse.

 

[Tau Wilderness]

Savé Valley Conservancy, it just sounds so romantic and foreign for a farm boy from the country in South Africa. The name makes me excited!!!

I see people wearing strangely spelled and pronounced branded hats. I have seen those names on golf balls at the driving range. I have always connected those incorrectly spelled names (Titleist, Ping, Srixon) with golfing success and grown men wearing tight white pants.

And I wondered why people would wear a spelling mistake branded cap whilst following a ball that is always missing in the rough.

I do not judge as we hunters are the same, just different. We buy khaki clothing in different shades and leather boots and ammo holders and we cannot wait to wear and use these items that smells of leather and polish for a couple of days a year whilst hunting. The excitement and energy that is felt and spent to reload for your rifle, sharpen your knife pack your clothes and check and recheck the packing list is a friendly return to pre-hunt jitters.

When you sit in your trophy room, reloading area or at work when I am just tired, and you close your eyes for a moment……. It is there. I can hear a bolt closing on a loaded solid cartridge and the comfortable pressure of my rifle resting over my shoulder as I swing it into position in a familiar pattern. The sound of a string of grown men walking in a line thru the bush with Mopani leave crushing under the pressure of the boots.

The wait becomes unbearable. 2 months, 1 month, 1 week and then before you know it, you are standing at Bulawayo airport with a person asking you to “buy them lunch” to speed up the rifle import process.

Jump in the back of the confines of a extra cab Hilux for 6 hours and before I know it, BOOOM !!!!!!!!

Savé Valley Conservancy, breath out close my eyes and look up. As I open them, I am standing under the leaves of the large Cathedral Mopanies of the Neyangumbe river camp. I close my eyes again and listen to the Hammerkop making his familiar noises, Hyenas in the background and the Crested Francolins racing around in the undergrowth of the riverine forest.

Heaven to me, just being here again is a feeling I wish I can bottle and sell to the depressed and those longing for rest or success. Can one place be so beautiful????

 

[Frederik]

Keep em coming.

 

[Nyati]

 

[PARA45]

Anxiously waiting for more. Oh, and you are doing great, don't worry about the spelling and grammar part. I will not judge you, mine is probably worse than yours.

 

[Tau Wilderness]

We had a brilliant first evening in camp, strange how a place I have only spent 7 days at 11 months ago felt like home.



The camp on the banks of the Neyangambe river is even more beautiful this year as the grass around the tented chalets and upkeep of the camp was country club like, whilst still keeping to a natural layout and feel to the camp.

I will call the camp Bush 5 star.

Us Africans have a attration to fire and sitting around one on a hunting trip is standard procedure even if it is mid 30 Celcius at night .

I wish this picture was of Sean showing my Dad shot placement pictures, but no they realised both have a love for flying and Light sports aircraft.

I am a planner and prepper when it comes to hunting. My Dad is a planner and prepper when it comes to life, strange how I now felt the urge to talk shot placement, starting times and possible scenario's. My Dad just said we can go out in the morning and quickly go shoot some Buffalo.

Oh I was using my beloved Ruger Alaskan .375 Ruger with hand loaded ammo. I have used it on a Northern Namibia hunt earlier this year ( Yes I need to still write that report) and trained with it on my range to be ready for this hunt. My ammo was polished my Aimpoint cleaned and fitted with a new battery.

My Dad rented a camp gun from Sean with some 300gr solids he took one look at the weathered Winchester Pre 64 and was happy.. What about eye relief and trigger feel and bullet performance??? I asked. My Dad and Sean just looked at me funny and continued to talk about aeroplanes and flying.

We had a brilliant supper and went to bed. At 01:00 the local pride of lions decided to treat us to a 2 hr long roaring spectacular. At a stage it felt like they where less than 100meters from my tent.

 

[rinehart0050]

Great posts! Looking forward to more!

 

[Rare Breed]

Savé Valley Conservancy, it just sounds so romantic and foreign for a farm boy from the country in South Africa. The name makes me excited!!!

I see people wearing strangely spelled and pronounced branded hats. I have seen those names on golf balls at the driving range. I have always connected those incorrectly spelled names (Titleist, Ping, Srixon) with golfing success and grown men wearing tight white pants.

And I wondered why people would wear a spelling mistake branded cap whilst following a ball that is always missing in the rough.

I do not judge as we hunters are the same, just different. We buy khaki clothing in different shades and leather boots and ammo holders and we cannot wait to wear and use these items that smells of leather and polish for a couple of days a year whilst hunting. The excitement and energy that is felt and spent to reload for your rifle, sharpen your knife pack your clothes and check and recheck the packing list is a friendly return to pre-hunt jitters.

When you sit in your trophy room, reloading area or at work when I am just tired, and you close your eyes for a moment……. It is there. I can hear a bolt closing on a loaded solid cartridge and the comfortable pressure of my rifle resting over my shoulder as I swing it into position in a familiar pattern. The sound of a string of grown men walking in a line thru the bush with Mopani leave crushing under the pressure of the boots.

The wait becomes unbearable. 2 months, 1 month, 1 week and then before you know it, you are standing at Bulawayo airport with a person asking you to “buy them lunch” to speed up the rifle import process.

Jump in the back of the confines of a extra cab Hilux for 6 hours and before I know it, BOOOM !!!!!!!!

Savé Valley Conservancy, breath out close my eyes and look up. As I open them, I am standing under the leaves of the large Cathedral Mopanies of the Neyangumbe river camp. I close my eyes again and listen to the Hammerkop making his familiar noises, Hyenas in the background and the Crested Francolins racing around in the undergrowth of the riverine forest.

Heaven to me, just being here again is a feeling I wish I can bottle and sell to the depressed and those longing for rest or success. Can one place be so beautiful????

What you might not realize in spite of grammar mistakes your passion for Africa and excitement are crystal clear and very enjoyable to read!!! Keep it coming!