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| 2023 click pictures to enlarge |
Previous Years: this year | 2022 | 2021 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
EP - Nyakasanga |
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ZA - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Alan Shearing |
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What can I say. In 4 days we had seen 12/13 male lions. Some from the truck, some at baits and a couple on foot! We saw on day 3, 2 lions run off. We tracked them, but they were in thick jesse (turned out to be 4) and kept running from us. We then did a big drag and put up a bait for them. The next day they had a hit and two of them were shooters. We replenished the bait as they had finished the zebra we put out for them. Next day we set a blind a got in at 4pm. The lion that we wanted was the first to come in and Zach made a great shot and then hit again on the run, dropping it within 10 yards. What a beautiful cat. Buff was taken with ZA’s open sight Lott at +/- 27 yards, perfectly shot. We found him in a group of about 9 bulls. Great experience we collected a bunch of other trophies, including a big old eland. We failed on hippo as ZA wanted only to shoot one on land, but we never did get the opportunity, although we saw lots of hippo in the water. |
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Client Comment |
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It was my first time hunting Nyakasanga and first time hunting with Alan Shearing on a 21-day lion and buffalo hunt. Alan and his team are exceptional hunters and trackers, and it was easy to see why Alan is considered one of the best. Alan has the best of personalities and was also a great host while hunting and in camp. The hunting team, Maplan, Martin and Dubeh, all work very well together and their veteran experience shows. The game ranger, Evans, was also a great spotter and hard worker who was a nice addition to our team. Prior to the hunt we spent 3 days in Victoria Falls which I highly recommend. Dangerous game and many other game species in Nyakasanga are plentiful. During the 21-day hunt we heard lion around our camp all but one night, with periodic visits from buffalo, elephant and hyena as well. Overall, we saw a total of 17 different male lion during the hunt, of which 16 different male lions were seen in the first 6 days. Our very first hunt we tracked 2 male lions from a day-old buffalo kill and caught up to them within 20 minutes, which we decided to pass. We passed shooting several male lions on day 1, 2 and 3, and then shot a really nice lion on day 4. We shot a great old buffalo on day 9 after tracking for approximately one hour, then a perfect stalk to 28 yards amongst a group of 7 dugga boys, all of them shooters. Worn down and estimated to be 13 years old, he was exactly the buffalo we were looking for. We all worked hard chopping in a 2.6 mile road during the long 7-hour recovery process. We saw numerous old bulls both before and after shooting the buffalo. Lots of young up and coming buffalo bulls in the herds we observed as well. Additionally, Alan and I had great success on other quality trophies throughout the hunt, including eland, kudu, grysbok, waterbuck, bushbuck, warthog and zebra. Hunting 5-6 days by boat on the Zambezi River for the aquatic species added to the overall adventure. Game birds are plentiful and we had two great dove hunts. Incredible game viewing and bird watching the entire time with large numbers of lion, hippo, crocodile and elephant, along with some fantastic animals rarely seen in this area: several honey badger, klipspringer, a pack of wild dog, and a group of sable and nyala. My good friend hunting separately with Myles and then Jannie also had a hunt to remember, taking a great leopard on day 8, along with hippo, a nice old dugga boy, the biggest eland I have ever seen, kudu, and some other great animals. Having Myles in camp the first 9 days and then briefly having Buzz, Daniel and Jannie in camp for some days was all an added bonus. A dinner feast on a Zambezi River island added to the highlights. The camp was what one might expect of a modern day tented safari camp with a good sized dining tent and each wall tent having plenty of space with a full bathroom. The food was amazing with a 4-course meal made from scratch every night, fresh baked bread daily, and the entire camp staff was wonderful. They did a great job, worked very hard and were on top of everything at all times. Overall, I can't say enough good things about Nyakasanga, Alan Shearing, CMS, the hunting team and camp staff. Many thanks to all who were part of such a wonderful safari experience. |
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AM - Dande |
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PC - Matetsi |
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PH Comment - Buzz Charlton |
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Last hunts of the season are always tough as it is hot and Phs and trackers are tired - so it is always nice to have great easy going clients and in this case I came out tops! PC and his Dad - affectionately know as “La Captitano" were simply wonderful! When we booked this lion buffalo hunt, the idea was to track the lion, but when we got to Matetsi the grass was very long - so we decided realistically we should also bait! We shot wonderful plains game which we used as bait, but there really were only two lions in the area and one had a collar, which we stayed clear of. The two lions then joined up and were feeding on a bait, but arriving and leaving in the dark. The one day we tracked them from the bait and could have shot the collared one but passed on him for obvious reasons and our targeted lion did not give us an opportunity. The following day we arrived at first light at the bait to find they had not come back. We cut across a river, found their tracks and tracked them for several hours. Luck was on our side and the big blonde mane lion came in the open and PC got a trophy of a life time and tracking - the ultimate hunt! PC also wanted close up and personal shots on his buffalo and tuskless with his double which we managed as well! What a great hunt and I can say how much I enjoyed hunting with PC and his wonderful father- what gentlemen!! |
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RG - Kazuma |
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AO - Kazuma |
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TW - Dande |
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PH Comment - Alan Shearing |
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TW was wanting an old warm down dagga boy which is like looking for holly grail in Dande. We knew it was probably not possible, but we set out to look for it regardless. We followed a few different bulls/groups of bulls and had one amazing viewing of 9 bulls joining a herd late afternoon of the 2nd or 3rd day. We got beaten “hand down” by some bulls, that managed to elude us every time. Other bulls gave us fleeting glimpses, but nothing worn down. On day 4 TW secured an extra buffalo tag for his son AW, who was celebrating his birthday. AW was on sticks a few times with a great old lone bull, but eventually he left us in the “dust”. The following morning, we came across a herd close to camp. We got in front of the herd and a bull was feeding 60 yards from us, so we decided it was a first buff for AW to take. He made a great shot, it ran +/- 100 yards, and stood long enough for us to get closer and put a few extra shots in. The next day we decided to try a different area and found tracks of 4 bulls early. We tracked them for about 1 hour and found them lying down in a fairly open area. The only one we could see looked to be worn down on his right tip, so decided straight away to take him. We closed the distance to about 40 yards. TW made short work of him with his VC 500 NE. It turned out that not only was the bull worn down, but broken off on the left side. What a stunning buff – the “holy grail”. The same afternoon we set up a hyena bait and built a blind. We walked early morning the next day and TW shot his hyena. We then went to the river for the rest of the day. It was very hot at times, but we did get some rain, so, a few days were pleasant enough. A great time spent with TW and AW. |
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Client Comment |
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AR - Gokwe |
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PH Comment - Amir Turk |
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Not wanting to waste any time in getting bait up, we decided to buy a cow from the villages and start our baiting process, whilst we hunted for tuskless elephant and additional plains game animals to use as bait. On day 8 our luck changed and we had a male leopard feeding. After just 2.5 hours on our first sit in the blind the cat came in and Anders made a perfect shot just behind the shoulder. During the course of our hunt we past up on a number of tuskless elephant. We even had a single herd cross us with an unbelievable 6 tuskless elephant and each one had a dependent calf! A few days later our luck changed and we found a suitable one without a dependent calf and Anders made a perfect side brain shot. A great hunt with an even greater hunting companion! |
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Client Comment |
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BA - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Buzz Charlton |
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Having got to know BA very well over the years, it's a safari that I always look forward to. BA is super chilled and takes everything in his stride - often the recipe to success, as was the case in Nyakasanga. A truly amazing hunt, lions seen every single day leopards, ele buff and wild dogs. The hunting was awesome. BA got an amazing dagger boy including one with his double at close quarters which was always one of his goals. After 5 safaris we also got the elusive grysbok. To top it off a few days tiger fishing and game viewing on the river. Can't wait for two years to pass to hunt with him again - a true gentleman and friend. |
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Client Comment |
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Double buffalo/plains game hunt. The camp is set on the banks of the Zambezi river with beautiful views of the river and mountains of Zambia. From camp we observed elephants and hippos daily. The night sounds in camp included elephants and buffalo feeding very close and in camp, as well as the calls of hippos in the river. In the near distance, lions and hyenas could be heard calling almost every night. As with my other safaris with CMS the food and camp facilities were top notch. The accommodations were a large, private tent with an attached, private bathroom and shower. The bed was very comfortable and the showers warm and refreshing. The hunting was on another level. Game, both dangerous and plains were plentiful. Daily sightings of lions, buffalo and elephants were the norm. It was not uncommon to see multiple groups of lions and many males. Buffalo herds were in the hundreds with plenty of dugga boy groups. Elephants were plentiful near the river. We saw a young male leopard cross the road and lay 10 yards from the truck for more than five minutes until he lost interest. Zebra, impala, grysbok, wart hogs, hyena, waterbuck and bushbuck were common. Other sights included eland (a couple of outstanding bulls that didn’t provide a shot), a pangolin and wild dogs. I was able to take 2 very good, completely hard bossed buffalo, including one with an iron sighted double rifle, a bushbuck, grysbok, warthog and hyena. In addition, fishing for tiger fish was available and I spent a couple of afternoons successfully pursuing them. Cruising the river afforded much up close wildlife viewing of elephants, hippos in and out of the water, crocodiles, bushbuck and waterbuck. Nyakasanga is definitely a wonderful safari destination and highly recommended. |
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PR - Nyakasanga |
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Client Comment |
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Great hunt – certainly a “bucket list” hunt. Could not have been more pleased with the experience. Myles and Jannie both did a fantastic job of guiding me. Trackers and National Parks Scout were first rate. Camp and accommodations were outstanding. (Could have had a solar fan in the tent at night! |
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HS - Dande |
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PH Comment - Gareth Lecluse |
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It was wonderful having HS back to hunt with us HS tried his damnedest and did a great job collecting some bait animals we had plenty of leopard and two huge lions we were working on and had on bait a few times unfortunately a little noisy from the blind and these clever old cats didn't hang around to give us a clean shot we have had some amazing sightings and great memories made with HS and many a good laugh at his witty comments many heart racing moments and blinds and checking cameras and a great safari altogether. |
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Client Comment |
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The experience of this safari was something I can remember for the rest of my life lots of work went into it hard work at the end of the day many happy memories were acquired Many thank. |
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CK - Dande |
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PH Comment - Keith Wall |
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This was a challenging hunt for leopard, hippo and croc. We had multiple cats on bait from males to females. We had a great old tom that kept us going for days as we tried to him, unfortunately its timing coming and going from bait was not in legal shooting time. We gave it a good effort but hunting is hunting and unfortunately we did not get our leopard. CK got an awesome hippo and great crocodile which was two out of three animals which he wanted. Tough and challenging hunt, but was a good effort. Thanks CK |
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Client Comment |
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Had a wonderful time hunting with Keith Wall and your staff. The camp is excellent. |
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OS - Sengwa |
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PH Comment - Gareth Lecluse |
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It was great hunting with OS again, so many good stories to tell and a great shot whilst hunting. OS took a great old bush buck, big eland and a wonderful old broken horned dagga boy. Sengwa is an amazing area with incredible game and very exciting hunting. Breathtaking scenery and viewpoints. |
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Client Comment |
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I enjoyed my stay in Sengwa. The accommodations were very nice and comfortable. The housekeeping was excellent. The meals were very good. All the staff were very friendly and accommodating. The trackers were beyond amazing. Gareth was friendly, very professional, he is very knowledgeable about game and hunting. I would hunt with Gareth again! |
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JR - Dande |
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PH Comment - Keith Wall |
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What an awesome hunt we had! JR wanted the ultimate experience, hunting true untouched Africa and got it. We got a great 40” dugga boy on day 6 and we got a tuskless on day 8. Fun hunt with JR. Look forward to hopefully doing it again soon. |
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Client Comment |
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Hunt was great! Staff and PH great. Thanks for the hunt! |
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GJ - Dande |
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Client Comment |
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A top quality hunt, with a team of very skilled and professional trackers and PH, Gareth Lecluse. |
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TP - Dande |
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PH Comment - Myles McCallum |
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One of the hunts I was looking forward to most – physical, lots of fun and getting up close to ele bulls! We saw a bull on the first day that grabbed our attention but we were unable to get close enough, after 10 hours of tracking! 2nd day we followed the same herd for another 8 hours, caught him and TP took the shot, just a little out, but the second shot was sure!! Got one! We tracked somewhere around 30km in 2 days – Great hunting! Finished off with an eland bull on the last day. Another great tracking and fun hunt! |
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MH - Dande |
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PH Comment - Dean Kendall |
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Tuskless Cow was shot on day 4 after looking at only 3 herds. Charged and put down at 8m. Klipspringer (very nice) was shot on day 5. We tried hard for kudu, seeing a lovely bull in an area where we had no quota! Tried hard for Zebra (walked over 12 hours on tracks) but were busted every time. |
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Client Comment |
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Dean is superb! Besides accomplishing our main goal, his efforts explaining Zim history and other wildlife, made the safari outstanding. Food outstanding. Staff willing, helpful, polite. |
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AB - Dande |
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GA - Sengwa |
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PH Comment - Len Taylor |
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Camp was well stocked and well run and staff well trained. Plenty of plains game, just very very wild. Very nice area to hunt always see a lot of game along the rivers. Big male leopard was spotted from camp. Lovely to see so many eland |
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Client Comment |
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Marvelous stalking and hunting week. Camp location and building very beautiful and perfect. Cooking, washing accommodation very high standard. I was impressed by the skill of the staffing team. To see how Len Taylor was able to read the bush of the animals and their footprints really impressed me. Also the way he could understand when they would go and rest. His capacity to approach the game was fascinating. All in all an unforgettable safari. CMS as organisation couldn’t be more professional. Thank you Buzz, Myles and Len with whom I had most unique week |
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GW - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Alan Shearing |
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Tuskless - We got the tuskless on day 2 in the afternoon. We walked to a pan after lunch we got there, we heard a few different herds of ele so we started to look through them. It wasn’t long before we located a shootable tuskless. We got into position, but GW was still trying to make the perfect shot. When she moved off. It took us a while to find her again and eventually got back into 20 yards. She had heard us and was swinging from side to side. Unfortunately, when GW got his shot she swung and GWs shot missed her brain. He did manage to get a couple of shots in before she disappeared. We tracked her for about an hour before catching up. She was not too well and would have died if we hadn’t caught up. A few more shots eventually put her down. We had to back away as the other eles were not leaving, so had to go back in the morning for photos. Eland – we were lucky enough to spot a big herd of eland running off with a great old bull. We tracked them, bumped them once, and then caught up again, unseen. We got within 100 yards and GW made an excellent shot through his heart. Plainsgame - We got GW a hyena and a good bushbuck, but failed on the elusive warthog! |
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Client Comment |
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I heartily anticipated this third great hunt with CMS after earlier hunts in Dande and Dande East. As Tuskless Elephant and Eland were the priority game, Nyakasanga was chosen as the prime concession and as plans for a new, inland flycamp didn’t quite work out the camp setting was instead on the Zambezi banks among Hippo, Elephant, Crocs, Hyena and Lions somewhat upstream from the main Nyakasanga camp. It was perfect. Coincidentally, a famous hunter, LS of USA, was hunting from the main Nyakasanga camp and we got to meet and chat a few times during our hunts. Due to the many pans and proximity to Mana Pools National Park Nyakasanga is loaded with game. Every day sightings on our walks included Impala (thousands), Waterbuck, Zebra, Elephant (many), Kudu, Warthogs, Wild Dogs, Cape Buffalo, Baboon, Duiker and Grysbok. The gently contoured landscape has a diversity of hunting and habitat. Wide, sandy river beds, watery pans, open grassy plains, open Mopane forest and the thickest, thorniest jesse! All providing ample game encounters and hunting opportunities.
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LS - Nyakasanga |
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Arrurate Reloading Hunt summary |
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https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6321043/m/5991056572 |
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ES - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Buzz Charlton |
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All 4 were new clients for me so I had no idea what to expect. Luck was on myside, and I got 4 fantastic people to share an amazing 10 days with. ES got an wonderful buffalo on day 3 plus all the plains game he wanted expect the bushbuck that alluded us. ES got some tiger off fly which was great. What a wonderful safari, with wonderful people, and look forward to doing it again. |
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Client Comment |
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Wonderful hunts, the buffalo was incredible. Trackers were amazingly sharp. Buzz is a delight to hunt with. |
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JW - Sengwa |
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JM - Dande |
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PH Comment - Keith Wall |
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JM, first time hunter with us at CMS. Out of Mukanga camp, for a 7 day buffalo hunt. We put in a few miles of walking the first two days and we managed to stumble across a great single old dugga boy. We bumped into him a few times, and after a third attempt three hours later we found him fast asleep. JM put in a fantastic shot, which rolled him over and we bagged an ox pecker too. We spent a few days sight seeing and looking for zebra. Thanks JM, see you next time my friend. |
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Client Comment |
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Had a great hunt. Really enjoyed tracking up buffalo, though my legs maybe a bit shorted from all the walking. Found a wonderful old bull and Keith and crew were able get me to 50 yards. A lucky shot went through both shoulders, and he was unable to run off. Saw lots of impressive scenery but couldn’t buy a zebra despite our travels. A fantastic time that ended too soon. Many thanks for the amazing memories! |
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MS - Dande |
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GG - Sango |
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PH Comment - Myles McCallum & Buzz Charlton |
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Awesome hunt with 3 generations! Super old buff all single dugga boys tracked! I could not have asked for nicer people to share 10 days with. Sango go out of thier way to accomadate! |
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Client Comment |
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So happy to hear you all made it safely home. We just boarded our last flight to Houston. We are all reminiscing through photos as we prepare to take off. Thank you and your wonderful team for the experience of a lifetime. What a gift. Not to be forgotten. Thank you thank you and looking forward to doing it again. Enjoy your upcoming bird shoot. Cheers!! |
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PK - Dande |
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PH Comment - Dean Kendall |
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The buffalo was shot on day 3 in the villages up near Chapoto. We experienced a charge while following up. The hippo was shot on day 4 between DDF and police camp. It was recovered and produced 11 leopard baits. The warthog was shot on day 13 and hung for bait. One sable bull was seen in a herd on day 4. This bull later (we suspect) left the herd as the herd was seen later in the trip with no bull, in the same place, and the bull was spotted alone. A herd was also tracked from Ante pan, and the new solar pump near Chapoto. No shot opportunity was presented. Several kudu bulls and a herd of zebra was spotted twice. 2 male leopards and over 10 females (some sub adults) hit bates. Both males were mating at the time of hitting the baits, resulting in some delays. We shot our tom on the last evening in natural light. A nice mature big tom. |
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Client Comment |
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The camp and all staff was outstanding with very good equipment and knowledgeable crew an PH. Service and cleanliness, and friendliness from all made this safari a very enjoyable experience. The PH, Dean Kendall was not only a great host, but he was ever vigilant as to our safety and needs. Additionally, he took time to tell us about what we were seeing and hearing, and as to the hunting Dean most likely saved my life when a wounded buffalo charged us. He prepared me for what might happen and when it did he took care of the very dangerous situation and dispatched the buffalo. In regard to the leopard he is greatly experienced and his tireless work ethic got us a beautiful Tom on the last day. Top marks to Dean and staff. Food was outstanding! |
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JS - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Alan Shearing |
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This was JS first buffalo hunt, so wanted to see a few buff before shooting one. We had a great first day, tracked a dagga boy and found him resting in the same jesse. We left him. The in the pm found tracks of a herd and followed. We caught up and spent some amazing hours sneaking into the herd. Could have taken a good hard bull. Day 2 was slow, then Day 3 we chased a very wild herd, which did not give us many chances to see them well. Day 4 we tracked 2 bulls early am and we nearly got a shot at a very nice bull. The other was young, but eventually they bust us and took off. We left them. Day 5 we found tracks of a hug herd, we caught them fairly quickly, and after seeing bits and pieces on the outskirts of the herd, which were already mostly in some thick jesse. We spotted a small group farther off from the herd mainly consisting of bulls. We got into +/- 60 yard and one was good, so decided to take when he presented a shot. A few minutes on the sticks and the bull walked in a bit of a clearing. JS took the shot! He ran off +/-70 yards and after waiting 30 minutes went in and finished him off. 1st shot was a little low but broke his front leg. The rest of the days were spent hunting impala with David leading and collecting 2 nice rams. A bit of game viewing and tiny bit of fishing. |
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Client Comment |
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I had a great time. It wasn't just the hunt, but the whole experience. Alan was a great choice for me and I hope to hunt with him again. David was also a pleasure and I look forward to him passing his exams in November. It was good to see you at breakfast and I will look forward to SCI in Nashville! |
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MW - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Dean Kendall |
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We managed to kill and old lone dagga bull on day 2 by tracking him for around an hour. A nice clean kill. We looked for Kudu and bush buck after that, never saw a trophy quality bush and only saw one trophy bull which unfortunately was in Mongwe. But a fun hunt. Camp was very nice, food great, staff very efficient and helpful. |
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Client Comment |
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Had an excellent hunt. I collected a lone buffalo, bull on day 2. We then hunted for a kudu and bushbuck to fill the remaining time on the hunt. My spouse accompanied me and join in each days field experience and we both appreciated Dean, and his team’s professionalism, effort especially his knowledge of birds, vegetation, wildlife, habits and understanding of the hunting industry in Zimbabwe. I currently, work for New Mexico department of Game and Fish and have lived in Botswana and Zimbabwe and Tanzania. It was a great hunt! |
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TB - Dande |
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PH Comment - Dean Kendall |
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Old tuskless cow was shot on first day after 37 mins of tracking Extremely lucky! First herd sighted. 3rd cow. Very good bushbuck and grysbok taken the only plains game required. Food was great, camp staff excellent camp great. |
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Client Comment |
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Pleasant, professional and experienced guiding by Dean. I would welcome the opportunity to hunt with him again. Camp management by Brady and Kerry warm, welcoming and accommodating. Camp staff good and efficient. Trackers good and dedicated. Regrettably the driver had to leave early for personally reasons. A wonderful safari!! |
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RV - Dande |
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PH Comment - Dean Kendall |
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Game is DSA was pretty sparse. No buffalo, physically sighted in DSA for entire safari. One herd tracked by pushed into Chewore by a lion. Most animals were located in the Wards 1 and 2. Unfortunately the leopard was shot incorrectly and was subsequently lost. Two big males were on bait during this hunt. Food was great, service was good, camp was great. |
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Client Comment |
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Very knowledgeable and pleasant time with our PH. He ensured that we both felt safe and secure at all times during our safari. His familiarity with Zimbabwe and the Dande area was very apparent and made for a great time during our safari. We enjoyed our walks and drives through the Dande Area. All in all - Beautiful camp and comfortable setting. Fantastic camp staff and meals. Very friendly and helpful, cool waiter, skinner, tracker and PH. The staff that received us at Harare on arrival and departure of the airport made it very smooth. |
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JC - Dande |
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PH Comment - Dean Kendall |
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We had a great hunt basically following dugga boys in the northern villages. Got a fantastic bull 45-55) on day 4. Shot a very nice bushbuck, and impala, zebra in the fields up north. Got a fantastic old kudu bull in the Manzatanda River. Very good hog sighted too, but no chance. Food was great, camp staff very polite and courteous. |
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Client Comment |
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This was my first safari, so did not know what to expect. Everything was made so easy by you guys. From the time we landed to the time we got to Pedza Camp was flawless. The accommodations at camp were great and comfortable. The food was fantastic as was being able to request meals from our animals. The hunt was fun and difficult, which I appreciated. We chased buffalo herds and dagga boys until having success on day 4. For plains game we had a consistent success targeting river water holes, and connected on impala, bushbuck and kudu. We had a great stalk on a zebra with success. Dean was a fantastic PH and put me in the position where I just had to make my shots. You can’t ask for any more out of a PH. His knowledge of the area and animals is unrivaled, and I owe much of the success we had to him. Thank you for a great two weeks in the bush, for me it was a trip of a lifetime! |
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JE - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Myles McCallum |
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A true Zambezi valley elephant hunt! A lovely old bull taken late on the 12th day, lots of tracking and walking, multiply approaches. A total of over 60 bulls seen in those 12 days. Heart warming taking the donations from JE to the local school - the kids were so excited to play with the footballs and frisbees. |
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Client Comment |
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A true African Hunt, as close to Roosevelts and Hemingway’s description as possible. Lots of walking, tracking and fellowship. Great tents, food outstanding and staff helpful and friendly. Took very old bull on day 12 with a close approach! |
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PU - Dande |
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PH Comment -
Dean Kendall |
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Approximately 20 dugga bulls followed. Conditions difficult due to think bush at beginning of season. Buffalo shot on day 8. Kudu shot on day 9. 8 Kudu bulls seen, 7 would have made excellent trophies. Food very nice, camp staff very good and helpful, camp excellent. Boats and fishing great! |
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Client Comment |
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Exceptional hunt, wonderful staff, very good food and drinks, luxurious accommodation. No Complaints. Happy Clients! |
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DR - Dande |
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RM - Sengwa |
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EBA - Dande |
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PH Comment - Keith Wall |
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EBA is such an awesome client who comes back multiple times with CMS. On this hunt we were mainly after roan. EBA also added a sable and crocodile. The 2nd day of the safari we were very lucky to take an amazing roan. It is such privilege to hunt a roan as we only get 1 on quota year and only a few are hunting throughout Zimbabwe. We managed to take a 13ft croc too. Sable, unfortunately, we never got one, but we worked hard but we had a great hunt. Thank you EBA look forward to one next year. |
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Client Comment |
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I had an amazing time on this safari. Having a tag for Roan was very special and we focused on shooting a roan, which we did get on day 2. I was so excited to accomplish this goal. We also shot a huge croc which made the safari so special. I will return to get a sable. The team of Keith’s is such a pleasure to spend 14 days with. Keith was the very best, my third safari with him. I will return and hunt with Keith again! |
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CH - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Len Taylor |
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I had a great time hunting with CH. I really look forward to the next croc, leopard hunt together. I think CH has a new hunting enthusiasm, hunting crocodiles. Nyakasanga is also a great area and look forward to it again. |
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Client Comment |
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This hunt restored my faith in hunting in the Zambezi Valley, a place that I love. A 2014 Cherowe North hunt left me with a bad experience. I have hunted the Zambezi Valley since 2000. This was one of my favorite African experiences. |
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DK - Dande |
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PH Comment - Keith Wall |
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DK has hunted many times with Myles, but this year they were unable to tee up dates - so I was thrilled to have this opportunity to hunt with not only DK but also his son this trip! What a fantastic hunt and great people as well. Matombo as always is a magic place to spend a few days over looking the mighty Zambezi River, who needs cable TV when you have that view to be absorbed in! Looking forward to having you back DK! |
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FJ - Sengwa |
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PH Comment - Keith Wall |
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This was FJ and SJ first time hunting with CMS in our Sengwa Area. First hunt of the season in Sengwa and also for CMS. What a fantastic hunt we had. Forbes bagged some awesome trophies being buffalo, warthog, zebra, kudu and baboon. We covered some beautiful terrain and had a great hunt. Look forward to the next one. |
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Client Comment |
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We had watched and read a lot about truly wild buffalo hunting in Africa which varies greatly depending on each area. We had expectations but also A LOT of unknown. The trip turned out to meet or exceed all of our expectations. The actual buffalo hunt was not easy and came together perfectly after many attempts. The lodging/food/service we could not have hoped for better. It was all that we had hoped for but for me the best part was the variety and quantity of all kinds of wildlife we experienced closeup. There aren’t many species that live here in Zimbabwe that we did not see. Every corner we came around there was a new sight or adventure to be had! |
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RF - Dande |
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PH Comment - Keith Wall |
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What a great hunt we had! RF first time with CMS for dangerous game being a buffalo. We had to work hard the first six day and every day we got into buffalo. Wind was a bit tough but we saw plenty of buff. We hunted a few dugga boys up north and found 3 bull early morning on day 7. RF shot a magnificent old bull. We shot an old baboon on day 8 for bushbuck. We did some sightseeing. Great hunt and look forward to the next. |
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Client Comment |
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What an incredible experience with CMS. It was everything I expected and more. I planned this trip over two years ago, as a 40th birthday present to myself. I wanted a proper buff hunt, chasing dugga boys on foot through the thick stuff. Dande Area checked all these boxes for me. We trekked kilometer after kilometer through the jesse, over hills and through the long grass. I know that I was able to experience all the Zambezi Valley has to offer. The morning of the day I was able to collect a dagga boy of a life time. I could not have done it without Kieth and his team of trackers. It was incredible to watch the guys follow “invisible” tracks through the bush. Thanks to the CMS team for putting together such an incredible safari experience for my friends and I. It’s a moment I will not soon forget!! |
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RH - Dande |
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PH Comment - Len Taylor |
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I really enjoyed hunting with RH and I'm so looking forward to our next hunt. Buffalo, hippos in Nyakasanga. I look forward to hunting with his 4 guns from Wesly Richards. |
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Client Comment |
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I thought that I’d send a few lines to thank you and your great team for our wonderful Zimbabwe safari, which saw us return to Wales around lunchtime Tuesday. This was our first foray into Zimbabwe on a hunting trip (having hunted South Africa and Namibia many times previously) and our stay at Matombo Camp in the Dande region was without fault. The level of service and facilities offered by Owen and his team was excellent, over-shadowed only by the stunning view of the Zambezi as we drunk our coffee at breakfast or sundowners in the evening. As our London to Jo’burg flight was delayed by over 2 hours, we missed our afternoon flight to Harare; just a quick WhatsApp message to Lynn and we were sorted with accommodation at Harare for the one night. Our arrival at Harare was met with another competent lady, Faith, who led us through immigration and Firearms in one smooth operation. These two ladies are worth their weight in gold, and an excellent ‘front of house’ for the CMS business. I cannot thank our Professional Hunters, and their supporting team of trackers and skinners, too much. From our arrival at the airstrip as weary travellers (46 hours from Wales!) to our departure a fortnight later, everything was truly excellent! Mark Gemmill was a great bundle of energy and an entertainer both in camp and on the hunt; Mark looked after my son and daughter for the whole period, probably showing much more patience than I ever did as a father! Without doubt Len Taylor is one of the most respected PHs that I’ve worked with, and it was indeed an honour to have been guided by him. Len and I got along very well, despite the feeling that he and Mark were probably under the cosh to deliver a safari with a client that was considered to be testing! I apologise if my emails had set a somewhat difficult or hardy scene, but I am a genuinely chilled guy, but takes no prisoners with time wasting or crap of any sorts. Both Mark and Len were on the money, absolutely! Both PHs and the supporting teams at camp looked after my whole family in a manner that I could not have asked to be better; my wife is not a hunter, but enjoys the journeys, -and the hunt from a short distance. She thoroughly enjoyed, and what we say here is that a happy wife means a happy life! To have taken a Bull Elephant, two Dagga boys, a croc, two Impala, a Bushbuck, a Zebra and a Baboon was no easy feat in 12 days! In conclusion our trip exceeded all of our expectations and we very much look forward to returning soon. |
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JR - Dande |
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PH Comment - Keith Wall |
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What an amazing hunt for a father and son to experience together. We had such an awesome hunt here in Dande East. Getting some awesome trophies. Lots of buffalo and plains game around, It was JR’s dream after many years for a buffalo and actually getting two amazing buffalo. |
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Client Comment |
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What a fantastic hunt in Dande East. Keith and the entire CM team made this memorable experience for Sam and I we were into buffalo and plains game everyday Keith had a great plan for the area and we got both buffalo and all the planes came we were after can't recommend CMS enough and we're already planning our next trip. |
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MM - Dande |
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PH Comment - Buzz Charlton |
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My 50th birthday safari with MM - I could not have chosen a nicer client to share it with! MM had hunted with us in Zambia before, having shot a massive leopard, and some buff, which did not involve tracking. So this hunt he wanted to track a buffalo, and would only shoot a big leopard if larger than his massive Zambian one. We collected several plains game, including a very nice kudu. The highlight after several tracking sessions on sable and one of 4 hours that resulted in a grand old sable bull. Unfortunately despite having 4 males on bait and 2 younger cats, which we sat 14 hours for, we simply could not get them in daylight. This was my first failure in Dande. Interestingly, PH countrywide are having a problem with leopards over these dates - so not sure if it is weather related. MM was a pleasure to hunt with and despite having bad arthritis he walked like a trojan and deserved the great hunt we had. I have the privilege of saying MM is a client and now a new friend!! Thank you MM you did yourself proud with your walking and you truly experienced hunting in its purest form - 8 hours tracking your dugga boy and 4 hours tracking your sable. Hunting the way it should be, well done! |
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Client Comment |
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Back from Zimbabwe, and mostly over the “travel funk”, so here’s what happened! Had a great time and hunt with Buzz Charlton (Charlton McCallum Safaris), and his incredible staff! Saw a lot of new things/animals, learned a lot about Zimbabwe, met a bunch of great people, and was introduced to the amazing art/talent of game tracking! Left for Zim with no solid plan for what we would be hunting; mostly left it up to Buzz to set the course. It was roughly decided to try for Buffalo, Leopard and Sable, and whatever else good that came along. Started fairly early with a couple Impala, and also Nyati (hopefully spelled right) spotted a great Kudu Bull! Now we can start the Leopard hunting process! Had a couple real good cats on bait in the first week, coming in the light at first, so we felt good about our chances; but they went nocturnal, and then abandoned the baits altogether. We sat a total of 13 nights and mornings, but only saw 1 female on the bait; can’t see the big boys if they don’t follow script! Guess that’s why it’s called hunting, not shooting. Charlton McCallum Safaris generally has a high success on leopard, and they all work very hard for that success! We had leopards hitting most all baits, just not the right cat at the right time unfortunately (this time)! We tracked Buffalo (Dugga Boys and herds) at least 7 days, getting in close enough to see or hear them, at least 10 times, but they continually busted us (most often the wind, or the noisy leaf covered ground), before getting a shot opportunity. Was approximately day nine/ten finally got a good shot opportunity; wind busted our stalk on several Dugga Boys, and they ran out ahead of us into a semi open area; one bull made the mistake of stopping and looking back (facing us) at about 200 yds. I got on sticks, and then he turned to leave (didn’t make it too far). Not the biggest horned Buffalo we saw, but definitely the biggest that gave me a shot, and I’m happy with this big old Dugga Boy! This is the truest form of Buffalo hunting!! Took a big ole fat Zebra and an old Baboon along the way. I hear leopards like them too… Last and definitely not least, Sable. We hunted Sable the same way as the Buffalo; tracking. We did walk up on one at a water hole earlier in the hunt, but he saw us about the same time, and never offered a good shot opportunity. We tried tracking Sable twice early in the hunt, and caught up with one herd, but couldn’t find the Bull before they all ran off. Day twelve we tracked a herd for about 3 hrs before Buzz spotted the Bull ahead. He was in the brush/trees with only a small window to shoot thru, but I slipped one in there thru top of his lungs; he went about 200 yds (tough animals in Africa) We spent the last 2 days focused on leopard, but the big boys had vanished. Last day morning we were checking baits and kicked a female off the bait when we walked in on one, and then kicked a big male off another bait that had been having a female on it earlier. We built another blind and sat that last night but only the female leopard came in (always cool to see any leopard) Was a very memorable trip, and I again want to thank Buzz Charlton and his awesome team for all their hard work and expertise! |
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TC - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Buzz Charlton |
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My 2nd hunt with TC. It was even more enjoyable than the 1st which rated as one of my favorites. We simply had a lion hunt to dream of. We tracked lion and set a bait and we spotted lions, in all we saw 16 different males and shot one of the oldest lions CMS have ever shot. I would say he would be 13. We also shot a tuskless and had a hectic charge from another, that we had to put down. We also collected a great kudu, grysbok, impala and hippo and had two awesome tiger fish on fly - with the best day being a 21 fish day on fly. Roll on our 3rd hunt which will be for big ele bull in 2025. |
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Client Comment |
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Recently returned from an EPIC lion hunt in Nyakasanga with Charlton McCallum Safaris in Zimbabwe. Here's the breakdown... |
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BW - Chewore South |
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PH Comment - Buzz Charlton |
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My 2nd hunt with BW. What a great gentleman – true hunter who loves simply being in the bush and hard hunting. We tracked several lions and passed up on them as they were not old enough. We shot my best leopard of the valley in 22 years and I can’t have wished it to go to a better man. I so look forward to the next hunt. |
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Client Comment |
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Buzz leads his team of trackers (Nyathi and Cryton) on an odyssey every day. He approaches each hunt with the delight of a child and the focus of a professional. This combination of energy, joy and experience is unmatched in my hunting adventures. I become a better hunter absorbing his lessons. If you want the hunting experience of a life time – this is it. |
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GE - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Alan Shearing |
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We had a tough time, with leopard. The first half the warden wouldn’t allow us to bait along any rivers or near pans with or without water. We did get a lot of cats feeding but not many that met with the aging criteria. The full moon played a role in keeping the leopard from coming in daylight and the impala were in full rut, so the cats were not hungry. We did sit 5 times but no luck. |
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Client Comment |
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Ever since the first time we came here to Nyakasanga we looked forward to always coming back. Now being our third time - we find ourselves planning to come back again. We had some amazing sightings lots of exciting tracking of buffalo, eland, impalas and tuskless elephants. We were amazed by the skills of the trackers Maplan and Martin. We couldn’t have been more honoured to have Alan as our PH again along with David. Again, we learned so much, and had great experiences whilst hunting for leopard etc. We arrived and clients and left as friends. |
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JR - Sengwa |
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PH Comment - Alan Shearing |
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As usual we had a lot of fun with JR and was super having GR his nephew hunting plains game. MM was observing with us, a long time friend of JR’s. There was a good amount of plainsgame and GR took some quality animals, including a kudu – a fraction under 60”. There were buffalo around, but we only started to focus on them a couple days before the end of the hunt. We did see bulls in herds, but turned them down. The last 3 days we chased a herd of 6 or 7 bulls. We unfortunately did not manage to get a shot – but we tried hard!! Camp and food were good! |
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MT - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Len Taylor |
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Great hunt. I loved hunting with MT. He is a very good shot. Look forward to hunting with him again |
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Client Comment |
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Professional, detailed, understands game animals, tracks well. Communicates effectively, diligent, always pleasant, encourages, never too busy to explain Africa, hunt options or add joy to the hunt. |
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DS & GS - Ngamo |
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PH Comment - Alan Shearing |
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Although these not a lot of ele bull movement, we did see a few. We saw lots of cows. We saw a bull a few times, which we approached but turned him down. Towards the end of the hunt (day 8) we saw the same bull, which was biggest we had see, so decided to take him. DS side brained him at 16 paces. The bull was better than expected, so we were well pleased. DS also shot a very nice buffalo on day 4 which was a very exciting hunt. We had a wonderful time, and may laughs. We had some wonderful sightings of other animals including lion, cheetah, polecat and a brief glimpse of a wild dog. All in all a good fun hunt, apart from the odd “quiet day” when not much was seen. |
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Client Comment |
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We have had a fantastic time on this hunt. It’s the fourth time in Africa and by far the best. We have been very lucky to have had an excellent PH Alan, who is extremely knowledgeable on hunting and all other aspects ie fauna and wildlife. His team are also excellent and have been happy and smiling throughout the 10 days. Dan the cameraman has been very professional and extremely entertaining! Both are very good company. |
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WP - Dande |
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WS & RS- Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Alan Shearing |
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We had a slow start, but picked up on the 4th day, RS got is buff, and then on day 7 WS got his big dagga boy. We had lots of fun and picked up a great waterbuck, hyena, zebra, impala and eland (on the last morning). This was a 10 day 2 on 1 and was awesome to achieve the trophies we did. Great time had by all. |
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Client Comment |
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Had a fantastic 10 day hunt with Alan, we were into buffalo every day. Taking a buffalo on day 5 with Rich and then mine on day 7. We then chased plains game taking some exceptional trophies each day right up to the last day. We were able to relax the last afternoon in camp and his knowledge of the game was exciting to witness and experience. Our trackers were awesome to watch work and a pleasure to be around. CMS is an outstanding organization. |
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GP & MP - Amadundumella |
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PH Comment - Alan Shearing |
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Seeing as this was GP first elephant hunt I had all intentions of taking a few days to get close to elephant and get GP comfortable around them and give him some coaching on shot placement. Well this didn’t happen!! Day one we picked up a couple of bull tracks and after following them fora short while the crossed the Amadundumella river, we decided not to get our feet wet, so we meet up with the truck and drove round to the other side where we picked up a few more big tracks. We followed them for about an hour when we heard them, but now they had joined with more bulls and were resting separately in groups roughly 100m apart. We tried to get the wind right but we got smelled and to make things worse we flushed a kudu bull and he ran towards the eles. Sending them all on their way. We decided to have some lunch and then continue following. At this point many other bulls had joined them, mostly young bulls which we eventually started bumping into. The big bulls seemed to be ahead of the rest (one bull had a huge track and distinct crack) so stayed on all the big tracks until the wind was good and managed to get beyond most of the younger bulls. The bush was particularly thick. We finally caught the big bull, I could see 4 of them. They were all a little big to be NTs and the wind/thick bush made for a tricky situation, so I decided we should head back out and leave them alone. As we were doing so an unseen bull to our right smelled us and ran off. The other visible bulls turned toward us and started in our direction. I shouted and they turned and then heard Nyathi shout watch out. I looked up and suddenly a large bull was in full charge and almost on top of us. GP and I almost fired simultaneously (at this point the bulls head was down and 4 yards from where we stood). Missing the brain, but knocking down, I stumbled backwards to avoid being fallen on and tripped over a bush, but managed to get a second shot. GP had rapidly put 3 shots in, but the bull still managed to get up and tried to run off, but GP managed to reload and side brain him before he did. One more for a ‘coupe de gras’ and it was over. We were all shaken, but happy to be alive. When we had had a breather and had time to absorb what had just happened it was such fun watching everyone animatedly relay what happened and how everyone had reacted during the situation. There was much relieved laughter. I was impressed with GP’s ability to focus on all the details and totally respect that he remained solidly at my side and dealt with one of the most formable charges I have had to face. MP had the presence of mind to get off the path that we were on and get behind a small tree, which in hindsight would have been a saving grace as the bull would have carried on down the path after everyone else. Day two was recovery as it was late in the pm that we took the ele. GP and MP are such a wonderful couple, we had so much fun and laughed a lot. The camp staff, our team and I thoroughly enjoyed having them with us. |
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MJ - Forrestry |
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PH Comment - Alan Shearing |
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We had a good hunt. The first few days it rained quite a lot, but we still managed to find plenty of bulls. On the 5th day we tracked a brig group for bulls (+10) for approx. 7 hours. We caught them resting in some thick bush under a big tree. We saw a big old bull which we decided was a good one to take. We were in close proximity due to the thickness of the bush. The bull saw and took a couple of steps backwards and was about to turn and run when MJ fired his first shot. He the (frontal) brain by about 2” on the first shot, but a couple of bod shots before he was out of sight put him down after about 60 yards. We then spent the next day recovering the ele and then the remaining days we spent watching Nyathi guide MJ successfully to a wildebeest and an impala. |
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DP - Nyakasanga |
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PH Comment - Buzz Charlton |
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I have hunted a few big elephant in the NW Regions. We decided for a new experience to hunt in the Zambezi Valley early season for a dugga boy and an ele bull with DP’s beautiful 577 WR. We had a hard but wonderful hunt with outstanding tracking in the most beautiful area. DP shot a stunning dugga boy and a super valley elephant and an impala with his very special 577 WR. My hunts with DP have always been such a pleasure. I could not ask to spend 14 days a year with a nicer gentleman. Thank you DP! We also had the absolute pleasure and honour in having Richard Harland and Pegg on our hunt, definitely a hunt for the record books for me |
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Client Comment |
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Outstanding hunting experience in the beautiful Nyakasanga Region of the Zambezi Valley. March/April vegetation and thick jess, made it for close encounters. The trackers did an exceptional job, creating opportunities for elephant and buffalo at under 40 yards. Buzz and crew are consistently excellent and fun to hunt with. Having Richard Harland in camp was a real bonus and privilege |
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