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Last year saw my wife and I enjoy our first hunting safari – to the Binga region of Zimbabwe – and it was such a success we recently committed to going again later this year. I can't wait!

Our 2007 hunt was seven days in September, with a focus on cape buffalo. After a lifetime of reading and dreaming, my ambition was to enjoy a 'classic' dangerous game safari: fair chase; tracking on foot; and using iron sights on a classic double – thereby requiring a close stalk. After several exciting days following behind our PH's incredible trackers as they cut spore, I was fortunate enough to take a beautiful 42.5" dagga boy at about 70+ meters. As an added bonus, I took a very nice impala ram two days later, as well. The buff was taken with my Merkel .470 NE double rifle (using 500 grain A-Frames and Woodleigh solids); the impala with my PH's .375 H&H shooting solids. Perhaps the best part was that my wife was right there every step of the hunt – her first hunt ever! She didn't know what to expect, and came away a convert having thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

This year we plan on another early September safari, only this time for 10-days. Last year's experience that time of year was great: no rain; reduced vegetation (giving you the ability to see see more of the landscape); fewer bugs (little more than mopane bees - no tsetse flies or mosquitos at all); and pleasant weather day and night. We were worried that being late in the season we might find game that was more skittish, and perhaps with the best trophies already taken. As it turned out, I managed the best buffalo of the year to date in that concession, so our worries were for naught.

While I still plan on another buffalo (addicting buggers, aren't they?) this year I've added some new critters to the wish list: hyena, warthog – and a zebra for my wife! Who'd have figured? Plus, as a bonus, we may have a tuskless elephant added to my license. We're headed to Matetsi Unit 4 - Geoff Broom's old camp – with Mark Dewit, our superb PH from last year. I'm told this is a great and much storied hunting area, and our hopes are that it's reputation remains intact.

Given the mixed bag of this year's hunt, I'm contemplating taking three rifles for the two of us: my Merkel .470 (for the elephant); a Whitworth .375 H&H 'tuned' bolt action; and, a .30-06 pre-'64 Winchester M70 (currently being nicely rebuilt by the folks at NECG). We could probably get by without the M70, but that's the rifle my wife will be most comfortable shooting. Both it and the Whitworth sport Schmidt & Bender scopes, along with express-style iron sites. When we're after her zebra, I'll back her up with the .375 H&H – and in return, she says she'll back me up on my buffalo!

As for ammunition, I'm planning on 500-grain Woodleigh solids for the .470; 300-grain Swift A-Frames, and A-Square 'Dead Tough Round Nose' and monolithic solids for the .375; and 180-grain Swift Sciroccos for the .30-06.

Now the long wait begins, and I'll be planning every detail a million times over the coming months. [We can only hope that Zim doesn't completely meltdown in the meantime, and indeed that the MDC succeeds in its efforts to unseat Mugabe. Absent that, one can easily forecast travel sanctions as a last resort by western powers, the US included.]

This is all still very new to us both, and any thoughts or recommendations any of you might have would be greatly appreciated, especially if you have any insights on the hunting in and around Matetsi Unit 4. Thanks!

Kim