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Now that I have been back from Zimbabwe for several weeks I guess it is time I posted a hunt report. I went to Zim to hunt a Bull Cape Buffalo and Tuskless Cow Elephant. After doing a fair bit of research and corresponding with, or talking to people who have hunted various parts of Africa I made my decision on where to go and who to hunt with. I selected Martin Pieters Safaris in Zimbabwe to go with. My PH was Lindon Stanton. Martin and his staff are friendly and very helpful. They cheerfully answered all of my questions.

Lin picked me at the Bulawayo Airport and drove me into the Bulawayo Club. There are other places to stay in Bulawayo but I wanted to take a step back in time. The polished floor boards creak, and there is no air conditioners, thankfully. The walls of the main entry are covered with European style mounts of many different animals and the bar. Let’s just say great restraint was needed not indulge too much.

Part of bar at Bulawayo Club Note the Ele feet.

Lin picked me up early the following morning and we commenced a five hour drive to Ume Camp on the shores of Lake Kariba in the Omay concession. The country side is a lot like inland Australia if you replace our short spindly scrub with Jess or thorn trees. They have a few Eucalyptus trees as well and certainly more water. The other thing of note was that both pedestrians and livestock do not seem to wander across the road in front of traffic. I told Lin my criteria for a Buff were he needed to be old with a good solid boss. I didn't care about size.

On the way into camp we come across a small herd of Elephants, Duiker, several tribes of Baboons and squirrels. I had just settled in my cabin, was about to crack the first tinnie when the camp was invaded by a tribe of monkeys. They were moved on fairly quickly with the help of a shotgun .My cabin had its own shower, toilet and over looked the lake. At this time I was the only guest in the camp. Plenty of croc and hippo activity in the lake and Elephants could be seen on the shores but inside the Matusadona National Park. Hippos conducting a bit of a quarrel or some loving 40mts from your open grass and timber hut in the middle of the night can be a bit strange to start with.

View from my first room at UME

Day one of the hunt started with a 0430hrs get up for a 0500hrs departure as did most other days. We started out on the river bed of the Ume River and then climbed a ridge line to scour a small range. We checked every spring on that range but no fresh sign. By the time we stopped for lunch we had walked 16km and it was over 40C in the shade. In the afternoon the trackers checked several areas with no luck. Over the preceding days we checked different areas including the Della Valley, 2 hours from camp. Several times we picked up Dugga boy tracks but lost them due to failing light and in the morning those tracks had mingled in with a herd.

Hippo tracks in the Ume River. 416 Rigby in the track.

Day 2 had other hunters arrive in camp and me move to a hut that was not self-contained like the first. That was given to a lady who was 73 years old and only needed a bull Elephant to complete her big Five. She was traveling with her nephew and her SA PH-Aart, their Zim PH was Pierre. Both are good blokes. Aart especially so. He carried a CZ550 in 416 Rigby-same as yours truly- as his stopping rifle and hunts mainly the big 7. Also a Mexican Hunter -Oscar -and his agent arrived, he was after Buff, Bull Elephant and plains game.

On the morning of day 3 we actually surprised 2 bulls who were still heading to bed down, or should I say they surprised us. Our trackers, Nkuluteko and Jablulani (JB) were looking to see if the spoor they had picked up earlier had crossed an opening. When they looked up one of the bulls stuck his head around a rock then took off. No problem, let them settle and come back in the afternoon for them. In the mean time we located a small herd of Elephants in some Jess. Big blighters and only 20 metres from us, a bit awesome that. We backed out and called Pierre. We assisted with relocating the herd and the stalk in the Jess but the bull was gone. We headed back to our two bulls. Twice they heard us; it was like walking on cornflakes under foot. We were able to get a look at one of the Bulls but not the second fella. Third time they smelt us and bolted. 10kms later we lost them due to failing light. In the morning we found their tracks had joined with a herd.

This is a sun rise.

Over the course of the next few days we scouted several herd of Elephant while looking for Buff. We checked these herds of Ele looking for my Tuskless cow and only finding Bulls or Cows with Tusks or calf at heel. On day 4 we took the boat and scouted the shore line. We found a decent size herd of Ele so we landed on the shore to check the herd. While on the out skirt of the herd two young Ele saw us and did a practice mock charge from 60 metres. They covered all of 5 meters in the charge. Walking slowly and very quietly Lin and I entered the herd looking for a Tuskless Cow. I have to say that being close to a large Ele in the wild is amazing but being inside a herd of these animals is breath taking. Maybe I should have been scared but fear was the last thing on my mind. While being totally captivated by the experience I was also aware of where individual Ele were. This is one experience I will never forget.

On Day 5 the lads found a lone Bull Ele on a peninsular jutting into the lake. Lin called up Pierre. When they arrived we followed them in. Most of us stayed on a ridge with the Bull in sight- about 150mts away. The Bull made those stalking up on him and walked over the small hillock he was on. That was last anybody saw of him. He did not pass between the observers and the lake. 2 lots of trackers, 2 game scouts and 3 PH's lost his tracks and searched the whole peninsular. The bull had not come past the vehicles or entered the water. Seems Dumbo is alive and well.
That afternoon we picked up some promising Buff tracks not far from camp, but luck was not with us. Oscar was onto them earlier in the day and had taken a good Bull.

Well Day six and we headed for the Della valley again. The first time we were in the Della we tracked a herd of Buff and then stalked up on them. No luck as the herd was made of cows. Not long after we entered the valley Lin picked up some Elephant about one and a half KMs away. They were in the open resting on a downward spine of a rocky hill. The only way we could approach was by climbing the hill on the opposite side and approaching from above. The ground was open shale country with rocky crevices that we used to get to the hills. I might add it was 43C in the shade and we were not in the shade. When above the Elephants and 30 to 40 metres was as close as we could get, Lin told me where to aim for a brain shot on a small, dry tuskless cow. One 400grain Woodleigh Hydro dropped her on the spot. Now some fun started. The whole herd charged up hill. Lin yelled to me to cover the downed Elephant. This I was doing but also watching the herd. Lin was waving his arms and yelling at the herd. I figured if the herd came past the last 15mt mark from us I would be covering them and wishing I was wearing brown Corduroy Trousers. They stopped about 15mts from us-where the hills incline increased sharply. Eventually they moved off. I went down to the cow, she was still making gurgling noises and the odd twitch in a hind leg, so I put a finishing shot through the top of her head.

My small Cow Elephant

Our driver, Vumani, went off and brought back some villagers while Nkuluteko, JB and our Game Scout started to skin the Ele. The knives they were using had seen better days. I had my Clive’s knife with me and this is sharp. I gave it to the lads and they certainly made better time skinning the Ele. It was not to long before local villagers were there caving up the Ele. I figure that Elephant probably feed 2 villages for the better part of a week.
Latter this day Lin found a herd of Buff on the shore line of the lake. We were in close but the only old bull was the better part of 800mts away and there was no way we would get close before it was dark.

The last hunting day-had a spare day as a relaxing day up my sleeve- we were back near the Della Valley and tracked a couple of Dugga boys into the Della. Once again failing light beat us. The plan was to return in the morning pick up the tracks. Lin called on the radio for the Vumani to bring the Toyota (Tojo) to a place about 2km from us. Vumani reported seeing a herd of Buff on his way to pick us up. A quick trip in the Tojo and a short walk put us within a 70meters of the herd.
We spent 30 mins glassing the herd from several different positions and could only make out young bulls. We stepped out into the open and the herd just looked at us for a couple of minutes then took off. When they did two old bulls came out of some very thick scrub. Lin said run so we were off after them. After about 150mts we stopped and up went the shooting sticks. The herd had stopped with one of the old boys looking at us. Lin said shoot, but the Bull moved before I could. The second old bloke moved from behind the first and was looking straight at us. From 70mts I put a Hydro in his stretched out neck, through the top of his heart. This with less than 5mins of shooting light left. He ran, we ran but Lin and the trackers stopped after 20 meters, the bull covered about 50 mts and piled up. They had to point him out to me; I thought I had lost him. Lin told me he was confident at the shot as the bull reacted as they do when heart shot.

My old Buff

The Bull had grey on his face and I am told this means he is at least 12 years old, an old bugger for Buff. His horns were regressing and they are thick and solid bosses with plenty of character. This is what I was after. I was one stuffed –in Aussie terms, Buggered- but happy hunter. I used a 400 grain Woodleigh Hydro from my 416 Rigby on the Buff and it was found in his lions. Can’t complain about the Hydros performance.

The Hydro from the Buff.

My last day at Ume camp was spent fishing in the morning and as usual I caught nothing but still had a great time. The afternoon was spent helping Pierre and Aart recover a Bull Hippo. That is another story in itself.