ZIMBABWE: Kazuma Area Report With Barry Style Of Buffalo Range Safaris

[edward]

good write up,great photos.glad you had a great time.

 

[Buff-Buster]

Great report Steve. Wonderful pictures. This reminded me why I love Zim so much. I hope she can hold onto areas like this and keep them wild.

 

[Bobpuckett]

Awesome report and Awesome pictures no way you can over burden us. Congrats on a great hunt, I know what you mean about that Kudu, when I got my Kudu in 2010 my PH kept saying to small needs a few more years. I told him he'd never make it in my neck of the woods them buggers had horns. Awesome Buff and Kudu.

 

[custer]

Steve..congrats on the great hunt. You just did what we want to do..go to Zimbabwe and hunt buffalo and kadu. What airline did you take..how much(if you don't mind me asking) was the total cost, including shipping , packing of hides, etc. We have never been to africa and want to make sure we bring enough money. Thank you for your time

 

[Steve Ausband]

Steve..congrats on the great hunt. You just did what we want to do..go to Zimbabwe and hunt buffalo and kadu. What airline did you take..how much(if you don't mind me asking) was the total cost, including shipping , packing of hides, etc. We have never been to africa and want to make sure we bring enough money. Thank you for your time

Custer, I'm glad to help if I can. This was our second trip to Africa, the first having been to South Africa eleven years ago. That was very nice, and I took a good buffalo and several heads of plains game on that trip. We just wanted something different this time around. If you haven't already decided on a PH (and there are many, many wonderful outfitters and PHs in Zimbabwe), I'll have to say we were very pleased with our trip with Barry Style. If you'd like, I'll give you his contact info, but you may already have someone in mind. OK; here goes an attempt to answer your questions:

1. First off, I'd HIGHLY recommend that you get a travel agent who deals regularly with international hunters, especially African hunters. We used Travel with Guns, headquartered in San Antonio, TX. Steve and his crew there are very knowledgeable, experienced, and easy to work with. They ease you right through a lot of potential problems. For instance, we knew ahead of time what we would pay at Ilala Lodge, what we would pay for the tours in Chobe, etc. A guy with a van met us at the Victoria Falls airport. No charge except for the tip. Same guy took us back. We were picked up at Ilala for the Chobe tour and returned afterwards. No charge except for the tip. The lodge was paid for. We did pay for our meals and (of course) tipped the help, but this way your money comes scooting out of your credit card weeks ahead of the trip, and you know exactly what you're paying. Pretty painless. I recommend them very highly.

2. We took Delta from Raleigh/Durham to JFK, had a brief layover, and then made the god-awfully long trip to Johannesburg via South African Air. From there we hopped another SAA flight the same day to Victoria Falls. We could have flown out of Atlanta, but the connection in Jo-burg was not as good, and we would have had to spend the night there and take the connecting flight the next day. So we chose to fly out of JFK instead. Saved two nights in hotels in Jo'burg.

3. Costs: Well, it depends on what you do. We spent extra money by staying in Vic Falls and doing the touristy things. For us, it was well worth it. We spent extra money on the Chobe tour. Again, worth it all to us. I think you'll find most of the outfitters in Zim charge about the same thing in regard to trophy fees for buffalo and kudu (and other game) and daily rates. If you figure around 20K, you'll be close. I tipped the camp staff a thousand (the PH decided who was to get what), and another tip of about the same size to the PH himself. Meals in a place like Vic Falls cost about what meals at a good restaurant in the US would cost. Same with bar tab. Add some for incidentals, tips to folks you didn't think about earlier, etc. The only other big expense is air fare, which ran about $1600 each, I think. I can't give you a good idea on taxidermy costs, since I'm having the work done there, and the bill won't come in until the work is nearing the finished stage. I'm guessing we're pushing the envelope on 30K about now. Fortunately, I had been saving up a long time for this trip. Taxidermy costs to be determined later.

4. A couple of extra things: (A) There are lots of wonderful places to hunt, not only in Zimbabwe but in other African countries as well. This is just someplace I really wanted to go, and I wanted to be in the middle of absolute wilderness--which is pretty much what you get at a place like Kazuma. You might like to do the same, but there are also excellent hunts in other, less "wilderness-intensive" places. (B) I brought my own .375 on my first hunt to SA. This time Barry very kindly loaned me one of his rifles. Almost all outfitters can provide rental guns. Getting a rifle through SA customs is a bit of a pain, but certainly not insurmountable. Just watch out for the "helpful" guys who come up to you and offer to expedite getting the rifle through customs--for a tip, of course. In other words, you can bring your own or plan to rent/borrow one. Either way is OK.

5. Custer, I hope this helps. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful experience. Once you pick an outfitter/PH, select what you want to do, and then get lined up with a good agent who can smooth out all the potential bumps for you, you'll be set. Best of luck.

Steve Ausband

 

[Steve Ausband]

Steve, thank for taking us along on an awesome adventure, great kudu ,and buffalo bull.
I am also from N.C. ( Outerbanks). Forrest

Where on the Outer Banks? (I'm curious because I lived on Roanoke Island when I was a kid--a very long time ago--and I have relatives on the northern banks and in the Beaufort area.)

 

[dory]

Well done Steve .
Is a man ever the same after he has hunted the sands and thorn traps of Africa ??
I doubt not !
Great trip Steve , one I would love to do , like most of us .
Love your Kudu , top animal .
Cheers Dory .

 

[Bruce]

excellent hunt AND vacation...you were in " God's own country" for sure. Beautiful trophies and memories

 

[Royal27]

Somehow I missed this....

Great report. And Zim is truly a special place. Hope she turns around again at some point as she has so much to offer.