MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique TSALA HUNTING SAFARIS June 2026

6/19 is about repeat day of before. Lots ground covered. Followed some tracks awhile, saw lots of sign, tracks and Ele. Just nothing as a shooter bull. Late pm went riding looking for Impala for camp meat. Saw some. Stalk busted by wind. Back camp dark for dinner and fire.

6/20
Sinus and respiratory kicking me bad. What ever it is caught on flight is still kicking my butt. Gone 5:30 am
Pick up Moz Police, Village Rep I will call Chopper, this guy can swing a machete like no one I seen. Says he knows where a bull is. Cut road about 2k in and then we walk. We find nice 22 inch track and get on it. About 10am. At around 4pm and 6-7 K into bush we are within 30 yards of Bull and some cows. Can hear and smell them. But can’t see it’s so thick. Damn wind swirled and they spooked and headed out.
It was decided them is 4:15 pm. 7K back to truck we need head back, all we had had is water and some candy bars along with us.
This is when I get my ass kicked. About an hour into walk out my old legs gave out, breathing was getting harder with this respiratory crap. Kenas took my rifle and they had cut me a walking stick. Right at dark rain storm hit and we got soaked and cold. I was barely walking and hobbling along. Brandon, Chopper and Danny left me with Kenas and Police Guy to keep making it best I could. They hooked it to truck and started cutting a road into me. I was just about done, completely exhausted. Thanks to amazing PH, trackers, Chopper got to meet truck at 9pm after several falls in slick mud. Made it camp about 11:30 pm.
I took a beating today

6/21
Slept in after yesterday’s ordeal. I’m sore and stiff. Late start. Left camp about 9:30 see what’s moving. Looking for fresh tracks and maybe Impala for camp meat. Had nice bush lunch and continued on.
Found a nice old Impala and made short stalk and got him. Fresh meat for camp. Back camp about 5pm and fire for the night. Early start in morning. Came across Lion tracks and Hippo tracks today also. Hippo was many miles from nearest water. Were older tracks so did not follow.

Center of this pic you can see a road.
I’m standing on Tsala ground in Moz. Other side that road is Zimbabwe

Mark Biggerstaff said:

Crossing the Limpopo River. Yea. It floats. While they pole across and bailing water all the time.

Click to expand...

Love it, real Africa!

Offf sounds like you really struggled on that day 6/20 I feel for you after all the planning and waiting and then that happens. Looks like you’re hanging in there and your PH and his staff are looking out for you. Enjoying the read cheers

6/22
Up at 3:30am, breakfast at 4:30 for 5am depart. I’m sore and beat up but going. Realized I was not in good enough shape for this hunt!
FYI. I forgot to mention also along with this dang respiratory issue. I had to have some minor surgery on June 1 for Prostate issue and had drains removed on 8th and flew out on 11th.
We headed to Powerline area and met up with some locals. Found a solid fresh 22 inch bull track and took it up. About 3 miles in and 2 hours later my body gave out again.
Danny and Kenas kept on track while I took a break. They came back about 2 hours later. Said bull had covered about 3k and crossed road into a no go area for us.
We started working our way back to truck.
Along the way we ran into several unexpected surprises.
Kenas almost stepped on a Puff Adder. Few minutes later they all froze and started throwing branches at a large bush saying big snake over there!! We headed different way and about 30 min later Danny froze. Took shooting sticks and started pushing around in some tall grass and out pops a Moz Spitting Cobra!
I didn’t have time for pics of some of this as we were all moving out they way pretty fast.
We made it trucks and headed back to camp as it was around 5pm already.

Sideshow said:

Offf sounds like you really struggled on that day 6/20 I feel for you after all the planning and waiting and then that happens. Looks like you’re hanging in there and your PH and his staff are looking out for you. Enjoying the read cheers

Click to expand...

Yea, I am beat down but pushing on. Brandon and the team are really trying to do there best with way my body is beat up to get me on an Ele.

6/23
Birthday today
This trip was my 63rd birthday present to myself. Up and gone by 6am. Picked up Community Guy and Police since hunting next to certain blocks so no issues about what land we are on. Only thing divides these blocks are roads that they know.
Got on good track of a bull and followed it for quite awhile. When he crossed a road I stayed there with PH while trackers followed on to see if they could catch up to him. As I’m moving slower than those guys can walk
They finally returned hours later saying they covered about 3k following him and never caught up to him. We called it a day and headed back to camp.

6/24
Another day. Started around 6am leaving camp. Came upon a set tracks and took after them. Around noon we had never caught up to the bull and when we made it to a road we called it for morning and broke for a lunch break. We than headed to the Save River look for hippo. Big pod was staying on opposite side of the river and no way get close to them.
Only a lone young bull was on our side river.
We left river and looked for any fresh Ele tracks and dragged some roads till almost dark. Back to camp at dark, I cleaned up and went to firepit area. All sudden from up in dining area I hear some loud talking.
We have a guest on patio area beside dinner table!
We had some nice Impala backstrap for dinner tonight.

6/25
Today we have a new plan of attack
I’m beat up pretty bad fighting this respiratory crap still and legs are shot. I will admit I was not in the shape I needed to have been for this hunt. But I didnt want to postpone it either.
When we find a set of tracks Danny and Kenas will get on them and I will stay at truck with Brandon. They will radio if they catch up to him or when they need picked up.
Find a good set tracks on fresh drug road about 9am. Danny and Kenas ore off on them. Around noon Danny radios wher le to get them. They covered about 6k and never caught up to bull. He was steady on the move. Never slowed down and fed he said.
We broke for bush lunch.
Then pick up Police and village local and head back to river to look for Hippo.
Went to area where locals have fishing traps in river. They say there is a hippo in area that has snare around neck.
We get there and main pod is in middle of river. Off to the side is an eddy area on our side and we see a lone hippo in it.
Brandon looked him over and said it’s a good bull and we should try for him.
Well we got in position and I took the shot. 375 with Aframes and hippo is down.

Turned out it was the hippo with the snare when they got to him to start pulling him to land

Then the long butchering process began.
Meat was loaded and taken to village near by. Some was packed out by the locals that showed up also

Congrats on your hippo. Sounds like you’re having a true adventure safari.

That walking is serious when after an elephant. Keeping the right mindset, adapting as best you can and having a great team is all you can do and you certainly seem to be doing that. Looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

6/26
Last day of hunting.
Started off with a beautiful sunrise.
We were off around 6:45 around 8:30 a really good set fresh tracks were found. 2 bulls a young one and old bull.
Decided let the two trackers take radio and work tracks to save my legs incase they had gone far.

About 11:30 the radio crackled. Danny said come get them at a certain place and we were off. When we got there they had covered 10-12k tracking the bulls and they were moving on. Brandon decided let them settle down and we took a quick bush lunch.

After a short break, we drove to the other side of the block they headed. Sure enough they had crossed the road. Danny and Kenas took off in tracks. 10min later radio noise and nothing. 5 min later trackers are on road back at truck.
They found the bulls and the old one was pissed. Charged them!

We got all set and took up the track. Within 30 mins we had them spotted in some thick stuff just grazing and resting.

We started working around the younger bull and getting downwind of the older bull

Slowly we eased in to about 35 yards.
It’s around 3pm last day of hunt.

Bull is partially blocked by brush but head is open and clear. Side brain shot and bull drops back end first then front.
Doesn’t move an inch!
What a rush! Usual congrats and hugs.
We ease around and I put an insurance shot frontal brain. Was not needed but did.

This amazing team worked their butts off to get me my first bull elephant!

Man Mark what a great adventure. Wonderful hippo, love all the scars on its back, a true warrior.

I was typing a reply when you posted the pictures of the Ele. Wow, beautiful bull, congrats brother!!! Well done!

Sorry you got sick getting there, and obviously beyond your control. Glad you are hanging in there and pushing forward. Keep it coming.

More pics

Some more