ZIMBABWE: Mokore Safaris Sengwa Research Tuskless Elephant & Plains Game

Great report! Cant wait for the next installment

Idaram
We used big creek lodge as a layover for hunters. Also the runway. Up into mosquito springs , chicken peak etc etc. yup I know 26

jacques smith said:

Idaram
We used big creek lodge as a layover for hunters. Also the runway. Up into mosquito springs , chicken peak etc etc. yup I know 26

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One of my favorite places on earth!
The lodge was just rebuilt after the fire 10 or so years ago. The elk population is just a fraction of what it used to be and the bear numbers are down a bit, but the sheep are doing extremely well. There have been a few mid 180’s Rams taken the last couple years. Two of them almost identical twins at something like 186 6/8. And there have been a few whopper bucks over 190 too. As you well know, the unit gives nothing up easily, but occasionally rewards the hunter who is fit and works really hard!

We had 14year old rams dying of old age cause it hard to get a hunter a tag. Also some of my favorite country as is hell’s canyon. Top and bottom. My knees won’t do it but my mind does

jacques smith said:

We had 14year old rams dying of old age cause it hard to get a hunter a tag. Also some of my favorite country as is hell’s canyon. Top and bottom. My knees won’t do it but my mind does

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Still happening. 4 early season tags and 2 late season tags with hunter success that runs 50-75%. One of the outfitters showed me a pick up skull and horns a few years ago that was about 188.
I hunt unit 18 just about every year for whitetail or bear. Had the mule deer tag twice. It reminds me every year that I am not getting any younger!
I wish I had been smarter as a young man and made the time to hunt these places more. As they say, youth is wasted on the young

Gents, I've lurked around here for a while and now that Africa is actually doable for me, I joined.
I must say, what a incredible report and outstanding story telling. It reminds me of all Teddy's stories I read growing up (I still read them), not missing a single highlight or blooper. Excited to hear and learn more.

The Leopard had another busy night by the sound of it. Although I didn’t miss many winks, I did wake up a couple times to her sawing. A wonderful reminder of just where I am
We rendezvous at the truck right on time. An impala will be going along today We will hunt elephant and then when time permits we’ll get a Hyena bait started.
We only get about 20 minutes down the road and run into a bunch of red hot elephant tracks. It is just getting light and the trackers take their time looking over the tracks. Quite a few elephants in this bunch.
They aren’t too far off and we can hear the breaking of branches as they feed. It’s light enough to start following now, so we do!
We have plenty of time and they are feeding so we are careful to keep the wind right as we work our way out to the side and in front of the herd. We want to get in a good position down wind to be able to catch them crossing through the river bed they are heading towards. Everything works exactly as planned! How often does that happen?! It’s hard to remember, but I think there were about 40-50 elephant in this bunch, including three tuskless! They hit the riverbed, but instead of crossing they feed along the edge. We cross down wind from them and parallel them along the opposite bank. They take their time feeding and eventually start dropping down into the river. Finally we get to look them over carefully. Two of the tuskless have calves. Where’s number three? There she is. Unfortunately not much more than a calf herself. Doug tells me she is small, definitely less than 10 years old and we should keep looking. Sounds good to me!
This little adventure has eaten up the better part of the morning. Time flies when you’re having fun! We will hunt our way to a spot where the truck will be waiting and have some lunch. Bushbuck along the river will be the main target.
We find a few, imcliding a couple rams but Doig says we can do better. After lunch we head to a spot along the river with some low hills above. The Hyena have several den sights in the hills, so with a little bit of luck...
We hunt ‘til dark and I know we looked at more elpephant that afternoon, but I just don’t recall the details.
Last light finds us on the truck heading back to camp when Doug kills the lights and shuts off the engine and coasts to a stop. I have not seen them but there are elephants up ahead. Quite a few of them aparrently. We give them a while and hope they have cleared the area. Maybe if we don’t spook them we can pick them up in the morning? We shall see
It’s only day 2 but camp is feeling like home. A hot shower, fresh laundy, friendly attentive camp staff. The fire, appetizers, drinks and good company make for a perfect end to another wonderful and exciting day.
My pedometer says 13.2 miles today. This will end up being right on the average. I am beginning to appreciate my Courtney’s. They are perfect for this kind of hunting.
Tomorrow is going to be a great day, I can just feel it!

So, which model Courteney do you have?

I have a pair of Selous that I am still trying to get accustomed to. They are so heavy and "clunky"...yet I was told they were the quietest stalking boot.

The toe box is not quite right either...may need to get one of their versions with the taller toe box for my fat toes!

Loving the report....thanks for taking us along!

tarbe said:

Loving the report....thanks for taking us along!

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You, Cody and Royal were there in spirit! I thought of yours and Cody’s trip with John next year and what a blast you will have. I told Doug you guys were hunting BVC. You can tell when someone talks about it and they get that look in their eyes its going to be great. I’m stoked for you guys!

I have the Selous as well. The toe box is a little “low” on top and I thought it might be a problem, but I keep working the leather treatment into them and wearing them and it was a non-issue. My feet got tired from all the walking, but never truly sore. I think more related to connective tissue. Not surface soreness.
And they are pretty quiet, but the lug sole is a little heavy. Great for thorns though!
I believe the Russels are probably quieter boots, but no where near as versatile. At least with the flat sole.

Thanks Dan. I have the ripple sole...I'll keep working them.

Glad to hear Doug got "the look" when discussing the BVC. Just what I wanted to hear!!!

Welcome to AH Matthew. How about going to Introduc

tarbe said:

Thanks Dan. I have the ripple sole...I'll keep working them.

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Tarbe, my toes were an issue as well. I bought a shoe “stretcher” which I put in them for a few days. It seemed to increase the toe spacing. A good shoe repair can probably stretch them the same way.

IdaRam, I am really enjoying this! Great to get to have multiple stalks before pulling the trigger...prolonging the anti-climax once it’s done, JMO.

Keep the story going. Feel like I'm there walking and stalking with you. It is a good camp and PH when a little pull your chain happens early! Hope you get a chance to return the favor.

Ridgewalker said:

Welcome to AH Matthew. How about going to Introduc

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Will do, I'm a bit forum ignorant so I apologize for missing a step .

matthew anderson said:

Will do, I'm a bit forum ignorant so I apologize for missing a step .

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Me too Matthew. But I’m learning and really enjoying all the great reports on here!

My head hit the pillow and I was out, but I went to sleep with a distinct feeling of tomorrow will be the day! I woke up with the same feeling. Can’t explain it, I just knew.
I took a few moments before breakfast to wipe my rifle down, apply a bit of oil here and there, wipe off cartridges that had been in the magazine and in the loops on my buttstock and swap them out for fresh and make sure lenses on my 1.5-5x Leupold were clean.
I have been told I am a bit OCD, but only by disorganized people
I have a bit of a ritual when gearing up. Everything is always in the same spot and I pretty much always carry the same basic gear no matter where I am hunting.
Fixed blade knife on my belt, around to the back so my gun doesn’t bump into it and make noise or scratch my gun. Leatherman the same only to the opposite side of the mid belt loop. Light gloves and small LED head lamp in left front pocket. Lightweight Kuiu guide beenie right front pocket. Latrine essentials in a zip-lok bag in left cargo pocket. Handkerchief in right rear pocket. Right cargo pocket empty for misc items I add. Power bar, electrlyte packet, etc.
I’m not really very OCD, I just don’t like to be fishing for something in the dark not remembering where I put it. I pack a hunting pack the same way.

We find elephant early and in the same vicinity as the ones from the night before. I’m not sure if it is one big herd or a number of smaller herds that are just in close proximity, but there are a bunch of elephant everywhere.
We start working them carefully. Trying to stay down wind but probing the groups looking for tuskless.
Where we are there is the sandy river channel with a steep bank on one side and the other side is a big flat flood plain with mixed open grassy areas and thick bush and trees intermingled. The elephant are moving and feeding and at times we are sneaking along and other times we are running.
There are so many elephant it is hard to keep track of them all. We spook elephant a few times with our scent, but fortunately they take off away from the others and don’t spook the whole lot of them.
Up ahead we see more elephant coming across the flat looking like they are going to cross and follow one of the many shallow ravines up out of the river bottom. This is when we run!!! Trying to pick the correct ravine they might go up and have a good look and potentially a very close shot!
We climb up the bank out of the river channel and sprint for where we think they will come up. We couldn’t have done it more perfectly. We are waiting in the bush at the top of the ravine when a group of 6 come up. Everything is perfect. We have the wind right and if there is a tuskless I will have a shot of less than 10 yards.
The ravine is full of elephant! Literally nose to tail. And they stop. Right in front of us, point blank! Everyone is holding their breath I think.
No tuskless. A big cow in the lead with another cow behind her who has a tiny calf. Then another cow and calf and a young bull.
They stand there listening and smelling. We hold our breath.
Finally they move up the ravine and we breathe. Whew! That was... tense?
More elephant are coming across and heading for the next ravine. We run again. We get to the next place an elephant can climb out of the river well ahead of the next group which is really 2 groups but they have changed their mind and are slowly meandering along in the large grassy open area in the bottom. This time there are tuskless. 2 of them but they both have calves. Crap! Can’t catch a break.
Then another small group breaks cover and into the open area. I nudge Doug and point to a tuskless cow. No calves with this group! We’re in business!
They will pass right in front of us at about 30 yards. Doug gives me the green light if I have a shot. They aren’t slowing down or stopping and it is now or never. Doug let’s out a call of some kind hoping to get them to pause and I am ready with a sight picture I like. No reaction. I am cleared hot and feel comfortable with the shot, so I press trigger with a good side brain sight picture.
Boom! And all hell breaks loose!!!
Elephant have come right up behind us in the brush. Doug and I are side by side out front on the edge of the riverbank. Behind me is Ryan running the camera. Behind him are Solomon, Doug’s amazing tracker, and my buddy Jim along with Maru our Parks Ranger. Solomon, Jim and Maru are our rear guard. They have been watching these ele coming right up behind us and about shitting their pants as they reach the 5 yard mark. When I touch off the Rigby a freight train of elephants spin in their tracks and blast off through the bush at about Mach 3.
At my shot the tuskless goes down to her knees but quickly pops up again and whirls around to run back the way she came. I’ve already run the bolt and hit her with another one. A raking shot from the right rear. Doug’s .505 Gibbs booms as I’m lining up on my third shot. She is running on a direct crossing path now and she stumbles and starts to fall just as I fire my third shot, which hits her in the neck and drops her for keeps.
By now there is mostly just mayhem. Elephants are getting the hell out of dodge! Doug pretty much collectively grabs us all up and we head straight up hill to clear the area. We will return in a while
When we can regroup and breathe Jim and Solomon start telling us about all the elephants coming up our tail pipe. They were right at the point of having to start yelling or start shooting because they were almost on top of us.
Very comforting to have people with big guns covering your six
After a good while we head back to my elephant. I ask to be the first one to touch her. Doug and I walk up and I snick off the safety and reach over from the back and touch her eyeball with my muzzle. Her life is over.
Emotion starts to set in. I have my first elephant. I am overwhelmed. This is like nothing I have experienced before. One of my greatest dreams come true and in a way I could only have dreamed about. Just incredible!
Hand shakes and high fives all around. We celebrate and pay our respects to a magnificent animal that will now become immortal. She will feed a lot of people, including many hungry school children.
Today was the day, and there will never be another day I kill my first elephant. But I am already hoping for the day I get my second!









Elephant heart kebabs are excellent!

Nothing like a first on one of lifes important 'zeniths' to add sparkle to the occasion and depth to the memory.

That would’ve been quite an awesome and frightening experience!

Wow, what an experience. Nicely done.

Congratulations for a great hunt! And thank you for sharing the story with us.

Goie mora Dan
An absolutely spellbinding report! Playing patty cake with ladies and small kids means walking on the sharp edge
Very happy for you Baie dankie (thanks) from my peanut gallery
Cheers jacques