ZIMBABWE: Nyakasanga Buffalo With Buzz & CMS

Outfitter: Charlton McCallum Safaris
PH: Buzz Charlton
Cameraman : Justin Drainer
Appy PH : Peiter
Trackers: Criton, Nyati, Eddie our driver
Dates: Sept 12-19
Area Hunted: Nyakasanga
Rifles: Camp .375 H&H Winchester model 70 & 7x57 Brno
Animals taken: Kudu, Impala, Baboon and Cape Buffalo

This goes back to March or April when I made a post wanting a hunt for Cape Buff in the wild countries. We are having our second child and my wife gave me the go ahead to go hunt before we have more rugrats running around. I was in contact with a few outfitters that were like minded and had the hunt I was looking for.

Wild areas, no fences, proper tracking and hunting. The way Africa should be experienced in my mind. As I don't know how many times I'll be able to go to Africa I wanted to try an achieve this my first trip. May cost more then other options but it meant a lot to me. Track Buff in the thick stuff, in close. See trackers work their magic, watch a PH carry his double around like its an extension of his arms.

And what can I say. Buzz delivered this and more. For my first Safari and what I hoped to experience they were a 10/10 in every way. Originally we were booked in Dande, in Mururu camp, and how luck unfolds between a cancellation and CMS having a Fly tent camp setup on the Zambezi it was a no brainer to hunt Nyakasanga. Arguably some of the best Buff hunting in Zim.

The only two things I hoped to achieve with my trip was to hunt a Cape Buff And hopefully take a Kudu. Both of which I'm happy to say we were able to do and both hunts were perfect.

I left Vancouver on Sept 9th, would be going to Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Harare. Losing a day I'd arrive on the 11th. First time I've flown in a double deck plane, first time ever on plane for longer then 5 hours haha, and am glad to say Lufthansa was great to fly with. I flew economy mostly with one upgraded flight on premium economy.





Gotta have a good German bratwurst and pretzels in Frankfurt





Landed in the morning in Joburg and has a short time till connecting through Harare. One short flight later I couldn't believe I was finally halfway around the world finally here. Beautiful feeling. Met Justin and Pieter at the Airport, Eddie and Criton were waiting. And we drove to Buzz's to pick him up and off on our way to camp, I think a 6 hour drive.



We stopped halfway at a side store and ate a burger and had my first Biltong and also a form of pepperoni which was delicious. Also stopped and grabbed some tomatoes, oranges and sugar cane for the guys in the back to chew on haha. Also learnt of the pay-by-phone system that have going in the absence of cash.



The drive actually flew by for me, talking with Buzz for hours just getting to know each other and talking about all things hunting and everything in general.

We came down the escarpment just as the sun was setting and my first view of the Valley was amazing. It was much wider then I thought and seeing the hills rise up on both sides was a great sight. Looking out over Zambia was very cool. We hit the unpaved road into camp and as it got darker we seen a porcupine, a serval cat and hyena running down the road. Also some Waterbuck females.

Camp was set up great. Overlooking the river, hippos sounding off, nice dining room tent and two big tents setup with showers and flush toilets. Not that ritzy nor too roughly it, probably just the right accommodations I was looking for.









Next morning up at a good time. I was doing very good with jet lag. I had stayed awake the first flight and then slept on my next flight when I was in the same timezone as Zim. I almost didnt have a single issue with jetlag.

We sighted in the .375 H&H I would be using. Peiter normally carried it for his duties, but I shouldered both the Winchester model 70, as well as Buzz's Blaser which was just a touch short for my LOA. I made the rifle look pretty small hahaha

It was left with iron sights so we put the quick detach scope back on and after a small adjustment and it was shooting perfect! Off we went, I couldn't believe it. I was hunting in Africa, and I've always loved the saying

“Whatever you do, Go until the view feels a less familar.”

That's something I've always struggled with in my head. I hunted a lot of places in North America, and I can always find something similar to home, a group of trees, some sort of outcropping. And I knew I was good when we set off into the bush. This was nothing like back home. I thought it was the neatest thing seeing groves of Mopane trees, and stunted 8 feet high, as you quickly realize Elephants just walk by and eat anything at mouth height and mow all the trees the same height.

We stopped at many pans and checked for tracks, so many amazing sights and trees.




One pan we stopped at was still holding quite a bit of water, enough for a bull and two female Hippos to be living in. My first up close sights of them. And before long we were sitting under a large tree and we heard something falling. Turned out a baboon had shit above us and Buzz and Justin ran for cover!!! Too funny, and I learnt just how much everyone didnt hated baboon shit haha




The culprit



I love how every Baobab tree is slightly different from the next. And even cooler to see how the elephant dig into the bark with their tusks. How some are almost hollowed out.





After that it was still quite early, we cut 3-4 buff tracks crossing the road. I got to finally witness the tremendous tracking ability of Criton and Nyati. And the complement eachother so much, Criton may be the better tracker by a little, but Nyati's eyes are sharper and well trained for animals. Its a great 1-2 combo and works great how they both track but with Criton tracking it gives Nyati alittle extra to look up when you get closer to get eyes on the target.

Buzz and the guys guessed at how far behind we'd be, he guessed just over an hour and the trackers figured 1.5+ turned out Buzz won hahaha. Just over an hour, one dry river crossing, and into the thick stuff. I got my first view of a Buff at 75 yards. Wind swirled and just like that they were gone, I was surprised I thought they'd be jet black but they actually blend in alittle better, old age and mud and lighter hairs. But it was a good first tracking session. Also positive in that Buzz saw enough to know he wasnt a shooter and he was with two younger bulls.





By then it was lunch time we parked in the shade on a dried up pan. Pretty soon we were eating around the table and here come a half dozen female impala walking by under 50 yards. What a sight to see!

Buzz decided on a quick nap in the pickup to beat the midday heat and all the sudden a half dozen rams come walking by the same line! A bit of quiet yelling and we grabbed the guns and sticks and before any action they were gone. The running joke was we could of shot our impala over the dining table!

After lunch we did more looking for pans and got up into a beautiful area of the concession. Its namesake was 100% accurate in its description. Paradise. Not long after we spotted a gorgeous Kudu bull. We started walking into the bush to hopefully get it crossing in front of us. We were alittle over 100 yards and the sticks went up and we waited for him to walk out from behind a large bush/termite mound. Turned out he walked out from another bush just alittle further but he turned broadside and I let a round off.

It felt good. I practiced alot with sticks at home before to get used to them and quite liked shooting off them. At first glance I saw the kudu bull cringe and bolt, he actually ran towards us alittle and I knew my second shot was behind, he then turned and was running broadside into the thick jess. My 3rd shot I was leading and thought it made contact too.

We started tracking it, and as Buzz had said, he thought the shot went alittle forward. We found some bone fragments in the blood trail which validated his thoughts. We tracked him till just before dark. He bedded many times and lots of pools of blood. He just had enough strength to keep getting out infront of us. We finally had to leave his trail so we made time to not be hiking in the thick stuff in the dark.

We also found blood spots up high on the right so that confirmed my 3rd shot hit somewhere high on the neck. With the amount of hyenas in nyakasanga and near mana pools, the trackers somberly said, “atleast hyena dont eat the horns”

Upon video review, Buzz was correct, shot was forward and hit shoulder and brisket. He was hurt but just not bad enough. I felt bad and everyone has experienced similar. The guys had did their jobs flawlessly and I added alot more tracking then should of been needed. We got up early and walked to be walking back into the trail at daybreak, when we came around a corner about 1km from the spot we came to a pride of lions. 4 female and 1 young male.

I couldnt believe how tall the male was in real life. They sat 15 feet off the road and looked like the had eaten in night. They were watering up at a pan. We joked that Eddie should go back when we hike in to check that pan for any tracks. He was not amused and much laughter ensued.






We only drove by them a km before stopping and hiking in. Half hour later we were at the spot we left the kudu trail. We started tracking again, and soon came to an odd track. It was a hyena track that had been dragging something. I didnt have a good feeling.

Buzz had said he had a similar thing with a sable once and the sable had actually stayed alive and fought off the hyenas in the night till morning. But that hyena track soon washed any hopes of finding it alive. All I hoped now was maybe they'd start from the rear and work forward.

Not 200 yards from where we had left the trail the night before we finally came to the kill site. Turns out those very same lions had most likely killed the Kudu or found it in the night. And then many hyenas had come and finished the scraps. We started walking around looking for the horns. The only consolation price to this magnificent animal. I started to worry that a hyena had even dragged those away! But before too long Nyati had found the horns 40 yards away.

And when I tell you the hyenas ate everything. I mean it. There was alittle pile of stomach contents back at the kill site. But all that was left of the Kudu was the skull and maybe 3-4 neck bones. That was it. Even the skin on the face they worked over. Not a single scrap was anywhere. The predators ate well that night. The team was sad about no kudu meat in camp, and sad for me not to view the beauty of a large male Kudu.

He has deep deep curls! I've never owned a ruler for measuring Big game animals, and Buzz didnt have anything in camp so it'll be fun when it gets home to see what it actually measures out too. Mid 50s was Buzz's guess, and hes probably right. He was fairly tall but those deep curls will sure add to the length. There must be 4-5+ inches atleast inside the curl. There was actually another set of kudu horns in camp which you could actually put them inside the curl since that set was such a tight curl.

Just a stunning bull, and I cant wait to get Justins video so I have more footage of him alive. I'll try to frame a shot of it alive as they're so majestic. Buzz said he'd look around for a kudu cape if I wanted to get a shoulder mount which I will definitely will be going for.








Peiter was put to work, a good young Appy.

We threw the Kudu horns in the back of the land cruiser and went off looking for Buff. Buzz wanted to give me the full experience of tracking dugga boys aswell as working herds. So we snuck off into the side of a fairly large herd and crawled in alittle. Buzz really just wanted to get me close and look over some bulls. We found a decent one but still something we'd pass for Day 2. We worked them twice and checked what bulls were in the herd. It was nice to experience both forms of buffalo hunting and can say without a doubt, tracking bands of old duggaboys is some of the finest hunting I can imagine.

After lunch we went for a nice walk into a special area, this dried mud pan always seemed to hold something new each time we walked to it. You'd walk through the thicker jess and it would open up to a beautiful long clearing. Only a few tall trees in the center and some others elephant had already knocked over. Today, a young bull was mulling around. This was my first real close experience with a wild elephant. They're just so massive and almost unworldly to me. It is one animal I dream of hunting. To me tracking Buff and Elephant are two of the truest forms of hunting. My wife will need a serious amount of coercion to let me hunt an ele. And as a Canadian I know the timing couldn't be better with the export bans. But I've been working on her for a couple years and hope to sway her mind.

Sitting and watching the bull ele on a fallen tree.



At the end of dried and cracked mud pan quite a few impala were working back and forth. We made our way past the young bull ele and got the sticks up beside a tree with a good hide. I had two good shooters just past 100 yards and we decided on the left one. I had Buzz's Brno 7x57, truely a lovely gun and has a great funny story on how Buzz became the owner.

Once again the shot felt good on the sticks. And unfortunately it turned out I pulled it left almost identical to the Kudu first shot.

I've thought about this alot since returning, and the only thing I can even think of is I wasn't holding it down snug enough into the sticks. I did this on my other shots, and as you'll see had great results.

So we tracked the impala and it was almost a repeat of the kudu just a day before. I couldn't believe it. I felt so bad for the guys. And then instead of running out of daylight, even worse it went out of boundary at last light and I knew there'd be no option for retrieval now. Only neat thing was while tracking we came upon a solo duggaboy laying down in the very thick jess. I actually spotted his curl of the horn maybe 60 yards away.


Day 3 we woke early and cut the tracks on a different area. We stopped halfway and sighted in the two rifles. We wanted to make sure it wasn't the rifles for my poor shooting. I put a bullet from the .375 and 7x57 both inside the bullseye and knew they were good. Soon enough we found a small group of dugga boys that we very fresh tracks. It didn't take long and we tracked and got into them. 4-5 bulls. It was great fun working them proper. We got close twice before they finally booked it and we decided to let them have a rest and we continued to look for more tracks.

It was only another 15-20 minutes down the road and we found tracks from the previous night of atleast 6 dugga boys. This warranted a good tracking too. We were barely in the bush and we spooked a waterbuck which in turn spooked the very Buff we were tracking. They ran off and we gave them alittle time and started in on them again.






We were able to get 70ish yards and looked at one good bull. They didn't really scent us but slowly they made their way off again and we kept following. Buzz and the trackers wanted to see what caliber of bulls they were. We tracked for quite a distance, through all types of terrain. It was truly a great buffalo hunting day. We came around a small hill on the side, and the buff had been right there and we ran into them under 40 yards. One big bull approached and stood his ground. He was big and wide, not too much drop but a spectacular sight. This is what I hoped to experience!

It almost turned into an freehand shot, but with the trackers slighty infront of us and before sticks could go, the bull decided to run off. We stopped for lunch now and decided to work these bulls again after they get up and start feeding in the afternoon.



We werent too far from camp so we decided to run back and have a nice lunch at camp, and a short mid day nap in the heat of the day. I thoroughly enjoyed the raddlers we had. In that heat, a cold beer mixed with lemonade works for me!



Learnt it was best to dry out my feet at lunch. I had a couple small hot spots from that first day hiking over 16km. But I got out infront of it and just 3 days of some duct tape and all was good. After that I had zero issues. What a view to have a mid day siesta.



We got back on their tracks maybe 2pm hoping to find them just starting to feed again. It was almost two hours of nice hiking through small hills. This is where I find the complete vindication of how good the trackers are. You are following them, they are following the tracks. And soon enough, you notice the buff sign getting greener and greener. You know in this heat, when you see damp ground you're even closer. Spots where they had pee'd. Then we found where the 6 duggaboys had bed. Perfect! We had timed it flawlessly.

We worked our way to the very top of the hill, and everyone quiet following Criton and Nyati, they stopped instantly. Just as we were on the top of the hill, not 30 yards infront, just a head and one horn was broadside feeding. Sticks went up and I was ready.

I wont lie, after my two shots I pulled left I never gave it much thought, but the more I got in close with Buff I started to think alittle, I better make this one count. It was for all the marbles.

We waited for what seemed like forever but really maybe under a minute. We wanted him to take one more step forward out of the bush. And just like that wind swirled and he saw us and bolted.

What can I say, but one of the truly greatest moments I've had, being that close to a shooter. Tracking for 2 hours, and then being that close to pulling the trigger. I wasn't even disappointed. And I knew Buzz wasn't either. We were doing it right. Hunting them the way they should be. And sooner or later, they'd screw up.


Day 4 Started early again, we were going to hit up the two groups of Duggaboys we had been working. We knew both groups had atleast 2 shooters in them. Worthwhile to pursue. We found fresh tracks of the 6 we tracked the previous afternoon and kept going to see where the other group of 5 had gone to.

Coming close to where we saw them before we actually spotted them from the road and drove past them and started stalking them. I dont think we even got out of the trucks, and these bulls made off into the bush. The tracking began. We got back into them not too long after and slowly eased in closer. We thought we'd get lucky and have them just over a ridge and we'd have a good look at all of them. Turned out all but 1 was over the ridge, and that one was only 40-50 yards away before he finally caught us and sounded the alarm. They ran off, this time we got a good look at all of them, such powerful animals, they'd knock over small trees as they ran.

We decided to sit right there and give them alittle time to calm down and try again.

I was sitting quite pleasantly on the tree until Justin started talking about Scorpions coming out of the tree and stinging you on your you know what hahaha



We gave them a solid half hour and started tracking again. Atleast an hour later Criton and Nyati had slowed right now and had spotted the group of Duggaboys. This time we got a view of one we hadn't seen. He was very wide. Probably an easy 40” wide, but he went straight out. He had no drop at all. Buzz had wanted for my first buff to be a good representative bull. I had sent him a couple photos and it seemed I like a good buff that had a good amount of drop and curl.

We started to crawl. If you've ever crawled over sand thats under 100 degree heat, its something I've never felt. It soon became a bum scuddle which wasn't going to leave my knees needing any medical attention haha.

Once we crawled in closer, we found a nice green tree which afforded us the ability to get the sticks up and stand. Now we could see 4 of the duggaboys. Two were younger. One was a scrum cap bull. I love those old boys but for my first Buff I wanted a good set of horns. If I'm ever back for another Buff, I'll be over the moon to take an old warrior scrum cap.

Soon enough we found my bull. He was bedded with the two younger ones. All the bulls were only 40 yards from eachother. But we waited for him to stand. I stayed on the sticks and waited. Soon enough he got up and gave us alittle staredown and was trying to wind us. He only presented a frontal shot at right around 70 yards. He was actually in a little window between two small trees that V'd.

Buzz and I had talked before on frontals on a Buff. Not preferred but we talked about them and I felt good in the situation. He had only stood for maybe 5-10 seconds and I said “Okay”

The shot rang out. It felt just as good as my previous shots. I had threaded the needle so to speak. I had never truly felt worried about the shot, but after my other two shots I had that little nagging thought buried deep in the back of my head.

Buzz had talked about their death bellow, said a vast majority of them make it but not all do. A short while later we heard a short grunt. Appy Peter said “duggaboys not happy” and we heard maybe 30 seconds later another short grunt.

Not a true death bellow but we gave it shy of 5 minutes and started in. We found the blood trail, a very bright bright red. No lung matter just bright red blood. A good amount but not a ton of blood.

We started tracking, single file. Nyati in the lead, Buzz with his Heym 500NE, then me. And Peter and Justin behind. We followed the blood for under 100 yards when we got into some thicker bush. I thought “oh great!! I've now wounded a buff and he's in the thick stuff.” Times like that, I never felt unsafe. Probably with Buzz in front I had some false sense of nothing could go wrong but I can now see what its truly like to hunt Dangerous Game. I can honestly attest to having heightened senses or what I would assume it was during those final moments.

As we rounded some thick bush, I saw Nyati in the lead just a couple feet make a hand gesture to Buzz behind him. At first I wasn't 100% of what it meant. I was still trying to learn all the hand signals they use, they`re like a well oiled machine, not having to speak and working so far together then can get by without talking at all during tracking.

Nyati made a motion with his hand where it was standing vertical then he laid it sideways, I finally put two and two together and hoped he was gesturing that he saw my buff on its side. This turned out to be true!!!

Buzz now took the lead with me behind, and we gave it a wide birth and worked our way around till we were right behind it. I could see its tongue hanging out now, and Buzz had me put one insurance shot right through the spine and chest from behind. The buff barely moved from the energy of the shot but we knew it was already done.

There it laid. My Cape Buffalo. Tracked and hunted the right way. The way I`ve always wanted to hunt them. Words cannot describe how the hunt means as much or more to me then the actual taking of this buffalo. I cannot say just how much hunting dangerous game in this form means to me. It has been what I`ve pictured in my head all these years I`ve dreamt of Africa and the adventure of it all.

As it lay



The group minus Peter taking the photo



We took a hundred photos probably, all are great. They wanted me to take just one Bwana shot haha



After all the handshakes and congratulations were over we looking to the recovery. We were 2km from the nearest road. It was looking to be a long cut in. On the walk out though we luckily ran into someone elses recovery road that had been expanded in the past. We were able to get to within 200 yards, hit an elephant path, and only cut the last 100 yards in.



Back at the skinning shed, I really wanted to be apart of it. As I didnt get to see my Kudu or Impala worked on I stayed to watch.





As they butchered it, I was hoping to see where the bullet hit and hoped to find the bullet too. It was finally complete vindication of my shot when I saw the giant hole in the heart. And the pedals had sheared off the older barnes x bullet and completely shrapnelled the lungs. The lungs were completely destroyed. I`m surprised there wasnt more blood from the shot, but Buzz said a frontal does make it harder for alot of blood to flow, but that bright red blood was sign it was from the heart. He had called a heart or top of heart shot after tracking and finding the bull. He was right!

Great report!

Beautiful buff you got there!

If it were me I would mount those Kudu horns just like you found them, make as nice story to tell. (would put a pic of the lions next to it)

I am seriously looking to plan a hunt with CMS for 2019 or 20. I think they have one of the best operations around.

Great pics of the journey and the hunt! Congrats on some nice trophies!

Congrats..Nice report and love the pictures.

Great story and pics!! Congrats on a great buff!

A great story with pictures. Good looking buff and kudu

Great adventure and some awesome trophies, thank you for sharing!

Awesome, well done!

Heck of a buff!

Exciting, each time you see the buffalo and get the rush that this maybe it

Well done, that is a nice buff!!

Thanks for putting together this report. Congratulations on the great trophies, and exciting trip!

I am really enjoying the report and the pics. Well done!
The kudu and the buff are both excellent. You’ve certainly done well so far

Beautiful buf. Great experience tracking him down. Good shooting on the buf. Nice Kudu too.Congrats. Very nice pics.
Bruce

Congratz for a great hunt! It would certainly be nice to hunt with CMS. Hopefully I'll be able to do it in the future.

Great pictures and beautiful buff. Congrats.
Great report and a great hunting adventure.

Nice bull and a proper hunt for him. All the miles make the experience what you dream of.

I would dump a scrum cap in a nanosecond

Nice kudu sorry about the cape.

Roan said:

Great report!

Beautiful buff you got there!

If it were me I would mount those Kudu horns just like you found them, make as nice story to tell. (would put a pic of the lions next to it)

I am seriously looking to plan a hunt with CMS for 2019 or 20. I think they have one of the best operations around.

Click to expand...

Have hunted with CMS and agree with your conclusion. Can't do any better!

buckcurtin said:

Have hunted with CMS and agree with your conclusion. Can't do any better!

Click to expand...

A year ago today I shot a Buffalo with CMS in Dande (Len Taylor as PH). Buzz and Myles run a good show.

Happen to also add Buzzs' tracker Nyati as a second tracker for both my Elephant and Buffalo and he joined another PH and client for his Bull Elephant too; he is well thought of at CMS.

Good show on the hunt, I'm terrible on reports and this is a good read, well done.