Mike70560
AH elite
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2009
- Messages
- 1,186
- Reaction score
- 1,075
- Location
- Delcambre, LA
- Deals & offers
- 1
- Media
- 160
- Articles
- 5
- Member of
- SCI, DSC, NRA
- Hunted
- Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Republic of Congo, Canada
This report is a little late, but better late than never I guess.
Last year my plan was to hunt buffalo in the Congo rainforest with Cam Grieg, but due to personal issues Cam asked if we could wait a year.
For several years I had an interest in hunting Zambia, but never booked a hunt there. I read one of Fairgame’s threads about a new hunting area in Zambia. When I read the thread I contacted Leon Kachelhoffer about going to Kanzutu. My primary interests were buffalo, roan, and puku. We would have to hunt a different area for puku but that was ok. I thought it would be a fun to be the first hunter in a new area.
Leon met me in Lusaka and brought me to the hotel. I allowed a couple of extra days in country in case of any problems. Without going through all of the details Leon was unable to obtain the permits for us to hunt Kanzutu. After Leon and his partner spent a large sum of money on anti-poaching, infrastructure, etc. a government bureaucrat decided he and the government were not getting their fair share.
In steps Andrew Baldry with Royal Kafue. This would be a good time to thank Andrew, Mr. and Mrs. 218Bee, and Mr. and Mrs. Surefire7. Andrew allowed us to setup a fly camp and the other hunters had no issues with us being there even though the concession was supposed to be exclusive for them. We met the 218Bees at the end of their hunt and the Surefire7s at the beginning of theirs. Both couples are class acts and a credit to the hunting community.
Leon with help from Andrew and his staff, setup the fly camp. It was one of my favorite camps ever. We had an outdoor shower, cooked over an open fire, and no generator. It was great. Leon is a very competent PH and I enjoyed hunting with him.
We ended up taking a buffalo, roan, and puku. The buffalo was hunted in the tall grass. It was the first time I shot a buffalo that was not recovered either immediately or within a couple of hours. After shooting it at extremely close range we tracked it for at least eight hours until dark. The next morning we picked up the tracks quickly and saw it was stumbling. We caught up to it shortly in 10 foot tall grass. I told Leon earlier if he had a better shot to take it, it was not worth risking anybody’s life. It ran to our left somewhat in our direction. We both got shots in it and it was over. My guess is I single lunged it the day before. They can go a long ways like that.
For those who are not familiar with Royal Kafue it is a great area that Andrew and the local community have built together. It could be considered a model for conservation and community involvement. Six years ago the Royal Kafue area had no game. It was all poached for bush meat. Since then the local community has worked with an experienced operator ( Andrew Baldry) to provide anti-poaching for the area. After several years conducting anti-poaching game was back in the area in sufficient numbers to hunt. Since then, the wildlife in the area has thrived and the local community has benefited, all paid by hunters dollars.
I went to Zambia right after the Zimbabwe lion story became viral, so I had time to ponder the consequences of the event and the reactions of the anti-hunters and governments. One morning we were on buffalo tracks and had to wait for a herd of sable to pass on our right. Immediately in front of us was a small herd of hartebeest and before we could move over 20 eland past 100 yards in front of us. I lamented the thought that the "do-gooders" who have never been to Africa, have not contributed one dollar to the preservation of any species, and have no idea about conservation in Africa would have their way the wonderful sight in front of me would be gone forever.
There was so much more like the day we watched 41 roan in one herd, the evening I should have shot the blue duiker but pushed the safety forward on Andrew’s little CZ (which put it back on safe), I was there when a poached lion was found, We saw a huge gnarly civet cat, I drove the boat down the Kafue River, and I had the pleasure to celebrate with the Surefires the night they took the leopard. I also found out it can get cold in Africa. My last several trips were in April, May, October, November, and December in the Zambezi Valley. I was ill prepared for the Kafue cold nights and mornings.
At the end of the day I had a great hunt, met some great people, and enjoyed the great Royal Kafue.
Last year my plan was to hunt buffalo in the Congo rainforest with Cam Grieg, but due to personal issues Cam asked if we could wait a year.
For several years I had an interest in hunting Zambia, but never booked a hunt there. I read one of Fairgame’s threads about a new hunting area in Zambia. When I read the thread I contacted Leon Kachelhoffer about going to Kanzutu. My primary interests were buffalo, roan, and puku. We would have to hunt a different area for puku but that was ok. I thought it would be a fun to be the first hunter in a new area.
Leon met me in Lusaka and brought me to the hotel. I allowed a couple of extra days in country in case of any problems. Without going through all of the details Leon was unable to obtain the permits for us to hunt Kanzutu. After Leon and his partner spent a large sum of money on anti-poaching, infrastructure, etc. a government bureaucrat decided he and the government were not getting their fair share.
In steps Andrew Baldry with Royal Kafue. This would be a good time to thank Andrew, Mr. and Mrs. 218Bee, and Mr. and Mrs. Surefire7. Andrew allowed us to setup a fly camp and the other hunters had no issues with us being there even though the concession was supposed to be exclusive for them. We met the 218Bees at the end of their hunt and the Surefire7s at the beginning of theirs. Both couples are class acts and a credit to the hunting community.
Leon with help from Andrew and his staff, setup the fly camp. It was one of my favorite camps ever. We had an outdoor shower, cooked over an open fire, and no generator. It was great. Leon is a very competent PH and I enjoyed hunting with him.
We ended up taking a buffalo, roan, and puku. The buffalo was hunted in the tall grass. It was the first time I shot a buffalo that was not recovered either immediately or within a couple of hours. After shooting it at extremely close range we tracked it for at least eight hours until dark. The next morning we picked up the tracks quickly and saw it was stumbling. We caught up to it shortly in 10 foot tall grass. I told Leon earlier if he had a better shot to take it, it was not worth risking anybody’s life. It ran to our left somewhat in our direction. We both got shots in it and it was over. My guess is I single lunged it the day before. They can go a long ways like that.
For those who are not familiar with Royal Kafue it is a great area that Andrew and the local community have built together. It could be considered a model for conservation and community involvement. Six years ago the Royal Kafue area had no game. It was all poached for bush meat. Since then the local community has worked with an experienced operator ( Andrew Baldry) to provide anti-poaching for the area. After several years conducting anti-poaching game was back in the area in sufficient numbers to hunt. Since then, the wildlife in the area has thrived and the local community has benefited, all paid by hunters dollars.
I went to Zambia right after the Zimbabwe lion story became viral, so I had time to ponder the consequences of the event and the reactions of the anti-hunters and governments. One morning we were on buffalo tracks and had to wait for a herd of sable to pass on our right. Immediately in front of us was a small herd of hartebeest and before we could move over 20 eland past 100 yards in front of us. I lamented the thought that the "do-gooders" who have never been to Africa, have not contributed one dollar to the preservation of any species, and have no idea about conservation in Africa would have their way the wonderful sight in front of me would be gone forever.
There was so much more like the day we watched 41 roan in one herd, the evening I should have shot the blue duiker but pushed the safety forward on Andrew’s little CZ (which put it back on safe), I was there when a poached lion was found, We saw a huge gnarly civet cat, I drove the boat down the Kafue River, and I had the pleasure to celebrate with the Surefires the night they took the leopard. I also found out it can get cold in Africa. My last several trips were in April, May, October, November, and December in the Zambezi Valley. I was ill prepared for the Kafue cold nights and mornings.
At the end of the day I had a great hunt, met some great people, and enjoyed the great Royal Kafue.
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and bumping into you at sci. really good leon managed to sort it and you had a great hunt. cheers mike
