ZIMBABWE: 10-day Buffalo & Eland Hunt With Charlton McCallum Safaris In Nyakasanga 8/26-9/4/2025

[rosecitymike]

My first trip to Africa was in 2022 when I went on a plains game hunt in Namibia. Had a spectacular time and it didn’t take long to start planning my next trip. I wanted to try my hand at dangerous game, and of those buffalo was the top of my list. After reading a lot of reports here and sending out multiple emails to outfitters I decided on CMS; their Nyakasanga concession seemed to offer what I was looking for: a Dagga Boy hunt in a wilderness area. They also had eland in the concession, and I hoped that if there was enough time I might be able to pursue one as well.



Travel

I booked flights through Gio at Gracy Travel and both going and returning had zero problems with anything. Drove up to Seattle from the Portland area to fly with Qatar. Treated myself to a business class Q suite and was thoroughly impressed with the airline. Route was Seattle to Doha, followed by a 9-hour layover. I used some travel points to get a room at the Oryx Airport Hotel, and it was a real treat to grab a hot shower, shave and get a few hours’ sleep in a real bed. (I’m 6’2” tall and though can almost lay flat in the Q-suite, it’s still not the same a s a king-sized mattress!). From Doha it was on to Harare, with a short 90-minute stop in Lusaka.

In Harare I was met by Simon, engaged by CMS to help me through customs and process my rifle. Again, all went smoothly, and I was shortly on a single prop Cessna charter to a dirt strip airfield at Chirundu. My PH, Dean Kendall, and an apprentice PH named Dan met me there and we loaded up into a boat for a 45-minute ride down the Zambezi to camp. On the way we saw hundreds of hippos plus elephant, crocs, bushbuck, waterbuck and even a klipsringer, which puzzled Dean as he was miles away from any mountain rocks.

I was in the “fly camp”. My tent faced the Zambezi and was fitted with a comfortable cot, a place to store clothes and an ensuite flush toilet and gravity shower. Meals would be had under a canvas canopy about 30 yards away next to which was a mopani fire and chairs to sit and talk and watch the river.

Hard to describe just how excited I was. In the morning we would sight in my rifle and get right to it. Hippos called through the night, which is a comforting sound and I surprised myself by falling asleep for a few hours.

 

[rosecitymike]

Day 1: It Begins


Up in the dark for a couple cups of coffee and a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. As an aside, I don’t know what kind of pig they have in Zimbabwe, but it produces just about the best pork I’ve ever had.

This would be the only day we would wait for light to leave but did so in order to sight in the rifle. It was only a short drive from camp for this and quickly found that my Sako V in 375 H&H was still right on the money. The rifle was topped with a Leupold 2-12 VX6, that had a standard crosshair reticle with an illuminated center dot. The rifle shot 300gn Barnes TSX extremely well, but I had also brought some handloaded 299gn Shock Hammers and 300gn North fork soft points that all hit at the same point of aim. Dean had confidence in the TSXs so I loaded up with those. At this time I met our trackers, Ted and Lexon, who would prove magicians in their ability to follow animals. We also had Leonard, our driver and sometimes backup tracker, and Melody, a ranger from the state who I guess is required to attend these hunts.

We headed to an area called Paradise, and open, savannah-like spot to start looking for tracks. We agreed that we would go after whichever we saw first, buffalo or eland. Along the way we saw quite a few elephant (every day we would see 30+), hundreds of impala, zebra and even an eland, who was making for Mana Pools national park. Shortly, we came across some eland tracks and hopped out to follow. All morning we wound around following this track, and after a few hours got close only to have him catch wind and bolt. Nobody got a good glimpse to see what quality of bull he was, but at this point the park border was too near to follow. It was about midday, so we broke for lunch.

For my stay, afternoon temperatures hit mid to upper 90s consistently, which also brought strong gusts of swirling winds, so we would camp out at a watering hole, have a nice packed lunch and usually take a nap. After a couple hours, though it remained quite hot, the winds would die down, the animals would get back on the move and we after them.

After driving a bit, we came across the tracks of two buffalo bulls crossing a road. We hopped out and, surprising everyone, caught up to them after a short 20 minutes of walking. The wind was with us and we had decent cover, so neither bull had any idea we were there as we got to within 25 yards. These were old bulls. White faced, horns worn (or broken down) to little more than scrum caps. Probably great trophies for many on this forum, but this being my first, I was looking for a more traditional set of horns. However, it gave a great opportunity to get on the sticks and put my red dot on the vitals of both. I felt steady and stable, which gave me a lot of confidence going forward, but we eventually let these old warriors move on.

 

[rosecitymike]

Days 2-6: Hard Hunting


The next days were more of the same: up at dark and out early to look for tracks. Now we were focusing on buffalo.

Day 2: we found tracks for a group of 7 bulls. Stayed on for most of the morning. Spooked them once, but they never winded us, so we let them settle for about 20 minutes and got back on the track. Eventually we caught them, but though one bull was very impressive he was still soft-bossed. The couple of hard-bossed bulls in the group were narrow and flat, so though once again could have shot a bull, decided to pass. After lunch we continued to look for track but didn’t find anything promising so mostly did recon for the following day.

Day 3: this day was a blast! Early on we found the tracks of 3 bulls and started on their trail. It was a smart group, winding around and doubling back occasionally. We spooked them once, probably through the dry leaves crunching with every step, but held off for about 30 minutes to let them calm down and got back after it. A bit later, they winded us: we had been trying to loop around to get the wind in our favor but they had circled and we found ourselves upwind of the group and they took off into some very thick jess. We waited and followed again but it was obvious they were on high alert and doing everything to move with the wind. Being close to midday and knowing they would bed down in such a way it would be impossible to get close, we marked the spot on GPS and went for lunch.

After that nice break, rested and hydrated, we got back on the trail. In a few hours we caught up to them. Now we had the wind in our favor and they were oblivious to our presence. This group of three had two bulls of no consequence: hard bossed but very little to speak of in the horn department. The third was a bit more intriguing. Short-legged and big bodied he was a little fireplug of a bull. His white face and Roman nose, decorated with ox peckers, made him look like a mob enforcer. He was not very wide in the horns, maybe just over 36”, but had a big drop and lovely shape. The biggest negative was that he had virtually no mass to his bosses. We sat for about a half hour watching this group and talking about the plus and minuses of the tough-guy bull, but in the end decided he wasn’t really a shooter. But, we spent a full day and 11.5 miles of excellent tracking, it was truly a great hunt only lacking a trigger pull! Later, talking to Buzz, we found he had had a similar experience with these three and also passed on this bull.

Days 4-5: got our asses kicked both days by a group of 6 bulls. They spent all their time in “the cornflakes”: thick jess with small, dry leaves everywhere—I think we spooked buffalo in Botswana trying to track through that stuff! After the second day, where they headed away from the water in a different direction only to go back into the thick stuff we cried uncle and looked for different quarry.

Day 6: got onto a another, different group of 6 in the morning. This time moving through more reasonable terrain. By mid-morning we were getting close, and suddenly to the surprise of everyone we heard a bull crashing through the brush. We only caught a quick glimpse but looked like an older bull. After waiting and moving up to where the bull was spooked, the trackers determined that this was a completely different bull from the group we were following. In fact, our group looked to have moved on before we encountered the lone bull and hadn’t spooked at all, so we continued after them. It wasn’t long before we caught up, but the group had split into two groups of three. We moved around and were able to get good eyes on both groups by keeping the wind in our favor. Of the six only one was hard-bossed and not a great bull. There was one in the group though that will be spectacular in a couple years. It was amazing to watch and follow the trackers in this scenario—by every measure I would have expected to be busted and instead we got a great look at every bull and left without them knowing we were there.

After this disappointment, we decided to go back and follow the lone bull. We did this for a bit, but this guy was smart: lots of circling back to keep the wind to his advantage and sticking to the very thick jess where even if we managed to get close a clear shot would be near impossible.

So, six days in and multiple opportunities for a bull, just not a shooter. I was having a blast, but starting to get a little anxious as to whether I’d get a buffalo on this trip.

 

[dchum]

Wow thank you for taking us along. I like your report style. Can’t wait for more!!

Your report and words about Namibia/Khomas were the reason I also went with Philip for my first trip over @KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS

Now I’ve given my self a few years plan to make Zim happen. And here you are in the area I dream of - hopefully I’m not too far behind you just like last time

Thanks for leading the way haha

 

[rosecitymike]

Wow thank you for taking us along. I like your report style. Can’t wait for more!!

Your report and words about Namibia/Khomas were the reason I also went with Philip for my first trip over @KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS

Now I’ve given my self a few years plan to make Zim happen. And here you are in the area I dream of - hopefully I’m not too far behind you just like last time

Thanks for leading the way haha

Wow, that’s great! Glad to have been of some help. Will try to add more to the report in the next day or so.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Of course we all want to be successful. If armed with a crystal ball. I would prefer to kill towards the end of the hunt after many failed stalks. It’s more satisfying.

 

[Adam Stevens]

Love paradise road!

Your photos look just like how I remember it and the camp. Truly a wild adventure

 

[rosecitymike]

Interlude: Nights in Camp

After a long day of tracking it was always great to come “home” to a cold beer and watch the river flow by. Meals were hearty: impala stew, chicken fried buffalo steak, thick cut pork chops, all with plenty of starches and veggies.

Hippo were constantly calling, but throughout the week we also had lion roaring just outside camp, a hyena and honey badger got into an argument not far from my tent one night and a jackal called plaintively on another. Caught a rock python just outside the dining area at dinnertime. No question, I was a guest in their home. But the highlight was the third evening, where about one in the morning I was woken by some rather loud crashing nearby. I had elephants on three sides of my tent, the furthest maybe 15 feet away, tearing branches off trees and eating. Could smell them, hear them breathe, piss and vocalize in that low register that they do. This lasted for about an hour and was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating, I desperately wanted to try and get video or photos but figured it wasn’t the smartest idea to possibly startle a group of elephant who might decide the shortest escape route was through my tent!

 

[rosecitymike]

Day 7: Rollercoaster

The day started like the others, checking for tracks near water and hoping to find some promising ones. We found the tracks of a pair of bulls that appeared to be slightly older—maybe having come for a drink early in the evening rather that closer to morning. In any case we started up, Dean saying that we might be in for a long day. Less than a mile in Dan, who was taking up the rear, hissed to get our attention. To out left, grazing in an open field were two hard-bossed, shootable bulls! We all carefully backed up to get out of sight and moved to get ahead of the direction they were headed. Set up the stick on some ground churned up by elephant, but in a spot that would be a great ambush as the bulls moved our way. They started grazing on a slight downhill probably not more that 50 yards away. I don’t think there was a more open shooting lane in all of Nyakasanga. I got on my rifle and tried to find the bull in my scope. I could see his back half, but everything forward of his penis was a giant, white lens flare. Our set-up had me looking directly into the rising sun. Dean asked if I could find the shoulder. I replied that I couldn’t see him. Dean seemed very confused that I couldn’t see this bull in the open and started to move the sticks. I tried to explain in a hushed voice the problem but don’t think I communicated it very well. Got back on the rifle and tried to guess at where the vital triangle was. Dean said he wanted to look at the other bull to see if he was better but to stay on the one I had. I did, but still couldn’t see much of anything and moved the red dot to my best guess. Dean said the first one was better and to shoot. I hesitated, the second bull saw us and they started to move. As the bull I was on turned he blocked the sun for a second and a had a clear view—my red dot was right on. But I hesitated a fraction too long and they were off. Dean had a look of “what the Hell?” on his face and all I could think was “did I just blow the best chance I had of getting a bull?”

For the next few hours we tried to get on the bulls again but they were super cautious and we couldn’t get remotely close. It was quieter than normal during this track and I could feel how disappointed the crew was. None more than me—I spent the rest of the morning kicking myself over the whole ordeal and by the time we gave up on these bulls and broke for lunch I was in a foul mood. But over lunch, I was able to reset my attitude and even joked that it was God shining a light in my scope because there was a better bull in our future, which got a laugh.

Afternoons had typically not been productive and usually turned into a scouting trip for the next morning, so I did not have high hopes when we set off. Surprisingly we did come across the tracks of another two bulls crossing the road in a pretty remote area that we hadn’t seen much sign in before. So off we went.

This track took us through some interesting terrain: through some thick jess, into some mopani forest, across a dry riverbed and then into another, thickly forested area. Suddenly, about 70 yards away, a bull stood up and faced us—alert, but we were not winded. He was shaded and looked mostly like a big, black blob but I was able to get on the sticks and pull off a shot. It felt good, I saw the impact and felt I had made a fatal shot. Both bulls of course took off. We sat down to wait things out. No death bellow was forthcoming. Ted, the tracker indicated that the impact was closer to the shoulder, which surprised me. After about 30 minutes we got up to follow. It wasn’t far before we came upon the bull. He was upright, but head down, hind end swaying. Obviously hurt pretty bad. I lined up for a behind the shoulder shot, but as I pulled the trigger his hind end collapsed and spun away and my shot hit far back in the area of the liver. He was off again. I’m thinking, oh,boy, tracking a wounded buffalo in the bush. Exactly what I didn’t want to happen. When we caught up again, a hundred yards or so farther, he was down but popped up and took off. And Murphy’s law kicked in again. I had a good shot opportunity, but nothing happened when I pulled the trigger. Turns out, when I topped off my magazine I must have slid the bolt over the top of the cartridge as I had nothing in the chamber! Thankfully, the bull didn’t go far. My next shot I was able to drop him with a high shoulder hit and a couple insurance shots later had my bull! He was really everything I had hoped for—an old dagga boy with good mass to his bosses and a nice curl. I felt bad for blowing the first shot but grateful he didn’t suffer too long and more importantly that nobody was hurt in the process. In running through that first shot in my head, I have to think that the bull must have had more of his body behind a tree than I thought and so what I estimated as the middle of his chest was actually shifted off toward the left shoulder. Fortunately, even then it did some significant damage to the lung on that side which made it difficult for him to go far.


By now it was getting late, and we were about 1.5 miles form a road. Recovery would have to take place the next day. Dean and the guys wrapped the bull in toilet paper and also strung some up on sticks and bushes around the body (Dean swore it would keep hyena away). Also started a fire a little way from the body, adding some big mopani logs to keep it burning through the night. With that, we left the old guy and headed back to camp and enjoyed a celebratory whiskey by the fire.

 

[SCLawyer]

Hot damn. What a report. Nyakasanga is a special place. I can't wait to get back there.

 

[Justhunt]

Great report! thanks for sharing.

 

[LWPhunt]

That is some fun reading. Appreciate you taking the time to do that. Cheers and good luck with more hunting.

 

[DieJager]

Waidmannsheil and thanks for sharing! I don't think I would have passed that opportunity for a scrum cap buffalo. Would be a great achievement but I get it.

As decoration this is the much better trophy.

 

[lhook7]

Congratulations, and thanks for the report!

 

[rosecitymike]

final stretch!

Days 8 and 9

At this point, not much could have made the trip better. Yes, I wanted an eland, but this week of hunting buffalo had made anything additional simply a cherry on top. In the morning a group of guys from camp went to go cut in a road and recover the buffalo. (which, by the way, was untouched) Dean and I took Ted and Leonard to go after eland. We got on some tracks early but after a full morning of tracking had to stop as the tracks went into the boundary with Mana pools. The afternoon we struggled to find fresh tracks but did run into a few lions at one of the pans. Throughout the trip we would catch sight of small groups of lionesses and once a young lion by himself just hanging out. Unfortunately, I was unable to get good photos of any of them.

That evening we ate the tail from my buffalo. Slow cooked all day, it was tender and delicious. I had initial reservations about eating meat that had been sitting overnight, but nobody else seemed to care so I dug in.

Day 9 was another bust on eland. There had been a sighting of a big blue bull at one of the pans and we went out early to find tracks. The only ones we could find were over a day old and after a brilliant try, it proved too difficult over the terrain which had been mobbed by impala, kudu, buffalo and elephant in the time since the eland had passed through.

Did however manage to shoot a nice impala during our travels. This one, as Dean sarcastically noted, we had to track for about 3 millimeters.

 

[rosecitymike]

Day 10: Last Chance at Eland

The day was promising. We found a large, fresh track of a bull traveling with a few cows far from the park border. Followed carefully and soon discovered the eland were travelling with a herd of zebra. Even being extra cautious, the zebra caught onto us a couple times and bolted, bringing the eland along. But, with patience and not pressing too hard we were able to catch up in a few hours. We saw the zebra about the same time as they saw us, about 250 yards away. The wind was in our favor, so they whooped a bit but stayed where they were, with a sentinel or two looking our way while the others grazed. It became apparent that at some point the eland had moved on when the zebra stayed to graze in this fairly open area. We put together a plan to make a wide berth and get around which worked out well—we came out about 300 yards on the other side of the herd and came upon the eland tracks. The zebra were still wary and saw us, but stayed put. Shortly after, we caught sight of the eland cows, about another 300 yards in front of us. After a bit of maneuvering and using bushes as cover we were able to find the bull a short distance from the cows. It was a bit deflating to find that although big bodied, he was still young and had neither a ruff nor gone blue. It was a lovely, expert track of 7.5 miles that just didn’t work out. Now we were in the heat of the day and tired and sweaty.

I was leaving at first light the next day so we decided that after one last lunch in the field we would head back to camp so that I could pack and take care of the necessary paperwork. My hunt was over, but in the evening we headed to a small island in the river and had a brai with Buzz and the group of three hunters from Pennsylvania he was guiding. It was a perfect way to end the trip with stories, laughter, buffalo backstrap and perhaps a few too many drinks to wash it down.

 

[375Fox]

Thanks for report. Tough luck on the eland but that’s hunting. Nyakasanga is supposed to be an incredible concession to see and hunt.

 

[rosecitymike]

Taking Leave

I left on the boat at first light, making our way to the Chirundu strip where the Cessna would take me back to Harare. Everything on the return went as smoothly as arriving. This trip was everything I wanted—wild country, hard hunting, the chance to see and hear so many different animals and experience such expert tracking. Some might ask if I’m disappointed at not getting an eland and I can unreservedly answer no. My priority was a buffalo hunt and I feel like I had multiple successful hunts on this trip. Of the seven full days on buffalo I had opportunity on five of those days to take a shot if I chose to. Could have had a buffalo on day one. If that had happened, I likely could have gotten an eland in the remaining nine days. But that would have been an easy, 20-minute stalk. Instead I got to experience getting on 19 different bulls. In 10 days we walked 63 miles, 42 of those were in the seven on buffalo. I can’t imagine trading this experience for anything. Will leave you with a few of my favorite photos from the trip.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Nice report, congrats on a well earned buff @rosecitymike!

 

[Altitude sickness]

You don’t go all that way to a wild camp to shoot your bull on the first day. It sounds like you got a perfectly choreographed hunt. Enough days stalking to appreciate the hunt.