ZIMBABWE: Gache Gache, Election Day Hippo & Buffalo

Oil & Dirt

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When: Nov 2-11
Where: Gache Gache Campfire Area, Zimbabwe
Who: Coris Ferreira - Track a Hunt Safaris
Jaco Wessels - White Lion Safaris
Species hunted: hippo, buffalo, impala
Species seen: hippo, buffalo, elephant, lion, croc, impala, vervet monkey, baboon, warthog, duiker, grysbok, eland, waterbuck. I’m sure I’m forgetting some.

Flight in from Harare was great. First afternoon was spent getting used to camp and checking the rifle. We also glassed some game on the floodplain.

1731605641943.jpeg


First couple of days were spent tracking buffalo. Even this time of year the jess was thick and hard to see thru. We’d bump bulls and were on and off sticks several times thru the days looking for an old bull. Saw several elephant.

1731605683128.jpeg


We had glassed several bays with multiple hippos throughout the days. Election Day though, needed to be special and we brought in some good luck with the hippo. Back of the skull with a .375 H&H 300 grain TSX did an amazing job. I will now consider it my civic duty to vote early and be on safari every election year, for good luck of course!

1731605736590.jpeg


There was game everywhere on the floodplain and we had seen several large impala. On Thursday we put a stalk on this one.

1731605773111.jpeg


Friday started like most days, a quick breakfast at 4:30 and out to look for buff tracks. First thing in the morning we had caught up with a herd of about 25 that we had been on earlier, but we were looking for a group of 4 bulls we stalked Thursday evening. They busted us before we got a great look at them. We ended up finding a lone bull track and caught up to him quickly. I shot him in the shoulder off sticks at about 40 yards. I’ve trained myself to try not to “admire my shot” he was still standing but in the thick bush. As soon as the reticle found him and a decent clearing I shot again, freehand. He dropped. The trackers and scouts were all cheering and yelling “sniper”. We had discussed earlier, wanting a proper hard bossed bull or a scrum cap, I was ok with whatever the hunt provided. This was a great hard hunted bull.

1731605821848.jpeg


The remaining two days were spent handing out meat and baiting lion. We checked on the buffalo herd under the sunset over Lake Kariba. At that point there were estimated to be 400 buffalo in it.

1731605887798.jpeg


There was also a hunter from Denmark who shot a Livingstone Eland my last day in camp. I don’t have permission to post his photo, but what an impressive animal.

Overall it was a very hot, hard hunted trip. Exactly the adventure I was looking for!
 
Great animals! Thanks for sharing.
 
When: Nov 2-11
Where: Gache Gache Campfire Area, Zimbabwe
Who: Coris Ferreira - Track a Hunt Safaris
Jaco Wessels - White Lion Safaris
Species hunted: hippo, buffalo, impala
Species seen: hippo, buffalo, elephant, lion, croc, impala, vervet monkey, baboon, warthog, duiker, grysbok, eland, waterbuck. I’m sure I’m forgetting some.

Flight in from Harare was great. First afternoon was spent getting used to camp and checking the rifle. We also glassed some game on the floodplain.

View attachment 647387

First couple of days were spent tracking buffalo. Even this time of year the jess was thick and hard to see thru. We’d bump bulls and were on and off sticks several times thru the days looking for an old bull. Saw several elephant.

View attachment 647388

We had glassed several bays with multiple hippos throughout the days. Election Day though, needed to be special and we brought in some good luck with the hippo. Back of the skull with a .375 H&H 300 grain TSX did an amazing job. I will now consider it my civic duty to vote early and be on safari every election year, for good luck of course!

View attachment 647392

There was game everywhere on the floodplain and we had seen several large impala. On Thursday we put a stalk on this one.

View attachment 647393

Friday started like most days, a quick breakfast at 4:30 and out to look for buff tracks. First thing in the morning we had caught up with a herd of about 25 that we had been on earlier, but we were looking for a group of 4 bulls we stalked Thursday evening. They busted us before we got a great look at them. We ended up finding a lone bull track and caught up to him quickly. I shot him in the shoulder off sticks at about 40 yards. I’ve trained myself to try not to “admire my shot” he was still standing but in the thick bush. As soon as the reticle found him and a decent clearing I shot again, freehand. He dropped. The trackers and scouts were all cheering and yelling “sniper”. We had discussed earlier, wanting a proper hard bossed bull or a scrum cap, I was ok with whatever the hunt provided. This was a great hard hunted bull.

View attachment 647395

The remaining two days were spent handing out meat and baiting lion. We checked on the buffalo herd under the sunset over Lake Kariba. At that point there were estimated to be 400 buffalo in it.

View attachment 647396

There was also a hunter from Denmark who shot a Livingstone Eland my last day in camp. I don’t have permission to post his photo, but what an impressive animal.

Overall it was a very hot, hard hunted trip. Exactly the adventure I was looking for!
Exceptional Impala and great hippo and buff!!!! congratulations and well done!!!!
 
@Oil & Dirt ... Well done!

I hunted Omay North with D&Y in July and had a great time, it was my first Africa trip and couldn't have asked for a better first trip.

And yes... the trackers REALLY like it when you put the animals down fast!
 
Good job on some nice animals. Sounds like you did some good shooting. Congrats

Bruce
 
Congratulations on a successful safari, thanks for posting.
 
Great trip and congrats! Beautiful animals!
 
Great hunt, congrats !
 

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autofire wrote on LIMPOPO NORTH SAFARIS's profile.
Do you have any cull hunts available? 7 days, daily rate plus per animal price?

#plainsgame #hunting #africahunting ##LimpopoNorthSafaris ##africa
Grz63 wrote on roklok's profile.
Hi Roklok
I read your post on Caprivi. Congratulations.
I plan to hunt there for buff in 2026 oct.
How was the land, very dry ? But à lot of buffs ?
Thank you / merci
Philippe
 
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