ZIMBABWE: Tuskless Elephant, Buffalo Hunt & More With Charlton McCallum Safaris October 2017

[Dinsdale]

In Harare after a very successful hunt with Charlton McCallum Safaris

Area Dande North and Ward 1
7 Full days, travel days built in before and after
Gun Permits; layed over at J'berg City Lodge and did permit myself
PH; Len Taylor
Rifle; Jarrett 375H&H 300gr Woodleigh solids, 300gr A-frames
Animals sought; Tuskless
Animals taken; Tuskless, Buffalo, Hyena(baited),Warthog,Impala,Chobe Bushbuck,Baboons(3)
Conditions; Hot, warm in the Zambezi Valley in Oct
5th trip to Africa; SA,Namibia,Zimbabwe.

Back in August I poked around for a late season Tuskless hunt and a nice offer was put forth by CMS, I selected Len Taylor as PH and it couldn't have been better. Len is a very skilled and polished professional in every sense of the word, and was terrific for my first DG hunt........well it turned out to be more than one DG, as the Buffalo was an on the ground decision after the Tuskless was down early in hunt. Plains game and Hyena were a bonus in the days that followed.

Huge thrill to hunt in a wild DG area with no fences for me, and one I will repeat. After a bunch of plains game hunts, this one was a game changer. Will see if a Leopard is in the cards in 2019 or so; I need to restock the hunt fund a bit, but Len will be PH or I'm not going. Charles and Moses, Lens' long time crew were terrific along with camp staff, office, and CMS owners Buzz and Myles. Borrowed Nyati, Buzz's tracker for 2 awesome sets of eye's on Tuskless and Buffalo hunt and watching those guys work is worth the price of admission.

If anyone has any thought to doing this....GO!

Pics;

 

[Royal27]

Congrats!!!

You're right, the wild areas are worth the price of admission. It does change your way of thinking once you've done both, or it did for me. And, Len is absolutely one of the best.

Well done!

 

[Edge]

Congratulations and some mighty fine animals!

Edge

 

[BRICKBURN]

Congratulations on your hunt.

 

[gillettehunter]

Looks like some fine trophies and a great hunt. Details? Day by day or each species. Gotta be some stories. Would love to hear more about it. Congrats
Bruce

 

[CAustin]

Congrats on your hunt sir!

 

[jasyblood]

Congratulations on your hunt!!! Sounds like you had a great time. I'd love to be able to hunt with Len someday....

 

[Ridge Top Ranch]

Very nice!

 

[Dinsdale]

Looks like some fine trophies and a great hunt. Details? Day by day or each species. Gotta be some stories. Would love to hear more about it. Congrats
Bruce

Honest I'm not much of a story teller.

Took Elephant on day one. Great tracking job on smaller herd out of a spring in river bed. As it would turn out there was a non lactating Tuskless in the herd off to the edge of a group. In at 30 yds or so Len asked if I wanted to pass; but I wasn't going to pass up a solid chance for maybe catching up to Ele later in hunt; so I took the shot in heart lung not having a good head shot. Put one in the hip and she collapsed, and brained her with #3 when laying on side with head up. Added insurance up close and I had an Elephant.

Len took a mate that hung around with the Buff in a prior hunt so we found his tracks along with 2 other bulls he found as friends in early morning. They called this bull "big foot" for the distinct tracks had been seen on more than one occasion this past season. So we sat and waited til later in afternoon about 3pm to start track. Guys did amazing tracking job for several hours til they were sighted feeding.

After a stalk to about 45 yds we were actually setting up on another bull as they fed closer until this lifted his head. Shifted the sticks, and I put a solid right through his heart followed up by a shot a bit back as he crossed broadside, maybe 30 yds. Hit him again in the vitals with #3 and he was on his side legs towards us. Put a finisher in the brisket but he was done, bullets are cheap. Fairly open where we caught him and he didn't cover much ground. Got to him just before dusk and came out in the dark.

300 Woodleighs rock.

So after 2 days I had more than I expected. So we had a great relaxed time baiting Hyena in a river bed and taken one just at dawn(3:30 wake up and hour to bait sight), I could just see him in the scope and dropped with in 20 yds of bait (Elephant rig cage and head) Tried for another but they had cleaned it up pretty good a few days later and nothing showed.

Been lucky a few times on hunts early, but top operations and PH's often have great success; so I'll take it!

 

[DWB]

Beautiful animals! I always say: It's a buffalo! You don't only have to shoot once!

 

[cagkt3]

Congrats! Sounds like a heck of a last minute trip

 

[Nyati]

Congrats for a great hunt !

 

[gillettehunter]

Thanks for the stories. Early success takes the pressure off. I always seem to start slow..... Congrats Bruce

 

[edward]

c&m are first rate,hunted with them in 2011.

 

[cpr0312]

Nicely done! Congrats and thanks for sharing!

 

[CAustin]

I think it's been wisely said that a hunter should not pass up on day one what he would take on day 7. In most instances I think this isn't absolutely true unless you know there is a better trophy near. So good for you taking your elephant the first day.

 

[edward]

I think it's been wisely said that a hunter should not pass up on day one what he would take on day 7. In most instances I think this isn't absolutely true unless you know there is a better trophy near. So good for you taking your elephant the first day.

didnt you get your elephant on the first day charlie?

 

[zephyr]

Well Done!!
Chasing Tuskless is a great Hunt.

 

[CAustin]

didnt you get your elephant on the first day charlie?

No sir saw and chased him the first day but got him the second morning!
How many day she did it take to get yours?

 

[edward]

No sir saw and chased him the first day but got him the second morning!
How many day she did it take to get yours?

eight long hard days,im old kiddo, puff puff.