MS - SW Lowveld

Client Comment

Arriving in the airport of Bulawayo on the 14th of July and met by a smiling Alan. Very nice to see Alan again after so many years. Last time we shared camp was Mukanga in Dande in 2017 when the Viking Safari took place. Nice to meet his team also – Dube that I met in 2014 and 2017 and Mplane and Martin that I had not had any contact with previously. A bit strange since as I understood they were Alan’s team in 2014 and 2017 also, but I guess you are so concentrated on your PH and team that you do not get acquainted with the other teams. In Alan you will find a fine-tuned English gentleman, a professional experienced dangerous game hunter and a team leader that knows what he wants from his team. I had asked for Alan as my PH as I have got some health issues over the last years and discussed this with him for a while. A friend of mine ( JM ) has also had Alan as her PH for many years, and I knew I was going to be taken good care of. My choice for a PH could not have been better. After 5–6-hour driving, we arrived in camp. Not too shabby and not too luxurious. A good hunting camp, comfortable and with a nice fire-place overlooking a waterhole where elephants, a male lion, bush buck, lots of birds and monkeys visited during the days. First day we spent time on getting more acquainted with the area as Alan and co had not been there before. We got good help with this from the learner ( Nyasha ) that joined us and Parks ( Never ) who had been working in the area for many many years. I was looking for an old buffalo ( scrum cap-broken horns ) and Alan and I agreed to concentrate on this and not shoot the first mature buffalo we saw. I could have shot buffalo on day 2, 3, 5 and 7 as the trackers and Alan presented situations within 30-60 meters every day. We tracked every day for several hours, but we waited for that old one… But this was a “ mistake “ as my energy now was gone. My health issues presented itself and we had to change plans of way of hunting. On day 8 Alan and the trackers found an old bull, fetched me waiting by the truck with Dube, and brought me within 60-70 meters. I took the shot and wounded the buffalo…. The absolutely worst thing you can do as a hunter ! Not good at all…. The guys tracked it the rest of the day, stopped bleeding after relatively short time, not much blood and when joined a group Alan called off the day. We looked for it on day 9 as well but no signs or spoor of a wounded buffalo. I was offered to buy a second license for a buffalo. After some thinking I said yes and on day 10 ( last day ) the guys went out again, connected with some buffalo, got back to camp and fetched me and we stalked in. I took a shot with my 404 Jeffery and this time it was put correct on the shoulder and the buff was finished. Summary: I am very happy that I made this safari with Alan. I could not have been better taken care of that Alan and his team did. I am very sorry for the bad shooting. Lesson learned about my stamina due to my health issues. Hope to be in shape for an elephant hunt in future with CMS. Thanks again Alan.