Kilimanjaro

Bushlan.. was made for TX, but it works PERFECTLY here in AZ.. made in brown and green. It is mesquite and cedar (junipers to you AZ'ers!) based camo pattern.

I feel for all the others who's cameras that are gonnna get ripped off in that month by this thief. You are expecting an apology note from the same guy that ripped you off?? Good luck with that one. If in the off chance that someone on here does INDEED recognize this thief, you will then be the one with the upper hand of both having pics of him in the act of theft, AND knowing who he is!! As of right now, you are putting all your chips into hoping he comes to you with his tail between his legs and begging for forgiveness!! Not a chance!!

Area hunted: Chirisa Safari area and surrounding communal land, west central Zimbabwe. Outfit: Ben Kotze Safaris Professional Hunter: Ben Kotze Dates: Feb. 19th through Feb. 28th Firearm Used: Rem. 700 .375H&H Animals hunted Management bull elephant, PAC bull elephant, Cape Buffalo. Animals seen but not taken/hunted: Grey Duiker, Chobe bushbuck, Livingston Eland, zebra, impala, baboon, African Wildcat, spitting cobra, puff adder, moniter lizard Travel Arangements: Cape to Cairo African travel Well guys, I made it back in one piece from the hunt.. And it was a ride for sure!! This hunt was a short notice, "had to do now" hunt that came up last minute. Made the LONG flight once again across the big drink.. We arrived into Harare without too much of an issue, other than my bag had got broken into in the Jo'burg airport (go figure, huh?). Luckily, all that was taken was a Northface pack and a nice Petzel headlamp.. all replacable without too much issue. Ben was there and we got through Zim customs without any issue at all and were quickly out of the airport and onto Ben's place in Harare to catch a few zzz's before heading out EARLY the next day. It was a 7 hour drive from Harare and we wanted to get there ASAP. The drive was nice and we got to see the beautiful Zim countryside. Got to camp and settled in. This camp wasn't the luxury camp of most plainsgame hunts in southern Africa. This one had all that was needed, but was bare-boned to the max. No electricity(everything was candlelight once the sun went down), no hot water (not that it was needed, it was HOT!), and just your basic tent set up. But we weren't there to camp, and the amenities were to do just fine: we were there to hunt, and that was the one commodity that wasn't in any short order! We were there for elephant and cape buff, and they were EVERYWHERE, as were the bugs this time of year over there!! We were greeted at the safari area entrace by this beautiful site. "Our home sweet home for the next 10 days!" The entrance to our hunting area. We were to hunt management ele bulls and cape buff in the Safari hunting area (Chirisa) and then hunt PAC ele in the communal lands that butt up against the safari lands. ..and the communal lands.. "showing us where the crop raiding, problem causing elephants were coming in every afternoon.." "one side of the road, safari park area... the other communal lands. The elephant could care less. The "other side" was loaded with sweet corn, sugar cane, melons, and loads of other crops meant for village consumptsion, not ele bulls!" We had our introductions to our hard working staff.. This is Ben's "right hand" man, Hardlife. One of the hardest working, friendliest guys you could ever ask to be around. ALWAYS with a super smile on his face. Hardlife's younger brother, Justice. Just as a good guy as his brother. Our tracker in training (who, by the way was SUPERB), Munuratzi. One of the hardest working, eager to please guys I've seen. Our camp cook, Lodus. And our safari area's issued Game Scout, Kuda. He was a tracker EXTRAORDIARE!! And the man just plain loved to hunt. So as to not bore you guys to death with the minute details of normal details of safari life, the next 5 days were spent busting out butts off hunting from daybreak to dark most days. The couple of days we did take a break because of the midday heat were spent like this.. then it was back to hitting it hard again in the cooling evening. "Elephant aren't too secretive in their movements.." We would follow sign and ended up in the midst of huge buff herds or sizable groups of ele, but the FICKLE winds were playing devil's addvocate everytime it seemed. We just could not get in with them close enough to sort out a good bull without getting busted. And as thick as the bush was, 30 yards might was well have been 300 in most areas. It was insanely green and dense. Tough hunting conditions to say the least.. After the 1st five days, still no luck with getting the gun into the sticks.. But were were getting closer everyday.. On the 5th day, my birthday wish came true.. We cut a good track crossing the road at around 8AM.. The guys decided it was worth following. We got out onto the track and worked the bull. We were on the sign for 2 hours before we were easing along when Kuda froze in his tracks. Just 25 yards ahead was the bull, leisurely feeding his way towards his midday haunts deep into the jess. We looked him over and Ben gave the thumbs up!! He would fit the bill perfect for a management bull. Sticks came up and he spotted us. He swung around and flaired his ears out, telling us were were in his comfort zone. Safety off, and I slammed him head on between the front legs with the 1st shot. This hurt him hard and it almost set him down on his butt. Second shot was immediately coming. High lung. Third was onto the hip as he made his final turn. He was done and hadn't traveled 5 yards!! I was beside myself with emotion and excitement! I had hunted elephant! I had fullfilled a dream of mine. You'd be amazed at the numbers of folks who show up once word gets out that an elephant has hit the dirt!! This was about 1/4 of the guys who were there! They turned the largest land animal into nothing more than a moist spot in the soil in a few hours. EVERY bit of an elephant is used. And because of the economic cesspool Zimbabwe is currently in, dried meat is used alot in the rural areas as currency. Here is some "money" drying in the midday sun. Drying the meat allows it to stay usable for long periods of time. With no means to cool or freeze the meat, it is the only way to preserve it. After being on cloud nine, I was reminded that we still had cape buffalo on the menu!! Long story short, I hunted hard as ever for a bull, but it just didn't fall into place for buffalo on this trip. I saw some absolute bruiser bulls, but I just couldn't seal the deal on them in the end. Huge super spooky herds, fickle winds, insanely thick bush and 6-7ft. grass, etc.. Was my first buffalo hunt, but not my last. I can see how those black monsters could become an addiction! They posess all the qualities that make them one of the greatest game animals on earth! I'll be back to give them another go as soon as I can.

Come to think of it, you're probably spot on with that assessment.. On second thought, I might just hold onto it in the event I do need a second one. I was never in the market to get rid of it, and didnt really need the money from selling it either.. Thanks for clearing my head, Mike!! Sorry about that guys.

Gonna hang onto the tripod as a spare backup to my main one.. Sorry about that!

PM sent to ya, Bill.

A huge congrats on successfully filling that coveted Gould's tag!!!

I got back my "trophy" from this hunt is morning!! As I couldn't bring back any of the ivory from any of the three bulls I took, this was as good as it gets on this hunt.. which isn't bad considering how much the Zimbabwe gov't is wanting these days for an export/import permit!! I really like the way it came out.. I put two 4X6 pics per each bull and then framed them all with Zim bills ranging from 100 million to 100 trillion!! Sorry bout the crappy pics.. couldn't use the flash because it was reflecting way too much off of the glass..

Why wait a month?? You had your camera stolen from you and you caught the punk on camera... Feed him to the wolves RIGHT NOW!! I say put em up ASAP!! I HATE THEIVES. That is the number 1 reason I just flatout refuse to sink a good size chunk of change into a bunch of cameras(although I'd love to have some out there).. seems they get stolen as fast as they can be replaced here in AZ.

I have both that you mentioned, Bill.. Wind in my face is a wonderful book.. Thummler is a sheep hunting maniac!! I own the History of SCI as well. I'll be picking up your own memoir, "60 Years A Hunter", as soon as it comes out onto the press! You must be a man with ALOT of patience!! Dealing with a ROYAL you know what like that for that long would have worn me thin in about 10 minuntes!! I always got the feeling that he didnt even really enjoy hunting.. I felt like most of the time he was just "going through the motions" because of his status allowed him to hunt species and places where no one else could ever go.. It was almost as he was "working", no fun in it at all.

Indeed I do, Bill! Have had a couple for a LONG time now!! You've been fortune enough to have worked with, and hunted with some of the greatest hunters of all time. I sure would have loved to have met some of those guys.. You one lucky man, Bill!

Bill, I wasn't saying that they weren't self made by any means.. Almost all of those guys were..and McElroy has been a long standing "hero" of mine since I was a small boy.. he is the pinnicle of self-made. I own most of the books either written by, or written for these guys and have tried to do my best to emulate them since I took up big game hunting at the age of 9!! But one has to admit it takes a TON of extra cash and time to pull off a hunting list such as the likes of those guys.. What I would give to be able to hang with them!! Money talks and I wish I had LOTS more of it!!

great looking goulds!!

Grey Hawk, all the best luck with your tag and keep us up to date with all your scouting trips and especially the hunt itself!!! That bull in the video got me PUMPED!!! What a brute!!

That is an unreal sequence of trail pics, Shane!! That bull was an abesolute brute by the time he grew out!!

JLG, I shot the goat at around 350 yds.. the coues was at around 295, if I remember correctly..The gun I shot the coues with was a buddy of mines.. The next day I watched him punch a hole through a 95" coues buck from 396 yards away.. He took 2 steps and tipped over. Sweet shooting little rig for sure!!

All's it takes is ALOT of money and ALOT of time! If I had an excess of both, I'd be right there with the likes of those guys as well.. Lucky guy!! There are some awesome trophies on that list.

If it does, you'll be the first I call, Johnny!!

Got the notice Sat. that I was the winner of the auction for the Abercrombie O/U in the pics above!!! Hopefully it ends up being a nice quail gun!!

The .223WSSM is a great little round (as long as the wind isn't howling).. I had one for awhile and took this 2005 goat with it.. And borrowed my buddy's .223WSSM (wanted to try his out) to smack this little 2005 36C coues buck from 300 yards..

Nice job on the NM birds!!

Super weekend!! Some great (and RARE) finds!

And this is EXACTLY what I'm banking on!!! Muzz hunt starts on 9/25.. There's that chance that they could be off the charts by the time the hunt starts.. I'm planning on being up there 5 days before my hunt starts (in addition to a summer of scouting and learning the unit) to hopefully find the bull I'm looking for and "sit" on him till opening morning...

Negative comments?? Care to elaborate on what those comments may be? I have the rut muzzleloader hunt this season and all I have heard is to be ready for the elk hunt of a lifetime with the chance at a bull of a lifetime!! Just curious on what negative things you've heard/ are hearing about the unit this season.. Don't go and burst my bubble!!!

Ive only seen one spotted skunk here in AZ.. I saw him up in the Baboquivaris right at dark.. they are alot smaller than a "regular" skunk.. pretty little guys!