2008 Zimbabwe Bushbuck
The Sikumi
In late September 2008 I found myself fulfilling a lifelong dream of hunting Cape Buffalo. My hunt was based
in the Sikumi Forest area of Zimbabwe. The Sikumi is adjacent to the expansive Hwange National Park.
Things did not start off well and I was trying my best to deal with the decrepit vintage Land Cruiser that broke
down and stranded us almost daily, as well as the continued sting of an absent Professional Hunter who had
reportedly gotten detained in the bush someplace far away from camp. The trackers were doing their best to
keep me calm and satisfied. And we hunted buffalo. We hunted them hard. But there were few buffalo in
the area and the handful of bulls that we located were most definitely not the mature animal that I had come
to Africa for. Halfway through the ten-day hunt I was quite discouraged and very fatigued. I proclaimed it a
camp day with the intention of sleeping late and giving some of the plains game on the concession a try.
My dark mood has spread to the trackers and everyone is ready for a change of pace. Immediately after
breakfast our luck improves as we glass up a waterbuck bull even before we leave camp. I watch the
waterbuck behind the binoculars before deciding that that he is worth a stalk and after a short drive we park
and begin to sneak down a dry creek bed to cut the distance. But, as fate would have it, the waterbuck
simply disappears into the brush. This leaves us all standing in the tall grass puzzled with what to do next.
My disappointment must really be starting to show because everyone is very quiet.
Second Chance Bushbuck
The concession, Camp Selous, is bordered by the Gwayi River and we decide to head that way. It is dry
season and the attraction of water is very strong for the animals. The forest itself seems very familiar to me
even though the individual trees, plants, and animals are much different then what I’m accustomed to in North
America. A hunter’s instinct is universal. The path we take is well worn but the canopy of trees and the thick
brush surrounding us makes everything feel very tight. On our journey we frequently bump baboon – the
dreaded alarm system for every animal in the forest. But soon we see a female bushbuck traveling with a
yearling. And then in the shadows stands a male. He is only about 40 yards away and most detail is
obscured by shadow. But it isn’t difficult to see that he has tall horns and without hesitation I raise my rifle
and shoot. He is dead where he stands. The trackers are ecstatic that I’ve shot something and begin to
brag about the horns. They keep yelling “18-inches!” but I know their ruler runs long and that they are
simply trying to boost my spirits. Regardless, it is a nice buck. He is a very old buck with one broken horn
and both horns show considerable signs of wear. The longest horn is 15-inches and I’m very pleased to
have taken such a wonderful mature animal. Ironically, we had spotted this same buck on my first day in
camp. Given that I had just arrived in camp I opted to pass on attempting a stalk after noticing the broken
horn. But now, with a few days of bush wisdom in me, this buck is exactly what I need. How rare it is that we
are given a second chance.
On the drive back to the skinning shed we spot several warthogs. We wait and watch them for awhile before
deciding to give the largest a try. It takes some time to get into position and the hogs have started to grow
suspicious. The shot is only 120 yards and I have a steady rest but they are really milling around now. My
target is only one step from disappearing when I shoot. The shot surprises us all by hitting a large tree
branch and shearing the limb off entirely. The bullet performed flawlessly! I ask what the trophy fee is for
shooting a mopane tree and get a good laugh but the trackers seem really disappointed again and they
return to the truck in silence. Further down the road we spot a large herd of Sable and stop to glass them.
Although it is a large herd we only see one young bull among the group. I’d love a good Sable but this bull is
not the one that I’m after. The trackers get even gloomier with the news.
Second Chance Bushbuck, Redux
After a good lunch, and a nap at camp, it is time to head out again. In the forest on our return to the river we
jump a nice duiker. Unfortunately he is running away from us at top speed when we first spot him. He has
been running uphill and the slight change in elevation visually lifts him out of the brush so that we can see
him very clearly. And he makes the fatal mistake of pausing briefly at 70 yards to look back and see what
woke him from his sleep. His pause is just enough time for me to get off a shot and he piles up on the spot.
The small antelope hold a fascination for me so this was not only an unexpected surprise but also a gift of
sorts because I had not thought we would have time to hunt duiker. He taped off with solid 4 inch horns.
By now my spirits are much improved and the trackers seem happy again. We hope to cross path with a
good kudu bull down by the river but just don’t see much for the remainder of the afternoon. Then, just at
last light, one of the trackers starts yelling “Shoot, shoot!” I can tell from his excitement that he has not only
located an animal but that it is a good one too. As I look in his direction there stands a monster bushbuck
not 30 yards away. Although the bushbuck is mostly obscured by both brush and shadow I can see the
tension building in his hindquarters. He is only a fraction of a second away from disappearing. I hurriedly
shoot. And it is immediately obvious that I shot poorly because he runs away in the blink of an eye. This is
not the usual reaction for an animal this size when it is shot properly with a .30 caliber bullet. The trackers
take off right away after the wounded bushbuck due to the rapidly approaching nightfall. Now I’ve heard the
stories about the danger a wounded bushbuck can present but the men insist that we follow-up quickly.
Luckily there is a significant blood trail and they locate him again within minutes. This time he is about 40
yards away crouched, and mostly hidden, behind a bush. My shooting is better this time and he rolls over
dead. Another great bushbuck! He is also in the 15 inch range but with a very open spread and his horns
are in pristine condition. The colors on his coat are bright and bold. His body larger then any other
bushbuck I’ve seen. This is an animal in his prime. Not only did I get a second chance on my first bushbuck
but this one too. Some days you just have all the luck.
Parting Comments
We see many more bushbuck throughout the remainder of the hunt. I pass on a 150 yard shot at another
buck in the same class as the others. The skinners have a head collected from a lion kill that will surpass the
length of mine by a significant margin. It will be very exciting once the horns arrive from Africa to place them
in the hands of an SCI Measurer for the official score.
And I did finally get one day in the field with my Professional Hunter. Although we manage to locate a decent
Cape Buffalo bull on that day we just can’t get set-up for a shot. Even though my buffalo never comes to be I
am still very grateful to have taken an assortment of very good plains game and two such excellent bushbuck
on my safari. And I also feel extremely lucky to have gotten a “second chance” at both of them.
Equipment
.300 WSM Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker (with Improvements by Robar)
180 Grain Swift A-Frame Handloads
Kahles Riflescope and Binocular
Russell Safari PH II Boots
Jeans by LL Bean
Shirts by Orvis and Beretta
Outerwear by Patagonia
In late September 2008 I found myself fulfilling a lifelong dream of hunting Cape Buffalo. My hunt was based
in the Sikumi Forest area of Zimbabwe. The Sikumi is adjacent to the expansive Hwange National Park.
Things did not start off well and I was trying my best to deal with the decrepit vintage Land Cruiser that broke
down and stranded us almost daily, as well as the continued sting of an absent Professional Hunter who had
reportedly gotten detained in the bush someplace far away from camp. The trackers were doing their best to
keep me calm and satisfied. And we hunted buffalo. We hunted them hard. But there were few buffalo in
the area and the handful of bulls that we located were most definitely not the mature animal that I had come
to Africa for. Halfway through the ten-day hunt I was quite discouraged and very fatigued. I proclaimed it a
camp day with the intention of sleeping late and giving some of the plains game on the concession a try.
My dark mood has spread to the trackers and everyone is ready for a change of pace. Immediately after
breakfast our luck improves as we glass up a waterbuck bull even before we leave camp. I watch the
waterbuck behind the binoculars before deciding that that he is worth a stalk and after a short drive we park
and begin to sneak down a dry creek bed to cut the distance. But, as fate would have it, the waterbuck
simply disappears into the brush. This leaves us all standing in the tall grass puzzled with what to do next.
My disappointment must really be starting to show because everyone is very quiet.
Second Chance Bushbuck
The concession, Camp Selous, is bordered by the Gwayi River and we decide to head that way. It is dry
season and the attraction of water is very strong for the animals. The forest itself seems very familiar to me
even though the individual trees, plants, and animals are much different then what I’m accustomed to in North
America. A hunter’s instinct is universal. The path we take is well worn but the canopy of trees and the thick
brush surrounding us makes everything feel very tight. On our journey we frequently bump baboon – the
dreaded alarm system for every animal in the forest. But soon we see a female bushbuck traveling with a
yearling. And then in the shadows stands a male. He is only about 40 yards away and most detail is
obscured by shadow. But it isn’t difficult to see that he has tall horns and without hesitation I raise my rifle
and shoot. He is dead where he stands. The trackers are ecstatic that I’ve shot something and begin to
brag about the horns. They keep yelling “18-inches!” but I know their ruler runs long and that they are
simply trying to boost my spirits. Regardless, it is a nice buck. He is a very old buck with one broken horn
and both horns show considerable signs of wear. The longest horn is 15-inches and I’m very pleased to
have taken such a wonderful mature animal. Ironically, we had spotted this same buck on my first day in
camp. Given that I had just arrived in camp I opted to pass on attempting a stalk after noticing the broken
horn. But now, with a few days of bush wisdom in me, this buck is exactly what I need. How rare it is that we
are given a second chance.
On the drive back to the skinning shed we spot several warthogs. We wait and watch them for awhile before
deciding to give the largest a try. It takes some time to get into position and the hogs have started to grow
suspicious. The shot is only 120 yards and I have a steady rest but they are really milling around now. My
target is only one step from disappearing when I shoot. The shot surprises us all by hitting a large tree
branch and shearing the limb off entirely. The bullet performed flawlessly! I ask what the trophy fee is for
shooting a mopane tree and get a good laugh but the trackers seem really disappointed again and they
return to the truck in silence. Further down the road we spot a large herd of Sable and stop to glass them.
Although it is a large herd we only see one young bull among the group. I’d love a good Sable but this bull is
not the one that I’m after. The trackers get even gloomier with the news.
Second Chance Bushbuck, Redux
After a good lunch, and a nap at camp, it is time to head out again. In the forest on our return to the river we
jump a nice duiker. Unfortunately he is running away from us at top speed when we first spot him. He has
been running uphill and the slight change in elevation visually lifts him out of the brush so that we can see
him very clearly. And he makes the fatal mistake of pausing briefly at 70 yards to look back and see what
woke him from his sleep. His pause is just enough time for me to get off a shot and he piles up on the spot.
The small antelope hold a fascination for me so this was not only an unexpected surprise but also a gift of
sorts because I had not thought we would have time to hunt duiker. He taped off with solid 4 inch horns.
By now my spirits are much improved and the trackers seem happy again. We hope to cross path with a
good kudu bull down by the river but just don’t see much for the remainder of the afternoon. Then, just at
last light, one of the trackers starts yelling “Shoot, shoot!” I can tell from his excitement that he has not only
located an animal but that it is a good one too. As I look in his direction there stands a monster bushbuck
not 30 yards away. Although the bushbuck is mostly obscured by both brush and shadow I can see the
tension building in his hindquarters. He is only a fraction of a second away from disappearing. I hurriedly
shoot. And it is immediately obvious that I shot poorly because he runs away in the blink of an eye. This is
not the usual reaction for an animal this size when it is shot properly with a .30 caliber bullet. The trackers
take off right away after the wounded bushbuck due to the rapidly approaching nightfall. Now I’ve heard the
stories about the danger a wounded bushbuck can present but the men insist that we follow-up quickly.
Luckily there is a significant blood trail and they locate him again within minutes. This time he is about 40
yards away crouched, and mostly hidden, behind a bush. My shooting is better this time and he rolls over
dead. Another great bushbuck! He is also in the 15 inch range but with a very open spread and his horns
are in pristine condition. The colors on his coat are bright and bold. His body larger then any other
bushbuck I’ve seen. This is an animal in his prime. Not only did I get a second chance on my first bushbuck
but this one too. Some days you just have all the luck.
Parting Comments
We see many more bushbuck throughout the remainder of the hunt. I pass on a 150 yard shot at another
buck in the same class as the others. The skinners have a head collected from a lion kill that will surpass the
length of mine by a significant margin. It will be very exciting once the horns arrive from Africa to place them
in the hands of an SCI Measurer for the official score.
And I did finally get one day in the field with my Professional Hunter. Although we manage to locate a decent
Cape Buffalo bull on that day we just can’t get set-up for a shot. Even though my buffalo never comes to be I
am still very grateful to have taken an assortment of very good plains game and two such excellent bushbuck
on my safari. And I also feel extremely lucky to have gotten a “second chance” at both of them.
Equipment
.300 WSM Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker (with Improvements by Robar)
180 Grain Swift A-Frame Handloads
Kahles Riflescope and Binocular
Russell Safari PH II Boots
Jeans by LL Bean
Shirts by Orvis and Beretta
Outerwear by Patagonia
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