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Backcountry Africa Big Game and Bowhunting Outfitter with a passion for adventure and conservation : Zimbabwe 🇿🇼Zambia

Following up on my last post, we had the goal of targeting several big male leopard in the area for our second client. T...
22/06/2024

Following up on my last post, we had the goal of targeting several big male leopard in the area for our second client. This specific cat which we had named "Gomiwa" had been giving several phs the runaround for several years, including us. Coming towards the end of the safari we were finally given the opportunity at this brute and we set a plan in motion that came to fruition. As can often be expected with a cat of this magnitude, he put up a hair raising ground fight and we had to take him at close range. Adrenaline pumping to say the least! I'm super happy to take such an old male out of the system and excited to see what replaces him.
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Doing a double leopard hunt always adds extra pressure and being the first hound hunt of the year, the pack can sometime...
15/06/2024

Doing a double leopard hunt always adds extra pressure and being the first hound hunt of the year, the pack can sometimes be a little rusty. However when the opportunity came to put the dogs down on the first morning, and a little while later we had our first big cat down, the pressure definitely eased a bit. The dogs did great and now we have the time to target some of the other giant males in the area. Stay tuned for more 🐶🐆🌿
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Looking back on the first cat of the 2023 season which was a solid tom. You can't get much better than first day success...
17/01/2024

Looking back on the first cat of the 2023 season which was a solid tom. You can't get much better than first day success! The hounds started the year on fire and managed to carry that momentum throughout the season. We look forward to the upcoming hunts and still have a few spots left for those interested.
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Recovery time ! After a long few days travelling , tough days hunting in the field and any other challenge that present ...
14/12/2023

Recovery time !

After a long few days travelling , tough days hunting in the field and any other challenge that present itself finally getting to recover your main animal of a safari is a bittersweet feeling at times , while you may be thrilled with success it also means the thrill and challenge of the hunt is over - for now !

This was first buffalo and what an awesome hunt it was , we tracked 2 bulls for about 3km and found them lying down in some fairly open mopane , we managed to butt scoot into about 50 yards and the rest is history!

The luangwa valley is a special place !

With the onset of early rain in the luangwa valley , the bush is thick and green and all the wildlife is spread out , th...
30/11/2023

With the onset of early rain in the luangwa valley , the bush is thick and green and all the wildlife is spread out , this meant we had to put in some hard yards to find a good bushbuck on our last hunt , on the last afternoon one of the elderly trackers named “sugar” mentioned he had seen some near his village recently , so we took his word for it and headed there.

After a couple of hours walking in the area we started seeing the odd female which was promising and as usual out of nowhere this good ram exploded from thicket , luckily as it has rained the night before we managed to get on his tracks and follow him for a few hundred yards, we spotted him tucked into a big thicket and after a lot of shifting around we finally got a shot , a beautiful bushbuck and a great way to end of the season in Zambia 🇿🇲

It's amazing how fast the bush cash transition this time of the year. The green flush made for some interesting challeng...
20/11/2023

It's amazing how fast the bush cash transition this time of the year. The green flush made for some interesting challenges on a recent hunt, reducing visibility to mere yards at times. Following this lone bull with a fickle wind, we were fully expecting him to bust us before getting a chance. However we pressed on as slow as we could. After feeding and meandering for some time, the track led us into a very dense thicket. My tracker and I looked at each other and knew we were about to make contact. I instructed my client to turn the scope down even more and have the rifle in both hands. Not 10 steps later, this bull heard the faint sound of us tip toeing into his bedroom and stood up. However due to how thick the brush was, all we could see was his head at 15 yards, trying to locate what the noise was. My client took his opportunity with a well placed brain shot with a 416 Rigby, dropping the bull on the spot. For us, following these incredible animals in free range areas, getting to watch the trackers do an amazing job and eventually harvesting an old bull will always stand out as one of the best hunts today.
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-Still in Zim- After taking a great bull on the first day of the hunt with our one client, we decided to move area and t...
12/11/2023

-Still in Zim-
After taking a great bull on the first day of the hunt with our one client, we decided to move area and try for a bigger bull with the other hunter. As luck would have it we connected with this stunning old bull on the first day as well! We are pleased with how the season has come together and for all of the support. Still some more to go so hopefully we can make a few more dreams come true.
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We have been blessed with another successful season with the hounds this year. Ending it off with this lovely tom which ...
09/11/2023

We have been blessed with another successful season with the hounds this year. Ending it off with this lovely tom which provided much excitement at close range in the thick stuff. It's always good to have other professionals at your side that you can trust. Many thanks to and for using our pack🐕🐆
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Some experiences will stick with you more than others. Following this bull for several hours, 3 of which were in heavy r...
05/11/2023

Some experiences will stick with you more than others. Following this bull for several hours, 3 of which were in heavy rain. Belly crawling in wet sand, not being able to see through your binoculars, cold seeping into your bones. Finally we were able to get up close and my client was able to take this stunning bull with his 470NE. A clean shot and he was down in 30 yards. The hot shower and coffee back in camp were much welcomed! And we get to do it again tomorrow🌿🐘
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The season may be winding down but the team in Zimbabwe and Zambia are still going full steam ahead. Starting with this ...
02/11/2023

The season may be winding down but the team in Zimbabwe and Zambia are still going full steam ahead. Starting with this beautiful dark stained bull on the first morning. Stay tuned for more to come.
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A very nice bushbuck from the Northern Kafue , bushbuck are seriously fun animals to hunt and more often than not are fo...
16/10/2023

A very nice bushbuck from the Northern Kafue , bushbuck are seriously fun animals to hunt and more often than not are found in pretty cool parts of hunting areas. This area in the north Kafue is literally riddled with bushbuck.

A good lechwe from the Kafue flats yesterday, this is the only area where the Kafue lechwe can be hunted in a free range...
12/10/2023

A good lechwe from the Kafue flats yesterday, this is the only area where the Kafue lechwe can be hunted in a free range environment it is seriously fun day out in a very unique environment. Zambia 🇿🇲 has an incredible amount of diversity to offer hunters !

A lot of hard work and time goes into each and every safari. This one was no exception. After several days of waiting fo...
13/09/2023

A lot of hard work and time goes into each and every safari. This one was no exception. After several days of waiting for the right "track" , we were given the opportunity we needed. There was no second guessing when we jumped off the cruiser and examined the big pug marks in the road. Shortly after our hounds were released and did a fantastic job.

It's a common misconception that hound hunting is easy. Only those that have experienced it can attest to how difficult it can be. There are many times conditions are against you, or boundaries or just bad luck. But when things go right, the results are rewarding.

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On a recent hunt with a good friend/client, we looked at  more than 30 bulls and eventually we settled on this lovely bu...
21/08/2023

On a recent hunt with a good friend/client, we looked at more than 30 bulls and eventually we settled on this lovely bull with character. A clean side brain shot with a classic double rifle was a fitting way to do it.
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These days people often think of South Africa being the best place for a big sable. However there are still many good fr...
09/08/2023

These days people often think of South Africa being the best place for a big sable. However there are still many good free range options, mainly being Zambia, with a few in Zimbabwe also. On a recent safari we were able to take this absolutely stunning bull in Zim. Testament to the hard work and anti poaching that is going on in the area.
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The picture that caused a mild cardiac arrest and gave the team sleepless nights for over a week! One never knows what y...
19/07/2023

The picture that caused a mild cardiac arrest and gave the team sleepless nights for over a week! One never knows what you will see when you pull a card from a camera, whether it's been over water or just a game path. Still feeling very blessed to have been part of that hunt, one in a lifetime.
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*Swipe right* has been busy in the last few weeks while Russ is about to kick off the major part of his Zambian season. ...
12/07/2023

*Swipe right*
has been busy in the last few weeks while Russ is about to kick off the major part of his Zambian season. Stay tuned 👊🏼

Elephant hunting draws many mixed emotions, for the ignorant masses and also for the hunter himself. Its a true privilege to be able to pursue these incredible animals in modern age. Zimbabwe has a proven conservation model, which has resulted in the second largest elephant population in Africa today. As long as sustainable utilisation can be practiced, and the value of the animal itself can be realised, then there is hope for every species on earth. The communities have also come to know this and thus live alongside the wildlife, they also depend on the job creation from the tourism industry and the protein from the harvest.. in Africa nothing goes to waste!
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A beautiful grants zebra for our hunter Brandon in Uganda , there are more zebra here than you can shake a stick at. So ...
27/06/2023

A beautiful grants zebra for our hunter Brandon in Uganda , there are more zebra here than you can shake a stick at. So one can afford to really look for a good one !

The grants zebra does not have a shadow stripe and thus have very striking capes.

Zebra here happily Co exist with large amounts of people and livestock - it is quite a sight !

Persistence pays off ! Zane and Rupert spent 6 days waiting for a kudu bull of a lifetime in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 and not long be...
22/06/2023

Persistence pays off !

Zane and Rupert spent 6 days waiting for a kudu bull of a lifetime in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 and not long before that Russ and Brandon spent 9 sits waiting for an opportunity at this awesome old sitatunga in Uganda 🇺🇬

Hunting free ranging areas in Africa sometimes it comes together on your first attempt sometimes it can take some serious persistence !

One things for sure , the team will never give up until the fat lady sings !

The team collectively is having a brilliant year so far and we are just getting started!

When you spend on average 200+ days in the field a season you are bound to come across something special every now and t...
20/06/2023

When you spend on average 200+ days in the field a season you are bound to come across something special every now and then.

Capitalising on that chance however is another story ! There is lots of stories of the big bull that only just got away.

Well this is not one of those stories , Zane and client have just finished a tremendously successful safari in southern zimbabwe 🇿🇼 after taking a great leopard with the hounds they decided to have a look for some plains game , on checking some cameras they saw photos of this magnificent kudu.

After 6 days of patience with just a few mins of shooting light left this incredible bull appeared and Rupert did the rest.

As free ranging kudu go they do not get much bigger than this !

This is a seriously old bull whose genetics are visibly present in the area , it was a privilege for zane and his hunter to take this bull and very deserving after all the effort !

A real life werewolf ,The brown hyena is a vastly misunderstood critter but one things for sure is that they are thrivin...
18/06/2023

A real life werewolf ,

The brown hyena is a vastly misunderstood critter but one things for sure is that they are thriving in hunting areas in zimbabwe 🇿🇼

Only a handful of tags are issued each year and are thus hardly hunted but are benefitting hugely from the large tracts of wilderness that sustainable hunting is protecting.

Always interesting see what comes up on the trail cameras !

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14/06/2023

The rolling green hills of lake Mburo make for tremendous waterbuck habitat, it’s not uncommon to see mobs of 10 to even 30 bulls at a time , choosing one to take can be tricky ! A couple of days into our trip we came across this bull chasing cows on a hillside.

Fortunately for us we was so intent on chasing the cows we managed to get right into him and put the double to work on him!

An East African Defassa Waterbuck is an beautiful animal and thriving under the conservation model of hunting in Uganda 🇺🇬

East African Impala will more often than not blow your socks off , it takes a lot of getting used to looking at them esp...
11/06/2023

East African Impala will more often than not blow your socks off , it takes a lot of getting used to looking at them especially after our frame of reference being Zambia and Zimbabwe !

Lake Mburo in southern Uganda has an outstanding impala population and thus one can afford to be very picky about the impala one decides to take! Within seconds of seeing this ram we knew it was one we wanted to go after.

Being able to target specific old leopard with our pack of dogs is a huge advantage. More than half the cats we take eac...
11/06/2023

Being able to target specific old leopard with our pack of dogs is a huge advantage. More than half the cats we take each year are off a track on the road, not bait. This client had failed 2 previous safaris in well known Zambian areas, then put his faith in our hounds. After taking this large cat with Zane, he decided not to shoot a second one which he booked, now we have a tag available for this year. Please PM us and we'll share trail camera photos of 3 big males currently on bait.
Zane Bronkhorst

Uganda 🇺🇬 is home to some truly enormous warthog. Both in body and tusks these hogs are impressive. We took 2 great hogs...
07/06/2023

Uganda 🇺🇬 is home to some truly enormous warthog. Both in body and tusks these hogs are impressive.

We took 2 great hogs on our last trip , this one of Ryan’s was an exceptional specimen !

As always PH Ryan Cliffe delivering results !

The safari isn’t over until the trophies are on the plane headed for their new home. Trophy moving day today out of the ...
06/06/2023

The safari isn’t over until the trophies are on the plane headed for their new home.

Trophy moving day today out of the Zambezi valley , Zambia 🇿🇲

- First Day Eland - Our first day in Uganda couldn't have got us off to a better start on this trip, it is unusual to ta...
05/06/2023

- First Day Eland -

Our first day in Uganda couldn't have got us off to a better start on this trip, it is unusual to take an animal like an Eland on the first day of a Safari however in this case Russ had been on the group for over a week already and had looked at a lot of Eland, this one was up there with one of the best he had seen.

After glassing over a valley littered with animals the team spotted a group of bulls on a far hill side, with light fading they decided to go and investigate, on closer inspection this bull was definitely a shooter, The team closed the gap and over the open country and Mr Goodwin´s ol trusty 30-06 did the rest, What a start !

The Lake Mburo community hunting area holds some of the highest populations of Pattersons Eland in the region, this is all thanks to the sustainable model that revolves around hunting here - the wildlife and community co exist here like nowhere else, it is fantastic to see the model working so well!

21/05/2023

Our pack of hounds are firing this season. Without them this wounded cat wouldn't have been found. Thanks for the call out Nyamazana safaris.
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A classic style hunt with 2 classic African calibres. Early season hunts are undoubtedly tough, so tracking an eland to ...
21/05/2023

A classic style hunt with 2 classic African calibres. Early season hunts are undoubtedly tough, so tracking an eland to within 30m and taking him with a 416 Rigby was a dream come true for our client. Following these old Lowveld bulls for large distances is a very challenging hunt and very rewarding.
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