Newsletter 72
Dear Hunting Friends
I trust this penultimate newsletter for 2018 finds you well.
Since my last newsletter on the 17th July 2018 we have conducted some great hunts for our clients from all around the world including 10 buffalo hunts, 4 elephant hunts a wild lion hunt and many others, please scroll down to see the photos from the hunts.
It has been 11 years now years now since I started Take Aim Safaris, I have been working in the hunting industry full time since then. During the past 11 years it has been and remains my pleasure to offer you my clients 1st class hunts in both South Africa and Zimbabwe in fact I have sold hunts to over 400 hunters during that period. Until now I have not considered expanding my hunt offering to my clients to include any other countries.
I have for the past year been researching hunts in Botswana and Namibia in fact I have visited Botswana twice during that period to look at hunts there. As we all know big game hunting on Government concessions is currently closed in Botswana with rumors of elephant hunting opening again amounting to nothing to date, plains game hunting on private land is not closed for hunting although the plains game industry does not seem to be thriving in Botswana for reasons unknown to me.
On the other hand, I have just returned from Namibia having spent the month of August there, during that time amongst visiting tourist destinations I was visiting friends in the safari industry that have been doing hunting business with Take Aim Safaris in South Africa and Zimbabwe for some time. I was most impressed with Namibia from a hunting perspective and on that basis have concluded marketing agreements with two top class hunting destinations in Namibia in order that Take Aim Safaris can and will from now on offer clients Namibia as a hunting destination with my main focus being on plains game and leopard hunts. Zimbabwe remains my favoured destination for big game hunts.
Please follow the links at the bottom of this paragraph to read about these Namibian hunting concessions including seeing maps, reading area information, price lists and photos are all available on the TAS website.
I must add here that during the month I was in Namibia I have never seen more foreign tourists in any African country than I saw in Namibia, both hunters and non-hunters alike, every hunting camp I visited was full of foreign hunters, all camps/concessions had more hunters arriving and hunters that had just left. All National Parks, hotels, B&B’s and camp sites were literally full of tourists that were all very comfortable visiting this super safe country that has so much to offer visitors, for more of what I saw and thought please read my county and hunting concession description on the home page of my website and under the Namibia heading.
I am very excited about these well priced top class Namibian hunts that I will be selling on behalf of Namibian Safari Operators. Just for your information neither of these Operators that I represent market at the international hunting shows that I do, you will only get these hunts from Take Aim Safaris.
While I was in Namibia I did some hunting, my sons and I managed to get a Hartman’s Zebra / Mountain Zebra that I have wanted to hunt for some years now and also these two oryx: (note the white stomach on the zebra stallion).
Also during my month in Namibia my good friend Zimbabwean PH Simon Dzingai and I hiked the Fish River Canyon that is the second biggest canyon in the world, this is a 5 day hike covering 85 kilometres. I would highly recommend this hike.
If you would like to see a few photos from the hike and of the canyon please follow this link: https://www.takeaimsafaris.co.za/carl-and-simon-hike-the-fish-river-canyon-in-namibia/
Please follow these links for more information on Namibian hunts:
http://www.takeaimsafaris.com
https://www.takeaimsafaris.co.za/otjiwarongo-safari-hunting-area/
https://www.takeaimsafaris.co.za/omaruru-safari-hunting-area/
Onto other recent hunts since my last newsletter all of which were conducted in Zimbabwe by Zimbabwean Professional Hunters:
Firstly a special thanks to my South African clients and countrymen that are dominating our Gonarezhou buffalo hunt bookings, I am now selling + 15 buffalo hunts a year to RSA clients in the Gonarezhou hunting areas.
On a recent hunt conducted in July a long term client and friend, Ernest from South Africa returned for his 5th buffalo hunt with us having also hunted an elephant on a hunt booked with me, on this hunt Ernest shot this very nice dagga boy early in the hunt. It is not uncommon for clients to get their buffalo early in the hunt since the number of buffalo in the Sengwe 1 and 2 concessions is at an all-time high.
In the 10 years that I have been offering these areas I have never seen the number of dagga boy buffalo bulls that we are currently seeing, these bulls are mainly coming from RSA/Kruger National Park that is unfenced over the Limpopo and remain resident in Zimbabwe, of course the Gonarezhou National Park and the Mozambique National Parks that the Sengwe concessions including “Crooks Corner” on the Zimbabwe side are also open and unfenced too serve as feeder parks to the hunting area as well.
Well done Ernest and thanks for this Gonarezhou/Sengwe 1 hunt, looking forward to seeing you again soon:
Repeat client Brian from the USA was guided by Steve Meyer in Matetsi/Zimbabwe, Brian managed to hunt this super solid 41 inch buffalo and a great zebra:
On another recent hunt in Matetsi this time guided by Zimbabwean PH Zane Bronkhorst a client of ours from Europe hunted our second lion that we had on quota for 2018. From the two lion hunts booked in 2018 both were successful. In fact no client of mine has failed on a lion hunt in Matetsi since I started selling hunts there in 2012. If you want to hunt a wild lion there is no better place than Matetsi to hunt a free roaming wild lion, in fact the Matetsi ECA is in my opinion better for cats than the Units as night hunting for these nocturnal species is permitted in the Matetsi ECA whereas night hunting is not permitted at all in the Matetsi Units (Matetsi ECA = Extended Conservation Area). Please follow this link to read more about the Matetsi ECA and see a map of the ECA versus the Units and also pictures of the two camps in the ECA: https://www.takeaimsafaris.co.za/matetsi-eca-hunting-area/
Take Aim Safaris has access to two Matetsi ECA lion permits a year (and 3 leopard), I do still have one lion permit available for 2019. Don’t delay book now before I sell this hunt at the 2019 hunting shows.
This lone male lion hunt that Zane guided was a very old full mane lion, a perfect lion for hunting.
Take a look at these 3 young males that Zane had feeding and the big male that didn’t come back after feeding one night and finishing the bait. The future of lion hunting in Matetsi is looking superb and is in great hands. Why wait? Book your big game hunt in Zimbabwe now, big game hunting does not get better than Zimbabwe that is also a super safe hunting and holiday destination.
Here is an excerpt from the email I received from the agent (Tony Ulmer) that booked this hunt after the hunt was completed: “In the meantime I have spoken also on last Friday with the client – and I am really happy to tell you – that he is sooo happy and satisfied with all!!! He also told us, that Zane is the best PH that he ever had – thanks also to Zane, the very professional young man!”
Thanks to Andre from Pretoria/RSA for this buffalo hunt in the Gonarezhou area of Zimbabwe, another superb hard boss bull we achieved for our client, thanks to Nixon Dzingai for guiding the hunt.
RSA clients driving from South Africa, the Sengwe 1 camp is 150 kms drive from Musina/Beit Bridge, the camp is located on the banks of the Limpopo River overlooking crooks corner on the Zimbabwe side and the Kruger National Park. Book your dagga boy hunt with us, no fences at all these are free range fair chase hunts.
Please follow this link to see Sengwe 1 camp photos taken in August 2018, that is the Limpopo River you see and the Kruger Park in the background that is open and unfenced to the Sengwe hunting areas.
Camp photos for Sengwe 1 are at the bottom of the page under this link to our site: https://www.takeaimsafaris.co.za/gonarezhou-hunting-area/.
RSA PH Albert Johnson bought his own buffalo hunt from TAS, he hunted in Sengwe with PH Simon Dzingai. Super solids…
Also in the Gonarezhou Area: RSA PH Joost Pretorius booked an elephant hunt from me for his client, the client from Europe managed to hunt this 35 pounder elephant bull. Thanks Joost for the booking, we are looking forward to seeing you again in October for your two buffalo hunts.
In Matetsi on a recent hunt we welcomed two clients from Bulgaria that I booked in Dortmund last year for elephant hunts, they both got their elephants plus they got this hyena and these small cats. These 10 day Matetsi elephant hunts at around 25.000 USD should not be overlooked as great value for money hunts. Thanks to PH’s Steve Meyer and Zane Bronkhorst for guiding the hunts.
In the Sengwe 1 area of the Gonarezhou we welcomed back Marius from RSA on his 4th buffalo hunt booked with me, Marius as always was well received by the locals and had a great time on his hunt with PH Simon Dzingai, during the hunt they managed to hunt this very nice old dagga boy buffalo, thanks Marius:
During September we welcomed two hunters from Europe to Matetsi that I booked in Germany, these hunters booked a big bag of animals they wished to hunt, this was a 14 day hunt for 4 buffalo, an elephant bull, a sable and plains game plus the agent that booked the hunt from me also wanted to hunt a buffalo, the hunt was conducted in the Matetsi ECA by PH’s Steve Meyer and Zane Bronkhorst, the clients managed to get all 4 of their buffalos and the agent got his buffalo plus the elephant (40 pounder) and sable plus the plains game they wanted, here are some photos from the hunt: (Nice old buffalos).
As far as the rest of the season goes I have another 7 Gonarezhou buffalo hunts booked plus two late season trophy elephant bull and buffalo hunts in the Naivaisha/Mahenye and Sengwe 1&2 areas, I am hoping for another two 2018 big elephant bulls on these hunts to follow up on my clients 85 pounder in March and 95 pounder in April. Plus a big group from Lithuania coming for crocodile and hippo plus plains game and small cats in RSA. As you can see there is still LOTS of hunting to come for the year ahead with lots of dates and quota still available.
If you want to book contact me now, no reason to wait.
Please watch out for my final newsletter for the year in a few months’ time that will include 2019 pricing, I am working on revised/lower pricing for RSA and on keeping my Zimbabwe prices the same as they are, of course these Namibian prices are valid for 2019.
Anyone booking now for 2019 will get 2018 prices for their hunt.
I will be attending these international hunting shows in 2019 and invite you to come and discuss your hunt or your clients hunt with me in person:
- SCI in Reno USA booth numbers # 5215 and 5217.
- In Germany/Dortmund Hall 7 stand D28.
- In Salzburg with Tony Ulmer/Mistral in the centre of the main hall, you won’t miss Mistral once you arrive in the main hall.
- In South Africa at Huntex in JHB Hall 4 stand # 416 as always pull in boys lets hunt some buffalo.
Hunters, Agents, Outfitters, PH’s please contact me for all your South Africa, Zimbabwe and now Namibia hunt bookings. I have quota and dates available for 2018/2019 and beyond, book early to get the dates and quota you want.
Hunters best wishes.
Carl Knight
(JHB RSA)
Contact Number: 0027-82-749-1747
Email: carl@takeaimsafaris.com
Web: www.takeaimsafaris.com
