Tag Archive for: Gonarezhou

Newsletter 88

DEAR HUNTING FRIENDS

I trust this 88th version of the Take Aim Safaris newsletter finds you well, this mid-year newsletter is somewhat of a dagga boy special it would seem…

This has been a great year as far as hunts and hunt bookings go, a great come back year from the Covid years we have gone through, our clients have been rewarded with these superb trophies on hunts conducted in the Sengwe 1 and 2 areas of Zimbabwe and also in the Matetsi ECA of Zimbabwe that is very conveniently situated close to the Victoria Falls and the Victoria Falls International Airport.

These 6 recent buffalo hunts were guided by PH’s Nixon Dzingai, Simon Dzingai and Zane Bronkhorst, all great old bulls that were hunted by clients from USA and Europe, thanks for the bookings.

 


 

These two elephant bulls in the 45-to-55-pound range were both hunted in the South-Eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe, Sengwe 1 and 2 with PH Nixon Dzingai.

 

 

The leopard was hunted by a client from Europe in Matetsi with PH Zane Bronkhorst, a super cat, well done Zane.

 

 

The crocodile was hunted in the Chitsa area by one of these buffalo hunters with PH Simon Dzingai who is such a great guy to hunt with and has been a loyal friend of mine for many years now, thanks Simon and well done on yet another great hunt, great photo of the croc, wonderful surroundings. Zimbabwe is a great place to hunt.

 

 

As for me, I have been working in Botswana for the last year (and the next few years to come) developing a game reserve and luxury hotel for German conservationist clients of mine that have bought some stunning properties in Botswana/the Tuli Block and consolidated them into a 100km2+ one block game reserve that has an abundance of water, the Limpopo and Lotsane Rivers flow through the property, hippo, crocodile, occasional elephant, leopard and plains game are found in big numbers, as of 2023 there will be plains game hunting available on the game reserve that has over 3000 head of animals on it.

I must add here that this is hunting conservation in action, some of these consolidated properties were previously cattle, sheep and goat farms, the land was unavailable for wild animals until these German clients bought the properties to covert them back into a wildlife only habitat with no more livestock or agricultural farming on the properties, no more bulk harvesting of water for pivots from the rivers and no more habitat destruction by maize or cattle farming, anti-hunters don’t see these wildlife conservation milestones, none the less hunters are the real conservationists, our work continues…

There is a 5 Star Hotel being built on the Botswana property plus a luxury bush camp that has been built, a luxury tented camp, camp sites and many more facilities that make Lotsane the perfect holiday and hunting destination in perhaps the best hunting country in Africa, Botswana in a word is Magnificent. This game reserve and hotel have been designed to be and are being built to be the best privately owned hotel and plains game hunting destination in Botswana and a unique tourism destination. We have the best eland and best kudu hunting I have seen, the bulls of all species on Lotsane are next level as far as top trophy quality and age of animals goes, contact me to be the first to hunt this magnificent property.

Speaking of top-quality hunts and top-quality hunting destinations, the Sengwe 1 and 2 areas of Zimbabwe remain the best trophy elephant and dagga boy hunting destination that I have ever seen in a lifetime spent hunting Southern Africa, not to mention the best priced trophy elephant bull and trophy buffalo bull hunts on the market.

As always, Hunters, Agents, Outfitters, Operators and PH’s please contact me for more information and a quote on your next hunt.

Hunters best wishes

Carl Knight

(JHB RSA)
Contact Number: 0027-82-749-1747
Email: carl@takeaimsafaris.com
Web: www.takeaimsafaris.com

 

Newsletter 87

DEAR HUNTING FRIENDS

I hope this 87th edition of the Take Aim Safaris newsletter finds you well.

Since my last newsletter sent out in January 2022 clients of TAS have had early season hunting success in the Gonarezhou hunting areas Sengwe 1 and 2 plus Naivaisha, the early season movement was not as strong as it has been in previous years although some good bulls were hunted, my take on the revision of high vs low seasons has a lot to do with the high rainfall we are having year on year lately. Going back to 2007 when I started operating in the Gonarezhou hunting areas the rainfall was considerably less during the late part of the rainy season, now we have more and more late rain, even consistent flooding that keeps the Limpopo River full and flowing for many months of the year, that flooding stops the elephant and buffalo movement over/across the Limpopo from the Kruger National Park into the Sengwes, this is a new (to me) phenomenon, what I have noticed more and more is that the late season hunts on elephant and buffalo are getting better and better, many big bulls are being hunted late season, say from July to November before the rains start is the new prime time. Interesting, a changing world we are living in.

Corona and now the war in Europe have definitely affected our bookings, I suppose added to this is the fact that there have been no European hunting shows since 2020, even then those shows were not good as Corona hit us just after that, the bulk of my bookings, especially on elephant come from European clients, that said, we carry on… Hunters are resilient, those that want to hunt seem to make it here one way or another, when you do get here you will find a reliable partner in TAS ready to conduct your hunt.

Since January we have done the following hunts, including taking these two super dagga boys, a 60 pounder, a 50 pounder and a 40 pounder elephant:




I do have quota available on buffalo and elephant in the Gonarezhou hunting areas Sengwe 1 and 2, please contact me for more information. Our Matetsi hunts are about to start, look out for hunt updates from Matetsi and also further hunt updates from Gonarezhou hunting areas.

As for me I am currently based in Botswana developing the most beautiful game reserve and luxury hotel for German clients of mine, Lotsane Safaris, a truly amazing place that will be open for limited hunting in time to come, when that does happen I will update you.

To all our RSA clients that plan to attend Huntex next week, you will find TAS at Huntex where you can book your free range, fair chase buffalo, elephant, hippo and croc hunts with us for Sengwe 1 and 2 areas of Zimbabwe, 150 kms north east of Musina, come see us there or send me an email or whats app for more in +27-82-749-1747 as you may know Beit Bridge is now open for holiday travel.

Thanks for taking the time to read and share my newsletters with your hunting friends, Hunters, Agents, PH’s and Outfitters are all welcome to contact me for your Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe hunting requirements.

Hunters best wishes

Carl Knight

(JHB RSA)
Contact Number: 0027-82-749-1747
Email: carl@takeaimsafaris.com
Web: www.takeaimsafaris.com

Newsletter 80

DEAR HUNTING FRIENDS

I hope this newsletter finds you well, a milestone newsletter for me as it’s my 80th one since I started Outfitting hunts in 2008, these newsletters have been hugely successful for me with over 3000 hunters on my subscribed list and growing all the time, thanks for the bookings, the compliments and the continued support.

Please read on for an important offer from DSC to PH’s and Outfitters.

Since my last newsletter that was sent out on the 18th March we had ongoing hunts at that time that I can update you on now prior to the Southern African Lockdowns that came into effect at the end of March and sadly remain in effect for now although I am happy to see and announce that the restrictions are slowly being lifted and that local hunter hunting is now allowed in Zimbabwe and also in South Africa.  To all our valued clients please look at the Emirates Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines routings to Zimbabwe, they do not fly via South Africa thus no need to watch the South African Lockdown restrictions in order to hunt in Zimbabwe.

On the Covid 19 note you can be sure that all precautionary measures are and will be in place in our hunting camps in both Matetsi and the Gonarezhou areas of Zimbabwe, besides that please consider that you will be hunting in very remote areas with low to no humans around and that we have not had a single case of Covid 19 within our staff compliment, neither in the Gonarezhou nor Matetsi.

ONTO RECENT HUNTS  

During March we welcomed back to the Gonarezhou hunting areas repeat clients from the USA on elephant hunts, the clients hunted with PH’s Nixon and Simon Dzingai and managed to harvest these two good bulls:

 

 

On another recent hunt prior to Lockdown we welcomed back a South African client on his 6th hunt with us in the Gonarezhou hunting areas Sengwe 1 and 2, this was a non-trophy non-export elephant bull and buffalo bull hunt, nice old dagga boy:

 

 

In South Africa I hunted with 4 clients that bought a big bag of game from us on our massive concession in central South Africa, I was assisted by RSA PH Bennie Breytenbaach. We hunted some great animals including this buffalo, sable, roan, bontebok, lechwe, kudus and took off a few broken horn animals. The zebras that you see are not burchells zebra they are Cape mountain zebra that are less commonly distributed across Southern Africa yet still occurring in great numbers.

Good to see the young hunters and lady hunters getting involved, including my own sons that are learning the family business:

 




 

Looking at these photos reminds me that there is truly no continent to hunt that is a strong as Africa, the species diversity combined with the wild animal numbers we have are just un-beatable the world over, wildlife truly is our wealth that has been so well protected and preserved that there has never been more wild animals in Southern Africa than there is today, thanks to conservationists that we hunters are proud to be a big part of.

Earlier in this newsletter I mentioned that there is an important offer available for African PH’s, Outfitters and Operators from DSC (Dallas Safari Club) that must be taken up.

I have been asked to distribute this offer by The Custodians Professional Hunting and Conservation organization that I am a member of  http://www.cphc-sa.co.za/ all Custodian members have been asked to distribute this information, not only me. Nor can I take credit for this initiative this is DSC, OPHAA and the Custodians in action.

I do want to say here that if you are a member of a professional hunting organization that precludes you (stops you/won’t let you join) from joining OPHAA then it falls on you to resign from that today and join the Custodians for the sake of your family and for the sake of your hunting crew and their family (read on below).

I have previously asked myself what do I get for my annual membership subscriptions?  I’m sure you have too, here is the answer:

This is a free offer that as I said you must take up, zero excuse not to do so. I don’t want to and am not going to get into mud singling matches here however if your PH organization won’t or can’t let you take up this FREE DSC offer then the question you must ask your leadership is why not and what viable similar alternative to this free insurance do they offer you? If you won’t listen to me and make the change then let your wife or parents read this please.

To my clients, industry friends and associates, I recommend that you all join The Custodians as they are part of the way forward in today’s Africa and need your help, it’s not expensive it’s a collective thing, you don’t need to be a PH to join, you do need to be a CONSERVATIONIST. Join and be part of the solution to the problems that face African wildlife and the hunting industry as a whole.

Contact Coira at The Custodians office to get the ball rolling: Admin@cphc-sa.co.za

April 2, 2020
Operators and Professional Hunting Associations of Africa
Via email to ceo@ophaa.org;chair@ophaa.org

DSC Frontline Foundation Article for Like Minded Industry Organizations’ Magazines/Newsletters
“A Message from the DSC Frontline Foundation
by John Patterson, President

Six years ago DSC recognized that as a hunting organization whose members rely heavily on the services of professional outfitters and guides, there needed to be a way for DSC to financially support these professionals when they suffer disabling injuries while carrying out their professional duties or help their families in the case of a fatality.  DSC undAnchorerstood that due to the nature of their hazardous professions, and its inherent dangers, financial hardships were a grim reality if unexpected accidents, or tragedy befell these hard-working professionals. Compounding the severity of unexpected events, many have limited, or zero, access to either life or health insurance. Injuries, or in the worst case the death of the breadwinner, translates into complete loss of income, and families are now left without means to support or educate their children.

Understanding these needs, DSC created, and initially funded the DSC Frontline Foundation, whose sole mission is to provide financial support to professional hunters, outfitters, guides, and their staff who put their livelihood, and oftentimes their very lives, on the FRONTLINE of risk while serving the hunting community.  Over the past six years, Frontline has provided financial assistance to professional hunters, guides, game scouts, trackers and, recently included, anti-poaching personnel, and the families of those killed in the line of duty. This assistance has covered everything from search and recovery efforts, extraction from the point of injury, defraying medical expenses, loss of income, providing for children’s education, and when necessary, funeral expenses.

Any outfitter, PH, or guide who is a member of Operators and Professional Hunting Associations of Africa (“OPHAA”) is eligible for DSC Frontline Foundation assistance (this includes an outfitter’s staff who may not be OPHAA members). The only cost to you is simply the expense of maintaining your membership in OPHAA and the requirement that you be in good standing.

We urge you to keep in mind that the DSC Frontline Foundation was created for professionals like you, and it stands ready to support you. Do not hesitate to contact us when you have a qualifying need. We also urge you to promote membership in OPHAA to your friends in the professional hunting industry.  In addition to supporting OPHAA, mention the benefits Frontline provides that go along with membership. The small cost of a membership is the cheapest insurance they will ever have.

More information about the DSC Frontline Foundation, including eligibility requirements and how you can support this worthy cause, may be found at http://dscfrontlinefoundation.org/ or by contacting the DSC Frontline Foundation at the address or phone number below. DSC Frontline Foundation is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to the Foundation are deductible under Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code.

DSC Frontline Foundation
13709 Gamma Road
Dallas, Texas 75244
(972) 980-9800

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I thought I may as well share this interesting article I came across on human/animal conflict in Zimbabwe for 2020 to date, please also follow the link for more info:

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HARARE, Zimbabwe

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/wild-animals-kill-more-people-than-covid-19-in-zimbabwe/1860688

Alberto Lunga is mourning the death of his uncle, who was trampled by an elephant on March 1 in Dingani village, a remote community 450 kilometres northwest of Zimbabwe’s capital Harare.

On the day, a herd of elephants got into the maize fields and damaged crops within a few minutes, prompting villagers to come out to scare them away.

“An agitated bull charged towards me and my uncle and we ran for our lives, however the elephant caught up with my uncle who was running slowly.

“The elephant hooked him with its trunk and threw him onto the tarred road two meters away. A speeding car was just passing at that moment and it hit my uncle, killing him on the spot,” Lunga narrated.

The elephant still went on to crash the lifeless body until it was tired, he said.

In a separate incident, Thomas Mupusa, 43, an employee of Zimbabwe National Railway (ZNR), was mauled by lions on May 5.

In Malonga village, which is very close to Dingani village, a baby dropped from her mother’s back was picked by some marauding lions. The mother was protecting her livestock in a farm.

“By the time help came the baby had died,” said Naison Shoko, a villager in Malonga.

Shoko added that the villages are on the boundary of Hwange National Park and are only separated by a tarred road.

Deaths and injuries due to wildlife attacks have been reported from areas close to Hwange National Park, Kariba town, Save Conservancy and Gonarezhou National Park.

Zimbabwe’s wildlife conservancies occupy 16% of the country’s total land since the wildlife population has increased exponentially.

Police issued a warning to the general public to be cautious after a truck driver was attacked by a lion in Kariba on May 26.

“A truck driver is receiving treatment at a local hospital after he was attacked by an elephant […] We urge members of the public to be observant to avoid attacks by wild animals,” said a statement issued by the police.

According to the police, wild animals have killed at least 24 people and injured 21 others in Zimbabwe since the start of this year.

Elephants, lions, buffalos, hippos, leopards and rhinos are said to be most dangerous animals in Zimbabwe.

The figures show that wild animals have killed more people in Zimbabwe than the novel coronavirus. The country has so far reported only four deaths from COVID-19.

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Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletters and pass them onto your hunting friends. I do have quota and dates available for all your South African and Zimbabwean hunts, please call me or send me an email and lets work through your enquiry. Clients, PH’s, Outfitters are all welcome to contact me. Please refer to my website www.takeaimsafaris.com to see camp photos, maps and read area information for all the concessions we hunt.

Book now to avoid the post Covid rush, I think we all know that this will pass soon.

Hunters best wishes

Carl Knight

(JHB RSA)
Contact Number: 0027-82-749-1747
Email: carl@takeaimsafaris.com
Web: www.takeaimsafaris.com

Newsletter 79

DEAR HUNTING FRIENDS

Welcome to this 79th edition of the Take Aim Safaris (TAS) newsletter, I hope it finds you well.

Since our last newsletter that was sent out in October 2019 TAS clients have done some great hunts including these buffalos and elephants that were recently hunted in Zimbabwe’s Sengwe 1, Sengwe 2 and Chitsa hunting areas that all border onto the Gonarezhou National Park in the South Eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe, these are community owned safari areas that are adjoined to the GNP and/or the Kruger NP, these hunting areas are not located inside the park, they are on the unfenced outside boundary as is the case throughout Zimbabwe and Africa whereby safari areas are often adjoined to the NP’s, these safari areas serve as buffer areas between the park and poachers since safari operators have guests and anti-poaching staff in the field at all times, a successful collaboration.

Our Matetsi 2020 hunts have not started yet, our clients fist Matetsi hunt starts in April, watch this space for updates on elephant, buffalo, big cats and other hunts.

These Zimbabwean free range free roaming hunting areas are real big game hotspots that are completely unfenced wild big game safari areas.

Please read on for recent hunt information and photos.

This is a short update on the hunts that TAS offers in Zimbabwe and a  map below showing the locations of the hunting areas:

  • In the South Eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe we offer hunts in the hunting areas that are open and adjoined to the Gonarezhou National Park and/or open and adjoined to Kruger National Park via the Limpopo river that is the International boundary between RSA and Zimbabwe, these hunting areas are: Mahenye, Chitsa, Naivaisha, Sengwe 1 and Sengwe 2 with possible combinations of some of these areas. There are 4 different hunting lodges available throughout these areas that have long been known as the Gonarezhou hunting areas, these are massive areas.

    These Gonarezhou hunting areas are famous for and remain excellent for trophy elephant bulls and trophy buffalo bulls, these areas rate amongst the top 3 areas in today’s Africa to hunt for these trophy elephant bulls. Also found here in good numbers are hippo and croc. The Sengwe 1 and 2 concessions are true wild dagga boy hunting areas in Zimbabwe that are situated along on the dry Limpopo River (pools of water exist), you can expect to hunt your dagga boy from a group of bulls in the riverine jess bush where they live on the Zim side, these are amongst the best remaining wild dagga boy hunts in Southern Africa. It’s great for me to be able to offer you a hunt in an area that produces free range bulls like this 45 inch classic looking bull with good hooks and great drop hunted a few days ago.

  • In Matetsi we offer hunts in: Matetsi ECA (Extended Conservation Area), in Matetsi Unit 1 and Matetsi Unit 5. I have been selling hunts in Matetsi for over 10 years and can with confidence tell you that Matetsi is a  5 STAR hunting destination in Southern Africa. Matetsi is in a word amazing yet affordable.

    Matetsi is fantastic for elephant, big cats and for buffalo, Matetsi is dry land hunting where massive body elephant bulls (Hwange/Chobe bulls) in the 35 to 45 pound tusk class are plentiful as are the massive herds of buffalo that are found in Matetsi this true wilderness safari area that is open to Hwange National Park and to Chobe NP/Botswana, the hunting areas and hunting lodges are a convenient 1 hour drive from Victoria Falls international Airport, no charter flights and no long road transfers are required to hunt Matetsi. See below for a map detailing the Matetsi safari Areas and the Matetsi ECA. The Victoria Falls, The Mighty Zambezi River and Lake Kariba are all big attractions as are the 5 star hotels in the Falls area.

    If you think Matetsi is overpriced or too expensive please look at our prices, we offer very good value for money hunts in these solid hunting areas.

  • TAS now offers Houseboat hunting on Lake Kariba, this is a new hunt that we are offering as of this year, whereby we hire the houseboat with all staff including cook and bar staff on a full board basis aboard. Your professional hunter will be on the boat with you, we are able to offer hippo, crocodile (big crocs) and depending on the length of the hunt we can offer elephant, buffalo and big cats. On long hunts we have a land based lodge that operates in conjunction with the houseboat. These houseboat hunts are a new venture (and what an amazing adventure) for me with a solid safari company that has years of experience there is nothing new about the team you will be hunting and fishing with on Lake Kariba. An amazing experience no doubt. Prices and information on our website www.takeaimsafaris.com or please send me an email for any enquiry, prime houseboat time is our African summer…. Binga and Lake Kariba hunts are not new to me, I have been selling hunts in Binga/Kariba for years, your hunt will be a good one.

  • Please refer to the map below this email to see the locations of the concessions we offer. You can view all camp pictures and read area information on our website.
  • If I my take a moment to congratulate my good friend Zimbabwean PH Simon Dzingai for being on the front page of the Jagen Weltweit Magazine (“Hunting Worldwide” a German Hunting Magazine) in Europe last month for his buffalo hunting skills and the strength of our buffalo hunting areas.

    For those of you that wish to read the article and/or the English translation please follow this link:

    13 SHOTS IN 8 HOURS

    My partnership with Nixon and Simon Dzingai has been (and remains) great for all concerned, these men are great representatives of Zimbabwe to the rest of the world and front runners of the Professional hunting and guiding industry, they hunt the areas they were born in for free range animals that they have lived with and amongst all their lives on community sharing projects. Well done Simon, you are becoming famous my friend.

  • A further congratulations to another of my partner PH’s and good friend South African PH Jono Joseph from JWK Safaris who was featured in the last edition of the SCI Magazine under the PH spotlight section, Jono was being acknowledged for his hard work and commitment to the industry and to the professional hunters association he represents. Furthermore Jono is a multiple award winning double rifle expert and an all-round good guy. Well done Jono. Here is the link: JONO SCI INTERVIEW.

Our hunting season has started well with these great hunts since our last newsletter, please follow these newsletters (6 per annum) for updates from our hunts throughout the year:

How about this season opening buffalo in Sengwe with PH Simon Dzingai… This +-12 year old 45 Inch old hard boss bull is a classic brute that ticks all the boxes if you ask me.

This 60 pounder elephant bull, a nice old bull with a massive body was hunted in the Chitsa concession North of the Gonarezhou during January 2020.

The nyala bull  was hunted on the same hunt by our lucky hunter from Europe.

This nice old hippo bull that was hunted on dry land and this 35 pounder elephant were hunted in the Sengwe and Chitsa hunting areas of the Gonarezhou with another hunter from Europe.

This buffalo bull was hunted in the Sengwe 1 area of Zimbabwe by a client recently, another nice hard top buffalo bull guided by PH Nixon Dzingai (in photo).

Hunters, PH’s, Outfitters, Agents and Valued Clients Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletters and pass them onto your hunting friends, if you are considering a hunt in Zimbabwe or South Africa please send me an email, I have the dates and the quota you need to make the hunt work. My buffalo and elephant hunt prices and areas are unbeatable, please send me an email for more information on top quality well priced big game hunts.

Hunters best wishes

Carl Knight

(JHB RSA)
Contact Number: 0027-82-749-1747
Email: carl@takeaimsafaris.com
Web: www.takeaimsafaris.com

Newsletter 71

Dear Hunting Friends

I hope this newsletter finds you well, since my last newsletter two months ago we have had some great hunts to report back on including another trophy elephant bull and a couple of great dagga boys, please read on: I have just returned from Botswana where I hunted plains game on a 100.000 hectare hunting concession that comprises of multiple low fence cattle farms that all have loads of wild game on them, the camp is good, food is great = this is free range fair chase hunting that reminds me very much of the old days growing up in and hunting in South Africa, I am working on marketing rights and a price list for these Botswana plains game hunts and will update you in due course. Also interesting is the indications that Botswana will be re-opening elephant hunting later this year for the 2019 season and beyond, you can be sure that when this happens I will endeavour to get quota on these bulls for my valued clients. I will update you accordingly.

Onto recent hunts:

In my last newsletter I mentioned that another big elephant had just been hunted on a hunt that I booked, here are the photos and confirmation of the bull that was hunted in April 2018: initial estimates put this bull at over 100 pounds per tusk…. The official weight of these tusks was just shy of 100 pounds per tusk @ 95 pounds and 93 pounds respectively making this bull a very respectable solid 90 pounder and the biggest elephant hunted in Africa this year so far that I know of taking that title from the 85 pounder that my client shot earlier this year a month before this bull was shot in the same area. This trophy bull as per the last one was hunted in the Gonarezhou Safari Area Naivaisha guided by Zim PH Lloyd Yeatman and assisted by RSA PH Russ Field who booked the hunt from me.

On another recent hunt in Zimbabwe, this time in Matetsi a client of ours from the USA hunted this very good hard boss buffalo with Zim PH Zane Bronkhorst:

On another recent hunt this time in RSA, a client from Europe hunted this very nice hard boss buffalo plus roan and nyala with PH Riaan Lourens:

Lastly whilst I was in Botswana I hunted this 55 inch kudu bull with my sons Hunter and Luke, a great bull.. Great hunt… Lots of these big bulls around those parts… please contact me if you want to jump the que and book your plains game hunt in Botswana.

As always thanks for taking the time to read my newsletters and pass them onto your hunting friends, please contact me for more information about hunting in Southern Africa. As for me I am off to Namibia in August for a few weeks with my good friend Zim PH Simon Dzingai, we are going to hike the Fish River Canyon and so some hunting, from Namibia I am off to Botswana again in search of elephant quota for when elephant opens again in Botswana then onto Zimbabwe to visit Matetsi and the Gonarezhou to see the new hunting areas Mahenye and Bothmans that have as of 2018 become available for my clients to book and hunt, please email me for more information and standby for updates later in the year.

Hunters best wishes

Carl Knight

Newsletter 67

Dear Hunting Friends

I hope this last newsletter for 2017 finds you all well, may I also take this opportunity to wish you a happy festive season ahead and thanks for the support during 2017, prior and beyond. All 2018 concession information including price lists are available on our website: www.takeaimsafaris.com

Our concessions include:

  • Matetsi Unit 2
  • Matetsi Unit 5
  • Matetsi ECA
  • Binga
  • Gonarezhou Safari areas (4 camps, 300.000+ hectares)
  • Top class South African hunting areas

A short reminder that you can visit Take Aim Safaris at the following expo’s during 2018:

I have long maintained that the Gonarezhou Safari areas are the perfect place/best place to hunt for trophy elephant bulls and trophy buffalo bulls. During the last 5 years we have hunted two bulls over 100 pounds, one of them was 105 pounds, the next was 122 pounds and now there has been a 132 pounder pick-up, this bull was not hunted, the tusks were found by Parks Rangers inside the Park, this bull surely died of old age but not before passing on his gene. If you are interested in a trophy elephant bull I say the Gonarezhou Safari Areas are the best place to look, here is the 132 pound pick-up:

Onto the recent hunts where a client of ours from Europe hunted this hippo and croc in the Gonarezhou Safari Areas with PH Nixon Dzingai, these river hunts for hippo are always exciting due to the fact that most hippos are hunted on dry land in and around the Lowveld River system.

Also on a recent hunt a client from the USA hunted this trophy 44 inch buffalo bull in Malipati Safari Area, a special thanks to RSA PH Russ Field for the booking:

On another recent hunt a long term client of ours on his family’s 20th + hunt with TAS hunted this very good roan antelope and beautiful lion in the North West Province of RSA, thanks to PH Riaan Lourens for guiding the hunt. These lions hunts are great value for money hunts at about the price of an RSA buffalo hunt:

On the last of our recent hunts PH Talmage Alexander guided a client from the USA in the Matetsi ECA on this buffalo and sable hunt.

Thanks for taking the time to read my newsletters and pass them onto your hunting friends, as always please contact me for all your big game hunts in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Hunters best wishes and a fantastic festive season ahead to you all.

Carl Knight
Contact Number: 0027-82-749-1747
Email: carl@takeaimsafaris.com
Web: www.takeaimsafaris.com

Newsletter 64

Dear Hunting Friends

I hope this newsletter finds you well.

Since my last newsletter on the 14th June we have had some very good hunts to update you on including this follow up on the Matetsi Lion hunt that was ongoing when I sent out my last newsletter and I finalised the launch of two first class hunting destinations in South Africa as mentioned in newsletter 63, please read on below:

Starting in Matetsi Zimbabwe where PH Steve Meyer guided a Russian client of mine on this fantastic hunt, the client shot what Steve tells me is the biggest body lion he has ever seen or hunted and further estimates this lion to be 8 years + old, this wild lion had a broken front canine tooth that would have made hunting hard for him. The client also hunted this 44 pounder elephant in Matetsi plus this giraffe (lion bait) and buffalo before moving to Binga for his hippo and croc:

We do have one lion left in Matetsi for 2017 please contact me if you are interested.

On a recent Gonarezhou hunt with PH Nixon Dzingai our client managed to get this 62 pounder elephant and this 44 inch hard boss buffalo on his 5th hunt with us in the Gonarezhou. Nixon tells me that elephant and buffalo movement into Malipati Safari Area is at its all-time best, I do have quota available for elephant, leopard and buffalo plus a whole host of plains game including nyala, bushbuck and waterbuck for Malipati Safari Area and Naivaisha for the 2017 season, late season hunts are fantastic now is the time to book.

South African PH Russ Field booked a buffalo hunt with me for his client from the USA in our Sengwe concessions of the Gonarezhou area during June, Russ and Zim PH Simon Dzingai hunted this very good dagga boy on that hunt, thanks Russ.

A South African client of mine on his 3rd hunt booked with Take Aim Safaris hunted this hippo and croc with PH Steve Meyer in Zimbabwe/Binga:

Adding my own personal touch to this newsletter my sons and I hunted these two oryx and this red hartebeest on a recent concession visit to Philippolis/RSA, I saw fantastic numbers of game on that hunt including buffalo, sable and roan, a real pleasure to see the beauty of Africa in this place. Please read on:

I am trying to get a sense/re-enforce my own view of where big elephants are being hunted in today’s Africa, as far as I know in areas open for hunting the Gonarezhou produces the biggest tusk weight elephant bulls consistently. There are two other good trophy bull areas I know of but I say Gonarezhou is best (and around half the price). Does anyone know if a bigger elephant than this Gonarezhou 83 pounder our client hunted in February has been hunted anywhere in Africa this year yet?  PS: Don’t forget our 122 pounder in 2015 plus a whole host of other trophy bulls: https://www.takeaimsafaris.co.za/portfolio-item/elephant/

If you do have FACTS: Area, photos and date of a bigger bull that has been hunted in 2017 please let me know.

Look at this recent photo that was taken in the Gonarezhou National Park and tell me what you see? Obviously there are two elephant bulls in the photo but also a dead baobab that the elephants have just pushed over and killed for a few small fruights at the top of the tree and the high bark on the tree trunk.

There are very few baobab trees left in the Gonarezhou, same goes for the Kruger Park and the entire Lowveld (where elephants are found) thanks to an absolute over population of elephants that are now destroying their own habitat. If you think you are protecting elephants by not culling and not hunting them you are not, in fact at this rate they will destroy their own habitat very soon and take all other herbivores down with them.

How old is this baobab? 500? 1000 years old? This is critical situation that is not being addressed nor being helped by the so called greenies who stop us from culling in our own national parks by dangling the Dollar carrot, closing sustainable hunting in sustainable hunting areas will not help elephants nor any other animal in our Southern African National Parks, when the habitat is destroyed all animals will be gone not only the elephants. If you plan to do good then attack poachers and poaching not hunters who are real conservationists.

What should we be protecting here the baobab or the elephant?

As you may or may not know I live in Johannesburg South Africa and have hunted Southern Africa including South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique for the last 35 years (now 43 years old) in this time and over the 400+ hunts I have booked I have gained a wealth of experience with regards to Southern African hunting, on this point I can with confidence tell you that South African ranch/private farm hunting does not get better than these two areas:

LIMPOPO’S OWN SERENGETI

Take Aim Safaris is proud to bring you this first class South African hunting concession that is conveniently situated 3 hours’ drive North of Pretoria/Johannesburg international airport.

If you like me have done all the seriously tough hunts, driven all day when hunting then travelled hours on foot and by car looking for game movement in wild concessions and are now interested in a more luxurious hunt where game movement is good from the time you start hunting in the morning until you stop hunting in the evening yet you still insist on a fair chase hunt then this South African hunting area will be perfect for you.

The hunting area/Safari area is 10.000 hectares in extent that is equal to 100 square kilometres.

The hunting area has 3 lodges within the 100 square kilometre area, there is a main lodge/luxury 5 star lodge that includes a gym, a swimming pool, free wifi, 7 client villas all with en-suite bathrooms, there is a fully stocked well-appointed bar and a luxurious dining room plus a formal lounge with satellite/cable television plus a private office area that is available to guests wanting to catch up on emails/Skype calls etc.

The hunting area has many flat and mountainous sections that are ideal for all hunters whether you are interested in hunting mountains or flat areas, this hunting area will accommodate all hunting requirements and expectations.

We have a mountain lodge and a bush camp; the photos tell the story of this fantastic hunting area. There is also a helipad and a private runway on the property. The runway is 1300 metres long and 30 metres wide.

Whether you are interested in a 5 star lodge or a rustic but very comfortable bush camp or a luxurious private/exclusive mountain lodge we have got exactly what you are looking for and expecting from your South African safari.

This is a big game hunting area with buffalo, rhino, sable, crocodile, and leopard all available to be hunted on the same property plus an abundance of plains game that can be added to all our big game hunts.

This is South African hunting at its absolute best on a property that offers you a fair chase hunt with no breeding camps, no ear tags, no colour variants and no canned/pseudo hunting. I would go as far as to say that hunting in South Africa does not get better than this, in fairness there are of course other good hunting areas in this wonderful country, we are right up there with the best of them.

Here are a few photos of the area and lodge but please follow this link to see the full portfolio of photos: https://www.takeaimsafaris.co.za/hunt-in-south-africa/limpopo-serengeti/


PHILIPPOLIS

Nestled between undulating landscapes and ravines of the Southern Free State of South Africa, this Private Game Reserve spans some 14,000 hectares (34,500 acres) on elevated plains, with majestic hills rising from the charming yet harsh and rugged African Bushveld, captivating the most discerning visitor. This private nature reserve is unrivalled in its appeal as one of Southern Africa’s premier hunting destinations. The reserve is privileged to have the Lake Vanderkloof extending its 25km (15,5 miles) Western Boundary.

When I consider Philippolis hunting area words and key features that come to mind are:

  • Privacy
  • Up-market
  • Exclusive
  • Luxurious
  • 5 star luxury accommodation with Wi-Fi in the lodge
  • Abundance of game, big game and plains game

When you hunt Philippolis, you will be guided by top class full time hunting guides ensuring not only an unforgettable experience but everlasting memories that will entice your return. The serene setting coupled with the day’s events will make for good conversation around the fire at sunset.

We offer both the seasoned and less experienced hunter a hunt to suit their tastes and preferences. The reserve is vast and expansive, allowing a ‘walk and stalk’ hunt if you so wish. Hunting from pre-built hides is also an option.

The vastness of the Reserve coupled with the varied topography makes every hunt different – from high open plateaus to deep thorny ravines, the environment is not only aesthetically pleasing, but offers a different challenge on every day.

Come and do your fair chase hunting here on foot.

Here are few photos, to see the full portfolio of photos please follow this link:  https://www.takeaimsafaris.co.za/hunt-in-south-africa/philippolis/



As always thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter and for passing it onto your hunting friends.

I do have quota and dates available for all our hunts in South Africa and Zimbabwe, Agents, Clients, PH’s, Outfitters contact me for booking information.

Hunters best wishes.

Carl Knight
Contact Number: 0027-82-749-1747
Email: carl@takeaimsafaris.com
Web: www.takeaimsafaris.com