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SCI 2026 in Nashville proved to be another fantastic convention. As always, it was wonderful catching up with so many familiar faces, finally putting faces to names we’ve corresponded with over the years, and meeting plenty of new people who simply wandered into the booth to say hello. Thank you to everyone who took the time to stop by—it is always one of the highlights of the convention.  A special thank you must also go to Chastity for her unexpected assistance in the booth. What started as an unplanned helping hand quickly became invaluable, and your support was invaluable.

After the convention, I made my way home via Johannesburg for a little bit of much-needed “leg maintenance.” Not long after arriving back, events in the Middle East unfortunately resulted in several safaris being postponed. While naturally disappointing, it did have one unexpected consequence—Hayley wasted no time putting me to work tackling a seemingly endless list of odd jobs around the house!

Before long, however, it was finally time for the 2026 hunting season to begin. It was a pleasure to welcome back Bruce, who has hunted with us on numerous occasions over the years. This time, he was joined by his son, Erik, whose lifelong dream was to hunt a gnarly old buffalo bull.  April presented its own challenges. An unusually long rainy season had left the bush exceptionally thick, making visibility and stalking considerably more difficult than normal. The silver lining was that buffalo numbers were excellent, and we were confident that with patience and persistence, success would come.

To settle the inevitable first-day nerves and confirm that the rifle was shooting exactly where it should, Erik bagged a jackal. It was a fine shot and the perfect confidence booster. Not long afterwards we came across a zebra stallion that was simply too good to pass up. Once again Erik made an excellent shot, and with another trophy on the ground, we were able to turn our full attention to the real objective of the safari—the pursuit of an old dugga boy. The very first day brought plenty of excitement, as we managed to stalk within just 60 yards of a good buffalo bull. Although tempting, he simply wasn’t the old warrior Erik had travelled so far to find. Over the following days we enjoyed several exhilarating stalks, repeatedly getting within range of buffalo, only to have the wind betray us, the thick brush obscure a shot, or discover that the bull wasn’t quite the right one.

On the fourth day our perseverance paid off when we located a solitary old warrior. After a relatively short but careful stalk, Erik made an exceptional shot, bringing his dream buffalo to the ground. It was a fitting reward for several days of hard work, patience and determination.For me personally, this safari was especially memorable. Bruce first hunted with me almost a decade ago, and to now share the experience with both him and his son, watching Erik realise a lifelong ambition, was a genuine privilege. Moments like these are what make this profession so rewarding.

Bruce and Erik, thank you both for your continued friendship and support. It was a pleasure hunting with you once again, and we look forward to welcoming you back in the not-too-distant future. 

A bit more R & M at home ………….. it never ends!!??  and early June saw the arrival of “The Family & Friends Group”, consisting of Dustin, his wife Nikki, daughters Alexis (12) and Emma (8), together with Dustin’s lifelong friend, Jerron.

This adventure took us to Gache Gache on the shoreline of Lake Kariba, one of Zimbabwe’s most scenic hunting areas. The wish list was an exciting one, with Leopard, Buffalo, Crocodile and Hippo topping the agenda. I must admit I was cautiously optimistic, particularly as Dustin was determined to hunt his buffalo with a bow.  The hunt got off to a fantastic start when Dawie put Jerron onto a magnificent old leopard Tom early in the safari. After spending two rather chilly nights in the blind, patience and perseverance paid off with a perfect shot. It was textbook leopard hunting from start to finish and a truly magnificent trophy to cut Jerron’s African hunting teeth on. The celebrations that followed were enthusiastic, to say the least, and probably the most dangerous part of the entire day!

While Jerron enjoyed a well-earned sleep to recover from the celebrations, Dustin was back in the field the following morning where he skillfully arrowed a superb old buffalo bull. It was incredibly satisfying to have the two primary target species successfully secured so early in the hunt.  As impressive as the trophies were, the real highlight of the safari was having Lexi and Emma, together with their mum Nikki, so actively involved throughout. Between the two young huntresses they accounted for an impressive selection of plains game, as well as a huge hippo bull taken on land. For girls of just 12 and 8 years old, their marksmanship, determination and resilience were nothing short of remarkable. Long days, countless miles on foot and challenging conditions never drew a single complaint. They were an absolute pleasure to have in camp and in the field.

Once Nikki put the camera down and picked up a rifle, she proved she was every bit as capable as the rest of the family by taking a huge crocodile. Watching the entire family share that hunt together was one of my personal highlights of the safari. In truth though, the whole trip was packed with memorable moments, and it is difficult to single out just one. Dustin would probably argue that the close-quarters hyena hunt deserved that honour!  Hunting alongside Dawie, Jerron also added a magnificent hippo bull, taken on land with a single well-placed shot, together with a beautiful klipspringer, rounding off an exceptional safari. The success and enjoyment of the hunt owed a great deal to Dawie and Corris, whose hard work, professionalism and good humour both in the field and around camp made a tremendous contribution throughout.

A heartfelt thank you to our entire US contingent for making this such a memorable safari. It was an absolute pleasure spending time with all of you, and we very much look forward to welcoming you back to Zimbabwe in the future.

As always, thank you to everyone who continues to support us. Every season brings new friendships, fresh challenges and memories that last a lifetime. We certainly wouldn’t have it any other way.

Until next time—hunt safely, travel well, and may the wind always be in your favour… 

“Family is not an important thing – it’s everything.” – Michael J Fox

                     UNTIL THE NEXT EDITION………………hunt safely, travel well and may the wind always be in your favour!!

E-Mail: buffalotrailssafaris@gmail.com  Jannie Tel: +263 772 265 571 Hayley Tel: +263 787 223 068

Website: http://www.buffalotrailssafaris.com