Follow where Ivan is hunting this year. For privacy, Ivan does not always name the person he will be hunting with.

I have a full season this year and am very blessed to have great folks booked in some awesome areas.

My first trip to Africa begins with my good friend Josh Spies. Josh and his dad will be hunting with me in late March in Chewore South with Chifuti Safaris. Chewore borders the Mana Pools National Park where there is bound to be some great elephant bull movement at that time of the year. However, it’s not the most pleasant time to be hunting, it’s hot, the bush is thick and the roads are wet, but the big elephant are moving. The dates of this hunt are from March 24th through April 7th. Watch my blog for updates.

My next safari is with Ezulu in South Africa where our primary animal is a white rhino. I will be hunting with a great friend, someone who is an excellent hunter and who is also wanting to collect a number of plains game species. This is just a ten day hunt, but I am sure we will secure some great trophies. In addition to the Rhino we are hoping for a nice big sable and a buffalo bull as well as many plains game species.

The 16th of April will find me back in the Zambezi Valley with my good friend Bill Jones as well as some of his friends from Holt Auctions. We are hoping to take a couple of elephant bulls as well as a few tuskless and some buffalo bulls. The Valley is always exciting to me; we will be hunting through Chifuti of course, and their Chewore North concession remains one of my favorite places to be.

Then I have the whole month of May with Johan Calitz Safaris in Botswana, hunting with my good friend and old PH “Mongoose”. I start with Mike Sager, a gentleman who I have never met, but through phone conversations I have gotten to know quite well. We are hunting Jovarega, which means some good walking as well as the spot and stalk.

I will then join my good friend from The Wildlife Gallery, Brad Eldred, also for a bull, he will be with Steve Reiss. Jovarega. Brad and Steve will then go onto Ezulu where I am sure they will collect a bunch of great plains-game. South Africa and Botswana make for a good combination. Botswana is really for the elephant, so combining it with South Africa makes a lot of sense.

On the 20th of April, Len Guldman will join me in Kukama. What a treat; this is also a prime area, and we are holding out for a big bull over 70#! Then its home to Michigan for the month of June to my dear wife, our cats and the late Michigan springtime!

On June 30th its back to Africa with Jim Hall. We will be hunting Rungwa in Tanzania for a full Tanzania bag. We are hoping for a nice full maned lion, a big leopard and a full bag of plainsgame. Jim and I, as many of you know, have hunted together several times. He is an excellent shot and I know we will have a lot of fun out there.

That hunt is followed by some back to back Tanzania buffalo hunts in Rungwa. These hunts are some of my favorite; nothing like looking for a big buffalo (or two) among those giant herds!

Three weeks in September will be spent at home. Then I will head back over to Rungwa and Adam Clement’s outfit with Steve Bindon of Trijicon. I plan to arrive in camp a bit before him to start pre-baiting. If we get done early, we’ll try our luck on a sable and roan!

Following this I return to Zimbabwe with Chifuti Safaris for a tuskless, a buffalo and a hippo, and then it’s onward to Massailand hoping for a massive buffalo and an elephant with 7 foot tusks. I will be with Graham Weiss who is a fit, young and aggressive individual. We should get some great trophies.

That will conclude the safari season for me. I am looking at the year as a whole and I think we will be getting some great trophies and enjoying some excellent experiences.

Keep an eye on my blog. I will be using a satellite connection that has been provided for me by Explorer Satellite. I will be keeping the blog updated with photos and some stories of our antics out there!