This season has been one for the books—buffalo hunting at its finest. While next year looks set to be all about leopards, 2025 has been covered in dagga boys. One of the highlights was organising a hunt for Dustin Knutson, owner of Boyd’s Hardwood Gunstocks, in northern Zimbabwe in the Kaburi-Moto area.
Hunting with Dustin was a privilege; he’s a true sportsman who values age over inches and hunts for the experience, not just the tape measure. From the very first day, Dustin proved he was patient and disciplined, passing up multiple hard-bossed bulls in search of something older, wiser, and more battle-worn. That opportunity came on day seven, deep in the wild bush, when he connected with an ancient old buffalo—exactly the kind of trophy he had hoped for. A gnarly, seasoned warrior, the bull was the perfect reward for days of tracking and persistence.
But buffalo wasn’t the only goal. Dustin also had his heart set on kudu. The Kaburi-Moto area we hunted offered incredible diversity: from lakeshore frontage on Lake Kariba, to Zambezi floodplains, and into rugged hills.
It was here, in one of the most remote corners of the area, that we came face-to-face with a magnificent kudu bull—another unforgettable moment etched into the trip.
The safari continued to deliver. Near the end, Dustin took a beautiful warthog boar, rounding out an already spectacular hunt. On the final day, we set our sights on a Nile crocodile, a true monster basking in the shallows. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. A misplaced shot and a chain of mishaps meant this croc was lost to Lake Kariba. That’s hunting—sometimes it all comes together, sometimes it doesn’t. Dustin handled it like a true sportsman, taking it in stride and enjoying the hunt for what it was: a wild African adventure.
This safari was also a chance to celebrate a valued partner. Boyd’s Hardwood Gunstocks, Dustin’s company, proudly sponsors This Is Africa. We’ve personally given new life to several of our older rifles with Boyd’s custom stocks, and the results have been nothing short of phenomenal. If you haven’t checked them out yet, make sure you do.
You will be able to watch Dustin’s story unfold in This Is Africa Season 8, airing January 2026 on the Sportsman Channel and YouTube.
Until then, you can relive the adventure through our new This Is Africa ON SAFARI Podcast, where we sat down with Dustin around the campfire to share the full story.
