Hunting multiple buffalo

[Jondnov]

I’ve only been on one plains game safari and had a blast. Now looking at a buffalo hunt in a wilderness area for my second hunt. Still a couple years out but already starting to look at options. My question is do any of you try and take 2 buffalo bulls on the same hunt? Reason that I ask is you’re paying a DG daily rate at 1k plus a day and most of the trophy fees seem reasonable. Plus you’re already over there. Do most outfitters have enough tags to allow this and encourage it.

 

[Josh P]

Everybody likes cash flow.

 

[375Fox]

I’ve only been on one plains game safari and had a blast. Now looking at a buffalo hunt in a wilderness area for my second hunt. Still a couple years out but already starting to look at options. My question is do any of you try and take 2 buffalo bulls on the same hunt? Reason that I ask is you’re paying a DG daily rate at 1k plus a day and most of the trophy fees seem reasonable. Plus you’re already over there. Do most outfitters have enough tags to allow this and encourage it.

Most will charge you a higher day rate or exaggerated trophy fee if you don’t extend the days. Quota is limited and most don’t want to over harvest either. They will charge more because they could sell two hunts instead of only selling one hunt to you. If quota is still available at end of season it would be encouraged and you’d get a good deal on the second buffalo. Tanzania is the only country where taking multiple buffalo on safari is normal, but it also has some of the highest prices in Africa.

 

[SRvet]

What about adding a buffalo cow?

 

[wvfred]

One option would be to book two 7 day buffalo hunts back to back,

 

[revturbo9967]

Most will charge you a higher day rate or exaggerated trophy fee if you don’t extend the days. Quota is limited and most don’t want to over harvest either. They will charge more because they could sell two hunts instead of only selling one hunt to you. If quota is still available at end of season it would be encouraged and you’d get a good deal on the second buffalo. Tanzania is the only country where taking multiple buffalo on safari is normal, but it also has some of the highest prices in Africa.

This is what I have found when i asked my PH. The second buff was going to be 1-2k more depending on when I booked the second one

 

[Red Leg]

Most will charge you a higher day rate or exaggerated trophy fee if you don’t extend the days. Quota is limited and most don’t want to over harvest either. They will charge more because they could sell two hunts instead of only selling one hunt to you. If quota is still available at end of season it would be encouraged and you’d get a good deal on the second buffalo. Tanzania is the only country where taking multiple buffalo on safari is normal, but it also has some of the highest prices in Africa.

@375Fox has pretty much nailed it. For instance, in the Zambezi Delta of Mozambique only a limited number of Coutadas have buffalo. The quota is quite large, so a number of other operators purchase quota based on their number of clients for the year. I know at least two, who charge client a trophy fee that is less than the actual cost of the tag. I business plan accounts for that discount trough trophy fees outside the buffalo concession and the daily rate. Those two outfitters could arrange a second buffalo, but would almost certainly have to charge full cost for the second tag.

Other than Tanzania, the most likely place to arrange a second bull would probably be a South African game ranch operation. I suspect several outfitters here would make you an offer. I would also assume they would be looking for a ten-day to two-week commitment and again, likely a premium on the second animal.

 

[Hunt anything]

Look into a community buffalo, many areas have these at a reduced rate. You would get to hunt another buffalo and it would likely be what I would call a true trophy, a bull with busted up horns and old as the hills. You can’t keep any of the buffalo but you get the experience of another buffalo hunt.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Look into a community buffalo, many areas have these at a reduced rate. You would get to hunt another buffalo and it would likely be what I would call a true trophy, a bull with busted up horns and old as the hills. You can’t keep any of the buffalo but you get the experience of another buffalo hunt.

This sounds like a plan!

 

[Red Leg]

Look into a community buffalo, many areas have these at a reduced rate. You would get to hunt another buffalo and it would likely be what I would call a true trophy, a bull with busted up horns and old as the hills. You can’t keep any of the buffalo but you get the experience of another buffalo hunt.

Good idea. However, one needs to be hunting an area where "community" animals exist. Those are fairly limited.

 

[Graham Hunter]

I have only shot 1 Buff in Limpopo. It was a challeging hunt that I enjoyed very much. Now I am going to Tanzania for a truly wild hunt. I am alowed to shoot 2 Buffs and probably will. Reason is I love hunting Buff and the cost of a second Buff is cheap compared to booking another hunt. No restrictions on 2nd Buff for size.

 

[Jondnov]

This is what I have found when i asked my PH. The second buff was going to be 1-2k more depending on when I booked the second one

So the set daily rate was the same for the number of days whether you shot 1 or 2 buffalo? Did he ask you to extend the days if you wanted a second buffalo

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I’ve hunted 2 Cape buffalo on the same safari in Tanzania.

 

[Hunt anything]

Good idea. However, one needs to be hunting an area where "community" animals exist. Those are fairly limited.

True I should have been specific, I was thinking of the Coutada I hunted in Mozambique.

 

[375Fox]

What about adding a buffalo cow?

There are very few cow opportunities in most wild areas. Zimbabwe has some on quota but usually reserved for lion bait from what I understand.

 

[Jondnov]

Thanks for the replies. Good information. I should have been more specific. Tanzania is going to be out of my budget. Been looking at Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. If only one buff makes sense might do a buff/eland combo. Outfitter suggestions in those countries you guys have hunted with that would offer that hunt. Thanks again everyone. I didn’t hunt eland on my first safari and many have said a tracking hunt for eland is great.

 

[375Fox]

The eland will tough in a lot of reliable areas for buffalo in Zimbabwe . I had a great hunt with charlton McCallum safaris and am rebooked for 2024. They have sengwa research and Nyakasanga that are both supposed to be very good for plains game. I was incredibly successful in Dande East but it’s not repeatable every trip and was actually their first eland in 10 years from the concession.

 

[revturbo9967]

So the set daily rate was the same for the number of days whether you shot 1 or 2 buffalo? Did he ask you to extend the days if you wanted a second buffalo

With my ph, the daily rate is the same and if I booked the second buff in advance with enough notice, the trophy fee would be 1k more if I remember correctly. If quota was available and I wanted a second once in camp the fee would be 2k more then the original trophy fee. He did not ask to extend days but did say 10 day is the norm with 7 being the absolute shortest for a buff. I extended to 12 days but added different DG animals. They may do 2 buff in 14 days

 

[Kelly G]

Dave Langerman PH- Zimbabwe
Sent me this information on Double Buffalo in Bubye Valley earlier this year.
Double buffalo and plains game (one trophy and one non-trophy):
12 days x $1750 = $21000 in daily rates
one trophy buff 6000
one non-trophy 3950
2% government levy on daily rates = $420
2% Zimbabwe Tourism levy on trophy fees, whatever they may be at the end.
2% National Parks levy on trophy fees, whatever they may be at the end.

 

[Red Leg]

Thanks for the replies. Good information. I should have been more specific. Tanzania is going to be out of my budget. Been looking at Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. If only one buff makes sense might do a buff/eland combo. Outfitter suggestions in those countries you guys have hunted with that would offer that hunt. Thanks again everyone. I didn’t hunt eland on my first safari and many have said a tracking hunt for eland is great.

In Mozambique, I can highly recommend Grant Taylor's Mashambanzou Safaris https://www.mashambanzousafaris.com/ . One of the big blue Livingstone eland can be every bit as demanding, often more so, than a big cape buffalo. I would shoot him an email and tell him what you would like to do in a perfect world and work it from there.