2025 Tanzania or Zambia Budget Plains Game

[375Fox]

In order just to experience Tanzania safari: what is the most economic hunt to look for? What species?

Surprisingly buffalo. The 10 day license lets you take 2. They are most widespread in country. I don’t think you’d find any interest in a limited plains game unless it was same day rates as buffalo.

 

[375Fox]

Again that is why I jumped on the deal Michele Mantheakis had. He let me do a 10 day safari with a 21 day license. What was normally a six figure hunt was half that all in.
The main issue is now that the concession auctions have run the prices up to where it does not make economic sense for outfitters to do anything but full bag safaris. Like all of Africa you must hunt now! Who knows what tomorrow may bring.

What all species did you take? I’ve seen some good deals (for Tanzania) advertised the year of hunt for premium license, but it’s difficult for me to wait and hope an offer comes along. It’s definitely not getting cheaper.

 

[375Fox]

I think the laws have made the $50k "discount" Tanzania hunt impossible today? I believe that you now must do a 21 or 28 day minimum in Tanzania and that there are daily taxes and incidentals that make it a six figure affair. If I recall correctly, there are prescriptive rules you must follow on your bag too, something like "to hunt species X you must hunt for Y days and also have species Z on your quota".

Glad you got there when you did @Philip Glass . Tanzania is all but untouchable for anyone in the 2%er club unless they are in the top tenth of 1% wealth club.

Probably best pricing I’ve seen advertised for Tanzania, especially including charter

7 Day Cape Buffalo Hunt - Tanzania - 1X Cape Buffalo Per Hunter & Charter Included

7 DAY CAPE BUFFALO & PLAINS GAME SAFARI $ 16,500.00/HUNTER (4x2) $ 18,500.00/HUNTER (2x1) $ 19,500.00/HUNTER (1x1) • OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2023 • TANZANIA - SELOUS GAME RESERVE • TROPHY FEE INCLUDED - 1x CAPE BUFFALO / HUNTER - CHARTER - ROUND TRIP - ARRIVAL CITY DAR ES SALAAM Contact us for more...

www.africahunting.com

 

[jcnelsn1]

I have not been to Tanzania but am leaving for there this weekend and did a lot of research before this trip. You can definitely hunt for anything in Tanzania on a shorter than 21 day safari, you just have to pay for the premium license. We are hunting for 16 days but have the premium license with all msassailand species, 4 buffalo, leopard etc on license. As a stated by others, Tanzania is very expensive. For some context, the trophy fee on lesser kudu and gerenuk where we are going is $10k. Buffalo trophy fee is much less. I agree a 7-10 day 1-2 buffalo hunt seems like the best bang for the buck option in Tanzania

 

[rookhawk]

That’s not correct. Look at the offers posted here by Eshkesh Safaris. You’ll be limited but you can still hunt buffalo, grant and Thompson gazelle, wildebeest, and a few others on a 10 day license. The hunt cost for premium species like lesser kudu, gerenuk, oryx does go up considerably though and varied widely depending on the outfitter. I’m booked for 10 day hunt on a 10 day license in 2025. It’s still not a cheap hunt, but you can keep it under $50k all in easily. Massailand appeared more expensive than other areas in Tanzania based on my research as well, but it has the gazelles and unique species.

Upon further investigation, it appears both of us are correct.

Your point: there are plains game packages that include Thompson gazelle and a few other species in the under $50k package. When I poked around, I saw a species list choice of about 8-10 potential common species. 7-10 day hunts were possible on this list

My point: It looked like you needed to go for 21+ days to get access to the longer species lists of more unusual plains game and the prices skyrocketed. Without the 21 days and the huge bill, you didn't get access to the species list 3x longer than the 7-10 day options.

My overall thoughts: You don't get much in the realm of unique species you cannot hunt elsewhere until you spend truly big bucks in Tanzania.

 

[jcnelsn1]

There is fairly significant pricing variation among the various outfitters. Based on what I know you should be able to take most of the plains game in Massailand (lesser kudu, gerenuk, fringe ear oryx, the gazelles, white face wildebeest etc) on a 7-10 day hunt (purchasing a premium license). That is going to cost $50k for the base fee and probably another $50k in trophy fees, tips, incidentals etc. All in (exclusive of airfare to get there and getting animals back) it is going to be $100k, plus or minus 15-20% depending on outfitter and concession. That is taking all of the unique east Africa species available there

 

[Wheels]

In order just to experience Tanzania safari: what is the most economic hunt to look for? What species?

If you want the Maasailand pg like gerenuk and lesser kudu you will have to get the 21 day license. If you hunt for a shorter period of time like ten days you still might be able to get this for $50k or less. This will include Thompson, Grants, WB Wildebeest, C Hartebeest and FE Oryx, subject to availability in the concession. The problem is most concessions won't have all those animals and you may not get a couple of the animals.

If you do a 16 day license over 10 days in Maasailand, you can get many of the above pg subject to availability in the concession. You might still get this hunt for $35k, possibly 30k.

You need to make sure the species that are available in a Maasailand concession prior to the hunt and not assume that all concessions have all species.

Three years ago at DSC I saw a good operator with a 16 day license and a 12 day hunt that included trophy fees for buffalo and leopard (leopard require a 16 day license) for $28k. Trophy fees on pg was additional. That's a really good price most anywhere.

You get 4 buffalo on a 21 day license. There are hunters that will do this and hunt for 10-12 days primarily to hunt buffalo. Ask the outfitters to price out a hunt like this. When you start dividing a hunt by 4 buffalo the price per animal may be cheaper in Tanzania than most other countries.

Shop around. Tanzania has prices all over the board. I have been aware of 21 day hunts full board all in including trophy fees on joining concessions that were both great. One hunt was apx. 250k. The other was apx. 125k. Much of this has to do with marketing and how well known an outfitters name was.

I have also seen two outfitters that jointly control a concession be 80% different in price for the same hunt on the same concession.

Hope this helps a bit. Shop around. You are asking the right questions.

 

[375Fox]

Upon further investigation, it appears both of us are correct.

Your point: there are plains game packages that include Thompson gazelle and a few other species in the under $50k package. When I poked around, I saw a species list choice of about 8-10 potential common species. 7-10 day hunts were possible on this list

My point: It looked like you needed to go for 21+ days to get access to the longer species lists of more unusual plains game and the prices skyrocketed. Without the 21 days and the huge bill, you didn't get access to the species list 3x longer than the 7-10 day options.

My overall thoughts: You don't get much in the realm of unique species you cannot hunt elsewhere until you spend truly big bucks in Tanzania.

You are confusing a 21 day premium license with a 21 day requirement. You can buy the premium license and hunt fewer days. This is often case in massailand for plains game. Here is an example of pricing. Some is publicly available on bookyourhunt.com too if you can recognize the outfitter. No hunting in Tanzania is cheap but there is a wide range. You are correct on your final point. You will spend some serious money in most all cases to take all the unique plains game. The trophy fees on the premium species are on expensive as well. I’ll be happy just seeing massailand on a 10 day license and getting to take grant and Thompson gazelle even if I can’t take the other species.

 

[LivingTheDream]

I agree a 7-10 day 1-2 buffalo hunt seems like the best bang for the buck option in Tanzania

Multiple buffalo and try to avoid a charter flight. Seen some really good deals.

 

[mark-hunter]

Hope this helps a bit. Shop around. You are asking the right questions.

Thanks for info!
I am just collecting preliminary info, to know what to look for when the time comes.

 

[Danchy007]

, WB Wildebeest,
FE Oryx

What are thesethe WB and FE?

 

[rookhawk]

What are thesethe WB and FE?

FE Oryx = Fringe-Ear Oryx
Wb Wildebeest = Western White-Bearded Wildebeest

Tanzania has a number of unique species and subspecies that cannot be hunted in other areas. (e.g. they may cross borders, but the other countries don't allow safari hunting or don't have quota)

 

[Wheels]

What are thesethe WB and FE?

Rook clarified.

Also the C Hartebeest is the Coke's Hartebeest.

Hope that helps.

 

[Danchy007]

Thanks googled for pics and yeah I know that wilbebeest. It's the one from most of those documentaries I watched as a kid

 

[mark-hunter]

Hunting various subspecies on the continent of Africa. Very demanding!
For example WB, go there, hunt them all, at least 5 year pursuit:

What are these the WB and FE?