Buffalo Question…

[WAB]

This is how I ended up approaching the hunt. I wanted my first experience to be the best I could make it within my budget and I felt I found that in Zim. I contemplated being able to have a great mixed bag of buff and plains game, or the true wild hunt with unknowns. I went with the latter and do not believe I made the wrong decision for me. I even pushed myself to set aside more money to extend my hunt by a few days and hunt wild croc. Now I have the freedom to hunt hard for buff and if we have time hunt hard for croc. Any plains game that we come across will just be a bonus. Hopefully bushbuck and hyena are seen. I certainly would not turn away a water buck or kudu either.

A very wise decision from my POV.

 

[revturbo9967]

A very wise decision from my POV.

I thank many of the seasoned hunters here who aided me with these decisions. I was able to save a possible heartache because of their experience and advice.

 

[WAB]

I thank many of the seasoned hunters here who aided me with these decisions. I was able to save a possible heartache because of their experience and advice.

Seasoned is a very nice way of saying ‘old fart’!

 

[Hunt anything]

Seasoned is a very nice way of saying ‘old fart’!

Hey, I resemble that remark!! LOL

 

[WAB]

In all seriousness, I envy a man his first buffalo hunt. For me it was a life changing experience. Working in tight on an old dugga boy is one of the purest forms of hunting it has been my great good fortune to experience.

 

[Wiley64]

Any input on Uganda’s buff hunting? From what I gather it is an absolute blast

 

[BadPops]

You will get a buffalo with Zambezi Delta Safari but …. It’s almost certainly taking a buff in the swamps. It’s a great experience however it is not a traditional tracking hunt most of the time.

Here’s how the day goes. You wake up at 4 am from a spike camp near the swamp. Drive to the swamp, get in a giant Norwegian swamp buggy type thing, maybe an Argo and …. You drive into the swamp for a 2-4 hour drive that is interesting but uncomfortable. They use an ultra light airplane or tiny helicopter to get an approximate location on the big heards the day before and you head for those coordinates. You locate the heard, try and circle for the wind and probably crawl for a while to get into 100 meter range. There are 30-200 buff in front of you and you try and pick out a big bull that stands on the edge of the heard long enough to set sticks up in. Usually shoot from kneeling on sticks or a quick stand up on sticks. Then you cut it up and load it. Another 2-4h drive back in heat and bugs. Arrive back before midnight is a quick trip.

Never let them take more then two hunters to shoot in a day or you spend way to much time waiting on the other hunters to shoot there bull. It’s not tracking and it’s unlikely you will get to 50 meters. You need a scope almost certainly and no solids in a heard. You get a very interesting experience but … it’s not a classic buff hunt.

The PG in the area is mind blowing, a few of the rarer tiny ten like suni, red duiker, Oribi and blue duiker as well.

I really don’t think it’s a first buff trip, more like a 3-4 buff trip for a new novel experience.

My first buff was in the swamps. The last five have been in the sand Forrest. Just tell them you prefer the forrest. Not a problem.

 

[Rell]

My first buff was in the swamps. The last five have been in the sand Forrest. Just tell them you prefer the forrest. Not a problem.

In my group they did everything but drop yoy from a helicopter in the swamp. They simply don’t have that many buff in the forest zone. They pushed and pushed for everyone to hunt the swamp. Even the two guys that had booked and confirmed forest buff.

 

[RayAtkinson]

For big buffalo, Id suggest Tanzania..It also has the best weather and makes for a comfortable hunt, It offers mountain hunting, plains and bush, take your pick..Im retired now but I would recommend Pierre van tonder as a PH that makes hunting fun and you will be well taken care of..Lot of the best PHs operate in Tanzania as its the last of the old days of hunting Africa in tents or as close as you can get....Just my opine from years of hunting Africa..and in the safari business..

 

[Hunt anything]

I’ve often dreamed of hunting one of those giant Masai land Buffalo but I think Tanzania is way to expensive for me, on my 3 trips to South Africa I don’t think I’ve spent as much as a good Buffalo hunt in Tanzania would cost. Mozambique is another story. Maybe one day my financial situation will allow for one and I will jump all over a hunt in Tanzania for Buffalo and the iconic Masai species.