Cape Buffalo in SA or Tanzania? The better hunt

[Graham Hunter]

I have hunted both SA and Tanzania. Both were good hunts but Tan was a totally wild area and saw a lot of Buffalo. 750,000 acres and we were the only people in the area. No towers, wind turbines or power poles. Just completely wild!

 

[godwincp]

For a true wilderness hunt I would recommend the Dande with CMS or the Omay or Nyakasanga with Dalton and York Safaris. You’ll earn your buff and experience a true old Africa safari that won’t break the bank

 

[sgt_zim]

I was going to say Mozambique because I think you'll get a similar experience to Tanzania for a lot less money, but have you ever been hunting in Africa? I would not recommend Mozambique to a first time hunter

Yep - to ZA, my one and only trip. Jo'burg is certainly the easiest to get to from the US. But Beira isn't any worse than Dar es Salaam, Harare, or Lusaka, and I fly out of IAH. Most of those are 2 or 3 stops. I think the only other easy flight from IAH is Windhoek.

 

[375Fox]

Yep - to ZA, my one and only trip. Jo'burg is certainly the easiest to get to from the US. But Beira isn't any worse than Dar es Salaam, Harare, or Lusaka, and I fly out of IAH. Most of those are 2 or 3 stops. I think the only other easy flight from IAH is Windhoek.

I would say though that Tanzania is a very organized country. A first time African hunter has nothing to worry about there with firearm import. They follow the rules. Other countries like Mozambique you may get someone else’s interpretation of the rules and whatever headache they want to create for you.

 

[sgt_zim]

Well, there is that.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Ugalla Game Reserve in Tanzania. It’s not cheap, but you get exactly what you pay for.

 

[Happy Myles]

Ugalla Game Reserve in Tanzania. It’s not cheap, but you get exactly what you pay for.

Ugalla is wonderful place

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Ugalla is wonderful place

I know, right ?

Tanzania had banned hunting in September of 1973 and I was one of the first client hunters to hunt there when hunting was relegalized there in 1978 under the control of TAWICO (Tanzania Wildlife Corporation). All of the Tanzanian Safari hunting outfits were native African owned right after the 1978 relegalization. But they could only guide safaris in three hunting blocks- Ugalla Game Reserve, Madaba/U3 & Fort Ikorongo.

I took this fair sized bull in Ugalla & absolutely fell in love with Tanzania. Coincidentally, this was also the very first time in my life that I had hunted anything with a double rifle.

 

[wesheltonj]

Ugalla Game Reserve in Tanzania. It’s not cheap, but you get exactly what you pay for.

Ugalla is wonderful place

Have either of you hunted Uyumbu next door? And odds of 43+?

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Have either of you hunted Uyumbu next door? And odds of 43+?

I have. But only plains game.

 

[Doubleplay]

Do you find they’re more wary of hunters because of this? Does it make the hunt more challenging? Or are they more aggressive?

Just interested as I would have thought they were in a large area, self sustaining in SA, they would still be the same animal - but possibly not. If they’re animals that are worked with or see people frequently though I appreciate there may be a difference.

Interesting concept anyway. Looks like it would be Zim for me if the doors ever open for a 40th or 50th. Quite a price difference between that and Tanzania .

It absolutely makes the hunt more challenging.
On a side note there’s no self sustaining herd behind high fence in SA.
They have to bring in new blood on a constant basis to sustain a healthy herd. However there are dugga boys who were born on the property that can be hunted.
I observed close to a dozen buffalo hunts both in Zim and SA and killed couple myself in both countries and best I can tell you is there’s a big difference between the two.

 

[DLSJR]

This $10000 advertised hunt is Not in the BVC- which is considerably more expensive.

The Bubye Valley Conservancy is very expensive, especially when compared to other options in Zimbabwe. Also, their lion population is so large that it’s impacting the plains game and buffalo hunting.

Not that long ago, a very wealthy fellow purchased the entire BVC and the stories I’ve heard are that his wife loves the lions and isn’t all that crazy about hunting, so the prices were raised significantly to hunt there which reduced the hunters. I am told that a lion hunt on BVC now runs $250,000

 

[Doubleplay]

The Bubye Valley Conservancy is very expensive, especially when compared to other options in Zimbabwe. Also, their lion population is so large that it’s impacting the plains game and buffalo hunting.

Not that long ago, a very wealthy fellow purchased the entire BVC and the stories I’ve heard are that his wife loves the lions and isn’t all that crazy about hunting, so the prices were raised significantly to hunt there which reduced the hunters. I am told that a lion hunt on BVC now runs $250,000

I hunted BVC last year with Pete Fick who has been involved there since the beginning.
Yes there is a change with one of the share holders and some changes to leopard hunting but overall it's still an amazing place with big five roaming free and buff hunting is challenging and awesome.
Read my hunting report if you want to learn more about the place and hunting there.

 

[matt vejar]

When I hunted in the Selous in 2021 the only thing that increased during the hunt if I wanted to add more buffalo or other game was the permit from 10 day license $1,500 to 16 day which cost $$3,500. I believe a 21 day license was $5,500 back then.
Daily rates did not change at $1350 a day back then.
I wanted to get an Eland we kept seeing but between the Tag fee $3k and license increase $3500 I said let me think about it?????
It would have also allowed a hippo $3500. But there was no quota left! That really made my decision easy.
No no!!!
That’s how budgets get blown!!!!

 

[DLSJR]

When I hunted in the Selous in 2021 the only thing that increased during the hunt if I wanted to add more buffalo or other game was the permit from 10 day license $1,500 to 16 day which cost $$3,500. I believe a 21 day license was $5,500 back then.
Daily rates did not change at $1350 a day back then.
I wanted to get an Eland we kept seeing but between the Tag fee $3k and license increase $3500 I said let me think about it?????
It would have also allowed a hippo $3500. But there was no quota left! That really made my decision easy.
No no!!!
That’s how budgets get blown!!!!

Perhaps the best option in Tanzania, if one can afford it, is a 16-day hunt with 21-day license. That allows 3 buffalo, leopard, hippo, crocodile and most of the plains game. It’s not cheap but a very high quality hunt.

I’m taking my son back to Madaba in the Selous with Alan Vincent on that itinerary in 2028, hunting 2x1 off my quota. I’ll try to swap the leopard for a 4th buffalo as my son doesn’t want to hunt leopard and I’ve shot enough leopards (3) that I don’t need another one. We will both have 21-day licenses, but by hunting off my quota I only get charged observer rates for him. 21-day license allows 4 buffalo, so we can each shoot 2 if I can swap the leopard out for an extra buff.