Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Buffalo in Tanzania, etc.

So, while I hunted plains game in South Africa in 2010, it was fun and on some big properties with flighty critters, however I have zero desire to go back to Africa with one exception: Cape Buffalo. I'd like it to be a true, old style track the herd down and get close kind of a hunt. My research has pointed me towards Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda or maybe Mozambique but I'm open to other options. I am not interested in South Africa or Namibia for this.

I also would like to:

• Hunt in March/April or early summer with March/April being preferred
• Book directly through an outfitter and not a third party, as I have generally had better experiences doing so
• Hunt out of a tent camp, as I despise big fancy lodges
• I really just am not interested in being ridiculously catered to or having 4-5 other hunters and lots of workers around other than a few trackers

Specifically, I am looking at these three outfits. Has anyone hunted with them? What can you tell me about the operation? Good, bad, ugly?

• Ultimate Tanzania Safaris: https://utsafaris.com
• Michael Mantheakis https://mm-safaris.co.tz/home
• Uganda Wildlife Safaris http://www.uganda-wildlife-safaris.com/contact/

John Sharp has a hell of a rep though I suspect he is booked up for quite a while.

Thanks for any insight.

Chifuti Safaris in Zimbabwe...

Is that who you went through?
Their site seems to be down, and a quick google search shows a lot of odd ball things. I am not sure they are even still in business.

No, I didnt go through them. Im not sure about their current standing, they used to have a stellar operation.
The guys I went through are long gone...

Look at the pricing in Tanzania...its usually off the charts high...lots of add-ons.

did my first hunt in africa this last aug in zambia.....pretty low key ...nice but not over the top at all..I did not want fancy at all....jhonny duplooy...buff leopard etc.

next hunt is in zimbabwe 25.....lin stanton buff elephant etc.


call mark young thats who I booked through....he is a straight shooter and doesn't cost extra...but will have tons of info for you......what you are wanting is what I wanted and got.....no lodges for me....thatched huts.....bob

I’ve hunted with John 3 times now…Won’t be a tent camp but otherwise checks the boxes. Just did a double buff hunt last July. Had a great time and great hunt. Shot my second buff at 11 paces. Worth an email and phone call to discuss. While he is getting older he is in good shape and a great guy to share camp with. No experience in Tanzania. Generally more expensive but opportunities for multiple buffalo make it an intriguing option.

Huh....good info all. This is the kind of info I am looking for...
Looking at Tanzania the prices don't look over the top to me....Ultimate Tanzania has their Buffalo Package #1 for right at $20K USD and looking at what was included and what was not, it didn't seem that I was missing anything...but this is why I asked.

Thanks!

pmed you..bob

If you’re considering TZ, be sure you ask about charter flights to camp and approx costs. They can quite easily be $4-6k or more. I’ve taken buff in TZ, Zim and the Caprivi. TZ is by far the most expensive if that matters- mainly because of the add ons and much higher day rates, offset somewhat by lower trophy fees.

It also depends on how much you want to experience what's known as "wild" Africa--meaning you're not hunting on ranches (even if the buffalo are wild), but where the other large animals of wild Africa might be encountered--such as lions and elephants, whether you can hunt them or not....

Thanks everyone for the info…this is the kind of stuff I was hoping for.

jdollar, Ultimate Tanzania Safaris’ packages includes domestic flights and hotels at least according to their website. My limited research doesn’t seem to indicate that Tanzania is any more expensive than anywhere else and what seems to be included in prices isn’t lacking anything, from what I can tell but I absolutely could be missing something…

I see that I have a lot of research yet to do, which is fine.

I know you said you were not interested in Namibia or RSA. You might want to look into hunting the Caprivi in northern Namibia. That is wild Africa. I hunted up there last year for buffalo and was able to get a real good one. We encountered elephant and hippo daily. Had to be real careful on the river, the hippo were very aggressive. Heard lions at night and saw a couple of kills. Prices are reasonable for the experience you get. If you change your mind about Namibia, I’ll be glad to share info on who I went with. Either way, good luck on getting your buffalo hunt scheduled.

Thanks Seilders....I will at least check that out.

Zimbabwe and Zambia most certainly are getting my attention right now.

Fair Warning:

Tsetse flies are thick in the Selous region. It's the only negative I can come up with about anywhere in Tanzania, except for Zanzibar. Avoid it. Tanzania is expensive on a whole.

The Caprivi Strip has always interested me, and I hear from some who have been there it's an amazing experience, and Namibia is well run.

T_Inman, you’ve picked some good operations but I’ll offer a few others to give consideration for your buffalo hunt.

If you need to hunt in March-April, you really limit your options in Tanzania largely to Masailand. You’d be hunting into the Long Rains, which can make for tough conditions. After hunting Maswa North in December of 2019 and dealing with heavy rain every day of our hunt, there is no way I’d personally risk hunting during the rains again. But, you can shoot 2 or 3 buffalo in Tanzania, depending how long you hunt and that’s a big benefit, IMO. Masailand is one of the few areas you can hunt during the long rains.

Michel Mantheakis’ Longido area is very good, though tends to be expensive. Charl Van Rooyen is a very accomplished safari operator, but I don’t know if Nalika & Mbaragandu are even huntable then. It’s just south of the Selous Game Reserve and hunting there is generally a July-October endeavor. I’m also not sure Charl is still hunting there as I know that Gerard Miller & Ryan Shallom have at least a portion of those two areas now. You’ll need to talk with Charl to confirm where he’s hunting and during what months.

A couple other options to consider in Masailand would include Eshkesh Safaris, who has Masai East Open Area. Mubarek Atik runs Eshkesh and is here on AfricaHunting as a sponsor. He’s a good guy, good PH whom I’d happily hunt with. Another to consider would be Ernest Dyason, another sponsor on here who does his Tanzania hunting through Kilombero North Safaris. They’re both good PH’s and have quality buffalo hunting on their areas. KNS has some fantastic buffalo hunting. I personally know both of them and would happily hunt with either one.

Moving to Uganda, March is a great time in to hunt the Karamoja District that Christian Weth holds. It’s some of the very best buffalo hunting anywhere and you can shoot multiple buffalo, but it ain’t cheap!

If you’re open to hunting later in the year, especially mid-July to end of September, you open up some additional fantastic options. These would include MA1/Madaba in the Selous with Alan Vincent or on Chifunda or other Luangwa Valley concession with Johnny DuPlooy. Zimbabwe, Mozambique and the Caprivi also have lots of good options then.

Your time frame is going to figure heavily in where you end up.

If you want a more traditional "tended" East African Safari, then, look for outfits that offer "tended" safaris (lots in TZ and Zambia). Pierre van Tonder has some really good places and buffalo and his prices are very reasonable. I hunted buffalo with John Sharp up in the Dande North region of Zim which is very wild Africa. Ne now hunts the Bubyee valley conservancy.

Thanks everyone. I do appreciate it and am considering all of these options. I have absolutely zero experience with these critters.

I want a March or April hunt because I am so busy with NA hunting in our falls and my summers are busy at work. I am not a strict trophy or numbers guy and would be perfectly fine with any average bull, so I am not tied to one area that traditionally produces bulls of a certain size. What I want is the tracking and old school experience.

I really appreciate all the responses.

Doing a hunt in March/April - you'll be up close and personal for sure. Still a lot of green on the trees/bushes. CAelknuts raises a good point - if you want to shoot more than one buff, TZ is a good option on the average as you can take 1 or 2 extra on trophy fee basis.

In much of Southern Africa, March and April are the transition between the end of the rainy season and the start of the dry season. All the trees and shrubs will be fully leafed out, reducing visibility and making it a lot harder to see game. This is something to consider.

A hunt a couple of months later would be a bit easier and also cooler. The best hunting months are probably August to October.

Tanzania and Uganda have different wet and dry season patterns and would probably be more viable during March and April.

My son and I hunted buffalo and plains game last September with Neil Duckworth of Mokore Safaris in their Coutada 9 area in Mozambique. The hunting was terrific and we both took nice bulls along with a bunch of other animals. I've hunted buffalo 2 times with Neil and Mokore Safaris and they run a top notch operation.

Like Bob_mt I booked my hunts through Mark Young. He is a straightforward guy and easy to work with. He can answer lots of questions as he's done many hunts in Africa. He represents a number of good PH's including Johnny DuPlooy in Zambia and Mokore Safaris in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

I'm pretty sure I'll never afford a Tanzania hunt but if I did I'd beg, borrow but not steal to hunt Tommy Roberts and Grants on the same hunt.

Good luck with your selection and hope you have an awesome hunt.