According to the Hunting Report E-Mail Extra, Tanzania is going to open bowhunting. The bad news is that trophy fees will be doubled for archery hunters.

I do not understand the logic in this, but I wanted to pass the information along to AR members that are considering bowhunting Africa.
Tanzania is a great hunting destination.

Kathi- "bad news is that trophy fees will be doubled for archery hunters."
Which is almost the opposite of what it is in Texas. Traditionally our trophy fees for animals are much less for archers than they are for gun hunters.
I guess they didn't ask any of us - huh...

Dear Kathi,

Concerning game, Tanzania is the land of plenty. A pity they don’t understand bow-hunting. BTW there is many things they don’t understand : political ill-governance ???
Never mind, we have enough competitive countries where to pleasantly bow hunt.
Thanks for sharing.
Mes hommages empresses. Attentive respects.

One of my outfitters has just sent me the Tanzania pricing. Bow hunt trophy fees are indeed almost double.

Doubling Trophy fees for Archery will slam the door shut for bowhunting in Tanzania. It matters little if legal or not.

TheBigGuy

The door has never really been open in the first place to bow hunting in Tanzania, and they would actually prefer that it stays that way. They have just legalized the bow hunting now due to some of us pushing them to do so, but they really never wanted to. So, to make sure that they do not get a lot of bow hunters, the double trophy fee will take care of that and will be very limited as to who can afford to bow hunt in Tanzania now. Which is exactly the point and the way they want to keep it. Although I do have a few bow hunters going to Tanzania that really want to hunt there, I do not see a lot of bow hunters going to Tanzania to bow hunt.

Tanzania is also totally different than the way they bow hunt in Southern Africa, and we do not sit by water holes and all of the hunting is spot and stalk. So, one has to be a very good bow hunter to be successful in tanzania. Many bow hunters who do great sitting by water holes would probably not be as good as they think they are in Tanzania and would cause wounding of animals, which is what the government wants to stay away from.

So, I personally see both the pros and cons from both sides, but is what we have to abide by regardless of what we think.

Why hunt Tanzania when Zambia can offer the same at no higher trophy fees than the rifle hunts? Zambia has been open to bowhunters since 1996. I conducted numerous successful lion and leopard hunts there. It is a matter of finding an outfitter and PH that has the patience and know how. Problem is Zambia is so overbooked at the moment and there is simply more money to be made and guaranteed with rifles.

Derick
Did you by any chance hunted with Hunters and Guides?

quote:

Originally posted by safari12:
So, to make sure that they do not get a lot of bow hunters, the double trophy fee will take care of that and will be very limited as to who can afford to bow hunt in Tanzania now. Which is exactly the point and the way they want to keep it

So they get their wish.

A bow was always ment to be a short range ambush weapon. No matter how much people try to turn it into a rifle.

Bowhunting is about getting close & personal with your quarry. IMHO anything OVER 20yrds. Isn't a bowhunting shot. Not because of accuratcy..because of the challenge. I took this wildebeest at 12 yrds.....I don't think I took a breath for 15min. waiting for my shot.

If Tanz. doesn't offer "our" hunting opertunities or they plan don't want us...that's their business. There are plentry of other places that do.

BTW - Bowhunters wound & rifle hunters don't?...rather insulting isn't it?

Boss Kongoni, I agree with you on your point about bowhunting, but what you and I or anyone else thinks or wants, does not mean a thing when dealing with a foriegn government. We just have to realize that they are not educated about bow hunting and just have to live by their rules, and hope that sooner or later they do understand what bow hunting is all about. Maybe its because they know that that less animals will be taken, which means less money from trophy fees Who knows what the reason is. We can just look at the upside and be happy that they will allow bow hunting period! It is one step forward and that is what we have to look at.

There is also another aspect to this which the TZ Game Dpt were not so sure about how to address, and that is the "local" hunter that uses his traditional home made bow and arrow!

With citizen hunting permits being so dirt cheap ($5.5 for a buffalo)they worried that legalizing bow hunting would open up a whole new avenue for local village hunters (poachers)to "exploit" the system and easily set-up a "legal" bush meat trade! and they cannot "just" allow foreigners to bow-hunt!!!! Political repercussions if such a move were to take place....

Not sure what made them change their mind

There is definetely a need to implement ad hoc bow-hunting regulations wich they have not really come up with as yet! as Adam said, the most important step has been taken ; Allowing Bow hunting to take place! The rest will come........ gradually

quote:

but what you and I or anyone else thinks or wants, does not mean a thing when dealing with a foriegn government

quote:

but what you and I or anyone else thinks or wants, does not mean a thing when dealing with a foriegn government

Adam - Yes, you are very correct.

It's unfortunate too. Any possible bowhunting problem that could arise has been delt with here in the USA over last 40 years. So,
'models' for regs. exist and are proven.

I think as ponited out it's more an revenue issue. That may be their biggest mis-conception. Bowhunters as you know are a growing market for southern & hopefully east Arica.

Bwanamich, you are so right, as it would be a huge problem if every local guy who had a bow, decided that they could go and try their luck at hunting. They would get their local tractor and go hunting slinging arrows.

Most of these guys who do already poach with a bow just sit at a waterhole at night and the first animal that gets close enough they prick them with an arrow that has poison on it. Then they track the animal down the next morning.

Anyway, like we all agree, at least we are going forward and maybe with time the issue will get figured out.

Bow hunting in Tanzania is a very sensitive issue at this stage for the Directorate of Wildlife. It has taken some time to finally open up. Yes, the doubling of the trophy fees will minimize the number of hunters.
What is more important is the responsibility we as the privileged few, (Clients and Guides) have towards securing that no bad taste is left behind in the mouhts of the decision makers.
Only a small % of clients will be taking the chance to go out there and hunt this very difficult and hardcore safaris.
I hope that everyone - client and guides alike -act with great caution and knowledge as to not have them take bow hunting away after year 1, due to some bad judgement or the use of the wrong equipment. I state this argument for the moratorium that has been placed on all pachyderms in the Limpopo province (SA) some time ago, after a well publisised hunt went bad due to inexperienced PH's, and the use of the wrong equipment for the specific animal.