A client called my wife yesterday to say there is an article in Harald Wolf's magazine Hatari Times saying hunting is not legal in Uganda. I can't check it because I don't get the magazine so am not sure if the claim is true or even there.

But the fact is hunting is legal in Uganda in one place and that is around Lake Mburo National Park in the southern part of the country.

The area is not a government hunting concession but is rather a single block created by amalgamating about 55 private ranches.

We sent the very first safaris there and have been sending safaris there for about five years and its completely legal.

There is no problem bringing guns into the country or exporting trophies. The skinners are old men who come from the days when either Jonas or Kleinburger (I forget which one) had a taxidermy studio there.

A number of photo safari companies continue to say hunting is illegal and have been trying to stop things but the fact is the government is looking at opening up some of the old hunting blocks and getting a leopard quota for the Lake Mburo area although this has not happened yet.

Austrian Riflemaker Peter Pichler reopened on a project together with the Company Uganda Game Trails some years ago hunting around Lake Mburo with fantastic sucess on Uganda Defassa Waterbuck, Uganda Kob, Giant Forest Hog etc...

r.
Seloushunter

Peter was in Uganda for a while, moved on to Congo, moved on to Sudan and was then killed allegedly in a vehicle accident. He was buried in Uganda.

I saw some very big full maned Trophy Lions taken by his clients few years ago in Uganda but the Buffalo are small mayby a mixture of Cape and Savannah Buffalo.

r.
Seloushunter

The lion hunting has been illegal in Uganda for at least 22 years and is still illegal. The buffalo in the north are Nile bufalo and are small.

The buffalo around Lake Mburo are the same as Masai buffalo and are very large. The best one of our clients has shot so far is 48 inches, old with good hard boss.

In his book about hunting in Uganda Brain Herne says the biggest buffalo he ever saw in Africa were at Lake Mburo.

The Uganda Defassa waterbuck are huge and so far the best is 33 1/2 inches. The impala are huge and I would not be suprised to see a world record. Twenty-six is very small there.

Addenda:

My wife says the story was in a Belgium Magazine but it may not have been Hatari Times.

Dear Mbogo biga bwana.

I see on an earlier post that you wanted to hunt with Uganda Game Trails. We have an Austrian client looking for someone to share a 2x1 if you are interested.

Ted

The Lion hunt was on Special Gov. Permit ! The client was an Austrian Businesman and hunted several times with Peter in Uganda.

Yes i am interested to hunt Uganda please send me an PM.

Peter shot many Waterbucks with clients over 35 Inches one was hanging on his Gun Sales Room.

r.
Seloushunter

What type of guns (rifle, handgun, etc.) and calibers are legal to take into Uganda for hunting?

Peter was quite well connected in Uganda so he likely got special permits for lions quite easily.

I know full bag safaris have always been going on in Kenya for people connected to the presidents.

I will send you the information about Uganda Game Trails.

Peter likely got his big waterbuck further north on special permits because they are bigger further north than they are at Lake Mburo.

So far no one has asked to bring anything other than a rifle but I will ask and see if other weapons are possible.

Dear Grumulkin,

I just called Uganda. The only weapons legal for hunting at the moment are rifles and shotguns.