Is hippo available in RSA? If not where is a good reasonable bet?

Hippos are available in RSA, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. They may be available in Zambia, Mozambique, and elsewhere, but regardless of the country, there are a limited number of permits available (far fewer than buffalo).

George

Yes, Hippo are quite limited. However there are areas, like my concession in Mozambique where a Hippo Cow is offered on every 7-Day Buffalo special!

If you're in a position to secure a permit, go for it! I really like to hunt hippo. They're a great big game animal, and they can provide plenty of thrills. The only way that they're really sporting is on dry ground, and that's the only way they should be hunted......

AD

Allen,

I am told to use solids for hippo. Has that been your experience. Hippo is on my animal list this year.

BigB

BigB, yes, always use solids for hippo. I've never met an Africa PH who ever specified any BUT solids for these animals. Personally, I think they're way too big and unpredictable for softs...

AD

I love the idea of hunting a big fatty on dry ground.

Go on the hunt offered by Buffalobwana and you will have a great time. I think this is the same area I hunted last July with Piet Houggard in Mozambique. It is a beautifu area with huge herds of buffalo and a great opportunity to see and/or hear 3 of the other big five. Plus there are hundreds of hippo and crocodiles very near the camp. A hippo hunt is a great experience and they make an impressive trophy. I killed mine on the edge of the water and it fell into the channel and had to be retrieved later after floating to the surface. I used a 375 H&H loaded with softs and felt a good 30.06 or 270 would have be just as effective for a head shot. You want an accurate rifle, because even though the range is short the target is fairly small and moves a bit. I will hunt them again someday and try a dry land hunt next time.

Perry

Hippo are one of most fun animals to hunt if he is hunted on dry land. Fun anyway if you find a smart old bull, that loves to give you the slip!

Just find an area, where the hippo leave the river/lake in the evening, watch at dusk to see which way they go. Be there before break of day to meet them when they return to the water. This is not like hunting him in the water, however. The kill target is still the same size, but if he sees you between him, and the water you may get all the opertunities you can handle stopping him. I would diffinetly reccomend solids for this operation. When he runs, his head will swing side to side, and bounce, and the brain is a target that is only about the size of a large orange, and is your only target durring a frontal charge. your one salvation is, any good upper head hit will almost always cause him to stumble, or go down in some cases. Don't think he's out though, he may get back up quickly. At the last second he will open his mouth very wide, but he can see you anyway, as his eyes can look past his upper jaw. When he opens his mouth wide, it is going to be real close, and this shot will tell the final tale, of this little shin-dig! The target is the roof of the mouth, just where the roof coatacts the soft tissue of the throat. If you can stay calm enough, you will see this spot in the roof of the mouth is right between those firey eyes that are looking at you around that upper jaw. Most folks only see those big teeth at this point. Body shots are almost ineffective, for a stopper, unless you hit the spine, or if you have a running past your possition shot. In this case he will probably get back into the river/lake.

IMO, if hunted one on one, out of the water, the Hippo is a far more desirable trophy than a White Rhino, and more dangerous as well. It is also my opinion, the hippo has not been given enough attention by PHs in Africa, but seem to think of them as "FILLERS" that can be used as four lion baits,and trophy fees, instead of real trophies. THe Luangwa River, and tributaries, of Zambia, are chock full of hippo, and their average size seems to be quite large. I took a 26" bull from the valley a few years ago, but I took him in the river! A good bull from this area will run in the 3, to 4 ton range.

If you don't want the shoulder mount, the pollished skull makes a fine trophy displayed under a glass top coffee table,on a piece of Zebra hide, and the front feet make trophies, as well as, a 4 foot square of the back hide for end table tops. These are very cost effective trophies from your hippo. The shoulder mounts are expencive, and require a lot of wall space!

Norbert, I'm merely relating what has been told to me by PHs of my acquaintance, and I'm also stating my own preference for solids on hippo.

By the same token, I'm not at all surprised at your success with Hornady softs, nor am I surprised that you know PHs who prefer softs over solids for hunting these animals.

It's sort of like hunting cape buffalo: Some PHs recommend only solids for buffalo, while others recommend softs, at least to start the ball rolling!

AD

Hi Kevin,

Hippo are available in RSA but in limited numbers - best bet for RSA would be to get in touch with Gerhard Steenkamp (see link below and his address at Game Hunters PH School)

http://www.phasa.co.za/dz29_schools.htm

PWN and company refer to Mozambique and Piet Hougard; he was my neighbour so to speak and a PH (Andre) from my outfit now works there. I agree that any outfit in the Zambezi delta would be a good bet.

Hippos are very common in that area; both our coutadas / concessions are interspersed with a lot of waterways and many many hippo (even more crocs).

I have had more sleepless nights as a rsult of hippo disturbance in camp than I care to remember. Similarly, I have often given them a wide berth while walking back in riverine forests along river enroute to camp late afternoon / early evening on Bushbuck or Leopard hunts.

Regards

Hunting hippo in the water is not hunting, it is slaugther!
If you do not dare to hunt hippo on land during night, just stay out of it!
I have no idea if you can hunt hippo in RSA but why hunt in that country at all?

I have Hippo in RSA, TAnz, Zimbabwe, Botswana..They are available and the trophy fees vary from $1000 in Tanz to $2000 in Zim...about $1500 in RSA....

It figures RSA is the least expensive because Hippo are only allowed on 16 day hunts in Tanz and the daily rate is quite high...

Hippo should either be shot between the eyes with a soft or in the body with a solid...You can instigate a Hippo charge simply by getting between him and the water on his hippo trail..Any hit in the head will knock a hippo down and give you time to shoot again...thats probably why so many folks live through Hippo charges, because they can sure suck up a lot of lead before they expire..

I don't know who this Mondele is. He is new on this board but he doesn't know didly squat about Tanzania hunting or Africa...I think he is a phony counterfiet sabatouer or perhaps just a kid pranking with this board, but he is constantly putting out B.S. that's just not correct. He doesn't know enough about Tanzania to be from there....

Hoo-Ha!
Listen to the worlds biggest expert on Africa from Idaho! A guy who belives in 11 ton elephants and sell canned ele hunts in RSA with broken tusks.
For us who lives in Africa Mr. Atkinson is a big laugh. Unfortunately we do not have the time to watch all the fun on this forum. We are busy hunting.

I may be overstepping the boundries of the forum, but dude, shut the hell up. It is a forum so opinions are welcome, but, if you don't have anything constructive to say, go away. BTW who is the "we" you are hunting with? Dragging your pet turd around bullshitter? Have a nice day.

Mondele

Which outfit do you hunt for? A PH posting under a handle is a bit rare, maybe you can tell us your real name. With all your expierence hunting dangerous game I am sure you will not be afraid to let us know your real name, right?

Jason Brown

Folks, simply ignore this Mondele creten, he/she is nothing but an Animal rights instigater. These freaks are like vampires, they feed on your response like a vampire does on blood. If you ignore him/her he will have no other choice but to go someplce else to get his/her fix!

It could be some kind of new computer virus that crawls into your computer and try to make as much harm as possible.

Magnar

You know Magnar, this guy writes a whole lot like Bjorn Klapp, and is just about as disagreeable! Hope not, I though Bjorn retired, and went back to Sweeden! This guy is the same in that he doesn't like, or agree with anyone!

Ray,

Just how dangerous are hippos? I cannot believe that they are all that dangerous. So were is the thrill in a killing a big fat river horse.

Todd E

Todd,
I am no expert(I hope to see a wild one this year) but everything I have read about dangerous game, says the Hippo is probably more of a man-killer than a Cape Buff. Most incidents are caused by someone getting between a hippo on land and water and getting to close to the bulls in boats.

Capstick(and others) had some stories that opened my eyes.

Greg

I can see it now.....

"Is the 45/70 adequate for Mosquito hunting!"