I hunted Cape Buffalo in Chete Zimbabwe 2 years ago. I would like to return in 2006 to hunt Cape Buffalo again. I was thinking about hunting Dande in Zimbabwe, Botswana, or Tanzania.

Recent posts on this forum have mentioned that a buffalo looked "like a Tanzanian bull rather than a Botswana bull". I would like to know the differences in buffalo hunting for these 3 regions.

Thanks for any info or pics that get posted.

There are no basic differences......depending on who you talk to, some say that Zim and Bots have better trophies and some will say that Tz has the better trophies. Some will say that Bots buff have wider bosses but less drop than TZ buffs, etc, etc. There are no marked variations in buff from these countries. What you can assume is that some areas (not countries!) have better gene pools than others hence potentially better trophies. E.g. The Ngorongoro crater (non hunting area by the way) in Tz has one of the greatest buffalo gene pools in Africa. However, even hunting in these "better" areas will not guarantee you a 40+ buff. That is just down to luck

Hey Ron,
I would agree...it really depends on who you talk to and where they have hunted. Genes have got a lot to do with it but I think if you are already thinking of hunting in Dande go with your gut feeling. I have hunted Dande a few times and while there are no guarantees I have seen some beautiful big bulls come out of that area...and a few beautiful bulls disappear into that area. Its similar in some ways to Chete, but in my own opinion is much more rewarding to hunt than Chete...more of most animals and you dont have that loose stone on the hills to deal with. Just out of interest which part of Dande are you thinking of?
Andy

I would suggest comparing concession to concession rather than country to country. Some concessions have experienced relatively light hunting pressure, while others have been overshot. Better to find a top quality concession instead of selecting on a country by country basis. Mozambique has some concessions that have been largely untouched, so that may be an option in addition to ZIM, BOTS and TANZ.

I think there is more differences between individual buffalo in the same country, rather than buffalo from different countries.

I am trying to figure out if the buffalo are genetically different in the different regions. The whitetail in South Carolina are different than the whitetail in Alberta or Texas.

Here is a copy of a reply I have received in a private email for this same question.

"Botswana buffalo usually have very nice boss and you can expect to take one that is 40� plus in the delta. Very nice hunt in the Delta.

Tanzania buffalo depending on which region you go to, but in the selous there are a lot of buffalo and they tent to have very nice shape horns and you can expect to take 38� plus in the Selous. If you go to Masailand to hunt buffalo, then you do not have as many buffalo as the selous, but they tend to be very big. Usually very big boss with 42� being the average.

Zimbabwe buffalo in the Dande or Chewore North are usually just regular old buffalo in that there is nothing very special about them. In my opinion, they normally do not have the nice shape that Botswana or Tanzania have, and you can expect around 38� to be the average."

Does anyone agree or disagree with these statements?

Ron - Based on my LIMITED exposure to each of the three general areas (northern Botswana, northern Zambezi & the Selous), I would tend to agree with the summary assessment noting a 40" buffalo is a real treat in any country, especially on a 7-day hunt. Each of the regions mentioned are basically the same type of climate and habitat, so the buffalo are similar. For the whitetail analogy to apply in a broad sense (Texas versus Alberta deer, for example), you would need to be looking at different regions, such as the buffalo found in the western Cameroon savannahs or the rain forests of CAR, as compared to the buffalo found in southern or eastern Africa.



That being said, right or wrong, when I think of a good Botswana bull, I think more about a big-bodied bull with a gnarly thick boss full of character. When I think of a good Masailand buffalo, I envision a wide spread and deep curl. A Zambezi or a Luangwa Valley bull (which I would also add to your list of destinations to consider) in my mind is more typical, but bigger then found in the Selous where the numbers are greater.



What you shoot is a different story. But it is the hunting style and therefore the total experience that CAN be different. This is what intrigues me most about buffalo hunting. For example: Do you want buffalo in the tall grass, open savannah, thick jess, forest or delta/marsh? Mountains or flats? Vegetation green or brown? Drive/spot/stalk or tracking on foot? Herd or bachelor bulls? Wilderness area or around villages? 7, 10 or 14-days? I think one could hunt buffalo in a dozen different areas and have the same experience each time - or a dozen different ones.



I talked with an outfitter who hunts area 11 in Moz, and he said that in his concession there are three different habitats - forest, savannah and marsh (where any mature bull is a hard-won trophy, he said most guys don't last more then 3-days). So even here, one can choose the type of hunt they want, and the buffalo that would typically be shot would also likely change. Or Masailand, the open savannah or the "mountain buffalo"? Etc....



Costs differ too, and many a decision as to where to hunt comes down to this. Good luck and enjoy the journey! Bill

It is hard to generalize for some people but its easy for me. Most of the bulls Ive seen in the okovango had large bosses but no more than 37 to 38 wide. The biggest bulls I saw were in zim but bosses varied. I shot a 45 incher and a 41 incher with the 41 having the biggest boss. I hunted zambia but didnt see anything over 38 that had a hard boss. Tanzania has som real woppers but I cant afford to go there. Its the area pluss the luck of the hunt that determines your success. A 38 inch plus buffalo after a long stock on foot is always a trophy.

I book hunts in all the countries and I think Tanzania has the biggest bulls in the world...The problem is that most folks are on a 7 day hunt and are afraid to pass on a 38 to 40 inch bull, especially considering the huge bosses the Tanzania bulls have....Big world class trophy bulls are hard to find anywhere you hunt, they didn't get that big being stupid..I have had hunters who have killed 48 to 53 inch bulls in Tanzania..The Masai Steepe bording the park will always net some monster bulls, but you generally need luck and plenty of time...The Selous the past couple of years has really produced some very good bulls and the numbers are very high..

Tanzania is high on 21 day hunts, but the 7 day Buff hunts are about the same as anywhere else...One needs to be carefull about making pricing statements as there are so damn many varibles involved..I can book you a Tanzania hunt for $5500 like a lot of guys advertise, but then we have to add air charter, dip and pack, license, yada yada and then were at $10 or $12 grand. I just quote a price exclusive to the airport gun tax and tips, and thats what it costs the hunter.

Ron,

I have no African hunting experience myself.......yet but, I am interested in your question...

I saved the following threads by ForrestB because they mentioned the different sizes of Buffalo one can encounter within a heard. It does not really answer your question directly but, I think it is a very interesting point regarding the differences between buffalo skull sizes.

I am not really sure what to make of it....I gather that the PH (Ridge Taylor) appears to believe there is a genetic "strain?" of buff that have a certain boss shape and skull size which is very consistent and differs clearly from other more average buffalo...

Please see the second to last paragraph of the second to last post by ForrestB for a description.

http://www.accuratereloading.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1&Number=100313&fpart=1&PHPSESSID=

This thread clearly shows the differences between the two types of buff which Forrest took in Tanzania.
There is also some mention of the different buff encountered in Bostwana vs. Tanzania.

http://www.accuratereloading.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1&Number=100412&fpart=1&PHPSESSID=


Regards,
Dave

Your right ray... You wont kill a 30 inch mule deer if you shoot the first 25 incher you see. Most people wont pass on a 38 inch buffalo nor should they if it was a honest track and hunt. I passed on a 38 once in zim and didnt sleep for two nights thinking I missed my chance on a 10 day hunt. I killed a 45 incher three days later which turned out to be the stalk of a lifetime. Being patient is lots easier if you have two buff tags in your pocket. Now that im older im more interested in the hunt than the inches but talking about big buff is a great way to spend the evening.

Mich is dead right on this. As Boddington says "any Buffalo over 40 inches anywhere in Africa is unusual nowadays"



Masailand Buff do tend to be bigger, but there are far fewer of them. IMO anyone looking for a first Buff hunt can do no better than book a 7 day hunt in the Selous. This will allow the hunter to take 2 Buff which will be good representatives of the species (if he's lucky, he might manage to get better than good representatives) and also a handful of plains game. Masailand is better suited for the longer hunts where a hunter can take the unusual northern species such as L. Kudu & Gerenuk etc, and for a hunter who is prepared to spend 7 or 10 days looking for one exceptional Buffalo bull.



I'd also say that a Buffalo hunt should never be judged in inches alone.......those that have faced a Buffalo in thick cover will agree.

Why is it that 40+ inch buffalo are no longer as common as before? Many modern safari countries were closed for many years at different times, but the days of huge buff on safaris seems, from what I see here to be over....Ruark for example, spoke of his 43" bull from his first safari as a medium sized buff

Here is another quote from a previous post. Do those of you who have hunted both Botswana and Tanzania agree with what this post says?

"Another thing that was different for me was the horn development. Prior to this trip, I've only hunted in Botswana. In Bots, if you saw a piece of really heavy horn it was always connected to a big solid boss. In TZ, I would see a bit of heavy, thick horn and often it would turn out to be connected to a soft boss or even a cow. We saw a genuine 50 inch cow. She might even be closer to 52", a real freak.

In Botswana it seems like the boss develops before or along with the rest of the horns. In TZ it seems like the boss develops much more slowly than the rest of the horns. I'd love to hear some opinion from the experts here"

Ron, you will get many different views on this question that you ask, and there will no wrong answer, as the people above can only answer to what they have seen on their safaris in the areas that they have hunted. Not all of the people who have posted have actually hunted in all three countries as well, and thery can only give you what their knowledge is of the areas that they have seen for the short time they have been there or the many different times they have been there.

The main thing to consider on this question simply comes down to the quality of the area that you may consider hunting in. The Selous is a very big place with many hunting blocks allocated to different outfitters. One block can produce totally different buffalo that the block right next to it!! So, it all comes down to exactly what areas that outfitter has according to what a hunter can expect for a buffalo. All i can tell you is that there are very good areas that do produce above average buffalo on a regular basis and there are areas than do not. You can only go with the history of that particular outfitter and area. You also have to realize that it depends on the different quota allocated in areas as well.

For example: The Selous has a very high buffalo quota and a lot more buffalo will be shot in the Selous compared to Masailand and Botswana. So the average size of different areas or countries also has to do with the numbers of buffalo taken that year.

If you want some specific facts or data on buffalo from the 3 different countries from just this year from just my clients so far, here it is for you to consider.

Zimbabwe 2004: 15 buffalo hunters so far. Smallest shot to date is 37" and largest shot to date is 42". Most of the buff taken by my clients this year in Zimbabwe would average around 38" to 39" so far.

Botswana 2004: 6 buffalo hunters so far. Smallest shot to date is 41" and largest shot to date is 48". Avergae would be around 43" so far.

Tanzania 2004: Started on July first and only 3 weeks into the season. Selous so far there has been 6 buffalo shot and the smallest to date is 38" and the largest to date is 43"

Masailand so far has had 5 buffalo shot as of today. This is what has been taken with the 5 buffalo so far from the smallest to the largest. 39" - 41" - 43" - 44" - 44". This to me does appear to be a good avergae of 42" or better so far.

As I mentioned above, we can only give you information from what areas we hunt or have hunted in as each area is different with numbers and gene pool. I can only give you the averages and sizes from the areas that I book and hunt, and am sure that others will have different averages or different opinions.

Hope that this will help you realize that there is no set guideline to your question or no set answer, just different people and different areas. My best advice to you would be to just find a good reputable outfitter that does have a good area, and go and enjoy a buffalo hunt. Hunt hard, be patient and enjoy the experience. It is the experience that counts most of all and be proud of whatever you take.

To all:

Here is a quote about hunting Dande North. Is it possible that he is averaging 40" on buffalo or is this stretching the tape?

"PH Buzz Charlton and his team of brilliant trackers invite you to join them on tailor-made safaris in Zimbabwe's premier safari areas.

Our Zambezi Valley areas produced outstanding buffalo, averaging 40" last season."

Ron L

Ron - I hunted w/Buzz in April and we talked about the buffalo in Dande with a PH from the Chewore North concession. The PH's hunting in Dande were being selective and there was a concerted effort to shoot nothing under 40". I personally don't know for sure that everyone was at/over 40", as other PH's perform hunts there. I also think this may have come from the 2002 season, and there was some question about the sustainability of the buffalo this size. As I recall, they were not shooting all their quota either, but I forget the figures. Buzz's email is buzzcharlton@zol.co.zw

Averages are just averages..the problem is that on a 7 day hunt not many folks will turn down a nice good bossed 38 inch Buffalo, he is a thing of beauty, a worthwhile trophy and a splendid example of the breed, and if you think about it, he is 1 inch less on each side than the elusive 40 incher, not noticeable on a wall btw......

I don't see 40 inch buffalo in the same class with 70 lb. elephant...A 40 inch bull is a reasonable expectation if one hunts hard and waits him out, knowing that he may go home empty, but that is trophy hunting...Not many will go home empty if they are in excellent shape and can hunt..or so it seems to me...and many a big bull is shot on the first day if the red Gods smile upon you...

Time is the best ally of the true trophy hunter, plain and simple...Luck is luck and nothing more....but I'd rather be lucky than good!

Based upon my limited experience buffalo are buffalo in Zimbabwe and Tanzania. I didn't see any difference in size or shape. Of course, where in those countries you are hunting will make the biggest difference. You can hunt 100-pounders in my backyard, you just aren't going to get one.

A.J. van Heerdon, who was a hell of an experienced PH before those guys hit the skids, said that he thought Tanz buffalo were smaller bodied than in Zim. Maybe so. I couldn't see any difference.