I hunted the Selous last year and got a very respectable animal in K4. A friend of mine and I are kicking around the idea of another buff and plains game hunt. I love Tanzania, and of all the African countries I've visited and worked in, around 15, I felt more comfortable and more welcome there than any place I've ever been in Africa.

My question is, if you had unlimited funds for say, a 16 day license, where would you go for good Buffalo? I love the Selous, and would like to return, but I'm looking for a bigger spread than the nice 37 incher I got there last year, or a dugga boy, regardless of spread. We'll be taking a lady along to video, so does anyone have any suggestions? How's Mozambique coming along?

Thanks in advance.

jetdrvr,

Our company Tanzania Bundu Safaris offers the best buffalo in Africa. Sounds like a brag but our stats will bear it out. We shot a 43.5" average last year in our Masailand blocks. We only took 3 under 40" for lion baits. Do a search for Lobo and Lokisale and have a look. The buffalo are mind blowing. The hunts are expensive but nowhere else do you have as good chance of shooting a truly big buffalo. Not everyone will do this of course but one hunter came out on a 10 buffalo hunt and took a 44" and a 48" on the same safari. Incredible.

Contact me anytime if you'd like to talk about these hunts.

Mark

Masailand is the best!

IMHO

1.) Maswa
2.) Lobo
3.) Lolkisale (early season)

Adam's outfit is fantastic, camps are great and in 10-16 days you will see monsters. I went to Lobo for 10 days.

Thanks, Mark. I'll be sure to search your references. I have a wealthy friend who has offered to take me along. He's not interersted in cats, as he raises and breeds lions and jaguars and has already taken leopard and lion on several safaris. This trip would likely be in '08, as I'm not geting any younger, and he's offered to pay for the trip.

He has a good buff, but not as good as my species typical, so we're just kicking the idea around. I'd love to come home with a 44 incher. I'll talk to him, see what he says, and maybe call you for prices.


..................BREAK........................

Mark, I did the search you mentioned. Very impressive. Dream animals, indeed, and the camp, as we say in north Florida, ain't too shabby, either. Will definitely consider you if the hunt developes.

Thanks,
Fred

Howdy,
I am personally biased to buffalo in the Save Conservancy in Zimbabwe. I use Leon duPlessis and have killed several very large buff there. My personal best is 45.5 inches with a nice drop and 15.75 inch bosses. Several of my friends have also killed large buff there. You can e-mail Leon at leonduplessis@yahoo.com . there are other really good opperators in the conservancy. Mokore safaris is located there along with Shangaan hunters. Ron Oliver books a lot of hunts in the conservancy. There is also a wide variety of plentiful plains game to hunt.
Good Luck

Another vote for Masailand-from what I have seen Adam's outfit can get you a monster there.

Thanks, folks, for the good info. I also have to check with Wendell. I booked a great hunt through him last year.

Big Buffalo are kinda like gold, they are where you find them. Guarenteeing a 44 inch bull is folley IMO...

We have shot some enormous bulls in R2 and R4, also in the Masai, but I still think the Buffalo Gods must smile on you to shoot one over 40 inches and I have hunted Tanzania as much as anyone in the states.

The big Buffalo come out of Masailand. The only two companies that I would consider in Masailand is Bundu or Luke Samaras.

Bundu is represented well here by Adam and Mark, and I work with Luke Samaras. I have sold hunts for both companies and I can tell you, those Buffalo are just stupid big.

You will be hard pressed to find an area of Africa that can match the quality of these blocks East of Tarangire, you will not find a concession that will consistently beat the quality.

They take some huge bulls out of Western Tanzania, (Moyowasi & Kigosi) but not with the consistency of Masailand. But they are there in decent numbers.

Certain areas of the Luangua Valley in Zambia have some good Bulls. The Nyampala Block produces some very good Buffalo.

Other areas of Tanzania, and Africa, for that matter, will produce Big Buffalo on occasion, but Masiland consistently produces the best Buffalo.

I hunted with Classic Safaris in Namibia. I took a nice 40" buff and we saw more that are still there. I believe that Wendell books for Vaughn.

Correct, those Caprivi Buffalo are definitely above average quality. They are like Okavango Buffalo.

Caprivi and Okavango are places to consider when looking for something that is better than average.

quote:

I love the Selous, and would like to return, but I'm looking for a bigger spread than the nice 37 incher I got there last year, or a dugga boy, regardless of spread.

IMO, if you are looking for the "biggest" than Masaailand and Maswa is the place to go. What Mark is stating about Adams' blocks east of Tarangire is quite correct. Samaras' and TBGS's blocks neighbouring Adam's also offer a good chance at a monster buff. TGT's blocks in Maswa are a very close second without disregarding the Maswa blocks of TBGS and Robin Hurt.

However, as you state you "love the Selous" and you would be very happy with a "dugga boy regardless of spread" then the Selous would be the best option for this due to the numbers of animals seen on a daily average.....and much cheaper!

nice situation to be in

My thanks to all. Let's hope the trip materializes.

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:



Certain areas of the Luangua Valley in Zambia have some good Bulls. The Nyampala Block produces some very good Buffalo.

Other areas of Tanzania, and Africa, for that matter, will produce Big Buffalo on occasion, but Masiland consistently produces the best Buffalo.

The strain of Buffalo in the Luangwa Valley, tend to not be as wide as some other areas, but they are good buffalo. They tend to have very good bosses, deep curls, that come back up to just under the tops of the bosses, and flip back at the tips. In the valley, a 40" spread is a better than average, if spread is all your looking for, but if you are looking for a classic configuration, bull that will measure well into the book, you can find them here! The bulls with hard bosses, will run in the 110 points up, and there are lots of Buffalo in the Upper, and lower Lupande concessions, along with good lion, lots of Leopard, lots of PUKU, Eland and Cookson's Wildebeast! The Zebra in this area are pure black&white, and Hippo are everywhere along the Luangwa River!

However, I think my next trip, for Buffalo, I'm going up to the Caprivi strip with Vaughn Fulton, Less- $$$$! Damn fixed income, and un-fixed go out!

Another vote for Bundu, I took 44 and 46 inch buffs last year, the camps are first rate also............JJ

I too am interested in where to find big buffalo but at the moment I am more interested in where to find friends like this!

Grafton: Don't hold your breath it changes suddenly.