We hunted plains game this past August in Zimbabwe. We hunted the Save Valley Conservancy with Shangaan Hunters. The hunting was fantastic. There were quite a few buffalo around. The political situation did not hinder us in any way whatsoever.

If I was going to hunt Buffalo, in what order would you rate the following countries, taking into account, trophy quality, cost, quality of the hunt experience?

Botswana
Mozambique
South Africa
Tanzania
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Rated in order of best.

1. Tanzania
2. Botswana
3. Zambia
4. Zimbabwe
5. South Africa
6. Mozambique

South Africa - very expensive. All fenced hunts. Not real wilderness.



Zimbabwe - most economical and quality wilderness hunts. People have been crying wolf about Zimbabwe for years, but if you hunt on a government concesssion (instead of a private ranch), you won't have any trouble.

Botswana - Good, but expensive. They only allow 1 Buff per 7 day hunt.

Mozambique - Tough hunting, and be very careful what time of the year you go due to the heat. If you're not fit, don't consider it.

South Africa - Forget it. It's very expensive as all Buff have to be clean and all DG hunting there is behind fences.

Tanzania - The very best. They allow 2 Buff plus plains game per 7 day licence ......but you need to be very careful where you hunt and who you hunt with. Some areas (for example) are sold Selous Reserve where in fact they are buffer zone areas and have only a fraction of the Selous proper.

Zambia - Also pretty good, but some hunting there is behing fences and they are sometimes in the habit of changing game regulations and licence fees at short notice.

Zimbabwe - The ever worsening political situation there makes any hunt a big gamble. It used to be a paradise, but has now been destroyed by lunatics. If you're prepared to take the risk, you might get a good hunt, but equally you might get run off......if you do book here, make sure it's with one of the old established companies with good reputations and track record.

Wherever you go, you need to ensure you get a detailed safari contract and check references thoroughly before parting with any money.

Based on your comments and similar feelings, I'm scratching Mozambique and South Africa. Zimbabwe has me interested though. I'm leaving it in for the time being.

Thanks