In the middle of the biggest economic crises in the last 70 years it would be interesting how many of you have booked Top End Tanzania Hunts for 2009/10.

Seloushunter

mbb,

You may or may not consider my upcoming hunt as "top-end". Personally, I think any Tanzania hunt is just that.

Last year I booked a 2x1 10-day buffalo hunt which will take place beginning on September 3. Most if not all Tanzania hunts are relatively expensive and I have saved for the past four years to make my fifth safari a good one. We'll be hunting in the Tunduru area, south of the Selous.

However, I just thought the hunt was expensive until I got word regarding the price of the air charter to/from the hunt area. As there are no other hunts scheduled in the area before or after our dates, the round trip fee is almost $8,500. That definitely takes a bite out of the budget.

I'm sure a lot of factors must be considered regarding this cost. Not the least of which would be the worldwide economic situation. Safari companies are losing bookings and so are air charters, the higher cost of fuels and the fact that due to fewer bookings, no other hunters are available to share a charter with.

Sometimes, you just have to "pony-up" if you want to stay in the game.

Bull1

As we usually do every year, we are going on a 21 day safari.

bull1,

You bring up a good point about increased transportation costs since there are fewer hunters/tourists to share with. I am going to Zambia this month, not to hunt but for a horse safari. I thought I would get to share the ground transport cost, but so far I am the only one booked. It does put a dent in the budget.

I was going to but decided against it. I am going to the SAVE for 21 days instead. I leave September 29th.

The TZ outfitters are hurting. Badly.

Larry,

Give me a call about Save at your convience. How is your girlfriend?

Jeff

quote:

As we usually do every year, we are going on a 21 day safari.

Saeed, are you adopting???? If you are in the market for a Son I would just like to let you know that I am up for adoption.

quote:

The TZ outfitters are hurting. Badly.

That is bad for all. I hope they can recover.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
As we usually do every year, we are going on a 21 day safari.

Saeed,

Why TZ every year? Why not some of the premier areas in Botswana or Zambia? Just curious.

Steve,

I have always hunted with Roy Vincent in Zimbabwe - and would still be hunting with him and his son, Alan, if they were there.

But, Roy has lost his concession and retired, and Alan is hunting in Tanzania.

So all of us get together with him for our annual hunt.

Our safaris are really just a gathering of old friends, and that is the way I like to keep it.

I keept saying that our hunts are more of a comedy show than hunts.

Little did I know that we really hunt very hard.

This was brought to us a few years ago, when Alan got malaria and had to stay in camp.

We got another camera man to come along, and after chasing buffalo all day, and managing to shoot one just before sundown, our new camera man was huffing and puffing, announced "bloody hell, you two hunt REALLY hard!"

Saeed,

Thanks for the response. It sounds like you and your friends must have an unbelievably good time hunting in TZ. Good luck with this year's hunt.

Steve

21 Days in the Selous in September. I booked this 2 years ago and it will be my first dangerous game hunt.

Doug

Doug, just being in the Selous is a fabulous experience. I remember every day that I spent there.

Enjoy every minute of your hunt.

I head to Lukwika July 21. I booked it two years ago. This will be my first african hunt. An Ele hunt for the first

hunt might not be what everyone else does, but what the hell. I have a hunt booked next year for my son and I with

TBGS. We will hunt the Masai and then down to the Rungwa area. I can't wait for July!

Going to Maasailand with Samaras as a friend's guest in July. I'm hunting a ten day and he's hunting 21.

I've booked a 21 day in L. Natron and Moyowosi for 2010. I'll be hunting with my old friend Wayne Williamson.

Booked a 21 day Moz for this year and my PH informed me he has a client just Ink a check for a 60 day safari for next season

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:
Going to Maasailand with Samaras as a friend's guest in July. I'm hunting a ten day and he's hunting 21.

Who is your PH jetdrvr? We are going Aug 10 to Maasailand for a Buffalo Hunt. Please leave some for me.

Going to Moz (Bahati Safaris) this Aug for 15 days (Leopard, Sable,Nyala & Buff). Luckily had
most of this paid for before the economic downturn (it could have been in the stock market!)

Also have money down for a 16 day Selous, 5 day Masailand safari
in Sept 2010 with Zuka Safaris. We
met with numerous outfitters at Reno/SCI this year. These guys seem to have a great area,
very happy clientele (many of whom I've contacted) & were willing to work with us.

Gary,
If you are hunting Lukwika, you must be hunting with Michel. I think that is my dream safari! Have a great trip. If you ever over in Jackson, lets hook up, I'd love to hear about your safari first hand.

My retirement safari... 21 days into the Selous for simba, Rossevelt sable, hippo, and 3 buff...
Will be hunting with Pierre van Tonder again...

Mike

Although not Tanz, I will be on Safari in northern Mozambique for 5 to 7 weeks.
Obviously not all hunting, but Safari non the less.

We booked directly with Kinasi Air last year and were very pleased. Bigger plane than the small cessna's but slower than the twin engine planes. About half the price.

On the fence, might book in 2010, or 2011, or 2012.

Dependant on a few things, my rental property paying it's own way, me winning powerball, and finding a nice sugar momma to take care of me.

I have a sugar mamma but she isn't much for hunting.

SBT,
Yep I'm hunting with Miombo. Darren Smit Will be my PH, I met him in Dallas and he seemed like a nice guy. I'm looking forward to hunting with him.
I try to get up to Jackson a few times every year to get my Teton fix. Seeing the Tetons when driving into the Buffalo Fork still makes my heart skip a beat. I'd like to meet up after I get back and fill you in on the details.

21 days with Miombo Safaris in last week of August. First four days in Selous then to Lukwika for Elephant.

Gary - If you like I can send you our Tanzania Video, all the footage was shot in 2008 with Miombo, including an elephant hunt in Lukwika by one of our good clients. Darren Smit is a good friend, we have hunted together several times, including Sept. 2008 for Lion/Buffalo in the Kilombero.

If you want a video, send me your address and I will mail it to you asap?

Aaron Neilson
Global Hunting Resources

We will be doing two consecutive 10-day buffalo-only hunts in October. First in Maswa, then Mlele.

quote:

Originally posted by tradewinds:

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:
Going to Maasailand with Samaras as a friend's guest in July. I'm hunting a ten day and he's hunting 21.

Who is your PH jetdrvr? We are going Aug 10 to Maasailand for a Buffalo Hunt. Please leave some for me.

We're going in after you on the 22nd, so you'd better leave some for us.

Don't know who the PH is yet. Waiting for Wendell to get us the names.

Ahmed,

You'll have a great time. Michel has a great camp on the Ruaha. But I think four days in August is a bit tight. I hunted there last year and the grass was still high, but it was a wet year. (we even were rained on -- in August). Good luck, I assume you are after buffalo and sable and perhaps bushbuck. Saw some good bushbuck and sable and it's simply lousy with buffalo. Hard to hunt in the high grass. We also saw some rather nice elephant, but not on license for me. I won't make that mistake again.

Let me know your impression of Lukwika, it's on my list. Miombo is first rate however, you can't go wrong.

Who is your PH?

Lavaca, we are going to Selous mainly for Niassa Wildebeast and Crocodile, we might shoot an Eland if the opportunity present itself. Elephant is the main query in Lukwika but we will also look for Sable and Kudu there. We are told that our PH will be Darren Smit.

quote:

We will be doing two consecutive 10-day buffalo-only hunts in October. First in Maswa, then Mlele.

Maswa and Mlele are Buffalo Hunters Heaven IMO


Seloushunter