Ever since purchasing our first true dangerous game rifle, we can't stop thinking about "Black Death"!

Wheres the best spots in Tanzania these days for big buffalo? Moyowosi? Kigosi? Selous?

Which guiding outfits operate in these areas?

Open to any and all suggestions and opinions.

Thank you.

Lots of good choices for buffalo in Tanzania.

Best options to me would be Lolkisale GCA or Masai Open Area West in July or late November to December after the short rains. Also, Luke Samaras' old block (not sure who has it now) which wedges between these two blocks- same times. All can be good into August but remember these blocks are more water sensitive when it comes to buffalo.

Maswa Kimale and Mbono are very good as well: TGT holds them as well as Moyowosi GR. They manage their blocks properly and shoot big buffalo 45"-50" from these areas every year. Maswa North is also good- Mike Fell is hunting it now I think and he has a very good reputation.


Buffalo over 45" do come out of Western and Southwestern Tanzania every year and the biggest buffalo I've ever seen in Tanzania was well over 50" and in George Anglelides' old block Rungwa River GCA next to the Mlele GCA. These southwestern blocks; Kizigo GR, Rungwa GR, Ugalla GR (TGT), Lukwati GRs and Lake Rukwa are all excellent for buffalo.

Don't discount buffalo hunting in the Selous GR either. Its great fun to hunt and is really super game country, wild as anything, full of buffalo and still produces very good trophies, if one is selective. Selous GR is better hunting in September-October period.

Wherever you go don't get too caught up in the spread thing, an old brigadier with beat up and chipped horns is just as good a trophy as a young, wide spead bull in my estimation.

Book as many days as you can- 10 days minimum and 14 is even better- you'll get 2 buff on license. Any of the above mentioned blocks are good just choose your PH and outfitter carefully and you'll be fine.

Hope this helps and PM me if needed.

It’s been a couple years since I last hunted buffalo in Tanzania.

I hunted Lokisale in 2011. Shot 3 44-45” buffalo, but I hit the rains right. The areas with year round water have been cordoned off for a photo lodge now. Harpreet Brar has it now, I think.

Samaras’ old block, Simanjero (sp) borders lokisale. I think Adam Clements has it now. We saw big buffalo there as well.

I hunted Lukwika on the Moz border the following year, and shot 3 40+” bulls. This had been more an elephant area (and hunt) but we saw a lot of decent bulls. Not as big as the masailand stuff though. I’m not sure who is hunting it now.

In 2014 I hunted Maswa north. Shot my personal best buffalo there 48”. The others were 44 and 42” but really deep curves. This is currently hunted by Bushman Safaris and I know both Mike Fell and Brian Van Blerk are taking folks there.

The Selous is not as good trophy quality wise overall, but some areas are better than others. I did my last Tanzania hunt there in MH3. I shot 5 bulls 38-34”. This was a true full bag hunt so I was not concentrating on buffalo. If you want wild, the Selous is that in spades. If you are after the biggest buffalo, further north is better.

I have not yet hunted western Tanzania. I’ve been told the genetics are not quite the northern bulls, but still exceptional.

Honestly, my experience is a bit dated, but it’s my understanding that some big folks are not hunting anymore (a search of some names will show some of them)

If you want to book a Tanz hunt, I’d be more inclined to pick a PH and ask him where to go.

One bit of unsolicited advice... ask about doing the hunt under a 21 day license. That gets you 3 buff on license and allows any plains game you find (assuming quota). A 15 day buffalo hunt on a 21 day license without cats is a bargain in most spots we have been talking about.

To echo what others have said, agree with crbutler, get an outfitter to allow you to hunt 14 days on a 21 day license. I always do that now.

Simanjiro has a lot of old resident dugga boys, but if you hit it right, the herds pour out of the park and there are more buffalo than you can deal with. Hunted there in March of 2012 (no longer possible) and there were huge numbers of buffalo. In retrospect, I should have been more selective.

Shot a nice bull in Natron last year, but never put a tape on him. He had deep drops so won't be real wide. That's hard hunting for buffalo in that area. Not a lot of bulls, they are harassed by locals and you will have to hunt them in the mountains. Shots can be longer than you would like. Mine had an arrowhead embedded in his shoulder that was healed over, but abscessed. (Come to think of it, maybe it was better that the shot was longer than I would have liked).

I've only hunted the Selous once. There were lots of buffalo, but I never saw anything big. Was happy with a mature 38" and passed on another about the same size hoping for something bigger that didn't materialize.

Don't discount Southwestern Tanzania. I've shot a few 40+ bulls in Lukwati GR. Given that I was always hunting cats too, we needed bait and weren't shopping much on buffalo. Was going back this month on a dedicated buffalo hunt, but unexpectedly had to change law firms and canceled my trip. I think there are some real good buffalo there if you concentrated on them.

Dahav's contribution is about as precise as could be.

I don’t have anything to add. I’ve hunted Lobo (42” bull) and Lokisale (44” and 47” bulls) and loved my time there. I’m jealous of the guys who have so much more experience in TZ. It’s what a safari should be.

How does that work? hunt 14 days on a 21 day license.
Pay just for the hunting days, or the whole 21?
Thanks,

George

I've hunted most of the areas listed above and killed big buffalo in all of them. They can be excellent with the right PH.

I'll be hunting Western Tanzania (Mlele) again next year with Mike Fell for cats but am hoping to come across a good buff or two in the process.

I am no Tanzania or buffalo but I have hunted the following areas in Tanzania:
Lukwati (twice); Ugalla; Maswa; Natron; Moyowasi; and Kisigo. My best bull was 48" in Maswa but I've seen terrific buffalo in all these areas but Natron. I think when you go and who you go with are just as important as where in Tanz. I've seen some video of outstanding bulls in Lobo/Lokisale hunting with Harpret Brarr (sp). I would go late and if you could catch the first rains so much the better. On my first hunt in Lukwati we saw a really nice hard bossed herd bull and the PH said "you didn't come here to shoot a 42" buffalo." He was right but it was still hard to walk away. I saw a group of bulls in the Moyowasi that had at least 4 bulls over 45", but they were across the river and we could never get to them. MMP

"I am no Tanzania or buffalo expert but...."

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
How does that work? hunt 14 days on a 21 day license.
Pay just for the hunting days, or the whole 21?
Thanks,

George

By paying the royalties of a 21 day full bag permit (which includes 3 Buffalo) to the Authorities and an "amicable" figure for the non-hunted days to the outfitter.

I'd love to hunt the full 21 days, but just can't be away that long. But do want the full bag license.

I've often wondered if a client could book back to back 10 day safaris and get 4 buffalo?

Or better yet, book back to back to back 10 day safaris and and get 6!

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
How does that work? hunt 14 days on a 21 day license.
Pay just for the hunting days, or the whole 21?
Thanks,

George

By paying the royalties of a 21 day full bag permit (which includes 3 Buffalo) to the Authorities and an "amicable" figure for the non-hunted days to the outfitter.

I've added a 10 day license to a 21 and shot 5.

That is kinda how Saeed does his hunts, I think. No reason you can't buy as many Licenses as the outfitter has quota to sell you, except cash...

Cash is King!

Being that big bulls are available in most Massai areas at the right time, For me the question would be where is the least human populations and most stunning terrain?

quote:

Originally posted by mufasa:
"I am no Tanzania or buffalo expert but...."

I liked your first post, better.

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
Being that big bulls are available in most Massai areas at the right time, For me the question would be where is the least human populations and most stunning terrain?

There are not supposed to be any people residing in the Game Reserves of Tanzania. Most stunning terrain? It depends on what type of country you like- some of the areas in the SW are fairly monotonous: flat miombo forest, with mbugas: Nkululu, Nyonga, Itulu.

Some is more rolling, hilly country miombo: Rungwa GR. Some is more thicker bush type country with rocky korongos: Kizigo GR, Muhesi GR.

Other areas are more diverse: Lukwati GR and Lake Rukwa which are on the rift escarpment- and there's some great views coming down the rift so, to my eye at least the Lukwati Lake Rukwa areas are the most stunning.

quote:

Other areas are more diverse: Lukwati GR and Lake Rukwa which are on the rift escarpment- and there's some great views coming down the rift so, to my eye at least the Lukwati Lake Rukwa areas are the most stunning.

I'll second that!