What is the difference and the advantages/disadvantages of each?

I like the Safari Area much better than Communal land. There are no people in the Safari Area, other than the hunters. The communal land like Omay, we would see people everywhere.

Safari area-no hunting at night/dawn to dusk hunting only. My husband got his lion with 12 minutes to spare.

Communal night hunting permitted.

I believe, no archery in Safari areas????


If given a choice,I would choose a Safari Area.

I agree with Kathi.

The poaching in "safari areas" in africa can be bad enough without having them live on site as they do in mixed areas.

My first experience of tracking a buffalo was in a communal area.
We tracked the old Daggerboy out from a Village field, Through a "Snare set up" (know doubt set by the Villagers) on the edge of a creek bed, up a hill to an over looking terrace where we bumped him at his sleeping spot. We latter caught up to him and sneaked up to him, but as we where assessing his quality he was again bumped by a Villager passing by.
These campfire Buff have been tormented and often have snares on them which make them quite chalenging and fun to hunt, but dont expect a wilderness hunt.

I have hunted the Omay and next door in Binga both of which I believe are Communal. I do believe the hunting is tougher in the communal areas as stated above ie snares etc. I like the communal areas because you get to see the people as they really live and as to the "wilderness" I got plenty of wilderness i e camp so hot and they could not provide ice for sundowners and I just don't want to rough it any more than that! I mean a G&T with warm Gin and Tonic lucky I was drinking Scotch and that straight ain't too bad.

From what I have seen the hunting for most species including plains game, buffalo and lion is much tougher in communal lands. On the other hand hunting foe PAC elephant is pretty well restricted to communal lands. The Omzy is utterly fantastic for PAC elephant. There is also the satisfaction of helping the locals when you solve one of their depredating elephant problems.

465H&H

And to add to 465H&H, it is nice to see the locals waiting for some meat when you kill an elephant in a communal area. Boy does your killing an elephant make them happy.

Might not want to stick around til the end of the recovery though, about half or so end up in chaos.

JPK

In September 2008 I had a 14 day hunt in Dande North in the CAMPFIRE area for buffalo and tuskless, and the Dande Safari Area for bushbuck and what few other animals were on license. I did not know until I arrived in camp that I would be in a CAMPFIRE area, and to be honest I was not particulary happy about it. For one thing it was a 40 minute drive to the area from camp (Pedza Pasi).

I had a good hunt and took an old tuskless on the first day and a good buffalo (39 1/2 spread)on the third day. The tuskless was taken far away from any villages. Both the first buffalo and a PAC buffalo we hunted were near the rivers and villages. On the plus side, I got to see the local Zimbabweans and it was good to know some of the trophy fees and quite a bit of meat went to the people. It does add a layer of responsibility when buffalo hunting I think since if you mess up the shot, it's not only your PH and trackers at risk, but it's also the surrounding villagers. Luckily, we didn't have to track my buffalo after the first shot.

I had a great hunt so I don't think there really was too much of a downside. I do wish the outfitter had told me I would be in the CAMPFIRE area. For one thing I would have tried to make a change, but if not I would have brought more cigarettes, candy, and a soccer ball or two.

Since I got to hunt in the DSA and the communal area both I saw Dande North from A to Z (the Angwe River to the Zambezi River). At the time I felt like I climbed every hill in Dande North.

All the same I'd rather hunt in a safari area, if given a choice.

quote:

Originally posted by PSmith:
It does add a layer of responsibility when buffalo hunting I think since if you mess up the shot, it's not only your PH and trackers at risk, but it's also the surrounding villagers. Luckily, we didn't have to track my buffalo after the first shot.

That's an excellent point, and one I wish more people had the good sense to realize. I've read quite a few threads where people insisted that the PH not back them up, and if the PH does they will refuse to pay for the animal or accept it as a trophy.

I wouldn't blame a PH if he refused to accept such people as clients instead. First, because the client is dictating to the PH that he not do his job. It is absurd to hire someone to perform in a certain capacity, then insist they not perform the duties of the position for which you hired them. Duties that are legal obligations.

But second, because the client is placing his regard for his ego over and above his regard for the lives and safety of a number of people. And that could be a considerable number depending on where you are hunting.

Last year I hunted Binga for management elephant and hippo. It was a great feeling to see all the people that were fed from my animials. When I shot my Hippo I had an crowd of at least 100 people from the village. When I shot the bull you would have thought I had just scored the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. The cheers and shouts were fantastic as they knew they would be getting meat that would last a while and an improvement over the maize meal that comprises most of their diet. The elephant did not have a crowd until the nearest village was notified and then they cam with pots, pans, boxes and scarves to carry their ration of meat away.

The evening after I killed my Hippo another Hippo came into another village and killed an old man that tried to chase it from the village. The next day we had to sort the Hippo out (PH killed Hippo) and again the people from that village were well fed for a few days.

Another interesting thing happening in the Campfire area was we (outfitter) traded deisel fuel for maize meal for the staff. We went to the grinding shed to make the exchange and see the people in line to get some corn ground was interesting as they stood in line for hrs awaiting their turn.

I am sure hunting a safari area is nice but the Campfire areas are very educational.

I go to the campfire areas because I like to hunt elephant. I have seen the plainsgame in those areas fall to almost nothing in the last 15 years.

Which is Makuti?

quote:

Originally posted by samwise:
Which is Makuti?

Makuti is a safari area. Once upon a time it was a citizen hunting area, but not now.