19 January 2020, 00:09
infinitoTanzania 2019 season Report - www.utsafaris.com
Ultimate Tanzania 2019 Season ReportWell folks I know this is a bit late in coming but I was a bit “occupied” the later part of 2019 when I usually have time to sit down and get something on pen and paper!
I will post two reports, one for Infinito Safaris and one for our Tanzanian operation, Ultimate Tanzania Safaris
Ultimate Tanzania Safaris 2019 Report
When clients hear Tanzania the first thought that enters the mind is expensive safaris. We set out from the start to make Tanzania AFFORDABLE and ACCESIBLE. Since our core business (South Africa) supports the corporate structure financially, the main goal was to get a balance between making some profit, but ensure the quota are sold. All this while still being competitive and able to outfit a world class hunt. A tall order for sure, but it is working!
We started with Nalika WMA (old Tenduru hunting block) in 2017 but our first operational hunting season was 2018. It was a huge success.
We also learned a lot and 2019 was fantastic. We were informed at the end of 2018 season that the neighboring Mbarngandu WMA (MB) block also became available. After negotiations with the community and the Government we signed a 5 year lease for this block also, starting in 2019.
Bookings were good but with the MB block coming in so late, we did not manage to sell the whole quota.
Nalika again produced 4 x Fantastic male Leopards and MB 2 x old cats.
Professional Hunters Gawie and Koos (hunted for Wayne Grant) did fantastic and were 100% on the Leopards.
Buffalo hunting was good as we expected. Typical Selous bulls was in abundance, but my good friends Jonathan Taylor and Peter Waddelow did not lie when they said that the higher elevation of our blocks produces better than average Buffalo. We took 5 Buff between 43 and 46 inches over the two seasons and it is save to say the avg was 40”. We pictured a bull out of the anti-poaching plane that we all agree will be over 50”
Elephant: The Elephant population took a massive hit with the poaching hitting a industrial scale in 2015 before the Tanzanian army was deployed to the area. When we got there in 2017 there was only 1 recorded Elephant poached and in 2018 and 2019 nothing. The anti-poaching effort employs 150 Game Scouts as the whole area of the two WMA’s comprise off approx. 1,2million acres. The PH’s only reported 1 huntable bull sighted during 2 seasons of hunting, and although we have a bull on quota, we decided not to offer them to hunt any time soon. Lots of Ellies but only cows and immature animals.
Lions:
LOTS of Lions and we sold our 2 tags for the 2020 season. All indications are that we are able to import them so I am very excited for these two hunts. Some nice old boys hanging out around the Leopard baits this year.
I was really happy with the Plains Game numbers coming on nicely after a serious burning program in 2018. It opened up the area a lot and we managed to kill a conservative number of Plains Game in the 2019 season.
To summarize I would say I am happy and comfortable to offer our Tanzanian Safaris to hunters wanting a “wild, wilderness African experience”. With the Selous now being a National Park, our two hunting blocks is in very high demand, and we look forward to a very busy future here. 2020 Permits are just about sold out on the cats!
Affordable? Well, if you compare a Buffalo or Leopard/Buffalo Safari in our area with the same hunt in any top area in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique or even the Caprivi, it is going to be the same money
Accessible? You can fly to MB camp with a charter for sure, but our criteria right from the start was that we wanted to fly commercial and then drive 5 to 6 hours to camp. Both our camps fits this criteria.
Affordable and Accessible?
We included all the travelling cost in your hunt so the price you see is what you pay. We take care of everything in country from the moment you arrive in DAR until you fly out again. It is East Africa, so packing in an extra “pair of patience” helps a lot!
The Camps:
There is no other way to hunt an area like this, than to stay in a traditional East African tented camp. We went out of our way to make sure modern amenities are available and hunters can enjoy ice in their gin and good wi-fi to talk to folks back home
Getting trophies out?
Our biggest challenge is USFW taking forever to issue CITES import permits. Our trophies were in our DAR es Salaam warehouse by 15 November every season and ready for export about 2 weeks after that.
Average Dip & Pack (private and Government) cost of a mixed bag Safari was about $1,000.00 in charges and $1,500.00 Freight charges to most USA clearing ports. I know it is expensive but at least I can come out and say that this is what is going to cost within a couple of hundred bucks. I wish I could get that same answer in some of the other places I hunted.
Any case, I hope you enjoyed it. We are plenty full for 2020 but I am taking bookings for 2021. I honestly believe this is one of those places where a guy will shoot a decent Tom Leopard on his first go, in day light.
