Best season for hunting buffalo at Bubye Valley Conservancy (BVC), Zimbabwe?

Mopani

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I just finished hunting at the BVC, unfortunately didn‘t get a buffalo. Allegedly there are around 7,000 buffalo on the property, however during seven days we only saw 50-60, on two days none at all.

In the northern parts the bush was very thick whereas in the south one could see in any directions. Lots of zebra and giraffe, quite a number of impala. Otherwise tiny numbers of other species, i e kudu, warthog, waterbuck etc.
Who has been to BVC very recently, how were the sightings?
 
I just got back from Hwange this weekend and was at Save Valley before that. I saw 1 buffalo herd in two full weeks in the bush.Game viewing was tough. Lots of miles travelled but we did have good sightings of the buffalo as well as lion,leopard and elephant. Having lived and worked in the bush through all seasons, I can tell you without reservation that rainy season and just after is hard work. All the game shuns normal waterholes and drinks at secret springs and seeps. They also move into wet season grazing areas. And then there was late rains in Zim, we had 50 mm in one day a couple of weeks ago. Sorry it didnt work out for you but all game becomes easier to see and find when the grass and leaves are gone and you can see. This year in Zim, it would be better to come late in the year-October if you can handle the heat.

BVC has great volumes of game but this time of year it would have been tough.
 
Mopani,
Disappointing to hear and my biggest fear...hunting an area or time of year where the targeted game is not reasonably populated and impacts the success rates.
Can you share more details ? Outfitter and Booking Agent, if any ?
Thanks,
Rob
 
I hunted the BVC with John Sharp in late May 2015 and didn't get a buff. There is lots of game in the BVC, so that is not the problem. Vegetation was very dense and green in May. If I were to do it again, late July or August is when I will go. We saw buffalo everyday though, one day a herd of over 100. Most days were started by going to a waterhole and looking for tracks of a small bachelor herd leaving the watering area. We would track in the bush and bump into them after awhile. Never got a shot though. The hunter that was in camp before me got his buffalo and he only hunted in the morning and did photo safari stuff in the afternoon with his wife and kids.
 
On the topic of buffalo, is there a generally accepted “optimal” time of year? How does it vary by region? Does time of year affect trophy size or dispersion of animals?
 
Mopani,
Disappointing to hear and my biggest fear...hunting an area or time of year where the targeted game is not reasonably populated and impacts the success rates.
Can you share more details ? Outfitter and Booking Agent, if any ?
Thanks,
Rob
There was no booking agent, I have hunted with John Sharp. John and his trackers are top, however what can one do if there is no game? I noticed fresh droppings only now and then. Being a South African nature guide I‘m familiar with places where plenty buffalo occur.

We drove a hell of a lot of distances without seeing any buffalo. Maybe will try it again end of September - hopefully with more success.
 
Mopani,
Appreciate the response.
Wondering to myself, is the Outfitter/PH responsible to outline potential pitfalls of hunting during certain times of the season ? I would think so.
Obviously not implying that is the case on this hunt.
Rob
 
Mopani,
Appreciate the response.
Wondering to myself, is the Outfitter/PH responsible to outline potential pitfalls of hunting during certain times of the season ? I would think so.
Obviously not implying that is the case on this hunt.
Rob
John had informed me that hunting might get difficult due to late rain. In the north the vegetation was incredible thick.

The south was very open, one could look far into the bush. Nothing. Often we followed tracks from the day before because of lack of fresh tracks. Obviously I‘m very disappointed. Only once did we get close to a bull.
 
I don't think you can blame the PH or the area. April / may is not the best time and throw in late rains and all bets are off. September would be much better.
Nobody blames the PH…
 
Sorry to see this. I didn’t know there were unsuccessful buffalo hunts in BVC. How many days was your hunt?
 
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We hunted Nengo in late September early October and were able to track the Buffalo as it had been a dry year and late in the year the tracking was easier. Saw plenty of game including Eland and Kudu. We hunted for Buffalo for 5 days, rest of the time was hanging out and had opportunities each day. In some areas it was still thick but looked over some really old Bulls.

Early June last year was different. The vegetation was thick due to the heavy rains, similar to this year. Kudu and Eland were missing which was a disappointment but three weeks later another group had no problems at all. Gave up on tracking individual Bulls after three long days. Groups were a hair easier but then you would bump them or they would wind you before you could see them.

Was extremely lucky walking and riding the many roads and doing a spot and stalk. Still had several vanish into the brush. There was a little less water so we did encounter one herd and it had an old dugga boy on the fringe. Several single bulls were covered with mud and not near any known watering holes.

I really liked Nengo and up on the northern end there seem to be more old bulls and less herds. If you can give it a go later in the year I would give it a try.
 
On the topic of buffalo, is there a generally accepted “optimal” time of year? How does it vary by region? Does time of year affect trophy size or dispersion of animals?
For complete free range, really depends on the hunting area. Available water and grass will change game movements. One may be great early season and the adjacent block may be better late season, really depends. I personally like later season though for visibility.
 
I hunted the BVC with John Sharp in late May 2015 and didn't get a buff. There is lots of game in the BVC, so that is not the problem. Vegetation was very dense and green in May. If I were to do it again, late July or August is when I will go. ...

All my hunts in Southern Africa have taken place between July and September. Leave for Harare on July 20 and to Zambia from there on August 17 this year.
 
I hunted BVC in 2018 or 19, and we saw buffalo every day. I could have taken all sorts, but was looking for a scrum cap, which I got on the last day.

BVC is high fenced around the slightly less than 1MM acres, so if there were buffalo there, there is no reason they shouldn't still be there. But - and this may be a big but - BVC is internally divided into various blocks, and when you hunt, you are hunting one block and you cannot stray onto other blocks (unless you were hunting lion).

Did you look at other blocks or ask if you could look at other blocks? I found the management (Blondie then) to be pretty helpful.
 
Did you look at other blocks or ask if you could look at other blocks? I found the management (Blondie then) to be pretty helpful.
Yes, I believe the area to the south was another block. Blondie is still there and helpful as ever.

Apparantly there are now lions in the region of 500 (!). Well, they are quite fond of buffalo…
 
In 2013 I hunted the BVC the first two weeks of September. Saw buffalo at least five days. I took mine on day four. by then, I’d seen a large heard on day one, a group of two (one we almost shot) on day two, two on day four (one I shot), a large heard on maybe day eight and a small heard a couple of days later.
 
Later in the year would be better due to the reduction in cover and water. 'Hunted there when they still referred to it as the Liebig's Extract of Meat Company (LEMCO). Saw plenty of buffalo, PG, the largest impala ever seen in S. Africa, and lion tracks everywhere (est. 250 at that time, then 500....it must be even higher now!) All those animals are there. They can't go anywhere. 'Fondly recall speaking with Davies' elderly mother in the old 1800s house just inside the gate. We were watching warthogs decimate a garden (and waterbuck standing behind waiting to do same after the warthogs left!)

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Later in the year would be better due to the reduction in cover and water. ...............
That reduction in cover makes a huge difference.

John had informed me that hunting might get difficult due to late rain.

The better questions to ask thread comes to mind. What does "might get difficult" mean?
 

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