Botswana - plains game?

[wildfowler.250]

Lots of photographic opportunities in the Zim National Parks like Hwange and Mana Pools which are generally surrounded by hunting areas

Mana pools in Zim is world class photo safari area

Funnily enough I just stumbled onto Mana pools this evening. Briefly looked into Hwange in the past. These parks are so unknown to me that I’ve only heard of Hwange from blood origins podcasts so more research needed on my part. Appreciate the suggestions!

I’ve started looking into Zim a lot. I’m not sure if it’s as scenic for a wife to tag along on the hunt compared to what I’ve seen in RSA. It looks like hunting buffalo in thick scrub.

(Not sure I’d let the wife tag along for a buff hunt anyway from a safety point of view but maybe that’s being over cautious)

 

[375Fox]

Funnily enough I just stumbled onto Mana pools this evening. Briefly looked into Hwange in the past. These parks are so unknown to me that I’ve only heard of Hwange from blood origins podcasts so more research needed on my part. Appreciate the suggestions!

I’ve started looking into Zim a lot. I’m not sure if it’s as scenic for a wife to tag along on the hunt compared to what I’ve seen in RSA. It looks like hunting buffalo in thick scrub.

(Not sure I’d let the wife tag along for a buff hunt anyway from a safety point of view but maybe that’s being over cautious)

Just make sure if you hunt Zimbabwe you research the area you’ll be hunting. Botswana or Caprivi are a bit safer picking hunts. Zimbabwe has a wide range of concessions. You get what you pay for. Some areas have been poached hard. Some have been taken care of really well.

 

[WAB]

Regarding Botswana:

Plains game quota on government concessions is very limited and pretty much exclusively taken as add-on to buffalo and elephant hunts. The OP mentioned Buffalo. There are huge Buffalo in Botswana but the pricing is closer to Tanzania than Zimbabwe. I took one of my best Buffalo and my only elephant in Botswana.

Plains game on private ranches is outstanding. These are massive properties, I believe that Bokamosa is 130,000 acres. Kudu, eland, zebra and gemsbuck are plentiful. There are truly monster kudu and eland.

If anyone tells you that you can get through Maun or Kasane without potential exposure to malarial mosquitoes DO NOT listen to them. I picked up malaria in Kasane a number of years ago. It is an experience best avoided.

 

[wildfowler.250]

Just make sure if you hunt Zimbabwe you research the area you’ll be hunting. Botswana or Caprivi are a bit safer picking hunts. Zimbabwe has a wide range of concessions. You get what you pay for. Some areas have been poached hard. Some have been taken care of really well.

Very helpful. Besides trawling through reports,(which is all part of it) where do you find the best info on areas? I had been looking at the omay?
I’d been speaking to one PH last year and he said that some blocks in caprivi are transient and entirely depends on if the animals have moved in/out or not. And the other areas that are reliable are £££ . Seems a bit daunting!

Regarding Botswana:

Plains game quota on government concessions is very limited and pretty much exclusively taken as add-on to buffalo and elephant hunts. The OP mentioned Buffalo. There are huge Buffalo in Botswana but the pricing is closer to Tanzania than Zimbabwe. I took one of my best Buffalo and my only elephant in Botswana.

Plains game on private ranches is outstanding. These are massive properties, I believe that Bokamosa is 130,000 acres. Kudu, eland, zebra and gemsbuck are plentiful. There are truly monster kudu and eland.

If anyone tells you that you can get through Maun or Kasane without potential exposure to malarial mosquitoes DO NOT listen to them. I picked up malaria in Kasane a number of years ago. It is an experience best avoided.

Very helpful. I’ll be on the malaria meds that’s for sure.

The difficulty for me is I don’t really care if the buffalo is 40” or 42” ect. I would just want a solid old male, preferably not a scrum cap. The main thing really is a fair chase hunt in a safe area,(less keen on Mozambique) that’s price conscientious but at the same time don’t want something off a game ranch in South Africa - not knocking it just not for this instance.

 

[375Fox]

Very helpful. Besides trawling through reports,(which is all part of it) where do you find the best info on areas? I had been looking at the omay?
I’d been speaking to one PH last year and he said that some blocks in caprivi are transient and entirely depends on if the animals have moved in/out or not. And the other areas that are reliable are £££ . Seems a bit daunting!


Very helpful. I’ll be on the malaria meds that’s for sure.

The difficulty for me is I don’t really care if the buffalo is 40” or 42” ect. I would just want a solid old male, preferably not a scrum cap. The main thing really is a fair chase hunt in a safe area,(less keen on Mozambique) that’s price conscientious but at the same time don’t want something off a game ranch in South Africa - not knocking it just not for this instance.

When you start narrowing down outfitters and areas, you need to call and talk to recent references. I’d be careful relying just on reports I think you’ll find out more on phone. You need to look for consistency in their answers and what they saw and how the hunting was done. Also, keep in mind that many areas are on 5 or 10 year leases. Ask outfitters when their current contract ends so no surprises. Most plan they will get it renewed but doesn’t always happen.
The well known areas in Zimbabwe are pretty straightforward (for hunting quality at least). The Zambezi valley safari areas, the matetsi safari areas, the save, bubye valley, nuanetsi. It’s the adjacent or outlying areas, especially the community areas, that you need to look into more if trying to save a few dollars.

 

[WAB]

Very helpful. Besides trawling through reports,(which is all part of it) where do you find the best info on areas? I had been looking at the omay?
I’d been speaking to one PH last year and he said that some blocks in caprivi are transient and entirely depends on if the animals have moved in/out or not. And the other areas that are reliable are £££ . Seems a bit daunting!




Very helpful. I’ll be on the malaria meds that’s for sure.

The difficulty for me is I don’t really care if the buffalo is 40” or 42” ect. I would just want a solid old male, preferably not a scrum cap. The main thing really is a fair chase hunt in a safe area,(less keen on Mozambique) that’s price conscientious but at the same time don’t want something off a game ranch in South Africa - not knocking it just not for this instance.

You are describing Zimbabwe!

 

[Lancaster]

Mana pools in Zim is world class photo safari area

Rob Murray (another ex PH) runs a good photo camp at Vundu in Mana

 

[Bescultat]

I’m sure a few people have hunted in Botswana on here but it seems to be lower in prevalence than South Africa, Namibia and Tanzania?

What have people’s experiences been like? Is plains game good there? I’m tempted to go see chobe or okavango, and for some plains game,(possibly a buffalo if I can swing it).

My first thoughts was lechwe but they don’t seem to get hunted much there?

Eland seem a popular species and would be high up for tracking hunt. Maybe a good second if I can’t afford buffalo?

Kudu get good feedback but probably not my first choice as I’ve got one,(albeit hard to turn down but more allocating funds elsewhere).

Mosquitos bad? Safe country?

Tholo, NKWE and bakamoso seem to get good reviews?

I’m going to do some digging in the archives but any extra experiences are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Botswana would definitely be high on my list if you're already considering the Chobe/Okavango areas. From what I've read and heard, it has a somewhat different feel from the more conventional South African/Namibian plains-game hunt, and the habitat itself is a big part of the appeal.

Lechwe would probably be one of the species I'd look at most closely if the Okavango is part of the trip. They don't seem to get nearly as much attention in discussions as kudu, eland, etc., but that may be more about the type of hunting available and the logistics than the quality of the animals.

 

[375Fox]

Lechwe would probably be one of the species I'd look at most closely if the Okavango is part of the trip. They don't seem to get nearly as much attention in discussions as kudu, eland, etc., but that may be more about the type of hunting available and the logistics than the quality of the animals.

Because they aren’t on quota in Botswana concessions. You can hunt them in Caprivi. Then you can hunt black and kafue lechwe in Zambia.

 

[DLSJR]

Why not? Closed for hunting?

Red Lechwe are off license/no quotas in Botswana. One of very few places place you can still hunt naturally occurring free ranging Red Lechwe is the Caprivi Strip. I believe they can also be hunted on Kasonso-Busanga and maybe a few others blocks in western Zambia. But that’s it. Zambia has 3 of the 4 Lechwe species, Red, Kafue & Black.

I’m glad that I took a good red lechwe in Botswana in 1989.

 

[skydiver386]

Red Lechwe are off license/no quotas in Botswana. One of very few places place you can still hunt naturally occurring free ranging Red Lechwe is the Caprivi Strip. I believe they can also be hunted on Kasonso-Busanga and maybe a few others blocks in western Zambia. But that’s it. Zambia has 3 of the 4 Lechwe species, Red, Kafue & Black.

I’m glad that I took a good red lechwe in Botswana in 1989.