Cape Buffalo hunting in Tanzania

Cape Buffalo, often referred to as “Black Death” can become extremely cantankerous with age. Old Buffalo bulls are called “Dagga Boys”. Dagga is an African word for mud and Buffalo sure do enjoy a good mud wallow to relieve themselves from external parasites (ticks) and biting flies. Buffalo need to be treated with the greatest of respect, especially when wounded and no Buffalo bull should be treated as dead until in the salt. Buffalo may be hunted throughout the country with some exceptional quality Buffalo found in some areas. Areas like the Selous offer great hunting opportunities with the best quality Buffalo being on offer in areas like the Kizigo West, Maswa where Buffalo over 45-48 inches are regularly hunted and Western Tanzania where a 49 ½ inch Buffalo was recently taken. Numerous outfitters offer the option to hunt more than one bull depending on the license and duration of your safari. The meat, if not used for Lion bait, is given to the community members residing in the area. These villages often despise these animals due to the human wildlife conflict created when family or friends are injured or killed by Buffalo whilst going about their daily chores. The protein from these hunts is a trade off with the community members for a little tolerance with these mighty beasts. Cape Buffalo (African Buffalo) are classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN and no special export permits are required. A maximum of two Buffalo may be hunted on a minimum of a 7 day hunting license with up to three Buffalo being available on a 21 day license. Click here for more Cape Buffalo hunting tips.