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Cape Buffalo
DANGEROUS GAME
The Cape buffalo is considered by many to be the most dangerous of the African game to hunt, often turning back to ambush and attack pursuers....
AFRICAN CAPE BUFFALO
(Syncerus caffer)
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Mozambique, Tanzania & Zimbabwe
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Sybarite Sporting
Founded 1999
The Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is one of Africa’s most impressive and challenging animals to hunt, and can be a serious adversary when not respected....when hunted, agitated or wounded, buffalo have a reputation, for circling back and hunting you - and fair enough!
Buffalo are very successful grazers and can be found in various different habitats. They usually graze in the early morning and late evening and they prefer to look for thick cover during the hotter time of the day. Water is very important for buffalo, often having to drink twice a day, up to 40 litres, which in-turn is useful information when forming a hunting strategy!
“.... they look at you like you owe them money.”
- African Cape Buffalo Hunter
Our small collections of camps, which are utilised for bush and plains game hunting, enable us to access four unique buffalo habitat types (..in four different African countries, below), for unparalleled Cape Buffalo hunting experiences.
Namibia | Zimbabwe | Mozambique | Tanzania
BUFFALO HUNTING
Dangerous Game Clubs 1
The lonely, old buffalo bulls are often referred to as “Dagga Boys”. Dagga means mud in Zulu and these old bulls spend a lot of their time wallowing in mud to keep the parasites at bay. They have usually been kicked out of the herd by younger, more virile males - often making a suitable beast to be harvested.
Typically scouting for fresh tracks or fresh buffalo dung, normally found at waterholes or on game tracks, will establish that buffalo are in an area, and whether it’s a large herd, individual Dagga Boys or smaller bachelor herds.
Stalking into a large herd of watchful eyes, listening ears and skilled nostrils constantly searching for approaching danger is very tricky, as is hunting individual Dagga Boys or smaller bachelor herds.
Bachelor bulls are used to functioning on their own, adept at avoiding lions, often more clever than the herd bulls. They are considered to be smarter and wiser from surviving alone and some hunters consider an old solitary Dagga Boy to be the greatest challenge - hunting Cape buffalo on foot, makes for an extremely exciting hunt.
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, using the right rifle for dangerous game can mean the difference between life and death, guests should do extensive practice, off shooting sticks, with their preferred big-game hunting rifle, as bullet placement is vital for Cape buffalo, as it is ethically for all quarry species.
The Dangerous Game Clubs 1 …the interest here is twofold…
The Shikar Club (the Indian noun hunting, hunting as a sport, trip, safari…) is an international sporting club founded in the Café Royal in London's Regent Street, London in 1909 to champion the cause of dangerous big game hunting and shooting.
The Dangerous Game Club…well, this one is little more discreet, please see the References (below).
Namibia
WATERBERG
The Waterberg Plateau is an extraordinary and unique hunting area!
Elevating high above the plains of the eastern Namibia Kalahari, Waterberg (Afrikaans: Water Mountain) is a mixture of open grassland, impressive Camelthorn trees, Sycamore Figs and Leadwood savanna woodlands with rocky cliffs.
This is a ‘table mountain’ plateau that is largely inaccessible from below, where one of the largest Black and Southern White Rhino populations roam without ‘obvious’ protection!
The luxury tented camp, is the only camp located inside the Waterberg National Park boundary, it is from here we hunt some of the best Cape Buffalo and Eland populations…in the presents of wild Rhino!!!
For further information on hunting in Namibia, please see Namibia.
Zimbabwe
DANDE
Dande sits on the Zambrei tripoint country border of Zambia and Mozambique, a few kilometres upstream from Lake Cabora Bassa, in a remote part on Mashonaland West Province.
This is pristine Zambezi Valley terrain, with no fences or tarred roads; generally rugged, flat sandy soils and thick, virgin “Jesse bush”, Cathedral Mopane and ancient flood plains, moving west, upstream, into hilly and mountainous terrain bisected by sand rivers!
It is proper tough Buffalo hunting and typical big Elephant / tuskless country together with species such as Eland (Livingstone's), Kudu (Greater), Sable, Impala, Duiker, Warthog…
The beautiful tented camp is perched on high cliffs, 140 metres above and overlooking the Zambezi River, facing west for fantastic sunsets.
For further information on hunting in Zimbabwe, please see Zimbabwe.
Mozambique
COUTADA 9 (Nhacainga Conservancy)
Coutada 9 is situated halfway between Tete and Chimoio in Mozambique's Manica province,
bordered by coutadas to the South and East, and to the North, with a land area of over a million acres (4333 sq.km).
Nhacainga Conservancy lies in the Coutada 9 lease area, and prior to the civil war, was renowned for its Lion and Buffalo populations. The management team have been involved with sustainable wildlife conservation and community development in Mozambique for many years, and after the reintroduction of various species, to enhance the eco-system balance, and anti-poaching efforts, there has been a significant increase in the game populations once again!
Two camps are utilised from the Nhacainga Conservancy; five luxurious chalets at Tandikwe Camp, and a tented ‘fly’ camp on the Pompue River, Pompue Fly Camp.
COUTADA 11
Coutada 11 is situated in the central part of Coastal Mozambique, and is part of the Marromeu Complex (Marromeu Buffalo Reserve). The coutada is on the Zambezi delta, bordering the mighty river to the north.
This is a vast low-lying, flat delta hunting block, with a spectacular array of habitat types, enabling a very large species carrying capacity – the spectrum of wildlife is quite remarkable, with large concentrations of Buffalo throughout the region, given away by the white cattle egrets that follow the herds!
The traditional tented East African camp is located close to the airstrip, with plenty of tree cover. There is a Portuguese style lodge, a short distance from the main camp, if this is preferred...
BUFFALO CAMP (Marromeu Complex)
This beautiful area is made up of palm savanna, open grassland and perennial rivers on the edge of the famous Marromeu Buffalo Reserve, which covers the southern half of the Zambezi Delta and the adjacent Cheringoma escarpment.
The Reserve was specifically established to protect the significant buffalo population it harbours, with a current estimate of more than 29,000 animals – one of the densest buffalo populations in the world.
In 2003, the Mozambique Government named it the first Wetland of International Significance – it also supports one of the highest densities of water birds in Mozambique, significantly Great White Pelicans colonies, and the endangered Wattled Crane.
Together with the plains game available in Nhacainga Conservancy, a combination hunt between Coutada 9 and Buffalo Camp, makes for an excellent and diverse safari option.
For further information on hunting in Mozambique, please see Mozambique.
Tanzania
KITUMBEINE MOUNTAIN
Kitumbeine Mountain in an enormous, rugged mountain, above Maasailand, with a unique ‘extinct volcano’ ecosystem. Huge densities of Cape Buffalo roam in the ‘mist forests’ on top of the mountain together with Greater Kudu, Eland, Masai Bushbuck, Bush pig and Mountain Reedbuck….
From Orkeju Camp, below the mountain in Lake Natron’s Maasailand, we fly camp on Kitumbeine Mountain and hunt entirely on foot, there are no vehicles involved.
“The buffalo here are bad news, having the reputation of being extremely
aggressive. This is because of the constant disturbance by the Maasai people
and their cattle, resulting in bad tempered, testy buffalo.”
- Robin Hurt
Two important points with hunting the Maasailand area; there are no Tsetse flies and, because the area is so close to Arusha, there is no need for expensive air charters to get in and out of camp.
For further information on hunting in Tanzania, please see Tanzania.
References:
SHIKAR CLUB & DANGEROUS GAME CLUB
1 The Shikar Club
The Today, the Shikar Club continues the purpose of traditional, sustainable use for
hunting and shooting, often meeting at the Savoy Hotel, London, with the complete
emphasis on traditional, sustainable use hunting and shooting for wildlife conservation
– see Wikipedia > Shikar Club
The Dangerous Game Club
The 'Dangerous Game Club' was a big game hunting club founded in Kenya in late
1953 / 1954 [clarification needed], at The Norfolk Hotel, Nairobi, where The East
African Professional Hunter's Association was founded 20 years before in 1934.
It was said that the club had been the suggestion of some ~20 professional hunters,
who had worked on John Ford’s film, Mogambo, and based on an informal membership
of having hunted "dangerous game", but the "dangerous game" was in fact, the pursuit
of romantic affairs with the wives or girlfriends of clients in camp.
The film attracted a 1953 New York Times review stating that the film had more to do
with romantic manoeuvring, that a hunting safari!
If you have got this far in your reading, you are worthy of more information on the
affiliation between The Dangerous Game Club and our sybaritic beliefs, please find
the discreet link on the website for contact and further information!
The Password is: DGC
BUNNY ALLEN
Bunny Allen's book 'The Wheel of Life - A Life of Safaris and Romance' has many a story of female pursuit on safari! Bunny played a major part in the filming logistics of Mogambo, and was allegedly at The Norfolk Hotel for the formation of The Dangerous Game Club?!?