Rafiki
AH enthusiast
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- Mar 19, 2023
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- Hunted
- Tanzania
Tanzania: Rungwa Game Reserve
Local Outfitter: Malagarasi Hunting Safaris
Location: Mwamagembe concession, Rungwa Game Reserve, Tanzania
US Agent: Worldwide Trophy Adventures
PH: Jamil Jamal
Like many others, going on an African hunting safari has been something that I’ve been thinking about for most of my life. Over the course of those many years my hunting aspirations have changed considerably. At a young age I just wanted to take everything, but as I grew older and started to realize that the purpose of my hunting adventures has changed dramatically. Where previously it was pretty simplistically focused on the end of the game, the taking of whatever game I was after, I found that for me a successful hunt is not the taking of game but the joy of the adventure itself.
I had a very specific set of goals in mind for my African adventure. Mainly I wanted the experience of a traditional East African bush camp, to come as close as possible to what it must have been like in the 1930’s but realizing that those days are forever lost. I wanted to hunt on foot in still wild country, tracking to wherever it may lead, and I wanted to get close to my quarry, go toe-to-toe so to speak. I was fortunate to find an outfitter that could meet many of these goals; so, with my wife’s blessing of “just go”, I traveled to Tanzania on October 12th for a 10-day buffalo hunting safari with Malagarasi Hunting Safaris.
About Malagarasi Hunting Safaris:
Email: malagarasi@yahoo.com
WhatsApp: +255 783 167 420
Malagarasi is a locally owned and operated outfitter with a 30-year presence in Tanzania. It does not have an internet presence as they primarily rely on word-of-mouth and the personal connections with prior customers and PH’s built over several decades. It is owned and operated by Dr. Licky Abdallah who now I’m proud to say has become a good friend. In the months prior to my leaving for Tanzania he personally answered all my questions promptly, arranged for my in-country hotel and flight arrangements, and arranged for a PH.
I happened on Malagarasi Hunting Safaris via Worldwide Trophy Adventures (WTA) which, at the time, was advertising a 10-full-day buffalo & plains game package for $10,500 + trophy fees. This was pure luck because Malagarasi typically does not use booking agents.
The first time that I met Licky was at the Sea Cliff Hotel in Dar es Salaam. I found him to be a very open and engaging, a person that is just simply easy to talk with on a personal level. We had several discussions on subjects as varied as the state of hunting, local and world politics and family; and we continue to talk often.
Arrangements:
The initial arrangements were made by US based WTA. I had intended to make all the arrangements myself but that turned out to be a daunting and frustrating task, using an agent made the initial steps and guesswork of finding and securing a safari, billing, obtaining the necessary travel documents, etc., much easier. There is also is some value in knowing that there is someone to call when those ad-hoc questions inevitably surface with such an endeavor.
I secured the services of Travel With Guns for airline reservations and the various forms required to transport firearms. The requirements of each airline and country are different and using a service takes a lot of the mystery out of a somewhat complicated process. There is quite a bit of paperwork, customs checks and fees to be paid along the way. It was also a case of the reality of the process not entirely matching the information given but that said I did get there so … (shrug).
The Hardware:
The origins of the only rifle that I brought began in 2009 when I went to Kansas on my first bison hunting trip. It was a “period hunt” where you get a taste of what people did in the late 1800’s. For this I took an old buffalo rifle that I had, lived in a dugout on the prairie and hunted by horseback.
The rifle I had with me is a Rolling Block chambered in 45-90 Sharps, a formidable cartridge introduced in 1877, but the classic bison round is the 50-90 Sharps introduced in 1872 specifically for bison hunting. I formed the idea of building a “modern buffalo rifle” using a classic British style single shot rifle chambered for that historic cartridge.
The original black powder 50-90 Sharps is more than adequate for bison but would not be suitable for Cape Buffalo. The challenge was to hand-load the cartridge to something much more powerful yet maintaining moderate pressures. Over the next several years I had a rifle custom built on a Ruger No 1 receiver and had it stamped “500 Sharps 2 ½”. The result of the following years of load development and testing is a recipe that mimics performance as the .500 Nitro Express but with a shorter cartridge case.
The rifle turned out to be quite a hit in the safari camp. They told me that their clients almost always bring bolt action rifles with telescopic sights and shoot off “sticks”. I showed up with a single shot rifle with “iron sights” (no scope) chambered in and antique cartridge, and would be hunting without using “sticks”; some may call that foolhardy.
Rungwa Game Reserve:
The area that I hunted is the Rungwa Game Reserve, a large wild area that covers approximately 3,500sq/mi of central and west Tanzania. It is composed of rocky hills mixed with patches of forest along the streams and the Mpera River valley, which provides water in the dry season and becomes the best game viewing areas from July to November; September and October are the two hottest and driest months.
Rungwa is primarily covered with miombo woodlands and thicket, a unique vegetation type found only in two places in Africa. It is divided into 6 leased hunting concessions. Our camp was in the the Rungwa Mwamagembe concession situated roughly in the middle of the game reserve.
Getting there:
Just getting to Tanzania was an interesting exercise in itself especially when traveling with a firearm. Leaving from Minneapolis I flew to Dar Es Salaam via Amsterdam and Zanzibar, a 25-hour ordeal.
I met Don and Debra Hutson on the Amsterdam to Dar es Salaam leg. Don had overheard me discussing my trip with the guy in the next seat and said that buffalo hunting was the reason for his trip; that it was a lifelong dream of his. It was just pure chance that he was heading the same camp although we didn't know it at the time. They were even staying over at the same Dar es Salaam hotel as I; Sea Cliff.
After 2-nights rest at Sea Cliff I took a commercial flight to Dodoma. Although Dodoma is the capital of Tanzania it is much smaller than Dar es Salaam and has a rural feel. Here I met camp manager, Khalil Ifny, and a few others. We needed to pick up supplies; Gin & Tonic for me and whatever food and staples for the camp. This is really the last opportunity since the camp is 5hrs of driving so we needed to get supplies here.
To collect supplies, we had to go to several outdoor street markets for produce and to a small food store for canned goods and some frozen meat and chicken. With four guys, our personal stuff and a couple weeks of food and other supplies Khalil’s SUV was completely stuffed.
It was a wild ride from Dodoma to camp. West from Dodoma to Itigi where the road turns quickly into a dirt track dotted with villages, the "main" road that skirts the western edge of the Rungwa Game Reserve and is impassable during the rainy season (September and October are the driest months). Khalil drove this at 100 km/hr literally scattering people, cows and goats along the way.
Just as we turned off the main dirt road onto the 2-track leading to camp we had a flat tire, the first of 3 flats on our vehicles. I had notice that for the most part the only vehicle I saw was Toyota, Toyotas were everywhere. Khalil said that the reason for that is for parts and repairs. The ones here were usually diesel powered and very simple to repair; parts can be scavenged from other vehicles.
There were five clients in three hunting groups; Don & Debra Hutson, Lance & Jill Morrow and myself. We all hunted separately with our own PH and trackers and only saw each other back in camp.
At camp I met my PH Jamil Jamal. and his cadre of trackers (Longinus and Hamisi), driver (Farndi) and Game Ranger (Josephat). Josephat worked for the wildlife department was assigned for protection and to ensure that the hunting was conducted according to Tanzanian game laws. According to protocol the Game Rangers are supposed to be “invisible” but Josephat became an active participant helping when there were trees or brush to be cleared, etc.
The Camp
The hunting camp is located a few miles down a small track off the western side of the Rungwa Reserve. It consists of 5 tents for clients and the PH’s, a common area for meals, a skinning shed and a few other structures for general staff use.
Each tent has outside facilities (flush toilet, sink and shower). Unsurprisingly water pressure was a challenge but there was hot water of sorts if you’re willing to wait 10 minutes for it come from wherever it comes from. Electricity is provided by generators when they were running; as long as there was power, we had Wi-Fi in the communal area. This entire setup must be dismantled and removed during the rainy season as the area is totally inaccessible.
The tents are pretty spare of furniture but then you really don’t need much; mine had a bed and bedside table, all I really needed. Since these tents are large there was plenty of floor area to store my stuff of which there was not much. It really doesn’t matter because your mostly in the communal area where the bar is.
Every tent is assigned a 2 person staff to take care of every personal need. My guy was Fadhili Shamte and his assistant Frank Elias. I have to say they get a little over zealous in their duties. Fadhili was a little short in stature yet insisted on carrying everything between the tent to the safari cars; guns, day packs, etc. These guys made sure that everything was neat orderly. They also make sure that you are up at 5AM to get ready for the day’s activities and have breakfast. Laundry is done daily so there is no need to bring much.
The communal area is located next to a small waterhole. This waterhole is the only one for miles that reliably has water all year. Of course, the animals know this so there are nightly visitors; Baboons are daily residents. While I was there, we had visits from Hyena, Leopard and of course Baboons.
Between the waterhole and the communal area is the firepit; my new favorite place on earth. When the generator quiet and lights are out; the firepit has been stoked, the sky is packed with stars; when the only sounds you hear are the nocturnal critters, that is hard to beat.
The firepit is also the place where you recount the day’s events with the other camp dwellers. For the first 6 days I had the company of the other clients, after that I was the lone hunter. While I certainly enjoyed the others company being by myself was a totally different and, enjoyable. I had downloaded “Into Africa” by Martin Dugard onto my Kindle and this was the perfect setting for reading it since the events described took place in is same area 150-years previous.
The only problem was that the others drank too many G&T’s and we ran out of tonic.
The Neighbors
The Rungwa Game Reserve is home to a wide assortment of wildlife. Unlike what you see on National Geographic the concession is almost completely wooded. There are no large savannas where vast herds of game can be viewed.
An incomplete list of the wildlife includes Oribi, Reedbuck, Sable, Kudu, Lichtenstein's Hartebeest, Warthog, Bush Pig, Zebra, Elephant, Giraffe, Black Mamba, Puff Adder, African Buffalo, elephant, Lion, leopard, Baboon.
The Black Mamba was one of the most interesting creatures that I saw. I saw 2 of them and was so amazed that I didn’t even get a picture. We came across both while in the safari car. This is a fortunate thing since they are large (10ft or more), very poisonous and fast (10mph). The first was close to a tree and when we came along it stood straight up with almost its entire length unsupported. That had to be about 6-feet of snake straight as a walking stick. It just stood like that for a minute or two then went up that tree.
There was another interesting event concerning lions. We had been out searching for promising buffalo sign when we happened on some lion tracks and them roaring in the distance; we decided to follow. After some time we found ourselves on a small mound between a standoff of a heard of buffalo and a small pride of lions. Speculation was that the lions were looking for an opportunity to pick off a buffalo but the buffalo were not having anything of it. Eventually the buffalo turned and ran off. The lions realized that we were there and started to meander our way but apparently thought this was not the best of ideas and wandered away.
The quintessential Tsetse fly is an irritating presence. These things are about four times the size of a house fly and the bite is incredible. They are also tough little suckers; you can’t simply swat them; they have to be crushed. They attack in swarms and get under your cloths; they are one of the reasons that it is best to wear long sleeve shirts and pants but even then they can bite through. By chance I had asked my WTA agent about them and was literally told that “they drink Deet” but Picaridin seemed to work if you apply enough. That worked pretty well but the trackers had another solution; Elephant Dung. They would get the dry stuff (it was everywhere), put it in a small bucket they had in the back of the safari car. Once lit it would smolder, the smoke supposedly had the magical power of warding off Tsetse Fly’s. I have no idea if it actually works because I was liberally sprayed with Picaridin.
The Hunt:
This camp only hunted for “Dagga Boys”; old, non-breeding bulls that have separated from the herd and are either single or congregate in small groups of two or three animals.
Every day began with a 5AM wakeup call, breakfast at 5:30 and in the safari car by 6AM or so. The procedure is to drive through the bush looking for relatively fresh buffalo tracks or other sign (poop) but ignoring signs of a herd since we were looking for only large solitary bulls.
It usually didn’t take long to find some promising sign and from that point it was tracking on foot. It was really amazing watching the trackers. The first thing they would do is each sharpen a stick to use as a pointer. We would follow with them pointing at each sign, not lifting the stick until the next was located. It’s not necessarily tracks; it could be a freshly broken twig, more poop, etc. Once it was a single blade of grass half eaten with a little spit on it. We would go for miles like this never knowing where the tracks would take us.
The Rungwa is mostly forested however there are areas of 10’ high grass. The buffalo go through these areas and following them is a bit of a sphincter pucker for me, as they are known to ambush pursuers. Thankfully that did not happen on this safari but I read that it did happen in November this year with another safari.
The game is taken to a village and distributed; in Africa nothing goes to waste. The people in the rural areas of Tanzania, cannot afford the protein from domesticated livestock and they really don’t have the opportunity to legally hunt wild game. In addition, the license and various other fees are not insignificant, without which wild Africa would not exist. Poaching is still a huge issue and the fees are a major source of revenue for anti-poaching and conservation projects.
I did get two buffalo (and a Warthog).
The First Buffalo
We caught up with buffalo each day but it wasn’t until the 4th day that I got my first. We came up on three Dagga Boys about 75-yards out. They knew we were there and stood facing us as Jamil and I cautiously approached to about 35-yards making as small of a presence as possible. Jamil later explained that they usually won’t bolt away unless they smell us and what little wind there was came towards us.
The rest is a blur, everything happened so fast. Jamil said that after the first shot it turned and started to charge. Jamil shot to stop it but missed. I had reloaded and I shot it between the horns; I don't remember any of this, don't even remember reloading. He also said this was the same "Dagga Boys" that we've been tracking for the last couple days and was the one I missed the day before.
Very little is left for the scavengers. Buffalo can run up to 1500lbs or more, all of that goes back to camp. It took all of us to prepare it for transport. The safari car was already full with 6 guys and all our gear, now we had to get a buffalo in it also but first we had to get the safari car. We had tracked these buffalo for miles through some pretty thick stuff. A couple of guys had to backtrack to get it while we waited for their return. That took about 3-hours. It was late when we finally made it back to camp.
Camp Life
We would be gone all day so what little camp life there was happened in the mornings for breakfast, and the evenings whenever we returned from hunting. Our team usually arrived after dark, several times well after the two other groups had come back; but they held dinner for us so we could all eat and spend some time together by the fire.
Although we had gotten some supplies in Dodoma what we ate was what we brought out of the bush, and since all of the hunter’s primary quarry was buffalo, it was buffalo that provided most of the table fare. Cape Buffalo can be favorably compared to bison. It is not “gamey” at all and there is virtually no fat. Because there isn’t any fat it can be dry and sometimes a bit tough depending on part of the critter it came from or how it was prepared; usually it was very good though. We took the tenderloin which was always very good.
We ate at a large table reserved for the hunters, the PH’s and the camp management. The evening meal always started with some sort of vegetable soup; pumpkin, eggplant, or asparagus. The main course was, as I’ve said, usually buffalo, vegetables and rice topped with buffalo stew. When someone brought back a buffalo, we would have buffalo tail soup which is quite good. Breakfast was eggs, toast and buffalo strips (see a pattern here?).
As hard as it may be to understand, eating buffalo every day can get to be a bit tedious. After the two groups had filled their tags and left, Jamil suggested that we go get some “camp meat” that wasn’t buffalo. We ended up getting a Hartebeest and a Warthog both of which are quite good. The camp staff also seemed very pleased with the change.
Sitting by the firepit with a G&T or scotch is a very pleasant way to end the day especially when the days hunt was successful. There was no lack of conversation while the others were in camp but after the 6th day I was the only one left. I found these evenings very pleasant.
The Second Buffalo
The day after I got my buffalo we slept in; revile at 5:30AM. This was the morning of the 5th day of a 10-day Safari so over breakfast Jamil asked what I wanted to do next. I had a license that included two buffalo so I told him that I came to hunt buffalo so let’s do that, but I would only take one that was significantly bigger that the one I just got; that one measured 36”. I really expected to just hunt those last few days, see a lot of cool animals and scenery, not actually get another buffalo.
There was an interesting development that day. While driving around looking for buffalo sign, we came out on the main dirt road on the western side of the reserve …. and promptly got another flat tire. It happened that there were lion tracks around where we were. I asked Jamil about lions in the area and he said that there are many lions and that they attack people along the road 2 or 3 times a year.
The tire changed we were on our way again and shortly thereafter a brightly dressed woman stepped out of the bush and started walking down the road. This was mid-day and very hot out. She had no water and there were no other people, no nearby village or houses. This bright colorful speck against the dull shades of the landscape would have made an interesting picture if I’d thought to take it.
She had a baby shaded under her wrap and was trying to go where she could get some medical attention; I never did find out if it was for her or the baby. We gave her some water and took her 15km to a village where she could get help, then went on our way. The whole situation seemed almost surreal.
The next day we traveled quite far into the bush to an area where Jamil thought we may find some good-sized buffalo. Along the way there was Zebra, Kudu, Warthog and that Black Mamba that I mentioned before.
Jamil spotted a bit of horn off in the distance, in an area between a rocky hill and the woodland marked with old termite mounds so we went to investigate. There were three old bulls a few hundred yards out. We used the termite mounds to cover our approach and stopped on the opposite side of one with the buffalo on the other side, and waited. I took the biggest bull as it appeared from just the other side of our mound only a few yards away. It and the other two bolted to the edge of the rocky hill but it was done. This was one was 42”, very large bodied with a solid boss, estimated to be 15-years old.
We didn’t get back to camp until well after dark.
The last days
I was the only client for the last 4-days in camp and were pretty casual. I had arranged for a 10-day hunt and I got my second bull on the 6th day. Licky knew that I was just after buffalo and questioned me on why I chose 10-days since we were pretty much assured that 7-days was enough. My answer was that I wanted to really experience hunting Africa, to be unhurried; so in the final days we went for camp meat. First it was Lichtenstein Hartebeest and later an unintentional Warthog; unintentional because the one I got was not trophy material but it sure tasted good.
I really enjoyed these days. It gave me time to get to know the camp staff better and on more intimate terms. Several of them expressed an interest in my rifle so we made plans to shoot it, parting shots so-to-speak.
The only somewhat uncomfortable feeling was at that large table. Once it was filled with clients and the PH’s, now it was just Jamil and me; for some reason it felt a bit lonely. The last night the cook had made a cake that said “Good Bye Johnny” in icing. They brought it out to the table singing and dancing. I cut the cake for everyone but I nobody sat down, they just stood around with plate in hand. I told Jamil that this just wouldn’t do, that they should sit at the table with us. They did and we had a really wonderful evening, a lot of laughter and joy.
In the morning it was time to pack up and go. I brought out my rifle and leftover ammo for anyone to try. I few did and it was basically pretty hilarious; we all had a good time.
Concerns for the future
When the Wuhan Virus was released the global panic hit countries such as Tanzania particularly hard. Many safaris were cancelled putting a severe strain on the finances of the outfitters. Tanzania hosts about 500 safaris annually compared to South Africa’s 9,000. Obviously in Tanzania a reduction of some percentage of hunters has a much more detrimental effect not only on the outfitters but game management programs.
Recently the term of concessions has increased to 10-year lease cycles. The costs have increased significantly since the pandemic to a point where it is difficult for the smaller safari operators to acquire good, game rich areas. They are expensive and the money that has been spent to obtain a concession cannot be recuperated when the hunts are not filled.
A disturbing trend is starting where wealthy organizations are purchasing leases for their own private purposes, be it hunting or anti-hunting. When this happens it is to the detriment of the animals because it offers an opportunity for poachers to move in. It also severely impacts the people that survive on the revenue generated by the safari business.
We hear so much about the importance of photographic safaris to the prosperity of Africa and its wildlife but the fact is that non-hunting safaris only contribute about 20% of the total revenue for wildlife management, the remaining 80% comes from hunting. Without hunting Africa wildlife would be decimated and safaris of any type would end.
It is also important to realize that 70% of the hunters come from the US so it is clear that Americans have an outsized interest in the future of countries like Tanzania.
Local Outfitter: Malagarasi Hunting Safaris
Location: Mwamagembe concession, Rungwa Game Reserve, Tanzania
US Agent: Worldwide Trophy Adventures
PH: Jamil Jamal
Like many others, going on an African hunting safari has been something that I’ve been thinking about for most of my life. Over the course of those many years my hunting aspirations have changed considerably. At a young age I just wanted to take everything, but as I grew older and started to realize that the purpose of my hunting adventures has changed dramatically. Where previously it was pretty simplistically focused on the end of the game, the taking of whatever game I was after, I found that for me a successful hunt is not the taking of game but the joy of the adventure itself.
I had a very specific set of goals in mind for my African adventure. Mainly I wanted the experience of a traditional East African bush camp, to come as close as possible to what it must have been like in the 1930’s but realizing that those days are forever lost. I wanted to hunt on foot in still wild country, tracking to wherever it may lead, and I wanted to get close to my quarry, go toe-to-toe so to speak. I was fortunate to find an outfitter that could meet many of these goals; so, with my wife’s blessing of “just go”, I traveled to Tanzania on October 12th for a 10-day buffalo hunting safari with Malagarasi Hunting Safaris.
About Malagarasi Hunting Safaris:
Email: malagarasi@yahoo.com
WhatsApp: +255 783 167 420
Malagarasi is a locally owned and operated outfitter with a 30-year presence in Tanzania. It does not have an internet presence as they primarily rely on word-of-mouth and the personal connections with prior customers and PH’s built over several decades. It is owned and operated by Dr. Licky Abdallah who now I’m proud to say has become a good friend. In the months prior to my leaving for Tanzania he personally answered all my questions promptly, arranged for my in-country hotel and flight arrangements, and arranged for a PH.
I happened on Malagarasi Hunting Safaris via Worldwide Trophy Adventures (WTA) which, at the time, was advertising a 10-full-day buffalo & plains game package for $10,500 + trophy fees. This was pure luck because Malagarasi typically does not use booking agents.
The first time that I met Licky was at the Sea Cliff Hotel in Dar es Salaam. I found him to be a very open and engaging, a person that is just simply easy to talk with on a personal level. We had several discussions on subjects as varied as the state of hunting, local and world politics and family; and we continue to talk often.
Arrangements:
The initial arrangements were made by US based WTA. I had intended to make all the arrangements myself but that turned out to be a daunting and frustrating task, using an agent made the initial steps and guesswork of finding and securing a safari, billing, obtaining the necessary travel documents, etc., much easier. There is also is some value in knowing that there is someone to call when those ad-hoc questions inevitably surface with such an endeavor.
I secured the services of Travel With Guns for airline reservations and the various forms required to transport firearms. The requirements of each airline and country are different and using a service takes a lot of the mystery out of a somewhat complicated process. There is quite a bit of paperwork, customs checks and fees to be paid along the way. It was also a case of the reality of the process not entirely matching the information given but that said I did get there so … (shrug).
The Hardware:
The origins of the only rifle that I brought began in 2009 when I went to Kansas on my first bison hunting trip. It was a “period hunt” where you get a taste of what people did in the late 1800’s. For this I took an old buffalo rifle that I had, lived in a dugout on the prairie and hunted by horseback.
The rifle I had with me is a Rolling Block chambered in 45-90 Sharps, a formidable cartridge introduced in 1877, but the classic bison round is the 50-90 Sharps introduced in 1872 specifically for bison hunting. I formed the idea of building a “modern buffalo rifle” using a classic British style single shot rifle chambered for that historic cartridge.
The original black powder 50-90 Sharps is more than adequate for bison but would not be suitable for Cape Buffalo. The challenge was to hand-load the cartridge to something much more powerful yet maintaining moderate pressures. Over the next several years I had a rifle custom built on a Ruger No 1 receiver and had it stamped “500 Sharps 2 ½”. The result of the following years of load development and testing is a recipe that mimics performance as the .500 Nitro Express but with a shorter cartridge case.
The rifle turned out to be quite a hit in the safari camp. They told me that their clients almost always bring bolt action rifles with telescopic sights and shoot off “sticks”. I showed up with a single shot rifle with “iron sights” (no scope) chambered in and antique cartridge, and would be hunting without using “sticks”; some may call that foolhardy.
Rungwa Game Reserve:
The area that I hunted is the Rungwa Game Reserve, a large wild area that covers approximately 3,500sq/mi of central and west Tanzania. It is composed of rocky hills mixed with patches of forest along the streams and the Mpera River valley, which provides water in the dry season and becomes the best game viewing areas from July to November; September and October are the two hottest and driest months.
Rungwa is primarily covered with miombo woodlands and thicket, a unique vegetation type found only in two places in Africa. It is divided into 6 leased hunting concessions. Our camp was in the the Rungwa Mwamagembe concession situated roughly in the middle of the game reserve.
Getting there:
Just getting to Tanzania was an interesting exercise in itself especially when traveling with a firearm. Leaving from Minneapolis I flew to Dar Es Salaam via Amsterdam and Zanzibar, a 25-hour ordeal.
I met Don and Debra Hutson on the Amsterdam to Dar es Salaam leg. Don had overheard me discussing my trip with the guy in the next seat and said that buffalo hunting was the reason for his trip; that it was a lifelong dream of his. It was just pure chance that he was heading the same camp although we didn't know it at the time. They were even staying over at the same Dar es Salaam hotel as I; Sea Cliff.
After 2-nights rest at Sea Cliff I took a commercial flight to Dodoma. Although Dodoma is the capital of Tanzania it is much smaller than Dar es Salaam and has a rural feel. Here I met camp manager, Khalil Ifny, and a few others. We needed to pick up supplies; Gin & Tonic for me and whatever food and staples for the camp. This is really the last opportunity since the camp is 5hrs of driving so we needed to get supplies here.
To collect supplies, we had to go to several outdoor street markets for produce and to a small food store for canned goods and some frozen meat and chicken. With four guys, our personal stuff and a couple weeks of food and other supplies Khalil’s SUV was completely stuffed.
It was a wild ride from Dodoma to camp. West from Dodoma to Itigi where the road turns quickly into a dirt track dotted with villages, the "main" road that skirts the western edge of the Rungwa Game Reserve and is impassable during the rainy season (September and October are the driest months). Khalil drove this at 100 km/hr literally scattering people, cows and goats along the way.
Just as we turned off the main dirt road onto the 2-track leading to camp we had a flat tire, the first of 3 flats on our vehicles. I had notice that for the most part the only vehicle I saw was Toyota, Toyotas were everywhere. Khalil said that the reason for that is for parts and repairs. The ones here were usually diesel powered and very simple to repair; parts can be scavenged from other vehicles.
There were five clients in three hunting groups; Don & Debra Hutson, Lance & Jill Morrow and myself. We all hunted separately with our own PH and trackers and only saw each other back in camp.
At camp I met my PH Jamil Jamal. and his cadre of trackers (Longinus and Hamisi), driver (Farndi) and Game Ranger (Josephat). Josephat worked for the wildlife department was assigned for protection and to ensure that the hunting was conducted according to Tanzanian game laws. According to protocol the Game Rangers are supposed to be “invisible” but Josephat became an active participant helping when there were trees or brush to be cleared, etc.
The Camp
The hunting camp is located a few miles down a small track off the western side of the Rungwa Reserve. It consists of 5 tents for clients and the PH’s, a common area for meals, a skinning shed and a few other structures for general staff use.
Each tent has outside facilities (flush toilet, sink and shower). Unsurprisingly water pressure was a challenge but there was hot water of sorts if you’re willing to wait 10 minutes for it come from wherever it comes from. Electricity is provided by generators when they were running; as long as there was power, we had Wi-Fi in the communal area. This entire setup must be dismantled and removed during the rainy season as the area is totally inaccessible.
The tents are pretty spare of furniture but then you really don’t need much; mine had a bed and bedside table, all I really needed. Since these tents are large there was plenty of floor area to store my stuff of which there was not much. It really doesn’t matter because your mostly in the communal area where the bar is.
Every tent is assigned a 2 person staff to take care of every personal need. My guy was Fadhili Shamte and his assistant Frank Elias. I have to say they get a little over zealous in their duties. Fadhili was a little short in stature yet insisted on carrying everything between the tent to the safari cars; guns, day packs, etc. These guys made sure that everything was neat orderly. They also make sure that you are up at 5AM to get ready for the day’s activities and have breakfast. Laundry is done daily so there is no need to bring much.
The communal area is located next to a small waterhole. This waterhole is the only one for miles that reliably has water all year. Of course, the animals know this so there are nightly visitors; Baboons are daily residents. While I was there, we had visits from Hyena, Leopard and of course Baboons.
Between the waterhole and the communal area is the firepit; my new favorite place on earth. When the generator quiet and lights are out; the firepit has been stoked, the sky is packed with stars; when the only sounds you hear are the nocturnal critters, that is hard to beat.
The firepit is also the place where you recount the day’s events with the other camp dwellers. For the first 6 days I had the company of the other clients, after that I was the lone hunter. While I certainly enjoyed the others company being by myself was a totally different and, enjoyable. I had downloaded “Into Africa” by Martin Dugard onto my Kindle and this was the perfect setting for reading it since the events described took place in is same area 150-years previous.
The only problem was that the others drank too many G&T’s and we ran out of tonic.
The Neighbors
The Rungwa Game Reserve is home to a wide assortment of wildlife. Unlike what you see on National Geographic the concession is almost completely wooded. There are no large savannas where vast herds of game can be viewed.
An incomplete list of the wildlife includes Oribi, Reedbuck, Sable, Kudu, Lichtenstein's Hartebeest, Warthog, Bush Pig, Zebra, Elephant, Giraffe, Black Mamba, Puff Adder, African Buffalo, elephant, Lion, leopard, Baboon.
The Black Mamba was one of the most interesting creatures that I saw. I saw 2 of them and was so amazed that I didn’t even get a picture. We came across both while in the safari car. This is a fortunate thing since they are large (10ft or more), very poisonous and fast (10mph). The first was close to a tree and when we came along it stood straight up with almost its entire length unsupported. That had to be about 6-feet of snake straight as a walking stick. It just stood like that for a minute or two then went up that tree.
There was another interesting event concerning lions. We had been out searching for promising buffalo sign when we happened on some lion tracks and them roaring in the distance; we decided to follow. After some time we found ourselves on a small mound between a standoff of a heard of buffalo and a small pride of lions. Speculation was that the lions were looking for an opportunity to pick off a buffalo but the buffalo were not having anything of it. Eventually the buffalo turned and ran off. The lions realized that we were there and started to meander our way but apparently thought this was not the best of ideas and wandered away.
The quintessential Tsetse fly is an irritating presence. These things are about four times the size of a house fly and the bite is incredible. They are also tough little suckers; you can’t simply swat them; they have to be crushed. They attack in swarms and get under your cloths; they are one of the reasons that it is best to wear long sleeve shirts and pants but even then they can bite through. By chance I had asked my WTA agent about them and was literally told that “they drink Deet” but Picaridin seemed to work if you apply enough. That worked pretty well but the trackers had another solution; Elephant Dung. They would get the dry stuff (it was everywhere), put it in a small bucket they had in the back of the safari car. Once lit it would smolder, the smoke supposedly had the magical power of warding off Tsetse Fly’s. I have no idea if it actually works because I was liberally sprayed with Picaridin.
The Hunt:
This camp only hunted for “Dagga Boys”; old, non-breeding bulls that have separated from the herd and are either single or congregate in small groups of two or three animals.
Every day began with a 5AM wakeup call, breakfast at 5:30 and in the safari car by 6AM or so. The procedure is to drive through the bush looking for relatively fresh buffalo tracks or other sign (poop) but ignoring signs of a herd since we were looking for only large solitary bulls.
It usually didn’t take long to find some promising sign and from that point it was tracking on foot. It was really amazing watching the trackers. The first thing they would do is each sharpen a stick to use as a pointer. We would follow with them pointing at each sign, not lifting the stick until the next was located. It’s not necessarily tracks; it could be a freshly broken twig, more poop, etc. Once it was a single blade of grass half eaten with a little spit on it. We would go for miles like this never knowing where the tracks would take us.
The Rungwa is mostly forested however there are areas of 10’ high grass. The buffalo go through these areas and following them is a bit of a sphincter pucker for me, as they are known to ambush pursuers. Thankfully that did not happen on this safari but I read that it did happen in November this year with another safari.
The game is taken to a village and distributed; in Africa nothing goes to waste. The people in the rural areas of Tanzania, cannot afford the protein from domesticated livestock and they really don’t have the opportunity to legally hunt wild game. In addition, the license and various other fees are not insignificant, without which wild Africa would not exist. Poaching is still a huge issue and the fees are a major source of revenue for anti-poaching and conservation projects.
I did get two buffalo (and a Warthog).
The First Buffalo
We caught up with buffalo each day but it wasn’t until the 4th day that I got my first. We came up on three Dagga Boys about 75-yards out. They knew we were there and stood facing us as Jamil and I cautiously approached to about 35-yards making as small of a presence as possible. Jamil later explained that they usually won’t bolt away unless they smell us and what little wind there was came towards us.
The rest is a blur, everything happened so fast. Jamil said that after the first shot it turned and started to charge. Jamil shot to stop it but missed. I had reloaded and I shot it between the horns; I don't remember any of this, don't even remember reloading. He also said this was the same "Dagga Boys" that we've been tracking for the last couple days and was the one I missed the day before.
Very little is left for the scavengers. Buffalo can run up to 1500lbs or more, all of that goes back to camp. It took all of us to prepare it for transport. The safari car was already full with 6 guys and all our gear, now we had to get a buffalo in it also but first we had to get the safari car. We had tracked these buffalo for miles through some pretty thick stuff. A couple of guys had to backtrack to get it while we waited for their return. That took about 3-hours. It was late when we finally made it back to camp.
Camp Life
We would be gone all day so what little camp life there was happened in the mornings for breakfast, and the evenings whenever we returned from hunting. Our team usually arrived after dark, several times well after the two other groups had come back; but they held dinner for us so we could all eat and spend some time together by the fire.
Although we had gotten some supplies in Dodoma what we ate was what we brought out of the bush, and since all of the hunter’s primary quarry was buffalo, it was buffalo that provided most of the table fare. Cape Buffalo can be favorably compared to bison. It is not “gamey” at all and there is virtually no fat. Because there isn’t any fat it can be dry and sometimes a bit tough depending on part of the critter it came from or how it was prepared; usually it was very good though. We took the tenderloin which was always very good.
We ate at a large table reserved for the hunters, the PH’s and the camp management. The evening meal always started with some sort of vegetable soup; pumpkin, eggplant, or asparagus. The main course was, as I’ve said, usually buffalo, vegetables and rice topped with buffalo stew. When someone brought back a buffalo, we would have buffalo tail soup which is quite good. Breakfast was eggs, toast and buffalo strips (see a pattern here?).
As hard as it may be to understand, eating buffalo every day can get to be a bit tedious. After the two groups had filled their tags and left, Jamil suggested that we go get some “camp meat” that wasn’t buffalo. We ended up getting a Hartebeest and a Warthog both of which are quite good. The camp staff also seemed very pleased with the change.
Sitting by the firepit with a G&T or scotch is a very pleasant way to end the day especially when the days hunt was successful. There was no lack of conversation while the others were in camp but after the 6th day I was the only one left. I found these evenings very pleasant.
The Second Buffalo
The day after I got my buffalo we slept in; revile at 5:30AM. This was the morning of the 5th day of a 10-day Safari so over breakfast Jamil asked what I wanted to do next. I had a license that included two buffalo so I told him that I came to hunt buffalo so let’s do that, but I would only take one that was significantly bigger that the one I just got; that one measured 36”. I really expected to just hunt those last few days, see a lot of cool animals and scenery, not actually get another buffalo.
There was an interesting development that day. While driving around looking for buffalo sign, we came out on the main dirt road on the western side of the reserve …. and promptly got another flat tire. It happened that there were lion tracks around where we were. I asked Jamil about lions in the area and he said that there are many lions and that they attack people along the road 2 or 3 times a year.
The tire changed we were on our way again and shortly thereafter a brightly dressed woman stepped out of the bush and started walking down the road. This was mid-day and very hot out. She had no water and there were no other people, no nearby village or houses. This bright colorful speck against the dull shades of the landscape would have made an interesting picture if I’d thought to take it.
She had a baby shaded under her wrap and was trying to go where she could get some medical attention; I never did find out if it was for her or the baby. We gave her some water and took her 15km to a village where she could get help, then went on our way. The whole situation seemed almost surreal.
The next day we traveled quite far into the bush to an area where Jamil thought we may find some good-sized buffalo. Along the way there was Zebra, Kudu, Warthog and that Black Mamba that I mentioned before.
Jamil spotted a bit of horn off in the distance, in an area between a rocky hill and the woodland marked with old termite mounds so we went to investigate. There were three old bulls a few hundred yards out. We used the termite mounds to cover our approach and stopped on the opposite side of one with the buffalo on the other side, and waited. I took the biggest bull as it appeared from just the other side of our mound only a few yards away. It and the other two bolted to the edge of the rocky hill but it was done. This was one was 42”, very large bodied with a solid boss, estimated to be 15-years old.
We didn’t get back to camp until well after dark.
The last days
I was the only client for the last 4-days in camp and were pretty casual. I had arranged for a 10-day hunt and I got my second bull on the 6th day. Licky knew that I was just after buffalo and questioned me on why I chose 10-days since we were pretty much assured that 7-days was enough. My answer was that I wanted to really experience hunting Africa, to be unhurried; so in the final days we went for camp meat. First it was Lichtenstein Hartebeest and later an unintentional Warthog; unintentional because the one I got was not trophy material but it sure tasted good.
I really enjoyed these days. It gave me time to get to know the camp staff better and on more intimate terms. Several of them expressed an interest in my rifle so we made plans to shoot it, parting shots so-to-speak.
The only somewhat uncomfortable feeling was at that large table. Once it was filled with clients and the PH’s, now it was just Jamil and me; for some reason it felt a bit lonely. The last night the cook had made a cake that said “Good Bye Johnny” in icing. They brought it out to the table singing and dancing. I cut the cake for everyone but I nobody sat down, they just stood around with plate in hand. I told Jamil that this just wouldn’t do, that they should sit at the table with us. They did and we had a really wonderful evening, a lot of laughter and joy.
In the morning it was time to pack up and go. I brought out my rifle and leftover ammo for anyone to try. I few did and it was basically pretty hilarious; we all had a good time.
Concerns for the future
When the Wuhan Virus was released the global panic hit countries such as Tanzania particularly hard. Many safaris were cancelled putting a severe strain on the finances of the outfitters. Tanzania hosts about 500 safaris annually compared to South Africa’s 9,000. Obviously in Tanzania a reduction of some percentage of hunters has a much more detrimental effect not only on the outfitters but game management programs.
Recently the term of concessions has increased to 10-year lease cycles. The costs have increased significantly since the pandemic to a point where it is difficult for the smaller safari operators to acquire good, game rich areas. They are expensive and the money that has been spent to obtain a concession cannot be recuperated when the hunts are not filled.
A disturbing trend is starting where wealthy organizations are purchasing leases for their own private purposes, be it hunting or anti-hunting. When this happens it is to the detriment of the animals because it offers an opportunity for poachers to move in. It also severely impacts the people that survive on the revenue generated by the safari business.
We hear so much about the importance of photographic safaris to the prosperity of Africa and its wildlife but the fact is that non-hunting safaris only contribute about 20% of the total revenue for wildlife management, the remaining 80% comes from hunting. Without hunting Africa wildlife would be decimated and safaris of any type would end.
It is also important to realize that 70% of the hunters come from the US so it is clear that Americans have an outsized interest in the future of countries like Tanzania.
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