I've successfully hunted a variety of game during four safaris. First was plains game in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Among the various critters, Kudu, Mountain reedbuck and Eland were especially interesting to hunt there.
I hunted the Caprivi ( Zambezi) region of Namibia next, got my first Cape buffalo there followed by NW Namibia on the same trip, hunting Kudu, Oryx, and Giraffe. Giraffe were more interesting and challenging to hunt than I ever imagined. And the meat was very appreciated by the conservancy butcher / meat shop. All meat produced on these hunts is donated to locals or goes to market and the meat money and trophy fees are used to support the management of the land and employment of the game rangers, labourers, biologists and professional managers who are employed in the industry.
Next was the Savé Conservancy in Zimbabwe. A wonderful place full of wild, wary buffalo. Shot a big old management bull there after a few days tracking and stalking. Got an eland and impala there too. Had to avoid some elephant and lions during a stalk on some buffalo.
Last year I hunted bull elephant on a management hunt in the Amadundumela forest reserve in NW Zimbabwe. Hunt was short, an irate bull charged us the first day and we had to shoot it in self defence. It took a couple days for twelve forest reserve staff to harvest and process the three and a half tonnes of boneless meat from that big bull. The rest of the week was spent casually hunting wildebeest and impala and gathering wild honey. My wife came on that trip, what fun.
So this trip to Mozambique will be for some species I've already hunted, perhaps some new ones, in a "new to me" area with an outfitter we know and trust, but a new PH. Should be a grand adventure in a game rich area.
Mozambique has suffered from the effects of their civil war and subsequent chaos for the last couple decades. Mokore Safaris and some other good Safari operators have taken over management of many of the Coutadas ( hunting reserves ) and have done a wonderful job of re-introducing extirpated game ( including lions and wild dogs!) , controlling poaching, drilling wells and establishing permanent water sources, and employing local staff for all the associated work. It's so nice to hunt in an area where the hunting is appreciated by the local people, is contributing to the ecosystem and its wildlife, adding to the local economy, establishing schools and road infrastructure, and is generally good for both humans and wildlife.
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