This particular outfitter hunts an area in northern Mozambique that is southeast of the Niassa Reserve.  This hunting concession consists of over 500,000 acres of pristine wilderness located between the Messalo and Niorenge Rivers, which form the northern and southeastern borders of the hunting area respectively.

Massive volcanic formations called inselbergs are scattered throughout the hunting area, which are surrounded by open vlei and miombo woodlands.

The region is original, unspoiled, and truly unique – offering a large selection of free ranging wild game in one of the few remaining areas where you can still hunt wild game in an unfenced, remote wilderness.

Hunting in this area is subject to strict quotas.

As stated above, transportation to/from the hunting area will be accomplished by either air charter or ground transportation at the discretion of the client.  Air charter costs will vary based on the number of people traveling to/from the concession and whether a single or twin-engine aircraft is required for the charter.  These charter costs normally run around $4,500 round-trip – there are STRICT luggage/weight limitations on these charter flights.

The client will be responsible for transportation costs to/from either Lichinga or Pemba to the concession.

Once in the hunting concession, ground transportation consisting of a four wheel drive vehicle will be provided within the hunt area.

Travel to Mozambique is best achieved through O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.  From Johannesburg, you have several options as follows:

1)   fly commercially on South African Air to Pemba and then take a charter flight to the hunt area;

2)   fly commercially on Mozambique Airlines (Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique - LAM) to Pemba via Maputo and then take a charter flight to the hunt area; or

3)   fly commercially on LAM to Lichinga via Maputo and then drive to camp (a five hour drive).

Clients will be met at the airport in either Lichinga or Pemba (Mozambique) and transferred to the hunt area as described above.

It is a two hour charter flight from Pemba to the private airstrip near camp.

The camp in the hunting area is a traditional, safari-style tented camp.  Each tent has an en-suite bathroom with hot and cold running water, flush toilet and will accommodate two people.  The camp has a communal area consisting of a kitchen, dining area and deck.

Daily laundry service is provided at all camps as a courtesy for the guests.

Breakfast and dinner will be served each day and will include a selection of breads, meats, fruits and vegetables based on availability and individual preferences.  Meats served during your stay will include a sampling of the local wild game and will be expertly prepared for your dining pleasure.

On most days, the hunting party will return to camp for lunch and an opportunity to rest during the middle of the day when most of the game animals are laying down in the thick jess.  In those instances where the hunting party will stay out all day, packed lunches and drinks will be provided.

Alcoholic beverages will be provided and will include a selection of wines, domestic beer and a limited supply of distilled spirits.  Those individuals wishing to imbibe a specific brand of American, Canadian or Scottish spirits would be advised to purchase a bottle in the duty free shops in transit to ensure that your preferred brand is available.  Mineral waters are also provided.

Fair chase hunting utilizing spot and stalk techniques early and late in the day.  Please note that hunting within 200 yards of an aircraft, motor vehicle or boat (except for the hunting of crocodile) is not allowed in Mozambique.  The hunting of lion, leopard, crocodile and bushpig after dark is legal.

Cat hunting will involve baiting – once a bait has been hit, a blind will be built and the hunter will typically spend the early morning and late afternoon hours in the blind waiting for the cat to return to the bait to feed.

Elephant and buffalo hunting will be conducted almost entirely by tracking, with the early morning hours spent cruising local roads or visiting water holes (pans) within the concession looking for fresh tracks.  Once a suitable track has been located, the hunting party will follow the track until the quarry has been located or the track become untenable.

Baboon, bushpig, cape buffalo, Chobe bushbuck, common duiker, crocodile, eland, elephant, hippo, kudu, leopard, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, lion, reedbuck, Roosevelt’s sable, suni, warthog and waterbuck.

The hunting season in Mozambique commences in June and runs through November, with the optimum season being June through September.

Any flat-shooting caliber from the .270 Winchester upwards should be sufficient for most of the soft-skinned plains game species; however, we strongly recommend a .300 Winchester Magnum or equivalent if available – particularly for the larger plains game species such as eland, hartebeest, kudu and sable.  The bullet selected should be a premium bonded core soft point.  Specific recommendations can be made upon request.

We would also recommend a variable power scope with a low power setting somewhere around 3X to 4X and a high power setting somewhere around 10X.

For dangerous game such as cape buffalo, hippo and lion, the minimum acceptable caliber should be a .375, whether the .375 Ruger, .375 H & H Magnum or equivalent.  Again, specific recommendations for calibers and bullets can be made upon request.

For the smaller antelope such as duiker and suni the hunter should consider bringing a scoped small-bore rifle such as the .22 Hornet, if available, in order to prevent potentially serious damage to the capes of these relatively small antelope resulting from larger diameter, high-velocity bullets.  The .22 Hornet has a slower muzzle velocity and less muzzle energy, which is ideal for these light, small-bodied animals.

Much of the shooting will be done while standing utilizing shooting sticks – as is standard practice throughout Africa.  We highly recommend that you obtain a pair of shooting sticks such as those offered by Long Grass Outfitters or African Sporting Creations and practice shooting from the standing position off of the sticks.  Shots on some plains game species often exceed 200 yards, so you need to know the ballistics of your rifle and be comfortable shooting out to 300 yards.  In other words, practice, practice, practice!

Be advised that semi-automatic and/or military-style rifles are generally not allowed in Africa.

Take a small digital camera that you can carry in your shirt or vest pocket for your trophy photos and learn how to use the camera before your trip.  I would also recommend taking a slightly larger camera such as the Canon PowerShot SX-1 IS or the PowerShot SX-10 IS, both of which have a 20X optical zoom (equal to a 560 mm telephoto lens) for shots of wildlife while you are driving around the bush or sitting at the waterhole.  After four trips to Africa, I assure you that you won’t regret the investment and you will bring home outstanding photos of the African wildlife that the smaller cameras just don’t have the optical zoom to capture.

A list of recommended clothing and equipment will be furnished upon booking.  For initial hunt planning purposes, general recommendations can be made upon request.

Mozambique experiences a tropical climate with two seasons:  a wet season that runs from October to March and a dry season that runs from April to September with localized climatic conditions varying with altitude.

Rainfall is typically heavy along the coast and decreases in the inland areas to the north and south of the country.  The annual precipitation varies from 20 to 35 inches depending upon the region, with a nationwide average of 23 inches.  Cyclones are common during the wet season.

Average temperatures in Maputo range from 55°F to 75ºF in July and from 72°F to 88ºF in February.  Daytime temperatures in the hunting area can range from 85°F to 100°F in September through November, with temperatures ranging from 65°F to 85°F from May through August.

A light, windproof coat is recommended for the early morning and late evening hours from May through August.

As previously stated, the hunting area consists of open vlei and miombo woodlands with massive volcanic formations called inselbergs interspersed throughout. Dense riverine vegetation (riparian habitat) is found along the major drainages. As a consequence, a wide diversity of habitats are represented within the overall concession.

This is truly a magnificent wilderness area with few roads within the 500,000 acres concession. As a result, considerable walking is required for hunting both the plains and dangerous game species within the overall concession. As a result, the client should be fit and prepared to walk//stalk their trophy over rugged and densely vegetated terrain.

Dangerous game hunting including buffalo and elephant will most likely involve considerable walking as one tracks herds or individual animals, so the hunter wishing to pursue these animals should be accustomed to walking very long distances each day. The tracking process is typically slow and methodical up until the point that the quarry is sighted and then it may be necessary to move very quickly in order to get into position for a shot. Make sure that your hunting boots are well broken in before your safari!

On a fitness scale of one to ten (with one being very poor physical condition and ten being excellent physical condition), I would rate the physical level of this hunt at a six for plains game and a seven for dangerous game based on topography, the thick jess, and the general lack of a well established road system within the concession. However, so long as the hunter is able to walk reasonable distances with some climbing over or around the rocky kopjes or tracking through the rolling miombo woodlands, there should not be a problem from a physical standpoint.

Keep in mind that your Professional Hunter will be very happy to gear the pace of the hunt to fit your particular physical abilities – so don’t hesitate to advise if he is moving too fast, walking too far, etc. After all, it is your safari, so don’t be afraid to speak up and advise your PH of your expectations, physical abilities or physical limitations!