Dangerous Game hunting, Buffalo In Marromeu, Mozambique

ABOUT THE EXPEDITION

This was an incredible Cape buffalo hunting safari in the legendary Marromeu region of Mozambique. The area is remote, desolate, and truly feels like “Old Africa,” with enormous wilderness areas and healthy populations of Cape buffalo. Buffalo numbers have recovered significantly since the years of civil war, thanks largely to conservation funding generated through international hunting safaris.

We travelled to Mozambique by private charter from Lanseria Airport in South Africa. I still remember our pilot carefully following every radio protocol procedure imaginable, only to receive a casual “OK!” from Mozambican air traffic control after several minutes of radio chatter. At the time it perfectly summed up the relaxed and untamed nature of travelling through this part of Africa.

The hunting itself was physically demanding, with long distances covered daily on foot through swampy floodplains and thick marshland. When dangerous game hunting in Marromeu, covering fifteen to twenty-five miles a day is not unusual. Getting close to buffalo herds can be exceptionally difficult due to the flat terrain and limited cover.

One useful trick when searching for buffalo is to watch the skies for circling birds, which often follow the herds much like seabirds following bait fish during offshore game fishing expeditions.

The terrain itself was equally punishing. The razor-sharp cut grass slices through clothing and skin alike, leaving your arms and legs covered in cuts after hours of tracking through the floodplains.

Although I had mentally prepared for a close-range buffalo encounter at around forty yards, the opportunity finally presented itself at over two hundred yards using my .458 rifle. Unfortunately, I can confidently admit that I completely missed the first shot — something my kids still enjoy reminding me about whenever buffalo hunting stories come up around the campfire.

Following a wounded Cape buffalo through thick grass and swamp country is one of the most adrenaline-filled experiences imaginable. Few safaris compare to tracking dangerous game at close quarters in wild African terrain, and Cape buffalo hunting in Mozambique remains one of the greatest hunting adventures Africa has to offer.