Mozambique is situated in the South East of Africa. You will be rewarded with the sight of vast wilderness areas, unchanged from their past fame as Africa’s greatest hunting lands. . This is a completely wild and unfenced area. Area 14, is part of the Marrameu complex & is bordering the Mighty Zambezi River. It is a vast area of flood plains with razor grass, thick reed beds, cut by papyrus lined sloughs which range from a few inches to several feet in depth.
Coutada 14 opt for a more traditional and rigorous approach whereby you get in by foot to get into the buffalo herds. The area is extremely flat and low lying and there is a tremendous range in the vegetation, varying from small patches sandveld acacia savannah, large areas of palm savannah and thick riverine forest along the streams and rivers crisscrossing the floodplains, and finally into the flood plains themselves, with their papyrus and saw grass choked watercourses, small lakes and near stationary rivers as they make their sluggish way seawards.
You will see lots of buffalo. There are conservatively over 20 000 buffalo in the Marrameu Complex, and more importantly, due to the terrain, they are accessible.
Species available
In Africa, the big five game animals are the African Lion, African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, African Leopard and Rhino. The term big five game (sometimes capitalized or quoted as “Big Five”) was coined by big-game hunters and refers to the five most dangerous animals in Africa to hunt on foot. The term is used in most tourist and wildlife guides that discuss African wildlife safaris. The members of the Big Five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved, rather than their size.
The Professional Hunter (PH) that guides you on your dangerous game hunt needs to have a Big 5 license – this means he has sufficient African Big 5 hunting experience to keep you away from harm. It does not matter how much the cost of an African Big 5 hunting safari is, a professional hunter cannot buy experience. A good guide must not only know the habits of the animals, be a good shot, and know how to work in the wilderness; he must also have the courage to go into the heavy brush after the animal, knowing that a charge may well be inevitable.
Our knowledgeable guides are attuned to your every requirement, trackers with years of experience and the best skinners to prepare your trophies to capture that unforgettable African memory in each animal.
South Africa offers some of the most diverse terrains from beautiful coastlines, abundant wildlife, mountains, grasslands, to unspoilt beaches of the Wild Coast. Whether you want to relax at a five-star lodge, taste some of the finest local wines, take a hot air balloon ride over a National Park or fly fish in the streams in the Drakensberg Mountains, we can put together the trip of a lifetime tailored to your specifications.
Whether you are a seasoned dangerous game hunter or first-time hunter, we have the specific dangerous game hunt to suit not only your budget but also your hunting requirements and needs! South Africa is the only country left in Africa where you can still do what is considered to be a “Classic” safari – for either all of the Big Five or all of the Dangerous Seven in one safari.
In South Africa we hunt all year round, however, the best period is March – October, when the climate is nice and mild. Most hunting is done on privately owned land, but from time to time hunts are done on Government Reserves. International hunters have come to expect excellent trophy quality and great camps and we have some of the finest hunting areas that will suit the needs of hunters of all ages and levels of experience.
We offer superb bow-hunting opportunities with Bow Only areas. Bowhunting has become very popular in Africa and bow hunters are easily accommodated at our concessions. You will be hunting out of pit blinds, tree stands or on foot. Bowhunters may bring their own equipment and do not need any import permits. Every hunt is tailor-made to suit your requirements. The best time for Bow Hunting is in July, August and September. This is our driest month, and game will be more concentrated around water holes. Remember to keep the moon phase in mind, when booking a hunt. The darker the moon, the better the hunting. Game will be less active at night and more active during daytime hours.
Hunts vary from 7-21 day Safaris, but we recommend a 10-day safari, as we have found that a 10-day Safari is very popular. This will allow for enough hunting days and to be a bit more selective on the trophies that the hunter wishes to go after. A good quality 50lbs bow with which you are familiar with is recommended and with good quality broadheads. As it is often very dark inside blinds, you may have difficulty in seeing your sight pins. Lighted sight pins are therefore a must when hunting from inside a blind. A laser rangefinder is also recommended.
Game is usually spotted from the hunting vehicle during the early morning or late afternoon or from high vantage points. The style of hunting will depend on the animal being hunted and in what area (Free State, Limpopo, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and North-West Province) of South Africa the Safari is taking place. It is advisable that the hunter is in a reasonable physical condition and a reasonable shot as these factors always influence the outcome of the hunt. Shots vary from 50-250 yards. If you don’t have a buffalo-suitable rifle, you can rent a rifle locally from .375 and up. There are also suitable repeating rifles available for the plains game.
1 x Hunter for 6 days and 7 nights
1 x Old Hard Bossed Buffalo Bull up to 40 inches wide. These Buffalo to be hunted over several of the areas we have across South Africa. The area where the Buffalo Hunt will take place will be determined by dates and other species to be hunted.
1 x Hunter for 6 days and 7 nights
1 x Sable bull (38-41 inches), 1 x Zebra, 1 x Common Blesbuck, 1 x Mountain Reedbuck
2 x Hunters for 5 days and 6 nights
2 x Common Blesbuck (Male or Female/Non-Trophies), 1 x Trophy Common Blesbuck, 1 x Trophy White Blesbuck, 2 x Zebra, 2 x Springbuck (Female), 2 x Mountain Reedbuck (Female), 2 x Black Wildebeest (Male or Female/Non-Trophies). Hunters get to keep all the hides and skulls of the above animals between the two hunters.
1×1 Hunter : $450
2×1 Hunter : $350
Observer : $250
Child (<12): $100
The most attractive aspect of bird hunting in South Africa is that the birds are all totally wild and indigenous. We do most of our Wingshooting in the Free State province of South Africa. During April – June the accent is on Rock Pigeon and Doves. Pigeon and Dove shoots are high volume hot-barreled action where you can expect to shoot anything from 250 to 1500 rounds with a kill rate of 20% to 60%, depending on the skill of the hunter.
Pigeon and dove hunting is mainly over sunflower fields where they congregate in huge numbers, thereby allowing hunters volume shooting the whole day. The sight of approaching rock pigeon flocks, often in excess of 200 birds, raises the excitement of even the most avid bird hunter. This, together with the fact that Rock Pigeon is regarded as the fastest flying Gamebird, often flying high, makes them one of the most sought-after Game birds in South Africa. Doves and pigeon tend to fly the whole day, from just after dawn to just before dusk. The hides are placed so that the guns shoot the incoming and outgoing birds. Each hide has its own bird boy who will pick up all the fallen birds and all the empty hulls. There is no bag limit when hunting pigeon and doves. One can expect to shoot 250 – 1500 shots and more per client per day.
Waterfowl Hunting season is May 1st – August 31st.
Hunting is done from blinds on Harvested peanut fields for Geese and farm ponds/lakes for Ducks; we decoy the birds into the guns. Shoots may be early morning or late afternoon. Geese are hunted over decoys on harvested peanut or cornfields from pit blinds. Teal and duck hunting are mainly restricted to lakes and small ponds where they are hunted over decoys from blinds and while flying in and out from feeding schemes. Some birds will be high, coming over in flights and singles, other low and in groups of varying size, whistling in past you. The bag limit per hunter per day is 10 birds per gun per day. On average you can expect to shoot up to 100 shots per person per day depending on the circumstances and the shooting abilities of the shooters.
The upland bird hunting season is May 1st – August 31st
Hunting is done with well-trained Pointers where you can enjoy the splendid scenery of South Africa. Francolin (Spurfowl/Partridge) hunting may be either early morning or late afternoon. Bag limits are in place but vary from area to area. Spurfowl, partridges and quail are hunted over well trained German Shorthaired Pointers. The birds hold well to the point, allowing the guns to get up in time for the flush and when flushed they offer challenging passing and overhead shots. Spurfowl and partridge coveys consist of between 2 to 15 birds while Guinea fowl are found in flocks, sometimes with more than a 100 birds strong. Guinea fowl are walked-up in dense cover where the dogs normally flush them in one’s and two’s. Shoots continue until late morning and resume in the late afternoon. Shoots take place in open grassveld plains, along riverbanks and cornfields. The bag limit per hunter per day is 10 Upland birds. On average, you can expect to shoot up to 50 shots per person per day.
Tiger fishing Jozini Lake is an experience that every serious angler must-have. The Tiger Fish is regarded as the hardest fighting freshwater fish in Africa which is what makes it such a popular trophy. The Tigerfish is just as ferocious as it looks – fiercely territorial and known for being a voracious predator. The body of this fish is built for speed and power; and with its scaly armour, pointed fins and conspicuous need for a brace even when its mouth is shut.
Our main camp, Dipka Game Lodge is located in the North-Eastern Free State Province of South Africa and approximately two hours drive South of Johannesburg International Airport. We have several camps all over Southern Africa which we use. The type of accommodation and areas will vary depending on the animals you are hunting for and what time of year.
All the accommodation we use are comfortable, safe with en-suite facilities. As such all meet the standards of hot and cold running water and flushing toilets. There is electricity in all camps/rooms (220 volt), a daily laundry service is provided in all camps. You will be accommodated in either thatched chalets/lodges, renovated farmhouses, classical tented camps or guesthouse.
Professional Hunter and Outfitter Matt van Vuuren and his wife Jacklyne established Likhulu Safaris in 2006. They named it the Zulu word for “Big 100%” and that is what you can expect when you join us on an African Safari. Our camps are very comfortable and the food is of the highest standard. With well-managed hunting areas and an abundance of game, you can be sure of excellent trophy quality.