Mozambique Hunting Guide

Use the guide below to help you plan your hunting trip to Mozambique.

Hunting in Mozambique

Hunting in Mozambique

General Information

Our hunting season in Mozambique is from 15th May to 30th November. The Niassa Reserve falls within the sub-tropical region of the country and receives on average 1000mm (40”) rain per year. The rainy season coincides with the heat and humidity from December through April. Winter, which is the dry season, stretches from May to mid-September and this is then also the coolest time to visit the country. Average day temperature ranges between 20°C and 30°C (68°F and 86°F). Animals become more visible from May through to November as the bush dries out and they tend to congregate close to water sources. August, September and October are the best months to hunt for predators while November is very good for buffalo as it is the driest time of the year. We are very specific with what we hunt, no buffalo or sable hunting is done in the herds, only lone bulls or groups of bulls are perused.  Sable bulls must show secondary growth of 1” at the base of the horn, which ensures that they are over 7 years of age. With regards to the hunting of leopard and lion we adhere to a strict protocol, which ensures that we hunt these animals sustainably. If you are after a daytime leopard, the best time to hunt them is before the end of August. Hunting is allowed at night, with artificial light, but only for lion, leopard, crocodile and bushpig. Hunting of female, young and/or immature animals is prohibited.

Permits And Licences

Each hunter is required, by law, to have a hunting licence before arriving in Mozambique. Furthermore, due to small quota allocations per area, a client needs to reserve animals (including plains game) upon booking the safari. Permits are issued for each trophy before the commencement of the safari. Non-reserved animals may be taken if available but will incur a 50% surcharge on top of the Government Licence fee to cover the costs of late application fees and courier fees of licences to Pemba.

Preparation Of Trophies

All skins are washed in bactericide and dry salted while skulls are boiled, cleaned and peroxided in camp. At the end of the hunting season (end of November), representatives from the Niassa Reserve Management inspect and measure all trophies in camp. Thereafter a transport permit is issued to transport the trophies from camp to Pemba. Once in Pemba, all trophies undergo inspection by representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Agriculture and Veterinary and permits are issued to transport the trophies from Pemba to Maputo/Matola. From here Safari Air Cargo apply for the final export permits and once issued, the trophies are transported to Life-Form Taxidermy in South Africa which is the closest registered Veterinary accepted handling facility. All hunters will need to sign an Authorisation Letter giving Life Form Taxidermy permission to apply for the necessary veterinary import permits. At Life Form, all trophies are once more inspected before either being shipped to each hunter’s preferred taxidermist abroad or we recommend having the trophies mounted at Life Form Taxidermy (add in link to www.lifeformtaxidermy.com)

Hunting in Mozambique

Hunting in Mozambique

General Information

Our hunting season in Mozambique is from 15th May to 30th November. The Niassa Reserve falls within the subtropical region of the country and receives on average 1000mm (40”) rain per year. The rainy season coincides with the heat and humidity from December through April. Winter, which is the dry season, stretches from May to mid-September and this is then also the coolest time to visit the country. Average day temperature ranges between 20°C and 30°C (68°F and 86°F). Animals become more visible from May through to November as the bush dries out and they tend to congregate close to water sources. August, September and October are the best months to hunt for predators while November is very good for buffalo as it is the driest time of the year. We are very specific with what we hunt, no buffalo or sable hunting is done in the herds, only lone bulls or groups of bulls are perused. Sable bulls must show secondary growth of 1” at the base of the horn, which ensures that they are over 7 years of age. With regards to the hunting of leopard and lion, we adhere to a strict protocol which ensures that we hunt these animals sustainably. If you are after a daytime leopard, the best time to hunt them is before the end of August. Hunting is allowed at night, with artificial light, but only for lion, leopard, crocodile and bushpig. Hunting of female, young and/or immature animals is prohibited.

Firearms and Ammunition

Each hunter is allowed to bring a maximum of three firearms to Mozambique with a maximum of 100 rounds of ammunition per firearm. The airline’s restriction is 11lbs of ammunition. No automatic, semi-automatic or military grade firearms are allowed. We recommend the minimum calibre to be used on thick skinned game is a .375 and recommend clients bring 20 soft rounds and 20 solid rounds. For general plains game, we recommend a calibre in the .300 range with 40-60 rounds of ammunition. Bowhunting is allowed in Mozambique and is currently legal during the hunting season. All species may be taken with a bow. Should a hunter wish not to bring his/her own rifle on the safari, there are camp rifles and ammunition available for their use at an additional cost.

Permits and Licences

Each hunter is required, by law, to have a hunting licence before a firearm import permit will be issued. Furthermore, due to small quota allocations per area, a client needs to reserve animals (including plains game) upon booking the safari. Permits are issued for each trophy before the commencement of the safari. Non-reserved animals may be taken if available but will incur a 50% surcharge on top of the Government Licence fee to cover the costs of late application fees and courier fees of licences to Pemba.