Hunting Safaris in Uganda
Hunting Safaris in Uganda are one of the amazing Uganda Safari tour activities that travelers can engage in to be able to join the hunt for wild animals. If you are a lover of sport hunting, then your next safari should be a hunting journey into the wilderness of Uganda. Hunting in Uganda is a silent activity for safaris done here, perhaps, because it involves really peculiar safari aspects like the use of tranquilizers and other hunting skills like using a gun and others. For the reason, hunting safaris have been set apart peculiarly for the expert hunters from across the world. From the harsh governments and the political wars in the 1890s, the wilderness of the pearl of Africa, have gone through a regain and flourishing of wildlife in the remote plains and forest of Uganda. The green serenity in the national parks of Uganda, make hunting such a thrilling and life changing safari activity. According to a number of international hunting safari operators, Uganda is the gem for hunting or sport hunting safaris in Africa.
Hunting in Uganda has been in existence from far as 1900, and the great Karamojo bells counts this as his legacy. The major hunting grounds in Uganda have been the Karamoja region of western Uganda, however, for the insecurities, hunting in these regions paused for a while, but later resumed in the areas of kidepo valley national park and pian upe game reserve, both found in the northeastern part of Uganda. Hunting in Uganda offers you a chance to touch and take photos with your hunting trophies, or the wild animals you have hunted. However, hunting is an adventurous safari for the fit adventure lovers who can walk for long distances, plus facing all the fury of the African jungle.
What you have to know about hunting safaris in Uganda
Hunting in Uganda had stopped for a long period of about 45 years, however it resumed in 2000 in the famous hunting grounds of Karamoja. However, hunting is restricted by concessions which help to mark the extent of the hunting ground. For example, Karamoja hunting grounds have a concession for approximately 27000 square kilometers. The Karamoja hunting grounds offer you with a good opportunity to real hunting in Africa escorted with the local huntsmen from the Karamojong communities. The hunting expeditions in Uganda also offer you a chance to live in an unscripted adventure in amidst of the wilderness in the pearl of Africa. However, it is better you enjoy your Uganda hunting now before the asphalt discoveries take over the northeastern region of Uganda. The hunting concessions in Uganda are awarded by the Uganda wildlife authority, which takes but 75% of the total trophy fees and gives it to the local communities and about 25% is retained for the local government under the Uganda wildlife authority (UWA). The act of the Uganda wildlife authority to take up the local communities as the major beneficiaries of the hunting safaris in Uganda reduces the risk of poaching of wild animals in the national parks of Uganda.
Best hunting season in Uganda
Unlike mountain gorilla trekking and other wildlife safaris in Uganda, hunting safaris in Uganda have no seasons attached to them. There is no best and low seasons for hunting safaris in Uganda, for the reason, you can enjoy hunting in all the hunting grounds with in the wild places of the pearl of Africa. However, during the wet season, also known as the rainy season are the low season, the wildlife tends to be scarce, and some hunters find it really discouraging, especially when the whole day elapses with nothing to show or no trophy, therefore, the rainy season, from March to May and October to November, is sometimes avoided. Despite, the accommodation in the national parks is discounted in the wet season; therefore, joining a hunting expedition during a low season, get you enjoying good cheap accommodation options in almost all the national parks of Uganda.
Where in Uganda do hunting safaris take you?
Uganda has had a number of hunting safaris destinations scattered all through the country, there has been about 12 hunting destinations or grounds in Uganda, however some have been downsized as others, being degazetted. However, the remaining controlled hunting areas include the following;
- Karamoja is found in the northeastern part of Uganda which covers about 68.2% of the whole Karamoja district. Karamoja hunting grounds are divided into 3 major community wildlife areas which include iriri, Karenga, and Amudat community wildlife areas. The concession for the community wild life areas, allows the local people to share the area with the wild animals, and also to carry out other activities like livestock raring, cultivation, among other activities which do not affect the wildlife there of. In the Karamoja hunting areas, you can also enjoy your safari in pian upe game reserve, mantheniko game reserve, and bokora game reserve, among others.
- The other hunting areas in Uganda include kabowya wildlife reserve, Lake Mburo national aprk, Katonga River, aswa lolim in northern Uganda, ajai wildlife reserve, and other areas round river kafu.
Where to stay while on a Ugandan hunting safari?
The fact is, there is nothing like cozy safari lodges in Karamoja hunting areas, however, there are facilitates that offer accommodation in permanent chalets. Alternatively, there are tents accommodation options in the wildlife reserves of pian upe and mantheniko among others. You can also carry you own fly camping tents, which you can erect you self. There is also a wildlife authority camp at moruajore which is a permanent tented accommodation facility an offers good chalets on a raise wooden deck, with ensuite bathrooms, hot and cold water, located in just 2 hours’ drive from the hunting grounds.
What you should know about hunting safaris in Uganda
The major hunting area in Uganda, pian upe game reserve, is a remote area in the north Easter region of Uganda. pian up game reserve is reached by either road transport or a chartered airplane, which helps to reduce the long distance by road. pian upe game reserve is about 9 hours’ drive from Entebbe international airport, depending on the traffic jam in Kampala.
The fact the pian upe game reserve is located in a very remote area, the mobile phone network might keep on getting on and off for some few minutes, but otherwise there is a mobile network and internet coverage in, 2G or 3G. You can also use the use the wifi at your safari camp to your internet work like sharing some photos with friends before leaving Uganda.
A temporary fire arm import permits should be applied for and issued to you before you arrive in Uganda ; your tour operator can help you run the documents, and then sends you a soft copy on your email in order to be allowed to move with a gun into Uganda. To note, the recommends fire arms include; burnes TSX swift A frame or a Trophy Bear Claw ammunition among others. The animals allowed to be hunted include; buffalo, sedan’s roan, eland, reedbuck, oribi, dik-dik, sitatungas, baboons, warthog, and hartebeests among other.
