Uganda has so many exciting game species and offers 1st class hunting

Hunting in Uganda

The Republic of Uganda is a country in Eastern and Central Africa bordered in the east by Kenya, in the North by Sudan, by the Democratic Republic of Congo in the West, Rwanda in the Southwest and Tanzania in the South. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, within which it shares borders with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda takes its name from the historical Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a portion of the south of the country, including the capital city of Kampala. The current president of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, is both head of state and head of government. The president appoints a prime minister who aids him in his tasks. The parliament is formed by the National Assembly, which consist of 303 members of whom 86 members are nominated by interest groups, including women and the Ugandan army. The remaining members are elected for five-year terms during general elections.

Uganda is divided into districts spread across four administrative divisions: Northern, Eastern, Central and Western. The districts are all named after their 'chief town'. Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt, oil and gas. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force, with coffee accounting for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986, the government - with the support of foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate an economy decimated during the regime of Idi Amin and civil war.

Geography and Climate

Uganda is located on the East African Plateau, averaging about 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) above sea level, which slopes steadily downwards to the Sudanese Plain to the north. Much of the south is poorly drained, while the center is dominated by Lake Kyoga and surrounding marshy areas. Uganda lies almost completely within the Nile basin. The Victoria Nile drains into Lake Kyoga, then into Lake Albert and north   to Sudan.  One  small  area  on  the  eastern  border  of  Uganda  is  drained  by  the  Turkwel  River,   which    is part of the internal drainage basin of Lake Turkana. Although  generally  equatorial,  Uganda's climate  is  not  uniform  as the  altitude  modifies  the  climate,  but  temperatures rarely climb to the 90s F during the day or drop to the 40s F at night. Southern Uganda is wetter, with rain generally spreading throughout the year, but mainly occuring in March - June and November - December. Further to the north, a dry season gradually emerges so that January and February are much drier than the rest of the year.

Most of the important cities are located in the south near Lake Victoria, including the capital, Kampala, and the "airport city" of Entebbe. Although landlocked, Uganda contains many large lakes. In addition to Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga, there are amongst others Lake Albert, Lake Edward, and the smaller Lake George.

Accommodation in Kampala and in the Field

Upon  arrival at  Entebbe Airport (Airport Code:  EBB)  and  departure, depending on  your  flight schedule, you  will  be accommodated in a good three-star hotel in Kampala (www.cassialodge.com). Our staff picks you up at the airport and drops you off. Your  lodging in  the  field will   be either  in  traditional  East  African  safari  tents (Kyankwansi  Block,  Karamoja  & Lake Mburo) or  traditional grass thatched tented bungalows (Mayanja Lodge) serviced for by trained staff. Our field cooks provide  three  solid  meals  (breakfast,  lunch,  dinner)  per  day.  The  cooking  in  our  restaurant samples different kitchens such as Indian, African, German, Italian and Chinese.

All our camps & lodges are semi-permanent structures equipped with 24/7 power supply and satellite internet. The internet can only be used for emails and Skype calls.

Hunting Season

Our hunting season is from January through November. It rains all year round (which is why the country is so lush) with slightly more rain on average in April-June and November. However, the rainfall varies from year-to-year. Some species move with the rain, but we hunt where the animals are. The best time to hunt Buffalo and Hartebeest is during the months of December to end of April. After that the grass is too high and hunting buffalo becomes challenging. All other species may be hunted year round.

Sitatunga Hunting

Our safaris for the elusive ghost of the swamp, the Sitatunga, are undertaken in the Kafu River Basin and in the papyrus belts along the banks of River Nile. Our areas hold the highest density of Sitatunga anywhere in Africa. Our areas hold the highest density of Sitatunga anywhere  in  Africa.  It  is not uncommon to see between 7 to 25 Sitatunga (males,  females &  young ones) daily in the course of your safari. Sitatunga hunting involves quite a bit of preparation. Before the start of a safari the papyrus has to be slashed at least three to four weeks ahead of time and a cerebeti (elevated platform) must be built in either a tree or on floating papyrus.