Bowhunting in Zimbabwe wasn’t legal until 1989, when the government began to allow bowhunting under special exception of the law, and in 1999 Zimbabwe officially opened bowhunting under new legislation.
What you need to know about bowhunting in Zimbabwe:
- Bowhunting may only take place on private (alienated) Land or tribal (communal) Land. Bowhunting on National Parks Safari areas is illegal in Zimbabwe.
- Bowhunting Class A Game (Elephant, Cape Buffalo and Hippo) is permitted only by a special bowhunting permit has been granted by the General Director of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA). This permit must be applied for well before the Safari.
- Plains game bowhunting in Zimbabwe is still relatively good in certain areas, but not the quality that there used to be. The country however has great dangerous game hunting safaris.
- Zimbabwe does not have an additional bow qualification for professional hunters, however a professional guide or professional hunter licensed and registered with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) is required to be present during the hunt to guide and protect the hunting client.
Minimum Equipment Requirements for Bowhunting in Zimbabwe:
Class A Game
Species include: elephant; hippo; cape buffalo.
- Bow Kinetic Energy 80 ft/lbs
- Arrow Weight 700 grain
Class B Game
Species include: lion; giraffe; eland.
- Bow Kinetic Energy 77 ft/lbs
- Arrow Weight 695 grain
- Broadheads with only two cutting edges
Class C Game
Species include: leopard; crocodile; kudu; gemsbok; hartebeest; wildebeest; zebra; nyala; sable antelope; waterbuck; tsessebe; etc.
- Bow Kinetic Energy 70 ft/lbs
- Arrow Weight 618 grain
Class D Game
Species include: warthog; impala; reedbuck; sitatunga; duiker; steenbok; jackal; gamebirds; etc.
- Bow Kinetic Energy 56 ft/lbs
- Arrow Weight 463 grain
Bowhunting in Zimbabwe may only be done with compound bows.
Bowhunting with recurve bows, longbows or crossbows is not permitted in Zimbabwe unless a special permit has been issued for which the safari operator must apply for six months prior to the start of the bow hunt. This special bowhunting permit comes at a substantial cost.
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