Hunting buffalo: method of hunting

[Zim Fan]

For a moment I thought that was a picture of my hip. What a difference this has made and wish I had done the surgery before my hunt last year. Wouldn't have changed the success but would have been a more pain free adventure.

We did take one Buff along the Bubye River after spotting him from a good distance, but this was the only one we had spotted in 14 days close to the river. There were very few water pockets left and only the Elephant and some plains game were visiting, otherwise was a dry sand river. I think it would have been a waste of time sitting along that river. We were very lucky that we were able to get within shooting distance on this Buff.

 

[Tanks]

For a moment I thought that was a picture of my hip. What a difference this has made and wish I had done the surgery before my hunt last year. Wouldn't have changed the success but would have been a more pain free adventure.

...

Absolutely, towards the end I was taking 4 Advils every 4 hours up to 16 a day (liver and kidneys are fine) when physically active. After a singles tennis match I couldn't even walk for an hour. In pain 24/7. I'd wake up in pain during the night. I should have had it done decades ago instead of 7 years ago. Surgery actually took an extra 2 hours due to the fact that I had no cartilage left and doctor had to do a lot of scraping. Amazingly the left hip is perfectly fine.

I would definitely recommend the surgery to anyone that is suffering, much better than Cortisone shots and pain management.

 

[kdenn]

@Tanks , hip prosthesis looks good, although I normally require at least two views before giving an opinion.

 

[Tanks]

@Tanks , hip prosthesis looks good, although I normally require at least two views before giving an opinion.

Yeah, did a lot of research and chose the 2. best surgeon in LA area (top one was cash only no insurance accepted). I can do everything I used to do prior to surgery though I have to avoid high impact sports, so had to give up tennis, Judo, BJJ after so many years. Also, gave up motorcycles and riding horses (hunter seat) due to possible issues if I had a spill. and landed wrong.

 

[Gemsbok45]

I get plopping down for a while,see what’s going on. Maybe a bushbuck comes by and just soaking up Africa. Buffalo hunting is a tracking game,one of the best. Most often, at the end of the hunt it is successful. When things get tough it is time to grind. It seems like your PH knew conditions were tough,he had a plan. Book a hunt in late summer July/August go up to the Zambezi Valley or Luangua valley and go hunt Buffalo. You will have a great hunt. Enjoy yourself!!!!!

 

[C.W. Richter]

My PHs would not let me shoot ANY game off a waterhole even if I were so inclined. I walked over a 100 miles last year tracking buffalo and elephant during my hunt and expect to do so again this year. Hence, why I lost 20 pounds since November, 2021 and will lose another 10 by the time I leave late July. I also get prepared with longer and faster daily hikes starting 90 days or so prior to the hunt.

I am not as old as @Red Leg, though I will be 66 in September. Still a senior, and one with a titanium hip to boot. If I can do it, so can anyone else.

View attachment 470177

'As I always say to non-hunting friends...."I'm off to lose 10 lbs the rather expensive way" and "If not for the cost, a monthly Safari would BE my healthcare plan!"

 

[Rare Breed]

Primarily cutting fresh tracks and following up. I have done as you suggest Mopani, but I don’t find it as rewarding as a tracking hunt.

+1. I love the stalk game. Growing up deer hunting all my life playing the sit and wait game is how it is done. In Africa though I would not want to do anything but find tracks then stalk which is how I took my bull at 26 yards. Completely respect though anyone who wants to wait by a water spot if that is what you enjoy just not me

 

[Qc_BearHunter]

I'm going on my first buffalo hunt in less than 3 weeks. In my dreams, the best way to collect my buff would be following tracks and stalking. I also dream of an old, white faced buffalo. I also hope to have a good, clear shot at it.

I'm 50, I jog 3 times 5 km/week and lift weights 4-5 times/week. Even if I have an aortic valve stenosis that'll need surgery in a few years, right now I think I'm in pretty decent shape to walk long distance with my PH. I'm also glad I bought and broke a proper pair of boots.

I think method of hunting have a lot to do with personnal ethic. What can suits one person would not be acceptable for another one. I shot my biggest moose ever (58 3/4") spotted while driving my truck along clearcuts. Is it my most memorable one? Absolutely not. But it's still my biggest one. I sometime hunt from the truck, but I prefer hunting on foot. It makes better memories.

 

[375Fox]

My PHs would not let me shoot ANY game off a waterhole even if I were so inclined. I walked over a 100 miles last year tracking buffalo and elephant during my hunt and expect to do so again this year. Hence, why I lost 20 pounds since November, 2021 and will lose another 10 by the time I leave late July. I also get prepared with longer and faster daily hikes starting 90 days or so prior to the hunt.

I am not as old as @Red Leg, though I will be 66 in September. Still a senior, and one with a titanium hip to boot. If I can do it, so can anyone else.

It’s interesting reading many of these posts, but I think true tracking gets romanticized by most. I’ve yet to encounter a PH that objected to a chance shot at a waterhole, although none would make it a focus of the hunt, but it’s a good way to spend lunch. If it’s legal and PH has no objection, I’ll gladly shoot at a waterhole given opportunity and think very few would object after the first couple days of their hunt after work was already put in. Would I prefer to track for 10 miles and kill animal after a long day? Yes, I would, but I think it’s a mistake to pass opportunities in wild areas.

 

[fourfive8]

Suggestion. Walk a lot and get ready well before the hunt. I've done it for every hunt I've been on. Alaska to Africa. I'm 72 and will continue to do it that way for as long as I can... @Tanks' post reminded me of the unbelievable distances I've covered tracking game if that was required at the time. Once on eland we never did close with a group of old bulls zigging and zagging around timber kopjes in Zimbabwe and once in the Kalahari sand and scrub in Botswana. Miles and hours draining sweat and no joy Tracked three dagga boys over two days in Zimbabwe. Tracked one day until buggered them, backed off and went back to camp. Picked up the tracks of the same three first light next morning. Closed in and I got the one with heaviest boss and a broken horn.

As to how to hunt buffalo? I won't sit on a waterhole particularly as is common later in year when animals are most desperate. But I will sit near a waterhole evenings in Africa to pass shoot doves and sand grouse- wing shooting acrobatic sand grouse, dropping in, is similar to the acrobatics of our teal dropping into a small wetland with decoys-- excellent! Otherwise nope, not my cup o tea. Looking back on how I've hunted buffalo... cutting tracks while walking then get on tracks or covering country on two track roads by cruiser looking to cut fresh tracks. Done that several times. Tracking... Sometimes it works it works out, sometimes not. Sitting and glassing in hilly country or on kopjes can work. Never was able to close the distance doing that with buffalo. Spot and stalk of course if it works out that way. Or watch for oxpeckers flying up and down. Trackers and PHs are tuned into looking for and listening to birds that can be associated with buffalo. Or sometimes just cruising along telling BS stories and bump into buffalo worthy of getting closer for a better look. Hunting them in thick cover is IMO, classic if it works out that way. Slowwww, in close, patience, get a good look and clear shot.

I recommend the excellent video by Rainer Josch- Buffalo Hunters, The Mountain Challenge Part 1 that shows mountain buffalo hunts on Mt Loosimingor in Tanzania. One of the few hunting videos that I can stand to watch. Every time I watch it I get an urge to hunt buffalo again.

 

[Tanks]

'As I always say to non-hunting friends...."I'm off to lose 10 lbs the rather expensive way" and "If not for the cost, a monthly Safari would BE my healthcare plan!"

I was surprised to find out that with all the walking and sweating my weight did not fluctuate during the hunt last year. I was the same weight as I started. I guess the camp food was real good.

 

[Red Leg]

It’s interesting reading many of these posts, but I think true tracking gets romanticized by most. I’ve yet to encounter a PH that objected to a chance shot at a waterhole, although none would make it a focus of the hunt, but it’s a good way to spend lunch. If it’s legal and PH has no objection, I’ll gladly shoot at a waterhole given opportunity and think very few would object after the first couple days of their hunt after work was already put in. Would I prefer to track for 10 miles and kill animal after a long day? Yes, I would, but I think it’s a mistake to pass opportunities in wild areas.

I am truly surprised. I have never been around a PH who would allow or condone a buffalo being shot at a waterhole. A warthog - of course - and sand grouse are a fabulous evening experience. But a buffalo? Never.

 

[375Fox]

I am truly surprised. I have never been around a PH who would allow or condone a buffalo being shot at a waterhole. A warthog - of course - and sand grouse are a fabulous evening experience. But a buffalo? Never.

The post I responded to did say in capitals ANY game from a waterhole. However, my first buffalo I took on day 4, around 12 noon we were checking a waterhole for fresh sign and a herd was there and we stalked in. My first time having a buffalo in my sights was as it was departing water hole. I see no issue taking a buffalo on a chance encounter like this. This shot opportunity did not work out for me. The buffalo ran a mile or so and we got on them again and I got my shot. Should you sit and wait for buffalo? No, I don’t think that’s buffalo hunting, but I don’t think many would have passed on opportunity I had. A similar situation has happened to me with eland and I did take that shot. A lot of hunting situations are not going to be as perfect tracking as posts make it seem, you need to take advantage of luck if it’s presented.

 

[Mopani]

I am truly surprised. I have never been around a PH who would allow or condone a buffalo being shot at a waterhole. A warthog - of course - and sand grouse are a fabulous evening experience. But a buffalo? Never.

That I experienced when hunting buffalo at Sengwe 1, Zimbabwe. The PH said let’s sit at the waterhole, nobody will see what we are doing, it’s only us plus the tracker. Of course I refused.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Having only hunted 1 buffalo, take what I say with a grain of salt. We cut tracks and burned boot rubber. We had 1 bull try to come into a waterhole while checking tracks, and ended up playing cat and mouse with him for several hours via tracking. We also sat mid-day at a waterhole a couple times towards the end of the hunt while eating lunch to maximize time but never had any buffalo come in, only some plains game. I much preferred the tracking aspect and on the next buffalo hunt I book will be sure to communicate that to the PH, well in advance.

 

[RayAtkinson]

Jumping to judgment is seldom of any positive thinking...A hundred ways to hunt buffalo, were I to hunt them today Id about have to shoot from the truck or a stand at 87. I have killed many many buffalo mostly tracking, sometimes just stumbled onto them, like gold most wild game is where you find it...We tend to think our hunting skill is the determining factor, thats ego, in truth most buffalo are shot because you were in the right place at the right time...

 

[Qc_BearHunter]

Tracking add a lot to the story of the hunt and somewhat satisfy the buffalo hunting community vision of what a buffalo hunt should be.

- We tracked this old Dugga Boy for 16 miles through the heaviest bush I’ve ever seen in Africa.

- We were moving to another location in the Hilux when suddenly, at the end of a curve, he was standing in the trail looking at us. Curious about the sound of the engine.

- We were taking midday nap at the edge of a waterhole when suddenly this old warrior showed up.

Same bull, same horn on the wall, same steaks on the table, but three differents stories to tell.

I don’t have experience on buffalo yet, but when I hunt moose, I’m ok with all three scenarios. The only thing I want is to make most of my hunting time the most productive possible and feel satisfy if I eat my tag at the end.

Most important, I’ll take any clean shot at game in the middle of the road before any shot at a black spot covered with bush. To me a quick clean kill is more important than how the animal was brought in front of the gun.

It’s like hunting with an iron sighted double rifle versus a scope bolt action rifle. It’s interesting to note that the most videos I’ve listen where many follow up shots were needed is when the hunter carried a double rifle. I prefer one shot clean kills, but a double rifle add a lot of romance to the story.

Ethic is just personnal.

 

[Qc_BearHunter]

That said, I’ll follow my PH advices.

 

[Rickmt]

I have never hunted Buffalo. I look forward to my first Buffalo hunt with Cullen of Garry Kelly safaris in Kwazu Natal SA on 45,000 acres this Sept. with my son . There are over a thousand Buffalo on this reserve.
When I asked how we will hunt I was told we will be looking for Dugga boys in small groups or alone and sneaking up on them . Sounds great to me. I have never hunted where lion and elephant live and that puts another dimension in the hunt as well .
I look forward to giving a trip report !