Hunting buffalo: method of hunting

[Mopani]

• Hunting dagga boys is mainly done by looking for tracks at waterholes, if tracks are found one follows them often for many hours. But what about sit and wait?
  During a recent hunt we had found a couple of bulls on the bank of a dry river bed partly covered with reeds. In a few seconds they were gone. We looked into the river bed, didn‘t see anything and left.
  Well that‘s not how I would have done it. I would have select a nice spot on the bank, checked the wind first of course, sit down and wait, even for up to two hours. I’m pretty convinced that we would have seen some bulls during that time. I mean a huge piece of river bed was lying right in front of us. But what could I do, I wasn‘t the PH in charge.
• How were your buffalo hunts done? Stalk stalk stalk for hours or sometimes sit at suitable spots for a longer period of time and just wait? During 40 years of living and hunting in South Africa, that‘s how I do it, with great success.

 

[PARA45]

I’m not an expert, and only shot one Buff Cow. We did spot and stalk and connected with the cow on the first try. The wind was blowing and it worked in our favor.

 

[nomspc]

I suppose it comes down to what you are hoping to get out of the experience. My 3 buffalo hunts have been stalk all day, sometimes into the next day affairs. Bumping the herd, tracking, managing the wind, getting close all add to the experience in my view. For instance, this was not the hunt I was looking for:

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

We cut spoor on the roads, then foot after that. On the last hunt where I wasn't the hunter we tracked them 28000 steps in one day, bumped them twice but didn't get a shot. We followed other heards but never got close. Then later we crossed to a reed island in the river and the guys got two buff within 30 minutes or so. There is no set pattern to this game, you try something and if it works we call it a successful strategy - this time!

 

[WAB]

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.

 

[AZDAVE]

Cutting fresh tracks and folloing up for as long as it takes. In 2015 it took 9 days and we walked 125miles putting my bull in the salt. The winds were our enemy and the buffalo's best friend. To me that is a proper way to hunt buffalo. Each hunter has to decide with their PH what they consider the best way for them to hunt.

 

[crs]

"Cutting fresh tracks and following up for as long as it takes." Per AZDAVE under troublesome weather conditions.

Or with good weather and some breaks, it can take less that 1/2 day. as I documented in my Cape Buff hunt report. The older I get, the more I appreciate the good weather and lucky breaks.

 

[grand veneur]

I have hunted buffalo in several countries in Africa and also several times in Southeast Asia. The methods for doing this have always been to first look for a relatively fresh track at a water hole or on a path, and then to follow it. I have never practiced buffalo sitting hunting and would never do anything like that for reasons of hunting ethics at a waterhole. The shooting of the buffalos was at times very difficult because of very long walks, others could be shot after a very short time. There are also a few buffalo shots after a chance encounter, in particular one during the tracking of an another wild species, in this case elephants.

 

[Red Leg]

I have walked one down in South Africa.

I have intercepted one in Mozambique after spotting birds (cattle egrets) in the distance across the Zambezi Delta swamp/marsh.

I have spotted and stalked two - one in the Caprivi and one on the edge of the Zambezi marshes.

 

[Nyati]

Cutting fresh tracks

 

[375Fox]

I’ve only taken two buffalo, both free range. One was true tracking from water pan other was more spot and stalk because of number of buffalo in area.
I’ve been reading a lot of your posts on this hunt. I think you are thinking too much on this unsuccessful hunt, hindsight is always perfect in your brain. I don’t think watching a dry river bed would be particularly productive, but obviously I wasn’t there. I think you need to find a PH you share more hunting goals with for your next hunt and you’ll enjoy your hunt more regardless of the outcome. Your posts make it seem like there was some personality conflict.

 

[grand veneur]

Cutting fresh tracks

That's right. A good method is to follow with a car the paths in the hunting area and to see what went over them and when, and then perhaps to follow. It can be very tiring, but it's always exciting. At times you are not alone when following the herd of buffalo, lions have also stalked with us, and a herd of elephants that had placed itself in front of the buffalos has already saved their life. You would never experience all this with a sitting hunt.

IMHO, there is only an absolute necessity to sitting when hunting in dense rain forest, but there buffalos are rarely hunted, and certainly not the kind of which we are talking here.

 

[Antanas]

• Hunting dagga boys is mainly done by looking for tracks at waterholes, if tracks are found one follows them often for many hours. But what about sit and wait?
  During a recent hunt we had found a couple of bulls on the bank of a dry river bed partly covered with reeds. In a few seconds they were gone. We looked into the river bed, didn‘t see anything and left.
  Well that‘s not how I would have done it. I would have select a nice spot on the bank, checked the wind first of course, sit down and wait, even for up to two hours. I’m pretty convinced that we would have seen some bulls during that time. I mean a huge piece of river bed was lying right in front of us. But what could I do, I wasn‘t the PH in charge.
• How were your buffalo hunts done? Stalk stalk stalk for hours or sometimes sit at suitable spots for a longer period of time and just wait? During 40 years of living and hunting in South Africa, that‘s how I do it, with great success.

Yes, not every hunter want endless stalk for hours or even for week. Big number of potential clients avoids such kind of hunts ,not only for buffalo, especially seniors.

 

[Mopani]

Yes, not every hunter want endless stalk for hours or even for week. Big number of potential clients avoids such kind of hunts ,not only for buffalo, especially seniors.

Well, I’m a senior as well. Besides, leaving an odor trail everywhere isn’t advaisable. A combination of stalking and waiting at certain spots is way better.

 

[Zim Fan]

If I go to Africa to hunt Dugga Boys I'm not going to sit around and wait and ambush them as they come to water. One of the great things about hunting these old Bulls is the tracking and stalking. I don't want to just shoot something to shoot something. Why not just shoot one from the car. Why even bother to hunt at all.

I hunted on a fractured hip my last hunt and would not have traded any of those hours, even the ones crawling through the bush. With a new hip I really am looking forward to everything that goes with hunting Dugga boys. I'm even looking forward to tracking down an Eland bull again.

 

[Red Leg]

Well, I’m a senior as well. Besides, leaving an odor trail everywhere isn’t advaisable. A combination of stalking and waiting at certain spots is way better.

I am curious where you used this technique and ambushed a buffalo.

I personally know of no PH who would allow a client to shoot a buffalo off a waterhole. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen. In fact we had a correspondent post a video of killing one off a hay bale here on the site. I have no idea who his outfitter was. Though it did take place in South Africa. To me at least, that falls into the same category as potting a bull from the back of a truck.

And I turn 70 this year.

 

[grand veneur]

I will soon be 70 too, still in good condition, but if I am no longer able to carry a backpack and my gun for hours in a hot climate, then I will stop hunting DG. I don't let myself carried into the field on a stretcher so that I can shoot a buffalo on a water hole.

 

[C.W. Richter]

'Funny you should say...walked all day for days (to find daggaboys,) only to intercept them to/fro water late/early in the day in Zim and Namibia! If we didn't check the watering point on the last eve, my son wouldn't have gotten his 42" bull! It was good exercise, 'saw some beautiful country (and other game,) but could've probably sat by the water. While it's fun looking over an entire herd, most of the time you won't encounter the biggest boys with them (though, they too must come to water!)

 

[Tanks]

I am curious where you used this technique and ambushed a buffalo.
He did say he used the technique in 40 years of hunting in South Africa in the OP.
I personally know of no PH who would allow a client to shoot a buffalo off a waterhole. ... To me at least, that falls into the same category as potting a bull from the back of a truck.

And I turn 70 this year.

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.

 

[Mopani]

I am curious where you used this technique and ambushed a buffalo.

I personally know of no PH who would allow a client to shoot a buffalo off a waterhole. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen. In fact we had a correspondent post a video of killing one off a hay bale here on the site. I have no idea who his outfitter was. Though it did take place in South Africa. To me at least, that falls into the same category as potting a bull from the back of a truck.

And I turn 70 this year.

Shooting at a waterhole is completely wrong, that I never recommended, it’s forbitten anyway. What I wanted to do: sit and wait at a dry river bed because there you have a view in many directions. Obviously one can see bufallo way better in a dry river bed then in the dense bush.