It’s not wild hunting but it is, in fact, real hunting (killing). Not my cup of tea but I find it incredibly hypocritical that many of us poopoo poorly-run (or any) in-fence Africa hunting; while cheering on TX hunts in a high fence. If anything, I applaud the shooter (also question his sanity) for taking the initiative to go all the way to Africa to do what could have been done in TX.
My understanding is that he didn't "go all the way to Africa to" hunt Buffalo. He was there already on another hunt. The owner/manager (or whoever it was) was aware that this animal was in very poor condition and the best thing to do was to euthanize it. I assume that they also wanted to either cut their losses or make whatever profit they could, and so they offered the opportunity to
@Bule Jagter for him to "hunt" it at a discounted price. They made it into as much of a hunt as they could, given the circumstances, and hopefully everyone was satisfied with the outcome.
The problem comes when it's posted online where people can (and will) share their opinions, and some do so more tactfully than others. It is undoubtedly the type of situation that churns up emotions, gets people talking, and can be quite confrontational.
My personal opinion?
Probably best if it wasn't posted. Too controversial, and leaves oneself open to criticism and even worse, criticism of hunting in general. The antis certainly don't need more fuel for their fire.
I would agree that the animal should have been put out of it's misery, and I can understand why it was made into a "hunt", but perhaps it would have been best if it were just dealt with similarly to the situation described by
@Areaonereal whereas it was just quick and quiet. Posting it online opens it up to judgement. I don't really like when hunters judge other hunters, as I think it is vital for our own survival to be as united as possible, however I've been guilty of it myself.
In this particular instance I didn't really care for the (no offense intended) "showboating" and cheering and celebrating of a Buffalo bow kill. Personally I feel that the animal had suffered enough. To then be wounded with an arrow, further wounded by a bullet, and then finally finished with an arrow......I guess it left me feeling unsettled and wishing it was just euthanized quickly.
At the same time I can understand that perhaps this was the OP's first Buffalo, and that he was excited. I know that to successfully take a Cape Buffalo with a bow is something I would be ecstatic about! I would want it to be (what is, in my eyes) a true hunt, and a true bow kill. But I have a feeling that
@Bule Jagter would have wanted the same thing. He didn't go to Africa intending to hunt a Buffalo, and he just "took what Africa gave him", which is advice that many on here have given to others. Africa didn't give him a walk and stalk hunt on a healthy Buffalo. It gave him one that needed to be put out of it's misery. For me to be completely honest, if I were to go on a Buffalo hunt, and anybody but me put even one bullet in the beast, I wouldn't consider it to be MY animal. But I would imagine that I would still post pictures up here, etc. Pose for pictures indicating it was my kill, even if I didn't truly feel that way. Why? Because that may be the only opportunity I have, and as close to doing it "proper" as I'm ever going to get. I have my own thoughts about what makes a hunt a hunt, and what makes my animal mine, but sometimes we take what we can get and make the best of it. Maybe that's what happened here. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
