Water Buffalo Hunting On A Budget

[Tim Blackwell]

Won't it be much easier as an Aussie to get a group together lets say 6-8 blokes and go and hunt togteher split transport, food, camping and grog? Would make more sense.

It doesn't work that way mate, as all the buffalo are on either Aboriginal owned land, or private cattle stations (ranches). Access is the issue, as most of the good areas have guiding operations in place.

 

[Frederik]

Blacks, understood but what if you ask for a group discount at the guides?

 

[Mark R]

Blacks, understood but what if you ask for a group discount at the guides?

Are you talking like a drop camp where you pay for access/trophy fees and outfit yourselves or are you talking direct discount on guided hunt for 6-8 hunters? If the latter are you expecting to hunt 3 or 4 on one?
If you are an Aussie and think just because you are an Aussie you should be able to hunt buff for free you are delusional, everything these days has a value and at the moment live buff trade is setting the price.

Cheers,
Mark.

 

[enysse]

I hope you find a good deal @TOBY458, it a hunt I wanted to do for a long time.

 

[avon_7]

Been looking at a buffalo hunt in the future as well. How much could one expect to pay on average water buffalo hunt?

4K for a budget hunt up to more than 10K in Arnhem Land and depends on the duration and location.
The Station hunts tend to be cheaper because partly they are easier to access than Arnhem Land and you are not paying for NLC permits

 

[avon_7]

I do not agree with that remark at all, it really comes across as if you are bagging the opposition eh!

There are a few blokes on several forums that live up north and just go out and shoot 1/2 a dozen at any time including big bulls for sfa.

Unfortunately in Australia a lot of hunting Outfits bag their Opposition. If you dare mention there might be some cheap or free opportunities around you will get shot down in flames..

 

[avon_7]

That's what I was thinking! They want to thin them out and reduce the population, but then they charge huge money to shoot them. Doesn't make sense!

Thats Australia, a lot of our local environmental politics are upside down...

 

[DonPablo]

After looking at the prices to shoot Cape buffalo or Water buffalo, I quickly realized it's likely not something I'll ever be able to afford. At least not internationally. But I saw that I could probably afford one in Texas. God bless Texas!

 

[avon_7]

I've been thinking about doing another water buffalo hunt in the NT. The outfitter I went with in 2015 has since sold his business, and is no longer doing hunts.
My question is, are there any forum members here that offer reasonably priced buffalo hunts? I would like to be able to take maybe 3 decent bulls, a couple of cows, and maybe a scrub bull.
I'm going to Africa this year, but maybe could do a NT hunt in 2020, if the price is right.
Any ideas?

PM me later in the year if you are interested. I just got my Corporate licence and am offering budget Buffalo Hunts next year. Free range on Station land. Roughly 5K Au.
These will be decent spot and stalk exciting hunts with the opportunity for big NT boars also..

 

[RR 314]

After looking at the prices to shoot Cape buffalo or Water buffalo, I quickly realized it's likely not something I'll ever be able to afford. At least not internationally. But I saw that I could probably afford one in Texas. God bless Texas!

Must have been water buffalo,eh? I don’t know anywhere in TX where cape would be cheaper than the mother land.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

PM me later in the year if you are interested. I just got my Corporate licence and am offering budget Buffalo Hunts next year. Free range on Station land. Roughly 5K Au.
These will be decent spot and stalk exiting hunts with the opportunity for big NT boars also..

@avon_7
What about scrub bull hunts mate.
Bob

 

[deewayne2003]

PM me later in the year if you are interested. I just got my Corporate licence and am offering budget Buffalo Hunts next year. Free range on Station land. Roughly 5K Au.
These will be decent spot and stalk exiting hunts with the opportunity for big NT boars also..

That would be an incredible value, even on station land it’s going to require a good Ute and plenty of fuel and work to get it done, so seems like a great value.

 

[smokepole]

PM me later in the year if you are interested. I just got my Corporate licence and am offering budget Buffalo Hunts next year. Free range on Station land. Roughly 5K Au.
These will be decent spot and stalk exiting hunts with the opportunity for big NT boars also..

I would be interested in buff and boar. Keep me in mind. Thanks a lot

 

[GKNOX]

PM me later in the year if you are interested. I just got my Corporate licence and am offering budget Buffalo Hunts next year. Free range on Station land. Roughly 5K Au.
These will be decent spot and stalk exiting hunts with the opportunity for big NT boars also..

Pm sent.
Thanks

 

[avon_7]

@avon_7
What about scrub bull hunts mate.
Bob

Unfortunately the place I have access to, they don't allow Clean Skins to be shot...

 

[avon_7]

@avon_7
What about scrub bull hunts mate.
Bob

There are scrub bulls available for the Back County Hunts which are a NT Govt Initiative. In order to get on those hunts you just need to go with an NT resident. BCH are only $25 a day.
My friend and I both shot a nice scrub bull on the same day on one of these hunts.

 

[Sarg]

It is interesting to read what people think of self guiding/solo hunting in Australia, as said someone owns near all the Buffalo now days, there are markets for them & Scrub Bulls which is up & down, costs are high to operate up there, it can also be a challenging environment.

In our recent Australian Sporting Shooter mag four guys went up & out to hunt Water Buffalo self guided, they would have had a lot of costs, added time off work & air fares .

This is what they showed in the hunt report.

This looks to be a very young Bull, maybe even eatable but Not a trophy old bull.

This looks to be a young Cow

This is a Older but not a Big Cow.

Now as it turns out I guided some hunters on this very Station & had never guided or hunted on there before, I was contract guiding for a Outfitter who has major costs, we couldn’t get to our wildness block because of late rain/big wet.

This is two Bulls I found in the very same area & in the same 5 day hunting period.

This first Bull charged us after being wounded from very close in.

This Bull took several shots also, not the best photo of him as he was much bigger than he looks here.

 

[Mark R]

Nice work Sarg

 

[Sarg]

Thank you bud, we did much better still in the wild block & up to the Burg for a couple of giants to !

Different slightly bigger Bull .

And a Monster over 70pt Bull

Couple of nice Red Bulls

Some nice hogs to .

Even left some nice bulls for another time.

Plus two absolute giants, both I’d like to shoot myself, one especially so but too fast for photos or driving hunters back to civilization.

 

[Doubleplay]

What about just shooting plenty of hogs and fishing for baramundi?
Are there any outfits for that kind of hunt?