What is a good Buffalo

[Pheroze]

Reading this post I almost regret my upcoming buffalo hunt in Limpopo. Yes it's under a fence and the property is 8000 acres. I could have swung for a few more dollars on a "wild hunt" but I also wanted to add more plains game to the hunt. I had to stay within some sort of budget. I hope it goes well and I have to earn him.

My favorite expression from my father - "the dogs bark but the caravan moves on". Enjoy your safari and I am sure your PH will do right by you.

I am looking forward to the report!

 

[wesheltonj]

Food for thought: "Herds usually occupy a stable home range; in savannah buffalo, these areas may be 126 to 1,075 square kilometers in size." ICUN.

The ranch I hunted on in RSA was 97 square Kilometers, so if I go back for buffalo is that not a fair chase hunt? It's short 30 square Kilometers minimum. Just asking?

By the way, I am looking for 42" dry, hard boss.

 

[Red Leg]

Food for thought: "Herds usually occupy a stable home range; in savannah buffalo, these areas may be 126 to 1,075 square kilometers in size." ICUN.

The ranch I hunted on in RSA was 97 square Kilometers, so if I go back for buffalo is that not a fair chase hunt? It's short 30 square Kilometers minimum. Just asking?

By the way, I am looking for 42" dry, hard boss.

Really good question - and not a rhetorical one. I would offer this. You are unlikely to ever have an opportunity at a 42" buffalo in the RSA unless you have a contract (appropriately priced) which allows you to shoot such an animal. You'll never see him, or if you do, he'll be too young, the herd bull, whatever. However, you can go to the Caprivi, Zim, Tanz, Zam or Moz and know that your PH will do everything in his power to get you the best bull he can in the time allotted. That sort of hunt appeals to me. I took my best buff, the old 42 in my avatar, on just such a hunt with Jamy Traut and Dries Alberts in the Caprivi six years ago. No, such a bull isn't guaranteed, but it is something special to be on a hunt where your daily rate buys you every effort to find the best possible animal to fill your tag.

 

[BRICKBURN]

....... I hope it goes well and I have to earn him.

Stalk in close like you are bow hunting. You'll earn it.

 

[wesheltonj]

Really good question - and not a rhetorical one. I would offer this. You are unlikely to ever have an opportunity at a 42" buffalo in the RSA unless you have a contract (appropriately priced) which allows you to shoot such an animal. You'll never see him, or if you do, he'll be too young, the herd bull, whatever. However, you can go to the Caprivi, Zim, Tanz, Zam or Moz and know that your PH will do everything in his power to get you the best bull he can in the time allotted. That sort of hunt appeals to me. I took my best buff, the old 42 in my avatar, on just such a hunt with Jamy Traut and Dries Alberts in the Caprivi six years ago. No, such a bull isn't guaranteed, but it is something special to be on a hunt where your daily rate buys you every effort to find the best possible animal to fill your tag.

General:
Yes, I know that would be expensive in RSA. Unfortunately, as much as I would like to go to Moz that just not in the cards for a couple of reasons: (1) It's the kidnap capital of Africa, and while I am not worried about myself and I am about my daughter; (2) wading thru the swamp is just not appealing. Tanz is just too expensive and time consuming. I would love to go and photo safari there. Zam, I was there last summer, but not hunting, that place is about to come unglued economically, and I would be concerned about the hunt actually being delivered in 2019. That leaves Zim (a 7 day Buffalo is 14.5k with CMS), RSA (around 12.5k) and Namibia. Of course, it assumes that my job is re-newed for another 4 years next year.

 

[DWB]

@ Johnnyblues

You see this is where everything goes wrong.... Now you are condemning your own hunt because of some internet club telling you the property isnt big enough...

Believe me, buffalo that are hunted frequently are damn wily and solitary bulls and even the herds will give you a run for your money.

The farm owners are often surprised when bulls are hunted that they did not even know exists!

Besides, try and sneak into that buff's comfort zone at 30m or even 50m for that matter, and you open up a whole new level of difficulty.

Go and have fun! Its your money, your hunt and your conscience. So go and do it in a way that will make you happy and stop worrying about fences... the buff dont!!!

Ps on 4000 acres you can run down a pair of shoes in a week!

 

[PeteG]

Zam, I was there last summer, but not hunting, that place is about to come unglued economically, and I would be concerned about the hunt actually being delivered in 2019. That leaves Zim (a 7 day Buffalo is 14.5k with CMS)

You are worried about a hunt in zambia not being delivered in 2 years time, yet you are considering Zim??
That does not make any sense at all.

 

[johnnyblues]

My favorite expression from my father - "the dogs bark but the caravan moves on". Enjoy your safari and I am sure your PH will do right by you.

I am looking forward to the report!

Thank you sir. I have complete confidence in Marius.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Please apologize my possible hurtful comments about DG hunt in SA.
Its a big, great country and sure, there is a lot of good hunt also.
But not easy for us foreign hunter to find such places.
When Im visiting the huntingmesses,no operator gives me such a success guarantee like the Southafricans for their game.
My shoes made countless kilometers in the african bush and I've always a healthy mistrust when a good trophy is guaranteed.
When I'm in Southernly Africa,I love to read your "Farmers Weekly".
The advertises are offering not hundreds heads of game,no, thousands- every week !
And a lot of breeding cape buffs also.
What shall a hunter think about that ?
Maybe I've always seen the wrong places .
No hard feelings.
Foxi

With all due respect, maybe you should research more who you hunt with, and not paint the entire South Africa with the same brush.

 

[johnnyblues]

@ Johnnyblues

You see this is where everything goes wrong.... Now you are condemning your own hunt because of some internet club telling you the property isnt big enough...

Believe me, buffalo that are hunted frequently are damn wily and solitary bulls and even the herds will give you a run for your money.

The farm owners are often surprised when bulls are hunted that they did not even know exists!

Besides, try and sneak into that buff's comfort zone at 30m or even 50m for that matter, and you open up a whole new level of difficulty.

Go and have fun! Its your money, your hunt and your conscience. So go and do it in a way that will make you happy and stop worrying about fences... the buff dont!!!

Ps on 4000 acres you can run down a pair of shoes in a week!

Thank you for that. This will probably be the only buffalo hunt I may ever go on. If I didn't want to add other species of plains game to my collection I would have booked in Zambia or Zim or even Mozambique, even with the different and some serious problems each country has. But as a regular working guy I'm doing the best I can. Hopefully the hunt goes well and the experience is one I will never forget. I've been lucky in a way I've done a bit of hunting in my life probably more than I should have. I want to earn my buffalo, hopefully I will and have an experience I won't soon forget. Fence or no fence.

 

[wesheltonj]

You are worried about a hunt in zambia not being delivered in 2 years time, yet you are considering Zim??
That does not make any sense at all.

Yeah, type those two backwards, sorry. That what happens around 11:00 pm and a few adult beverages.

 

[Pheroze]

Thank you sir. I have complete confidence in Marius.

You should. In my experience Marius has too much respect for the animals and his clients to do otherwise.

 

[Buff-Buster]

Thank you for that. This will probably be the only buffalo hunt I may ever go on. If I didn't want to add other species of plains game to my collection I would have booked in Zambia or Zim or even Mozambique, even with the different and some serious problems each country has. But as a regular working guy I'm doing the best I can. Hopefully the hunt goes well and the experience is one I will never forget. I've been lucky in a way I've done a bit of hunting in my life probably more than I should have. I want to earn my buffalo, hopefully I will and have an experience I won't soon forget. Fence or no fence.

Johnny,
Go and have a fantastic adventure. You have the power to make the hunt just that, a hunt. I'm sure Marius and his team will make your dream come true. Enjoy the experience, enjoy the tracking, enjoy the disappointment of a blown stalk, enjoy the exhaustion and soreness that come from miles of walking, enjoy the adrenaline of getting close to a bull then walking away because he's not the bull that has been in your dreams, enjoy the decision to take him because the stalk was exactly as you dreamed about your entire life, enjoy the pride of making that perfect shot knowing it came from hours and hours of practice. Trust me, when the moment of truth comes, you will know you have earned him. You will not be thinking about what all of us think. Make it a memory you will never forget. You and only have that power. Good luck buddy. Make a lifetime memory!

 

[Red Leg]

Thank you for that. This will probably be the only buffalo hunt I may ever go on. If I didn't want to add other species of plains game to my collection I would have booked in Zambia or Zim or even Mozambique, even with the different and some serious problems each country has. But as a regular working guy I'm doing the best I can. Hopefully the hunt goes well and the experience is one I will never forget. I've been lucky in a way I've done a bit of hunting in my life probably more than I should have. I want to earn my buffalo, hopefully I will and have an experience I won't soon forget. Fence or no fence.

You can absolutely have a great hunting experience for buffalo in the RSA. My comment was with respect to a 42" bull. I don't know anywhere in that country where taking such an animal doesn't carry a premium on the trophy fee. Such a bull is hardly common in the free range areas - and less so in some than others. But at least in the free range herds, your daily rate is buying your PH's best effort to get the best bull he can find.

But as far as a hunt for a respectable old bull (38" class), from a self-sustaining herd, you can absolutely do that in the RSA. I am hunting a buffalo there under just those conditions next year. I am surprised that you feel the total cost is any cheaper. "All in" prices for RSA, Zim, and Moz tend to average out - higher trophy fees in the RSA and higher daily rates in the others. Though, as you note, your PG opportunities will likely be much higher in the south.

 

[PeteG]

Yeah, type those two backwards, sorry. That what happens around 11:00 pm and a few adult beverages.

Ha ha ha

 

[BRICKBURN]

Yeah, type those two backwards, sorry. That what happens around 11:00 pm and a few adult beverages.

I was going to say that someone switched the order of "a" and the "i".

 

[BRICKBURN]

............ My comment was with respect to a 42" bull. I don't know anywhere in that country where taking such an animal doesn't carry a premium on the trophy fee. ............

Luckily I got in before some of the craziness started.

 

[johnnyblues]

Johnny,
Go and have a fantastic adventure. You have the power to make the hunt just that, a hunt. I'm sure Marius and his team will make your dream come true. Enjoy the experience, enjoy the tracking, enjoy the disappointment of a blown stalk, enjoy the exhaustion and soreness that come from miles of walking, enjoy the adrenaline of getting close to a bull then walking away because he's not the bull that has been in your dreams, enjoy the decision to take him because the stalk was exactly as you dreamed about your entire life, enjoy the pride of making that perfect shot knowing it came from hours and hours of practice. Trust me, when the moment of truth comes, you will know you have earned him. You will not be thinking about what all of us think. Make it a memory you will never forget. You and only have that power. Good luck buddy. Make a lifetime memory!

Thanks buddy. Well said

 

[KCSafari]

I think the best buffalo in the world is one with a helmet. The character those old bulls have is much more valuable than a 40+ inch bull. If you hunt them on 5000 acres or 50,000 acres it doesn't take anything away from the buffalo. The dagga boys in smaller fenced farms are much more wild and a lot smarter than bulls that walk on large concessions I've found. It is really nice to see 100+ buffalo walking past you which isn't likely on a smaller farm.

 

[adgunner]

Johnny, I hunted buff with Marius last year in RSA. You will have the time of your life!

https://www.africahunting.com/threa...ous-game-hunt-kmg-hunting-safaris-2016.30480/

Lots of walking, blown stalks due to the wind changes, leopards sawing while we were trying desperately to close the distance before nightfall etc... enjoy your hunt and I can't wait to read all about it!