What's the big deal about buffalo anyway?

[Backyardsniper]

What is it that makes this particular bovine so magical? Syncerus caffer caffer, the African cape buffalo. He has drawn hunters from around the globe to track him for the better part of 200 years now. The buffalo was probably the thing I was looking the least forward to hunting on my trip. I needed to check the block though, right, if you are going on a safari you have to shoot a cape buffalo. I had assumed before my first buffalo hunt that they were desired for their unpleasant disposition as they are known to be unruly adversaries if things go south. Other than that, you show up, follow the tracks, and shoot this glorified cow at the end of the track. What I learned though, is the value of a buffalo lies in the difficulty of the hunt. Having watched one too many hunting shows, I had wrongly assumed that the cape buffalo was a dumb, lumbering beast that all you needed to do was simply book a plane ticket to Africa and show up with a gun that you could hit a beach ball sized target with, collect your buffalo, take some pictures, and now you were a "buffalo hunter". If you read my hunt report, you would know I was foiled repeatedly by this "dumb lumbering beast" whose senses of sight and smell are on par with a whitetail's. They are ever so clever at picking you out. The slightest whiff of wind and they depart the scene. Their eyesight is bang on, mount that rifle on the sticks a bit too fast and he is gone! I learned that the hard way. The adrenaline rush of being in a herd is indescribable, and standing 25 yards away from one while he stares at you with complete disdain is a feeling you will not ever forget. The only real reason for this post is the two bottles of wine I have drank today and the fact that I am sitting here reminiscing about my buffalo hunt. So I say reply with your feelings about the buffalo. Why do you love the buffalo? What was your most memorable buffalo hunt? What is so magical about this beast to you?

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Well:
a) It’s more affordable compared to the rest of the big 5
b) Have you ever tried Cape buffalo tenderloin simply seasoned with coarse salt and grilled over an open fire? Especially with an ice cold African Castle Lager to wash it down with ?

My favorite member of the African big 5 to hunt, is actually lion. Not the farm bred South African variety (which is a pathetic insult towards real lion hunters, although I do not advocate for a ban against this practice). But the truly wild kind as hunted in Tanzania. Unfortunately, it is rather on the pricier side and I can’t go on wild lion hunting safaris as frequently as I would otherwise have liked to. Hunting hippopotamus bulls on land would come as a close second. Hunting bull elephants would come as a third. But Cape buffalo are pretty exciting quarry as well. As are leopards, for that matter.

As for my Cape buffalo hunts, I found each and every single one of them to be quite memorable.

But this one was actually the one which gave me the biggest scare.

I was using a Belgium made boxlock ejector (a guild gun) in .458 Winchester Magnum (stoked with a hand loaded Hornady 500Gr soft point & a hand loaded Hornady 500Gr round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solid). After the first 2 shots, the Cape buffalo was making for the bushes. As I opened the breech in order to reload, I realized (much to my horror) that the ejectors had overridden the rimless cartridge cases of the .458 Winchester Magnum and that the empty cases were now struck in the breech. Had that Cape buffalo decided to charge at me, then I would have been completely defenseless and my fate would rest in the hands of my white hunter (who was armed with a BRNO ZKK-600 in 9.3x62mm Mauser).

Fortunately, my first 2 shots had successfully taken out the heart & lungs of the Cape buffalo & he folded within 100 yards of running. Still gives me goosebumps, just thinking about it.

 

[Backyardsniper]

Well:
a) It’s more affordable compared to the rest of the big 5
b) Have you ever tried Cape buffalo tenderloin simply seasoned with coarse salt and grilled over an open fire? Especially with an ice cold African Castle Lager to wash it down with ?

As for my Cape buffalo hunts, I found each an every single one of them to be quite memorable.

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You are not kidding about the tenderloin. The buffalo tenderloin has an amazing flavor. One of my biggest highlights from the trip was trying the food. We grilled buffalo heart on a fire for lunch, the liver and onions with a fried egg was excellent as well.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

You are not kidding about the tenderloin. The buffalo tenderloin has an amazing flavor. One of my biggest highlights from the trip was trying the food. We grilled buffalo heart on a fire for lunch, the liver and onions with a fried egg was excellent as well.

Most African wild game are good to eat, as long as it is cooked properly. Some of the best are eland (as long as bulls are not in the rut). Also desert type game like gemsbok and hartebeest are excellent. Sable meat is good also. Of the smaller animals, most are good to eat, particularly reedbuck. Nyala are also good. A lot depends on the condition of the animal, and if it is shot well and not wounded before killing.

My favorite African wild game offal dish, is actually flame grilled Impala liver. Among game birds, I absolutely find guinea fowl potjie to be heaven on earth.

The only African game which I absolutely disgust... are spurwing goose & waterbuck. A waterbuck, particularly an old one, has a very oily substance that gets in the hairs of the skin. When skinning the animal, great care must be taken to avoid getting the hair or oil on the meat. An old trophy bull does taste a bit strong, but a young waterbuck tastes quite fine.

 

[Puddle]

Masters of the wind.

 

[375Fox]

I’m not addicted to buffalo hunting like some. I’ve taken 3 buffalo so far. I’ll hunt more in future but not so much because buffalo is the primary target more because I want to see more wild areas and those areas typically have buffalo. It’s a really good hunt and a hard earned trophy, but I get more excited about other species particularly eland.

 

[375Fox]

You are not kidding about the tenderloin. The buffalo tenderloin has an amazing flavor. One of my biggest highlights from the trip was trying the food. We grilled buffalo heart on a fire for lunch, the liver and onions with a fried egg was excellent as well.

I definitely don’t hunt them for the taste. On every hunt I’ve been on I said no more buffalo if we had other options. Buffalo tail soup I’m ok with once in a hunt, beyond that I’ll shoot an impala.

 

[sestoppelman]

Because, "he looks at you like you own him money".

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Because, "he looks at you like you own him money".

Well said and sometimes he just doesn’t want to die and he act like the bullets pounding him are energy pills!

HH

 

[TOBY458]

I had been wanting to hunt Cape buffalo for years before I was ever fortunate enough to go on my first African Safari in 2018. I had shot 4 Australian buffalo in 2015, but I just couldn't get the Cape buffalo out of my mind.
To date, I've shot 3 Cape buffalo, and am about to go after my fourth one this August. Out of all the Cape buffalo I've shot, I've never really been able to achieve the "experience" I've always envisioned. Every Cape Buffalo I've ever shot has been somewhat of a snap shooting experience, where you only have a split second to get off a shot before they run away into the next county, so to speak. They have been anything but an easy hunt for me. Every one of them has required quite a bit of walking, and I've never had the privilege of being close to a herd, and getting to experience a lot of buffalo at one time. Mine have all been alert and ready to bolt at the slightest sense of danger. Much like Whitetail deer, as you say. So, no, they are definitely not like hunting dumb cattle. And when you throw in the danger factor, they are a very exciting animal to hunt. And when you walk up to that big brute laying on the ground, you know exactly why you came to Africa.

 

[Rare Breed]

Well:
a) It’s more affordable compared to the rest of the big 5
b) Have you ever tried Cape buffalo tenderloin simply seasoned with coarse salt and grilled over an open fire? Especially with an ice cold African Castle Lager to wash it down with ?

My favorite member of the African big 5 to hunt, is actually lion. Not the farm bred South African variety (which is a pathetic insult towards real lion hunters, although I do not advocate for a ban against this practice). But the truly wild kind as hunted in Tanzania. Unfortunately, it is rather on the pricier side and I can’t go on wild lion hunting safaris as frequently as I would otherwise have liked to. Hunting hippopotamus bulls on land would come as a close second. Hunting bull elephants would come as a third. But Cape buffalo are pretty exciting quarry as well. As are leopards, for that matter.

As for my Cape buffalo hunts, I found each and every single one of them to be quite memorable.

View attachment 545924View attachment 545925View attachment 545926View attachment 545927View attachment 545928View attachment 545929View attachment 545930View attachment 545931View attachment 545932
But this one was actually the one which gave me the biggest scare.View attachment 545926
I was using a Belgium made boxlock ejector (a guild gun) in .458 Winchester Magnum (stoked with a hand loaded Hornady 500Gr soft point & a hand loaded Hornady 500Gr round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solid). After the first 2 shots, the Cape buffalo was making for the bushes. As I opened the breech in order to reload, I realized (much to my horror) that the ejectors had overridden the rimless cartridge cases of the .458 Winchester Magnum and that the empty cases were now struck in the breech. Had that Cape buffalo decided to charge at me, then I would have been completely defenseless and my fate would rest in the hands of my white hunter (who was armed with a BRNO ZKK-600 in 9.3x62mm Mauser).

Fortunately, my first 2 shots had successfully taken out the heart & lungs of the Cape buffalo & he folded within 100 yards of running. Still gives me goosebumps, just thinking about it.

On my first I had one staring me down with my PH at 15 yards…I know exactly how you feel…an incredible experience with “ Black Death”. Selby said it correctly…”you will always hunt buffalo”. How right he was!

 

[Hunter-Habib]

On my first I had one staring me down with my PH at 15 yards…I know exactly how you feel…an incredible experience with “ Black Death”. Selby said it correctly…”you will always hunt buffalo”. How right he was!

It's like he's looking at something to clean his horns against !

 

[R.M.C.]

I don't know what the big deal is lol cape buffalo aren't on my radar for some reason. They're definitely awesome creatures and everything but I have a bunch of plains game I'd like to get, ( nyala, oryx, steenbuck, etc.) before I go after any of the big 5 or dangerous 7 or whatever. Elephant is high up on my bucket list, cape buffalo are must lower for some reason. Please don't throw me off the forum now, I really enjoy it!! Lol

 

[Doug3006]

There are 2 animals I could happily hunt to the exclusion of all others. Cape Buffalo in a truly wild area and wild Bobwhite Quail over well-trained pointing dogs. I’m not good enough with words to explain the wonders of these two pursuits. If you’ve done both, you know the feeling.

 

[Vintageguy]

While hunting the first day on my first buffalo hunt my PH made a comment about “when you come back on your 11th buffalo” and I smiled and thought, that would be nice, but this is likely one and done on my budget. Well, my second buffalo hunt is coming up and God willing, won’t be my last by a long shot.
For me stalking anything is great but tracking buffalo is tops. He’s tuned into everything and you have to do everything right and even if that “everything right” ends in a well placed shot he may still make you pay for picking a fight. Even if it happens rarely the gravity of the seriousness of it, if it does, is undeniable. That makes for an extended adrenaline rush that comes from few other things nor lasts as long. He is also easy to admire in his strength,bravery and toughness. Simply majestic.
Method is everything, as with any type of hunting, but for me up close is the only method worthy of a buffalo.

 

[Red Leg]

There are 2 animals I could happily hunt to the exclusion of all others. Cape Buffalo in a truly wild area and wild Bobwhite Quail over well-trained pointing dogs. I’m not good enough with words to explain the wonders of these two pursuits. If you’ve done both, you know the feeling.

Throw in a flight of pintail circling just outside of range before committing with a quivering lab watching their every move and I am with you 100%.

 

[Fatback]

I can say that I have been on three truly life altering hunts in my lifetime. The first was when I was 11 years old and I shot a spike whitetail buck while sitting against a cypress tree in a South Georgia dry river slew. That hooked me on a hunting adventure that has spanned the past 40 years. The other 2 hunts have occurred the last couple of years. In 2021 I was fortunate enough to hunt in the NWT and kill a Dall ram and Mt. Caribou. That hunt was life changing before I ever boarded the plane to fly north. I knew if I was going to be successful on that hunt I was going to have to be in much better physical shape than I was when I booked the hunt in 2018. That sent me on a life altering change in how I eat and exercise. Over the course of prepping for that hunt I lost quite a bit of weight and got in the best shape of my life at the age of 48. The changes I made to do that are just how I live my life now.

Then came my buffalo hunt in 2022 in the Caprivi. When I booked that hunt I thought buffalo hunting was going to be a one and done for me like a lot of the more exotic hunts I’ve done. Boy was I wrong. There are many reasons that I feel compelled to go back again for a chance to hunt buffalo. I was fortunate to hunt them in a wild place and the other animals we encountered while hunting buffalo played a big part in the allure of hunting them. Dodging hippos and elephants, seeing the remains of a lion kill, seeing lechwe by the 100s, etc…. But even more than that, tracking a group of bulls for hours and hours bumping them a couple of times, then finally getting so close you could smell them but still not having a shot because they were in brush so thick you could only make out pieces and parts of animals with no safe shot opportunities. Backing out to get s better angle and finally getting a shot at 40 yards after 45 minutes on the sticks all added up to such a wonderful hunting experiences that I know that if I am able, I must hunt them again. While buffalo are not the only animal I have hunted that could turn the tables on me and hurt or kill me if I don’t do everything in my power correctly, I explained to somebody the other day when he asked me about hunting buffalo, there are real consequences if you do not do everything correctly on a buffalo hunt and the attention to detail and focus required to kill an animal that has spent the entirety of his 10 or more years on Earth evading lions, leopards, crocs and hyenas, that makes such a worthy adversary to the hunter. I just want to feel that sense of achievement I experienced after my first buffalo hunt again. I believe there are other animals that may present similar opportunities that I have not been able to hunt yet. I am going to attempt to hunt on land hippo and elephant as well as buffalo in the next few years because I believe those animals will provide in their own special way the type of challenge that will require the best of me mentally and physically and my equipment so that each can be hunted on their terms in their habitat and that I’ll get to experience that in pursuit of worthy animals. So that is why buffalo hunting has become so special to me and will motivate me to do everything in my power to be physically, mentally and financially able to hunt them in the wild places in Africa for as long as I am able.

 

[Inline6]

I guess it started with me in the 3rd grade, had read several books about hunting Africa and how some people narrowly escaped death. Not just death, "black death". Back then the biggest game I had hunted was squirrels. Heck back then, I never thought buying a gun to hunt Africa with was attainable much less hunting Africa.

Life happens as it does for many people and it never crossed my mind again. That is until my son got me to go, we made a deal he held up his end and we went(that's the short story). When the deal was made I knew the one animal I wanted to hunt was a cape buffalo. Wanted to experience what I had read all those years ago. That deal actually led me to this forum. Have read many reports from a lot of people here. Then end up with a 375h&h and before I we could make our trip I had upped the rifle to a 416REM.

Growing up I helped a rancher in high-school. For people that have worked cattle, I'm not saying anything you don't already know. I watched a cow jump a 5' gate, toss a 240# man 8' in the air like he was nothing. So my level of respect for a cape buffalo was very high. It was one of the reasons I stepped up to the 416REM. Read reports of how much harder the .40cals hit. I wanted ever advantage possible. When we finally got close to some buffs, it was and awe inspiring experience. They were all young and had soft bosses. Then we got to within 35 yards of a tank, one of the biggest buffs we seen the whole time we where there. His horns or should say horn was really worn on one side. It was not what I was looking for then, today I would happily have taken him. When we did find my buff, he was in the bottom of where three valleys met in a thicket. Because of wind, terran, and the location of the buff 92 yards was as close as we where going to get. I put 9 - 400gr Swift A-Frames in him before he gave up the ghost. It was a surreal experience, how this animal would soak bullets was unbelievable. It was a very memorable hunt that I was fortunate enough to experience with my son.

I'm excited to do it again, I'm even more excited to experience my son taking his first buffalo.

 

[mark-hunter]

What is it that makes this particular bovine so magical?

Most affordable
Not on cites list (no paperwork harassment for export)
Iconic, typical african game.
But also, maybe we were hunting some bisons and buffalos on northern hemisphere since the beginning of mankind. Somehow - and arguably, rhino or elephant I dont imagine as our ancient pray, buffalo was.

 

[DLSJR]

Of all African game, I think hunting buffalo and elephant are the two most exciting and interesting hunts, followed very closely by lion. I’m leaving in 5 weeks for a hunt with my son in Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve and buffalo will be a main focus with 3 on license. The best part is that my son will get to take 2 of these bulls.

The last time I took him to Africa was in 2019, also to Tanzania then. He shot 2 buffalo and on our departure day, before we left camp he hugged me tightly and thanked me for a hunt of a lifetime. Then he added “…if you ever bring me back again, all I want to do is hunt buffalo.” Well he’s going to do just that but also tag along for leopard, dry land hippo, crocodile plus plains game that I have on license. We’re going to enjoy a grand time!