The dangers of Buffalo Hunting in Africa

[indy1919a4]

Watch: Cape Buffalo Charges Hunters [VIDEO] - Wide Open Spaces

 

[AmericanBob]

You should read "Death in the Tall Grass". Reeaaally makes you never want to go on a hunt there.

 

[sparkyfender]

Yep. They will kill you dead.

I watched the video, and I have to admit I was sort of rooting for the buffalo.

 

[Thor]

You should read "Death in the Tall Grass". Reeaaally makes you never want to go on a hunt there.

That is a good book, second the recommendation.

P.J. Rourke's book "Use Enough Gun" is good too...those guys weren't. If the guide didn't have a big double gun they'd have been in a world of hurt. His rule was if it's large and can kill you shoot it again...when you are sure it's dead shoot it again. He said most of the professional hunters that were killed were killed by previously dead animals. But always, use enough gun.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I'd love to go to Africa on a dangerous game hunt.

But I'd want to do it from several hundred yards away. LOL

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

My dream hunt in South Africa was 2012. First on the list was a Cape with bow. We were chased off several times trying to stalk a mature female (it's what I could afford) by the males. Finally the shot came and I stuck her too high. One opportunity to finish her with the .458 came 20 minutes later as she ran across a lane with the herd and I managed to put her down with one shot from the .458 at 100 yards. I stalked within 40 yards for the bow shot i messed up, no one went in with me for the bow stalk for fear we'd spook the herd.

Cape make a death moan a lot like bear. I didn't know that until my female went down in the brush after the rifle shot and I heard her. Very special, scary, tense hunt.

 

[DRob]

And that, boys and girls, is why PHs carry big bore doubles.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

And that, boys and girls, is why PHs carry big bore doubles.

Not always. Mine carried a .458 - the one you see in the pic.

 

[Thor]

Glad you got it in the end. Wounded buf are a scourge on the locals. Looks like a cool hunt. Boar hunting in Germany with a spear is pretty exiting too...though I hear now that many of the wild boar are turning up with high (deadly) levels of radiation in them from rooting around Chernobyl and migrating to the German forests. I'd hate to have to carry a Geiger counter while hunting...and if they were that radioactive not sure I'd want to be within spear length getting bloody with them.

 

[indy1919a4]

The part that really stands out is in about frame 118 or so. The group is approaching the wounded Bull to finish it off ,you can see they have not assign good fields of fire, Because the Guide hunter is in front and one of the clients are behind him. The guide fires & starts to move back as the client shoots just behind him right through his retreat path.. If the Guide would have been a faster or the shooter a little slower it could have been ugly. Does show the dangers of hunting with strangers.

 

[DRob]

Not always. Mine carried a .458 - the one you see in the pic.

Sorry JJ. Guess I should have said most of the PHs we see on videos. That's all most of us have to refer to.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

Sorry JJ. Guess I should have said most of the PHs we see on videos. That's all most of us have to refer to.

Yeah, when I was stalking my Cape - alone - with bow and arrow - no firearm backup at all, I thought about all the video's I'd watched and wondered why it was different. A couple other guys in our group were after Cape with bow, both of them had PH's with them on their stalks (I found out later), but my guy stayed in the truck and watched through the binos. They were not close enough to intervene in my opinion, but I planned to stay in the trees, down wind, and be as stealthy as possible. How I flubbed the shot I can only speculate. I believe my range finder skipped off the Cape back and ranged a tree in the background sending my very heavy arrow far too high to be lethal.

When I released the arrow all hell broke loose and the herd fled. I made my way back to the truck, disappointed, and the PH handed me the .458 - iron sights - I had never laid eyes on it or shot it - and said let's finish her while we can. We drove around to the direction the herd was heading, got out and waited for them to cross what we call in Indiana a farm lane, down south they call it sendero, out west it's a two-track. When they crossed he talked me through which one was mine, I led her about a foot at 100 yards and squeezed off the round as she centered the lane.

I could see the shot was a good one, blood came forth immediately and I could see it was right behind the shoulder. About 5 minutes later we heard a death moan in the brush and the PH went in with his crew to assess, then came back out and signaled for me to come on in as she was indeed dead.

Were I to give advice I'd say ask which PH will be with you on any particular day. Ask him what the backup plan is and can you practice with the firearms just to be safe.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

I just re-read what I wrote, and that's all true, but some of you may be wondering how Cape is hunted in South Africa. For the most part you ride around in a truck with the PH and his crew and you cover a lot of ground. We rode miles and miles for a day and a half, light to light. There were Cape in the area, but a bow stalk isn't for every herd. Every herd had females of the size and age I was looking for, but not all herds were stalkable. Some had multiple large males protecting them. Some were too open. Some were just too skittish or too covered for a safe stalk.

When we finally found a stalkable and relatively safe herd the truck stopped well away - couple hundred yards with brush between - I talked over the stalk with the PH and he agreed on stalk strategy was sound and he would do what he could if the herd reacted negatively or appeared to change posture to aggression - they would drive the truck into the brush and get between me and the herd or aggressive male - my job was to keep something between me and any aggressor second, stay undetected first. Most of the trees there are not much more than Texas scrub and don't really provide any protection from something that large, so your best bet is to stay slow, low, down wind and undetected.

It's not an easy hunt, and it's not free of danger. We signed release forms at the lodge and accepted the responsibility that there is a degree of danger and the risk is mitigated as best it can be, but the risk is never zero.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

I just re-read what I wrote, and that's all true, but some of you may be wondering how Cape is hunted in South Africa. For the most part you ride around in a truck with the PH and his crew and you cover a lot of ground. We rode miles and miles for a day and a half, light to light. There were Cape in the area, but a bow stalk isn't for every herd. Every herd had females of the size and age I was looking for, but not all herds were stalkable. Some had multiple large males protecting them. Some were too open. Some were just too skittish or too covered for a safe stalk.

When we finally found a stalkable and relatively safe herd the truck stopped well away - couple hundred yards with brush between - I talked over the stalk with the PH and he agreed on stalk strategy was sound and he would do what he could if the herd reacted negatively or appeared to change posture to aggression - they would drive the truck into the brush and get between me and the herd or aggressive male - my job was to keep something between me and any aggressor second, stay undetected first. Most of the trees there are not much more than Texas scrub and don't really provide any protection from something that large, so your best bet is to stay slow, low, down wind and undetected.

It's not an easy hunt, and it's not free of danger. We signed release forms at the lodge and accepted the responsibility that there is a degree of danger and the risk is mitigated as best it can be, but the risk is never zero.

After reading this I feel like a sissy only hunting deer, squirrel, turkey and other local animals. If you ever want to adopt a 24 year old son to take on hunting trips, just let me know.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

After reading this I feel like a sissy only hunting deer, squirrel, turkey and other local animals. If you ever want to adopt a 24 year old son to take on hunting trips, just let me know.

Hahaha! My son's 20 and he would love to go. Unfortunately there's the cost. I spent about $7k total - airfare, animals, shipping fees, food, everything but mounts. I took six animals - all with bow except this one. I totally redeemed myself on the other 5 animals I took - all clean humane kills - down in less than 5 seconds including a 750lb Blue Wildebeast. Archery equipment is more than adequate if the shot is placed correctly.

I would love to go back to SA some day, but that would take a small miracle...like the wife takes up dangerous game hunting and needs me to carry her bags.

 

[Thor]

I would love to go back to SA some day, but that would take a small miracle...like the wife takes up dangerous game hunting and needs me to carry her bags.

Yeah, same here. Now my daughter just might go there...

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

Yeah, same here. Now my daughter just might go there...

Does she need someone to carry her bow case?

 

[LCSOSgt11]

I've read Capstick, Cooper, and some others. The general feeling is that if a buffalo is wounded, one has a whole lot of trouble on the hoof. Apparently, they can sometimes absorb the equivalent of a lead and copper mine before expiring. I would say that a large bore rifle, with the projectile properly placed, may take a lot of the drama out of a hunt. Of course, I could be wrong.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

The part that really stands out is in about frame 118 or so. The group is approaching the wounded Bull to finish it off ,you can see they have not assign good fields of fire, Because the Guide hunter is in front and one of the clients are behind him. The guide fires & starts to move back as the client shoots just behind him right through his retreat path.. If the Guide would have been a faster or the shooter a little slower it could have been ugly. Does show the dangers of hunting with strangers.

Seen that. Way too close for comfort. Bet that guide was pissed when he seen the video.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I've read Capstick, Cooper, and some others. The general feeling is that if a buffalo is wounded, one has a whole lot of trouble on the hoof. Apparently, they can sometimes absorb the equivalent of a lead and copper mine before expiring. I would say that a large bore rifle, with the projectile properly placed, may take a lot of the drama out of a hunt. Of course, I could be wrong.

As with hunting almost anything, proper placement is indeed key.

Look at some of the big game hunters of the early 1900s... They used a lot of 30-35 caliber pills and did well for themselves. Even elephant and cape buffalo.

Can you imagine hunting a huge bull elephant with just a Lee-Enfield in .303 Brit? Lotta eye and ear shots, for sure.