With the trend to shoot age before beauty there are many operators and PHs who are earmarking older buffalo bulls with character.

Here is a buffalo taken recently at Royal with exceptional 15 inch bosses and one that fits that category.

Now thats a proper boss, well done

Proper

That is much more appealing to me than width measurements.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
That is much more appealing to me than width measurements.

+1


Torbjoern

+2

+3....Nice one Andrew.

Some day....WOW!!!
Congrats Andrew

Absolutely positively the way to go... Fine buf Andrew.


Mike

That's quite a serious battering ram.

nice boss

Seems like there are certain areas that produce huge bosses more than others? I know around Kruger the buff tend to have bosses resembling football helmets but in some other areas even though the bulls are fully mature they don't develop the same way. Any old Africa hands care to enlighten us? Are there certain areas known for huge bosses like that one?

Nice hard-bossed bull. Congrats.

Great bosses Andrew!

Very nice indeed.

Real nice ! To me that is a trophy.

nice headgear Andrew

I too am a big boss fan. I took this fellow with Spear Safaris earlier this month. He's a bit over 17.

OK you win Jeff. Very serious bosses indeed.

GREAT buff all round- well done gents!

Those are spectacular animals.

Better than a set of 36D implants!

Here is one I shot in Chewore several years ago.
I have shot others in Chewore which had nice but less boss, though more spread. IIRC, this one had 36" of spread and 16" bosses. I think I'll go downstairs and measure him when I get some lunch.

It doesn't show in the photos but the front of the boss overhangs his brow. Like two handles for lifting his head.





JPK

Boss over width any day in my book! Great bulls all!

Another with a bit of width.

All are fantastic bulls!

Those are beautiful Buffalo Andrew. Bosses are so important on a Buffalo trophy. I personally like the rough tree bark look on old Buff as well as smooth worn look on very old Buffalo. As a matter of interest to the "Boss men" out there here are a few beautifully bossed specimens.

Fantastic Jan and thanks for posting. Interesting to note that the seriously wide bossed buffalo are often short in horn. The buff in your last photo would be lucky to break 32 inches. But then again for me a far more desirable trophy.

You're right , the huge bossed ones do seem to be shorter on average , although one gets the exceptions. This was the clients second Buffalo with me. He already took a beautiful 43 inch bull and when going for another he said " I need one older than the mountains with huge bosses and all scarred up. I want to shoot him up close and personal Jan "
We shot this old Bull at 12 yards head on...with a 9.3 x 62.

I suspect these 2 Bulls are exceptions to the short rule

Those are some fantastic bulls Andrew an Jan.
Thanks for sharing

Those are fantastic trophies! I think you really have something special when a bull is blessed with boss and width and even more so when a good drop is present. My bull was only about 35" wide I believe, but I really couldn't care any less! I feel that he's way better than I deserved . This was my first hunt for Cape buffalo and I am thankful that I have learned from good old school buffalo hunters what is important in a true trophy specimen. I guess at the end of the day it's not much different from most any other animal, as it's mainly to do with age and maturity.
Here's another shot of Chengeta holding up the head.

Andrew - truly a proper Buf no question!

Jan, with regards to your last two pics I would say more often than not the bottom Buff with the huge drops would win a popularity contest even if the top pic has a couple inches on it width wise what do ya say?

Is there someone who will post a photo I took of a dugga boy that easily was 12 years old and exceptionally hard bossed? He easily meets the trophy criteria mentioned here, but I passed him up in 1983 on my first trip to Zimbabwe.

(Saeed: my first safari was with Fanie Pretorius at his Westwood Wildlife Safaris in the Matetsi, which means this bull's genes had a good chance of being passed on to the buffalo you hunted there years later.)

Bill Quimby

My Nuanetsi bull from 2012, hunted with Alan Shearing

quote:

Originally posted by AR MAN:
Andrew - truly a proper Buf no question!

Jan, with regards to your last two pics I would say more often than not the bottom Buff with the huge drops would win a popularity contest even if the top pic has a couple inches on it width wise what do ya say?

I have to agree with you. Those drops are fantastic.

Beautifull bosses ,sandly our water buffalos dont have it.I prefer a buffalo with good bosses than a long horn .

quote:

Originally posted by Jan Dumon:

quote:

Originally posted by AR MAN:
Andrew - truly a proper Buf no question!

Jan, with regards to your last two pics I would say more often than not the bottom Buff with the huge drops would win a popularity contest even if the top pic has a couple inches on it width wise what do ya say?

I have to agree with you. Those drops are fantastic.

Grins I would like one of each--