I just watched an extremely poor program of cape buffalo hunting. The show host was hunting half tame buffalo on a ranch in S. Africa. Thwane safaris probably is a fine plains game but buffalo hunting was a sham, They chased a few 100yds they ran and caught up to them a number of times and they went back to a plush lodge. Back the next day and the heard walked out into an open dirt field and they just stood there and stood there and more came out.
To top it off the host shot the buf 4 or more times and had to dig into his left pocket on camera to reload his rifle. He looked like a I don't know what to do when hunting DG.
A very sad day for real buffalo hunters. The show was shooting and not hunting in the slightest.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
I just watched an extremely poor program of cape buffalo hunting. The show host was hunting half tame buffalo on a ranch in S. Africa. Thwane safaris probably is a fine plains game but buffalo hunting was a sham, They chased a few 100yds they ran and caught up to them a number of times and they went back to a plush lodge. Back the next day and the heard walked out into an open dirt field and they just stood there and stood there and more came out.
To top it off the host shot the buf 4 or more times and had to dig into his left pocket on camera to reload his rifle. He looked like a I don't know what to do when hunting DG.
A very sad day for real buffalo hunters. The show was shooting and not hunting in the slightest.

Mike

I watched it as well, very poor, semi-tame it looked to me.

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by retreever:
I just watched an extremely poor program of cape buffalo hunting. The show host was hunting half tame buffalo on a ranch in S. Africa. Thwane safaris probably is a fine plains game but buffalo hunting was a sham, They chased a few 100yds they ran and caught up to them a number of times and they went back to a plush lodge. Back the next day and the heard walked out into an open dirt field and they just stood there and stood there and more came out.
To top it off the host shot the buf 4 or more times and had to dig into his left pocket on camera to reload his rifle. He looked like a I don't know what to do when hunting DG.
A very sad day for real buffalo hunters. The show was shooting and not hunting in the slightest.

Mike


I watched it as well, very poor, semi-tame it looked to me.

What else you are expecting from a high fenced Buffalo hunt in RSA. There are multiple farms over this type of hunts there.

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
I just watched an extremely poor program of cape buffalo hunting. The show host was hunting half tame buffalo on a ranch in S. Africa. Thwane safaris probably is a fine plains game but buffalo hunting was a sham, They chased a few 100yds they ran and caught up to them a number of times and they went back to a plush lodge. Back the next day and the heard walked out into an open dirt field and they just stood there and stood there and more came out.
To top it off the host shot the buf 4 or more times and had to dig into his left pocket on camera to reload his rifle. He looked like a I don't know what to do when hunting DG.
A very sad day for real buffalo hunters. The show was shooting and not hunting in the slightest.

Mike

Mike

I don't watch hunting videos any longer, some because of just what you say above, and some for many other reasons. I do mean none of them! Opps, bit of a lie, I do watch Aarons! HEH.... But that is Aaron and not just a damned tv show.

I concur, and glad I did not suffer it.

But to all, all of the RSA buff is not like that, some yes, some no. This past June I had 8 buffalo on quota, 2 bulls, 6 cows. Some in the wilds of Zimbabwes best, two great bulls and a cow, the rest on two ranches in South Africa.

Now do understand, I was on a "Shooting" mission to test our BBW#13 NonCons in both 458 caliber and in my own .500 caliber rifles. So I was gathering all the buffalo I could get, and all I could afford, I have no sponsors so what I do costs me. But I don't mind that and don't want any sponsors anyway, they would just get in my way. I love to hunt, but I also love to shoot. My little Zim adventure that consisted of 3 buffalo, hippo, elephant and croc was a tremendous success on all counts of hunting and shooting and bullet performance studied and documented. Upon leaving Zim we pitched up in South Africa and traveled to a very highly regarded Photographic, hunting, and viewing farm some distance away. Here I had 3 cows on quota, buffalo were more used to being photographed than shot at. Perfectly honest with you, this was a benefit to my mission as they could be worked in pretty close, from 10-20 yds. Mission for the Farm was that they needed to remove some quota for the better quality of the herd on the area, and in addition they were using that money to collar the rhinos they had with gps units to help them with their very serious poaching issues. Best of all worlds for testing, shooting and for the area and herd itself. Hunting it was not, not by any stretch. It was a pure in and out shooting and test mission. I shot all three of the cows that day, with great success on all counts.

I had two more cows on quota on another farm in the area in which we visited the next day! I expected two more of the same honestly and never gave it much thought. But after arriving early that morning and still was not able to connect with one of the cows after much stalking, running, walking, and crawling and now well after lunch I was beginning to wonder! After a brief lunch we continued our mission and finally got lucky about mid afternoon after great strife and effort! It was too late to continue for the second buffalo that day!

Well after many days of Zim and now RSA, and now having to chase them all over hell I had had enough! I felt confident that I would accomplish no more or learn anymore than what I had already achieved and called it a day on the buffalo hunting! These buffalo were even more wild than the ones I had worked over in Zimbabwe! And I was tired!

I reckon that one just can't lump all of South African buffalo hunting into a category. Some areas very much so more shooting than hunting, and some areas or farms even wilder than buffalo you might find truly in the wild areas of buffalo country, like Zim. Been there done it seen it.

Now to go play TV movie on a "Shooting" area and claim it as hunting, that's just sad. I concur once again. But in some cases, both have a place in life depending on the mission at hand. Just don't call either what it is not.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by Michael

I reckon that one just can't lump all of South African buffalo hunting into a category. Some areas very much so more shooting than hunting, and some areas or farms even wilder than buffalo you might find truly in the wild areas of buffalo country, like Zim. Been there done it seen it.

Michael

Precisely my experience also...from shooting to tough hunting, all within the Limpopo region depending on the ranch concession.

mike - did you cant the conversation as they get out of the truck. the one guy had to double explain everything to the old guy shooting. these dudes better take up golf

No wonder our insurance is so high!

Oh,I don't know; every time we took a little stroll into injun country 45/50 years ago we reinforced, as many times as necessary, the drill when contact was made

Thanks Michael458 and bobgrow for saving me the effort to type a long explanation. You cab get buffalo shooting and some really challenging buffalo hunting on two different and yet similar sounding high fenced areas!

Mostly if get get what you expected, you have an honest Hunting Outfitter - they [B]should]/B] know what you can expect and honestly inform you! But so often you will be fed a spin story.......

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

Unfortunately, the program on buffalo hunting was no better than any of the other episodes. When I first got a DVR, I scrolled through the guide and recorded any series that related to African hunting. Didn't take me long to remove that one from the list. Lots more to hunting than driving around and shooting stuff...

Retreever,

Which show was this? Not that I get many channels nor do I have time to watch but for the few free minutes I have when the kids are asleep and it's just me, the dogs and the TV, I'd rather not waste my time.

BTW, unlike my good friend Michael458, I buy and watch every hunting DVD I can get my hands on - particularly elk and anything Africa as long as it is with rifles. Some I never watch again; others I watch as frequently as I am able (see above).

I assume the name of the program is "Gone Hunting Safaris"



realized that must be it only after posting and looking again at the title of the thread.

I wouldn't lump all RSA Buffalo hunts into the easy category either. I've been on several there that were downright tough to succeed. No, it isn't the same as Zim, but it can be a damn good time.

In 08, I had a 14 day Elephant Bull and Leopard hunt in the Tuli Block of Zim. I had both animals in the salt at noon on day 6. My SA PH friend that went along as an observer suggested we go back to SA and hunt Buff Cows. We had 2 available.

The ranch was near Hoodspruit (spelling) in the Kruger area. 11,000 acres with the fence dropped connecting to Kruger. I extended a few days giving me a full 8 days there after making the drive back from Zim. We had one hell of a time finding the Buff mainly because there were tracks everywhere and finding tracks to follow just wasn't going to be successful. When we did make contact with the animals, they were so switched on that they never hung around to see what we were. They just bolted and kept running.

I never did get a shot at a Buff. Actually, I had a chance to shoot one at a waterhole right at dusk on the 6th day as that is where we ended up after following the herd for several hours. That isn't my cup of tea however so I passed.

Bottom line though is that the hunt was challenging, the ranch was large enough to wear you out walking, animals were wild, and success certainly NOT guaranteed. I would hunt that ranch again under the right circumstances.

Paul correct, that was the name of the show. It was plain shooting and not hunting.

Thwane safaris south africa.

Mike

I have a lot of respect for most of y'all that posted here. You are big names on AR, and in a good way.

I do not even care to look at the video, because it will probably leave a bad taste in my mouth as well.....BUT please do not lump all RANCH hunted buffalo in this category! I have hunted Buffalo in the "wild" and on ranches. They were all equaly borned pissed off, and I have had excellent hunts for Buffalo in South Africa.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...1411043/m/7661051071

Met those Gone Hunting Safari guys at Reno a couple of years ago if memory serves correct they wanted hunts at dirt cheap prices in return for airtime on American TV, didnt like the two guys or the idea a whole lot so gladly walked away