I have been reading "White Hunters, The Golden Age of African Safaris" by Brian Herne. Great read by the way.

Anyhow, in the book he discusses how Clary Palmer-Wilson led a Mexican client to the world record buffalo that (at the time of print, 1999) was still the remaining record holder. It is said to be a cow with a spread of 64". When i say world record, i guess i should note that Mr. Herne states that it is the Rowland Ward world record.

Does anyone have any pictures of this beast? Any information?

I seem to recall that it was killed in Rwanda but I can't remember where I read that.

The book states that it was taken in 1946, Tanzania.

On page 69 of Africa's Most Dangerous by Kevin Robertson there is a picture of a 62 3/4" bull that was killed by lions, and a picture of same bull alive. It is in Tanzania and is described as the Rowland Ward #2. Looks like the damn thing has wings.

Here is a picture of the horns.

http://www.huntingreport.com/trophy_gallery.cfm?id=8

The horns were a pick up in Masailand somewhere and they were taken to a local taxidermist in Arusha where they took a mould of the horns.

One of the taxidermists in my local area sells fibre glass copies of these horns for about US$1000 a pop.

it is about to become #2 after i'm done in zambia this summer

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I seem to recall that it was killed in Rwanda but I can't remember where I read that.

No not Rwanda, sorry. That cow buffalo was taken in what is now Manyara National Park (Masailand, Tanzania) back then a Game Reserve / hunting block. This is the same place where in 2000 the lion kill pick up head (#2 RW) came from.

The old cow has 64" spread (plus a tremendous drop); length of horn 50 1/8"; tip to tip spread: 57 1/2"; and "boss" 7".
The cow was shot in (as listed in RW) 1946. But PH Mike Branham (son of the PH who got it, Clary Palmer-Wilson); says it was shot in 1949.

For more info, read the interesting story of the hunt in Herne's WHITE HUNTERS book. Basically, it shot by the clients interpretor -observer friend, (Manuel Hernandez Cabera) who begged the PH to take him out for a buffalo. Clary liked the guy, so he obliged.

At least two photos exists. I am looking at them now. One is still photo of the novice hunter (holding a bolt action rifle); and one photo (taken with a 16mm movie camera) of the buffalo laying down with her head up. Hard to see in the photo if the animal is unharmed, wounded but still alive; or if the head was propped up with a stick? Most likely it is alive, and unwounded, because Cabera was filming the buffalo herd (about 400 buffalo!!) with his movie camera. Clary said "stop filming...and shoot this buffalo...its a world record!!!" This client was a notorious bad shot (already wounded buffalo), so Clary shot it with a .375, (he did not want this great trophy to get away wounded) and dropped it with one shot. It sounds like he later handed the rifle to the Cabera, telling to fire a few shots into the air, while Clary filmed him shooting, as in "shooting the buffalo".

In his book: TANZANIA SAFARIS by Brian Herne, he mentions another monster buffalo, this one a bull that also roamed Manyara (in the 1950's) he states that many PHs were after this bull; but he elluded them all. Everybody agreed it was a World's Record. Brian could have shot it one day in 1958, but only had a camera and a shotgun. He snapped a rather grainy photo of it and it is in his book. The bull is very wide and has a very deep drop. I would venture to guess, this bull was out of, (or closely related to) the cow Clary shot 9 or 12 years earlier.

BTW: The RW #3, was a monster 59 3/8" bull shot charging the hunters in nearby MASWA hunting block in 1972 by PH Derrick Dunn and client P.L. Deutz. It also has a deep drop, with weak bosses.

I hope this sheds some light.

quote:

Originally posted by Harris:
Here is a picture of the horns.

http://www.huntingreport.com/trophy_gallery.cfm?id=8

It seems that SCI and Rowland Ward have totally different measuring systems.

I was wondering if someone can give a quick rundown on the systems and why they are done that way.

As an added thought....It would great to know where Cabera's buffalo is today. He was from Mexico, so its my guess the head is hanging on someone's wall in that country?

Would be great if someone out there knows and can tell us.

Tanzania's Masailand produces the world's biggest buffalo... Such as Andrew Holmberg's 58" bull taken in 1951 (#4 RW). Its great to know many buffalo (in past years & also recently) have been photographed in Manyara & Ngorongoro in the 50" to 56" range.

quote:

Originally posted by Wes Pryor:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Harris:
Here is a picture of the horns.


It seems that SCI and Rowland Ward have totally different measuring systems.

I was wondering if someone can give a quick rundown on the systems and why they are done
that way.

Sure. Rowland Ward credits the widest spread. Minimun for RW record book is now 42"

SCI does not does list or credit the widest spread. For SCI the measurement is: taped from one horn tip, taped along the front of the horns, across the skull following the other horn all the way to its tip. That is then added up with the Width of both bosses, for a total score. Minimum SCI score is 100.

With SCI method, many ancient dugga bulls with very worn down tips, will be possibly outscored by younger breeding bulls, who still have many more inches of tips left.

However, RW does not credit the bosses in the score (only lists them).
SCI credits the bosses, but unfortunately, even if they are soft immature bosses. (A few of the top ranked SCI buffalo appear to have soft bosses, and although very big horns...should probably not been shot yet).

My father hunted with Clary Palmer Wilson in 1960 in (then) Tanganyika. To my knowledge, Clary never mentioned this.

I believe the 62" horns are now at a taxidermist in Sinza, DSM. Saw them there (and casts) last year.