Why are people here so interested in hunting Buffalo?
Why not something else?

I don�t get it. Are Buff, that dangerous? They certainly are not cute, or beautiful are they?

I've never hunted buff...never been to Africa, in fact...

But the reason I see to hunt buff is the same reason I hunt bears.

They are fairly plentiful, and they can be dangerous, just like bears.

I'd say that a buff hunt is more dangerous than a black bear hunt, but not as dangerous as a grizz hunt...

They are big, ornery, and will charge if you let them.

Perhaps someone with more knowledge could help me out here...

I REALLY would like to hunt buffs...

Because we can't afford to hunt elephant.

Regards,

Terry

T. Carr.....fabulous reply........I loved it.

I was going to say the same thing Terry said.

Short buffalo hunts aren't too badly priced in terms of daily rates and number of days (5 to 10 days compared to 10 to 21 days at higher rates).

Lion and elephant are just too expensive.

Gentlemen,

I have no doubt buffalo ARE dangerous - just like about any animal one hunts. But, that is not the reason I like to hunt them.

I think one can get into trouble with buffalo if one is extremely unlucky - or by design, as Mark Sullivan has been demonstrating for so long.

I have shot more than a 100 buffalos, and not once did I feel we were in any danger. In fact, we've never had a single charge.

On a few occasions, when approaching a wounded buffalo, things could have developed into a charge if we allowed it to happen. But, I prefer to put that noble animal out of his misery as fast as I can.

Hunting buffalo can be as simple as seeing one from the truck, jumping out and shooting it.

Or it can be as demanding as elephant hunting.

One picks up the tracks of one bull or more, and then follows them. This proceedure can take anything from an hour to all day. One can find them standing in the shade of a tree, take his pick of which one to shoot, and end the hunt.

Or the buffalo somehow see you or smell you well before you see them, and the chase continues. A couple of hours later you make a hurried shot and wound one.

The chase continues again, except this time there is more a likelihood of him hiding in some thick bush, where you might not be able to see him further than the tip of your rifle barrel. The final outcome is one of you has to die - which is it going to be?

Buffalo hunting epitomises what African hunting is. Followed very closely with elephant hunting.

In fact, I don't know which is more interesting, buffalo or elephant hunting. I enjoy both.

I agree with Saeed...almost. I like elephant just a little more, it may be a little more dangerous than buffalo. The two hunts are similar in some ways and different in others. There is something inside me since I was a child that has drawn me to elephant hunting. I get more of a rush hunting elephant. I have shot 6 elephants and only about 10 buffalo.

For those who arnt able to hunt elephant bulls tuskless cows sometimes can be hunted for almost the same price as buff. If all you ever hunt is buff you still will have experienced 95% of African hunting. Then again there is lion hunting too.

[ 09-21-2003, 11:31: Message edited by: LV Eric ]

In case you missed this:

"Why I Hunt Buffalo"

I've taken 15 black bears with a longbow or recurve and I find Buffalo more exciting.... maybe only because there are no black bears in Africa.