PH Jason Stone was gored by a buff earlier today in the Luangwa valley. He was conducting a final approach on some Buffalo when a wounded cow burst out of a nearby thicket.

He has received medical attention and is making a good recovery.

Terrible news!

Glad it is not too serious.

I read his account of what happened. He went in without a gun.

No gun? Why?

It will be interesting to hear the whole story.

Here are his own words:

Today I had a bit of a run in with a buffalo cow. We were making a final stalk on a herd of buffalo through some pretty thick bush. I was carrying the shooting sticks in the hopes of getting a shot at a trophy bull when out of no where we were charged by a buffalo cow. She hit me full on the head with her horns and knocked me out cold. There was just no time to grab my rifle from the tracker who was behind me. Very fortunately nobody else was hurt. It seemed that this crazy cow had wounds on her probably from a lion which explains why she was so grumpy. Need to get a few stitches in the head and a CT scan and I should be back in the bush tomorrow. So that is the story from the horses mouth.

And another:

Always carry your rifle when walking through thick bush in dangerous game country. Yesterday I made a big mistake and was far to complacent. I had my CT scans done last night and very fortunately they all good no serious injury to my head. Although the doctor did say I have a much bigger brain than the average man....

Very lucky man, should buy some lottery tickets!

quote:

Although the doctor did say I have a much bigger brain than the average man....

Its the "grey matter" that counts though.

You were lucky this time - here's hoping to a non-repeat.

Let me see....
Where I have heard that you should ALWAYS carry that darned gun.....
Every PH tells me this.
Every article about dangerous games says this.
Every wounded PH says this....

Did I miss someone that says to always carry your gun??

Just glad, no more than he, that all signs say full recovery.

Don’t be too hard on the man.

He did say his tracker had the rifle.

Every time we follow buffalo, the PH carries his loaded rifle over his shoulders.

He takes the shooting sticks from the tracker as the animals are sighted.

Sometimes we see an animal from the truck.

We jump out, the PH carries the shooting sticks.

If we manage to shoot it, all is well.

If it continues going, the tracker brings the rifle.

During that time, only the client has a rifle.

Having said all that, and having hunted quite a bit for a few years, I can assure you one cannot cover every angle.

We are grateful that he did not suffer serious wounds.

A few years ago we followed a herd early in the morning.

They were feeding at the brush.

We followed them.

We must have been very good, as we surprised a young bull feeding on the other side of a bush.

We only realized this when he ran off!

He could not have been more that 12-15 feet away!

If he had charged us, I am not sure we would have been able to get a shot off.

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Let me see....
Where I have heard that you should ALWAYS carry that darned gun.....
Every PH tells me this.
Every article about dangerous games says this.
Every wounded PH says this....

Did I miss someone that says to always carry your gun??

To be fair he was setting up for a shot and would have had sticks and binos in hand. It was one in a million that he walked into a wounded buff.

This can easily happen to anyone of us!! Glad it wasn’t more serious.

By the picture you would think he was very seriously hurt but a superficial head wound will bleed profusely. Even if he had a gun in his hands would he have been able to shoot the cow in time?

S*^t happens when you party naked or hunt DG. Hindsight is 20/20 but who is to say a gun would have helped in a situation like that. Just glad he's ok.

Any gun better than no gun. Seems waiting till Buff sighted then setting up sticks then grabbing gun back in a situation like this makes sense. Or a trusted employee sets them up since he had them in his hands anyway. Close cover different then an open area lesson learned. Glad he’s ok

Thank god he’s doing OK!

What was that about the female of the species?

Honestly, from the way it was described, if he had his rifle slung or in his off hand, I doubt it would have been any different! You do tend to concentrate on the targeted animal.

Any of us who have hunted buffalo can say “There but for the grace of god go I!”

Jason is a good friend and tough as nails. The guys in camp are my clients, and Jason has headed back to camp and is finishing the hunt though I have asked him to take it easy for the next couple of days. I am sure he won’t listen. It was a freak thing that could happen to anyone, and I am sure glad he wasn’t more seriously injured. I can’t wait to share camp with him in August/Sept.

WOW!!! Glad he is going to be OK.

What did the client do?

2 clients jumped out of way, and then tended to Jason. One was ex-cop and one was a nurse, so they stabilized him and got him back to camp.

Just goes to show what Dangerous Game hunting is about. You never know.
Glad he's going to be alright.

quote:

Need to get a few stitches in the head and a CT scan and I should be back in the bush tomorrow.

No snowflakes here!

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Let me see....
Where I have heard that you should ALWAYS carry that darned gun.....
Every PH tells me this.
Every article about dangerous games says this.
Every wounded PH says this....

Did I miss someone that says to always carry your gun??

To be fair he was setting up for a shot and would have had sticks and binos in hand. It was one in a million that he walked into a wounded buff.

………………………………………..Right! This is quite common when the PH and shooter get set up for a shot, with the rifle behind the PH while the shooter and the PH are setting up the sticks. Even if the PH had had the rifle in his hands is no proof that he wouldn't be blind sided by this crazy cow before the tracker or the client could shoot the cow!
Its easy to second guess an event from 15000 miles away in your den! Not so easy when your there.
I'm just glad the PH wasn't killed!

……………………………………………………..

I am sure that he will change his mind on what take place tomorrow as a restless night will bring on a little stiffness.

Thanks Andrew for relaying this information.

So glad the PH is looking at a full recovery.

Wishing him all the best!

I was pleased to meet Jason while I was on a plains game hunt in SA with SS pro. He is a terrific bloke and has a good sense of humour. Thankfully it sounds like he is OK.

As stated...thank God he is well.

quote:

Originally posted by Hogbreath:
Just goes to show what Dangerous Game hunting is about. You never know.
Glad he's going to be alright.

This one has nothing to do with dangerous game.

They could have been picking flowers, and the same thing would have happened.

May not be restricted to dangerous game hunting. Rather, it's about hunting and engaging the animals on their turf when there are dangerous animals around - like buffalo !!

I love hunting buffalo and they fascinate me. I truly enjoy being in the same bush as them, whether after them or not. They also frighten me, at least a little bit, as well they should.

So glad the PH is going to be fine, and this was really poor luck. The odd have to be huge of having the cow "right there", wounded, and while setting up the sticks.

Nobody carries my rifle but me.

Nobody.

Never.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Nobody carries my rifle but me.

Nobody.

Never.

. . . and it is loaded with a round in the chamber on safe. Always.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Nobody carries my rifle but me.

Nobody.

Never.

. . . and it is loaded with a round in the chamber on safe. Always.

Had a discussion with someone sometime back.

He insisted that a well known professional hunter insists that his clients carry rifles with no round chambered, and only chamber a round when ready to shoot.

I told him about 40 years ago on my first safari, my PH insisted that I chamber a round, and put the safety on as soon as I am out of the truck.

I have been doing that ever since.

What is the point of carrying a rifle in the bush when it is not ready.

My safety comes off as I get on the sticks.

Ok, he survived and back at it already.

What happened with the cow? still running loose
looking for someone else?

Glad he's ok, great thing to have experienced
medical people along. Lucky there.

George

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Nobody carries my rifle but me.

Nobody.

Never.

Here's hoping for a swift and complete recovery.

Jason is a very fine and experience big game hunter whose path that morning led him straight in this buff in long grass. Even with a rifle in hand he may have not got off a shot.

He was focused on the herd and with all PHs we need a third hand to manipulate sticks, binos and a rifle at this moment.

I presume the clients would have been cocked and locked but not even they could get a shot off in the melee.

Anyway good to see that he is on the mend and continuing with the safari.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Nobody carries my rifle but me.

Nobody.

Never.

. . . and it is loaded with a round in the chamber on safe. Always.

Had a discussion with someone sometime back.

He insisted that a well known professional hunter insists that his clients carry rifles with no round chambered, and only chamber a round when ready to shoot.

I told him about 40 years ago on my first safari, my PH insisted that I chamber a round, and put the safety on as soon as I am out of the truck.

I have been doing that ever since.

What is the point of carrying a rifle in the bush when it is not ready.

My safety comes off as I get on the sticks.

+1 cannot fathom doing it differently

Glad to hear he is doing well. Looks worse than it actually is. Not a bad thing.

I'm glad he's going to be okay. I certainly don't blame the him for getting hurt, it could happen to anyone of us. It is a good reminder to have a few bleeding control items with you when hunting. A tourniquet and a hemorrhage control dressing take up little room and could be lifesaving in an emergency. Videos in their use are readily available on youtube. I left all mine with the PH when I went home. I'll bring more on the next trip and leave them with him or another PH.