quote:

Originally posted by conditionone45:
So glad to hear you are alive and recovering. I was the hunter with Ishmael as the PH and Rabson as the tracker just before you.

Rabson is a fantastic tracker and I enjoyed Ishmael as well. Ishmael was carrying a Model 70 in .375 H&H with solids. I was using a .458 Win Mag with a soft up and solids down. Fortunately, one soft was enough for each of my buffalo. The apprentice game scout on his first mission had an old SKS 7.62X39. Rabson was not armed. Fortunately on the day of your incident there was an extra rifle present and I assume Rabson was using it. It may have made a huge difference for you.

I know the very area you describe and I have some photos of it I can send you if you wish. There is some nasty tangle in some of that area because of an earlier flood.

Grabbing the horns of a wounded buff and being shaken like a rat happened to another AR member somewhere in Sengwe not too long ago as I'm sure you know. I think he called Sengwe buffalo cheeky. Under the circumstances you describe, grabbing the horns was probably the best thing you could have done to keep him from hooking you.

I wish you the very best. If you want any of my photos please drop me a PM.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

The PH carrying any other caliber would not have made any difference.

Perhaps a larger calibre would have made a difference with the shots the previous night. Had those shots been even poorly placed the night before, a larger calibre would have certainly made a difference by the next day.

Why would it make any difference a day later, when it had made no difference before?

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

The PH carrying any other caliber would not have made any difference.

Perhaps a larger calibre would have made a difference with the shots the previous night. Had those shots been even poorly placed the night before, a larger calibre would have certainly made a difference by the next day.

Why would it make any difference a day later, when it had made no difference before?

If caliber makes NO difference Saeed, why do you use the 375/404 instead of a 243?

Please don't answer because the 375 is the minimum LEGAL caliber, to which I would ask, why is there a MINIMUM LEGAL caliber?

Yes, I understand shot placement is key. We've all heard the "a well placed 375 is better than a poorly placed 500" mantra and I agree, but what about the "a poorly placed 500 will do more damage than a poorly placed 375"? (Personally I prefer the "A well placed 500 is better than a poorly placed 375" but I digress.) For a myriad of reasons, not every shot taken is perfect, and it's in those cases that the larger weapon provides a bit of an edge by inflicting more damage due to a larger wound channel. The more damage inflicted, the better the chances of some of that damage being fatal. Shooting a 375 does not magically guarantee a perfect shot as so many here like to espouse!

For the most part, I'll agree with your statement that nothing short of a CNS hit on buffalo will stop him, but that doesn't always hold true. It certainly doesn't hold true with elephant, but even with buffalo, it's not 100%. Case in point, Aaron Neilson's Global hunter 5 or 6 DVD (sorry I forget which one but it's on the same DVD set). Aaron is using that 577NE that he and I previously owned where upon follow up of a wounded buff, he and PH Phillip Smythe were charged as the buff had been waiting for them. Phillip hit the buff as well as did Aaron, to no avail. As Phillip backed up attempting a second shot, he fell into the tree and was basically pinned there momentarily. Aaron's second shot was into the buffalo's boss but failed to hit the brain and stop the animal. However, the shot DID turn the buff away from pressing home the attack on Phillip.

quote:

Originally posted by daleW:
Post pictures of your wounds too!

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posted 12 November 2013 19:55Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by daleW:
Post pictures of your wounds too!


They're not pleasant, Man.:-)

quote:

Originally posted by LionHunter:
We have different understandings of what Global Rescue will do. It is not simply the nearest medical facility but rather the nearest medical facility with the capability to provide the proper treatment, which will be determined not simply by the local Doc but by consultation with M.D.s at Johns Hopkins in Maryland, one of the finest medical facilities in the world. They are fully capable of diagnosing over the phone.

In most instances, while in any southern africa country, that will mean a GR transfer to the university hospital (a world class facility) in Johannesburg, RSA, for treatment and stabilization prior to GR transfer back to your hospital of choice in the USA. Depending upon the nature of the injuries, that may require a stay of some days in the RSA hospital, while continuous consultation with Johns Hopkins and stabilization occurs. If medical attendants are required during your transfers, GR will provide them.

You did what you thought best under the circumstances. However, had it been me, either I or my hunting companion would have contacted GR at the first opportunity and followed their advice. Every critical incident in the bush needs to be turned into a learning experience for others.

Also, I am confused by the extensive road travel to get you to a medical facility. Whenever I hunt Zim I am always charged a fee for initial medical air evacuation (MARS?). It is my understanding that this is mandatory and cannot be waived, even for holders of GR. Did SSG not require this?

I have hunted many countries in sub-Saharan africa over the past 20 years, averaging one safari per annum. I have given much thought to how to handle severe injury to myself or my hunting partner while on safari and have consulted with my personal physicians. Worst case is that I expect a 2 hour ride in the rear of a hunting vehicle to the nearest bush runway and perhaps a 10 hour wait for daylight - they don't fly at night. I always have a supply of antibiotics and pain medication, prescribed by my personal physician for worst case scenarios, as rural african clinics and even some hospitals do not have such medications available.

I am truly glad you survived and are on the road to recovery, but I encourage all those who venture into the african bush to spend sometime pre-planning/visualizing what course of action you will take if you or your partner suffer traumatic injury and how you will deal with the immediate aftermath/evacuation. It is not enough to simply buy a policy; you must understand how it works and what it can do for you.

I have started threads on AR previously about immediate first aid steps and the 3 items that should be carried by all hunters IMO - Quick-Clot, an Israeli pressure bandage and a G.I. tourniquet. The discussions were quite interesting and one thing that became clear was that most M.D.s really do not understand emergency medical techniques in current use by the U.S. military to save life in the field. It is quite different than emergency medicine as practiced in a completely equipped and staffed ER in the USA.

Your incident presents an opportunity for all safari hunters to consider the issue of taking a hit while in the bush and how to deal with immediate treatment and evacuation. I hope that your experience and my comments will cause at least some hunters to think about critical incident management. It could save someones life.

Oh, and I completely agree with my friend Todd Williams that a bigger bullet makes a bigger hole. Using a CEB non-con only increases the internal damage that even a poor shot inflicts.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:


In close quarters, any hit that misses the CNS is not going to stop the charge, regardless of how big it is.

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Originally posted by Saeed:

Todd,

I have dropped a buffalo with the 375/404 into the head without hitting the brain.

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Originally posted by Bwana Bunduki:
Why would you eschew Global Rescue to organize your own evacuation? Putting faith in someone's "personal" physician? I just can't wrap my head around this entire incident.

Jeff

quote:

Originally posted by juanpozzi:
As many of you know im an ex military surgeon and i teach tactical medicine to Spec Ops personnel and in my professional hunter courses.
In an emergency YOU NEED TO KNOW ONLY THIS LETTERS A,B,C,D,E
A IS AIRWAY MANTAIN IT FREE
B IS BREATHING YOU MUST HEAR THE LUNGS AND IF YOU SUSPECT A NEUMOTORAX INTRODUCE A GAUZE IN THE MEDIOCLAVCULAR LINE 2ND RIBS SPACE
C CIRCULATION BLLOD FLUID CONTROL HEMORRAGE TORNIQUETS AND PRESURE WITH QUICK CLOT ,HEM COM ,OR SIMILARS. RCP MAY BE NECESARY
D DISFUNCTION NEUROLOGICAL
E GENERAL EXAMINATION OF THE BODY .
To any hunters soldier or guide i recommend the military PHTLS MANUAL ,remember that almost 80 percent of the casualties in IRAK could be saved by two things a TROCAR or Gauze and a torniquet.
All the hunters must take in his jacket a quick clot combat gauze and a CAT torniquet .
If you really want to learn more assist to a tactical medicine course ,you can came here and train with spec ops personnel
Somebody said that civilians drs dont have the experience ,its true ,most of them dont deal with this kind of problems .
I can respond any question so you can ask .

quote:

Originally posted by BEGNO:
Glad you survived and doing well. Thanks for the reminder of how dangerous those big SOBs can be. I have been there and done that and know first hand how lucky you (and I)are.

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Originally posted by 505G:
yes, please explain some of the buzz words you used and / or the procedure.

TROCAR

NAUMTORAX - A NEUMOTORAX INTRODUCE A GAUZE IN THE MEDIOCLAVCULAR LINE 2ND RIBS SPACE

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
I'm glad you made it and are recovering.

Question, was every hit on the buffalo with a solid of one type or other?

quote:

Originally posted by ptperes:

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
I'm glad you made it and are recovering.

Question, was every hit on the buffalo with a solid of one type or other?

The bullet from my 416 was a Barnes TTSX (copper solid with blue plastic tips) and it was only one hit.
The hits from my .375hh which was used by my PH also had the same kind.
The bullets from my PH's 375hh, which was used by Rabo, had only brass solids.

quote:

In my 416Rigby I had 400 grain Barnes ballistic copper solids and so did my 375 (300 grains).