The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting Hard Boss or Soft Boss? How do you tell (i) on living and (ii) dead BuffaloGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Those with the experience of multiple buffalo hunts to draw on can possibly help the less experienced and beginners with this one. Please describe, and illustrate with suitable photos where possible, how one can spot the difference between a living hard boss and a soft boss buffalo bull? Please also tell how a hunter can confirm that the dead buffalo on the ground is indeed - as the PH most likely claims - a hard bossed bull? I look forward to reading and getting the collective experience of the many experienced hunters and PH's who are active on this forum. Thanks. Andrew McLaren Professional Hunter and Hunting Outfitter since 1974. http://www.mclarensafaris.com The home page to go to for custom planning of ethical and affordable hunting of plains game in South Africa! Enquire about any South African hunting directly from andrew@mclarensafaris.com After a few years of participation on forums, I have learned that: One can cure: Lack of knowledge – by instruction. Lack of skills – by practice. Lack of experience – by time doing it. One cannot cure: Stupidity – nothing helps! Anti hunting sentiments – nothing helps! Put-‘n-Take Outfitters – money rules! My very long ago ancestors needed and loved to eat meat. Today I still hunt! | ||
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Does zero experience count? My dad told me that if you can't slide a playing card between the bosses, it's hard. The monster buff in the thread recently looks hard on the hoof. I meant to be DSC Member...bad typing skills. Marcus Cady DRSS | |||
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There are several clues to a mature hard boss! However all of them are not on the boss it’s self. The most often used sign of AGE is the lack of hair on the face! The Boss being completely closed is another and the lack of hair between the bosses if not completely closed. The fact is that many buffalo will not have closed bosses no matter the age! One thing that is a dead give away it a very smooth portion of the boss on the forehead, while the top of the boss being rough. To me this is often very soft on the smooth portion of the bosses. As DCS said above, the buffalo in the thread earlier has the lost hair on the face, and the totally closed boss, and IMO is a hard bossed bull. He may be a little young, has simply not suffered the broken horn tips, but I would shoot him in a heart beat! ......................................................................  ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
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There is plenty of space between these Bulls bosses, but as Mac said, look at their faces and how shiny the bottom bulls bosses are.    | |||
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The whole card between the bosses thing is actually not entirely correct. As mentioned a hard bosses bull may have a gap between the bosses. All of the other indication as mentioned above indicate a hard bossed bull. | |||
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Many very old bulls have been killed with lots of space between their bosses. I've killed two with lots of space between them. Has do do with genetics. Mac | |||
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Well, after the buff has been taken the camera I believe can tell you what's soft and what's hard. In the picture you take the soft edges if there are any will show up as very light colored as compared to the dark color of the hard portion of the horns. At least that is what a Cannon 100 camera pictures show on my buff. | |||
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The old dagga boy I took in June had the thinnest bosses I believe I have ever seen and you could certainly put a book of playing cards between the bosses on this old gent.  | |||
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I would say photo 1,3,4 are a bit soft above. | |||
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How many guys look at their teeth? (after the shot of course) | |||
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Originally posted by McKay:
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The confusion about hard bosses comes up from time to time. It has nothing to do about the gap between the bosses, nor is it genetics. It is the completion of the growing of the horn on the front of the boss. You can quickly tell if the bosses are hard when you see a the continual line of horn. If you look at pictures of buffalo that you know are young, look at the line running from the bottom edge of the horn, and you will see that it has not completely formed hard at the bottom of the boss. Then look at some of the pictures above; you will see the complete line. I passed up a beautiful buffalo while hunting in Niassa this past Aug. He was a bit soft and the front horn line was just shy of being hard. In a year or two, he will be a fabulous trophy. He had the classic look with a lot of drop - going about 44" or so But it was not the right time to talk him.. It would not have been right, in my opinion to shoot him. I suppose some folks would have taken him, but I only want to take an old mature buffalo. Finally accounted for a nice buffalo after 12 days of hard hunting. Hope this clarifies. Good hunting. My PH, Matt Hulley-Miller (who also PH'd for Ozhunter)was in sync with what is a proper hard bossed bull, and he agreed that we pass on him. | |||
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All I look at is the gap (or lack of) between bosses - as long as it is hairless it is alright. | |||
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As I said, no experience yet. It's just what I've been told. Excellent examples to disprove by old theory. I've watched the Boddington videos, Saeed's, and many of you on AR. The closest Ive come is chasing water buff in the hills of Argentina. I hope my economy improves to go, but I've got to quit buying guns. Maybe... I meant to be DSC Member...bad typing skills. Marcus Cady DRSS | |||
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If the bull bounces off of you when he hits you, he has soft bosses. If he breaks most of your bones you can be fairly certain that it had hard bosses!  465H&H | |||
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I look at the bottom line of the bosses where they meet in the middle. I've been told that that's the last place that gets hard on bosses. But a white face usually also says it's an older bull.  Frank "I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money." - Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953 NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite | |||
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 Posted on behalf of fujotupu ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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No question on that one | |||
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Well said that man. However I have noted in the field that some buffalo show all the characteristics of being mature and still a little soft.  This picture taken a couple of weeks ago shows four middle aged gentlemen and as they are outside the herd then I would hunt them. However my area has no shortage of hard bossed bulls so they were left alone. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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 Another example and the harder bull is on the far right. Note in shade, thicket or long grass it can be very difficult to judge the hardness of boss and I would not worry about it too much. Meaning if your PH makes a mistake then put it down to a bad call. The shooting of wide obviously soft bulls out of herds simply for the record book is frowned upon by some and should be avoided in my book. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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This is superb taxidermy even though the flash has bleached the image somewhat. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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Hard Boss  Jim "Bwana Umfundi" NRA | |||
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Fairgame, that is the boss we are looking for. | |||
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Ask women, they will tell you the difference between hard and soft for sure " Until the day breaks and the nights shadows flee away " Big ivory for my pillow and 2.5% of Neanderthal DNA flowing thru my veins. When I'm ready to go, pack a bag of gunpowder up my ass and strike a fire to my pecker, until I squeal like a boar. Yours truly , Milan The Boarkiller - World according to Milan PS I have big boar on my floor...but it ain't dead, just scared to move... Man should be happy and in good humor until the day he dies... Only fools hope to live forever “ Hávamál” | |||
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My first buff was a bit soft. Big deal. How many of us shoot consistently young whitetails and bull elk and nobody seems to be upset, but oh boy if someone shoots soft boss bull, it seems to turn into some kinda pissing match Hell, there is shit load of buffs in Africa, let me put it this way, too many... If it comes to soft boss or no boss, I'm going home with buff " Until the day breaks and the nights shadows flee away " Big ivory for my pillow and 2.5% of Neanderthal DNA flowing thru my veins. When I'm ready to go, pack a bag of gunpowder up my ass and strike a fire to my pecker, until I squeal like a boar. Yours truly , Milan The Boarkiller - World according to Milan PS I have big boar on my floor...but it ain't dead, just scared to move... Man should be happy and in good humor until the day he dies... Only fools hope to live forever “ Hávamál” | |||
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