The umbrella ruse is a fascinating piece of information for us African "rookies".

I have heard of the Indian buffalo hide trick, and approaching putting your horse between you and the prey. I even remember in one of the old African books I have (I think it was Baldwin) a description of a native tracker that attached a pair of horns to his horse to get among the antelope.

Great info!

Where is SuperSpeed/Mike378? I want to ask if a kangaroo skin suit would help to sneak up on kangaroos.

The umbrella ruse sounds like a good one if you plan for it. But I doubt that the average PH carries umbrellas with him.

If life is going to limit you to one or two buff, do yourself a favor and get close, within 25yds, even if it is a practice approach on a buff or herd that doesn't have a shootable bull.

Personally, I prefer to get close. I don't see much point in taking a longer shot. The real trophy is the hunt and your memories of it. A +40" buff on a wall is nothing next to your memories. BTW, keeping the range down hasn't cost me a bull (yet.)

JPK

I guess the "Cow Decoy" is a high tech version of the umbrella trick.

None of my shots have ever been longer than from the couch to the television screen. Hopefully that will change someday.

Another couple of good tricks on stalking the flats in African is for the hunter, trackers, observers to spread out, hump over and meander towards the buffalo, the buff apparantly think your a group of buff. Another is to have all walk in a straight line one behind the other at a closing angle to the buff as the Masai travel in that manor and the buff sometimes seem to ignore it.

I have used all these methods and they will get you within a 100 or so yards, but when you close more than that it really gets iffy and the burnt ash flys and they disapear in the cloud.

I don't see the buffalo as any different from deer, elk, plainsgame or any other animal, and those animals are shot at great distances and no one complains or sets fourth rules of behavior on how far away they are shot? why is that?

Many elephant are shot at distances of 50 to even 100 yards, but ideal seems to be 10 yards on some of these boards. I prefer 25 yards myself, that gives me time to reload and it also is room enough to take the yaw out of the bullet and let it stablilize IMO.

Close is better for deer and elephant too Ray, imo. One is hunting, the other shooting. A personel choice of course, but it would be a crying shame for a fellow to be on the one and only dream buff hunt and not at least get close to some buff, even if they do not include the eventual target.

An elephant at 50yds is pointless, imo. 25 is ok, 10 is great. Might be different for one elephant for me if I couldn't get closer since it won't be the "only" elephant in my life and if I was collecting its (very big) ivory.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Another couple of good tricks on stalking the flats in African is for the hunter, trackers, observers to spread out, hump over and meander towards the buffalo, the buff apparantly think your a group of buff. Another is to have all walk in a straight line one behind the other at a closing angle to the buff as the Masai travel in that manor and the buff sometimes seem to ignore it.

I have used all these methods and they will get you within a 100 or so yards, but when you close more than that it really gets iffy and the burnt ash flys and they disapear in the cloud.

I don't see the buffalo as any different from deer, elk, plainsgame or any other animal, and those animals are shot at great distances and no one complains or sets fourth rules of behavior on how far away they are shot? why is that?

Many elephant are shot at distances of 50 to even 100 yards, but ideal seems to be 10 yards on some of these boards.

At the risk of being accused of a being a shit stirrer what does this mean?

quote:

I prefer 25 yards myself, that gives me time to reload and it also is room enough to take the yaw out of the bullet and let it stablilize IMO.

I am not going to use any silly umbrella while hunting and make a fool of myself.If I can't get within 100yds or less from buffalo then I just lost my money.When I shoot my buff it will be within 100yds and I'll be wearing some fancy safari clothes and shooting my custom mauser masterpiece of a rifle.I will then have a profesional type picture taken that I hope will be passed on to the next generation.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I am not going to use any silly umbrella while hunting and make a fool of myself.If I can't get within 100yds or less from buffalo then I just lost my money.When I shoot my buff it will be within 100yds and I'll be wearing some fancy safari clothes and shooting my custom mauser masterpiece of a rifle.I will then have a profesional type picture taken that I hope will be passed on to the next generation.

Good for you.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I am not going to use any silly umbrella while hunting and make a fool of myself.If I can't get within 100yds or less from buffalo then I just lost my money.When I shoot my buff it will be within 100yds and I'll be wearing some fancy safari clothes and shooting my custom mauser masterpiece of a rifle.I will then have a profesional type picture taken that I hope will be passed on to the next generation.

Mate, you don't need to be hunting, or have an umbrella to make a fool of yourself!



I would love to have got a trophy photo of us standing by it with umbrellas over our heads.

Go on then shoot your buff looking like the penguin in Batman.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
Go on then shoot your buff looking like the penguin in Batman.

Classic! Well done.