Big foot

09 October 2017, 11:54

fairgame

Big foot

I have been following big foot for most of a season now but he and his companion would always circle back on their tracks and I could do little about the wind. Typically dagga boys will weave and circle in and out of the breeze and rest up far from their grazing grounds.

It was my tracker who noticed tick birds flying overhead and going down into some long grass some distance ahead. Keeping an eye on the birds we very cautiously tracked their movements till we could see them fluttering nearby above the hidden beasts. Big foot was first to rise sensing something not right. The pair of them were an amazing sight - great fully rigged battleships contrasted by seas of rich yellow grass. A broadside shot across the heart followed by a quick and perfectly executed solid crumpled the big buffalo. I was more pleased with the size of his head than his great hooves. Superb trophy buff mixed with some fine hunting indeed.

Young Patsy is having a good season.

09 October 2017, 13:29

ozhunter

Lovely big bull!
Wbat area?

09 October 2017, 13:31

Charlie64

.

Superb buff ! Congrats to all.

And the last picture is well arranged too!

Look forward to catching up in 2018.

Well done.

Charlie

.

09 October 2017, 13:53

stuey

What a fantastic animal.

09 October 2017, 14:27

Ridgeman

Good work.
Great bull.
Nicely done.

09 October 2017, 15:03

fairgame

quote:
Originally posted by ozhunter:
Lovely big bull!
Wbat area?

Royal Kafue.

09 October 2017, 16:29

Manyathelo

Incredible Buffalo!

Well done

09 October 2017, 17:12

boarkiller

What a beast
Thanks for sharing Andrew

" 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”

09 October 2017, 17:38

Safari2

Very nice Andrew!

09 October 2017, 18:01

bwanamrm

Excellent Kakuli bull my friend!

On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch...
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
- Rudyard Kipling

Life grows grim without senseless indulgence.

09 October 2017, 18:17

D. Nelson

Andrew! That bull is amazing! Very well done!

Hugs, Darin

09 October 2017, 18:32

bwanajay

Very nice!

09 October 2017, 19:49

doctari505

Amazingly big feet for what I consider to be a relatively young buffalo Andrew. In this part of the world, the Greater Kruger National Park such a bull would be aged to be in his 9 th year, having turned this age during the previous Feb/March breeding/calving season. This age puts him in the 'breeding age' class. I'm currently involved in a massive buffalo research project where the long-term effects of continually removing bulls like this one from the population while still of breeding age is being investigated. We're using high resolution photographs of whole buffalo populations for comparison purposes. We're also looking at the average size of cows because their horn sizes contribute significantly to the inheritance of trophy quality. This is an exceptional bull for sure so I'm not trying to burst your bubble but it is now becoming clear that the continual removal of such bulls at that age is not sustainable. Those who value 'inches' over years are not going to like the results which are emerging. Is there any chance you can get me the two first molar teeth (third ones from the back) of the lower jaw? With them I'll be able to age the bull really accurately.

09 October 2017, 20:15

fairgame

quote:
Originally posted by doctari505:
Amazingly big feet for what I consider to be a relatively young buffalo Andrew. In this part of the world, the Greater Kruger National Park such a bull would be aged to be in his 9 th year, having turned this age during the previous Feb/March breeding/calving season. This age puts him in the 'breeding age' class. I'm currently involved in a massive buffalo research project where the long-term effects of continually removing bulls like this one from the population while still of breeding age is being investigated. We're using high resolution photographs of whole buffalo populations for comparison purposes. We're also looking at the average size of cows because their horn sizes contribute significantly to the inheritance of trophy quality. This is an exceptional bull for sure so I'm not trying to burst your bubble but it is now becoming clear that the continual removal of such bulls at that age is not sustainable. Those who value 'inches' over years are not going to like the results which are emerging. Is there any chance you can get me the two first molar teeth (third ones from the back) of the lower jaw? With them I'll be able to age the bull really accurately.

This bull had been loitering around camp for some considerable time and would now and again join up with another. I prefer to take these solitary bulls as they are segregated from the herd for a reason and have taken quite a few that have been wounded by Lion. This one had a poachers bullet through the back leg. Agreed this is not a bull of age but when hunting over a limited time it would have been unjust to decline it for my client especially if we are now expected to avoid taking out the herd bulls. I also thought he would have been around 9 years but difficult to assess accurately in the long grass.

Cheers