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| One of Us |
You and your PH have been tracking a group of bulls for most of the day. Around 3:00 pm the lead tracker confers with the PH. The bulls have bedded down just over the hill. Do you? a) Move on in and try to find a shootable bull? b) Back off and wait around for another 3 hours until the bulls get up and start feeding. What's your move and why? BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | ||
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I'd take my PH's advice, but if I had to make the call: Most likely B. Depends on how thick the cover is and how many bulls we're following. If they're lying down in some thick stuff, it's hard to sort them out. If they are on their feet feeding, much easier. Also would depend whether I'm after the biggest one, or just a hard-bossed bull. | |||
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| Administrator |
Buffalo do not stay in bed until 6. | |||
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You don‘t want shooting a buffalo when it‘s soon getting dark... | |||
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They do if you have no idea what you are talking about. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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I have shot many buffalo very late in the day. Never lost a single one. I normally drop them in their tracks! My professional hunter’s normal comment is “that is the way to do it” | |||
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The scenario is not set up correctly. In my limited experience...Buff are usually getting up to feed a again by 3 at the latest. At 6pm it would have been dark at the times of the year I have hunted them. Buff do seem to bed down in the heat of the day to chew their cud for an hour or so...seems about noon to 1ish. Usually by 3 grazing again...getting dusky by 5pm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | |||
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Follow my PH’s instructions | |||
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Why would you back off now that you've caught up to them? How does the lead tracker know they are bedded down just over the hill. Has he peeked over the hill and seen them? Tick Birds? If so, why not peek over the hill and shoot one? But as Lane stated, this set up isn't correct. They usually bed in the heat of the day and start moving about the time you are claiming they bedded down. Had a similar scenario in 2012. Told the story before. Video posted here somewhere. Tracked two bulls all morning until they bedded around 11:00 in the heat. Spooked them out of their beds. Went to camp and had lunch. Went back and picked up their trail. Found them bedded overlooking a large field with the wind at their backs at about 2 pm. We used what cover we had and moved in on them. They noticed us when we were about 50 yards out and stood up. I shot the one on the right as the other was obscured in brush. If I could have gotten a shot at him in his bed before he noticed us, I would have taken it. Some will probably now call that unethical. YMMV  | |||
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Most game animals behave similarly. In moz we stalked into several herds of bedded cud chewing buffalo to look at them. If wind right and some care you can get very close for a look. Never found a shooter this way But it was quite possible and not too difficult. Next question is if you find that bull of a lifetime you gonna shoot it bedded or wait to get it on its feet? White Mountains Arizona | |||
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Maybe if you having sex with a buffalo  Specialist Outfitters and Big Game Hounds An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last. - Winston Churchill | |||
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Only client I ever had who took a serious buffalo charge and was hit by the buffalo had wounded the buffalo late in the day. Because of diminishing light the PH decided to follow up immediately. Bad decision! Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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Well, if the tracker knows where they are, and we have plenty of light left (3 hours+), we should go and have a look at them. Might hurt the buffs'feelings if we don't at least look !! Try not to bump them, but at least get a good look to see what's there. If we don't like it - nothing lost. But if we do like the buff and the set up, it's time to rub sweaty palms dry, get a drink of water, and go have some fun !!! | |||
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| Administrator |
We ALWAYS, without exception, follow up any animal we shoot immediately. Regardless of what it is or how late in the day it is. You can actually help your situation by doing so, and if necessary, add another shot in. The old habit of "having a smoke"before going after them does not work with us, as non of us smokes!  | |||
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It is common to leave buffalo when the wind become fickle with the heat and follow them up later in the afternoon when they start grazing. That is if there is a trophy worth hunting. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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The situation happened just as I stated, although the times might be a lttle off (i.e. found the bulls at 2:45 and waited until 5:45 pm). You generally have shooting light until about 30 minutes after sunset, which occurs around 6:00 PM in Zim. And contrary to some opinions, these bulls did not start feeding until about 6:00 PM because we had a tracker watching them. We waited until 6:00 PM or so, moved in and watched the bulls feed for about 30 - 45 minutes until almost dark. One bull was about 40" but soft boss, so I didn't shoot. And I have moved into buff just at last light several times. Like any game animal, last light often provides the best opportunity at taking a shot at an undisturbed animal because that is when they are out and about. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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I have little patience for fools, no matter how "expert" they are. Also, stating emphatically what any given animal will do or not do on any given day for different locations is the epitome of stupidity. I don't care how many animals of that species you have killed or tracked. That is why so many "experts" wind up dead or skunked. I know a PH, who currently has a record book leopard on the books, tell me he once drove into an area during the middle of the day with a couple of clients. To his surprise, two leopards were laying out on some rocks sunning themselves. He had one client shoot the largest leopard and the other client shoot the second leopard (the second leopard did not run off at the shot). How many experts would expect that scenario to happen? BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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| One of Us |
In general, Buffalo are known to do their "bulk feeding" at night when it is cool, end their feeding session with a copious drink, maybe graze a little more in the earlier hours of the following morning then once the sun starts beating down, find a shaded area to ruminate and sleep. Their siesta can be anything between 4-6 hours, normally between the hours of 10/11am to 15/16pm depending on the weather and times of which however are not set in stone. Would I allow the client to take a shot between 15/18:00hrs? That would all depend on both the shooting abilities of the hunter and the actual time. If I know the hunter is a shooter on whom I can rely I would have no problem with him shooting at last light and if he screws up (we all do some time or another) it will result in a follow-up at first light. Would I go ball-busting the herd while they are bedded down? That would depend on the terrain and also if it involves cows/calves or just a group of old cantankerous bastards. I would leave the former alone because the chances of finding a shootable bull will be slim and if there is one it will probably be in the thick of the mix and one of the many "sentries" on guard duty will very likely bust you. I would wait until they start moving and hopefully find what I'm looking for. A group of bulls would be more approachable and the chances of landing yourself a shooter without too much fanfare would be on the high side. | |||
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I Agree with Saeed, and some of the others. But the very most important thing to me is my PH. Do what he tells you, and all will be well if you do your part. | |||
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Sounds like a plan ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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Trust your PH... 100% or your really shouldn't be in that position in the first place. | |||
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My thoughts exactly. As the earth heats up from the sun during the day, the winds will become more erratic. Let the sun move toward the horizon (the earth cools), and the winds will become more predictable. | |||
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What month of the year was this? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | |||
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An excellent and informative synopsis of buffalo behavior! Well done. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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mid September. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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| One of Us |
Several good points were made, and except for the naysayers about the timing, I appreciate the replies. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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I can go along with timing for Mid September - October in Zim.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | |||
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If its whatever time on this side of dark and over a hill, go shoot the buffalo, that's what you came to do..If its sun down or close, may be best to come back the next day early.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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^ That’s the ticket! BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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