I thought that some of you would like to see a couple buffalo pictures that I took when I was in Lolkisale and Lobo the end of last month. I was not prepared for any picture taking, but did have a small digital camera and managed to take a few pictures of some buffalo while I was there checking up on some things. These pictures are just from driving along the roads, and you will see some of the buffalo are very nice.

Canuck will post the pictures shortly and was kind enough to help me out with the posting. Hope you enjoy them.

Here they are....

Adam/Canuck,

Thanks for sharing the pictures. For those of us still working on our trophy assessment, how big are the buffs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th photos???

Those buff are once in a lifetime quality across the board!

Bwanahile, when I saw them in person just a quick estimate and approx width of the buffalo I would have guessed 2 & 3 at 40-41" and 5 at around 44-45".

There is one buffalo in #4 that just has a massive drop to him that also would have gone around 40-41"

Keep in mind that I am being conservative, but any of them would be a great trophy.

#4 for me! NICE!

Best,

JohnTheGreek

Impressive road Buffalo. I cannot wait to really hunt with you in '06 for the real BIG Boys!!! As always my wife says don't forget to look for our LION, too.

Ha! Nice is hardly the word!

I'll take #1.

Impressive.

I agree that #4 is really good. But then again, almost all would do for my wall!

I'd certainly be VERY happy with any one or two of them!

My day became 50% less productive when I received the e-mail from Adam.

Cheers,
Canuck

Canuck,

Tell me about it. I keep coming back to look and look again. I like the ones with the big drop even more than No. 5 with his huge spread.

Drop is just as important as, or more important than, spread to a good buff. I saw one like No. 1 once in the middle of a big herd that vanished into a cloud of smoking ash and that we could never find again. I still think of that big boy once in a while when I'm daydreaming.

What amazes me is that Adam apparently photographed these buff over a relatively short period of time, more or less randomly, while driving along the roads--Maasailand here I come--well, maybe in '06 or '07!

Adam,

Thanks for the feedback. I am still too much of a novice and was about 3" bigger on my estimates. But I concur with the forum that any of these brutes would be a great trophy! I forsee you bookings going up dramatically!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adam,

Thank you for sharing these photos with us.
And I am glad to see you are using the real measurement of a buffalo trophy - right across, not the funny way SCI does it

I don't know about you gentlemen, but I seem to aim and shoot each buffalo I see without even thinking about it!

So #1,2 and 3 are dead already

I like #1 as well, If only Adam was willing to adopt me now!! or I could wash dishes, split fire wood, do laundry ...

Adam,

Number one for me as well. You owe me for finding you your .470!..

Adam!

When are we going!!!! I won't be fussy I promise!!!

mrlexma, I took these pictures during 2 days when I was running around checking up on things and did not go out of my way looking for buffalo.

Saeed, you are right and the only way to judge a buffalo is by width when looking at them. The way you shoot buffalo though I think that all 4 of the buffalo would be dead already

Surestrike, when you are ready to hunt with us, I will not forget you my friend

Widowmaker416, I am ready when you are

Ja, now you understood why I was asking about Tarangire area some days ago???

Thanks Adam, great pictures !!

L

adam excellent pics - thanks. am very new to forum and been viewing for about 5 months now, learning alot. hoping to go on african hunt soon. you had mentioned few months ago bout this new area, i believe, rudidji in tanzania w/ biggest buffs and showed pic of 48incher, what is diff between these buffs and masailand.

thanks again for great pics and hoping to exp in person soon.

Gerd, You are correct that we also have and produce excellent buffalo in the Ruhudji area as well. The Ruhudji area is South/West of the Selous and is bordered by the Ruhudji River and the Pitu River. A very rugged area that had not been hunted and had not been allocated to any outfitter until Rungwa Game Safaris got the area in 2003. This is also an en excellent area for lion and leopard. There are a lot of buffalo in this area and some very big brutes as well. The difference in this area and Masailand is that we have a small buffalo quota in Ruhudji and do not offer many short hunts. You will also have a charter cost involved as well.

Adam thank you for your response and clarification. It looks like you guys have some excellent buff areas. Hoping to experience them sometime.

Very nice bulls, sounds like you have a real good concession going for you this year...

Thanks for getting our blood pressure up some more.Fantastic bulls !
Why do you think they are so much larger than the typical Selous bulls? Overhunted Selous concessions? genetics or "escaped" park animals in the pictures?

sheephunter, I believe that it has to do with all genetics and the buffalo in Northern Tanzania have always known to be the big classic African buffalo. They normally have very nice drops, big width and very nice thick boss.

The Selous has a lot of buffalo and there are some very good buffalo in the Selous as well, but it does also have to do with what areas you hunt, as some of the areas have not been managed and have been hunted hard leaving very little quality behind. But do not get me wrong, if you are in a good prime area in the Selous, there are some wonderful buffalo there as well, they just do not have the genetics that the Northern Tanzania buffalo tend to have on average. I have seen some real brutes in the Selous, but not as many as in Masailand.

I would not hunt in the Selous and expect a 45" buffalo, where as in Masailand you can expect it on more of a regular basis. Hope this makes sense.

quote:

have seen some real brutes in the Selous,

I hope you're saving one for me!



Canuck

Canuck, you will really enjoy your hunt and will have plenty of buffalo for you to choose from. You will love the area and the hunting there. So just have a great time and shoot straight