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What exactly is a Buffalo that has soft bosses? Please excuse my ignorance but I'm trying to learn. | ||
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A young bull buff, their bosses harden as they age. DRSS | |||
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Let me expand on this a bit. The area in the center of the forehead on a young bull is soft and covered with hair. As the bull matures the horns grow replacing center area with bone until all of the hair is gone and the bull has "hard bosses". I am sure there are some here who can be more technical but I hope this helps. Jim "Bwana Umfundi" NRA | |||
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JudgeG ... just counting time 'til I am again finding balm in Gilead chilled out somewhere in the Selous. | |||
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Randy, when he stops looking like he has 2 separate horns, and starts looking like he's wearing an X-LG Vikings helmet, get up on the sticks! | |||
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Randy, Methinks the concept of "soft bosses" were well explained by previous posters. All that now remain is for you to get some photos of groups of buffalo and look closely at the area in the middle of their heads. You will soon see what the explanations means. Also look at trophies posted in the Hunt Report section. Those are mostly - but not all  - hard bossed older bulls. In good hunting. Andrew McLaren. 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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Randy, as a picture can be worth a 1000 words, here goes: This is what is widely considered solid:    Here is what some people will think is slightly soft, but they are in actual fact totally solid. Just because the bosses are split, some may confuse it with soft bosses..    And finally here is an example of a boss that is slightly soft, when left to rot, or cooked, a significant part of that boss will quickly deteriorate:  Karl Stumpfe Ndumo Hunting Safaris www.huntingsafaris.net karl@huntingsafaris.net P.O. Box 1667, Katima Mulilo, Namibia Cell: +264 81 1285 416 Fax: +264 61 254 328 Sat. phone: +88 163 166 9264 | |||
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Here are a couple after they are cooked. The one on the left was a real old warrior and his horns were bosses were worn really smooth. There is only about a 1/2 inch gap between his horns after he was cleaned up. The one on the right while fully mature has a slightly larger gap.  Here is a picture of the one on the right.  And here is a picture of the one on the left.  Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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That dry river bed sure looks familiar - springs on your right?  | |||
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Yes this is just below the mess hut which BTW is where I shot the camp bushbuck.  Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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The one on the back right certainly looks hard headed. 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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Should have added this to the first post   Jim "Bwana Umfundi" NRA | |||
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Much appreciated. It looks like it is hard to tell how big a gap is going to be between the horns from the dead pictures to the boiled pictures. | |||
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From one Buffalo neophyte to another, thanks for asking this question, I've learned too. | |||
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One of the motivations for shooting a hard-bossed bull is that a soft-boss bull cannot butt heads to fight for breeding rights. As a result, despite his length, he is unlikely to have passed his genes on to the herd and should not be killed until he has done so. | |||
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Frank, that is not his only "hard" part...! Karl Stumpfe Ndumo Hunting Safaris www.huntingsafaris.net karl@huntingsafaris.net P.O. Box 1667, Katima Mulilo, Namibia Cell: +264 81 1285 416 Fax: +264 61 254 328 Sat. phone: +88 163 166 9264 | |||
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TMI ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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A few more: Not solid all the way but quite acceptable.  Another  Nice representative trophy.  As tight and firmly packed as they come (the bosses)  | |||
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When you talk about length how exactly is that measured and do they take any circumferences? | |||
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Here's a worn down old geezer, just like the guy who shot him.  Paul Smith SCI Life Member NRA Life Member DSC Member Life Member of the "I Can't Wait to Get Back to Africa" Club DRSS I had the privilege to fire E. Hemingway's WR .577NE, E. Keith's WR .470NE, & F. Jamieson's WJJ .500 Jeffery I strongly recommend avoidance of "The Zambezi Safari & Travel Co., Ltd." and "Pisces Sportfishing-Cabo San Lucas" "A failed policy of national defense is its own punishment" Otto von Bismarck | |||
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In trophy pix of Cape Buff, Elephant, or hippo, they always make Karl wear a hat to clear up any confusion !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |||
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A couple more solid bossed old bulls.   | |||
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Cracking buff chaps. fujotopu, Outstanding trophies. Had a client on a good buff last year and I told him that he was a bit soft on front. He had no idea what I was talking about and his remark was 'feck that nonsense' and took him. The buffalo was with some other bulls one which was very hard on top but could not get a shot in. We were both very happy with the outcome. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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That is a beauty! Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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Then, some things are hard and soft at the same time . . .  And, many apologies as this clearly has nothing to do with buffalo or Africa hunting other than the fact that several PHs tipped this young lady enough that she could have booked a buffalo hunt with the tips. On a serious note: Hard  Hard  Hard  Hard  45" and soft  Soft  Will J. Parks, III | |||
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The clearest indication of a young and soft bull is hair growing up on the forehead in between the horns, down in front. Great old bulls in these photos. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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From your position in back of that bull, I hope NOT! 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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Will: that's awesome. Oh those cattle you shot are pretty cool too. Paul Smith SCI Life Member NRA Life Member DSC Member Life Member of the "I Can't Wait to Get Back to Africa" Club DRSS I had the privilege to fire E. Hemingway's WR .577NE, E. Keith's WR .470NE, & F. Jamieson's WJJ .500 Jeffery I strongly recommend avoidance of "The Zambezi Safari & Travel Co., Ltd." and "Pisces Sportfishing-Cabo San Lucas" "A failed policy of national defense is its own punishment" Otto von Bismarck | |||
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Paul, that buff of yours is a BEAST. I like! Will J. Parks, III | |||
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Fujotopu Very nice Buffalo taken, pitty they did not have the chance to pass on their genes, much. | |||
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Wouldn't it be safe to assume that these old guys had been breeding for years? 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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