Would appreciate hearing opinions from some experienced African hunters. I most likely will never be able to afford a bull hunt but have heard of a couple cow hunts that I might be able to swing. Is shooting a cow a definite no-no and if not, what are the differences in horn conformation? I've been told there are some 40" cows available. Thanks in advance, Mike

look around some more - by the time you're done with airfare etc. the difference isn't going to that much - there's some deals floating around now

http://simonandbaker.com/sussi-water-buffalo.jpg (COW)
http://www.royanddarla.com/Gor...7-cape%20buffalo.jpg (BULL)

The cow doesnt develop any boss and many of them tend to grow very wide horns.

Cow hunting is very similar to bull hunting. Just say, "we're going after the oldest, skinniest cow in the herd," and your hunt will be similar to a bull. You will need to look the whole herd over to see if that old, emaciated cow is there and if so then plan an approach that is essentially little different than a bull hunt...

But at ~$2.5k-$3k for a bull and $.6-$.8 for a cow, onece you add in airfair, daily rate, etc, etc, etc, you will find that the cow hunt isn't much different than the bull hunt.

Best use of a cow hunt - other than for providing bait for lion or leopard hunting - is to double the fun at little extra cost (as a precentage of the whole) by adding a cow to a bull hunt.

JPK

Just to offer some general insight.

At our (private ranch in Zambia) where we offer our 5-day cape buff bull hunts, which incidently we are already pre-booked for 2009, we also offer (cape buff cow hunts) particularily for those whom dont have enough budget for a buff bull and/or want to rather cut their teeth on the cow first.

These buff cow hunts are proving quite popular.

Just as a price comparison,

Our base hunt price (excluding miscellaneous costs - charter rifle permit - dip pack etc) for the 5-day buff special packages are;

$9,500 / 1x1 - buff bull package
$8,500 / 2x1 - buff bull package

$4,750 / 1x1 - buff cow package
$4,250 / 2x1 - buff cow package



This picture is our PET BUFF COW (Sally) presently resident on our Bird Wildlife Estate near Kalomo Zambia ...

We recently relocated Sally from our Dendro Park Hunting Ranch to our Game Conservation Ranch (Bird Wildlife Estate)

Cheers, Peter

Balla Balla,

What would be the cost of a 1x1 or 2x1 bull and cow hunt?

JPK

Hi JPK

Essentially when a hunter books our (5-day hunt plus arrival and depart day) cape buffalo bull special hunting package, they can then add on any plains game (except for the PRIME species being; Sable, Roan, Kafue Lechwe and Livingstopne Eland) and they can also add on cape buffalo cow/s (1-3 max) at the standard specie fee for buff cow being $1750 per animal.

The (prime plains species) can only be hunted on our (7/9 day special package) which does not include any species within the price, but all species on the ranch can be added on at standard specie fee etc. Base price for this package is $12,500 1x1

Cheers, Peter

CAPTMIKE, LOOK AT THE DISCOUNT HUNT THREAD.
YOU MAY BE ABLE TO AFFORD MORE THAN YOU THINK.
AND ITS GOING TO GET CHEAPER. I HEARD THAT AN OPERATOR IN ZIM HAS HALF HIS QUOTA LEFT AFTER THE SHOWS. KEEP WATCHING

"Thanks" to all for the replies!

I have shot a few cow buff for cat baits.

They were as much fun to hunt as the bulls.

Also they seem just as tough as well.

A cow buffalo is just cat bait. The one time I was offered a cow buffalo, I shot a giraffe instead. I would rather go to Australia and shoot a water buffalo. Probably about the same cost as shooting a cow cape buffalo. A cow buffalo is not a trophy.

Why does everything hunted have to be a 'trophy'. Just curious as I personally put little or no value personally on the 'trophy' concept as I understand it on these forums.

The one and true trophy is the fun and excitement of the hunt and the memory of the hunt that you earn. Dead stuff on the walls serve best to remind one of the hunt and to bring back those memories, inches in a book aren't real trophies.

Its funny how 450NE No2 and I endorse a cow buff hunt as a fun and exciting hunt. We've both hunted cows. The one nay sayer denigrates it and tells us that it should be passed on, but then tells us he hasn't done it! How in the heck would he know!!!

JPK

JPK

Like I said in my previous post, I have hunted and killed cow buff. The hunts were excellent in every way. I could tell very little difference if any between a bull and a cow hunt, and I have shot some pretty good bulls.

I shoot doe deer every year. I hunt them as hard and with the same enthasusium as I do a Buck deer.
Same goes for the many wild pigs I kill every year.

My favorite animal to hunt is ELEPHANT, bar none, cow or bull, however every animal I hunt and kill is a trophy to me.

As JPK stated, it is the excitement of the hunt, the quality of the shot, that makes a trophy.

quote:

Originally posted by zimbabwe:
Why does everything hunted have to be a 'trophy'. Just curious as I personally put little or no value personally on the 'trophy' concept as I understand it on these forums.

I believe, for most people, "trophies" are referring to an adult male of the species, which should be larger and fewer in number than the young or females, which are either younger, stupider, or more prevalent. Also, females will usually either be pregnant or nursing, which is problematic in killing them.

quote:

Originally posted by SGraves155:

quote:

Originally posted by zimbabwe:
Why does everything hunted have to be a 'trophy'. Just curious as I personally put little or no value personally on the 'trophy' concept as I understand it on these forums.

I believe, for most people, "trophies" are referring to an adult male of the species, which should be larger and fewer in number than the young or females, which are either younger, stupider, or more prevalent. Also, females will usually either be pregnant or nursing, which is problematic in killing them.

Not so with many species females. For instance, buff cows are smarter and more alert than buff bulls, imo. More dangerous too. And I think it is indisputable that cow elephants are much, much more alert and "on the ball" if not smarter than bulls and a heck of a lot more dangerous as well. You can make cow hunting as selective as you wish it to be. The oldest cow, the emaciated and dry cow... The tuskless cow in the case of eles.

Regarding size, well, a cow buff is a heck of a good size critter, certainly larger and more difficult to kill than, say, a ram impala! And more dangerous too boot!

The preganancy issue is limited but not entirely eliminated by selecting the oldest and or the one in worst condition. But it isn't much of an issue for me so long as those managing the herds are taking natural mortality and any added hunting mortality into account when determining quotas. BTW, it is my understanding that hunting, well managed (and here may lie an issue), does not add, or add significantly, to over all mortality, but rather displaces it.

JPK

Also another thing to consider, for most of us males that have beem married, getting to shoot a female, of ANY species, is a good thing, is it not???

Sorry could not resist.


In truth it is all about the hunt, and the shot.

A "trophy" is something you should remember with satisfaction. Certainly it can be a cow, but not a young cow, or a cow with a small calf, or a cow that turns out to be pregnant when gutted, or an immature animal. Those things would make most of us a bit ashamed of having taken that life.

Here is some off the cows taken last year with local clients