In 2008 in the Selous, we were tracking a lone bull. It was a wet year and the grass had not been burned. The trackers found blood. The bull we were tracking was wounded, whether by a lion, a poacher, or a previous hunter, it did not matter to him, or to us.

We came on a big stand of grass (for those who haven't been there, we are talking 10 -12 feet high). We went to the other side. He hadn't come out. Two trackers went in, followed by the PH and me, side by side. We heard a grunt and he stood up.

The trackers split me and that is where the bull focused his attention. One of the trackers looked like the Heisman Trophy statue as he came out of the grass. That image will always be glued in my mind.

The bull was young and not something anyone would want to shoot if it could be avoided. He came to about 20 yards and stopped. Then he limped off.

Not a charge, but exciting nonetheless.

Cape buffalo almost always run. Looking back on all the blown stalks, there were plenty of times I wished that they ran a little less. Eventually you find some that don't run and it seems to work itself out. Occasionly they run the wrong way, which can get quite interesting when it's the whole herd and you happen to be in the way. When that happened to me I'm reasonably sure they didn't mean it so I didn't take it personally.

A couple years ago I had the be-damnedest experience when hunting with Charl in Mozambique. Jumping to the end of that story about 11 of us were wading through high cane in water that varied from ankle to nut deep following a trail made by Buffalo. That would have been a bad spot to meet the non-running kind. Anyways we eventually break into an open area of what passed for dry ground. To shorten it up a bit a bull came from across a vast wide open grassland eventually turning from a little black speck in the distance, to a buffalo that was the running the wrong way kind. It came from so far out that Charl was judging horns with his binos and discussing them. Eventually, and about the time most everyone else started scattering he met a couple .458s and that was that. Still wondering what was going through his mind. We just about wore him out looking for an old wound but there wasn't one. Didn't take that one personally either, he could have been mad at anyone.

I've killed a fair amount of buffalo be they water, bison or cape over the years none were terribly aggressive. Not even the gut shot cape bull my hunting partner wounded... "BUT" an it's a big "but" the potential is there from all of them.
Closest I ever came to being put in the dirt from bovine was a herford bull in our pasture. Crazy S.O.B. caught me out in the lea without a tree within 100 yds. an I was at least that far from my truck. I dodged an weaved around that patch of grass like I was back on the football field in college until I got tired out..then I threw some dirt in his face an pulled my Blackhawk .45 Colt meant to kill him right there but just as quick as he started he turned around an trotted off...like I said he was a crazy SOB.

I was rereading a chapter called "Three Bad Bulls" from a book named "Under The African Sun".

This story occurred around 1955 and the PH (who at the time had killed the world record Cape Buffalo - 58 inches I believe), made the following statement (as reported in the book), "All of the Big 5 can kill a hunter, but the buff is probably the worst" The cemetery in Nairobi is filled with hunters who were killed by buffalo."

PHC stated that "a wounded lion or a wounded elephant that charges almost always turns at the shot, but buffalo almost never do" (or words to that effect).

Having watched a few of Mark Sullivan's videos, charging buffaloes are the epitome of "do or die" effort when trying to get to the hunters. (Although I do suspect many of those buffalo were wounded deliberately in order to provoke a charge - JMO).

Still you can't take anything away from that magnificent creature when it comes to sheer bravery and stoic fortitude IMO.

BH63

Yes sir, when they come they are determined to kill you. I have shot 6 Cape Buffalo and 1 W. Savannah Buffalo. 2 of the CB came for me, one was turned slightly, just enough to get out of the way, the other got to me and my PH. The problem with them is that when they are dead on their feet they can still go 60 to 100 yards, and I have shot every Buffalo at 45 yds. or closer, the 2 closest were under 30 yds., so if they see you, they have enough juice left to get to you. It is true that most of them just run off a bit and lay down and you finish them off as you approach, but a few come and they are hard to kill.

I still love hunting them.

cheers,

quote:

I still love hunting them.

Or wrestling them :-)