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Hi, I returned yestarday from a couple of days hunting and doing some scouting for water buffalo. Some friends will be visiting me in a couple of weeks and I went to take a look at the place and prepare everything. We find a nice bull wallowing in mud, we get closer and once in position we whistle, the bull stand up and bang!! I make a VERY bad shot to the bull, it was standing broadside and I hit it to back, missing the vitals, maybe I pull the trigger to strong, I don't know... The bull took off and I shoot three more times breaking one of his back legs. He was in open terrain but as we walk he walks, so he never allow us to get closer, this continue for a while till he reached a very thick riverline bush. Due to the hour and the agresive this animals have become (they are continuosly chased and killed by the farmers) we left it to the next day, so maybe he get stiff or at least more calm down. The next day (that night I couldn't sleep at all), we went to talk with a farmworker and decided to take some dogs with us to find the bull before he find us  Visibility was less than 5 metres, we arrived the area and wait for the man with the dogs, two of my hunting buddies (two crazy brothers) decided that we will miss the FUN if we use dogs but I insist that taking unnecessary risks was not of smart men. Finally I couldn't stop them and they went inside while I and two other friends wait for the dogs. In the same moment the dogs arrived we heard a shot. Now I feel like I don't finished something I've started, and an ugly bitter taste in my mouth... The plan of using dogs was a good one and despite will not avoid us the risk, it will have reduce it a lot, it was a smart thing, but now my moral is by the floor  Have I become a sissy ?? I just can't stop thinking how bad I shoot it and how I mess everything!!! grrrr A deer or a pig is not big deal but making such a mistake with a buffalo is something I don't forgive myself  My confidence is by the floor. Have any of you went through similar experiences?? Does these things happends to very experienced people such as african ph's ?? How do they deal with them??  L | ||
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Lorenzo, You'll get over it -- eventually! I shot an elk in the ass last November with a .375 H&H. It was standing broadside at 200 yards. We had just raced up a big hill (9,500 ft. elevation) to head off the heard and my heart was pounding and my lungs about to explode. I blew the shot by hitting the bull right where the hindquarters and backstrap meet. To top it off, my two best hunting buddies were watching the whole episode about a half mile away through binoculars. We recovered the elk by letting it run off with the heard and then letting the heard settle down. When we jumped the heard again, my bull was laying down and struggling to get up, where I anchored him. I was sick that I made an animal suffer like this. But, like you, we didn't lose the animal and stayed with it until we recovered it. That's the important part. It does not matter who ended the affair, just that it WAS ended without a woumded animal running around. Shit happens, but when it does, you have to do whatever is required to get it back in the toilette. Just ask these African PHs who have to clean up client's shit every few weeks in the form of woumded buffalo, lion, leopard, elephant, etc. | |||
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Lorenzo You sound like the smart fellow. If you have dogs use them in the follow-up. The fun stops when the bones start breaking. | |||
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John, The worst part was during the campfire that night, we don't stop laughing but guess who was the objective of the jokes of my two crazy friends BTW, we are like brothers... The bottom line is: "always make your first shot count" and I forget that, so now I must pay the price....  L | |||
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Lorenzo, I always found annoyng an absolutely perfect travel/hunt/adventure. I think that some little drawbacks and difficulties are spices of our memoirs (this, of course, if we want to exclude sex and other activities) I wish however underline the word little in the previous phrase. If we introduced the word serious instead little, things chenge, of course. bye Stefano Waidmannsheil | |||
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Lorenzo, Glad it all panned out well in the end. Our confidence in our respective abilities is sometimes a fragile critter. Last November in Mongolia, I shot at & missed seemingly every Ibex in the entire Gobi desert, the local hunters were getting discouraged cause they were busting a hump daily getting me up on good shootable Ibex only to watch them run off over the mountain top time after time, with me standing there with mouth gapped open trying to figure out what the heck was happening. I smoke too many cigarettes, drink too much coffee & don't have the "young eyes" to punch paper anymore, but I darned well take pride in the fact that when there is hair in the scope that I can get the job done. I took all of the ribbing from my partner with good enough grace, but my chin was starting to hang. For no good reason that I can tell of, the last one we snuck on fell to a well placed shot. All that I can figure out is that if you keep doing it long enough, once in awhile it just happens. You never make a bad shot sitting at home! Mike "Too lazy to work and too nervous to steal" | |||
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Lorenzo, I think it shows you to be a real hunter if you can admit to making a bad shot. I've been there and I know what you meant about the bad taste in your mouth. The first guide I ever used and the one I still respect most told me "If you have never missed or wounded an animal you haven't done much hunting". Even the most experienced hunters occasionally screw up. We are all human. Regards, 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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Lorenzo, if you are like me, you'll have flashbacks to those moments five years from now. I have one or two moments that I still wish I could do over. Don't beat yourself up over it, learn from it and do better next time. As for your prudence, that can only be seen as wise. I've been on the trail of animals that others wounded. I particularly remember following up on a big bodied wild boar that got wounded during the night. I don't remember why the hunter and the guide were not there to follow-up, but I took up the task of trying to track him down, so possibly later the hunter and guide could do a quick follow-up and dispatch, without them having to follow the entire trail. I was unarmed, but for my knife, because legally I couldn't carry a gun there, not unaccompanied anyway. The boar had made it out of the county before darkness caught up with me, but the early parts of trailing him were particularly interesting. The boar had gone through some of the nastiest and thickest stuff you can imagine, and my approach was to circle these patches and look for outgoing tracks. Not even for all the money of the world would I have gone in, not even with a gun. Send in the dogs and let them take care of moving him, so you can get a safe shot. There is little honour in getting yourself cut up by a boar or stomped on by a buffalo. Frans | |||
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So true. Lorenzo, embrace all of life's experiences, good and bad. What is a lifetime other than a collection of experiences - accomplishments and failures? Failures give us the opportunity to learn humility and to build wisdom that ultimately makes us less fallible. Do not dwell on this buffalo. I would feel sorry that it suffered but take solace in the fact that it was found and dispatched as soon as it could be. If you pay attention to what caused this to happen (and it sounds very much like you have), you will be much less likely to be in the same situation again. You may even save a client from the repeating the same situation by speaking with experience on the subject and preparing them mentally before the first shot. Your intentions were good and your decisions were sound. You did nothing but prove you are human. That is nothing to be ashamed of. Best regards, Canuck | |||
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Easy, we meet and drink wine over lunch in Buenos Aries on the 2nd of April... Mike Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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It happens to everyonne at some point if they do enought hunting, but that doesn't stop it hurting. My shooting partner shot at and missed 3 foxes in one field none further than 100yds. the next day he rang me to tell me he was selling his guns because "If I can't hit a fox at 100yds, how can I trust myself on a deer?" It was a valid (ish) point but I talked him round. Still he didn't use that rifle for nearly a year after the incident as his confidence couldn't take it. I've also been in the bad position of putting 3 rounds into a yearling fallow only to lose the beast off property. It'll take me more than 5 years to get over that one... Like has already been said, if you don't feel bad then you don't care like a true sportsman. The experience will just focus your mind for evry shot you ever take in the future. FB | |||
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Thanks all, It helps seeing that others know what I mean about the bad taste in my mouth this hunt left me. Frans, Five more years remebering this buffalo!!!! I don't know if I can stand it I think that the only cure I have is to do it again and quickly. I'm trying to see the positive thing and learn about my mistake, it takes just a few seconds to make a bad shot and hours to solve it, next time I will do it the other way round. And to those who had never hunt dangerous game, believe me, a 338 bullet in the right place will kill any buffalo much more quicker than a big bore bullet that don't hit the vitals! I will try to post some pictures of the buff this week. L | |||
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Mike, Nothing like a sad story to share with good wines !!! See you there Lorenzo | |||
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I lost a cape buffalo one time due to poor shooting and even poorer judgement. It still bothers me but it's made me a better hunter as will you from this experience. I love Argentina and BA is one of the most beatifull cities on the planet. I want to go back soon. Hey lorenzo, A big bore bullet in the right spot kills even better than a .338 in the right spot.  Greg | |||
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Lorenzo, email me a cell or work number so we can coordinate... Conoces Gustavo Ruiz? Mike Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Greg, mmmm...yeah  No controversy there, thanks for the laugh The fault is never from the caliber, only from whom is holding the rifle Mike, I sent you my phones L | |||
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Sufice it to say, Lorenzo, that if one hunts long enough and hard enough he will eventually make a bad shot. Stop beating yourself about because you are human. Being human, we make mistakes. The point is to learn from them. THE LUCKIEST HUNTER ALIVE! | |||
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Everyone is going to screw up once in awhile, it's part of our nature, part of life. The real test is how you deal with the problem. You took full responsibility for what went wrong (not blaming equipment or others) and you followed up as soon as was prudent. Some lessons in life are easy to take, some our tough. In the long run, you'll be a better hunter because of the experience. No one was injured or killed by the wounded animal, and it was recovered. In the big scheme of things, that isn't such a bad outcome. __________________________________________________ The AR series of rounds, ridding the world of 7mm rem mags, one gun at a time. | |||
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You are always going to remember that shot, hopefully it makes you a better hunter the next time you pull the trigger. That's how I look @ all "miss steps" in my life. Pick up, move on & be better for it. The fact that it DOES bother you is a good thing, trust me, you'll be a better hunter for it. LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT! | |||
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Try 3 Grey Goose martinis, up with a twist, please. All will be forgotten and forgiven...... | |||
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Everyone misses and yes it will stick with you, but that will just make you a better hunter in the end. The first deer i ever shot at was a huge 8 point, my scope was fogged and in my inexperience i took the shot anyway and hit him in the guts. This happened right at dusk and we searched for hours but couldn't even find any sighn. He was found a few days later by the vultures circling around and all that was left was the rack. I still have that rack and it's a painfull reminder to always be 100% sure of your shot and to give the animal the respect it deserves. The memory will always stick with you but you can't let it get you down, turn it into a learning experience. | |||
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After years of one shot kills and so few misses that I can't remember, I wounded three animals in one day of which only 1 was recovered..I came very close to giving up hunting forever, but I was save by the great witch doctor and exercist "Walter", who got me back on track and got my shooting back... I hope I never have to go through something like that again in my life, it was truly a downer...I just was not shooting well last year for some reason, Pierre said it was the new gun, but it wasn't, it was me, no excuses...but you just have to put it aside and go on.... Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Ray, It was all those long shots your were taking with iron sights!!!  | |||
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No sir it was with a scope, the nut behind the buttstock wasn't working...and I did take some shots that I should not have, but I thought I was good enough and I wasn't, got my just deserts... Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Amigazo .. it hasn't been quite a year since that wounded magnificient water buffalo exploded out of the long grass .. with every intention of killing Gaucho and I ... With the charge starting at only 10 yards and a fraction of a second later it ended at 5 yards. You were only a few feet behind us ... We both know we were no more than a second from being killed ... I've thought of that moment so very often. And what could have been done differently?? As you know I'm doing my best to get a flight back to Namibia in July via Buenos Aires and Montevideo so that I can hunt those water buffalo one more time.. And my solution for nasty buffalo in the long grass ... ??? I'd like to bring along from the Great White North .. with me .. about 6 great big Canadian wolves to send in first !!! I remember that charging buffalo .. oh, yes .. I remember it well ... | |||
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At least you can claim that you pulled the shot, I had a beautiful Doe go down to a perfect shot only to turn into a tiny button Buck when I walked up to him. Only 100 yds. When we took him to the meat processer he said " couldn't you wait for his big brother? Well at least you will have an appitizer". If there ever was a shot that I wish I missed, that was it. | |||
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