Looking to hunt some water buffalo soon. Is it more fun to hunt them in the wet stuff where they can hide better and make for a fun stalk. What do you guys think? What gun should I use SW .500 scoped with solid punch bullets 420 grain or scoped 10 inch barrel .50AE desert eagle with 400 grain barnes buster solids or .458 lott with 500 grain solids?

I just finished such a hunt in the 'wet stuff'... not sure about fun but it is nice for a change, with a client who is up for it. There are plenty of bulls in the nice dry forests too, where they can also hide and elude the hunter if they want to. Not too many hunters take on the floodplains on foot. I am sure Aaron Neilson will post some images from this hunt soon enough, when he is done hunting in NZ. He carried his own trophy out himself!! Hardcore hunting...

Steel

Your location would help.

In answer to your question, no.

If you are in the US, Firstly, you could travel miles but not be able to get to the hunting area because of the wet - floods, roads cut, most river crossings are unpassable in the wet
so you could have a nice holiday in Darwin !!!

You could get out there and then get stuck there
- for 3 months !!!

and find nothing because they are spread out
- unlikely.

High grass - a PITA to hunt in, not enjoyable,
much nicer to hunt where you can see things,
not just Buffalo but pigs, other animal etc.

And then you have the heat / humidity, 40 - 50 degrees, 80 - 100% non stop humidity and possible non stop rain for 2 - 3, 4 or 5 days if you cop a cyclone or the monsoon trough.

Now, I go up every year around Xmas / New year,
twice I have "bugged out" a day early to ensure I got out, a couple of times had 2 - 3 days of rain which meant no real driving for quite a few days. On one bug out occasions, the road back to Darwin had already flooded slightly once then the level dropped, I drive through,
then the big flood hit and it went 17 feet over the road and the flood was nine miles wide !!!

That's my HO, hope it helps.

This is the road

http://safetybootsandcrochet.f...floods-last-year.jpg

That sounds like a lot of water. maybe just a little into the wet season would be a good middle ground.

The problem is, the "build up" starts
November 'ish, they "wet" say December onwards.
But it varies greatly from year to year.

Like this year, bugger all rain until
I think April, then a huge dump.

So apart from the heat, this year would have been good.

On saying that, someone on here did a hunt this year in December just out of Darwin on the flood plains and had a great time.

If you look through this forum, you will see it, have a read, it sounded good.

And if you do go, drink plenty of water
- we are talking litres a day.

It is bloody challenging, but bloody fun, with great stalking opportunities once you get into their country. Go for it!

quote:

Originally posted by steel:
Looking to hunt some water buffalo soon. Is it more fun to hunt them in the wet stuff where they can hide better and make for a fun stalk. What do you guys think? What gun should I use SW .500 scoped with solid punch bullets 420 grain or scoped 10 inch barrel .50AE desert eagle with 400 grain barnes buster solids or .458 lott with 500 grain solids?

You could try a 7,62 x 51 in Ruger?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OneyeUxzL40

I don't think you can hunt with a pistol in Australia Steel. I could be wrong on that however, Matt would know. Having done a fair bit of hunting in the build up there's not much fun to it, its bloody hard work. High temps, high humidity, sometimes you can't get enough fluid into you. Given a choice I'd hunt in the dry season proper.

In the NT you can hunt using an outfitters handgun, an outfitter who has an H-class endorsement and suitable handuns on their corporate licence. I dont know how many outfitters have that but maybe 4 or 5? I have a 44mag and a 454 casull to use. Clients must get a O/S visitors permit with H-class endorsement, etc. That is not that hard.

I did August as I like my swamp dry! Matts has a hell of an area though, wet or dry. A must do hunt.

A vote for dry hunting. Keep in mind a lot of the voters for giving it a go are either locals or outfitters

Another opinion from an Aussie who is neither, in that we have to travel to hunt in the NT- and it goes for Cape York where I am near, be a bit wary of the Australian wet season and the logistics involved, also trying to predict when its beginning or ending.