Just me myself an ex Marine called Jake, my son Tom and an old man from down under. Let's call him Max because that is his name.

Max has had multiple heart operations and cannot walk far and is slow but what makes up for his condition is enthusiasm and a passion for hunting. We have in the past taken a few buffalo together and he is always looking for that big one. One of Max's unfortunate traits is that he questions everything I do and wants me to give accurate measurements of the game that we hunt which he would like to record for Rowland Ward. That's my job I suppose but it can be a little frustrating.

So we were going to look for a seriously big buff for Max and I would have to use all the tricks of my trade to get him on one. We would all hunt together that morning and the plan is Jake and Tom would track up the Buff and we would follow behind in the car and walk the last couple of hundred yards. That's about the most that Max had in him.

Jake had found the Buff and in the distance was quietly egging us to close the distance. I quickened my pace to see what Jake had seen and he excitedly pointed to an enormous horned buffalo in front of us. Somewhere in the region of 47 - 48 inches. Max was lagging behind being escorted by my son of whom I urged to put up the sticks and shoot this buffalo. Jake and I stepped aside so the shot could be taken.

Much to my surprise, the shot did not go off and my son Tom joined us and asked on behalf of Max how many inches from the ear to the outer horn? I told him to tell Max I do not friggin care and he must shoot it. Tom shuttle back and forth and arrives back with he does not want to shoot the first buff we come across! The small herd then ambled off with big horn trailing behind never to be seen again.

I dare not tell Max how big it was incase that was to be the standard that he set for me. He was mumbling about looking at a lot of Buffalo before we make a decision and that I needed to measure from the ear to edge of horn to determine width etc etc. My head was spinning.

For me, it was a great opportunity and knew how difficult it could be to get Max on Buff. Sure from then on we had a look at Buffalo and that was about as much as Max could do. We had noticed that around 9 - 10 o'clock a stiff wind would start up and we would follow up the buff then when they were starting to bed down. Very slowly we would close the gap hoping to come across a mature and wide buffalo.

Then one morning Jake picked up a herd behind camp with a couple of good looking bulls. They were amongst some substantial anthills and by chance they filtered behind this feature meaning we had all the cover and walked slowly in. The anthills were heavily vegetated and that gave us more cover and shade and it is here where we set up. Max was puffing a bit and sat down when I told him to stand up and shoot the buff in front of us. I was focused on the bull looking through my binoculars. Max asked if it was the one with its head down which bought a giggle from Jake and Tom as they all had their heads down. I said it's the one twitching its tail which bought more giggles as they were all doing the same. I gave up my binos and pointed Max's gun at the intended victim. You mean the big one he stated. Yes very very big Roland Ward one in your scope I replied.

Max is a very good shot and the bull only made it fifty yards. It was indeed an excellent buffalo in the mid-forties so everyone was chuffed.

I look forward to coming across the really big one with someone a little more spritely than Max.

Proper, Andrew

Good story,great buff & a great sense of humor

quote:

Originally posted by Bud Meadows:
Proper, Andrew

A proper buffalo shot by a proper hunter guided by a proper professional hunter!

Non of that stupid Hollywood grandstanding to be seen.

And no silly stories to be told in some silly rags that pay clueless idiots to write about buffalo hunting!

Well done everything one.

Beautiful bull! Was Max shooting that .416? Nice work by one and all!

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Beautiful bull! Was Max shooting that .416? Nice work by one and all!

He was using my Cogswell & Harrison .375

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Beautiful bull! Was Max shooting that .416? Nice work by one and all!

He was using my Cogswell & Harrison .375

Perfect for buffalo!

The proper cartridge used by proper buffalo hunters !

My friend the late Harry Selby’s favorite safari rifle!

Outstanding buffalo! Love the huge bosses! If that isn't the big one, I'd sure like to have seen it!

Beautiful buffalo. Congrats to you and your hunter.
Bruce

Loved the story.
Now swap out the Buff for a Roan and repeat the same scenario.

Thank you for sharing him with us.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Beautiful bull! Was Max shooting that .416? Nice work by one and all!

He was using my Cogswell & Harrison .375

Perfect for buffalo!

The proper cartridge used by proper buffalo hunters !

My friend the late Harry Selby’s favorite safari rifle!

Hah! It’s good enough. But he ran 50 yards before dying.

With a well-placed bullet through the shoulder bones from a .500 A2, he’d have dropped like a stone.

Andrew, I hope some day to show you how that works.

Saeed has wisely declined my offer.

I do love that bull.

Andrew, good story, are you positive the first one was not the small one.

I have seen a few hunters in the same boat, heart issues, some over weight and can only go a short distance, however they are still in the field trying.

That beat sitting at home on the couch playing video games or watching TV.

That's a great story. I enjoyed every word of it and got some good laughs out of parts of it. Excellent buffalo too! Congrats.

Is that Max in the photo eyeballing up the length of the ear and the horn? Lots of fun, Thanks for sharing, Brian

thank you for that story and the little humour that you bring in andrew.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana338:
Andrew, good story, are you positive the first one was not the small one.

I have seen a few hunters in the same boat, heart issues, some over weight and can only go a short distance, however they are still in the field trying.

That beat sitting at home on the couch playing video games or watching TV.

Jake actually managed to snap off a photo of the big one

quote:

Originally posted by Ridgeman:
Loved the story.
Now swap out the Buff for a Roan and repeat the same scenario.

During this safari, I fucked up the Roan hunt. Max had already taken a very nice 26 inch with me in the Luangwa and was looking for something even bigger. Shortly before he arrives on safari I had seen an absolute monster standing under the shade of a tree on one particular dambo and I estimated it to be the region of 28 - 30 inches. The area was remote and no other Roan were evident. I had also seen the same Roan a while back on the same dambo.

Well, I will be damned if we did not take a drive to this isolated dambo and in the shade of the very same tree stood the Roan. I knew how big it was and asked Max to shoot it.

Different Roan and Max now had two 26 inchers.

I did offer to pay for it but explained to Max that I would have to withdraw one of my kids from University and refrain from drinking beer for four years. However, Max had been around long enough to acknowledge mistakes in the field and I made it up to him by taking a great Rowland ward Sable which Jake is displaying here.

And a serious Reedbuck

I joined Andrew, Tom, Jake and Max towards the end of Max's hunt and was fortunate to witness Max taking his beautiful Sable. It was a great hunt, Tom and Jake did an awesome job which ended up with the Sable in the picture.

Thank you so much Andrew for inviting me out to see your Royal Kafue area. It has to be in my top two camps I have stayed in. I hope to be back soon with clients or on my own hunt.

Mike
Mike Taylor Sporting
+44 (0) 7930 524 097
mtaylorsporting@gmail.com
Facebook – Mike Taylor Sporting
Instagram - miketaylorsporting

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Beautiful bull! Was Max shooting that .416? Nice work by one and all!

He was using my Cogswell & Harrison .375

Perfect for buffalo!

The proper cartridge used by proper buffalo hunters !

My friend the late Harry Selby’s favorite safari rifle!

Hah! It’s good enough. But he ran 50 yards before dying.

With a well-placed bullet through the shoulder bones from a .500 A2, he’d have dropped like a stone.

Andrew, I hope some day to show you how that works.

Saeed has wisely declined my offer.

I do love that bull.

Mike,

I would like to see you shoot buffalo at 350 yards with that one!

And before anyone jumps on this, when we hunt, and follow buffalo for hours, and the only chance is a very long shot, I take it.

Funny enough I have never missed, or wounded, any at that range.

One shot and by the time we get to it, it is dead!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Beautiful bull! Was Max shooting that .416? Nice work by one and all!

He was using my Cogswell & Harrison .375

Perfect for buffalo!

The proper cartridge used by proper buffalo hunters !

My friend the late Harry Selby’s favorite safari rifle!

Hah! It’s good enough. But he ran 50 yards before dying.

With a well-placed bullet through the shoulder bones from a .500 A2, he’d have dropped like a stone.

Andrew, I hope some day to show you how that works.

Saeed has wisely declined my offer.

I do love that bull.

Mike,

I would like to see you shoot buffalo at 350 yards with that one!

And before anyone jumps on this, when we hunt, and follow buffalo for hours, and the only chance is a very long shot, I take it.

Funny enough I have never missed, or wounded, any at that range.

One shot and by the time we get to it, it is dead!

I agree and take the opportunity that presents itself. You can work hard and walk miles with an inadequate rifle and miss out on such a shot. It is all very well getting close up and personal with Buffalo but then the one you have hunted hard is now in the distance in the fading light.

quote:

With a well-placed bullet through the shoulder bones from a .500 A2, he’d have dropped like a stone.

Andrew, I hope some day to show you how that works.

You would be most welcome Mike.

Well done Andrew! Excellent Post.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Beautiful bull! Was Max shooting that .416? Nice work by one and all!

He was using my Cogswell & Harrison .375

Perfect for buffalo!

The proper cartridge used by proper buffalo hunters !

My friend the late Harry Selby’s favorite safari rifle!

Hah! It’s good enough. But he ran 50 yards before dying.

With a well-placed bullet through the shoulder bones from a .500 A2, he’d have dropped like a stone.

Andrew, I hope some day to show you how that works.

Saeed has wisely declined my offer.

I do love that bull.

Mike,

I would like to see you shoot buffalo at 350 yards with that one!

And before anyone jumps on this, when we hunt, and follow buffalo for hours, and the only chance is a very long shot, I take it.

Funny enough I have never missed, or wounded, any at that range.

One shot and by the time we get to it, it is dead!

I agree and take the opportunity that presents itself. You can work hard and walk miles with an inadequate rifle and miss out on such a shot. It is all very well getting close up and personal with Buffalo but then the one you have hunted hard is now in the distance in the fading light.

Preferring to hunt buffalo with an open sighted double, or at least an open sighted big bore, that's when I tip my hat to the buff and say "you won that round", and look forward to another day in the field chasing these great beasts.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Beautiful bull! Was Max shooting that .416? Nice work by one and all!

He was using my Cogswell & Harrison .375

Perfect for buffalo!

The proper cartridge used by proper buffalo hunters !

My friend the late Harry Selby’s favorite safari rifle!

Hah! It’s good enough. But he ran 50 yards before dying.

With a well-placed bullet through the shoulder bones from a .500 A2, he’d have dropped like a stone.

Andrew, I hope some day to show you how that works.

Saeed has wisely declined my offer.

I do love that bull.

Mike,

I would like to see you shoot buffalo at 350 yards with that one!

And before anyone jumps on this, when we hunt, and follow buffalo for hours, and the only chance is a very long shot, I take it.

Funny enough I have never missed, or wounded, any at that range.

One shot and by the time we get to it, it is dead!

I agree and take the opportunity that presents itself. You can work hard and walk miles with an inadequate rifle and miss out on such a shot. It is all very well getting close up and personal with Buffalo but then the one you have hunted hard is now in the distance in the fading light.

Preferring to hunt buffalo with an open sighted double, or at least an open sighted big bore, that's when I tip my hat to the buff and say "you won that round", and look forward to another day in the field chasing these great beasts.

Then you are in the class of sporting Gentlemen.

I wouldn't shoot a buffalo at 300 yards with any rifle.

Dave

Andrew,

Hats off to some great trophies.

The Big Cape Buffalo was very nice.

And all the pictures are the results of some great work by you and your trackers. I does not make any difference on who is doing the tracking/hunting the hunter still needed to make the shot count when given the opportunity to get these fine animals.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Beautiful bull! Was Max shooting that .416? Nice work by one and all!

He was using my Cogswell & Harrison .375

Perfect for buffalo!

The proper cartridge used by proper buffalo hunters !

My friend the late Harry Selby’s favorite safari rifle!

Hah! It’s good enough. But he ran 50 yards before dying.

With a well-placed bullet through the shoulder bones from a .500 A2, he’d have dropped like a stone.

Andrew, I hope some day to show you how that works.

Saeed has wisely declined my offer.

I do love that bull.

Mike,

I would like to see you shoot buffalo at 350 yards with that one!

Unlikely, but I might be tempted under the right circumstances. I’d have to factor in 30 inches of bullet drop from my usual 50 yard zero.

Still, at 350 yards, my 570 grain TSX bullet would strike with nearly the same retained energy as a .375 bullet has at the muzzle!

.

As always Andrew, well told tale and proper animals! Congratulations to you, hunter and team!

.

Very nice! Looks like some wonderful country.

That's a fine buffalo. That he passed a better one was his mistake. And that reedbuck is outstanding.

Andrew, sounds like our practices are similar in one main respect. You tell clients what they need to do based upon your experience and sometimes they listen and sometimes they don't. It usually doesn't turn out better when they don't listen to you in the first place, but some need to learn the hard way.

That's why I shoot when the PH says shoot.

quote:

That's why I shoot when the PH says shoot.

Exactly. All of the PHs that I have ever been involved with were and are seasoned professionals and know what they are doing and saying. My excellent trophy room trophies speak to their experience.

We developed a system that works for us.

First of all we pick an animal.

Once we know which one, at the earliest opportunity, when the sticks are up, I shoot.

I never carry a pair of binoculars, I look through the scope.

As soon as the shooting sticks are up, I place my rifle on them.

I look as well as my PH.

He picks the animal, and points him to me "he is on the left, he should be coming through that gap. A cow in front of him, he is immediately following her"

As soon as he appears, BANG.

quote:

"he is on the left, he should be coming through that gap. A cow in front of him, he is immediately following her"

As soon as he appears, BANG.

Shootaway followed the same principles but was carried away by the unnerving excitement.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

"he is on the left, he should be coming through that gap. A cow in front of him, he is immediately following her"

As soon as he appears, BANG.

Shootaway followed the same principles but was carried away by the unnerving excitement.

Yes.

Because he follows The Legendary Professional Hunter, Mark Sullivan, The Mark Of Death, teaching.

He thought he heard “I give you my permission to shoot!”.

BANG.

One dead cow!

Not as bad as mistaking a cow for a bull, I don't think that could ever happen, but I did shoot the wrong impala ram once because of a lack of communication. PH said shoot the one facing right. I did. Drilled him. PH meant the one facing to the impala's right -- facing left to me. Years ago. Probably wouldn't happen now, but communication is important.

Enjoyed the story Andrew... high 40's on the first day, I would have passed too. Not!

So he's still out there then.....


Well hunted and well told.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:
So he's still out there then.....


Well hunted and well told.

Of course.

all present were true hunters and true professionals.

No stupid self serving idiot conducting a Hollywood style make believe self glorifying episode of giving the buffalo a choice of how to die!

I’m afraid that someone that can’t walk more than 200 mtrs is not a true hunter in my books.......especially hunting DG in Africa.

Having one team track and find the game , then drive into the position for the shot isn’t my definition of “proper”.