Newbie Cape Buffalo Question

[Adam Stevens]

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I was as interested in this buff as I was in the Landy. Same model as mine, so I went out and measured the landy - 62.2 inches! The reason I was searching 'buffalo and Land Rover' and unearthed this photo was because our plan was to put my buff on the back of the little Landy. Apparently to pull of this feat, as this yesteryear hunter probably did, they first gutted it, and then cut the carcass in two halves. As luck would have it the Landy was back in camp when we caught up with the buff, so it got a Japanese ride home.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I was as interested in this buff as I was in the Landy. Same model as mine, so I went out and measured the landy - 62.2 inches! The reason I was searching 'buffalo and Land Rover' and unearthed this photo was because our plan was to put my buff on the back of the little Landy. Apparently to pull of this feat, as this yesteryear hunter probably did, they first gutted it, and then cut the carcass in two halves. As luck would have it the Landy was back in camp when we caught up with the buff, so it got a Japanese ride home.
View attachment 385812

So imagine the bill if you plugged this boy by mistake!

 

[Hank2211]

I fully agree with those who say that shape will have much more to do with how your trophy looks than will three inches.

I've been fortunate to hunt a fair number of buffalo, and I also agree that the experience is the prize, rather than the horns. I do understand though that people (including me) want something nice on the wall. But under no circumstances should you trade a real buffalo hunt experience for horns of any size. A real buffalo hunting experience - and this is only my opinion - starts with tracking, usually from water in the morning, not with driving around until you spot a herd and then making a plan.

Here are some examples of horn size:

This was the first one I shot - 7 days of hunting and I believe he was around 37".

Here is another I shot a few years after that one. He was a problem animal with a very unusual boss. He was probably around 39 inches.

A few years ago I shot this fellow, which is the biggest I've taken so far - around 43 inches. He looks good, but I think it's the shape more than the size which makes him impressive.

Then there is an old cow which I shot a year after seeing her hanging around with the big bull just above. She was by far the meanest of the group - when I shot the bull, she gave me the stare of death, and I told her I'd come back for her. She's got a wide spread (40s), but shallow horns and, of course, not much boss.

There is one more I would like to show you, but I can't upload the picture for some reason. Will keep trying.

The bottom line is that I don't think you need to pay more for a couple of extra inches. Get a buffalo which looks good to you, and track it properly. This isn't like new TVs - you won't regret not having gotten the bigger one!

 

[375Fox]

I fully agree with those who say that shape will have much more to do with how your trophy looks than will three inches.

I've been fortunate to hunt a fair number of buffalo, and I also agree that the experience is the prize, rather than the horns. I do understand though that people (including me) want something nice on the wall. But under no circumstances should you trade a real buffalo hunt experience for horns of any size. A real buffalo hunting experience - and this is only my opinion - starts with tracking, usually from water in the morning, not with driving around until you spot a herd and then making a plan.

Here are some examples of horn size:

This was the first one I shot - 7 days of hunting and I believe he was around 37".

View attachment 385793

Here is another I shot a few years after that one. He was a problem animal with a very unusual boss. He was probably around 39 inches.

View attachment 385794

A few years ago I shot this fellow, which is the biggest I've taken so far - around 43 inches. He looks good, but I think it's the shape more than the size which makes him impressive.

View attachment 385801



Then there is an old cow which I shot a year after seeing her hanging around with the big bull just above. She was by far the meanest of the group - when I shot the bull, she gave me the stare of death, and I told her I'd come back for her. She's got a wide spread (40s), but shallow horns and, of course, not much boss.

View attachment 385823

There is one more I would like to show you, but I can't upload the picture for some reason. Will keep trying.

The bottom line is that I don't think you need to pay more for a couple of extra inches. Get a buffalo which looks good to you, and track it properly. This isn't like new TVs - you won't regret not having gotten the bigger one!

Was there something that caused the buffalo to grow the unusual boss? Really unique animal

 

[Hank2211]

Was there something that caused the buffalo to grow the unusual boss? Really unique animal

No idea. I had a Zim guy and a RSA guy with me and neither had ever seen anything like it. It had grown back towards his neck, and some thorns had become wedged between the boss and the neck skin. It might have explained his rather sour disposition - if he smelled people he ran after them rather than away from them, which made hunting him in the thick stuff interesting.

 

[Soutie18]

Massive Solid head ,not a deep curl huge spread

 

[godwincp]

Have no idea what he measured but a true trophy in my eyes. These old warriors represent the pinnacle of Buffalo hunting. I would Never hunt a pay by the inch Buffalo- recipe for disaster

 

[sgt_zim]

Have no idea what he measured but a true trophy in my eyes. These old warriors represent the pinnacle of Buffalo hunting. I would Never hunt a pay by the inch Buffalo- recipe for disaster

Totally agree. I'd be completely ecstatic with a scrum cap bull. I want an old warrior whose teeth are about worn down, missing half an ear, claw marks on his back, maybe a broken tail. I want to give him a good death before he becomes too weak from hunger to fight off predators.

 

[Rare Breed]

My brother won this safari package at an auction for a pretty good price last year so thats why we are going with this outfitter. They seem to be pretty reputable but we haven't asked them about how serious they are about sticking to the 37" bulls vs the 40" bulls. Their price list just shows an increase for every inch over 37. I guess asking them about it would be the best thing to do.

Agree with Mark and Kevin. Here is my 43 3/8 inch wide buff. The only difference you see is width beyond their ears and while I was not expecting to take one this wide I would not have paid $7,000 more for him. For me anything over 36 inches mature buff would have thrilled me as much as this one. To me it is more about maturity and character as I am going for my second buff in Zim in 23

 

[Nembwe]

Agree with Mark and Kevin. Here is my 43 3/8 inch wide buff. The only difference you see is width beyond their ears and while I was not expecting to take one this wide I would not have paid $7,000 more for him. For me anything over 36 inches mature buff would have thrilled me as much as this one. To me it is more about maturity and character as I am going for my second buff in Zim in 23

If it is less than 37” do you get discount such as this bull

 

[IvW]

A 35 inch hard bossed old bull well worn on the horns is a far better throphy than a soft bossed 42 inch bull, the older the better.....then again for me it is about the experience of the hunt not the length of the tape. But age to me is more important than length or width. I would even shoot broken horned old buggers but having said that I am an African so I dont have a once in a lifetime hunt senario

 

[hoguer]

Maybe consider a free range hunting country that is flat rate for the hunt? The second bull I killed measured 42” from the Save Valley in Zim

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

If it is less than 37” do you get discount such as this bull
View attachment 485619

That is beautiful.

 

[Traveler1]

That is beautiful.

Kevin,

Do you know if the Judge still hang at the Hwange National Park? I remember it hanging on the outside of the main building at the park headquarters. The last time I saw with like 1987, so could be another building. The horns are shaped like the wigs in a British Judge and where at least 24 inches long on each side straight down.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Kevin,

Do you know if the Judge still hang at the Hwange National Park? I remember it hanging on the outside of the main building at the park headquarters. The last time I saw with like 1987, so could be another building. The horns are shaped like the wigs in a British Judge and where at least 24 inches long on each side straight down.

I don't know Traveler1, I will enquire for you.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I don't know Traveler1, I will enquire for you.

This is a similar one on Hammond Ranch, Save.

 

[Traveler1]

This is a similar one on Hammond Ranch, Save.

Thanks.. Similar but not the Judge. Those really look like a wig.
The Judge's horns were almost straight down from what I recall.
I know I have a picture somewhere in my old family photo albums. On my next trip to my parents I will dig it up. I had meaning to post the pic on AH, and this tread popped up, so I thought I would ask.
Thanks

Kelley

 

[DLSJR]

I’m late to this thread but have a few thoughts…

Yes, if a 37” wide bull is fully mature and has reasonable bosses, it can make a nice trophy. Especially if he’s older and broomed at least a little.

Also, there is no way I’d pay by the inch, especially $7,000 for 3 inches. That’s 2 complete buffalo trophy fees in Tanzania, I just paid that for 2 buffalo in western Tanzania last year.

Finally, I just can’t wrap my head around hunting buffalo inside a high fenced property, unless it’s someplace like Bubye, Nuanetsi or Save Conservancies that have hundreds of thousands of unfenced acres inside a perimeter fence. I realize others may feel differently and I respect that. But after hunting buffalo on vast unfenced wild areas in 3 different countries, I can’t imagine hunting them on a high fenced property.

My last buffalo, never measured but probably about 37” or so wide.

 

[The Zambian]

Not even 30 but to me an exceptional trophy