Adrenalized Cape Buffalo

[AckleyHunter]

Cape buffalo are renowned for their ability to shrug off multiple hits from big bore rifles. The common consensus is this is due to them becoming adrenalized after being struck from a big, thumping projectiles. It also comes with the unwanted side effect of said buffalo now wanting to stomp out of existance whatever or whoever was responsible.

That being the case, are there more bad, dangerous encounters with rifle hunted buffalo than bow hunted buffalo? Do arrow shots induce the same adrenaline fueled rage as a 375? I am curious what people's experiences are who have seen numerous bow and rifle kills.

 

[steve white]

Here's another twist in the road....when a buffalo is standing sideways looking at you with one eye, THAT is when he is actually looking you over intently and often is raising his adrenaline level as he does so! He is deciding that you are a potential enemy and preparing to do something about it. Then, if he feels a non lethal bullet, he does a real adrenaline dump.
I am not sure if a buff feels all that much pain from an arrow. But PH's back up bowyers for a reason. On "This Is Africa" I saw a man shoot a buff with a bow. The buffalo that was not targeted, but rather standing near was the one who jumped at the impact of the arrow. Both ran off when they identified the bowyer as a human, in that specific case. One thing is certain--you will be close by definition when you shoot with a bow, and that will have an effect on YOUR adrenaline.

 

[375Fox]

Bullets don’t cause a buffalo’s adrenaline to start pumping. If you put a good double lung shot from 375 on a buffalo that hasn’t been pushed, it will go 100 yards and die. If you put bad shots on a buffalo and push them, then they show how strong they really are.

Also, I’ve only tracked one wounded buffalo. We bumped it 7 times all under 10 yards. It chose to run each time. Not every buffalo is going to charge. Most are going to choose to run.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I think the vast majority of “charges” are merely the fact the bull choose to flee in the same direction the humans happened to be standing. And everyone blazes away then calls it a charge.

 

[matt85]

A .375 bullet is smaller than a broad head, i doubt either cause the animal a great deal of pain in the short term unless it hits bone.

The adrenaline is caused when they realize your there. When the animal goes to run and finds its injured, that will increase the adrenaline. Finally, when the animal finds your pursuing, It will kick into top gear.

 

[AckleyHunter]

Interesting. So in your guys experience, buffalo get their reputation from blown stalks and bad shots? If you sneak in, undetected, and put one through their lungs they are not much different than any other animal?

 

[375Fox]

Interesting. So in your guys experience, buffalo get their reputation from blown stalks and bad shots? If you sneak in, undetected, and put one through their lungs they are not much different than any other animal?

They are different because they have the potential to be dangerous. Unprovoked charges do occur. They can already be wounded by a poacher, a snare, or lions also. The hunting is often in thick brush at closer ranges. They aren’t what some hunters imagine they are though. If you put in a good shot with a well constructed bullet they will expire relatively quick. However, if you only hit one lung or elsewhere it’ll be a long potentially dangerous day. That’s where they’ve earned their reputation.

 

[coreydb]

The interesting thing about the cape buffalo is that they're known as "bullet magnets" or "bullet sponges", because they're like Timex watches; they take a lickin but keep on tickin". A double lung shot will down them; 100% kill shot. Two things are, how far do you want to track them and do you want to take the chance of it charging you. Excluding the 1% of hunters who drop the animal with the first shot, the reality of both scenarios is why hunters keep shooting until the buffalo drops.

 

[Tbitty]

Perhaps a corollary: I once had an old farmer tell me, when I asked to hunt his land for prongorn antelope, that I should be sure to shoot one that I haven't chased and/or hasn't been running hard. He said the meat was much better from a calm one, as it didn't have all the hormones/adrenaline coursing through the blood.

Since then, I've noticed a pattern (perhaps coincidence, possibly imagined because I once heard what an old farmer "taught" me): calm animals tend to drop on the spot or go down quickly. Alert or active animals tend to run, even with "perfect" shot placement, excluding head or spine shots that immediately incapacitated them.

If my observations are true, and cape buffalo are as tough and cantankerous as their reputation, it would make sense that an adrenalized buff would be much more dangerous than a calm one. I don't think bow or rifle would have any effect on that. .... in my buffalo hunt last June, I was less than 30 yards away from a lone bull who was just walking along without knowledge of our presence. I hit him broadside double lung with 375H&H, he staggered in place while I cycled the bolt, then dropped on the spot with the 2nd shot about 1.5" from the first. Tying this back to the antelope/farmer, I had the PH cut us out the tenderloin and cook it for dinner a few nights later. He commented that it was one of the most tender and best buffalo he'd had. Usually they find the old buffalo too tough - maybe it was the lack of running/alertness that played a factor?

 

[grand veneur]

I have never shot a buffalo with a bow and arrow, but I have shot several buffalo with different cartridges.

A shot wound is much more painful than a stab wound, so in all cases, a greater increase in adrenaline is observed. Buffaloes can only withstand a certain number of bullets because the cartridges used are in many cases medium caliber one. With the same good shot placement, a big bore caliber will, in the vast majority of cases, cause the buffalo to go down on place and it is much less common to have to shoot repeated at a fleeing buffalo, despite the increased adrenaline rush.

 

[Altitude sickness]

My archery Buffalo ran 90 yards fell over and bellowed.

No Firearm follow up shot was used.

I belly crawled to a bush at 25 yards. My PH stayed back behind. I got up on my knees behind the small bush. He saw movement and turned my way and was looking at me when I drew the bow and shot. He was with 3 other bulls. At the shot they ran 90 degrees to my left.

My June 2024 bull shot while feeding and walking along did not know we were there. Shot straight up the leg in the top of the heart. .416 Taylor with a Safari Raptor the bull fell forward onto its face and was dead by the time we walked up several minutes later. No insurance shot needed. No bellow no running. Just dead where he stood.

Entrance wound.

Exit wound, note the jagged star shaped exit hole.

Archery bull. Shot quartering to me at 25 yards

 

[AckleyHunter]

Seems everybody is of the same mind. Don't get caught sneaking in, and make a good first shot with a proper rifle/bullet.

Not getting busted sneaking is the hard part with a herd animal. Even with non-dangerous game like elk, I've been caught unaware by some cows. It is like they get beemed in from outerspace.

 

[AckleyHunter]

He said the meat was much better from a calm one, as it didn't have all the hormones/adrenaline coursing through the blood.

We knew a rancher who had some hands from Mexico. They would chase the antelope around with a truck before shooting them. Said the stress 'flavored' the meat. In my experience, it as been dependent on each animal. Some are great, others not so much. We found the best thing to do is get that hide off as soon as possible.

Just don't put them in a sous vide.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

Perhaps a corollary: I once had an old farmer tell me, when I asked to hunt his land for prongorn antelope, that I should be sure to shoot one that I haven't chased and/or hasn't been running hard. He said the meat was much better from a calm one, as it didn't have all the hormones/adrenaline coursing through the blood.

Since then, I've noticed a pattern (perhaps coincidence, possibly imagined because I once heard what an old farmer "taught" me): calm animals tend to drop on the spot or go down quickly. Alert or active animals tend to run, even with "perfect" shot placement, excluding head or spine shots that immediately incapacitated them.

If my observations are true, and cape buffalo are as tough and cantankerous as their reputation, it would make sense that an adrenalized buff would be much more dangerous than a calm one. I don't think bow or rifle would have any effect on that. .... in my buffalo hunt last June, I was less than 30 yards away from a lone bull who was just walking along without knowledge of our presence. I hit him broadside double lung with 375H&H, he staggered in place while I cycled the bolt, then dropped on the spot with the 2nd shot about 1.5" from the first. Tying this back to the antelope/farmer, I had the PH cut us out the tenderloin and cook it for dinner a few nights later. He commented that it was one of the most tender and best buffalo he'd had. Usually they find the old buffalo too tough - maybe it was the lack of running/alertness that played a factor?

I have to agree with your comments. A calm, animal that is unaware of the hunter's presence is less likely to run, charge or require multiple shots. Also, I have been told that a deer which has been spooked will taste more gamey due to the adrenaline in its body at time of death.

I cannot speak to the pain from a bow shot but I have been shot by a rifle and in my case an AK47 shot to the thigh. I did not feel a thing at first. Heard a "zzzzzip" sound and a "smack" sound from the impact. A small stinging sensation to my leg. Looked down at my leg to see a small hole in my pants that was rapidly turning red. Now, keep in mind that it was a ricochet and was not travelling at full velocity or with full bullet weight but nonetheless, I did not feel a thing at first and was only mildly surprised. Others I know who were shot in the chest said that they felt like the wind had been knocked out of them. Just because in one case a shot did not hurt much does not mean that is the case every time. I am sure that the pain felt varies at least as much as the cartridge options that exist out there.

A double lung shot on a buffalo is likely not to hurt as much as it surprises them. A shot that hits a large bone is going to hurt. When shot a bull is going to run either left, right, away or toward the hunter. That alone is not a charge but could very easily transition into a charge if the bull is or becomes aware of the hunter's presence. CB are prickly and can be dangerous if pissed off.

An acquaintance of mine shot a Cape Buffalo a few years ago twice with a 375HH and the buff ran a short distance and fell over and was presumed dead. Then two rival bulls attacked it and were goring it in the groin. Revenge for years of being cock-blocked? The PH had a driver bring up the bakkie blowing the horn to chase away the other bulls. Then he had his client approached from the rear and fire an insurance shot at the spine. Upon the shot the old bull jumped to his feet, blinking and looking around as if raised from the dead. He then charged but since the hunters were close to the bakkie, they ran and jumped behind it while another in the back and another the PH ran to the other side. They all began firing and all total, the bull absorbed 8 shots from a combo of 375's and 458's before finally falling down dead again. He had clearly been adrenalized and clearly had become a bullet sponge. This was all caught on video making it all the more exciting. The bull attacked the Toyota Land Cruiser and did $6000 USD in damage to it.