Buffalo Hunt

[Schmidty]

Hi everyone, because I am excited and have a long wait ahead of me, I thought I would share my excitement with the group to help me cope with the wait. I realize there are a lot of Buffalo threads to use as a resource but I am going to ask for advice here anyway.

First the context of my hunt:
This will be my fourth safari but my first buffalo hunt.
The process began last July when I booked a 2025 buffalo hunt in SA with a PH I had previous experience with and built a connection with while on safari with him in 2022.
Last week I booked my airline tickets so it's feeling more real. I will be hunting from June 22-July 2, 2025.

My previous experience is with all plains game (blue wildebeest, black wildebeest, golden wildebeest, impala, warthog, common duiker, gemsbok, zebra, blesbok, sable, baboon, waterbuck, red hartebeest, and giraffe) mostly with archery equipment and mostly over water holes and some spot and stalk.

I have however killed a giraffe the PH's .375 and red dot sight, and a few of the other animals with the PH's .308.

The buffalo hunt will be done with the same .375 and red dot sight I killed the giraffe with.

In preparation for the buffalo hunt, I put a red dot sight on one of my rifles and have been shooting off the same make and model sticks that the PH uses at a life-size buffalo target.

I will be 45 years old when I go over and am in good physical shape to handle long walks/stalks. I plan on keeping myself that way and will do a lot of walking with my hunting boots months before the safari. I realize that in SA it's likely going to be less physically demanding than going a true "wild" buffalo hunt in another country but I want to prepare as if it will be.

With that all said is there any advice you would share with me to help me mentally and physically prepare for this hunt?

Any recommendations regarding a buffalo skull mount/display or shoulder mount?

Anything else I need to consider?

Thanks in advance, everyone.

 

[Hemingway's Karl]

I realize that in SA it's likely going to be less physically demanding than going a true "wild" buffalo hunt in another country but I want to prepare as if it will be.

I have hunted two buffalo in Limpopo. While it's true that you won't be exposed to the wide open terrains of other African countries, assuming you're going to hunt in Limpopo, get ready to walk through a Pantheon of Thorns for many miles. Shorter distances, maybe, but you'll be navigating through some thick bush (again, based on my experience). My arms are still scarred up from my last hunt, which was almost two months ago.

I'm excited for you. Once you get buffalo hunting in your blood, it never leaves...

 

[Andrew62]

First off, good on you for booking a 4th safari and one that includes buffalo. Have you sorted out what brand of ammo/bullets you are going to use? My advice is to keep watching Youtube videos of buffalo hunts, that is what keeps me excited. I work out 6 days a week and I always watch some sort of safari video to keep me motivated.

 

[375Fox]

I’d tell you to prepare mentally for a less than perfect and possibly very fast shot. Shooting a buffalo through brush, as it stands, as the buffalo in front finally moves, in the last second before it runs after getting your scent is more common than a perfect broadside shot on a lone bull in open terrain. Some of the responses I saw on the shot placement example threads don’t reflect the reality on many buffalo hunts. You might get a perfect clear shot with lots of time but I’d prepare for the idea of something less ideal.

 

[Doubleplay]

Good luck.
I just came back from Limpopo where I observed couple buffalo hunts done.
Hunt is not physically demanding because terrain is flat and walks will be not be long.
Make sure you study the shot placement for buffalo well and get ready to shoot again after the first shot.
Also talk with your PH before the hunt if you want him to follow up or not!

 

[Andrew62]

Make sure you study the shot placement for buffalo well and get ready to shoot again after the first shot.
Also talk with your PH before the hunt if you want him to follow up or not!

This is really great advice. I took a young friend on his first buffalo hunt 2 years ago. I specifically told him, when you shoot your buffalo, reload and be ready to take a 2nd shot. That day after he shot his buffalo, his PH told me privately that once my young friend took the first shot, he just stood and watched the buffalo. When hunting buffalo, shoot as many times as you can, they can never be dead enough!

 

[Hunter-Habib]

-Learn to shoot off sticks and make that first bullet count
- Obey your white hunter

Head mounts are always a classic

 

[Berettaco]

Study the anatomy chart and understand where the heart and brain are located from different angles. Practice shooting offhand and kneeling without sticks - in addition to sticks. With DG the first shot is key - good first shot and it’s much easier on the animal and possibly you and the PH. Bad first shot and you’ll realize why it’s a DG hunt - even if the buff doesn’t charge it’s an entirely different game at that point. Yes, practice proper bolt cycling and target acquisition but keep focused on making the perfect first shot under imperfect conditions

 

[matt2H]

I'm certainly not the most experienced, but I can share what I think is the most important.

• Read as many trip reports as you can, and think about what you would want to do in that situation, ask questions and engage with those in the thread
• Read from the experts - I enjoyed Africa’s Most Dangerous by Kevin Robertson, Hunting the African Buffalo by Peter Flack and Buffalo! by Craig Boddington - there are many many more mentioned in various threads
• There are also loads of podcasts that you could reference - here are some that helped me: Cape Buffalo hunting with Kevin Robertson and Cape Buffalo Hunting 101 with Kevin Robertson
• You mention shooting sticks and a life size target, these certainly helped me out - practice with them as often as you are able and interpret your results. You would far rather have a great first shot than the alternative
• Get excited! This is a bucket list hunt and i look forward to reading a trip report!
  

 

[Red Leg]

Sounds simple, but my best advice is to refrain from taking a bad or uncomfortable shot. Whether a game farm in the Limpopo, the marshes of the Zambezi Delta, or in the thorn of Zim, you have exactly one responsibility that overshadows everything else. Put that first shot EXACTLY where it needs to go.

Assuming a full body mount isn't in your planning, shoulder, pedestal, or Euro can look great. Frankly, as much depends on the setting as the mount itself.

I have always thought that a pedestal mount was the most impressive way to do one. But that does take a serious space commitment.

Above it is a Euro. Shutterfly can do a framed print on canvas of the bull so you and guests can also see him the day he was taken. A couple of those are hanging by these two bulls.

 

[Dan458]

The physical demands vary, even in the Limpopo. The property where a friend and I hunted was far from a stroll in the park. He hunted 7 days and I 6 days to get our bulls. Sun up to Sun down. Either threading our way through, under and over thorns on the veld or hiking up rocky mountains. I certainly slept well each night.

Shooting off sticks at a buffalo target is fantastic practice. What you need to be prepared for though is shooting at a small patch of black hair through a gap in the thorns. Practice seated and kneeling shots. When my chance came I was crawling under thorns and took the shot kneeling against the trunk of a small bush.

As above, practice reloading for you follow up. First shot off the sticks then reload and and free hand follow up. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

 

[shootist~]

Most of my mounts are in my reloading room. The walls are about full, but space existed on an old oak library table. A table top euro was my best option.

I agree with practicing a quick but very positive reload and freehand follow-up shot from close range. It's satisfying to see brass flying in your peripheral vision when a quick follow-up is necessary.

 

[WAB]

Here are some pics to give you some ideas. The pedestal is my favorite.

 

[Safari Dave]

I like old fashioned shoulder mounts looking in the direction that is most appropriate for it's position in your trophy room.

I'm still waiting on mine, even though he bit the dust in Mozambique in August of 2021.

It's a loooong story...

 

[Schmidty]

Wow, thank you everyone for the great advice.
Those sure are awesome mounts shared too.

 

[ChasingHemingway]

Here are some pics to give you some ideas. The pedestal is my favorite.

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Who is the artist in the zebra print! Beautiful buff!

 

[Osama Mahdi]

The most important part is : the bullet!

 

[WAB]

Who is the artist in the zebra print! Beautiful buff!

That’s not a print, it’s an oil my wife commissioned. The artist is a friend of ours in Limpopo, Ilse de Villiers. She does some spectacular work.

 

[BryceM]

Fun, and I mean FUN!

DG hunting is "a whole 'nuther thing" and it will occupy your thoughts long after the hunt is over.

I don't have much experience compared to many here, but I have 2 of the big 5 under my belt, including a nice Caprivi buff.

Be ready for anything, but realize that the vast majority of the time the hunt ends up being pretty straightforward. Sure, a charge can happen. You can do everything right and still get hurt. More likely, you'll be prepared, and it will go smoothly. The first shot is EVERYTHING! Once you pick the fight, it usually only ends when one of you is dead.

I shot mine at around 30 yards, off the sticks, 400gr TSX .416 Rigby CZ 550 with plenty of time for the setup. It was quartering toward me and I was quite confident in my rifle. The crosshairs were steady, I didn't rush the shot, and it went exactly where I intended it to. He immediately lifted the front shoulder and ran into a small patch of thick stuff. After a little wait to sort out the situation, we found him stone-cold dead on the other side about 100 yards away in the open.

Practice, practice, practice. Work the bolt hard, and quickly. Practice making two shots in rapid succession with accuracy. Practice working the long bolt throw. This is important, especially for those with a lifetime of experience with short-action rifles. Practice quickly reloading while on the move. There's a 99% chance you won't actually need any of that, but better to be prepared.

 

[Schmidty]

Here is something I thought of related to gear. I intend on wearing long pants for the hunt. Do you suggest I wear gaiters? Not that I would mind buying a pair and having them on hand but part of me wonders are they necessary and also I don't want to be "that guy" looking like "Mr. Safari" with all the garb even though it is not necessary. Not that I care what I look like, especially in the bush but I have been in camp with "Mr. Safari" guy who seemed to be more worried about looking and acting the part than being a genuine fun person in camp.