Memorable Quotes About Cape Buffalo, Heard While I Was On Safari

[Longwalker]

Memorable quotes about Cape Buffalo, heard while I was on safari:

"They look at you like you owe them money"
" you must place the first shot perfectly. A Buffalo, when they decide to charge, will not stop until you are gone or one of you is dead. You cannot discourage a charging buffalo with a non lethal shot as you can an elephant"
" reload NOW! The others are deciding what to do"

And this one, as we were driving the Landcruiser back to camp unarmed, after a post - hunt sightseeing and photography tour on the Chobe river:
" oh look, they're coming!"

We had driven past one last herd of buffalo that were beautifully silhouetted against the setting sun. We didn't even stop for pictures, it was too dark. We were well out, and going away, 150 meters or so from the nearest. Bumping along the grassy floodplain in first gear. Perhaps we accidentally insulted them. Perhaps they had been recently harassed by lions. Who knows. Buffalo don't need a reason to express their displeasure. Nelson, the assistant PH looked back and uttered those four words in a mix of wonder and concern as three bulls transformed themselves from alert, stationary observers to galloping, determined defenders. Or attackers.

Johann stomped on the accelerator, but the 6 cylinder Toyota diesel is not so good at accelerating in sand. Buffalo have very good acceleration. It took far too many long seconds, and third gear, until they gave up the chase. The last sight we had was of three indistinct but massive black shapes, dust swirling around their hooked horns in the gloom, coming to a stop as we pulled away.

A good memory.

 

[Red Leg]

Probably ought to give Robert Ruark his due for the first one. It and "use enough gun" are his two most famous and enduring quotes about hunting Africa.

 

[Longwalker]

Yes! I heard the quote one more time from a couple of American hunters who shared our campfire the first night, as we were beginning our hunt and they were ending theirs. It is a classic quote and so very appropriate.

 

[Newboomer]

Memorable quotes about Cape Buffalo, heard while I was on safari:

"They look at you like you owe them money"
" you must place the first shot perfectly. A Buffalo, when they decide to charge, will not stop until you are gone or one of you is dead. You cannot discourage a charging buffalo with a non lethal shot as you can an elephant"
" reload NOW! The others are deciding what to do"

And this one, as we were driving the Landcruiser back to camp unarmed, after a post - hunt sightseeing and photography tour on the Chobe river:
" oh look, they're coming!"

We had driven past one last herd of buffalo that were beautifully silhouetted against the setting sun. We didn't even stop for pictures, it was too dark. We were well out, and going away, 150 meters or so from the nearest. Bumping along the grassy floodplain in first gear. Perhaps we accidentally insulted them. Perhaps they had been recently harassed by lions. Who knows. Buffalo don't need a reason to express their displeasure. Nelson, the assistant PH looked back and uttered those four words in a mix of wonder and concern as three bulls transformed themselves from alert, stationary observers to galloping, determined defenders. Or attackers.

Johann stomped on the accelerator, but the 6 cylinder Toyota diesel is not so good at accelerating in sand. Buffalo have very good acceleration. It took far too many long seconds, and third gear, until they gave up the chase. The last sight we had was of three indistinct but massive black shapes, dust swirling around their hooked horns in the gloom, coming to a stop as we pulled away.

A good memory.

View attachment 319472

Caption for the buf pic: What in hell do you want?

 

[Longwalker]

The bull in the picture had been disturbed from his rest as we drove along the banks of the Chobe river. We had just come around a bend in the river bank and almost bumped into him and his companion sleeping on a sandy flat spot. They ran off. We watched them eventually slow down and stop, then carefully stalked them to see if either was a shooter. They eluded us and moved away again in the long grass. The next stalk was decision time. They both held their ground, and stared us down. I'm pretty sure that look means - "Come closer and face the consequences". The photo above was taken with my cell phone at "decision time" range. We decided not to shoot, since it was the first day. The bull I shot the next day had several old and a couple of new cuts from lions trying their luck. I'm glad I my luck was better than the lions.

 

[fourfive8]

No memorable or catchy quotes from me just some vivid memories. Yes, I have to agree with all those quotes and more as they have been written and passed down over the years. The second one I shot was walking quartering acutely toward at about 45 yards. Usually you can tell a hit and for sure a good hit from some reaction from the animal. Not this one! But I knew exactly where that 416 bullet hit and where it just penetrated through. And there was absolutely no reaction other than that bull accelerated into high gear instantly. The only thing I said was "Geez" or something in four letters- not absolutely sure. I believed but hadn't really verified the fact it was not charging, just accelerating in the same direction it was originally heading. 100% attention on quickly cycling in another round for the next shot. 2nd shot just behind the shoulder as it passed at less than 10 yards at warp 8 and another at a sharp angle into its flank at about 50 yards as it cleared some brush and proceeded over a little rise and out of sight. I knew each shot was perfect. I topped off the magazine, we all followed and quickly found it laying in a group of small trees another 80-90 yards farther on. It was struggling to get up, its back toward us. I sat down for a steady rest and quickly shot it between the shoulder blades. The recoil pushed me over on my back and all the trackers and I started laughing. Them at me laying on my back with a rifle pointed straight up and me out of pure relief that bull hadn't come straight at us! "Geez"

I doubt we, the PH and I, could have stopped it if it charged straight at us. We both may have been able to get off a shot before it got to us. But getting off a shot and stopping one of those are two different things! At the time it really didn't seem much a drama but looking back...hm?

 

[Stephen Ausband]

One from my first PH when we were hunting a respectable bull in very thick cover. As I was chambering a round and we prepared to walk into the thick stuff, Leonard said, "Steve, if your first shot is good a buffalo will die pretty easily. But if you are a bit off, we might be really buggered." No pressure or anything.

 

[K-man]

I unfortunately do not know the author, but " If the first shot doesn't kill him, the next twelve will just irritate him". Seems appropriate for a buffalo.

 

[AZDAVE]

After putting 3 500gr softs and solids through my buffalo. (All 3 were killing shots) the buff turned around in some thick stuff about a 150 yards away to see what had stung him. He was looking at me like I owed him ALOTTTT of money> My Ph says "Mate you have solids in that double right?" then says "Well shit lets go sort him out"

He went down when we were about 50 yards out. When we skinned him the heart (1st shot), lungs (2nd shot)and liver (3rd shot). Had 45 cal holes in them.