MOZAMBIQUE: Buffalo Hunt October 2014

Congrats on the buff and bushbuck!

Bushbuck of my dreams there!
 
Nice looking Buffalo and an excellent Bushbuck. Congrats on a great safari.
Bruce
 
That is an absolutely shooter buff - HOWEVER, that bushbuck will make the book and then some.
 
Nice trophies and you certainly got your monies worth thus far.
 
CROC POSSE, now that’s funny. Hard to imagine eight people on that little boat. Thanks for the report Cheers
 
Thank you for sharing your adventure!
 
One grand hunt! Thanks for finally sharing!
 
Great stuff!!
 
Congrats on a great experience.
 
Great report...I got to second, third, or fourth the bushbuck...he is awesome.
 
Over the next couple days I collect a nice water buck and an older Chobe bush buck. The camp sets on the edge of a large swamp. So from time to time we are able to glass the occasional bushbuck or reedbuck. But the most fantastic thing about the swamp fauna was the Fish Eagles and the marvelous sounds they made every morning while we sat by the fire waking up.

So towards mid week we learned it was time to hunt buffalo. I guess JP wanted each of us to warm up first on some PG and croc. So we get our truck loaded for buffalo and head out southwest of the camp area, lighting fires all the way. We cross some fresh buffalo spore in the road and offload and take up the track, two trackers in front, me, Carlo and Mel trailing.

About 45 minutes later we close,the distance on the herd and they are,within shooting distance. From a hunting standpoint im first and foremost a Texas quail hunter. So a shotgun guy. I've shot off sticks on my first safari and had practiced much so that hunt went very well. And we were hunting individual bulls or Rams, usually separated from the herd.

Prior to the trip I had purchased a .375 Ruger Safari Express and had prolly shot a box of DGX shells through it. I love the gun and have several smaller M77s.

Well this herd had several bulls and we certainly weren't after Dugga boys
. So the point is how difficult it was to pick out the,correct bull. We got our glass up and Mel is standing in my ear speaking his English/Afrikaans.

I'm trying to decipher which was going to be th recipients of my Hornady 300 grain DGX bullet that doesn't like to,stay together. After I understood the bull we wants was the one next to the oxpecker, I let the first round fly. Mel in his glass saw the bull stumble. It was a straight on brisket shot and a little high.

Funny side story, while at D.SC., Prior to the hunt I stumbled into Leupold booth and I told the attendant my Moz buffalo hunt plans. He highly suggested the red dot sight on the VX whatever. So that's what I mounted on the Hawkeye.

Guess I should have turned on my red dot sight! But throughout all the excitement I didn't remember it. The herd turns tail and all take off with my bull straggling behind in great cloud of dust. We discussed the shot. We were,within 100 yards. It felt good. And so forth.

So we make our way up to where the herd was and find a small smattering of blood. I had negative feelings at that point since the amount of blood was small.

We take up trail and learn he had split from the herd which is a good sign. So jumping the bull twice we finally get enough lead,in him that he almost,appears to be done. So the tracker,begin to,walk in on him and he tries,to get up and they all take off running. Two more,shots ended the hunt.

Later that night after dinner, JP dropped by my hut and dropped of a separated DGX bullet. On the other hand, the water buck I dropped at 150 yards in his tracks with the same ammo. All in all the bull gave us a thrill and we had oxtail soup that night.

I describe hunting buffalo like standing Supermans cape. You better have good ammo and be on your A game in all respects. If I'd shot slightly lower in the chest, I think the hunt wouldn't have been as exciting. You never know.

Next day We carried a couple of buffalo quarters up to the coconut plantation headquarters to feed the hands and stopped in the village market and bought Cokes to wash down the dust, took photos of the old well preserved church and toured the well built Portuguese plantation owners lodge/fortress on the river bend. He had a great view whoever he was!

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Quite an adventure! Congratulations.
 

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