Gentlemen,
I think I should start from the beginning of our arrival at Zeekoepan safari here in KZN. Wonderful people all staff super great. Wiliam owner and head PH.
A man my age with all kinds of experience in Africa and all of the big 5 on his property. When Ifirst met him and Amanda his wife in Denver then again at SCI my wife and I knew we would book with them.
Our first morning of the hunt I had 3 phs with me first Wiliam who was my main PH and Pine a very educated and friendly man who is working on his DG PH and Bo, one of the very few black PHs in Africa. With all this experience in one place I felt very at ease.
First step safety briefing where to stand and roles and responsibility of all involved,
Then some target practice off sticks,
Since I left my guns at home I was happy to see I’d be using Wiliams 375 H&H Mauser. Same saftey configurations similar trigger pull a little different scope but same eye relief and focus.
Shot well enough off sticks to pass.
Off in the truck what an awesome day, a little cloudy with a bit of a breeze. With Pine next to me in back of truck bench seat he would point out different birds and land features as we bumped along a two track road through lush green grasses and surrounding trees. Yep the trees that have those long pointy spikes that continually tear at your clothes and try to rip your hat off with each encounter. Looking to our right is a very muddy river surrounded by very high dense reeds that no one could see thru. Pine elbows me and says we don’t wanna buffalo in that mess. Note to self stay out of reeds by river!!
The cruiser moans as we turn up a switchback slowly driving and looking for sign. Truck comes to an abrupt halt and Wiliam and Pine are discussing the tracks in hushed voices either in Zulu or Africans, neither of which I speak or understand. I just the guy from Colorado who speaks English or bad English, that’s my two languages mostly the latter.
We move forward at very low speed, 10 minutes later the truck slows as Bo alerts the others, Nyati, well I know that word! Glancing to my left I can see a buffalo looking right at us, the truck moves slowly forward. I’m thinking that buffalo wasn’t big enough ? What do I know. Only buff I’ve ever shot was the paper target buffalo at home with
@Ridgewalker a few days before we left for this hunt.
Well every one is out and on the dirt before I know it.
I’m handed the Mauser and instructed to chamber a round and put it on safe.
Following Wiliam closely trying to but my boot print where his had been and being ever so carful not to snap a twig.
5 minuets of soft careful stalking and I can’t see the buff at all. William turns whispers there are 2 buffalo, be ready it’s going to happen fast they are only 25 meters away! Man that gets your blood circulating.
We take one step and all the sudden thud thud thud. They saw something or wind swirled who knows. But the big black animal disappeared into thin air.
I’m excited can’t believe in first hour of this hunt I’ve been on a buffalo stalk! Next move regroup another plan emerges to drive further around get out and try to cut them off. So off on a game trail we go it’s thick with trees and brush. A loud noise of hoofs to my right has me at the ready, this time only magazine is full chamber empty
No joy here, Pine looks at me with a wry grin and says that Nyala gave you a start.
More discussion ensued and the plan is to Ford the river to other side and take advantage of the elevation and relative openness to spot buffalo.
I’m liking this idea, reminds me of hunting elk in Colorado, gain elevation spot stalk and hopefully get meat in the camp.
As the tires spin and grab on the rocky incline we can look down and have a great overview, semi treed and brush with green grass at bottom with the river 50 yards from the bottom and thick field of reeds on other side.
Suddenly there he is looking up at us, big black with whitish looking bosses as the sun hits them. The truck keeps going to top of hill out of sight from below.
Out of the back quickly Wiliam in the leed me close behind and Bo with the sticks.
The incline is fairly steep and I’m keeping my balance as we scurry quietly down. Williams 8x32 sworows come up quickly we are behind thick brush looking down at two buffalo and I hear quietly chamber a round, the 375 is smooth as can be.
Sticks are up and it’s damn hard to find a area to shoot thru the bush. So kneeling down to see an opening, I hear shoot the first one in the shoulder. I get ready control breathing safety off get ready to squeeze all while thinking make the first shot count.
All the sudden Wiliam says no wrong Buffalo! Crap I almost shot the wrong buff. It’s the one10 yards closer. I recalculate find correct buff, go through same mental processes but he is angled away slightly, shooting downhill at this distance maybe 60 yards I’m not to worried.
Boom wack, he’s running I’m chamberlains another Barnes 300 grainer in, Shoot again I’m hearing, Boom he’s full on packing the mail. Third shot sent I know it wasn’t even close. They all look at me “ how did the shot feel? Felt good is my reply,
Pine looks and says you really hurt him with that second round.
As we are making fast work getting down the rocky road Bo the other PH is reloading the detachable mag.
Splash splash all I see is one big black bodied animal disappear into the reed field!
Crap remember note to self? Don’t want buffalo in the thick reeds......
Well back in the truck fording the muddy river again. We wait a bit, all the PHs evaluate the situation. Dogs are brought up, soon we see blood everywhere on the reeds, the frothy blood.
In go two dogs scurrying about it’s so thick field of view is literally 12 inches at best. More blood everywhere. I’m side by side with Wiliam and Bo centers behind us a couple yards. Some how we are in a magical open spot in the reed field that is 10 feet high, but we have a roughly 12x14 foot open area we are in. First miracle.
The two dogs are in front a few yards intently staring into a thick semi open hole in reeds. They are not moving as if they were on point on a couple pheasant. Pine the other PH gets out to work his way around the outside all the sudden something runs in the reeds ahead of us. My alert status goes from red to inferno Red.
5 minuets pass nota word is said, rifleat the ready safety still on.
Wiliam no two step to my right. What happened next was a complete blurr and Bo the other PH behind us filled in some blanks my memory has blocked out. I remember no hearing anything but this big black thing appears right in front of us head down full on pissed off freight train.
Pointing gun at big black pissed off animal from the hip and shooting and hear g another shot same time, next thing I’m hit hard by buffalo and knocked back into reeds. Wiliam is on his back saying the buffalo is on my leg. We are no more than 4 feet away both on our backs the buffalo on his back between us. Wiliam is in a slight depression and the buffalo is trying to move his head but his horn is stuck deep into the dirt. Composed more than any man I’ve ever see he fires 2 more rounds into the beast. I’m talking muzzle to hide. No safe shot for me to take without hitting Wiliam
Bo is there in a flash grabbing the buffalo hind leg off Wiliam, I don’t know what the hell im doing as I grab buff by the horn trying to turn the 1600 pound beast.
By the grace ofGod all three of us that the buffalo made contact with walked away without a scratch. My right arm is a bit sore on the bicep and Williams leg is fine also Bo is without injury. I can tell you guys that Ifeel very fortunate to have survived that charge, the guys are still pulling bullets out of my 18 year old buff. So far 3 Barnes bullets recovered.
My initial shots were within inches I’d each other and tore open the lungs.
They surmise that one of our charge shots hit the spine and he was dead as he hit us.
Wiliam myself and Pine and Bo have become quick friends with a bond that can’t be broken. Pics as I can.
