Where would you go for the biggest buffalo NOT bred in captivity

[lhook7]

Oh, you're not reflecting reality.
Anyone who deliberately doesn't want to shoot buffalo under 40" doesn't go to Uganda.
Is that so bad?

I was going to respond to your post, but I honestly do not understand what you are saying.

 

[Surgeon1]

I'm headed back to Uganda in 28 days to hunt for a Scrum Cap and a bigger Jackson Hartebeest and an even bigger Sitatunga. Have taken some great trophies from Uganda already but those 3 will be my targets. The buffalo bodies in Uganda are just a bit smaller, but trophy size can very good.
A lot of buffalo hunting in Karamoja is spot and stalk without a lot of tracking and the heards can be huge. Last year one morning at daybreak we watched 2500+ buffalo single file string back into the park from less than 100 yards, an unbelievable site. There wasn't a single mature bull in the bunch.
The Batchelor bunches you have to really hunt for by finding water holes and doing some tracking.
It is likely the best place in Africa to realistically take a Scrum cap. On the way to the airstrip in the park on April 1st there was a solitary bull that was old old was at least 44", at least 1/2 mile from the nearest tree.

 

[Green Chile]

I'm headed back to Uganda in 28 days to hunt for a Scrum Cap and a bigger Jackson Hartebeest and an even bigger Sitatunga. Have taken some great trophies from Uganda already but those 3 will be my targets. The buffalo bodies in Uganda are just a bit smaller, but trophy size can very good.
A lot of buffalo hunting in Karamoja is spot and stalk without a lot of tracking and the heards can be huge. Last year one morning at daybreak we watched 2500+ buffalo single file string back into the park from less than 100 yards, an unbelievable site. There wasn't a single mature bull in the bunch.
The Batchelor bunches you have to really hunt for by finding water holes and doing some tracking.
It is likely the best place in Africa to realistically take a Scrum cap. On the way to the airstrip in the park on April 1st there was a solitary bull that was old old was at least 44", at least 1/2 mile from the nearest tree.

Who are you hunting with? Uganda is on my short list.

 

[Andrew62]

The tricky part about this is that it really isn't a consideration of "over hunting" nor about "superior genetics" as much as it is about hunter's ethics.

I can tell you that in Zimbabwe, there has been a lot of forethought in hunting Dugga Boys and quite a bit of concern about hunting world-record quality buffalo that are too young and still part of the herd structure.

Long story short, you need to have a conversation with your Operator and PH about your goals to see whether they hunt buffalo herds, or only small bachelor herds of dugga boys. The former will likely hold better condition, larger horned Buffalos but they may not be hard bossed...yet.

Great point! On this last trip to Zimbabwe, my guide and I had that exact conversation, I passed on shooting bulls from herds on two occasions, electing to hunt for an older dugga bull, in the end I was unsuccessful, and I have no regrets about my decision.

 

[Foxi]

I was going to respond to your post, but I honestly do not understand what you are saying.

Because if you search over 40", you're better off in other countries.
Opportunities are bigger.
No one goes in the Scotland Highlands looking for a 10kg red deer trophy.
That's all I wanted to say.
And one swallow doesn't make a summer.

 

[analog_peninsula]

Not to be contrary, but hunting buffalo is special in a way that can't be measured in inches. Pick an area/outfitter based on the overall experience, then go and enjoy the hunt. I can't imagine being "done" with buffalo hunting just because I shot a really big one.

 

[Safari Dave]

IMO, Cape Buffalo hunting should not be about measurements.

IMO, it is not about the horns. It is about the experience.

IMO, I would rather have this in "wild Africa":

As opposed to this, with luxurious accommodations:

To each his own, but I want to be a "hunter" as opposed to a shooter.

I have absolutely NO interest in being a "trigger puller"

I think Zimbabwe or Mozambique.



I haven't hunted Uganda.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

IMO, Cape Buffalo hunting should not be about measurements.

IMO, it is not about the horns. It is about the experience.

IMO, I would rather have this in "wild Africa":

View attachment 739420


As opposed to this, with luxurious accommodations:

View attachment 739421

To each his own, but I want to be a "hunter" as opposed to a shooter.

I have absolutely NO interest in being a "trigger puller"

I think Zimbabwe or Mozambique.



I haven't hunted Uganda.

That top Bull is the perfect bull to hunt in my opinion. Dream bull there!

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

If width was the only concern and we’re focusing on mid 40’s and up I’d look at a couple well known areas of Tanzania and the Greater Kruger. Every other country has an area or two that occasionally produces that 45”+ bull but the frequency of them, and genetics aren’t there. You also likely need to resolve yourself that there’s a good chance the bull will be on the younger side if you’re focusing on width.

Personally an old broken or scrum cap bull is my ideal next target. I like the experience, and my next buffalo will be in the Zambeze Delta of Mozambique. I’m excited to try hunting them in the swamps, even though they’re typically smaller compared to the traditional tracking hunts I’ve experienced in the past.

 

[Hornedfrogbbq]

I hunted with Harbreet in 2018, took 4 buffalo - the smallest was 40", the others were bigger.

The largest was?

 

[375Fox]

You also likely need to resolve yourself that there’s a good chance the bull will be on the younger side if you’re focusing on width.

I have to disagree with this part. If a bull was 45 when it was 8 it’s still 45 when it’s 12 if it doesn’t break its horns. Bulls don’t shrink. It’s just easier to find a big bull with herds than it is to selectively look over dugga boys for a big bull. I know not yourself, but there seems to be a misconception old bulls aren’t wide or big trophies.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I have to disagree with this part. If a bull was 45 when it was 8 it’s still 45 when it’s 12 if it doesn’t break its horns. Bulls don’t shrink. It’s just easier to find a big bull with herds than it is to selectively look over dugga boys for a big bull. I know not yourself, but there seems to be a misconception old bulls aren’t wide or big trophies.

Possibly yes, possibly no. As bulls age and their bosses keep hardening/growing they can get more drop in their horns. Depending upon their genetics that drop can become very pronounced and change where their widest point is. Not saying they’ll go from high and flat to drops down to their jaw but an 8yo 45” bull could be a 12/13yo 42” or 43” bull.

I’d rather an old bull with super deep drops a nice curls than and old wide one myself. This IS NOT a bull I killed, so I cropped the hunter/PH’s face out but it’s a dream bull for me in terms of drop and curl, plus it was taken in a location I dream of one day hunting. I believe there’s an article or one coming in SCI about this hunt.

 

[dchum]

Possibly yes, possibly no. As bulls age and their bosses keep hardening/growing they can get more drop in their horns. Depending upon their genetics that drop can become very pronounced and change where their widest point is. Not saying they’ll go from high and flat to drops down to their jaw but an 8yo 45” bull could be a 12/13yo 42” or 43” bull.

I’d rather an old bull with super deep drops a nice curls than and old wide one myself. This IS NOT a bull I killed, so I cropped the hunter/PH’s face out but it’s a dream bull for me in terms of drop and curl, plus it was taken in a location I dream of one day hunting. I believe there’s an article or one coming in SCI about this hunt.View attachment 739566

Did you see pictures of the bulls I posted in southern massai? Or the ones @Franco posted from his hunt in the same area?

Just because the areas you hunted don’t produce old wide bulls doesn’t mean it’s not common in a specific area.

What this whole thread is about. Areas with GENETICS for old 40+ inch bulls. Africa’s a big place as we all know haha
Cheers

 

[Russell G]

I'm interested in folks' top 3 hunting areas/specific concessions for the biggest non-captisvity bred buffalo. For this question , if a buffalo herd is self-sustaining on enough land (call it 25,000 acres or more) they are "free-roaming" so a few South African hunting concessions might make the grade. I haven't spent time looking at the record books to see where the top animals were when shot but i thought i'd get a survey of "This is where you go to shoot a massive, massive mature (hard bossed) buffalo." To try and be specific, I'm defining massive by scores in the two respective organizations that do this sort of thing. Could be spread, could be boss and curl included.

What I don't want to discuss or consider would be Place and Take areas or folks that buy huge buffalo to be shot. I'd like them to have been bred NOT in a genetic game farm area.

Thaba MMoyo has concessions on the outskirts/adjacent to KNP and can also take you to Zimbabwe for a truly wild buffalo. I have hunted Leopard and elephant with Thaba Mmoyo.
You will truly have a great hunt

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Did you see pictures of the bulls I posted in souther massai? Or the ones @Franco posted from his hunt in the same area?

Just because the areas you hunted don’t produce old wide bulls doesn’t mean it’s not common in a specific area.

What this whole thread is about. Areas with genetics for old 40+ inch bulls

Yes I did see those photos. I’ve also taken multiple bulls over 40” including one from an area in Zim not known for wide bulls.

The photo I posted (not mine) is a bull from Tanzania and was the 2nd bull the hunter took that trip. His first was significantly wider than 40”. My point was that as bulls age, most of the time their horns start to drop. I’m not arguing that genetics is a factor in how much they drop, but rather stating the drop can at times impact the width depending upon how much curl they have. Horn tips near or below the bosses is something many PH’s look for in trying to determine age on a Buffalo bull.

 

[DLSJR]

How about these bulls? Would they do?

 

[Scott CWO]

View attachment 739643View attachment 739644How about these bulls? Would they do?

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve got an ancient scrum cap so these days, that top bull would be a dream completed for me. On my last two trips to Eastern and Southern Africa, I shot just one buffalo and mostly for bait but still enjoyed looking lots of them over. I turned down 40” bulls. Goals change as you go along the journey. Nothing wrong with that. If that’s “trophy hunting” and not hunting for the experience, I call BS. I don’t need to kill an animal to have a successful hunt. I’m looking for something wide AND old.

 

[Fatback]

That the beauty of hunting buffalo, some many variations/ configurations of horns and age are roaming around in Africa that there is something out there, somewhere, that would meet everybody expectations. You just have to go look for it once you figure out the right place to look. That is what is so appealing to me about hunting them, there is something for every taste/want/desire. Go have fun finding what you want.

 

[DAVE LANGERMAN Safaris]

L7 Niassa, Maswa-Tanzania, Lolkisale-Tanzania

Those are probably the 3 best concessions in Africa for huge buffalo genetics. The two areas in Tanzania are as expensive as it gets.

We take a few in the mid 40's every year in Niassa. We have taken a few 47's too. Buff of that size are never easy. They will take some work, but they are there (it is a lot of fun too, stating the obvious...).

On the flip side I do love taking those knackered old bulls that are worn down. Their character makes up for any perceived shortcomings in width.

 

[coreydb]

Good luck finding a place. Everywhere buffalo hunts are offered, there's always a high fence or contained/controlled land holding them in.