Buffalo hunt gone wrong

[458Exp]

The first report I got was that it was a 243 and a 30-06.

The 375 was added to the story later to save the “PH’s” ass as you’re not allowed to go after Buffalo with anything smaller than a 375.

No matter what the real story is .... someone under estimated the “tame Buffalo” and made their name Tottie in the hunting community.

[Adoons]

Think this video is about 2 weeks old? Myself and hunting buddies have also discussed it in length on whatsapp. Myself have 0 experience with buffalo hunting. 2 of the group have a lot. (The one uses a .404 Jeff and the other .458 Lott just for interest sake.) Herewith a few of our thoughts.

1. The guy talking about holding his drink was not part of the follow up but part of the bystanders. Listen to the background noise. A lot of people was close by and observing from the elevated position.
2. The calibers are still not definitely sorted. The best answer we could get was a .375 and silenced .30-06. The young man gored with the 30-06 to be the farm manager that just helped. The guess is it was his dog as well.
3. It can be learned how to do relative fast reloads with a right hand gun and a left handed person. Said pH don't have that skills.
4. A yapping dog on a buffalo follow up is not a good idea.
5. It seems as if the buffalo was lying down when they reached that thicket. As they circled he jumped up and then charged. They probably thought he wont get up again. Never believe a buff to be dead until checked.
6. Nobody has info as to what bullet construction was used from the rifles.
7. The pH handled the situation like a follow up on a wounded impala ewe. All of them present took it lackluster or maybe as a joke. Or they seriously believed the buffalo expired during the night.
8. We learned a lot about how not to go about with buffalo.
9. Regarding a .375 being enough gun or not enough gun we came to the conclusion that with stopping a charge from dangerous game a .375 is enough gun, until it is is'nt.....
10. There is a reason why the better pH / outfitters hunting in remote Africa far from medical facilities or supplies tend to use double rifles in seriously large caliber. Yes, a .375 to the CNS should drop a charging animal but "should" and "have dropped" is not the same thing.

[Adoons]

And

It seems that the shot that stopped the buffalo was the last one taken when the buffalo was already pushing the poor fellow around. That was a body shot. Looks a bit high and back. Probably cut the aorta under the spine or elsewhere so blood pressure to the brain dropped and the bull died. Otherwise on or two of the first shots hit a major artery and the last shot had no real effect. He was already dead on his legs.

What we would have liked is to dissect the bull and check bullet paths and damage. But that info is never going to come around. Maybe the killing shot was from the 30-06?? (Or .243). Who knows

[zs6hdv]

Off-topic, but I want to add that I think videos and fan clubs on a hunt is generally inappropriate.

I recently saw a video of a boy (probably 9 or so) shooting his first animal (from the back of a bakkie). Good shot and instant drop, but spoiled by the cheering of mom, grandma and others also on the bakkie.

I have my own ideas on the appropriate age to start a kid hunting, and that is not at issue here for me. I do however feel that new hunters need to be introduced in an environment filled with the necessary respect for nature and the prey.

Too many “hunting” videos surface which make all hunters look like palookas.

[Adoons]

Fully agree. Videos is creating too much problems for the whole hunting industry. Period.

Appropriate age for hunting in my opinion is the age where a kid ask out of his own if you will teach him to shoot and then hunt. My son has been hunting with me from age 3. Carried him a lot on the one hip and the rifle on the other side shoulder. He is now 11 and shot is first Impala last month. He asked, he target practiced, he got used to the rifle he is using, he clean the rifle, he has his own knives, he can skin and then he hunted his first one. A small Impala ram with 12 inch horns. He is pestering me every second day about when the taxidermy is going to be finished with his skull mount. Proud as hell on his first buck.

Back to topic on DG hunting. I refuse to take him with on bushpig hunts in the mealies. Inexperienced youngsters and a peanut gallery have no place where things can scratch and bite.

[DaavG]

Adoons, now that you mention it, it does appear that they thought the buff was dead. Way to harry casual in their approach.

[TStone]

Too many “hunting” videos surface which make all hunters look like palookas.

Unfortunately, this is true.

[Pirate]

Unfortunately, this is true.

I'll call it the "Russian Dashcam Effect": because videos nothing spectacular happening are boring and have no viral value.

Because let's be honest with each other, apart from for the actual people involved who may re-experience aome of their own excitement, a video of a hunt, ending in a good shot, where nothing goes wrong and the animal expires on the spot would have little entertainment for anyone else.

Unfortunately therefore, we'll mostly just see video of someone being a palooka :-(

[TStone]

I'll call it the "Russian Dashcam Effect": because videos nothing spectacular happening are boring and have no viral value.

Because let's be honest with each other, apart from for the actual people involved who may re-experience aome of their own excitement, a video of a hunt, ending in a good shot, where nothing goes wrong and the animal expires on the spot would have little entertainment for anyone else.

Unfortunately therefore, we'll mostly just see video of someone being a palooka :-(

The thing that I struggle to understand is why a hunter would publish a video that make him look like a palooka.

[Pirate]

To quote Casper de Vries: "Mense is fkkn dom. Dis waar die woord vandaan kom: Mensdom!"

Also could well be that it's not the hunter publishing it, but his "friend"! however, in the end it always seems to be to demonstrate the "Mensdom"...