Cape buffalo have accumulated more mythology than almost any African game animal.
Some of it is deserved.
Some of it belongs around a campfire.
The real animal is interesting enough without exaggeration.
A mature buffalo bull is massively built, remarkably difficult to see in thick cover and capable of absorbing poor shooting in a manner that has created generations of hunting stories.
Hunting one properly is a serious undertaking.
What Does the Hunt Cost?
Waidmannsheil's current published Cape Buffalo Package is $14,000.
The safari is structured as a 12-day trip:
Arrival day.
Ten full hunting days.
Departure day.
The package includes one Cape buffalo in the category confirmed in the written agreement, while premium horn categories or upgrades are separately confirmed.
That last sentence matters.
Never book a buffalo hunt based only on the photograph beside the package.
Know what category of bull is included.
Know what any upgrade costs.
Know what type of hunting will take place.
Put it in writing.
Buffalo Hunting Begins With Tracks
The romantic image is the bull standing broadside at fifty yards.
Most buffalo hunting contains considerably more walking before that happens.
Fresh tracks are found.
The PH studies them.
Age is considered.
Wind is checked.
Then the hunt goes on foot.
Sometimes the bulls are close.
Sometimes they spend hours staying just ahead.
Sometimes the tracks join a herd.
Sometimes the wind destroys the stalk.
The hunter who regards those hours as wasted time has misunderstood buffalo hunting.
Following the animal is the hunt.
The shot is only the conclusion.
An Old Bull Is More Than Width
Horn measurements are easy to advertise.
A tape gives everybody a number they understand.
But buffalo should also be judged for age, boss development, horn shape, condition and character.
A hard-bossed old bull with worn tips can be magnificent without being the widest animal on the property.
This is where the Professional Hunter earns his place.
The visiting hunter may see buffalo for ten days.
A good PH looks at them continually.
Listen to him.
Rifle Preparation
Buffalo is not the place to become acquainted with a heavy rifle.
Whatever suitable and legal calibre is chosen, the hunter must be able to shoot it accurately.
Practice from the bench only long enough to establish that the rifle is zeroed.
Then get away from the bench.
Shoot from sticks.
Shoot offhand.
Cycle the bolt.
Practice a second shot.
Practice mounting the rifle quickly without rushing the first shot.
The objective is not to tolerate recoil.
The objective is to place bullets correctly despite it.
Fitness
You do not need the physical condition of a professional athlete.
You do need the ability to walk.
Buffalo country may involve several hours on foot, uneven ground and heat as the morning develops.
Begin walking months before the trip.
Wear the boots you will hunt in.
Walk hills if you have them.
And occasionally shoot after physical exertion.
A hunter who can comfortably walk for several hours gives his PH more options.
When the Sticks Go Up
Buffalo hunting has a strange ability to become very quiet immediately before the shot.
The PH puts up the sticks.
Somebody whispers.
A black shape stands between branches.
The hunter tries to remember everything he practised.
This is the moment for discipline.
Wait for the right angle.
Listen to the PH.
Make the first bullet count.
Then reload immediately.
A buffalo hunt does not reward spectatorship after the trigger is pulled.
Stay with the rifle until the PH tells you otherwise.
Why Hunt Buffalo?
It is difficult to answer without sounding overly romantic.
It is not simply danger.
Nor is it horn size.
Perhaps it is the concentration.
For several hours, nothing exists outside the tracks, the wind, the cover and the animals ahead.
Then, for a few seconds, a bull stands where you can see him.
Twenty years of thinking about buffalo suddenly become very immediate.
That is why hunters go back.
Planning a South African hunting safari?
Waidmannsheil Safaris can help build the hunt around your preferred species, number of hunting days and travelling party.