Went hunting with my good mate Ben a few months ago.
Just getting around to penning a tale or two.
Sorry, no pictures this time though.
Hope you enjoy.
We certainly did....
Well it turned out to be a shorter walk than anticipated, Ben was a bit sicker than he thought. But we definitely had fun.
We parked the Landcruiser in the shade, and got ourselves ready. I strung my 75lb longbow, Ben loaded the back-up rifle, and we started off around the edge of a big spring fed swamp. The breeze was nicely in our face as we eased along a well used buffalo trail.
Other than seeing some beautiful countryside, nothing of any major interest, like buffalo or pigs, was seen for the first half a “k”. We did see a few Hawks and Kites at one stage though, and it was, as always, really enjoyable, soothing even, to see them floating effortlessly on the thermal air currents, just above us.
A bit further on the excitement levels went up a notch or two. About two hundred meters out into the swamp, we spotted a lone buffalo.
A single animal often signifies an old bull, so we wanted to check this one out.
The wind was right for a stalk, so it was game on.
We had a good look at the swamp between us and the buffalo, and hatched out a bit of a stalking plan. Next we took off our shoes and stowed them in our day-packs. Ben checked the load in his big 500 Jeffery rifle, and we headed into the swamp.
Temperatures in the low to mid nineties, head high thick grass, Pandana palms and their fallen leaves, and a foot or more of water and mud made it pretty hot hard going, even though we were in the shade for a lot of the time. The breeze rattling the grass and Pandana leaves certainly helped cover any noise we tried not to make.
We couldn't see the buffalo for a while, but we knew pretty much where it was, but it was sure thick in there.
After about ten minutes of sneaking through this vegetable and mud morass, and trying to be quiet, we eased out of the thickest of the Parndanas. We could see just the back of the buffalo through the trees and swamp grass, still about sixty meters off.
Ben held back a bit while I carefully headed for a couple of small Parndana palms about twenty five or thirty meters away. These were more out in the open swamp grass, but much closer to the buffalo.
Crouching down in the long grass, I would close in a little at a time while the buffalo had its head down feeding, and freeze when its head moved. It was quite hard due to barely being able to see the animal in the long grass. Sometimes I could only just make which way it was facing, sometimes I could not, but the breeze was good.
I carefully made my way into the welcome shade of those Pandanas, but at every slow step, I would sink to my knees, sometimes further, in water and mud. The squelching it made seemed awfully loud, but I had to just try to slosh quietly. Thankfully the head high grass was helping cover my movements.
The buffalo was now roughly thirty meters away, still a fuzzy outline in the tall grass. Though now I could see that it was indeed a bull. His size and shape, and the way he moved showed he was a big mature bull. Heavy horns too, he was a beauty.
Thirty meters may be close, but it’s not nearly close enough, especially under these conditions. He was still well out of range of me and my longbow, I needed to get at least ten meters closer, then hopefully find a clear path for my arrow.
His head was down and he looked like he was starting to feed towards me. "This might work" I thought, "Maybe he'll feed into range and offer the shot I need". No go though, he didn’t have the same script as I did, and he turned too soon and continued to feed slowly off to my left.
I glanced off to the right and saw another bull, noticeably bigger in the body than the one in front of me. This second one was a truly massive animal with one horn tip smashed off, a mighty bull for sure. But it was over a hundred meters off, and out in the open. I quickly decided I wasn't going to undo all the great stalking we had done so far to get this close to the initial bull. I wasn’t going to change animals now. This other bull was a great bull, but for another time maybe. The first one here in front of me is still a cracking old bull, and I’m almost there.
A bird in the hand, so the saying goes.
I re-focused my attention on the first one, but I’d be keeping an eye on the second big bloke though. If he smells me or somehow cottons on to me and spooks, that would more than likely be the end of the stalk on my bull too.
Concentrating on the first bull here in front of me, I watched as he fed quietly along, totally oblivious to my not so distant presence. Each time there was an opportunity to move, I would close the gap. Little by little, over the next ten minutes or so, I managed to close that gap to about ten meters. The wind was holding nicely.
Ten meters is almost too close for a shot, and I seriously wanted a shot, but unfortunately, due to the long grass, all I could really see of him was his back. Sometimes I could make out his horns and occasionally his ears as he moved and fed.
He fed in behind a tree about a foot in diameter. This tree was about six meters from him, and about four meters from me. I thought if I can get to that tree, there may be a good chance of a clear shot through all this tall thick swamp grass.
He still has no idea I'm here. This is extremely good, exciting, FUN.
I eased closer and closer to the tree. The bull had found something he liked, and was staying there, feeding in the one place. Bonus!
I made another quiet, slow step closer. Hunched over, oozing through the grass and mud, I got yet another step. Still undetected. He's still there, feeding, facing half away by the looks of his back, yup, there's his tail. One more slooww step, and I’d made it! Here's the tree, and there’s the bull, right there, no more than five or six meters away. I gripped my bow tighter and put my fingers on the string, ready to draw, I'm quivering like a gun dog on point.
Looking at this bull, so close, I suddenly thought “Man, these things are big, and he’s bloody close. This tree doesn’t feel like much protection right at this moment either. If things go pear shaped here, this tree’s not going to be much help. Wonder where Ben is with that big rifle?”
"Enough of that. Come on man, focus. You are way too far inside the danger zone to worry about that stuff now. Watch his body language. Focus."
I eased one eye out to the right of the tree, the bull was down in a bit of a wallow, facing the left, perfectly broadside. I tried to “pick a spot”, but I still cannot see enough of him through the grass, let alone pick a spot or get a shot. And he’s still unaware of me.
So now what?
That question was answered about twenty seconds later. The breeze that had been my allie, holding so steady as I had closed in, suddenly betrayed me. I felt it move from on my right cheek, and swirl around onto the back of my neck.
Oh poop, that’s stuffed it, NOW he’s going to be aware of me, and things are about to get much more interesting!
That bull caught my scent almost immediately. He "Chuffed" and spun to face me in a shower of mud and water, no more than six meters separated us. He was down in the wallow, and I was crouched behind the now grossly inadequate toothpick of a tree. I was however, hidden from his searching eyes by the long grass.
Hang on, he's wide open for a frontal heart shot, can I do it? My fingers tightened on the string for a brief moment. Nope, no go. Still too much obstruction for a clear shot, and I'm not letting this arrow loose unless I'm certain.
Then, seeing the look in his eyes through the thick grass, I decided it was rather wise to not give my exact position away at this particular moment. He’s not happy.
Isn’t it marvellous how being in such a situation can activate so much wisdom. Then again, some may question the wisdom of getting into such a situation in the first place.
The bull still couldn't see me, but he knew I was close, and darn close too. He had sure smelt me, and I reckon I must have stank. He didn't like this one bit, and it showed.
After another ten or fifteen seconds of this buffalo style Mexican standoff, he whirled around an took off. Mud and water going everywhere. Straight away from me he ran, only to stop after a few lunging steps to spin and face me yet again.
I had started to stand up and draw as he left, ready for a possible shot, but when he stopped and wheeled back around, I froze. He was still only ten or twelve meters away, front on still but now on the other side of the wallow, and still no shot possible due to the long grass. I had the bow up and tension on the string, but thankfully was still obscured enough from him by all the grass. I didn't move. I’m not even sure I was breathing.
I was hoping it would be easier for him to turn and leave, than it would be to get all grumpy and come pay me a nasty visit from across the wallow. My bow, as good as it is, is not going to repel boarders of his size.
And that is exactly what happened, he stood unmoving, looking towards me for another minute or so, and then turned and trotted away.
Right about then, I turned and looked for Ben. I saw him maybe a dozen paces away, smiling, standing by a tree in the swamp, holding the big rifle ready, ready to repel boarders.
Good bloke that. Don't know of any I'd rather hunt with. Top guy.
We watched the first bull join the second bigger bull, and we both grinned as they wandered off into the scrub.
There were big smiles all around now, as a stalk ending like that is certainly no failure, it is just as successful and just as exciting as getting to let loose an arrow.
Ben hadn’t been feeling the best, and I’d been supposed to keep an eye on him. I could see he had had enough now, he wouldn’t say it, but I could see it. I suggested we call it a day and head for home. He simply nodded and smiled, so we started back for the vehicle.
Great way to spend a couple of hours in the bush though.
Getting in, undetected, to five or six meters from that mature buffalo bull was really quite special. But then, when the wind changed, getting back out again with no blood being spilt by either party, was no doubt just as amazing.
Best
Lex
Topic: Water Buffalo Hunt (Read 1343 times)
