Buffalo stories???

[cch]

I haven't seen any buffalo stories this year, what's up??? How am I suppose to talk my wife into letting me go with out some success stories?

[hunt it]

Buy a big insurance policy and she'll say go ahead! My Buff stories involve big smoke poles so this is not the place. I would love to do it with a long bow under spot and stalk conditions. Free ranging buffalo as well.

[Rick McGowan]

Bison or buffalo?

[cch]

Water buffalo down under. There was a lot of talk from people on here late last year and early this year about what they were going to use but I haven't seen any reports on how the equipment did. Did everyone fail and have to use a gun? Or is everyone on to something else? Thanks Chris.

[Jay Campbell, JD]

My wife Karen took a buff in Oz with one arrow from her 70# Adcock. 2,000 pound buff, 89" horns. I took a slightly bigger one (90" horns)with one arrow (penetrated both lungs, both ribcages, gone in sixty seconds)from my 80# BW PLX TD.  We were hunting with Don Thomas at Pacific Bowhunting Safaris in the Tiwi Islands, Guides Brad "killer" Kane and Dan Smith. Custom built 1020 grain carbon arrows, 24% FOC 156 fps for both of us.

Stories already coming out soon in Bowhunter "Buffalo Woman", TBM "When Fish FLy" and "Where the Buffalo Roam". Many great pictures, staredowns, bowfishing for sharks, fly fishing for barramundi, best time ever. Sad note is that the owner of Pacific Bowhunting Safaris died just after our trip. - Jay Campbell, JD

[cch]

Thanks Jay, That is what I was looking for. How long did you guy's stay? I was sad to hear about Billy. Is his operation still going? It sounds like a great place.

[Jay Campbell, JD]

We were there about 9 days. Billy Baker was a great guy. As far as I know Brad Kane and Linda Baker will keep it going, but I can't say I'm sure. Fantastic place. - Jay

[tradtusker]

i took a nice buff whilst over in ozz, but had to use my compound, next time ill be shooting a heavier recurve. amazing hunt to draw down on a 2000lb buff at less than 20m gets the blood pumpin just a bit!

[Torben Jensen]

This summer I went to Andrew Mackays place near Darwin with my DAS bow with Samick Extreme Limbs
(65 pounds at my draw 28,5"). I used an arrow made like Ashby suggest in his reports and I have written about this particular setup here earlier several times. It worked beatifully - I killed a big old waterbuff bull (20+ years according to Andrew)from app. 12-13 meters distance very slightly quartering towards me. I wanted it to stand 90 degrees or slightly quartering away but the animal didn't follow the script! It saw me the last instant before I shot and being out in the open with no nearby trees I kind of felt compelled to shot - If you know what I mean!! The arrow went in almost to the feathers and the big bull stumbled already after app. 10 seconds. It came up again though and ran out to app. 45 meters where I hammered it again. Normally I would never shoot that far but since I already "killed" it (the animal just didn't know it yet) I made a "Hail Mary shot". I didn't know the trajectory of my heavy arrow that far but I hit it almost perfect just a tad high. To say that the guide was surprised I hit it that well from that distance is something of an understatement - but of course he didn't know I almost felt the same way - Ha Ha !
Then it fell on the side and tried to come up again. I ran up to it and shot it in the heart region a third time. Even though it seems like a awfull long time in the situation it only took around 30 seconds from I hit it first time till it lay dead on the ground.
A lot of people has asked me if I would recommend others going after buffalo with a bow or if I would do it again? To be honest I'm not sure what to say. There certainly is a BIG element of risk involved and I had several situations where I afterwards felt lucky that it panned out the way it did. Sometimes I thought to my self : Why the h... didn't you stay home on the couch with the family instead of running around out here scared s...less a lot of the time. Then I reminded myself - this is what it is all about : Can you keep your composure while being scared and make a counting shot when it counts?
Andrew (the guide)had had his fair share of bowhunters and to him it was clear that bowhunting buffalo with a bow is not for everybody. He used an expression that kind of explained it well when I asked what happened to all the guys that tried but not succeded : They turn to jelly!

Torben from Denmark

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Good to hear you nailed one, Torben!

[8th Dwarf]

I've taken two with Andrew Mackay and am going back the last two weeks of July next year with two hunting buddies.  First bull was with a Wolverine longbow, second was with a Morrison Shawnee recurve.  Both bows were 74 pounds at 26".  I was shooting 125 grain Magnus heads.  Diamond Wood shafts with heads weighed 960 grains.

First bull was down in 100 meters...did a death trot.  Arrow broke a rib on the off side...full penetration.  Second bull was down in 36 meters.  Again, full penetration even though it went through a rib going in.

Did the same with a Cape Buffalo with the Morrison.  SEVERED a rib going in and SEVERED a rib on the far side.  He was down in 8 seconds!

I'll keep hunting Buff until I am too old, or dead!  It is the ultimate rush!  Hopefully, not dead by Buffalo!

By-the-way, I am 64 years old, so you young, TALLER squirts can handle the bow weight necessary to do the job.  Diamond Wood shafts available from Whispering Wind Arrows (Bob Burton).

Too Short

[cch]

Thanks guy's. Does Andrew have a web site? About what is the cost there?

[Rik]

I killed two bulls with Bill Baker and Brad Kane. Shot them both in the heart with a 75-pound Howard Hill Wesley Special and 860-grain Brazillian Mahogany (ipe) arrows. I chose to hunt with one of my light 75-pound bows to make sure my accuracy was at it's best, rather than going with one of my 85-pounders. With Australian buffalo, accuracy is key. I'm glad I made the right choice.

Bowhunter Magazine's 2007 Big Game Special has the story about the second bull. It was a two-hour, 1.7 mile running stalk without shoes, trying to kill a hard-rutting herd bull chasing cows.

The whole three-week adventure was filled with fun, laughs, danger, fishing and bowfishing, stalking, and several white-knuckle moments when a few of the bulls did what nasty buffalo tend to do. Wildest adventure this Idaho boy has ever had.

Bill Baker was one of the most skilled bowhunters I have ever had the pleasure to hunt with, and I will miss him deeply. When he and Brad Kane came to Idaho to hunt elk with Doug Chase and I they mentioned that we might enjoy a buffalo hunt. They said this around a small campfire with a wry grin on their faces, and now that the hunt is over, I know what that wry grin was all about. They knew we were in for the time of our lives.

If you want to read a great book by an exceptional bowhunter, order Bill Baker's book BORN TO THE BOW from  http://www.bowhuntsafaris.com

[8th Dwarf]

[email protected] is Andrew's email address.

I had heard that Bill Baker had passed on.  I had traded emails and phone calls with him.  What caused his untimely death?  I have never heard...

Too Short

[Falk]

here you go Paul:   Bill Baker thread

[Rik]

Unfortunately Bill was diagnosed with stomach cancer and despite a valiant effort doing all he could and more to fight it, he had to check out early. The good thing is that Good 'Ol Billy Baker packed in one heck of a lot of good times in his life, probably arrowing far more critters than any person I know. His life wasn't anywhere near long enough, but damn, it was a good one!

[8th Dwarf]

You never know when the tap on the shoulder is going to come, so you better live life at a hundred miles an hour!  You can rest when you're dead!

Sorry to hear of his untimely passing.  Why is it that the good die young?  Massey, Schafer, and Bill Baker come to mind.

Too Short

[RL]

I notice you haven't died yet, Dwarf!!

[tradtusker]

thought id share some of my pics from up north.

i was ecited just to see buff spoor.
 

this is some of the beautifull country we where hunting
 

[tradtusker]

crossing the ropa river into arnhem land.
 

a big bull i hunter for several days but could not get near him, he had big broomed of horn and a big split in the right horn but a great bull,