Ok now for the Story...
I had a few days to hunt with Mick near the end of the trip, with the interesting findings I had made regarding the front-on shot on buffalo I decided my new Shrew Scout Recurve from Gregg Coffee was capable of taking one down. Its been my go to bow since Iv had it and was never really intended for Buff.
We left one morning early and on the way through the Grasshopper Flats (Were Pat Kelly killed his bull) we picked up this younger Bull, He was out in the open but the wind was good and i decided Il had a stalk, its the first time this year Iv not been alone, whilst hunting myself and thats just as well or we would never see the pics that are to follow.
I got myself in front of the bull whilst Mick was behind the camera. I had to leopard Crawl about 50m into the tree line to get into position the problem was i could not get as far as i had wanted before the bull was heading my way, which basically left me 3m from the trail he was walking down...long story short this is what happened.
he gets to about 6m and see's me tucked into the trees, then proceeds to walk withing touching distance to see what I am. This is for the most part what make a Water Buff Dangerous...it that they are curious and that curiosity brings them close to you something like this Very close. So if they get angry you are well inside the no escape danger zone.
The bull above was not sure what i was but he spooked and ran a circle about 25m, then stopped to look at me again, I had crouched and was ready I enticed him closer with a flicker of my Kuiu Cap and when he got to about 15m I drove an arrow down his chest.
Strait away i knew i had pulled the shot and hit him off center..but there was a lot of blood.. We tracked and found him lying about 120m from the shot, But not dead...far from it actually, I climbed a tree to get a good look at him and after waiting a while said to mick i was going to go in and put in follow up shot.
I left Mick behind and circled around, I had taken my shoes off and just moved in slow and silent. What i was faced with was a quartering away bedded bull with his spine also slightly towards me. Its the only option I had...I knew were to put the arrow and was 15m away between 2 trees.
I steadied and prepared for the shot.. Im still kicking myself now but at the shot I dropped my bow arm as I was so keen to see the arrow hit that it resulted in me hitting 10" lower then I had wanted... and as a result of that it skidded down the ribs and never even reach the chest cavity, that I knew strait away.
The Bull jumped to his feet and spun around to try find what had just stung him.. he locked onto me.. dropped his head and was coming. Full on Charge
I jumped across and crouched about 1m behind the only tree I had, It was game on and I knew it..All my senses where on ultra high and things where happening in Slow motion. A buffs neck and horns are to long to simply keep a tree between it and you, it can swing that horn around and into your guts in a blink of an eye.
I had to know which side of the tree it was going to come, so I placed myself so that 80% of my body was showing to the right side of the tree..when I was sure he would go right..I could commit left ! Which is what I did.
His hit the tree with enough force to totally Smash you legs.
This is how it unfolded.
Blood spayed all over my quiver.... Fortunately the bull did not come back for seconds.
Topic: Charged by a Buffalo and a season with the Bulls of the Far North (Read 1344 times)
