Hunting Buffalo
Hunting buffalo in Africa - Hunting buffalo in Africa is the most affordable of the Big Five (excluding lioness) hunting safaris. Hunting buffalo is also considered as the most dangerous of the Big Five, especially when a wounded buffalo disappears in the thickets, providing for very nervous and adrenaline thrilled times.
Hunting buffalo in South Africa will be conducted in a number of different areas. The most popular areas are near the Kruger National Park, the Lowveld. Hunting buffalo will also be conducted in the Limpopo Bushveld and the Free State. All hunts take place in fenced areas.
The minimum caliber allowed for hunting buffalo in Africa is a .375 H&H. A buffalo is a tough animal to bring down and the larger the rifle the more damage will be done. A hard and heavy bullet is required for deep penetration. The two most likely positions to killing a buffalo is a broad sided shot, slightly off centered or a full frontal shot.
When going for a broadside shot you main target will be the heart where the bullet needs to be placed just below the horizontal line of the body, just behind the front leg. Damage will also be done to the lungs.
Hunting buffalo in South Africa with only a full frontal shot, will be more dangerous as your target is smaller. The bullet will also have to go through thick skin, then a thick layer of chest muscle and bones before reaching the vital organs. A shot left or right from center will do little damage and will only wound the animal. This is when it becomes Africa’s Black Death. A wounded Cape buffalo is Africa's most dangerous animal to track.
A wounded buffalo will seldom charge immediately after the first shot. It normally runs off, heads for cover in thicker bush, and then ambushes the hunter and trackers when they come looking for him. Extreme caution must be taken when tracking a Cape Buffalo if you wounded one hunting buffalo in Africa.
Most likely areas where you will hunt:
Limpopo Bushveld
Eastern Free State
Eastern Cape
Shot Placement when hunting buffalo:
Hunting buffalo in South Africa will be conducted in a number of different areas. The most popular areas are near the Kruger National Park, the Lowveld. Hunting buffalo will also be conducted in the Limpopo Bushveld and the Free State. All hunts take place in fenced areas.
The minimum caliber allowed for hunting buffalo in Africa is a .375 H&H. A buffalo is a tough animal to bring down and the larger the rifle the more damage will be done. A hard and heavy bullet is required for deep penetration. The two most likely positions to killing a buffalo is a broad sided shot, slightly off centered or a full frontal shot.
When going for a broadside shot you main target will be the heart where the bullet needs to be placed just below the horizontal line of the body, just behind the front leg. Damage will also be done to the lungs.
Hunting buffalo in South Africa with only a full frontal shot, will be more dangerous as your target is smaller. The bullet will also have to go through thick skin, then a thick layer of chest muscle and bones before reaching the vital organs. A shot left or right from center will do little damage and will only wound the animal. This is when it becomes Africa’s Black Death. A wounded Cape buffalo is Africa's most dangerous animal to track.
A wounded buffalo will seldom charge immediately after the first shot. It normally runs off, heads for cover in thicker bush, and then ambushes the hunter and trackers when they come looking for him. Extreme caution must be taken when tracking a Cape Buffalo if you wounded one hunting buffalo in Africa.
Most likely areas where you will hunt:
Limpopo Bushveld
Eastern Free State
Eastern Cape
Shot Placement when hunting buffalo:
Quick Facts
Shoulder Height: 1.4m (male\female)
Mass Male: 700kg
Mass Female: 550kg
Gestation Period: 340 days
Number of young: One
Description:
Buffalo are massive, heavily built, cattle-like animals. Adult bulls are dark brown to black while cows are usually lighter in color and calves are reddish-brown. Buffaloes have stocky, relatively short legs with large hoofs. The forefoot are larger than the hindfoot. The horns are heavy and massive. The central horn base or boss is particularly well developed in the bulls. The horns first curve down and outwards and then upwards and inwards, narrowing towards the tips - shaped in a W if viewed from the front. The boss is less prominent at cows and nonexistent at calves.
Distribution:
One widely distributed throughout Africa, buffalo are mainly concentrated in protected wildlife areas in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Habitat:
Buffalo prefer abundant grass, water and cover showing preference for open woodland savanna and will utilize open grassland as long as it has access to cover
Food:
Predominately grass and small shrubs.
Reproduction:
Buffalo are seasonal breeders with the majority of calves being dropped in the wet and warm summer months.
Shoulder Height: 1.4m (male\female)
Mass Male: 700kg
Mass Female: 550kg
Gestation Period: 340 days
Number of young: One
Description:
Buffalo are massive, heavily built, cattle-like animals. Adult bulls are dark brown to black while cows are usually lighter in color and calves are reddish-brown. Buffaloes have stocky, relatively short legs with large hoofs. The forefoot are larger than the hindfoot. The horns are heavy and massive. The central horn base or boss is particularly well developed in the bulls. The horns first curve down and outwards and then upwards and inwards, narrowing towards the tips - shaped in a W if viewed from the front. The boss is less prominent at cows and nonexistent at calves.
Distribution:
One widely distributed throughout Africa, buffalo are mainly concentrated in protected wildlife areas in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Habitat:
Buffalo prefer abundant grass, water and cover showing preference for open woodland savanna and will utilize open grassland as long as it has access to cover
Food:
Predominately grass and small shrubs.
Reproduction:
Buffalo are seasonal breeders with the majority of calves being dropped in the wet and warm summer months.