Buffalo bull or cow?

[SCHUNTER73]

After my first safari this summer, I am consumed by all things Africa. I am planning a return trip in a few years, and I can’t get a buff out of my head. Obviously a pretty big cost difference between the sexes. Based on my research, it seems like a cow hunt is very rewarding and every bit of an exciting hunt, just with smaller head gear. If I go the “cow route”, I can easily add more animals to my trip. Is it really worth the extra cost to go after an old dugga boy and exclude the possibility to hunt other animals?

 

[375Fox]

I have no interest in hunting a cow unless it’s for bait. I think selectively hunting for a trophy bull gives a very different experience and is a much better trophy. However, if it’s a question of taking only one animal to financially allow taking a bull or hunting a cow and other PG during the rest of your hunt, I think you should go for the cow option especially if it’s only your second trip. What I like most about Africa is being able to hunt all the days booked instead of being done once the primary animal is down. I think you’d be very disappointed if you took your bull on day 1 and your hunt was over even if it was a great bull. It will also help you better define the type of hunt and area you are looking for once you can better afford a bull hunt.

 

[Flipper Dude]

Buy once, cry once. Shoot the bull. It’s cheaper in the long run.

 

[Firebird]

I don’t see a wrong answer to your question. It’s a personal decision and no one who answers it is going on the hunt with you or paying the bills. In your shoes I would go for the bill even if I had to put the next trip off for a year or two in order to have money for all the things I want to do while I am there.
You can (most likely) always add a cow to another hunt another time. But hunting a bull this next trip will stay with you if you don’t get back there while life happens in the meantime

 

[Racer00]

Just got home today from a tuskless and bull buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe.
I hunted 2 cow buffs in Limpopo back in March.
Both were exciting hunts in their own right. Obviously the bull ended with a better trophy and was a fun and exciting hunt. But the cow hunts had their own merit and I thoroughly enjoyed them. For me, the budget helped determine my hunts. I found a great deal on the cows and the experience gained was priceless. The bull was an add on to the tuskless hunt and also at a very reasonable price.
I have decided, though, that going forward all hunts will include a bull buffalo hunt if they are available. I would have probably hunted a second bull this trip if there had been any more on quota.