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We spotted them on the morning of the third day. The three dugga boys filed into the acacia lined riverbed to bed down for the remainder of the day. There was little point in following them. Such was their habits that they'd bed down in thick bush until sundown when they'd emerge again to graze the grassland.
After a late lunch we drove to a spot approximately 1000 yards "upriver" from them. We began our stalk from there. Mynaard, myself, Forest the hunter and Kosie, the tracker. Tom, Forest's daughter and Mitchell stayed at the truck. Not knowing exactly where they had bedded down we had to approach carefully. The acacia surrounding the riverbed was thick and visibility was limited to twenty yards. A little further down we elected to de-boot. Hearing is a buffalo's best defense and the fine river sand was making a squelching sound as our boots compressed it. From previous experience barefoot buffalo experiences I knew there was little point in keeping my socks on. Acacia thorns burst through them and they get filled with grass seed to the point that it's not worth the amount of time it takes to pick them out. I value a good pair of hunting socks. Bootless now, it was slow going but totally inaudible. The fine riversand massaged our hunt weary feet and it was surprisingly soothing. We were closer now. We thought perhaps three hundred yards but we didn't know for sure. Could be thirty yards. We left the comfort of the riverbed and climbed the left bank, treading much more carefully now as we moved along a path strewn with acacia thorns. Every 10 yards we stopped, Mynaard and I glassing the bush ahead and across the riverbed to the opposite side. There they were, the glint of a horn betraying the buffalo's position on the opposite side of the riverbed. We could make out the shape of only one bull lying in a thicket. The other must be close. We crouched down and leopard crawled to a position almost opposite them. I ranged it at 42 yards. It was only 3pm and we knew a long wait lay ahead.
We waited it out patiently. A family of monkeys noticed us and began chattering at us. I keenly observed the buffalo's reaction. He gazed in our direction for a few moments and then went back to his resting position, satisfied that the monkey calls were arbitrary. We had set Forest up in a sitting position. Using the sticks to rest the rifle, he had a small triangular opening in the bush ahead that looked directly at the buffalo. Suddenly another buffalo stood up behind our buffalo. He had an obvious skin condition which is normally an indicator of age. He never revealed his horns. He turned and disappeared into the thicket. Two hours later, a few moments before sundown, we knew the time for action was nearing. Sure enough our lead buffalo stood up. Another buffalo also emerged and they moved off into the thicket. We had to follow, but we had to do so carefully.
We descended the first bank into the riverbed and stalked to the base of the opposite bank, peering upwards to see which direction they had gone. They had simply vanished. Our best option was to move "downriver" as we knew this led to a grassy plain which they were likely moving toward. Twenty yards later we spotted them. They were in the open on the edge of the riverbank. We were tucked tight against the same riverbank that curved round to meet them. No shot without totally exposing ourselves first. We waited. They surveyed the area. At this point I was sure they had seen or sensed that something was amiss. Slowly they walked behind a huge acacia on the edge of the riverbank. We were below them and needed to follow and get a shot as they emerged from behind the acacia. We were directly behind the same acacia now. Peering through the tangled mass of branches and white thorns I could make out their shape on the opposite side. At fifteen yards they were well within the fight part of a buffalo's "fight or flight" zone and my heart was truly pumping now. Suddenly the rear buffalo turned away from the group and came around the acacia to our right. I was the furthest on that side and I couldn't move abruptly left without knocking the others over. I crouched down, my finger slipped to the safety off my 416 and I aimed into space above me at a spot directly above the riverbank. Mynaard had Forest on the sticks quickly and the buffalo began emerging. I could only see the tops of his horns and I felt very exposed at this point. Bang...the buffalo spun and bucked. The others burst round the front of the acacia and faced us briefly, snorting before thankfully running away. Our bull was wheezing heavily and crossed the riverbed twenty yards ahead. Bang! The second was good as well and then a third...bang. I was reloading Forest's 375 and as soon as I had one in, he chambered it and fired again. Another reload...bang and the bull went crashing down. It was all over. We were stunned at how fast it happened. Three hours of barefoot stalking culminating in 20 seconds of mayhem. So much could have gone wrong but we were so thankful it went right. Forest had the buffalo hunt of his wildest dreams. He unknowingly joins the Karoo Wild Barefoot Buffalo hunting club and the the clubs membership doubles to two barefoot buffalo hunters . So very happy for Forest and proud of our team for delivering the hunt of a lifetime.
More to follow...
After a late lunch we drove to a spot approximately 1000 yards "upriver" from them. We began our stalk from there. Mynaard, myself, Forest the hunter and Kosie, the tracker. Tom, Forest's daughter and Mitchell stayed at the truck. Not knowing exactly where they had bedded down we had to approach carefully. The acacia surrounding the riverbed was thick and visibility was limited to twenty yards. A little further down we elected to de-boot. Hearing is a buffalo's best defense and the fine river sand was making a squelching sound as our boots compressed it. From previous experience barefoot buffalo experiences I knew there was little point in keeping my socks on. Acacia thorns burst through them and they get filled with grass seed to the point that it's not worth the amount of time it takes to pick them out. I value a good pair of hunting socks. Bootless now, it was slow going but totally inaudible. The fine riversand massaged our hunt weary feet and it was surprisingly soothing. We were closer now. We thought perhaps three hundred yards but we didn't know for sure. Could be thirty yards. We left the comfort of the riverbed and climbed the left bank, treading much more carefully now as we moved along a path strewn with acacia thorns. Every 10 yards we stopped, Mynaard and I glassing the bush ahead and across the riverbed to the opposite side. There they were, the glint of a horn betraying the buffalo's position on the opposite side of the riverbed. We could make out the shape of only one bull lying in a thicket. The other must be close. We crouched down and leopard crawled to a position almost opposite them. I ranged it at 42 yards. It was only 3pm and we knew a long wait lay ahead.
We waited it out patiently. A family of monkeys noticed us and began chattering at us. I keenly observed the buffalo's reaction. He gazed in our direction for a few moments and then went back to his resting position, satisfied that the monkey calls were arbitrary. We had set Forest up in a sitting position. Using the sticks to rest the rifle, he had a small triangular opening in the bush ahead that looked directly at the buffalo. Suddenly another buffalo stood up behind our buffalo. He had an obvious skin condition which is normally an indicator of age. He never revealed his horns. He turned and disappeared into the thicket. Two hours later, a few moments before sundown, we knew the time for action was nearing. Sure enough our lead buffalo stood up. Another buffalo also emerged and they moved off into the thicket. We had to follow, but we had to do so carefully.
We descended the first bank into the riverbed and stalked to the base of the opposite bank, peering upwards to see which direction they had gone. They had simply vanished. Our best option was to move "downriver" as we knew this led to a grassy plain which they were likely moving toward. Twenty yards later we spotted them. They were in the open on the edge of the riverbank. We were tucked tight against the same riverbank that curved round to meet them. No shot without totally exposing ourselves first. We waited. They surveyed the area. At this point I was sure they had seen or sensed that something was amiss. Slowly they walked behind a huge acacia on the edge of the riverbank. We were below them and needed to follow and get a shot as they emerged from behind the acacia. We were directly behind the same acacia now. Peering through the tangled mass of branches and white thorns I could make out their shape on the opposite side. At fifteen yards they were well within the fight part of a buffalo's "fight or flight" zone and my heart was truly pumping now. Suddenly the rear buffalo turned away from the group and came around the acacia to our right. I was the furthest on that side and I couldn't move abruptly left without knocking the others over. I crouched down, my finger slipped to the safety off my 416 and I aimed into space above me at a spot directly above the riverbank. Mynaard had Forest on the sticks quickly and the buffalo began emerging. I could only see the tops of his horns and I felt very exposed at this point. Bang...the buffalo spun and bucked. The others burst round the front of the acacia and faced us briefly, snorting before thankfully running away. Our bull was wheezing heavily and crossed the riverbed twenty yards ahead. Bang! The second was good as well and then a third...bang. I was reloading Forest's 375 and as soon as I had one in, he chambered it and fired again. Another reload...bang and the bull went crashing down. It was all over. We were stunned at how fast it happened. Three hours of barefoot stalking culminating in 20 seconds of mayhem. So much could have gone wrong but we were so thankful it went right. Forest had the buffalo hunt of his wildest dreams. He unknowingly joins the Karoo Wild Barefoot Buffalo hunting club and the the clubs membership doubles to two barefoot buffalo hunters . So very happy for Forest and proud of our team for delivering the hunt of a lifetime.
More to follow...
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