Cape Buffalo Hunting South Africa

African buffalo hunts are one of the top choices for hunters focused on not only plains game hunting, but also wanting Big Five (elephant, buffalo, leopard, rhino, and lion) game hunting experience. The Dangerous 7 includes the Big 5, the crocodile, and the hippo. These members of the Dangerous 7 are a great addition to any African hunting trip. Hunting rhinos in South Africa is legal. Arrange the necessary permits with the outfitter before the hunt

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What is the best caliber to target Cape buffalo when buffalo hunting in South Africa?

The minimum legal requirement for Cape buffalo hunts is a .375 caliber. When it comes to Africa’s black death, there is no such thing as too much gun. Shot placement is critical, and the hunter must be comfortable with the rifle of choice.  For close-range Cape buffalo hunts, anything from a double 470 NE will do the job. Accuracy and stopping power are of importance.

Hunting Lodges in South Africa

On African Buffalo Hunts, accommodation is a matter of choice, from rough bush camps to 5-star lodges, depending on the hunting area. Hunting lodges in South Africa are fully equipped to deal with any special needs, dietary, or other requirements, and chefs are top-class and capable of serving a substantial variety of local and international dishes.

Transport, by ground or air, from all points of entry to the game hunting destination is affordable, runs on time, and the cost is often included in the safari, ensuring that there aren’t any hidden surprises.

How much does it cost to hunt a buffalo in South Africa?

• Prices can vary from $4,500 to $20,000(US) depending on the quality and available sizes of the Cape Buffalo. Buffalo over 50-inches can reach record prices.
• When booking your game hunting safari, a substantial portion of this cost will be attributable to the outfitter’s facilities, including lodging, catering, and so forth. 

Who are the best South African hunting outfitters?

This is a common question asked when planning African buffalo hunts. The reality is that there are hundreds of registered outfitters and freelance professional hunters. The secret is to speak with your booking broker to match an outfitter to your specific needs and budget. Enquiring directly with outfitters is not advised, as the answers may be subjective for obvious reasons. 

When you start to plan your South Africa game hunting trip, contact a booking agency that:

• Have personally visited the concessions and or ranches confirming service offerings.  
• Have first-hand hunting and client experience in the geographical regions and can advise a first-time visitor.
• Has completed a physical “back office” audit of the outfitter relating to permit management, dip and pack procedures, etc.
• Never use online pure quantity and volume-based booking agencies that focus purely on revenue, not long-lasting memories.

Buffalo Hunting in South Africa

• The premier destination for buffalo hunting in South Africa is the Limpopo Province, where Cape buffalo hunts happen throughout the year, without any seasonal restrictions. 
• Game hunting safaris, lasting 7-10 days, are usually booked. 
• Cape buffalo hunts generally have a wide variety of plains game also available, and favorite additions include kudu, sable, eland, and roan. 
• Cape buffalo hunting, South African-style allow rifles, bows, crossbows, and black power. 
• Cape buffalo hunt techniques include on-the-spot, then the walk and stalk methods.  

Cape Buffalo Trophies

A hard, rough, and solid boss is a favorite for a great trophy. Sought-after trophies often include bulls with broken and damaged horns been considered character to the trophy. 

Some old bulls do not have a spread over 30-32 inches, but they drop right down to below the eyes making great trophies.

Cape Buffalo Hunting in Limpopo Province, South Africa

One quiet Saturday afternoon sitting back and enjoying a few cold ones with an incredible view of the Magaliesburg mountains, I had a thought (maybe after a few cold ones!), “Let’s go big game hunting!”

It seemed like it was the time of the year when things were winding down, and a touch of misery was kicking in as we did not have anything planned for the next few months. Only admin. We had chatted with a few of our contacts and were waiting for feedback from a few hunting lodges in Namibia. But, those plains game hunts would only be in the New Year.

I decided it was too late to arrange a trip across the border, so the plan was to make a few calls and book an African big game hunting safari in South Africa. This would be the easiest and the quickest. Chatting with my wife Tamlyn, who generally agrees with any excuse to plan and go on African hunts, we decided on a Cape buffalo hunt. The bush would be thick and the heat intense.

Tamlyn was not as chirpy when I suggested or rather put out a challenge, that she hunt the Cape buffalo with our 500NE double rifle. Tamlyn’s big game hunting has included hunting a lion in the Kalahari and successfully hunting a crocodile in Mozambique. She also joined our hippo hunting in trip to Namibia.

Tamlyn, who cannot generally say no to a reasonable challenge, finally agreed, and the game hunting safari was on. It was already the first week of November, and the hunt had to be concluded by the end of the month due to other commitments. After frantically making a few calls, with Limpopo as the top buffalo hunting destination in South Africa, we secured a place, and the safari planning began in earnest.

As we were currently in South Africa, we had to reload for the 500NE, and wow, was it an issue to get propellant, cases, primers, and heads (we needed the big rifle magnum primers)? I was meant to sort this out a few months back but had not made it a priority, only now to have it come back and bite me in the proverbial butt. It did not help that the US had stopped exporting everything hunting-related as it was all shipped to Israel.

We posted on Facebook about the upcoming Cape buffalo hunt, from our Game Hunting Safaris page, the objective being to keep our friends updated. To our surprise, Tamlyn received a message from Axe Bullets in South Africa, confirming they would sponsor and supply their 600gr head for the 500NE. This, along with all the reloading data, product development specifications, and sundry marketing material. We could not wait to load the bullets and test on the range! We had received some images of penetration from an outfitter who had been elephant hunting in Botswana using the same bullet heads. 

We only had a week to test the load, while making final arrangements for the hunt. When dangerous game hunting, the hunter must be fully confident and familiar with their weapon of choice. Tamlyn still needed some solid range time and many hours of focusing on muscle memory when it came down to handling and operating the 500NE. Tamlyn seemed to be getting quieter and quieter by the day, as nerves started to kick in. 

I must admit, I secretly got a little pleasure watching Tamlyn’s stress levels increase as the countdown to the Cape buffalo hunt commenced in earnest. My own heart missed a few beats when I realized that Tamlyn would have the 500NE, Keenan would have the .458, and I would have a GoPro that I had never used before! The dangerous game hunting trip had all the makings of a proper hunting adventure. Big five hunting in Africa is always dangerous and not for the faint-hearted.

Robert Ruak famously wrote, “When coming face-to-face with a buffalo, he will look at you as If you owe him money.”

Cape buffalos are not also referred to as Africa’s black death or widow makers without good reason!

Shot Placement on a Buffalo

The most important thing about hunting Cape buffalo is shot placement and making the first count. 

• The best shot is 1/3 of the way up into the heart. Check all equipment before the hunt. 
• The minimum caliber as with any dangerous game animal, is a .375. 
• Use a rifle that you are confident and proficient with. 
• Avoid neck shots as the muscles are thick, which could result in missed vertebrae.
• At 25 yards or less, only a well-placed bullet to the brain will stop this machine.
• It takes one bullet to kill a Cape buffalo, and plenty more in most instances, to convince him that he is dead! 

 

The Cape Buffalo Hunt

Day One

We were up at 03:30 on the first morning of the hunt. Summer in the bushveld is always challenging, with copious amounts of water required to stay hydrated. The heat was terrible at over 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tamlyn had tested the 500NE on the range at 50 yards the previous afternoon, and everything was in order.

The ranch’s topography was relatively flat, but the scrub was thick, and visibility was an issue. There had been a light drizzle on our arrival, so we hoped to see some fresh signs and tracks.

We had heard many stories of the big buffalo bulls harvested in the area, but the main objective of this hunt was for Tamlyn to harvest her first Cape buffalo, a big Cape buffalo would be a bonus., Day one did not yield any direct results. We had picked up tracks on a few occasions and walked them down. There was not a single opportunity that presented itself.

Day Two

Day two followed the same procedure as day one: Up early, a quick coffee, and out into the field. We stumbled across some awesome plains game such as kudu, eland, and some fantastic impala making an appearance. It seemed as if they knew they were not being targeted and were very relaxed. Maybe they were also just a little too hot and bothered to travel all over the savannah. Later in the afternoon, we followed a nice spoor on the northern part of the ranch, but after glassing him at 200 yards, noted that he was very young with a soft boss. This Cape buffalo still had plenty of DNA ready for distribution!

Day Three

Day 3 started two-fold: First, we realized this was our last day of hunting, as we had only allocated three full days to this challenge. Secondly, I realized to my dismay, that I had made a terrible mistake! I had invested so much time and energy into load development, training Tamlyn on the 500 NE, and packing provisions that I had forgotten to protect against a little pest! The pepper tick! I had bites all over my legs, around the belt area, my back and arms, and a few places where it would not be prudent to mention…

Around 07:30 we came across the tracks of what seemed to be a big Cape buffalo. We followed for about an hour before the professional hunter and Tamlyn spotted him about 50 yards out, resting in the shade behind some Acacia bushes. At this point, I stayed far behind because the GoPro kept making all these beeping noises, and I had no idea how to silence it! I was having a rather miserable morning between the beeping GoPro and the tick bites!

What is tick bite fever?

Tick bite fever is a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks. Hunters usually get sick 5-7 days after being bitten by an infected tick, and severe headaches and body pains are early symptoms. The hunter may develop an “echar,” a small brown or black scab surrounded by inflammation. The drug of choice for treating tick bite fever is Doxycycline.

Early treatment can reduce immune response and can cause a fatal infection. Every year, tick bite fever causes unnecessary deaths due to symptoms left untreated. On a game hunting safari, I would pack an unscented body butter, and smear it over my arms and legs, causing a fine layer that these pepper ticks seem to battle to get through. I would also spray with a repellent containing DEET. DEET is readily available in many African countries, like Tabbard, Mylol, and Peaceful Sleep. Some locals get so desperate to protect themselves that they smear themselves with paraffin, used as a propellant to burn lamp wicks! Ticks LOVE ME, and they consider my blood a fine vintage Bordeaux. Unfortunately!

So, when packing and planning for African buffalo hunts, be sure you have the maximum protection against these critters. The alternative is not popular: If you are traveling alone on your game hunting safari, you and your PH may be doing some uncomfortable and unwanted body part inspections!

After waiting for what seemed like hours for a gunshot, the hunting party returned only to advise that the old boy had been spooked and run off. Tamlyn did not want to risk a shot through the thick scrub. As it was her first Cape buffalo hunt Tamlyn did not want to force him to move and take quick shots off the shoulder. The trackers had tried to follow the spoor, but lost it after a couple of hundred meters, maybe they too, were having a bad day!

Around midday, an enormous Cape buffalo presented himself at roughly 60 yards out. Tamlyn’s first shot seemed to be “on the money,” while the second went high and missed. Tamlyn, the professional hunter, supported by Keenan, went off in hot pursuit. About an hour later, we heard the 500NE bark twice again.

The buffalo was tracked down in an exceptionally thick scrub with almost zero visibility for another 4 hours before being taken down at last. I was exceptionally proud of the team as this was real up-close work that required bravery and commitment. This is what an African big game hunt is all about.

It turned out that the first shot had been low in the brisket, and no matter how many bullets went into this buffalo, he just did not throw any blood. He was an old dugga boy, with teeth falling out and a very low weight. His spread was amazing! In 60 days, we will submit to SCI measurements, to receive the final numbers.

Buffalo hunting in South Africa

South Africa remains the top destination for African buffalo hunts.

If your next game hunting safari needs to tick the boxes for adrenaline, action, and pure excitement, then Cape buffalo hunting in South Africa is the way to go! Click here for information and our latest Cape Buffalo Hunting Safari packages.

Author: Pierre van Wyk