Hunting Cape Buffalo in Africa is the ultimate adventure. Let’s explore this species.
African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer).
The African Buffalo is a large and powerful bovine that reaches shoulder heights of up to 1.5 m and a mass of 800 kg (1800 pounds). Both sexes have horns but those of the bulls are characterised by a heavy boss and upward curve. Although the male Buffalo’s horns are by far the most impressive, do not be fooled. Female buffalo grow equally impressive horns, and in fact, the current record holding Cape Buffalo in the Rowland Ward record book is female and has an incredible 62″ spread.
Cape Buffalo herds can have significant ecological benefits on the veld. Being a bulk grazer, they are responsible for converting long grasslands into short grassy environments conducive to other browsers with more selective feeding habits.
To defend the young, Buffalo often herds together at night. You will also find that when a large herd is pushed, they will huddle up in a bunch and the dominant males wil form a front-line to protect the rest of the herd. When attacked by their natural predators, the females may also join this front-line while males go on the offense.
Professional hunters in Africa believe the Cape Buffalo is the most dangerous member of the Big Five, not necessarily because of their physical attributes, but due to their unpredictable nature. When left alone in the herd, this bovine appears to be gentle enough, but when provoked or injured, he can become exceedingly hostile, vengeful, and cunning. The buffalo can be found in herds of varied sizes throughout southern Africa. He needs a drink of water every day and is primarily a grazer who occasionally browses. During the day, they prefer the dense bushveld where they can move slowly and graze.
A rifle of.375 caliber will work for the Cape buffalo if your shot is well-placed. A shot from one of the several 40+ calibers, however, has a far more apparent and immediate impact. With the development of high-quality soft-point bullets, many hunters now prefer to use a soft point for their initial shot on the Cape Buffalo to avoid over-penetration and the possibility of injuring other animals in the herd. Solids are used for follow-up shots the most frequently because of their higher penetration. Once the Cape buffalo is wounded and his adrenaline is pumping, he may be quite difficult to put down, even with a well-placed first shot. If you are unsure of your weapon choice, feel free to ask us well in advance to ensure the best chance of success.
We recommend a Safari of at minimum 7-days for your Cape Buffalo Hunting Safari in Africa. Buffalo are unpredictable and we cannot guarantee that you will have a shot on day two or three, and as such wish to allow you as much time as possible when hunting Buffalo. Pioneer has some of the best Buffalo in Africa, both on estates, and free range at our various concessions. We like to take a more relaxed approach to hunting Buffalo, optimizing our chances of success, and leaving you with additional time to hunt other species outside of the big Buff.
The best areas to hunt Cape Buffalo depends on the experience you are looking for.
South Africa offers you the highest chance at success, the best trophy quality & the lowest cost. Hunting Buffalo in Africa is also more of a challenge as the Big Buff interacts with humans more often, which leads to them not being afraid for one second.
Mozambique is our other Buffalo hunting area, where the excitement and adventure is unmatched. Although the trophy quality is lower, and the Buffalo are much more timid, the uncertainty of what lies around the corner is where the magic is found. A once in a lifetime Bull might be exactly what you get if you are lucky!
As you might gather from the above, we would need to discuss your personal needs to clearly understand what it is you are looking for. With a little information from your side, everything is possible. Pioneer has access to our two privately owned estates, and various concessions to ensure that your hunt is nothing short of spectacular.
A Buffalo Hunt can be combined with any other plains, or Dangerous game hunts.
Pioneer also offer other Safari budget options. You can view all here.
As mentioned, Buffalo can be hunted in many places with Pioneer preferring South Africa & Mozambique. Our recommendation is always that if this is your first Buffalo hunt, choose South Africa. If this is not your first, Mozambique will surely offer you a new challenge & adventure!
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