Cape Buffalo Hunting
Cape buffalo (Cyncerus Caffer) have drawn more dangerous game hunters to Africa than all the other African Big 5 combined.
Regarded as one of the most ill-tempered animals on the face of the earth, these hunts are extremely popular, and the most affordable of the African Big Five Hunting Safaris. For that reason, cape buffalo hunting is one of the most highly regarded big game hunts and a renowned member of the “big five”. Known as “Black Death” in Africa, it kills over 200 people every year. Cape buffalo are notorious as very dangerous animals, with wounded bulls ambushing hunters.
Cape buffalo are herd animals, living on the open Savannah. They can stand up to 5 feet 6 inches at the shoulder and weigh up to 2,000 lbs. Both sexes have horns, with males developing large gnarled bosses (bases), as they get mature. Despite their size, Buffalo are extremely well camouflaged in dense cover. It is much harder to close the distance on a herd of buffalo than on solitary bulls.
Where to Hunt Cape Buffalo
Both Mozambique and Zimbabwe have some excellent free range Cape buffalo hunting. The concessions here are sometimes larger than a million acres with no fences. Hunting Cape buffalo in Mozambique can be fairly intense, but the trophy potential is worth the effort. There are some HUGE bulls in this country. Most buffalo in South Africa are privately owned on private land.
We have great buffalo hunts in these countries:
I trust Outdoors International’s opinion and will definitely book another hunt with Outdoors International. This was an amazing safari!
I have dreamed of hunting cape buffalo with a bow in Africa since I was 12 years old, and now here I was 28 years later standing in the tall grass of the Limpopo on my dream hunt for a trophy cape buffalo with my bow in hand in complete and utter shock.
I can not say enough about the safari I booked, and am planing another trip with Outdoors Internationalas we speak to take more Traditional Hunters to Africa.
From start to finish, the outfitter was a class act. Can’t say enough about the staff and accommodations. I would highly recommend this hunt. Professionalism in every aspect of my hunt in Alaska. I took a great moose, black bear and caribou.
We had a great caribou hunt, and saw two good bulls and we both tried a shot. Jim sealed the deal while my bull disappeared into the valley. We’ll be booking again with Outdoors International, and have already requested some info on a brown bear hunt. Because I trust Russ Meyer will recommend only good hunts to his clients.
Excellent trip. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I had a great time. This hunt isn’t physically demanding, but you need to be prepared to sit on stands for a long time. Aaron was very nice, knowledgeable, and always willing to help. It was a really good hunt, and I wouldn’t mind going back.
Hunting Cape Buffalo is not for the Timid!
Easy to anger and hard to kill, sometimes referred to as “Black Death,” they have killed many big game hunters.
Good shot placement is key on a cape buffalo hunt.
They are most dangerous when wounded or when one of their calves are in danger. Buffalo are typically hunted on foot by tracking older, solitary bulls or small bachelor groups called “Dagga Boys” (mud boys). The best shot placement for Cape buffalo is to hit the vitals and break some bones along the way with a rifle of adequate power for hunting buffalo.
It is not common, regardless of caliber to instantly put a mature bull to the ground unless the shot hits the spine or brain. A wounded buffalo will usually break away from the herd and head to thick cover. Buffalo are one of the only animals that will purposefully circle back onto their own trail to lie in wait for their pursuer.
Your average shooting distance is between 20-60 yards, so if you make a bad shot….. maybe consider running! An angry or wounded buffalo often circles and stalks its prey. It can rip apart its opponent with its nasty, massive horns. They commonly engage in mobbing behavior when fighting off predators, so use caution when stalking to not get caught in the middle of a herd. Able to run at speeds at up to 33 miles per hour, don’t count on “shank’s mare” to escape from an enraged Cape buffalo.
Bowhunting Cape Buffalo
It is well advised that you come prepared when you plan on bowhunting cape buffalo.
Here’s what we consider the best archery setup for cape buffalo:
Bring two well-tuned bows with appropriate spare parts, as replacements can be difficult to get in Africa. Cape buffalo require an 80–100 pound bow, arrows of 700 – 850 grains and broadheads with a minimum of two blades and 1 ½” cutting edge (i.e. kinetic energy of 80–105 foot pounds is required). Arrows can be made out of wood, fiberglass, carbon or aluminum and the shaft must have a minimum length of 19.68 inches (500 mm). Broadheads must not have any moving parts, barbs or serrated edges.
- Bow Kinetic Energy: 65 ft/lbs
- Arrow Weight: 450 grains
This type of setup my bow should produce over 80 foot pounds of Kinetic Energy which, so long as I don’t screw up, is plenty to punch through a cape buffalo’s tough hide and ribs, and when you combine that KE with tons of momentum from a solid heavy arrow with plenty of FOC, that should keep them moving right on through the animal. So realistically for cape buffalo hunting with a bow, this setup should not have any issues.
Trophy Judging Cape Buffalo
They aren’t particular hard to score. A good buff is an old buff, but maybe you’re looking for a wide buff, or maybe one with big bosses. You might be looking for one that hooks way back, or one with deep drops. It might be an old scarred up, ripped eared, busted horn tips, battle hardened warrior that gets you going. For many it’s about the experience, of a good, tough hunt against a worthy adversary.
Scoring cape buffalo is fairly easy.
A trophy bull should have a thick, heavy boss that runs out and down (the deeper the curl the better) past the ears before curling up and back in again. The points of the horns should then raise upwards and backwards, the higher the better. As a rule, the further past the ears the outer upward curl of the horns are, the better the trophy. Rowland Ward measurement is based upon the spread of the horns while SCI measures the total length plus both bosses.
- Minimum Rowland Ward Score: 42″
- Minimum SCI Score: 100″
Africa Safari Gear List
Preparing for your first African Safari can be intimidating, but there’s no need to worry. The truth of the matter is that packing for a hunt in Africa isn’t all that difficult. We have worked together with our P.H.’s on a safari gear list for your upcoming hunt.
Pre-Hunt Checklist
- Valid Passport (South Africa requires your passport to be valid for an additional 30 days after your return date to the USA. No exceptions.)
- Airline ticket.
- Proper weapon documentation.
- Email the date and time of arrival to your P.H. for pickup at the airport.
- Inoculation (if needed in the area you are hunting).
- Deposit paid and confirmed.
- Traveler’s checks and enough cash for gifts, tip, etc.
- Travel Insurance.
Safari Clothing
Keep it simple. Bring a few changes of light hunting clothing (most places will have a daily laundry service). Odds are you will be riding in the back of a truck on a high rack to and from hunting areas, and that can get chilly. So bring a good jacket along. During the day, temperatures should be pleasant.
*When hunting in Mozambique it is important to note that you are allowed to bring realtree type camo but it is against Mozambican law for an ordinary citizen to wear military style camouflage.
- 2 pairs of light hunting pants
- 2-3 hunting shirts
- 2-3 pairs of socks and underwear
- 1 pair of insulated underwear
(tops and bottoms) *we recommend Merino wool
- Light jacket
for stopping wind
- Wide brim hat or cap
- Good ankle boots/shoes that are very comfortable (you don’t need heavy mountain boots)
- Comfortable shoes for lounging at the lodge
- Light stocking hat and gloves
- Light rain gear
If you are hunting from May to August, be sure to bring some heavier clothing as well as temperatures can occasionally drop below freezing. If you are hunting during this time add the following items:
- 1 pair of insulated hunting pants
- 2 pairs mid-weight socks
- Insulated coat
Optics
Get the best optics you can afford. Don’t skimp here.
- Binoculars
(Quality 8’s or 10’s)
- Spotting Scope
- Tripod
- Rangefinder
- Bino Harness
- Phone Skope
– Mount your phone to your optics
- Lens Cloth and Cleaning Equipment
- De-fogger
Firearms and Ammunition
Clients always ask us what type of rifle and caliber they should bring to Africa. Our advice is always, bring the rifle that you are most comfortable shooting with, shot placement and premium quality bullets are more important than caliber choice. For plains game, we recommend any caliber between 270 and 375. However calibers for dangerous game, the minimum requirement by law is no caliber smaller than 375H&H. We recommend using premium quality soft point ammunition like Swift A-frame, Woodleigh, Norma or Barnes. For elephant and hippo it is advisable to use heavy caliber solid ammunition.
When hunting dangerous game, use a good quality low powered variable scope of 1.5 – 6 x 25 power. We recommend a higher powered scope of between 3 – 9 x 40 magnification for plains game. When transporting your rifle it should be transported on the airline and on any major road in a solid, lockable, hard case. Whilst travelling between hunting areas or on the back of the hunting vehicle we recommend that you bring a soft padded rifle bag.
- Rifle
- Ammo (40-60 shells should be adequate for a typical hunt)
- Gun case with locks
- Soft gun case
Archery
- Bow (talk to your Agent or PH about poundage requirements)
- Arrows and good broadheads (2-3 dozen arrows should be adequate for a typical hunt)
- Bow case with locks
- Soft bow case
Post-Hunt Checklist
- Valid Passport
- Airline ticket
- Proper weapon documentation
- Certified copy of your Passport for the taxidermist.
- Tip your P.H.
- Pay trophy fees and final payments for the animals you take on your Safari.
- Make arrangements for your trophies.
The standard tip for a guide is 10% to 20% of the cost of your trip. Remember to tip the cooks and other help in the camp as well. The amount you give reflects your appreciation for your guide’s hard work and effort.
Cape Buffalo Articles and Hunt Reports
Have you been on a hunt with us or one of our outfitters? We’d love to hear how it went. Please fill out a trip report.
