That looks really good, I have to ask though where did the buffalo come from? I look at Africa hunts and they seem cool but I always thought I couldn't get the meat home ?
Water Buffalo originated in the
Indian subcontinent,
Southeast Asia, and
China. Today, it is also found in
Europe,
Australia,
North America,
South America and (only some)
African countries. The wild water buffalo is native to Southeast Asia.
This particular water buffalo was taken with a bow by me as part of yet another bowhunting gear trial/evaluation I was conducting for my company and other bowhunting companies I design products for. (this has proven to upset some here)
This destination bowhunt and product testing took place in the hill country of Utopia Texas in Uvalde county and since the plan is to bring all the meat home (product test and the great meat are the goal), I made the 21 hour drive from my home in South East Wisconsin. In all, there was 6 of us in a few trucks pulling trailers loaded with coolers.
This particular ranch encompasses 20,000 acres (32 sq/miles so its akin to an African preserve hunt) and is home to many native and East Asian and African species. The ranch has an excess water Buffalo population that needs to be culled (another reason we went). We will be targeting Water Buffalo cows and other species . The ranch owner offered us a very attractive deal to help him reduce his water buffalo numbers and I was itching to do further testing and evaluation of some archery gear I designed and spent a year and a half developing and and to test my broadhead sharpener with yet another brand of broadhead. and because I did not have any other traveling hunts in my Calendar at this time of the year, I jumped at the chance. (all of this too has proven to upset some of the tender hearts here and why my sig line reads "in life you will encounter haters, laugh at them". (so I do)
Here is the object of this bowhunting product testing adventure.
Fresh on the heels of my successful free range archery hunt for Vancouver bull and Polynesian pig in Hawaii, I geared up for this bowhunt with some new (to me) broadheads. The heads I bought earlier for this hunt that I planed to use on water buffalo suddenly seemed inadequate for the task so I while sitting in a hotel room on the big island of Hawaii, I placed the order for some 250 grain Cutthroat broadheads. Reading and viewing the pictures about archery tackle for water buffalo scared me straight so once again I would be using a total arrow weight of 700 grains. Also, Im doing further product testing on a drop away arrow rest that I spent a great deal of time developing. In fact, I was using the latest version of rest parts I made on my 3D printer. I also evaluated 2 bow mounted camera mounts Id designed so this opportunity came at a perfect time since there is normally little opportunity to kill stuff with a bow in March/April. (all this too seems to make some here upset)
The 250 grain, single bevel, Cutthroat heads.
I used the same dual walled aluminum arrows that will have a finished weight of 700 Grains. I want to make it clear that this is a cull hunt. (This too makes some emotional and animated causing them to lash out wildly and me to laugh at them) The ranch owner has an excess of Water Buffalo and he wants some removed. Normally his 3 day Water Buffalo Bull hunts (includes lodging and meals and use of the butcher shed and walk in cooler) costs $6000. Water Buffalo cow hunts with the same accommodations are $3000.
Because this ranch wants to reduce the population over the Easter weekend, we are specifically targeting cows and he has reduced the cost to $1650. That's not bad for some grass feed, free roaming, organic beef. It should also be noted that these are not tame water buffalo. They are free roaming the 20,000 acres but this is indeed a fenced hunt (although I dont think Water buffalo require a high fence) meaning some folks will be opposed right off the bat and get all animated and emotional (I laugh when they do that). I look at it as a way to fill the freezer with beef, test a new prototype arrow rest, test a new bow mounted camera mount and get out with my bow in march and get out of cold Wisconsin and head to the deep south for a few days.
My homemade water buffalo, Bow mounted decoy meant for ground level spot and stalk.
Since Im not allowed to post videos linked to my company, here is a abbreviated video of this kill on my personal YouTube channel.
