Hunting Cape Buffalo is probably on every clients' bucket list and is the most popular of Africa's Big 5 today. Buffalo hunting is an adrenaline filled hunt, and although they look pretty docile when undisturbed, a wounded Buffalo can be aggressive and is one of the most dangerous animals! Buffalo weigh on average around 1 500 pounds with bulls being bigger than cows. Both bulls and cows have horns with bulls having a spectacular set of horns with a rock solid boss on the old targeted bulls where cows lack the boss on the head.

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My preferred method of hunting buffalo is the old school way of finding fresh tracks of a group of solitary bulls and tracking from there on foot. Buffalo can cover some distance but normally bed down during the heat of the day and has to drink water every day.

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The .375 H&H Magnum is the legal minimum required caliber for hunting Buffalo in both South Africa and Zimbabwe. A .375 with a quality bullet and a well placed shot will be more than efficient.  A premium soft nose bullet or a monolithic bullet of 300 grains or heavier is highly recommended! My recommendation for a premium soft nose bullet is Swift A-Frame and a monolithic bullet Barnes TSX. If you prefer to shoot soft nose bullets like a Swift having solids with you can come handy if follow up shots are required. Shot distance is about 50 yards or less on average, depending on the area and circumstances, a good quality, low variable scope on your rifle can be a lot of help. You're Professional Hunter will go over shot placement with you, but studying shot placement before you're Safari can be an advantage!

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Buffalo Hunting in South Africa can be done on private game ranches, which is fenced, or in the Private Game Reserves(APNR) adjacent to the Kruger National Park, which is free range. Some clients underestimate a fenced buffalo hunt, but in my experience it can be just as challenging as a free range hunt. My preference is to hunt self sustaining Buffalo on ranches of 12 500 Acres or bigger. Both the Limpopo Valley and the Lowveld offer exceptional Buffalo trophies and Buffalo hunts and I will almost always target age over size, unless the client specifies a specific size bull. Buffalo Hunting is South Africa is good year round although the best time is from May to October.

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Buffalo Hunting in Zimbabwe is for the most part completely free range hunts. My preferred areas in Zimbabwe for Buffalo is Matetsi and Nuanetsi, depending on the time of the year. Both areas offer top quality bulls, some of the best in Zimbabwe and are massive in size! In Matetsi, seeing Buffalo herds of 500 plus Buffalo is not uncommon! Time of the year is important for a successful Buffalo Hunt! On Nuanetsi Buffalo Hunting is good and successful year round, although from May onwards to November is recommended. In Matetsi from June is a good time for Buffalo and the best time is late season, during the dry period, October / November.

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Travel options to get to the hunting concession in South Africa would be to fly to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and take a connecting flight to Polokwane Airport or Eastgate Airport depending where you're hunting Safari is.

Travel options to get to the hunting concession in Zimbabwe would be to fly to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa and take a connecting flight to Victoria Falls International Airport or Bulawayo Airport depending where you're hunting Safari is.

On every Safari you will be greeted at the airport by myself, or one of my handpicked Professional Hunters. If you require overnight accommodation in Johannesburg, I highly recommend Africa Sky Guesthouse.