Buffalo hunt..........

[Little Wattsy]

It was COLD and clear; A GREAT day for a Buffalo hunt!

Well at least a "Buffalo harvest".

Hooked up with Crater Lake Buffalo Co. Southern Oregon. 7000 acre buffalo preserve. It was NOT a "hunt" like deer or elk but it was interesting all the same being able to observe the critters in a semi-natural surroundings. As it was explained to me; The buffalo are NOT domesticated (nor ever will be) they jest aint afraid of ya. They , apparently, have NO natural preditors and so it dosnt occure to them to be afraid. They DO, however, have a fiesty side.

It took longer to pick an acceptable bull outta the herd, get it standing "alone" (no other buff's in front or behind to create multiple casualties), and then to get it to stand still a sec (always moveing/milling about) to present the shot.

Finally. Bang. Useing my .54 Lyman (made from a kit this last winter) shooting a PRB wraped in a .020 prelubed patch over 90 grains of Pyrodex RS and a RWS musket cap. The rancher said 6" behind the ear and 2" down (got about a 3" circle of a target to hit the spine). Droped it like a ton of brick or a half ton of buffalo anyway. Put a easy finger sized hole all the way through the neck (about 20" of meat and bone) never found the ball.....REALLY wanted to examin it but no luck.

Soon as it hit the ground three other bulls jumped on it horning it around a bit. After a bit of holloring and hat waveing they finally backed off a bit but never left. Rancher says lets take some pictures but "dont turn your back on them" the can out run a horse and they are stronger then a bear. Kept my eyes peeled!

Lot Of fun and a freezer fulla meat (1050 lbs live weight and 500 lbs hanging weight) for $2.75 a lb cut and wraped. Oughta last the better part of a year. Will probably go back next December and do it again but this time I will time it so that the hides are in better shape....would like to tan one; These were starting to shed.

Youngest boy skinning out the tail; We'll dry it and he'll hang it on his wall.

Like skinning a beaver....NO fat on this baby at ALL!

 

[Wolfbane]

Good work there! And great pictures of an amazing animal. That' another load I'll have to try. :thumbsup:

 

[BillinOregon]

Wattsy: Awesome report. Have you "et" on him yet? Did they charge you based on the live weight? If not, how? I have been considering this very harvest myself. How old was your buff?

 

[David Shaw]

Just wondering did you get to keep the hide and skull? Love to be able to do that.

 

[bigbore442001]

I checked out their website. I wished I lived closer as it sounds like a pretty fun hunt and a decent price.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Great fun aint it! Way to go.

 

[greyghost]

Way to go Wattsy. That's one of my two dream hunts, the other one is a Yukon moose with my ML>
Congrats :hatsoff:

 

[Capt. Fred]

Wow, very cool. Since it is almost impossible to hunt a wild buff this sure is a good alternative. I'm also curious if you get to keep the hide and skull. Nice job. :thumbsup:

 

[Little Wattsy]

The charge was $2.50 a lb hanging weight (Skin and head off, Guts out...Just meat and bone)$2.25 a lb if you are a mamber of "Wilderness Unlimited". The whole animal, however is yours; Meat, HIDE, SKULL, etc.

I went a little late and the hides were NOT in the best shape as the animlas are starting to shed so I left mine for garbage....December is the prime month for the hide. I DID keep the skull, will make it into a "European Mount" Bleached white and nice dark horns. Also kept the hooves...Boiled them out for dog treats.

The meat will hang 7 to 10 days....I will gat to taste the stuff in about a week or so. It was a 4 yr old but I was allowed to shoot any bull I wanted as I was being charged bt the lb; Looking for meat however I opted for a younger, smaller critter then the "BIG Boys". The also have "cull cow" harvests from time to time and that is $1.85 hanging weight meat. Pretty cheap steak.

 

[PreglerD]

Waidmanns Heil to this hunt/harvest, even when it was not really in the free nature. But it was a wild animal you harvested. Didn't expect that the .54 PRB is so effective on such a big animal.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[PreglerD]

What distance was the shot?


Kirrmeister

 

[Little Wattsy]

What distance was the shot?


Kirrmeister

40 Yards +/-

 

[rabjr]

:thumbsup:

 

[wtilenw]

We did a job for a Bison Rancher last year and I bought 19 Rib-eyes from him to cook up at our Family reunion. That was as good a steak as I've ever eaten. Man, it makes me hungry just thinking about it. I think the Rib-eyes were about 9.75 a lb. and they averaged 10 oz. apiece. It was worth it.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

whoooweee! Thats some buffalo. I'd prefer to shoot a buffalo in some trees though. I'd like a slim chance to be able to climb one just in case my first shot didnt do the trick :haha:

Do you have any idea on the age of the bull?

 

[bucktales]

:thumbsup:
So when's the Forum B-B-Q ?? :haha:

 

[bingo1952]

Great Job and glad to see the little ones tagged along. You could have had quite a large piece of leather for sheaths, holsters and such if you had chosen to have the hide tanned hair off. Also a couple of powder horns and enough sinew to back a couple of primitive bows.
:thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[StevePrice2]

W-nice one! :thumbsup: Congrats on your buff!
Since moving to Utah two years ago I've shot two. Man the best eating ever! We don't even buy beef anymore. Best burgers, steaks, loins, roasts, YUM!!

I saved both hides ($$$) and one skull in the Euro mount style. The meat processor gave me a cow skull when I brought the second one in. Had to buy another freezer. :shocked2:

Shot my two with GOEX 2 ff but the rifles were both Sharps with 400 and 530 grain ear pills.

Steve

 

[Bretwalda]

:bow: GGGGoooddd Shooottt'nnnn. Looks like those loins and backstraps are sure going to make some fine eating !!! I have been discussing this exact hunt with my oldest son...thanks for sharing with us. :hatsoff:

 

[jethro224]

Looks delicious. :thumbsup: