Album 3 - Great Buffalo & Great Friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pictures - Bill Morris, of Portland USA, 2012, with #3 SCI Record Book 132 score, 83" Spread.!!

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This wilderness Arnhem Land Asiatic Water Buffalo bull was approximately 18 years old, genuine free range.  Taken with Bill's nicely stocked Blaser R8 in 416RM and Trijicon scope, one good shot through a gap in the trees, and a spine shot to be safe.  When it skidded to a halt, its horn tip hooked in the ground, and I saw the other horn fly over through the air 7 feet high or 2.1m high... amazing.  A sight never to be forgotten.  Horns were typical shape for half his life, obviously massive growth and the increasing weight made them grow curving downward for the later 8 or 10 years !!  The tips were worn flat from dragging on the ground.  Bases are typically 16 or17", and 18 or19" on huge ones... these were 22 bases"..!! The body and head were about 15% bigger than a typical large Buffalo bull.  These pictures are of the same bull.

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The Muddy Plains:

Trip 1/ Larry Waide and Bill booked a hunt at SCI, and hunted with me in the Mt Catt area.  It was booked (too) early in the season, as it had to tie in with a NZ trip (Reds, Tahr and Chamois).  We had some late rains, and the low country was wetter than normal, lots of muddy black soil plains, with great green feed.  Water Buffalo paradise... but damn hard for us humans to get through.  A few times we also had to off our clothes, have an armed sentry, and cross a flowing river hoping for no saltwater crocodile encounters.  The remoteness and physical difficulty were rewarding as usual.  I remember Larry resting in the shade at midday in the heat, using a boot as a pillow.  They both hassled me for bigger Buffalo... to just appear closer for us.  We did get our Buffalos with much effort, and the muddy places.  They had a great time, and planned to return.  

 

I'll Only Shoot One:

Trip 2/ A few years later they came back in 2012.  Safari camp was set at Bagetti using a spring water stream, and we had a great time, exploring, covering new country mostly on foot.  We took a couple of very nice Buffalo on exciting hunts.  So, we then went looking for pigs to the south, and walked the Phelp River to shoot a couple of hogs.  Then to cut a long story short, this monster fed down from the hills, onto some green pic, and slowly feeding towards water. We were all in shock at first... then planned our stalk, and as mentioned Bills first shot was great.................. As we approached, we were stunned, I could guide in Arnhem Land another 100 years and not see such an animal again in the wilds.  It was mounted in record time by B&B Taxidermy for display at the Houston and Dallas shows.. and a cast made replica horns I could use and keep.

Bill was proud of his huge Buffalo, and proud of his association with me, our team, our company, our true wilderness adventures and our integrity.  So he would accompany me to many DSC and SCI conventions, to assist and hang out as a friend,  He was a quiet fellow, but loved to tell stories.  At SCI he was researching doing an Ibex hunt of some sort... mean time I did a deal and organized a trip together to Kyrgyzstan.  Alas, later that year he was unwell and never made it on the Ibex hunt, and he passed away just after my return.  However, we all get older.  Our team deliver amazing journeys for many mature or retired hunters... we understand that ALL of us hunters have so many years to gather trophies, memories, and new friends in faraway places.... Which we will treasure and carry with our soul forever.  Take care Bill.