"Water Buffalo at Gan Gan"

A bull we passed up in the wetlands

The bull stared at us, turned and ran, fleeing through the forest. Hooking a sapling with its horn, it crashing through it and in doing so, swung around back towards us and was now coming our way.

How to stop a water buffalo at close range? Would he drop with a shot to the chest at close range? Would a fast second barrel be required, doing what a big bore double is designed for? I prefered not to find out, prefering a broadside shot with big bony shoulders to break if possible.

Carrying my W.J. Jeffrey double rifle in the big 3 and half inch .450 No. 2 Nitro Express it propells a 480 grain Woodleigh projectile pushed by more than a hundred grains of powder at speeds in excess of 2,100 fps. Matt was carrying a .458 Winchester Magnum with similar ballistics.

The bull, an old "sweeper" with broomed tips slowed and stopped. Again he moved towards us, taking several steps, paused, looked, and came again steadily. This was getting serious, he was getting close enough we may have to shoot him whether or not we wanted him.

We waited wanting him to clear some swampy ground. If he was shot there and not dropped he could run into country which might prove difficult.

Looking good to me, the first bull out of three or four excellent bulls we had seen that morning, the first morning of five days of hunting. Tis bull as the Aussie equivalent of an "old duga-boy", the name derived from Afrikaans for "mud-boy" given to those fiesty old cape buffalo, exiled from the herds that live in bachelor herds and can be exceedingly dangerous. The old fellow was not eligible bachelor, he was scarred from fighting, his horns marked and the tips worn. A good trophy on any wall but was he good enough to take on the first morning in a prime area or should I wait? Would we have a choice?

I asked Matt, "How big do you think he is?"

Matt replied "At least upper nineties and a nice sweeper."

I raised my .450 and watched him through the sights. Picturing the shot required. He had stopped and was staring at us. So far we had seen the crescent shaped bulls for which this area is known, this was an exception. And I liked his look.

Lowering the rifle again I asked "Is he a 'shooter'?" to which Matt replied "We may have to." He continued to approach us taking several steps at a time.

"We need to decide whether he is a 'shooter', either leave or not, or shoot or not if he is a good one", I said as the bull kept approaching taking more steps, now suddenly coming forward faster.

I had my double raised and was watching him over the barrels. What a beautiful sight. But intimidating too at this range. We took several steps back, which caused the bull to stop. He was now less than 20 metres away. We both had our rifles ready now.

Making a decision to leave this bull and keep looking we backed out and keeping an eye on the stationary bull walked back to the vehicle. He was good but probably not over a 100 and we had plenty of time and might see him again. It was an exciting and fun episode. Exactly what buffalo hunting is supposed to be.

*****

I was hunting on the East coast of Arnhemland on the "Gan Gan" flood plains, the home of outfitter Hunt Australia and its owner Bob Penfold. Reputed to be one of the best water buffalo area available I had jumped at the chance when outfitter Matt Graham had organised a week's hunting at Gan Gan for his clients.

Gan Gan is the home of the Yonglu people, the traditional owners who lease concessions in the area to outfitters hunting the massive bovines, water buffalo. The area is ideal for buffalo. Large wetlands with lush feed with interspersed bush, the buffalo move from sandy higher ground in the mornings to feed out into the wetlands during the day, or among the shady paperbark creeks.

Having wanted to hunt the Northern Territories water buffalo since the early eighties, I thought I never would have the chance. I had been in the area, only a few hundred kilometres South then but had not found a god buffalo. Then the government concerned about TB in the wild game had initiated an extermination campaign a decade earlier, supposedly to wipe buffalo out. But the funds ran out, Aboriginal owners of traditional land wanted the buffalo to stay put for their trophy fee earning ability, and test shoots of buffalo in these areas proved these buffalo disease free. Buffalo hunting inn Australia would continue and not behind high-wire. And now I would finally get a chance.

*****

Getting to the area requires one to cross a continent, fly from the vibrant tropical city of Darwin to Nhulubuy, a town on the Gove Peninsula on the North Eastern tip of Arnhemland and the Northern Territory. A three and a half drive Southwards is usually done by charter aircraft, but Bob Penfold was there to pick me up. Matt Graham, my outfitter was finishing a week's pig hunt near Katherine where big boars roam, and the clients were returning home happy. Steve shared this pig hunt and was going to be hunting with us on this two-by-one hunt (2x1 hunts refer to two clients for one guide or professional hunter).

Bob was eager to see a article on Gan Gan and buffalo hunting in "The Bulletin" magazine. Craig Boddington, the famous much read American gunwriter had hunted at Gan Gan with his daughter not long before and the Bulletin had written a story on the Boddington's hunt, a couple of Penfold's clients, and on Bob Penfold himself.

After several errands we were off on the bitumen road that quickly became dirt. Chatting on the trip, Penfold surprised me saying the TV current affairs show "A Current Affair" may be up here to film your hunt."

"Bloody hell!" I thought. Talk about pressure, a television team filming your every move and hopefully not screw-ups!

The drive was enjoyable, the wooded countryside passing by, the same but ever changing. Just like the ancient land it is.

Finally turning off the maintrack which leads to the township of Gan Gan, the kilometres of bush opened up to a nice camp set alongside a billabong. Several tents, a meshed roof dining area, an annex forming a kitchen between two storage sheds, an open air shower with a wood fired "donkey", an amenity shed and trophy preparation area made up the comfortable camp. It might just do for five days. Much better than a swag dropped beside a campfire among the bugs.

*****

Meeting up with Matt and Steve when they arrived that evening, we chatted in person for the first time having talked previously on the phone and internet hunting forums. A delicious dinner over we agreed a start at 5:30 tommorrow morning was in order. Steve had told me I should take the first buffalo when I queried how we should handle taking turns. I offered to swap each day, or morning / afternoon, but he genurously insisted I go first. I said we can always change the setup later if he wished but honestly most clients at Gan Gan take a close to, if not exceeding 100 inch buffalo in the first two days. The two of us had five days so no problem and also no need to rush. Both of us wanted a 100 inch bull if possible. Why not! Putting some pressure on the guide is what they get paid for!

Breakfast the next morning, heavy fogs in the chilly morning cut the visibility right down. Not what I expected in the tropical Territory, more like hunting sambar deer in the Victorian Alps. Some first morning errands such as fueling up the hunting car, a 4WD Toyota utility with a shooting seat on back, we were off driving around the billabong down through some shallow sections of a couple of creeks. As the week went these crossngs became harder and harder to get through until the winch was inevitably required. Sometime later Matt says to me, camp is 800 metres that way, pointing to the river, we had been making a large loop to get around the deep water near the camp. A 4WD is left on the far side of the billabong cutting out a 40 minute drive with a 5 minute boat ride during wetter months.

Getting close to areas where buffalo are often sighted we stopped for some photos and decided to wait for a half-hour to see if the mists would lift. We had probably been driving past buffalo hidden from us by the fog even if they were only fifty metres away. Even after a wait the fogs hadn't changed much but away we went again.

Hey, is this the Victorian Alps, or the Tropical North?

As we proceed Eastwards towards the coastal lowland swamps Steve eagled eyed on the back banged on the roof of the cab. Not gorillas in the mist, buffalo in the mist.

Getting out of the vehicle we approached the buffalo but had to stop. The fog obscured a good look at them. Seeing one or two, now three, then four and finally five buffalo, all bulls were sighted as they moved or twitched their eyes or moved their heads. Maybe less than eighty metres away, one was definitely a trophy bull in the upper nineties but a proper look was needed. They were aware of us, cautious but not alarmed, probably wondering what we were. One of the buffalo turned and began to move off. Others crossed in front of us and moved off into the bush and out of sight into the fog. But one small bull remained watching us. He was on the far left and might not even be aware his boys had left. Worse he was a damned nuisance and in our way. Thirty minutes later he moved off and we followed hoping to find the main herd in the bush and swamp behind. Several hundred metres in and the fog now gone at about 11AM no buffalo were in sight anywhere. Back to the vehicle and continue the drive.

The fog has lifted but this bull stands guard until it is too late to follow the other boys.

Along a straight track, some higher ground to the right, another bull. A nice animal in the mid-nineties so we drive on. He will keep until the last day, we find him near that spot almost every time we pass that way.

Other buffalo are seen and finally close to a track a beautiful big beast is seen. He has lovely horns very crescent shaped, a fine animal. He is unconcerned, may have never seen a human before in his life. His horns could be thicker but tempting. We do not leave the vehicle and drive off leaving him in peace.

Buffalo move through the bush

We had been making for a point on the open wetlands but the long waits for the fog to lift lost time so we turned around to return to camp for lunch. More buffalo were sighted and then the old sweeper was sighted. Matt and I get off to have a serious look at him while Steve stayed put. Sometimes two is better than three when trying not to spook wild prey.

Having had the close encounter of the buffalo kind we returned to the Toyo. The buffalo was not charging. He was curious and nervous as to what we were and what our intentions were. But at close quarters if they decide they're having a bad day and you're in their way, you never know. One day or moment they might be unconcerned, the next day, a grouchy old "man". As Matt said, "sometimes they want to go somewhere, and if you are in their way, they just aim to move you out of their way."

Lunch at the camp by the billabong, beef sandwiches washed down by a cold beer or soft drinks. Penfold has told "A Current Affair" to forget about it. They now wanted to come the next week when he didn't have a client. While press is good, if you are dealing with an anti-gun, anti-hunting host sometimes it is better not to give them a story. Later he gets a call from "60 minutes". "60 minutes" will be doing a story next year to which he agrees to. Positive stories on hunting and firearms in the printed and TV press is a good thing. Countering the negative image the spinmakers have tried to paint legitimate hunters and shooters with.

After lunch taking an opportunity for a brief siesta we are off again in the same direction. As often happens in hunting decisions are made in hindsight. The old sweeper has prayed upon my dreams, seeing him in the shallow V of "Zabardast's" rear sight. He DID look good and as Matt said, "Take him if you think he would look good on your wall?" A definite yes. If we spotted him near the swampy creek again we would hunt him.

*****

Again more bulls were sighted and an occasional cow. Matt said we would have no trouble finding cows later where we were headed.

Steve now in the cab, as we had traded places for the afternoon's hunt.

A bull in the distance was sighted. Just like with stags, when you see a good one you know it. His horns were wide and past his body width even from this distance. Time to plan a stalk. A swampy creek to the left with brushy cover and to the right, some thicker bush. We retreated to the cover on the left and approached this wary bull now out of sight. Passing through the cover - where was the bull? He had shifted and even though we searched and entered the thicker bush he was gone. He was big and he was smart and had eluded us. But that is hunting for you. Sometimes you win and sometimes you loose.

This afternoon Matt planned to drive a track he hadn't hunted before. The map showed spurs of interconnected wetlands near the track and water buffalo are not known as 'water' buffalo for nothing.

We find that between us and the water are paperbark swamps. They shield us from the open water or perhaps cover the wetlands here. A pig is seen running off fleeing into the paperbark. Pigs are definitely present here, not in numbers but occaisional black targets of opportunity. Not yet though, we have two buffalo to take first.

Cows and calfs are sighted. One cow in particular is huge with wide horns. Body size is impressive too. But the cows are much warier than the bulls moving quickly off into the bush. Other herds have been just a splashing off into the paperbarks.

Further along we cross a waterway of several metres, shifting down to low range 4WD to cross.

The ground ascending slightly we now drive along a sandy 'bank' which is a metre or two higher than the surrounding countryside. The sandy clearings are covered with buffalo tracks and as Matt predicted we find cow herds. With the evening fast approaching, the cow herds with calfs in tow and some bulls, spend the night on these raised dry sandy banks. Unlike earlier when the cows were wary and fled easily, now they are reluctant to leave their comfortable beds.

Why this behaviour? Perhaps just for the comfortable dry sandy beds, but I speculate the raised more open banks provide a sleeping place for cow herds with young to watch for the approach of predators. No longer required in Australia but in their homelands tigers prowl.

Cows and calfs are reluctant to leave the sandy bank as dusk approaches

The track descending down into wetlands again, its time to turn around and head back to camp.

End of Day 1

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